Alain Baxter opens Bearsden Ski Club's new facilities
Thursday 4 May 2006
Olympic skier Alain Baxter will officially open Bearsden Ski Club’s new facilities this Saturday (6 May). The new snowboard park, two nursery slopes and a new clubhouse were built with the help of a sportscotland Lottery award of £200,000 from the Building for Sport Programme.
The club’s facilities now boast a state-of-the-art floodlit ‘snowflex’ main 80m long slope with jumps and a quarter pipe for snowboarders and two new ‘snowflex’ beginner slopes, which will compliment the existing skiing facilities at the Club. There is also a new chalet-style clubhouse with bar and catering facilities, replacing an outdated building at the site, incorporating new changing rooms, ski hire area and a new fitness suite allowing the club to offer fitness instruction, aerobics and strength and conditioning to its members.
Bearsden Ski Club was formed more than 40 years ago by a small band of enthusiasts, and now has a thriving membership of around 1,200. With the new facilities the club aims to provide an enhanced level of snowsports provision for their members as well as community groups, many from disadvantaged areas around the West of Scotland. It has also been working in partnership with several local authorities to develop a school-based programme to provide instructional classes from beginners right through to advanced level.
On opening the facility, Olympic skier Alain Baxter said: "This is a tremendous facility and will be a great asset for snowsport enthusiasts in the West of Scotland particularly the young who will thrive here."
Drew Travers, Manager, Bearsden Ski Club: "We have a facility here that has something for everyone from tubing parties on our state-of-the-art new slope to jumps and a quarter pipe for die-hard skiers and snowboarders. Also the new alpine-style clubhouse will be an important resource for our members and community groups to use."
Julia Bracewell, OBE Chair of sportscotland said: "sportscotland is delighted to have supported this visionary project with an award of £200,000 from the sportscotland Lottery funded Building for Sport Programme, to provide this fantastic ski and snowboard facility.
"By supporting this project we are ensuring that the people of Bearsden and the surrounding areas have access to ski and snowboard facilities all year round, which fulfils our ambition to increase the level of people’s physical activity in Scotland, helping them to participate, develop and excel in sport."
The opening on 6 May is a chance for club members to try out the new facilities and meet Alain Baxter. The club plan to showcase their new facilities to the general public by holding an ‘come and try’ open day within the next couple of months.