http://www.benhooper.comLatest news on Ben Hooper, his skiing and his goal to join the GB squad.en-ukhttp://www.benhooper.com/images/ski.gifhttp://www.benhooper.comJust having fun on the snow, now this is an office.Copyright © BenHooper.com, 2009-2012admin@BenHooper.comTue, 30 Aug 2011 08:31:28 G8TC#I never want to stop trying new things that keep me active, before my accident I was just starting to learn to wakeboard and it was something I thought I would never be able to do again. I had done a couple of water ski sessions with Sportability as tasters and the last one I managed to convince them to let me have a go on a wakeboard. For me it was a dream come true even though the feeling sitting on a wakeboard was really different to standing on one. During this session getting up on the water was brilliant and even though there was a couple of crashes I was certainly hooked and was desperate to do it again. As soon as I got off the water I got the forms to join Heron Lake water ski club and sent them off as soon as possible.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/08/30/learning-to-wakeboard.aspxTue, 30 Aug 2011 08:31:28 G8TSit SkiingBen HooperFor many months now we have been flying kites, designing rigs, creating media and doing many other tasks to launch the Icelandic Challenge. It's been fantastic to work with a team that is so focused on making this work. Long hours have been put in by everyone and we really want to get your support now. Please visit our website, have a look at our Facebook page and keep track of what we are doing. This really is a worlds first and the whole team is so excited about it. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/07/25/icelandic-challenge-public-launch.aspxMon, 25 Jul 2011 09:47:22 G7TSit SkiingBen HooperDesigning a rig for the Icelandic Challenge to cross the Vatnajokull glacier has gone from a drawing in Autumn 2010 to a functioning prototype that we can modify to test different setting that will be suitable for the crossing. As with any prototype sometime we go in the right direction and sometimes we don't. But that's part of the process and even when you go slightly in the wrong direction it helps with the overall design. It can also be a little scary when you ride the rig and it doesn't behave as you expect.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/07/07/icelandic-challenge-rig-testing.aspxThu, 7 Jul 2011 08:42:41 G7TSit SkiingBen HooperThe Icelandic Challenge team wanted to get as much cross training in as possible, this took me and the team to Hunstanton Water Sports to fly kites in the sea. I don't think the sea around the UK is ever really warm but we were all excited to get in the water and try the new kite type. It had amazing power and the guys at Hunstanton Water Sports really pushed the boat out for us and gave us a day to remember. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/06/23/icelandic-challenge-sea-kiting.aspxThu, 23 Jun 2011 09:12:54 G6TSit SkiingBen HooperThe key skill we have to learn to enable use to complete the Icelandic Challenge is to be able to fly larger and larger power kites. All the disabled team members have spent lots of time on snow and we will be designing a rig for us to ride the Vatnajokull glacier. We all accept that the challenge won't be an easy one but we have a great team behind us so we can get up to speed as fast as possible. We generally kite every week learning every time, being in a wheelchair makes things a little more complicated but this has never stopped us before and it won't stop us now. Sometimes things take a little longer, but we are getter there.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/04/27/icelandic-challenge-learning-to-fly.aspxWed, 27 Apr 2011 08:15:37 G4TSit SkiingBen HooperWe drove 8 hours to Park City in Utah to take part in my final races of the season; I had planned my season training in the US to end with the GS and Slalom races there. Although these are not my favorite race styles it’s still important to be able to run in all race classes. After the long drive to Park City it was brilliant to finally see the location of the 2002 Olympics and I was pretty excited to race on that hill.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/03/13/park-city-noram.aspxSun, 13 Mar 2011 10:37:49 G3TSit SkiingBen HooperThe Winter Park Wells Fargo Cup is an event that is organized by the NSCD in Winter Park, Colorado to raise funds to allow the NSCD to provide support for people with disabilities. This includes ski lessons and lots of other activities that allow disabled people to get out and try things that they wouldn’t normally have the chance to. I first visited the NSCD in 2008 with Back-up when I went to ski for the first time, that provided me with a spring board that changed my life. While there in 2008 I learnt to ski on my own with the equipment they have there and the vast numbers of volunteers that make it happen. Now I’m back in Winter Park skiing as part of their race program and enjoying every minute of it. The Wells Fargo Cup is split in to 2 events.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/03/06/winter-park-wells-fargo-cup.aspxSun, 6 Mar 2011 10:35:38 G3TSit SkiingBen HooperIt was great to be back in Kimberley after training there for the previous two years, I got to catch up with some old friends and everyone there was so friendly. We had a massive field of skiers from 11 different nations; it was basically a mini World Championship for Downhill and Super-G racers. We had pretty much the top 10 sit skiers from around the world which is pretty daunting when you are lining up against them. I think every sit skier in the world that wants to race would have loved to be in that position.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/02/13/kimberley-noram.aspxSun, 13 Feb 2011 04:54:48 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperAfter much deliberation I decided that I needed a new sit ski that was capable of working across all the alpine disciplines that I’m racing. My current sit ski has been a great ride over the last two seasons, but a change was needed for me to progress. My current Bramble sit ski is a fantastic speed rig, but really struggles in the technical events. It is possible to ski them but you really have to put in 110% effort to produce a result, which means there is no margin for error.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/01/10/new-hoc-sit-ski-(mono-ski).aspxMon, 10 Jan 2011 10:33:54 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperLots to be happy about today with the GS event, this was my second ever GS race and the course looked pretty hectic and had some real technical challenges. We didn’t have great weather today but a little snow falling does make you warm up more and starts to test your vision a bit. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/01/04/winter-park-open-gs.aspxTue, 4 Jan 2011 11:03:57 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperAfter the previous days DNF in the Super-G for the Super Combined I was a little apprehensive about the main Super-G event in the Winter Park Open. Not only did I not want to have another DNF but I didn’t want to start the next day GS event with no finishes. Today’s goal was to finish the event, my position and the points scored were secondary to this, but always in my mind.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/01/03/winter-park-open-super-g.aspxMon, 3 Jan 2011 10:26:23 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperThe Winter Park Open day 1 was a Super Combined event, comprising a Super-G and a Slalom race. Given it was my first race of the season I had the normal pre-race nerves the night before but got all my kit ready and a good night’s rest. Arriving at the hill I was pretty relaxed, more relaxed than my race starts previously, but I still had a healthy anticipation about the event. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2011/01/02/winter-park-open-super-combined.aspxSun, 2 Jan 2011 02:19:25 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperAfter a long flight from the UK I’ve arrived in Winter Park, Colorado to start training for the 2010-2011 ski season. Took me a little while to get my bearings and work out how to get to ski hill, where the shops were, etc but all got sorted and today I finally got on the slopes for the first time for some fun. It was a free day but with a sunny day greeting me when I woke up there was no way I was passing that up. I’d got all my gear stored up at the hill, just a quick bus ride to get there and get in my sit ski.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/12/17/arrived-in-winter-park.aspxFri, 17 Dec 2010 11:57:36 G12TSit SkiingBen HooperA really big thank you to MARS for the donation from the MARS Refuel Drink Fund. With every ski season costing so much money every penny counts and with this donation I’m able to use it to help with my ongoing training and racing. I will be using the MARS Refuel Drink donation to pay for all my race entries this year as well as going towards the insurance you need while racing. Even after sustaining a broken back riding a sit ski in any event can be a dangerous pursuit; one which I relish though and I’m hoping that this season is going to be the best one yet.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/11/25/mars-refuel-drink-fund.aspxThu, 25 Nov 2010 04:01:47 G11TSit SkiingBen HooperJust got back from Hintertux in Austria from our development team training camp, wasn’t sure what to expect as it was my first one and I hadn’t skied on a real slope since the end of March. Getting used to being on my ski again took some time, but the week was great fun but hard work. The first day back on the slopes was pretty tough, the conditions weren’t great and skiing on bumps followed by ice followed by bumps didn’t do much for my confidence or my judgment of how my suspension needed to be setup. It would be fair to say the first day was harder than I had expected it to be and we had yet to head up to the glacier due to the visibility. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/11/07/gb-development-team-training-2010.aspxSun, 7 Nov 2010 04:01:33 G11TSit SkiingBen HooperIn October 2010 I was invited by members of the senior GB Disabled Ski team to take part in a challenge to snow kite across a glacier in Europe. At that time I had no real idea of what the challenges would be, how we would do it and what would it take to learn the skills to take part.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/10/25/icelandic-challenge-the-beginning.aspxMon, 25 Oct 2010 07:04:10 G10TSit SkiingBen HooperI had a fantastic day microlighting with Sportability, they are a fantastic organisation that have given me so many tastes of different activities. This was my second time microlighting, but my first was when I was about 10 years old and I think I was just so overwhelmed then to really enjoy it. It was a crisp sunny winter day, perfect for visibility but once you got up in the air cold like you wouldn't believe, even though I was wrapped up as warm as I could be. Just a fantastic day to remember and if the chance comes up again I'll be in the air having fun.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/10/21/sportability-microlighting.aspxThu, 21 Oct 2010 09:30:45 G10TSit SkiingBen HooperThe Disability Snowsport UK Peak 2 Peak challenge was an amazing opportunity to take part in a 70 mile ride across Scotland. The furthest I’d cycled in one day before was 30 miles and to double that by some margin was a real challenge for me that I could see as being both physically and mentally tough, something that I could not say no to. I got my hand bike a few months ago with the original intention of doing out of season training and getting out of my chair to see some of the countryside, this was the perfect event.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/09/11/peak-2-peak-challenge-completed.aspxSat, 11 Sep 2010 09:05:02 G9TSit SkiingBen HooperOn September 11th the British Disabled Ski Team will be taking part in a challenging bike ride, peak 2 peak cycling from Ben Nevis, 70 miles to the Cairngorm Mountains in one long day. This route will see the team climbing nearly 2,500 feet. The Team consists of amputees, visually impaired and wheelchair athletes. More at home traveling at speed downhill in the mountains, this push uphill will get the team in shape for the forthcoming season. The majority of the team will be having to do it in handbikes making it even more of a challenge. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/08/26/peak-2-peak-challenge.aspxThu, 26 Aug 2010 11:04:19 G8TSit SkiingBen HooperI tried out for the GB Development Ski Team in Manchester; really happy to be invited up and give it a shot. This is why I left my previous job; I’m getting the work/life balance down perfectly. We had a detailed talk in the morning about what was expected from a team member and the dedication we would have to put in, all detailed and not sugar coated which is what I like.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/08/23/gb-development-ski-team.aspxMon, 23 Aug 2010 02:05:58 G8TSit SkiingBen HooperDecided to get a top of the range monitor for my hand bike that was compatible with http://www.runkeeper.com/]]> , finally got the Polar RS800CX. Not only does it measure my heart rate, it measures my peddle cadence and also my bike speed. It has an optional GPS unit that I might get later in the year to fix to my sit ski. It cost a bit more than I wanted to spend, but well worth the money for the features it has. I bought it from http://www.heartratemonitor.co.uk/]]> have to recommend this company, not only for the great price I got but for the excellent service I got when I called and the super fast delivery.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/07/17/new-polar-monitor.aspxSat, 17 Jul 2010 04:09:21 G7TSit SkiingBen HooperDownloaded a new app for my iPhone to help me keep track of my progress on my new hand bike. My iPhone goes in my backpack and gives me audio information about my ride and gives me a report at the end of it. Brilliant app and well worth the money for it. Only done a couple of small runs on it so far but it doesn’t seem to drain the battery too much with the GPS on all the time. Going to keep it going and with any luck should see my progress get better and better throughout the year.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/07/16/training-with-runkeeper.com.aspxFri, 16 Jul 2010 03:49:19 G7TSit SkiingBen HooperI ordered a Top End Force hand bike to do some out of season fitness training and great news I’ve just taken delivery of it. It’s a lot lower than I thought it was going to be and I can see getting to grips with it is going to be great fun. Getting out and about during the day and getting a good workout is something I had thought about while skiing and this is just the bike I want. Taken it for a couple of runs up and down the road and it’s a really strange feeling being away from my wheelchair, strange but exciting at the same time. Can’t wait now to get some miles on it, dodge some traffic and just have as much fun as I can.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/07/07/new-top-end-force-hand-bike.aspxWed, 7 Jul 2010 03:38:53 G7TSit SkiingBen HooperA second season in Kimberley was more fun that I could have thought, but what are my plans now I’m back in the UK? I’ve already decided that I want to go back to Kimberley for a 3rd season but the goal is to earn enough money to make it there.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/04/11/ben-hooper-what-next.aspxSun, 11 Apr 2010 11:25:21 G4TSit SkiingBen HooperAfter making the decision to leave my existing job and do another season skiing in Kimberley with Steve Bova and http://www.ski2win.ca]]> I was always worried that it wouldn’t live up to the time I had the previous year. Last year was all about getting to grips with my skis, learning different basic techniques and to be honest getting down the slope safely. This year I put a lot more in to the skiing, just because I didn’t had to learn or find out about the tiny things that go in to blasting down a slope on one ski. I learnt some new techniques that I would have thought were way beyond my skill level, I got to take part in my first down hill race, and I got to be in Canada for both the Olympics and Paralympics. I trained with the Russian team, the Canadian development team, some great friends and able bodied teams from across Canada and really pushed myself. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/03/31/2010-season-in-kimberley.aspxWed, 31 Mar 2010 11:10:14 G3TSit SkiingBen HooperIt’s been great to be in Canada while the Paralympics have been on, even better with a few of my friends taking part. I wish they had shown it as much as they did with the normal winter Olympics. But broadcasters are slowly getting better and in 20 year they might even get it right. I think if people saw the blind skiers, the ski skiers and the others giving it 110%, not for money but because they want to be there and have trained for years, they would have a different opinion. Especially the sit-skiers, these guys are strapped in to a “bucket” and top over 100 kph on a single ski, I do it and it amasses me. I’ve had some brutal crashes and brilliant runs, but that normally because I’m on the edge and giving everything I have. I’d love to see a non disabled person strap themselves in to one and look down a course from the starting line.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/03/20/vancouver-2010-paralympic-games.aspxSat, 20 Mar 2010 02:01:55 G3TSit SkiingBen HooperWe have been training slalom for the last few weeks at http://www.ski2win.ca]]> and although I’ve not been doing as well as I would have liked to, I’ve enjoyed it. Finding a new challenge while skiing and being able to overcome it is always great and this is one of those times. The problem I’m finding is that I’m breaking my outrigger skis on the slalom poles and I only brought a few spare ones.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/03/17/no-more-spare-outriggers-skis.aspxWed, 17 Mar 2010 01:29:50 G3TSit SkiingBen HooperWe are working on more technical ski skills at the moment at http://www.ski2win.ca]]> with Steve Bova. The Bramble sit ski isn’t known as a rig that is easy to produce great slalom results with, however the technical skills translate to all aspects of your skiing. So although initially I wasn’t very enthusiastic about it I knew that in the long run it would help my total skiing skills.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/03/11/slalom-training-on-my-bramble-sit-ski.aspxThu, 11 Mar 2010 10:52:04 G3TSit SkiingBen HooperAfter a hectic two weeks here at the Western Lodge in Kimberley the Russian Paralympics team have headed off to compete in Vancouver. Interesting having a full team here and getting to know a few of them. For the first week or so they kept themselves to themselves which is understandable when you travel in a group and English isn’t your first language. It was only when I started to ski with them that we started to chat together at the top of the slopes and have a bit of a laugh. They didn’t have any sit skiers but they did have some very talented skiers that are going to give some people a run for their money in Vancouver.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/03/06/the-russians-are-heading-to-vancouver.aspxSat, 6 Mar 2010 01:16:16 G3TSit SkiingBen HooperThe Canadian Paralympic sledge hockey team came to Kimberley to put on a demo of their skills and speed. They didn’t disappoint, I don’t think they was a person in the arena that didn’t want a go. It was especially interesting for me to see how fast they turned and how they kept their balance. There has been a lot of work done on the arena to make it accessible and from what I could see all the players were enjoying the facilities in Kimberley. I met a couple of them at the ski hill while I was packing my gear up, but it didn’t twig who they were. Going to be great to watch them play at the games and wishing them well. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/28/canadian-sledge-hockey-team.aspxSun, 28 Feb 2010 12:59:08 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperTraining GS with the Russian Paralympics team, a really great course setup, nice and narrow a real test of skills that I don’t yet have, but that’s not going to stop me from giving it my best shot. I’ve improved my free skiing massively this season and the speed I can generate its just unreal, just when I get into gates it all goes wrong! I’ve also been surprised that I’ve only managed to bend a few skis and not break an outrigger. The course was a nice long course with plenty of areas to make time and loose time. I was working on was taking a more direct route to the gates. All common sense combined with other skills I’ve improved on. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/28/why-do-outriggers-break-when-you-smash-them.aspxSun, 28 Feb 2010 09:14:24 G2TSit SkiingBen Hooper It’s always fun to train at http://www.ski2win.ca]]> because you never quite know who is going to be on course. This year I’ve trained with some great friends from last year, I’ve trained with some great young able bodied skiers from different clubs, and in the Olympic year the Russians are training on the same course as me.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/23/russian-paralympics-take-to-the-hill.aspxTue, 23 Feb 2010 04:16:46 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperThere is always work you can do to improve your skiing and I’ve still got a lot of it to do to get to where I want to be. I having been working with the coaches here at http://www.ski2win.ca]]> to keep my speed while turning, this will give me faster run times and also I’ll be more stable at high speeds. But to do this means firing my hip muscles to create an angle between myself and my sit ski. It doesn’t sound like something that is hard to do but if you don’t use those muscles in everyday life it’s difficult to release the potential. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/19/moving-forwards.aspxFri, 19 Feb 2010 03:33:40 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperI had competed in the SuperG race last year and after 3 days of downhill racing I was a little more relaxed about these races and looking forward to them. I only got one inspection run in and I had a hard time remembering the course, but I had the main areas I had to focus on in my mind. The course looked a lot of fun and I felt confident running it. The plan was the same as before, put a banker run in and then build the speed for the second run. The course was holding up well considering we had run on it so much without any fresh snow.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/12/kimberley-noram-superg-race.aspxFri, 12 Feb 2010 09:37:57 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperThe downhill race day came around fast, I had some nerves going in to it, but I figured that was pretty healthy. I had planned out what I wanted to do for the race, the first race was going to be a banker, try to ski it clean and get a result out of it. The second race I would push it a bit harder and try to improve my time. I warmed up as I would normally and headed for the start gates. They had changed the order so that the sit skis would run behind the standing men, it shouldn’t cause any problems but I never like changes. It also meant that since I had no downhill points yet I would be pretty much last to run on each of the races.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/11/kimberley-noram-downhill-race.aspxThu, 11 Feb 2010 09:03:51 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperOne of the goals for this year was to be good enough to compete in the NorAm downhill race that was being held in Kimberley. I watched last year from the side lines and had a great time, but knew it would be more fun the other side of the fence. The NorAm is split up in to a few days, 2 days downhill practice, then 1 day for 2 downhill races and finally the last day for 2 SuperG races. It was going to be a busy week both mentally and physically.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/09/kimberley-2010-noram-downhill.aspxTue, 9 Feb 2010 08:39:53 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperHad a good day today, I was getting all the goals I had set myself done. We had decided on five speed runs on the course and call it a day a little early. I was testing some race wax and the snow temperature, my skis were gliding well and I was a little happier with the upcoming races. The first three runs were great; each one I improved on the last and I was dictating the line more rather than getting thrown all over the place and taking gates late. Didn’t even let the lift breaking while I was on it effect me, just waiting till they fixed it and headed for the course again. We broke for a quick lunch and hit the course for my final two runs. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/07/superg-training.aspxSun, 7 Feb 2010 09:16:40 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperI’ve been in Kimberley with Steve Bova for over a month now and I’m having a relaxing couple of days off. The last week though has been the best week I’ve had skiing to date I think. I’m finally getting my head around the turn shape I need though the gates and I’m getting better at dropping my hip though the turns, still a lot of work to do! I think I’m skiing the best and fasted I’ve ever done, plus I’m confident charging over peaks knowing it will all hold at the next turn. Yesterday the conditions where pretty bad, you couldn’t see that far ahead, last year this would have freaked me out and my skiing what have gone south very fast. This year I’m embracing these conditions because they will happen at some point in a race and you have to deal with them. Although yesterday I would have been slower when the cloud came down I was still 100% committed, it felt like a big personal win for me.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/02/01/best-training-week-so-far.aspxMon, 1 Feb 2010 11:13:35 G2TSit SkiingBen HooperHad a great month skiing in Kimberley, done some hard training and managed to bend one of my Slalom skis. This wasn’t too much of a surprise for me, last year I really gave them a hard time so a new pair was needed. While I was getting those I decided that I’d invest in some downhill skis as well, with the intention of entering my first downhill race in the coming NORAM to be held here. Preparing new skis is always a bit of a labour of love; you don’t just get them out of the packet and go hit the slopes. You have to have the binding mounted as you want them, pick the base edge angle, remove the sidewall so you can pick you side edge angle. Then you have to apply wax to them over and over again so they are ready for training and finally race wax. It takes a while and will wait for a day off!http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/25/new-skis.aspxMon, 25 Jan 2010 11:02:56 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperWe were really lucky to be in Kimberley for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games torch relay when it passed though. We had a half day of training in the sunshine before getting ready and heading in to town. There were free cakes and hot chocolate, hundreds of people turned out down the street and in the main plaza. The Surf Dragons were playing and although pretty cold by the time the torch got to town there was a great atmosphere. I didn’t think I would be too bothered by it all, but when the torch came past it felt great. Over the last few weeks more of my friends have been confirmed for the Paralympics and knowing that this was for them makes me want to keep training harder and harder, hopefully in four years I’ll be there.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/22/olympic-torch-comes-to-kimberley.aspxFri, 22 Jan 2010 04:48:19 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperHad one of my best weeks of training to date ever!! The crash netting on the race course had been put up now, it really focuses you. We had skied down a few times before the netting went up, but I found it very difficult to pinpoint exactly where I was, even though I had been down it all last year many many many times.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/21/a-great-week-of-training.aspxThu, 21 Jan 2010 04:41:51 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperFinally we got a good day of snow in Kimberley, just hope it continued all night. The hill could do with it. I had a pretty good week, we have been Slalom training and although I have bruised knees from hitting gates I really enjoyed it. I had a crash early in the week and bent one of my Slalom skis, so I’ve orders a new pair, it common for a sit skier to bust skis; we have a lot more force going though them than normal. But last year I gave mine a really hard time while learning, so a new pair is probably due anyway.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/16/it-snows-in-kimberley.aspxSat, 16 Jan 2010 11:33:06 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperMy goal for my second season sit skiing in Kimberley is to decide how much further I want to take this. Travelling across the globe to train with other athletes doesn’t come cheap and I have to make a lot of sacrifices to do this. But racing with the best in the world is great fun and the best buzz you can get. You always want to see where you stand in the world against the other disabled athletes that I admire. This is when you check the IPC points list for your world rankings. These are the latest and I hope to bring my ranking down over the next few months and races ahead. Check again at the end of the season for an update!http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/14/ipcas-points-list.aspxThu, 14 Jan 2010 04:06:19 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperIt’s the start of January 2010, only a month till the Vancouver Winter Olympic games and it’s warm on the west cost of Canada!! Last year it was freezing, temperatures well below freezing all the time, it is so bad at the moment that they have shut some of the Olympic hills down. Here in Kimberley we have had a week of warm weather followed by a freak cold snap yesterday. We have had rain at the bottom of the hill and snow at the top. I have to keep tuning my skis all the time to sort them out after the edges getting trashed hitting stones, but we have still managed to get some good training in with “Steve Bova”.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/14/warm-weather-in-kimberley.aspxThu, 14 Jan 2010 12:08:54 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperOne of the great things about training with Steve Bova is you meet lots of people from all around the world. Last night we went to see “Surf Dragons” at “The Stemwinder”, Paul the drummer is one of Steve’s coaches, great to see all of them again. Slightly out numbered by Australians last night, but met some good people and had a brilliant time. We start training again Monday, so today will be taken up preparing skis and equipment. The weather isn’t playing ball at the moment and I’ve only got my wax choice right a few times now, but that’s more due to the weather forecast giving the wrong temperature the night before. Being disabled and in a sit ski you really need to get the wax right. Pushing one with your outriggers just uses energy you want when skiing down the slope.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/10/surf-dragons.aspxSun, 10 Jan 2010 11:24:16 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperBack on the hill today, the weather had really closed in, we couldn’t see more than one lift tower at a time. Spent today on the narrower runs so we could get a bit of definition from the trees, I’m not a great fan of skiing towards trees but it did the trick. Back to working on tight slalom turns with my hip dropped and my head and shoulders level, needless to say a few wipe outs today. But at the bottom of Main I caught up with “Scotty”, great to see him again. He hadn’t changed a bit; we shared a lift up Main. So great to catch up with old friends and have a laugh. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/05/old-friends.aspxTue, 5 Jan 2010 05:00:00 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperBack on main in Kimberley, odd feeling like I had done this before. Unfortunately I still remember my very first day on main last year, I was rubbish and everyone there can testify to this, back in 2009 when I came here to took me ages to get one run in. Today I had the very same nerves, just hoping that this year’s first day wasn’t going to be a repeat of last year. I strapped myself in to my sit ski, and headed for the lift. The long ride to the top of main didn’t fill me with much confidence; it was cloudy and just starting to snow. I got off the lift OK and headed to the top of the slope. It all felt good, the balance was there I was dropping my hip though the turns, my first run and I was flying. Slopes that I hated at the start of last year just flashed past, this was why I left my job, this was why I travelled here, this was living…….. Then I crashed, come on…. who thought I was going to make it all the way down? Nothing special just cranked it over a little too much though a turn and dropped it. It didn’t matter though, life is good.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/04/first-day-back-on-the-slopes.aspxMon, 4 Jan 2010 05:00:00 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperOnce all my kit was safely in Kimberley I could get ready to tune the skis for the first run of the season. The snow hasn’t been great and tomorrow looks like its going to be a mild day, still below freezing. I spent 5 hours today getting my skis ready, wasn’t sure what I was going to be using first so best get them all in shape. It all came flooding back, and the tuition I got last year from my friends was well worth it, ‘Scotty’ and ‘Sam Hallam’ were great teachers and although I may not be a great skier, my skis we in the best shape I could make them.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/03/tuning-skis.aspxSun, 3 Jan 2010 03:00:00 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperI had a great New Years Eve catching up with some friends from last year. So good to be settled in and I didn’t need to worry about my skis, they arrived this morning, just got to fix my bindings and put my sit ski together but that can wait. We are due to start skiing on the 4th Jan, so I’ve got time to do a bit of shopping for food and gear I needed. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2010/01/01/new-year-in-kimberley.aspxFri, 1 Jan 2010 02:00:00 G1TSit SkiingBen HooperLeft Heathrow this morning with all my bags packed for 3 months in Canada. Good job my Dad was on the ball, they forgot to tag my sit ski, without that the season would have been a pretty dull one. The flight out with all my ski gear is always a nervous one, last year it took days to get my sit ski from lost luggage in Calgary. I managed to get a few hours sleep on the plane though.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/12/30/arrived-in-kimberley.aspxWed, 30 Dec 2009 08:00:00 G12TSit SkiingBen HooperA sure sign that winter is here this morning when I woke to find a frosty day. I used to hate waking to weather like this because the trip to work would be a nightmare, not sure where some people learnt to drive. This morning was different, put the kettle on and had a nice cup of tea instead; I got better things to think about these days. Once I was nice and relaxed I could start preparing all the gear I need to take with me to Kimberley. Going away for 3 months requires a lot of prescriptions to be filled and collected, waiting about in the chemist is just part of the process.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/12/16/it’s-getting-colder-in-maidenhead.aspxWed, 16 Dec 2009 04:43:12 G12TSit SkiingBen HooperAfter 10 years of working at the same company I’ve finally left to spend more time skiing and more time doing volunteer work. I had a great time at my previous company but I was unable to head off for a ski season or disappear off to teach wheelchair skills at the drop of a hat. I was lucky enough to work with some great people and create some innovative products, but you know when its time. Now I’m going to look forward to the new ski season, I’ve got lots to do; skis to tune, equipment to pack and preparation for next year when my new work life starts. This time it’s going to have a much healthier work/life balance.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/12/11/a-new-beginning.aspxFri, 11 Dec 2009 02:02:42 G12TSit SkiingBen HooperGreat news, but it was something that was always going to happen, its start to snow in Kimberley. I’ve been waiting all year to see the slopes change from grass back to snow and ice. Pretty sure the people in Kimberley won’t be as happy as I am but can’t wait now for the first lift ride up again on the chair. Just got to find time to sort my skis out, fly over get ready for fun again!!!http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/10/30/it's-snowing-in-kimberley-.aspxFri, 30 Oct 2009 11:22:27 G10TSit SkiingBen HooperWell done to all GB team at the New Zealand Winter Games http://www.wintergamesnz.com/]]> , Great to see some good results and points scored ready for Vancouver 2010. Looked like the weather was pretty wild out there, no matter though I wished I was there with the development squad. Maybe one year that will happen, we will just have to wait and see.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/08/30/new-zealand-winter-games.aspxSun, 30 Aug 2009 03:39:38 G8TSit SkiingBen HooperFinally made it to the Snow Centre at Hemel Hempstead! Always a bit worried going somewhere new and not knowing what the facilities are going to be like, but I had already chatted to some guys who had been there and they assured me it was great. I wasn’t disappointed, simple to get to, close to my house, really helpful staff that didn’t freak out because I was in a wheelchair. Got to say I was a little bit nervous back in the bucket after a 4 month break, but it all came flooding back, second run down I was already practicing my racing starts from the top. I’ll be going back on Tuesday.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/08/13/snow-centre.aspxThu, 13 Aug 2009 08:30:00 G8TSit SkiingBen HooperAfter Kimberley and the number of crashes I had there it was obvious that I needed a better boot to link my sit ski with my ski. The original boot was made of tough plastic, but when your bindings are 30 DIN, damage is bound to happen when you come out of the ski at speed. I contacted a UK company and they have made me a solid aluminium boot. I picked it up today, they did a brilliant job and I can’t wait to try it out, I think a trip to the indoor snow dome is on the cards.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/06/30/new-ski-boot.aspxTue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 G6TSit SkiingBen HooperI needed to find a solution for using drag lifts with my sit ski if I’m going to use the indoor snow domes in the UK, it will be useful to have when I’m away as well. After months of thinking I’ve found the solution (I think, yet to be tested). I borrowed the technology from sailing and have bought a device for releasing spinnakers’ under high tension, this should work with a couple of carabinas’ and 3m of climbing rope, what could possible go wrong.http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/05/23/drag-lift-solution.aspxSat, 23 May 2009 12:00:00 G5TSit SkiingBen HooperStill trying to decide if I should pursue skiing for more than the great season I had in 2008-2009. I had a remarkable time in Kimberley, not just the skiing but with all the people I met there. It really gave me a break from my day job and has given me lots to think about. I’ve worked at my current job for nearly 10 years now and its time I make up my mind about how my future will go. The decision is a) Stay at my current job, work hard and have a relatively comfortable life, or b) take up skiing, try to get on the GB team and experience more than a 9-5 job. http://www.benhooper.com/news/2009/05/16/skiing-future.aspxSat, 16 May 2009 12:00:00 G5TSit SkiingBen Hooper