Question: What do Great Britain, alpine ski racing, and Big Sky have in common?
Answer: Martin Bell—the best ski racer to come from the home of the father of modern alpine ski racing.
According to no less of an authority than Serg Lang:
The advent of Alpine ski racing took place thanks to a young Englishman...Arnold Lund somehow managed to convey his passion to thousands of his countrymen. And it is thanks to him that Alpine ski racing, as we know it today finally took root.
Bell—who makes his home in Big Sky—is the best ski racer ever to race for Great Britain. He competed in four Olympics (placing 8th in the Downhill in the 1988 Games in Calgary—the best result for a male skier from the United Kingdom in Olympic history) and five World Championships between 1984 and 1993. He placed in the top 10 on the World Cup six times—more than any other British skier before or since.
By any standard, Martin is an authority on ski racing. So, his recent article in The Big Sky Weekly merits special attention:
After spending fourteen years of my life as a full-time World Cup and Olympic ski-racer, I strongly believe that competitive skiing is the greatest sport on earth...Children who grow up in Big Sky have a unique opportunity, in their own backyard, to become participants in this best of all sports. The biggest factor for future success are high mileage on skis, and good coaching, at a young age—particularly between 9 and 13.
Big Sky offers the terrain, and BSSEF offers the coaches and programs, that can help young athletes in the area to become great skiers. Who knows? Some may have the chance to replicate Martin's success.
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