After a slow start that had many of us very nervous about the up and coming European ski season. The snow dances and prayers have been answered and the snow is falling in abundance.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…
Keep in touch with us and we will keep you updated in the latest conditions, in Val d’Isere, Tignes and Meribel.
Join us –
TDC are proud to annouce that for the 2011/12 season there are going to be a few new faces in the TDC Jacket….
Jamie – Meribel, Joe – Val d’Isere and Sarah, Rorie, Mark and Rab – Tignes
Jamie’s passion for winter sports started at an early age playing ice hockey for his home town team Chelmsford at every level from juniors through to the first team who played their matches in English league division one.
It wasn’t until he was 13 that he first put skis on and he quickly caught the bug. He was a regular visitor to the Alps whilst working as a printer around London in the 1990’s.
A career change was needed to further his passion and in 2001 he set off on a ski trip that saw him work his way around the world via Canada and New Zealand ending up in the Aosta valley in Italy where he met his wife Lucy.
Twelve winter seasons later and Jamie is now a BASI level 4 instructor with full French
equivalence. He spends his summers working at golf courses in the UK as a greenkeeper
struggling to lower his handicap !
This coming winter will be Jamie’s 6th in the 3 valleys and his first with the
all new TDC Meribel.
TDC are proud to welcome Joe on to the TDC Val d’Isere team.
Growing up in the south of Germany, Joe has been skiing since the age of 6. Driving to the Alps on a Friday after school to squeeze in a weekends skiing was the norm.
It wasn’t until the age of 16, being back in the UK and reduced to one or two weeks a season, Joe realized how much he loved and missed those quick ski trips. Since then a gap year has turned into a lifestyle and career, spending winters in the Alps and summers in the southern hemisphere or the glaciers and snowdomes of Europe.
Competing in Freeride, Freestyle and Giant Slalom events Joe has built up a strong platform and adaptability discovering how the very different disciplines compliment each other and create a well-rounded skier. After spending the past 6 years based in Austria while training towards his qualifications, Joe joins the team as a BASI ISTD with French equivalence and Freestyle coach.
Sarah started skiing at the age of 15 on a School ski trip. By her second holiday she knew skiing had changed her life forever and her goal was to train to be a ski instructor.
At the age of 18 she moved to Tignes and with a brief year out in Verbier and has been in what she calls home for the last 10 years.
She has the highest BASI Level 4, with French Equivalence and with 10 years under her belt in Tignes knows the resort like the back of her hand. Whether performance skiing, bumps, gates or deep powder she is no happier than when she has skis on her feet.
In the summer Sarah runs a lakeside Hotel and Restaurant in Tignes waiting patiently for the snow to arrive and kick start the new winter season.
Having taught in Tignes for 7 years before, 2012 is Sarah’s first year for TDC. The rest of the team have long been wondering whether the Escape Killy is big enough to contain her excitement and enthusiasm for ski teaching.
We look forward to finding out…
It was 10 years ago Rorie handed his notice in to his boss at a reputable firm of financial advisers with the dream of becoming a ski instructor in Tignes. With his career pathway written by a friend on a scrap of paper, Rorie attained his goal four years later.
Joining TDC this year, Rorie is delighted to be providing to such high quality and can’t wait to see you on the slopes.
Rorie holds the prestigious BASI ISTD with full equivalence, Canadian ISIA and is a level 2 race coach.
2011/12 is Mark’s first winter with TDC and he can not wait to ski and coach in the Espace Killy. His passion for skiing started on a 80m plastic slope and gave growth to a 11 year career in ski teaching. This passion and drive for great skiing is something that Mark delivers to his clients with every lesson.
Mark´s time in the mountains has spanned the globe from the Alps, the US and Chile. A fully qualified British BASI Level 4 instructor. He has spent his career working with children, adults, instructors and elite athletes. From teaching under 9yr ski school groups to coaching the British mens senior ski team for 5 years on the European and world cup circuits.
Mark is also a experienced personal trainer and delivers fitness training in his home city of Glasgow and online. He is currently studying a degree in Sport Science, Physiology and sport nutrition at Glasgow University and and is very much looking forward to joining the TDC team this season.
Rab has been skiing since he can remember and was brought up on the “character building” slopes of Scotland. He was told he started with plastic skis and welly boots in Aviemore. So it was only obvious that he’d run away to the Alps as soon as he could.
Since 1999 he’s been doing seasons in Pila, Chamonix, Les Gets, Verbier, was based in Aosta, Italy, and now Tignes for it’s “good vibe and massive off piste possibilities”.
After 12 seasons of teaching and coaching experience under his belt, Rab still loves to pass on his love and knowledge of the sport, whilst respecting and enjoying the mountain as much and as often as possible.
Rab very honestly admits to his park and pipe background, and at any given chance will be upside down or back to front. He is just as happy on the piste or off piste on skis or even one of those snowboard thingies.
In summer Rab is happiest on his Downhill Mountain bike. Racing and coaching his local Italian team, and is currently sponsored by G.T. bikes.
He also finds writing about himself in the third person very difficult and Steve Peat is the man!?
I’m not going to even mention the rugby, apart from saying that is was cold and wet and generally quite uninspiring.
How ever the Val d’Isere flag was displaying proudly and the company was good.
I even saw the flag on the TV when we got home.
TDC coach Phil Harrison will be representing TDC at tomorrow nights England v Georgia game.
I hope that for all involved it is a better game.
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TDC Ski Coach Colin Tanner and long time Val d’Isere “local” Mike are enjoying the RWC.
While down at the recent Scotland v Romania match the Val d’Isere was unfurled, to a few bemused looks from the travelling Scotland supporters.
The match was all too exciting, for all the wrong reasons, especially if you are a Scotland fan.
The end result was a good one for Scotland and a few celibrations continued on in the bar afterwards…
This was then followed by the equally tense and “exciting” England v Argentina match.
Colin is down in NZ after a ski season at Coronet Peak in Queenstown.
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We are now looking forward to seeing a better Scotish performance on Wednesday nights game at Invercargill.
Keep an eye out for the Val d’Isere flag on your TV…
TDC special offers in conjunction with YSE
Sun 27th March – Sun 3rd April 2011
YSE is delighted to be teaming up with TDC for a second year running, offering a YSE holiday in Chalet Chez Savoy, a six day ski pass and five half-days of TDC clinics at a very special price of £995.
This represents a huge saving of £300 on the public prices of all three elements.
(YSE Holiday, TDC Ski Lessons, Vald’Isere 6 day lift pass)
£995 for the week this includes
– flights
– transfers
– 6 nights accommodation with YSE, in a catered chalet
– 6 day Val d’Isere lift pass
– Five half days ski lessons with a TDC coach.
TDC will operate a choice of four clinics from
Monday 28 March – Friday 1 April – choose your level below
discovery – discover your talent, ski with confidence …for strong blue run skiers…
development – develop your performance, feel your skiing flow …for strong red run skiers…
development Plus – take on steeper and varied slopes …for strong red run /ok black run skiers
challenges – take on new goals, challenge yourself …for strong black run skiers…
Inorder to take advantage of this great offer then here is how to book –
Book the whole package through YSE, then choose a suitable clinic by contacting
TDC direct. If you aren’t sure which clinic will suit you best, please discuss the levels with Sara in the TDC office +33 6 15 55 31 56.
We hope that, having looked at this fantastic offer, you will decide to book with YSE and TDC. Please telephone YSE on 0845 122 1414 (local rate – max 3.36p per minute), or if you are ringing from overseas, please dial +44 (0)1935 816550, or email YSE on [email protected] for any further information.
YSE are open from Monday to Friday, 9am until 6pm and on some Saturday mornings from October to April. At all other times, please leave a message on the answer phone or send an
e-mail, and we will reply as soon as we re-open.
On 20th July 2009 Dougie, Nicko, Paul and Giles are taking part in the 17th Etape du Tour www.letapedutour.com/2009/ETDT/presentation/us/index.htm
The Etape is a stage of the Tour de France that is open to the public, the roads are closed and around 8000 people take part in the event. The Tour itself will be riding the exact same route five days later in the penultimate and deciding day of the “Grande Boucleâ€.
It is going to hurt, 170km on a bicycle with the final 20 kms climbing more than a vertical mile…ouch! You can follow their training and race performance on the tdc Twitter account www.twitter.com/tdcski
