Great Britain’s “Fridge Kids” and grassroots development programme pumped by new Sport England-funded freestyle airbag

Great Britain’s rapidly rising freestyle snowsports stars received a significant boost to the team’s performance and grassroots programme with a new giant freestyle airbag providing year-round practice in the absence of snow and mountains.

Engineered to create the safest and most realistic learning environment possible for freeskiers and snowboarders, the Katal-manufactured airbag will be hosted at the Chill Factore in Manchester ahead of touring UK indoor and dry slopes, aimed at positively impacting homegrown snowboarders and freeskiers nation wide. The unique Canadian manufactured airbag is designed to emulate a real jump, providing a shaped landing surface with a “knuckle” to aim past, making it possible for athletes to gauge optimum and overshoot landing trajectories and assess proper approach speeds to take.

Secured by Performance Director, Paddy Mortimer and Snowboard Head Coach, Hamish McKnight and funded by Sport England, the new arrival will be fundamental in taking British grassroots snowsports to the next level. Hamis McKnights comments:

The hope is that kids can learn tricks earlier and practice them more often, meaning that the next generation are supported before they even reach national team level. Inspiring the next generation through grassroots is so important for us. It’s the building blocks for our vision of growing the sport across the country, establishing Britain as competitive in the global arena and sustaining international podium success.

GBFreeski’s Head Coach, Pat Sharples expands this message:

Having our own air bag in the UK will be hugely productive as this is the perfect way to safely help develop our young up and coming skiers and snowboarders hone their techniques and continue to drive the journey from homegrown grassroots sport to the top of the international podium. This is a massive step forward for our grassroots programs and UK based training camps.

Without natural snowy high-altitude training environments, such airbags (as well as artificial slopes and indoor snow facilities) are fundamental to the unique training conditions of British elite freeskiers and freestyle snowboarders – affectionately coined the “Fridge Kids” from rapidly emerging international media interest.

This airbag is also fundamental for national Team athletes trying to secure their position for the Sochi 2014 Games and all other major competitions, providing a useful training tool as an outlet for developing innovative and increasingly difficult tricks. GBFreestyle snowboarder, Billy Morgan said:

“If you can’t visualise a trick before you try it, it can be quite dangerous, so being able to try a trick before taking it onto the snow is super helpful. Using airbags is definitely becoming essential as tricks are progressing.”