Alpine100 Launches To Support British Winter Sports Athletes

The need for financial support for winter sports athletes has never been more pressing. The 2023-2024 season saw Gold Medals at the Youth Olympic Gold, World Junior Championship U18 Gold, race wins and two British racers finishing in the top 8 at a World Cup Slalom race. The future is bright but for this run of success to continue, the need for financial support is paramount.

• Alpine 100 is designed to help fill some of the gap in funding that currently exists between existing funds and necessary funds.
• This is not a take—take project, there is also a monthly draw that puts money back into those contributing.
• The Alpine 100 project aims to help the next generation of aspiring athletes, their families and programmes.

It is well known that the battle to obtain funding to compete at all levels of winter sport, is tough. alpine100.org has been launched to help fill the gap between costs and support. Not only does the programme help athletes, those playing the game can also win cash awards.

For a £5 monthly subscription, half the money will go towards Grants for athletes and half will go towards four tickets drawn at random each month

50% of the money that is raised each month will be available for grants. The grants will be awarded on a monthly basis with applications needing to be submitted online at www.alpine100.org. 

Grants can go towards equipment, training costs, race entry costs, travel costs or anything needed to help continue the journey towards success.

Athletes can apply for a grant from Alpine 100 to be used to help with training camps costs, new equipment, race entries and other expenses associated with competitive winter sport. Apply for a grant.

The remaining 50% will go to four random tickets drawn each month. The split for these will be:

• 50% of sum available
• 30% of sum available
• 15% of sum available
• 5 % of sum available

For example: If 100 tickets are sold in the month month, this will raise £500. £250 will be available for grants, £250 for prizes. The prize money would be split £125, £75, £37.50 and £12.50.

The more tickets we sell, the bigger the prize pay out will be.

There is no limit to the number of tickets each person can buy.

All the entrants to the draw will be eligible to win one of the four awards each month. The awards are dependent on the amount of money that is in the pot bit will be split 50%, 35%, 10% and 5% of what is available.

All tickets that are entered by midnight on the first of each month will be in the draw.

Alpine100 is there to help all, from those nearing the top of their sport to those just make a breakthrough and to help those that show the talent but do not have the funding.

Alpine100 has been set up by ardent supporters of winter sport from across the UK. The project is managed by John Ali (from Ski Shack), Scott Dobson (Dynastar Lange UK), Neil McQuoid (Racer Ready), Peter Ward (Anna Davies) and James Paxton (Scottish Schools Snowsport Association).

Alpine 100 is run by a board of trustees. 

Neil McQuoid

Neil is the editor and founder of Racer Ready, the website that focusses on the world of competitive winter sport, established in 2000. As an ex racer himself, he understands the importance of funding and how difficult it is to source.

Ensuring that current and future generations of winter sports athletes have financial support is vital to their success. This season has been one of the most successful ever, with unprecedented success at the Youth Olympics, World Junior Championships as well as on the World Cup, both in Alpine but also in the Telemark and Ski Cross disciplines.

With the governing bodies struggling to bring new names, businesses and revenue streams to the sport, Neil believes strongly that the Alpine 100 programme is a necessary and welcome opportunity to offer hope for the future.

John Ali

John started skiing as a child and has been a ski instructor for many years. Both his daughters raced and are now qualified race coaches.

He has been involved in UK racing for the past 15 years, including time as chair of Chatham Race Club and as chair of the Race Committee for the London and SouthEast (LSERSA) race league, running regional and national races.

John also owns and runs the Ski Shack, a ski and snowboard shop based at Chatham Ski Centre.

John is passionate about helping snow sports become more accessible from a grassroots level through to elite competition. Snowsports provide so many skills and opportunities that it should be open to all, regardless of funding. The aim is of Alpine 100 is to help athletes reach their potential, without the barriers of funding and accessibility getting in their way.

Pete Ward

Having had two daughters who skied competitively, Pete is well-placed to appreciate not only the financial commitment on parents of taking part in winter sports, but also the subsequent pressure placed on young athletes.

He looks forward to being a part of Alpine 100 to help in providing financial assistance to British winter athletes to aid improvement in their sport.

James Paxton

James started skiing at the age of 3 and raced for Hemel Ski Racing in the ERSA series and across England in Club Nationals before moving to Scotland in 2005.

He joined Gordon Skiers Racing as a trainee but with poor snow seasons in Scotland made the decision to stop racing himself and start putting back into the sport, taking his BASI L1 and becoming a coach.

In 2017 James was one of the founding members of Grampian Snowsports Club whose whole ethos is 'All of the Mountain' and no early discipline specialisation. James is also the Events Manager for Scottish Schools Snowsport Association and oversees the running of around 35 schools' events across Scotland.

James is keenly aware of the boundaries athletes face and is passionate about trying to make the sport accessible for all. 

Scott Dobson

Scott comes from a racing background, having progress through Scottish, British Junior and Senior ski teams, then the military with the Royal Green Jackets, and finally the Army and Combined Services teams.

When he left the military he continued his ski teaching and coaching career before becoming a rep for a company called Mast Co. After 17 years there, selling a number of brands (including as Fischer, Volkl, Scott, Marker, Tecnica, Dynafit and Tyrolia), Scott took on the agency covering the UK for Dynastar skis, Lange Ski boots, Look bindings and Kerma. He also represents Shred, Toko, Vix Protection and Lenz.

Scott is still passionate about racing and wants to see our grass root racers get as much help as possible to attain higher levels of achievement.

For more information please go to www.alpine100.org