Life at Salomon Team Camp 09...

To be a part of Salomon Team Camp this year is so huge for me. I am here in Breckenridge, CO living with the Salomon team, real heroes of the sport and guys that have inspired me since day one of riding. I have be around Europe and experienced a fair amount of freeskiing activity, but nothing can compare to whats going on in my life right now.

As I write I'm sat in the at the dinner table of the Salomon house, Breckenridge, a luxury not many people will have or ever have had experienced. Everything here suits the needs of a bunch of freeskiers content with riding everyday and enjoying the time in between.

The first thing you see when you walk through the 'Salomon' tagged front door is a 2 metre high poster of Charles Gagnier sliding a famous urban rail with ease as if hes waiting at a bus stop. Looking to the left a flat screen TV with a mass of DVDs both skiing and general movies piled up below, is flanked by Salomon flags. Beyond that just through a door a balcony with a luxury hot tub just waiting until after a hard day's riding.

A stair case behind the TV leads up to Yohann, the Salomon team physio's suit, massage table and exercise bikes, a poster of Kaya Turski leading the way up. AJ Kempainen and Dane Tudor have rooms up there also.

Turning right on entering the house is where I'm sat right now, a big dinner table, lined with Salomon place mates, and a very unique centre piece. Around the corner the kitchen full to the brim with amazing food, and a fair amount of left overs, courtesy of Haley Gigg - Salomon team chief.

The next door leads to the garage, or maybe ski service meka, which ever way you want to look at it... Suspects line the walls, SPK boots litter the floor, yeah a couple of crates or beer and of course Chris Taylor's wild equipment that really does make your skis fly.

Down stairs is an awesome chill out area with pool table, mini putt, so much food in ever cupboard (as if the kitchen didn't have enough room), some well comfy sofas and another big TV. My personal favourite feature in the house is here too, 'The History of Salomon'. A few skis that show the land marks Salomon has accomplished over the years, kind of awe-inspirering to those who really do care about not only Salomon but the entire sport as whole.

Also downstairs Alexis Godbout and myself share a room, TV in there - standard, Charles, Vincent and B Paul in the next room but those guys have the Playstation... When we first arrived in the house and Tyler Gigg (Team manager) gave us a tour of the house, our beds were covered in more gear, everything Salomon even 5XL tall Ts... kind of looked like a bed sheet if you ask me, but B Paul was ravin' about his haha!

In the mornings everyone wakes up pretty early and doss around getting ready to go riding. PBP's 'Everyday is a Saturday' is usually playing on repeat to get everyone fired up for the day, not that I particularly need that to be honest but it does help. After breakfast getting everybody into a truck to drive to the slopes can be kind of a long process and even skis have been forgotten and ipods lost, not mentioning any names there Paul. Even so it's not their organisation in the morning that sets these guys apart it is among other things, their abuilty on the slopes. From the first run of the day to the last steeze ooozes from their world class riding.

Although the park isn't fully built yet, every single feature Breckenridge offers is top level and gives an amazing opportunity to warm up for the season ahead on smaller features before busting out on the huge stuff. Without the Salomon Team the park would still be full of the world's best athletes, everybody who is anybody pretty much is here in Breckenridge getting ready for the winter Dew Tour starting next week. Personally I'm taking this all in and making the most of every run I get.

When we're done riding it's a simple phone call to get picked up from the bottom of the slopes and taken back to the house, where the hot tub, good food, Yohann's physio set up, Playstation and 'Taylor Tuning' for the skis are waiting. Oh and did I mention the jib set up in the garden, just in case you didn't get the most out the mountain.

Almost every time you look up from what your doing here someone new and important is being shown around the house, or just stopping by to say hi, just now for example B dog and JF Houle and Phil Casabon just stopped by for a game of pool, whaaat?!

Every second I spend in Breckenridge reminds me of how lucky I am to be here, and when I'm in the house I can't describe how happy I am to have this opportunity. Thank you to everybody who has helped me through, I hope I am being a good ambassador for British Freeskiing and all the kids who work so hard all time and enjoy their skiing so much...

                   Woodsy :D

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