Progression & Racing
Develop Your Skiing
Every skier has different ambitions.
For some Arctic Squad members, success might mean becoming more confident, improving their technique or skiing more independently. For others, it may mean training more regularly, experiencing different slopes or taking their first steps into competitive skiing.
Arctic Squad is here to help each member progress as far as they want to go.
Our approach is simple:
Participate → Develop → Progress → Compete — if you want to
There is no requirement to race and no pressure to compete. Progression means something different for every skier.
Developing Skills
Regular skiing is at the heart of Arctic Squad.
Our sessions give members the opportunity to develop their skiing in a supportive environment, working on areas such as:
confidence and independence;
balance and movement;
turning and control;
speed management;
skiing different courses and terrain; and
developing the skills needed to progress to more advanced skiing.
As members develop, we want to provide opportunities to experience skiing in different environments, including visits to indoor snow centres such as Chill Factore in Manchester.
For skiers accustomed to a dry slope, skiing on indoor snow can be an exciting next step towards eventually taking those skills into the mountains.
Discover Racing
Some Arctic Squad members may decide they would like to experience ski racing.
Racing can provide a fantastic focus for developing technique, confidence and independence — but it is entirely optional.
Members interested in racing can be introduced gradually to skiing around gates, developing their technique and understanding how a race course works.
The emphasis remains on enjoyment and personal development.
You don't have to be the fastest skier to enjoy racing. Sometimes the biggest achievement is simply having the confidence to stand in the start gate and have a go.
Parallel Lines Race Series
One of the opportunities we would like Arctic Squad members to experience is the Parallel Lines Race Series.
Parallel Lines provides opportunities for disabled and adaptive skiers to participate in inclusive ski racing, allowing skiers with different disabilities and skiing styles to take part.
Arctic Squad aims to support members who would like to train for and participate in suitable Parallel Lines events.
For some members, taking part may simply be a new experience. Others may discover that they enjoy competition and want to take their skiing further.
Both are equally valuable.
Training Together
An important part of Arctic Squad's approach is helping our members become part of the wider snowsports community.
Arctic Squad is affiliated to Snowsport Wales, and Arctic Squad members will also become members of North Wales Snowsports Club.
This creates opportunities for our skiers, where appropriate, to ski and develop alongside the wider NWSC membership.
We believe inclusion is at its strongest when disabled and non-disabled skiers can enjoy the same sport, develop their skills and share experiences together.
Where Could Skiing Take You?
There doesn't need to be an end point.
A skier might start by wanting to become more confident on their local slope. That could lead to an indoor snow-centre trip, skiing in the mountains, trying a race course or entering their first competition.
Another skier may simply want to become a better recreational skier.
Arctic Squad supports both.
What matters is that our members have the opportunity to keep skiing, keep developing and decide for themselves how far they would like their skiing to take them.
Participate. Develop. Progress.
And if you want to race — we'll help you explore that too.