ALPINE RACING
THE SCOTTISH ALPINE TEAM
Snowsport Scotland runs the Scottish Alpine Team and delivers a supporting, 12-month, subsidised annual performance training programme.
Selection to the Scottish Alpine Team is conditional upon athletes meeting the performance selection criteria laid down by the Governing Body.
For many Scottish alpine athletes, being selected to the Scottish Team represents a significant milestone in their sporting career and provides them with a well supported opportunity to progress to higher levels of the sport though funded coaching and support from the sportscotland Institute of Sport.
MEET OUR CURRENT TEAM ATHLETES
FIS Team
Women
Brooke Baxter
Georgia Blaikie
Maisie Blyth
Abi Bruce
Tia Freshwater
Holly McKey
Louisa McIntosh
Alexandra Maxwell
Claudia Ritchie
Gabriella Ritchie
Autumn Train
Zoe Bruce
Men
Hamish Blyth
Max Blyth
Ruaridh Blyth
David Christey
Harry Duncan
Joe Grieve
Calum Hunter
Jack Irving
Calum Langmuir
Jake Leonard
Blair Macleod
Angus Matheson
Michael McIntosh
Jenson Mickel
Ian Menzies
Alexander Penneck
Emerson Proctor
Lewis Parton
Ryan Pye
Finlay Royle
Owen Vinter
Charlie Saunders
U16 TEAM
Women
Gracie Duncan
Lucy Gallacher
Amber Lou Fraser
Isla Cameron
Men
Jasper Freshwater
Craig Menzies
Aaron MacDonald
Lewis Oaks
Toby Tweedle
Gabriel Welsh
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Scottish female alpine Winter Olympian Charlie Guest shares what the Scottish Team meant to her...
"The Scottish Alpine Ski Team played an incredibly valuable part in both my skiing and my teenage life. It gave me the space to grow into and understand what it meant to be an athlete, developing my physical, psychological and skiing skills, continually pushing me outside my comfort zone.
The alpine team training programme also afforded me the opportunity to stay in school at home and complete my Scotland-based high school education, providing me with the crucial stability and continuity I needed to progress in both my sporting and academic development. This support really helped me transition smoothly from junior to senior racing, and was a vital building block in my Olympic career".
TEAM SELECTION
The Scottish Alpine team selection process takes place in April each year and athletes from U16 upwards, are selected in line with criteria laid down in the Alpine Team Selection Policy
Costs
Selected athletes pay an annual core fee of £120 to be part of the team. For this fee, each receives their Scottish Team tee-shirt and:
2 fitness assessments per year
A discounted All-Area-Pass for the five Scottish Mountain Ski Areas for £35
Access to discounted Coach Qualification Training Courses
The following items are accessible to all team members and are charged at cost.
Fully branded Scottish Team jackets, salopettes, leisurewear and catsuits
15 weeks of European based training in the Scottish Alpine Performance Programme
Coach support at major Alpine Championship events
Support services from the sportscotland’s Institute of Sport
SCOTTISH ALPINE TEAM PERFORMANCE TRAINING PROGRAMME
The Scottish Alpine Performance programme, delivered by Snowsport Scotland Coaches Christy Mackinnon, Ross Gardner and Mark Vinter offers 15 week on-snow training across 10 separate camps all designed to fit around full time education in Scotland. The primary objective of the programme is to support for U16 to U21 to successfully transition into FIS and beyond.
For U16’s - We focus on making long-term technical and tactical improvements, improve athletes understanding of ski racing as a whole and to prepare them for the step-up to FIS level. We will be working with athletes to achieve top 10 results in their age category at all British run races and strive to achieve selection for international races with the GB Snowsport British Children’s’ Ski Team (BCST).
For 18+ We will focus on developing each athletes’ ability across all technical disciplines, with opportunities to train and race in all alpine disciplines. Where appropriate, we will be working with athletes to achieve criteria for the National Team, European Youth Olympics Festival (every 2 years), Youth Olympic Games (every 4 years) and World Junior Championships (annually). The programme targets appropriate National and International competitions throughout the season.
2026/27 PROGRAMME
The below schedule of camps and events is provisional at the time of publishing (mid March 2026) and subject to change.
ALPINE RACING - GETTING STARTED ON YOUR JOURNEY
If you are an aspiring young alpine racer, keen to ultimately make selection to the Scottish Team, we recommend you start your alpine racing career by joining one of Scotland’s eight alpine race clubs listed below:-
These clubs deliver a mix of artificial and on-snow training and competition opportunities. They will support you in getting started in your alpine racing journey providing education on the rules of the discipline, training and understanding the equipment. Starting in a club is the first step to becoming a registered competitor on the British Alpine Seeding System and progressing through the pathway.
EARLY PROGRESSION
In your early years as an alpine racer, supported by your club, ensure you are focusing your effort in the right areas. All Scottish Club Head coaches will support you with focusing on the right levels of activity, training and competition. A broad guideline is outlined below.
| Age Group | Organisations Providing Alpine Development Opportunities | General Sporting Focus | Snowsports Focus | Milestones | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U10 yrs | Scottish Club Programmes | Involvement in as many sports as possible to achieve fitness and movement literacy e.g. gymnastics, trampolining, diving, martial arts, dance, mountain biking. | As much freeskiing as possible on varied terrain, with introduction to stubbies courses and use of freestyle parks to develop dynamic movement. | Developing an effective use of edge control, and athletic / dynamic stance on varied terrain. | Entry-level fun competitions at school and club level. |
| 10–12 yrs | Scottish Club Programmes | Continued involvement in as many dynamic movement sports as possible to achieve fitness and movement literacy. | Weekly ski training in a structured program offering a balance of technique development and gates drills with introduction to European camps. | Developing clean carving, speed control and strong athletic dynamic stance on varied terrain and through stubbie gates. | Exposure to club and regional U12 events and schools events. |
| 12–14 yrs | Scottish Club Programmes European Academies |
Structured athletic and flexibility sports activities 3 days/week. Introduction to specific strength & conditioning training for alpine skiing. Learning good work ethics and routine. | A structured annual program offering weekly ski training for 6–8 months/year, with strong focus on skills development, drills and racing lines. Engagement in as many on-snow training camps as possible to achieve week-long intensive training. | Edge and speed control. Strong athletic dynamic stance on varied terrain; controlled blocking and upper body awareness through stubbies and full size gates. | Regular involvement in regional dry and snow-based competitions as part of structured programme; introduction to national championship level competition. |
| 14–16 yrs | Scottish Team Programme Scottish Club Programmes European Academies |
Competitive/structured athletic and flexibility sports activities 3–4 days/week minimum, plus exposure to specific S&C programmes for alpine skiing. Developing knowledge of nutrition and athlete lifestyle. | Weekly ski training for 8–10 months/year with strong focus on technical freeskiing and skills development on full size gates. Engagement in as many on-snow camps as possible. Introduction to psychology for alpine racers. | Effective use of edges; strong athletic dynamic stance through full size gates on steeper slopes. Focus on racing line, tactics, upper body awareness, and controlled blocking on full size gates. | Regular involvement in regional dry and snow based competitions; competing in national championship level competition. |
| 16–18 yrs | Scottish Team Programme Scottish Club Programmes European Academies |
Competitive/structured athletic and flexibility sports activities 5–6 days/week minimum, programmed S&C training for alpine athletes. Appropriate nutrition regime and athlete lifestyle. | Weekly ski training for 8–12 months/year. Focus on technical freeskiing, line, tactics and skills development on full size gates. Engagement in a minimum of 15 weeks of on-snow camps. Developing psychological strategies for alpine racers. | Developing technique to achieve desired racing lines in all Alpine disciplines in varied terrain. | Full annual programme of events to achieve progression including introduction to FIS events. |
SKIER CROSS
If you are interested in getting into the exciting discipline of head-to-head skier cross, Snowsport Scotland recommends focusing on the development of your alpine skills in the Scottish team programme before specialising in a focused skier cross programme.