Jeremy Ayling

JA

ERSA Chairman/Suffolk S C

John Curtis

JC

Brentwood Park

Kevin Driscoll

KD

Hemel S C

Ros Humphrey

RH

ERSA Secretary/Snow Club/Hemel S C

Piet van Kempen

PVK

ERSA Racing Panel/Bassingborn

Lawrence Pinkney

LP

Welwyn Garden City S C

Hilary Whipp

HW

ERSA Treasurer/Bassingbourn S C

Steve Lambert

SL

ERSA Racing Panel/Hemel SC

Phil Brown

PB

ERSA Race Trainer/WGC S C

Alan Humphrey

AH

ERSA Vice Chairman/Hemel S C/Snow Club

John Spafford

JS

Hemel S C

1.0

MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

1.1

The Minutes of the last meeting were approved and signed by the Chairman.

2.0

HALF WAY SEASON REVIEW

Report by JA

2.1

There have been some very successful race meetings in our Region with very good results achieved by our regional racers. The next race meeting will be on 8 July 2001, the Regional Dual Slalom Event to be held at Hemel Ski Centre. This is a new race venue for the ERSA. Member Clubs are reminded to provide 2 race officials on the day. If it is successful, the racing panel plans in the future to also invite Clubs from other Regions to take part.

The All England Artificial Ski Slope Championships will be held in our Region at Norfolk Ski Centre in September 2001.

3.0

RACE MANAGERS REPORT

Report by SL/PVK

3.1

All the ERSA Summer League races so far have been well attended and the new medals are well received. The Racing Panel suggests increasing the race entry fee slightly for next year.

3.2

The impressive Alge Timing Equipment has arrived and SL has tried it out extensively. It was used at Suffolk’s Summer League Race Dual Slalom Event and it will be used again at the Regional Team Event on 8 July 2001. The total cost to ERSA was £6491,67.

Regional Clubs will be encouraged to use the equipment (free of charge at the moment) and SL to run an introductory workshop so anybody interested could learn the system. This workshop could be done alongside the Regional Race Trainers Course in Autumn 2001.

Tamworth Ski Slope wanted a demonstration of the new timing equipment. SL to negotiate to get a training session for the ERSA Squad in exchange.

Also, as the ALGE agent in this country does not know the equipment and increasingly, SL and PVK are getting various telephone calls from prospective buyers SL is trying to get some reward from ALGE in Austria, i.e. if we buy some attachments, we should be getting a big discount. Negotiations are ongoing.

SL/PVK

3.3

The old ERSA Timing Equipment should now be put onto the Market. Brentwood Park SC and maybe Welwyn Garden City SC may be interested. Representatives from both Clubs are asked to report back to the Chairman ASAP to indicate if they are still interested.

JC/

LP

3.4

The new Regional Team Event on 8^th July 2001 may be run at a loss as perpetual trophies had to be bought. Race entry fee will be the same as for an ERSA Summer League Race, i.e. £ 8.00 per racer of which £ 5.50 will be paid to the Ski Centre and £ 2,50 go to ERSA.

4.0

RACE TRAINERS REPORT

Report by SL for PB

4.1

PB has encountered difficulties in finding racers to take to the Interregional Race Event this year to be held at Sunderland as the format of this event has changed. PB plans to take at least one team (7 racers + a reserve) and asked the committee to help with paying of some of the expenses. The committee decided to give each participant £ 25.00 plus £ 25.00 for each of the 3 cars going up as petrol money (to be taken from the Squad budget). PVK, who will act as a race official at the event, will write out the cheques there and than. Also, there are enough sweat shirts in stock to hand out to the team members, thus there is no need to buy new team shirts.

PVK/PB

4.2

Snowsport England Interregional Race Event:

ROTP had asked last year’s regional race trainers/managers to put proposals for a new race format to them and only 2 had answered. Those 2 suggested a non-seeded race. This format was than adopted PB (Regional Race Trainer) or SL (last year’s team manager) never received any communication from ROTP. This year’s venue is Sunderland and so far only 11 teams from the 9 Regions have now entered this race.

RH to contact ROTP with the request to address any communication to the regional race secretary to ensure ERSA can have an input in the future.

RH

4.3

The ERSA Squad 2001 is now established – 10 racers have accepted a place - and names are on the ERSA web site. 1^st Squad training session will be on Sunday, 01 July 2001 at Welwyn Garden Ski Centre. PB wants to concentrate on fitness training this year. A 2^nd Squad training session is planned for later this year. If possible, PB wants to take the Squad to the Ice Mountain in Belgium as a team-building weekend. All participants will be informed in plenty of time.

It was decided to give PB a hand with looking into the Squad Sweatshirt for this year. SL suggested asking Carol Hunt to take on this job.

The committee wanted to remind PB to make full use of his Assistant Regional Race Trainer, Paul Fraylich and to look into the selection criteria for next year.

PB

SL/PB

5.0

ACCOUNTS

Report by HW

5.1

Written accounts were circulated and accepted. (Copy is attached to the minutes)

6.0

ERSA Summer Glacier Race Training Camp 13^th – 20^th August 2001 in Hintertux, Austria

Report by RH

6.1

At the moment 28 racers, 8 race trainers and 24 Parents/Friends from 5 Clubs (WGC, VIC, HEM, BEC & BAS) in our Region have booked a place on this year’s race training camp. Preparations are in hand – half-board accommodation is booked at one hotel in Lanersbach, 4 training lanes are reserved on Hintertux Glacier and travel arrangement at the various Clubs are finalised. All deposits are paid. Clubs are due to pay ERSA for accommodation, lift passes and some sports activities by 15 July 2001. All bills will be paid centrally to secure some reductions like free lift passes when getting them for the whole group instead of each Club individually.

Booking/enquiries are still coming in.

Participating Club Organisers are asked to make sure that the completed Participation List, the Code of Conduct and the Medical Consent Form are returned to RH in time.

6.2

The committee will decide at the next meeting in September 2001, if further snow training camps will be arranged.

7.0

COACHES PANEL

7.1

Dates and venues for

1. 1 day Race Officials Course,
2. 1 day Course Setters Course/ALGE Timing Equipment Introduction as well as
3. 1 day Race Training Workshop

are still looked for (in the autumn). Information will be distributed with the agenda for the next ERSA Committee Meeting/AGM.

Committee members of the various Clubs are asked to see if their Ski Centre would want to stage one of the above mentioned workshops and contact Ros Humphrey – ros.humphrey@ntlworld.com or Tel.: 01923 400313 with the proposed per person fee per day.

RH

ALL

RH is still awaiting ROTP’s response to the request to hold the 2 days Race Officials Course in our Region.

RH

7.2

Snowsport England Council (12 May 2001) had circulated the following proposal:

To create a position of Regional Coaching Representative in each region. The Person to be elected by the coaching scheme members in each region and appointed by the Coaching Committee.

The Snowsport England Coaching Committee has suggested the following criteria for people who wish to stand for the position:

The representative will be a current Snowsport England qualified Coach, technically able and familiar with the requirements of the coaching scheme. The individual must be accessible to the instructors in the region. The majority of coaches are involved in alpine disciplines, but coaches from any discipline would be eligible. The purpose of the regional representative would be to provide a focal point for all instructors in the coaching scheme (including trainees) and to provide technical guidance. The representatives would report to the Coaching Committee, so that their collective views could be taken into account.

This information has been circulated to all the Coaches in our Region via e-mail or ‘snail mail’. (Until now, only 3 Coaches form the 17 have responded)

Representatives of the various ERSA Clubs are asked to speak to their Club’s Snowsport England qualified Coaches and ask them to respond to the e-mail so that the ERSA committee will be able to put a Coach forward to represent ERSA’s view on the Snowsport England’ Coaching Panel.

RH

RH

ALL

8.0

INSURANCE (loss, theft, breakage etc.)

8.1

PVK contacted Bassingbourn Ski Club’s insurance broker and was told, to insure the Timing Equipment and Radios on their own would result in a heavy loading by the Insurers. JA contacted an insurance broker in the City and got the same reply. HW to contact the Snowsport England for a quote to insure the equipments. At the same time, HW will find out the cost if all the different Clubs timing and other equipments are insured together.

HW

9.0

Snowsport England UPDATE

9.1

PB has now received an invitation to participate at all Snowsport England Board meetings as an observer with no voting power.

JA pointed out that for the next Snowsport England AGM ERSA has to get the nominations to Snowsport England in sufficient time so that our nominations could be secured.

The Snowsport England contribution from the Clubs/Ski Centres Registration Fees has now been received - £ 335.00.

PB

ALL

10.0

AOB

10.1

Well Done to PB. He raised some £ 1500 for the Andrew Bush appeal by getting his long hair shaved off.

10.2

ERSA Committee will put it to all Club Members at the AGM if ERSA should put some money towards the Andrew Busch Appeal.

ALL

10.3

Next ERSA Committee Meeting will be the AGM and will be held on 2 September 2001 at Welwyn Garden City during the Summer League Race – between the individual Slalom and the Team Event. All members of the various Clubs are invited. JA to draw up the Agenda. Accounts will be distributed at the same time.

JA

ALL