It’s been a great season as the team at Maverix moves into providing top level coaching to established teams; the first being the RAF Snowboard Team, as we’re now in a position to provide long-term focus on coaching which enables us to truly influence the rider’s development.

For those not in the know all the major services have their own ski and snowboard teams employing some of the best coaches in the UK to help them. The RAF team was created in 2000 from the RAF Champs in Les Menuires. It's focus is to encourage participation in the sport, develop the physical and mental courage required as a war fighter and enhance the esprit de corps by competing against the Royal Navy and Army.

The focus for our coaching is to better prepare the team for competing against other teams at the Inter Services Championships in late January early February each year. We started working with the team on a small scale in 2010. Last summer we discussed how we could take things further and develop a year round programme.

We wanted to provide something that would stand the test of time and provide long lasting continual skill development, because with snowboarding, it is a use it or lose it skill. We wanted to keep an eye on riders all year, making sure they were on track and progressing in the right way.

With the RAF Snowboard Management, we developed the North vs South RAF Snowboard Super League, and this was very easy to establish from a Maverix point of view as we have great connections with all the major snow centres in the UK, so organising and running a series of training events was super easy.

Riders receive a couple of hours coaching and then it is straight into the slope style competition and the N v S events offers the riders the opportunity to represent their unit as well as their division (North or South), on a monthly basis. The N v S events have been a great way to expose riders to the various levels of coaching Maverix provides but the RAF Snowboard Management has seized the opportunity to spot talent and promote snowboarding in the RAF so it has been a win-win for all; the riders have fun, receive top level coaching in a safe environment whilst all riders improve the skills they already have. The rider’s dedication and love of the sport provide Maverix and the RAF Snowboard Management the opportunity to develop all individuals and continue supporting them throughout the whole of the year so that everyone gets something out of the events, whether it is just to get better at snowboarding, or to represent the RAF at Snowboarding. Nearly 40 riders have trained with the team over this winter and a small crew recently competed at Hemel Snow Centre for the final with the following results:

Male

1st Rob Carey - ROBster from SCUK!
2nd Luke McKim
3rd Ian Aherne

Female

1st Nicole Duncan
2nd Sarah Griffiths
3rd Alicia Mason

RAF High Wycombe won the best unit with the South taking the overall honours. We're now planning for the season to be a banger as we kick of a new North vs South League soon. The RAF North v South Snowboard Super League is just a small element of the support that Maverix is providing to the RAF Snowboard Squad, this season we will be providing coaching, on their summer and winter overseas training camps as we follow them like a bunch of coaching groupies.

Maverix will ensure that the squad are in the best shape possible for their target of claiming the Inter Services Trophy next year.

Find out more about the RAF Snowboard Team or Maverix Snow Ltd.

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