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The Bell Report on Ski Sunday - part eight

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Hi everyone, here's what's coming up on the final part of Ski Sunday this week (9 March, 1815-1900, BBC Two and BBC Sport website) and all the latest news from the slopes.

So that’s it for this season on Ski Sunday, I hope you have enjoyed watching as much as Ed and I have enjoyed working on it.

My favourite features involved both of us in difficult and dangerous situations, as Chuck Berry (not the singer but the New Zealand extreme sports dude) said in his interview, when you can see that look of fear in their eyes you know this really means something.

The Crevasse Abseiling and the Ice diving were challenging but hugely enjoyable experiences.

In this week’s show we have feature I call Airborne.

As the name suggests, we take on the airborne mountain sports, culminating in trying out the new sport of speed riding.

It is paraponting on skis with small chutes so that you can fly very close to the ground, touching down with your skis as you go. That’s the theory anyway!

Of Ed’s trips, my favourite was Australia. Okay there was not much snowboarding involved, and the snow was rubbish, but Ed was highly amusing in his Windsor Rapid caravan.

If you want to just watch big mountain powder shots then buy an extreme skiing or snowboarding DVD, what Ed can do is combine comedy with action – a rare talent.

Of my summer Alpine trek, it is the shot from the helicopter of me walking out on to the balcony of the Refuge Margerita on the Monte Rose that will stick with me.

All I had to do was walk out the door, the real credit for that goes to Keith Wade our cameraman who was hanging out of the helicopter, as the pilot Corrado juggled the controls to keep it steady in the high altitude winds.

As we go into the penultimate weekend of racing, it looks like Bode has sewn up the World Cup overall title.

A great performance considering a lot of people were writing him off when he split from the US Team last summer.

However this season will be remembered not just for Bode, but also for the horrific crashes and injuries. First to suffer at the hands of Lady Luck was Aksel Lund Svindal.

His crash seemed innocuous enough, at first until he realised his edge had cut deep into him narrowly missing a major artery.

After a week in intensive care his recovery has gone well, so should be back to full speed next season.

Scott Macartney is also recovering well after his Kitzbuhel spill, he is skiing again, but not yet allowed to train in case of any further impact.

It is a slow process, but if it goes well he will be back as well.

Last weekend though we had an accident that shook everyone involved with ski racing.

Matthias Lanzinger’s crash last Sunday in the Kvitfjell Super-G was one of the worst I have seen.

Lanzinger was having a storming run that would have put him onto the podium, when he miss judged the direction off the last roller. His line took him straight into the control panel, something that happens regularly in Super-G.

Instead of just busting through the gate, Lanzinger caught his ski against the base of the pole. He fell forwards and was knocked unconscious by the impact, his left leg also shattered below the knee.

As he fell, the ski, which still had not released then span around twisting the break horribly. As the doctors fought to stabilise his head injury, the blood supply to his leg was cut off for too long. In the end they could not save his leg, and it was amputated a couple of days later.

Questions are being asked in Austria about the time it took for the medical support team to get him to hospital. Although with the extent of the injuries, some Austrian doctors now admit that it would have been very difficult to save his leg even with immediate attention.

Crashes like this change the mood on the tour, and bring it home to everyone just how dangerous downhill racing can be.

Let’s hope we have no similar incidents this weekend and we can finish the season with no more injuries.

Don't forget we have extended coverage from Krnajska Gora on BBCi straight after the show from 1900 onwards.

Thanks for all your comments and views on the show over the past eight weeks.

See you next year,
Best wishes
Graham

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comment by markjohn2001 (U9768482)

posted Mar 10, 2008

Agree with many of the comments above - shame I missed the last episode - sat down to watch only to find Crufts on the telly - although given some of the weird 'ski-related' items this season (eg train journeys of the world in Episode 1 or 2) - it took me a while to realise!
Focus on skiing (and snowboarding) - resorts, tips, extreme skiing. Answer questions like "How do you practice your first ski jump?" or "What gear do I need with me in different weather conditions?" etc., Love the downhill racing - but only when you explain what to look for.
Enjoy your break and get back on to it.

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comment by colapopkid (U11224530)

posted Mar 10, 2008

I think that the current format of ski sunday has been FAB! I loved the clips from Queenstown, brought back some fab memories! I really want to try the speed skiing it would have been good if you had said what resort you were at.
I also agree with Montdore, last weeks celebrity racing was the best as you focused on how to improve Colin's technique with a drill, more time on tips for improving would be good. Can't wait for the next series! biggrin

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comment by SYALOAD (U11228030)

posted Mar 11, 2008

I loved this season and I can't wait for next years.

In comparison to Top Gear, Ski Sunday was FAR superior. At least Ski Sunday had Pro's doing what they do best while Top Gear has three old men who simply have an interest in cars and who follow a script (and claim it happens there and then). The style was a bit similar but nowadays it is necessary anyway.

Each episode made me long to go back Skiing. I especially liked the Seventh episode where the two skied off-piste and direct.

Looking forward to next year.......

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comment by Leonore45 (U11206533)

posted Mar 11, 2008

Graham any chance you and Ed are going to be on Radio 2, for instance on Chris Evan's show (same kind of humour), mind you you may enthuse the TOGS into trying ski-ing if you went on the Breakfast Show!!. Mad cos I missed the broadcast on Radio one.

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comment by callcentremunkey (U10912349)

posted Mar 11, 2008

Crufts or Ski Sunday... which has more FIS coverage? Close call!

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comment by clemencehope (U11176579)

posted Mar 11, 2008

Oh good, poor old lanzinger that looked horrible, No more skiing for him how sad! Thanks so much for a great season, its so upsetting that it's ver but i can't wait till next year! Ed and Graham you're so great you are the talk of the school, i'm just about to listen to edith talking to you (graham) on podcast

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comment by JustHereForTheRide (U11239634)

posted Mar 13, 2008

The influence of Top Gear was obviously strong. I felt this to be a success - particularly as the new Ski Sunday managed to eliminate some of the sillier, and more irritating, aspects of Top Gear. Also, it was a refreshing change to have two presenters who are so technically good at their sport as well as being entertaining.
My son (15) said he was disappointed that there wasn't enough actual skiing or boarding, and I think I would agree.
However, I very much hope the program survives next year in a similar form and wish it well.
Finally, can anyone tell me where those fabulous mountains that were used for the title sequence are - my phone rang just at that point!

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comment by skiingsteve (U11245513)

posted Mar 14, 2008

"I've got one question for Graham (or anyone who was more eagle eyed than me) - which resort was the ecole de parapente in? I've done parapenting, but not solo like on last night's show - looked amazing."

The parapenting looked as though it was at Le Tour at the top end of the Chamonix valley. There were plenty of people doing it there in January, so should be possible.

I love the show, but a longer run of the series would be good. Come on BBC, dig a bit deeper and give the boys some more money.

There isn't much I would change, all those wanting more racing, just press your red button at the end of the show. ski

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comment by Richardthegolfer (U11061985)

posted Mar 14, 2008

Well, for me the jury is out on this new format. I don't want a return to David Vine days (after all, he didn't even ski!) BUT....who on earth will actually go ice diving in New Zealand, or ski in deepest Russia?

And just 9 - 10 minutes of skiing really isn't enough. And as for starting the series AFTER Wengen and finishing before the end of the season, words fail me.

Celeb challenges? Hmmmm. If you want to appeal to skiers please give us some practical resort reviews/advice, proper ski weather forecasts, things that REAL skiers and boarders need or newcomers may want to know before they go.

Otherwise, take the ski racing completely out of the program (leave it to Channel 4 - at least they cover the WHOLE season - including North America) and call it Winter Holiday, or something.

Oh dear - I tried to like it, I really did....sadface

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comment by awesomedavidm (U11249534)

posted Mar 16, 2008

Excellent series.Covers a lot of interests and the celebrity skiing lessons were very informative.
Have you considered the more mature skiing audience and their input on the various resorts ,tecniques,modern innovations etc.
I claim a vested interest.
Also what about safety on the slopes,in the light of recent accidents of people colliding with queues.
looking foreward to next year.

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