The Blue Climate and Oceans Project - Dan leaves rivals trailing in wake

DW © Dan Wakeham

Article taken from www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

Dan Wakeham has finished the season with the highest ranking of any snowboarder or skier in Britain after jumping to a 10th place finish in the world halfpipe championship in Italy.

Wakeham, 26, is the top male in British snow sports with a world standing of 28th.

He has toured the world with the national snowboard team, competing in Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada and across Europe.

Wakeham ended his World Cup competition season on a real high when he was one of 12 men who qualified for the finals of the World Cup Halfpipe event in Valmalenco, Italy. He finished the competition in 10th place.

Snowboarders are judged on the heights they reach in jumps and how well they perform a range of tricks with names such as the McTwist and air-to-fakie.

Wakeham said: "I got a good result in Italy. It has been a good season for me. I have finished with a higher world ranking than any other male in British snow sports."

He is now one of his country's best hopes for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. Qualifying starts next winter.

But Wakeham said that snowboarders did not receive the same recognition as skiers who make less impact in world sport. His team-mate Zoe Gillings finished the season seventh in the world.

He said: "The snowboarders are left poorly funded, making it hard to stay on the world tour.

"We travel to places such as Korea and Japan and soon use up any funding, so the snowboarders are often left in debt after a season.

"Each year it is a battle between the skiers and the snowboarders for funding, so it is really good news that two of the snowboarders have finished with such high results."

As well as practising and keeping fit in the summer off-season, Wakeham must also fit in a job to keep afloat.

Dan leaves rivals trailing in wake

Introduction