In March the ex Olympic skier Alain Baxter visited the Ipswich ski centre for a business morning breakfast followed by a training session with the Vikings race team. Although it was on a Monday morning and a school day many of the team were still able to attend and had a great time with him, not often that sort of thing happens so was good for them.

For a report click here.

Here are some stunning photos from the first eight days of the Olympics,

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/vancouver_2010_part_1_of_2.html

Have received the following from Lynda Hickey about a fund raising event being organised by Rufus Alcott. Email is as follows.

Good morning,

As you know, Snowsport GB have had major financial difficulties and the team going to compete in the Olympics are left without sufficient funding. I know it's been coming for a long time but it seems so unfair on the athletes who have put so much commitment and dedication to getting to Vancouver.

Snowsport GB has been in financial trouble for sometime now but things are definitely coming to a head now. What a disaster on the timing though and obviously raises more questions than it answers.

This article was in the Times yesterday. There’s a lot of work going on in the background to make sure they get to the Olympics in a few weeks time but it doesn’t exactly help with the preparation.

Each week I go past Stratford on the train to London and off course there is one of the biggest building sites around next to the station. There is a huge amount of building work taking place in readiness for the Olympics in the non too distinct future. Sure the Olympics don’t happen until 2012 but in reality it’s not that far away when you look at when they still have to complete.

Here’s an excellent start for one of racers Ed Drake, his first podium finish of the season and so early. During the summer there was week long ski camp at Ipswich sponsored by Atomic and run by the Telling brothers. Ed spent the week there and the kids loved it.

Also during August there was a race at the Hemel ski centre to help raise much needed funds for him in his attempt to get to the Olympics in 2010.