The Welsh Schools Ski Championship trophy has returned to North Wales for the first time since 1999!
Rydal Penrhos School is celebrating after the Boys ‘A’ Team secured the title at the Welsh Schools Skiing Championships held at Llangrannog at the beginning of October.
Although the team had reached the podium over the past few years, the top place step had eluded them. However, fortunes changed this year when Henry Salisbury from Colwyn Bay and Harrison Holmes from Abergele began the campaign with 2 excellent runs.
Team member Ben Crocker from Connecticut, USA made an explosive entrance onto the run by bursting out of the gate, seemingly only hitting the ground half way down the course. Meanwhile, final team member Tom Harding from Colwyn Bay joined a very select group of skiers on the Llangrannog course by putting in an 8 second run.
The Team will now go on to compete in the British Schools Skiing Championships in Edinburgh at the end of November along with the Girls ‘A’ Team who also qualified for a place.
Skiing is a hugely popular sport at Rydal Penrhos School with pupils able to have their first taster at the age of five. Unusually, skiing is on the curriculum for pupils in Year 7 and 8, becoming an optional extra-curricular activity thereafter.
Pupils are encouraged to try a multitude of extra-curricular activities during their time at Rydal Penrhos School. It is an effective way of finding other interests and meeting new friends, while also developing leadership qualities, increasing confidence and independence while also growing team building skills.