Once, I went on a school trip to an indoor ski slope and before we got there, I remember thinking, skiing looks so easy, I'll fly down there. Well, it turns out it isn't and I face planted as soon as I stood up. Hadn't even made it to the slope yet.
That probably sounds like a really pointless story, but the point is, it genuinely made me appreciate just how difficult snowsports are and how impressive the athletes are.
One of our latest taping partners, GB Snowsport, are on an indefinite mission to grow and nurture the next generation of World Cup, Olympic and Paralympic champions. Given where we are in the world, you probably wouldn't associate us very often with snowsports, but the team definitely doesn't let that hold them back. Here's how...
WHO ARE GB SNOWSPORT?
In short, GB Snowsport (@gbsnowsport) is the National Governing Body for all snowsports in the UK. That just means that they manage the 12 Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
They select, manage and lead all the British teams to all the international events and are, effectively, giving all of the established and up-and-coming athletes a platform to put their names in the history books.
Some of you should definitely remember Jenny Jones’ record breaking first British medal on snow at the 2014 Sochi Games. It's fair to say it really put the team on the map and they've only grown since then. Medals in PyeongChang in 2018 and several more achievements later and the future is looking very bright.
For now, it's all eyes on the next Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2026.
WHAT ARE THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC SNOWSPORT DISCIPLINES?
- Alpine
- Freeski
- Freestyle Snowboard
- Moguls/Aerials
- Nordic
- Para Alpine
- Para Nordic
- Para Snowboard
- Snowboard Cross
- Ski Cross
- Speed/Telemark
SPORTTAPE x GB SNOWSPORT
It's highly unlikely that you'll be able to see, given the number of layers that the athletes wear, but tape is actually used a lot more than you might expect in snowsports.
From what we understand, your muscles don't get much more than a day off when you're hitting the slopes, so tape is a must-have for a lot of the athletes and physios on the team. And now, as the Official Tape Supplier for GB Snowsport we're delighted to be able to help.
When our latest partnership was announced, I had some questions. What sort of injuries are most common? What tapes are used the most? Thankfully, one of our favourite physios, and former snowboarding physio, Rob Madden (@rob_optim7se) had the answers.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON INJURIES IN SNOWSPORTS?
- Ankle
- AC Joint
- Wrist
Therefore, you can expect to see a lot of Kinesiology Tape and strapping tapes in a physio's medical bag.
It's always so exciting for us to be able to help out, even in a small way, and watch elite athletes, like all the guys and girls working with GB Snowsport, hoping to make it the Olympics and beyond. If you'd like to learn any more about the partnership or have a question, get in touch! We're happy to help.
