Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre busier than ever following Winter Olympics success
It’s after Charlotte Bankes took home gold for Team GB in the snowboard cross
The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead says it has seen its busiest ever half-term thanks to Team GB’s success in the Winter Olympics.
The British athletes took home one bronze, one silver and three gold medals, including Charlotte Bankes from Hemel Hempstead who won gold in the mixed snowboard cross alongside her teammate Huw Nightingale.
Peter Gillespie, Head of Snowsports said: “last week was our busiest half term week ever since this building opened in 2009.”
“We saw a massive uplift in just interest. I think the athletes out in Italy have really inspired people and we had great success in some of the events that are on snow, and that made a big difference.”
More people trying winter sports
There’s also more and more people trying sports such as skiing and snowboarding for the first time, according to Hemel Hempstead’s Snow Centre.
Mr Gillespie says, “we're a bit of a victim of our own success”.
“We have a schedule of lessons which we fix before the winter, that's based on space and availability, but it gets to the point where people are like, ‘when and where can I don't get a lesson because all the sessions are full’”.
Our reporter Callum McIntyre has been trying snowboarding:
Peter added: “A great time to learn to ski or snowboard is actually spring into summer when the facility is quieter, the availability is much greater.
“Looking at the interest that came off the back of the Olympics, I think we're going to be busy all the way through into the summer now.”
Molly, 27, a ski and snowboarding instructor said: “When you see other people skiing and snowboarding around the mountain and stuff, it kind of looks like they're not doing anything and it looks like it would be really easy to pick up.
“Then people actually come and try it and they're like, ‘oh my God, there's so much more that goes into this’. So, big respect to everyone at the top of the game in the Olympics.”