British Ski & Snowboard chief: Dave Ryding’s achievement can thrust skiing into the spotlight

The chief executive of British Ski & Snowboard has hailed Dave Ryding’s historic second place finish at the World Cup Slalom 2017, and claimed that the media spotlight generated by the achievement can aid the progress of the sport.

Ryding achieved Great Britain’s best result for more than 35 years, matching Konrad Bartelski’s second place finish in 1981, and Dave Edwards said the positive publicity could lead to more funding, and increase the chances of winning at major events as a consequence.

He told Sports Management that while the governing body was “hoping to convince” UK Sport that it was worth more investment, funding could come from elsewhere as a result of heightened awareness.

Edwards said there was a strategy in place to find more commercial revenue to complement the partnership British Ski & Snowboard has with main sponsor Delancey.

There was also a facility in place for members of the public to donate to the organisation if they booked ski holidays or purchased ski equipment from commercial partners.

But Edwards added that he hoped UK Sport would take notice after a number of good performances from British skiers.

As well as Ryding’s success, snowboarder Katie Ormerod became the first Briton to win the World Cup big air in Moscow in January, while Andrew Musgrave won the cross-country Norwegian Championships in 2014.

UK Sport has pledged £4.9m (US$6.1m, €5.7m) to the governing body for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic cycle, up on the £1.5m (US$1.9m, €1.7m) it received ahead of Sochi 2014, although Ryding is not an athlete to benefit from public funding.

British Ski & Snowboard has also recently hired Dan Hunt, formerly of British Cycling, as performance director.

“Dan was part of the team that transformed British Cycling and then went on to nurture talent in the Premier League (football),” said Edwards.

“He joined us because he recognised that we have an opportunity to to transform what’s been done on the winter sport landscape and it’s an exciting time to be involved.”