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The best snow this week is in . . .London; Travel: Jump to it – the great Ski and Snowboard Show is here again with everything for the winter sports fan.

The Mail on Sunday (London, England) October 21, 2001 | English, Neil Byline: NEIL ENGLISH HERE WILL be tons of snow in the middle of London next weekend.

Olympia in Kensington will have a fresh supply of the white stuff every day for the indoor piste at the Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard Show.

The world’s biggest indoor winter sports exhibition, organised in association with Nissan X-TRAIL (the car maker’s new four-wheel-drive model), opens on Friday until November 4.

And every visitor can enter a competition sponsored by The Mail on Sunday, the Daily Mail, Crystal Holidays and Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard Magazine to win an annual ski holiday for life.

DJ Martin Collins of London’s Capital Radio – himself a keen skier – will compere the show’s dynamic events, including death-defying stunts from some of the world’s top skiers and boarders in the Big Air Competition.

Martin, who has skied for ‘many years, though I’d prefer not to say exactly how many’, leapt at the opportunity to work at the show. ‘I love skiing, the mountains and the whole scene,’ he said. website smith goggles

‘Especially now with the emphasis on free-riding, trick skiing and boarding.

‘The ski scene is cool right now, the Daily Mail show has all the key people in the industry and I’m pleased to be part of it.’ Martin will be in his element at Olympia. ‘One of the great things about the ski show is that I get to see snow before Christmas and I’m always eager for the start of each new ski season,’ he said.

He enjoys all the alpine hotspots like Val d’Isere, Tignes, St Anton and Chamonix and his favourite resort is Verbier in Switzerland, where he indulges his love of offpiste skiing.

‘There is so much terrain to explore there. You can go into areas and not see anybody except the friends you are with.

‘Mind you, some of it is quite treacherous. My girlfriend shudders at some of the stuff I do. I’m learning new things and taking on new challenges all the time.’ There will be plenty of inspiration at the show for Martin and the 100,000 ski and snowboarding enthusiasts who are expected to be there over its 10-day run.

AT THE centre of it all will be 300 tons of glorious fresh powder snow made artificially indoors by Australian specialists Polar Snow using atomised water and liquid nitrogen stored in giant tanks at minus 196 degrees C. The snow – topped up every night – will be spread over a giant slope built inside the exhibition hall where techniques in racing, freeriding and snowboarding will be demonstrated.

On one side of the slope will be a 38-degree ramp down which daredevil participants in the Big Air Competition will accelerate towards a giant kicker, propelling them impossibly high into the air, spinning, flipping and edge-grabbing in an effort to impress the judges and win a share of the [pound]40,000 prize money.

The competition takes place every day of the show with riders and boarders accumulating points for the intricacy of their tricks and – importantly – their style.

British competitor Glenn Parsons, 23, from Evesham, Worcestershire, said: ‘I don’t really get nervous before I jump, you can’t afford to think of what might happen if a jump goes wrong.

‘I get psyched-up as my turn approaches and feel the adrenalin pumping up inside me. You have to stay focused on your jump, think it through in your head and just do it.’ Glenn has risen swiftly through the ranks of the international sport. He is now one of Britain’s top high flyers after only four winters on snow. He turned professional at 19 after having had just 12 weeks’ holiday skiing through his teens.

Glenn has lived and worked as a chef in Zermatt, Switzerland, for the past four seasons to fund and learn his trick skiing trade, earning sponsorship from K2 skis, Siemens phones, Level gloves and Smith goggles, and is now getting excellent results on the Big Air and freeriding circuits.

He says: ‘I am a crowd lover and hopefully a crowd pleaser. site smith goggles

Please come and cheer us all on at the show.’ Olympia is the best place in the world to explore every aspect of skiing and snowboarding.

Anybody worth their salt in the industry will be there from ski tour operator giants like Crystal Holidays to, relatively speaking, tiny specialists like Ski Amis. Scores of tour operators featuring resorts all over the world will have expert staff on-hand to offer all the advice and information you will need to book your next holiday.

YOU can equip yourself, too. All the latest skis, boots, boards and clothing will be on sale from the best winter sports retailers in the country.

Household names like Snow+Rock and Ellis Brigham will be there as will smaller companies like Rud Chains to tell you all about snow chains for your car.

See you there!

The show opens at Olympia’s National Hall at 12 noon on Friday (closing time 7pm).

Opening times thereafter are 10am to 7pm weekends and 12 noon to 10pm weekdays. For advance bookings and price information call the Ticket Hotline on 08705 90 00 90.

English, Neil