Ski races have made a return to an East Lancashire slope with more than 600 people and around 140 skiers at an event over the weekend.

As well as national competitors, there were plenty of local entries from Ski Rossendale Race Club (SRR) and 2K Performance Club at the EOLA GBR Outdoor Race 4.

There was success for members of The Hill’s ski race clubs: Benjamin Sharples was first in the U16s and seventh in the men’s races, Harrison Harwood was second in the boys’ U12s, Issabelle Pugh was third in the U18s competition while Lois Bowker was sixth in the U12s competition.

Lancashire Telegraph:

A young skier enjoys the competition

The previous day, Saturday, July 30, the third round of the races was held at Pendle Ski Slope, when Haslingden High School student and SSR member Oliver Harwood was sixth in the U18s competition.

The 15-year-old said: “It is great to be racing on my home slope and I hope to do even better than yesterday.”

One racer, 12-year-old Euan Reilly, is a member of Glasgow Ski Racing, and was second in the U14s GBR race, and his dad Danny said he hoped to go one better in Rossendale.

He said: “We returned from Portugal on Friday and drove down to Pendle for Saturday, then here today.

"This is a first for us being here and the slope looks good.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Race Secretary Leigh Tomlinson said: “We are delighted to see everyone back here and it is great to be putting Rossendale back on the national race map again.

"Everyone has worked so hard to get these races back.”

Looking forward to competing, was Gold medal Olympian David Corr, 25, from Preston/Chorley a member of Pendle Ski Club who trained for the Special Olympics World Winter Games on the Rossendale slopes.

He said: “I started at Pendle Ski Club and I have been skiing since I was about five.

"The Hill is a good slope because if you ski it beautifully then it is fine.

“If I win it is great, and if not then I clap the first, second and third; it is not all about winning.”

He won his slalom gold medal in Austria in 2017, on real snow, but described that snow as ‘horrible’ because it was slutchy and not as easy to ski on as the outdoor UK slopes.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Sunday’s first of two slalom courses was set by Olly Far, from Sheffield, and Chris Corr, David’s brother, was one of two forerunners, who check the course before the racers and assess whether any amendments need to be made on the slalom poles before setting a time for the course.