The Winter Olympics in PyeongChang are almost upon us so we caught up with a couple of Team GB’s leading athletes to get an insight into two of the most watched events. Boardercross and Ski Cross are events which are dramatic and completely unpredictable. Representing the snowboard community is Zoe Gillings-Brier whilst Emily Sarsfield gives us the lowdown from a skiers point of view. Here is what they had to say.
The two disciplines of ski and boarder cross are quite different. How do the two compare?
🏂 Zoe 🏂 – The biggest difference is Ski Cross race 4 at a time whereas Boardercross race 6 at a time. So there is more unpredictability in Boardercross with more passes on course and also more collisions and crashes. When the skiers do crash though there’s more equipment that goes flying!
⛷ Emily ⛷ – The courses are very similar and we train together but other than that the two competitions are quite different. Personally I think that boarders are lucky as they can balance on their boards easier whereas on skiers we are always leaning downhill and as such skiers are faster. Boarding is definitely easier though. Can I say that?
Who would win if there was a cross race between two equal abilities of skier and boarder?
🏂 Zoe 🏂 – The skier. They are on average 10% faster than the Snowboarders, mainly because they can carve at higher speeds so can hold an edge at the bottom of each turn which is a shorter line and not loose speed whereas a snowboarder may have to go around a sightly longer line higher up the turn to hold their edge, as we only have one edge in the snow at one instead of the skiers two.
⛷ Emily ⛷ – The skier would definitely win. We naturally travel faster. We can tuck better and are therefore more aerodynamic. Our skis are longer and we able to carve and create more pressure through turns. In short, skiers just go faster!!
What are the hardest skills to master to compete at the highest levels in ski or boarder cross?
🏂 Zoe 🏂 – You need to be a very good all around snowboarder. You need skills going fast as well as good control in the air and fast movements over technical features. The key is to stay on the ground as much as possible, take the shortest route you can and gain speed by pushing into the transitions on every feature.
⛷ Emily ⛷ – It’s an extreme event so you need to be fearless to an extent. I still get scared though, its only natural. We take on big jumps at speed! I would say the hardest part to master though is hitting jumps at speed without getting too much air time. Freestylers want as much air as possible whereas we want speed so want to hit the snow again as soon as possible to continue our momentum.
What makes the cross events so exciting and entertaining to watch?
🏂 Zoe 🏂 – You never know what’s going to happen. Everything could be going smoothly then Pow! The leader gets taken out by a fellow competitor crashing into them and the competition is wide open.
⛷ Emily ⛷ – Anything can happen. Unlike in downhill races where they race individually in the cross events you often see more limbs flying around as people crash into each other. Someone else can effectively ruin or make your race whereas in downhill it is all down to you. We get amazing photo finishes, some that are so tight there is barely a poles length between us. I must say, I think that snowboarders have cooler outfits than we do though.
What came first? Ski or Boardercross?
🏂 Zoe 🏂 – I believe it was Boardercross but I wouldn’t be surprised if some skiers disagree with that.
⛷ Emily ⛷ – Boardercross. We may have copied boarders to try and look “cool”. Lets just say we copied Motocross though. I’m sure that came before Boardercross. I am stoked that it has been introduced though as I love it. So if Boardercross did come first and Ski Cross grew from that then I am happy to say Boardercross.
How are preparations for PyeongChang going for you?
🏂 Zoe 🏂 – Really well. I’ve been doing lots of training this month before we head out to the Olympics in February.
⛷ Emily ⛷ – After missing out on Vancouver due to injury and then Sochi I have dedicated myself to getting to PyeongChang, I need to stay in top 32 and am giving it my all. I am praying that it will be third time lucky for me.
*Since these interviews were held we are pleased to report that both Zoe and Emily made the Team GB squad. Their hard work and training has paid off, they are going to represent Team GB in PyeongChang!
Which other athletes should we be looking out for in PyeongChang?
🏂 Zoe 🏂 – Eva Samkova from The Czech Republic was the winner at the last Olympics and is still racing well. Also Lyndsey Jacobellis from USA is always a strong competitor and definitely one to keep your eyes on.
⛷ Emily ⛷ – I would say other than us Brits it is worth keeping an eye on Fanny Smith. She is half Swiss and half British so it would be great to see her do well. The beauty of skicross though is anyone can win, it only takes one crash on the last corner and the person who was last can come through and win. I probably therefor wouldn’t recommend betting on it for this reason.
So there we have it, 2 great athletes who have seen their dreams come true and will now be representing Team GB at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. We wish the two of them the best of luck along with all the other athletes taking part. We can’t wait for the games to begin. If you are keen to see Zoe and Emily in action then the Womens Boardercross takes part on the 16th February whilst the Womens Ski Cross takes part on the 23rd February. To see the schedule for all the other events click here.
