Lifetime Achievement Award " Alan Hughes
The life Time Achievement Award was presented to Alan Hughes.
In this 30th anniversary year of English Ski Council/Snowsport England it is interesting to reflect that there has been an evolution, within British skiing, of our National Coaching Scheme since 1965 - some 44 years ago.
Alan Hughes not only remembers that history he has been a major part of it.
Today Alan is one of UKSS's Senior Tutors and Examiners and a member of SSE's technical Panel. When he 'joined' our scheme he was a former gymnast, a canoeing Coach and a Professional Mountaineer. He was Director of a Mountain Training Centre and President of the Mountain Rescue Dogs Association.
He knows snow, inside out! He has seen an avalanche from the inside as well as the outside and guided the development of our NCS for over 40 years. He qualified as a Nordic Ski Instructor as well as an Alpine Coach.
He was a member of the group which established the first GB agreements with Scotland, England and BASI, within the NSFGB (National Ski Federation of Great Britain , the predecessor of the BSF, now known as SSGB).
He represented ESC's support in Northern Ireland and developed competitive skiing in North Wales.
Alan organised and staffed ESC's Alpine Coaches Courses for over ten years and was also one of the first Tutors for the NCF (now known as Sports Coach UK).
But perhaps his greatest contribution has been as an unconventional and original thinker and acute observer. He challenged (and still does) many of the established orthodoxies of ski instruction and 'coaching' traditions and made us all look - and - see what the athletes were really doing. Those findings then fed into our NCS to ensure that it always served the needs of the skiers ahead of those of the 'providers'.
He has founded Ski Clubs and run Ski Centres. His skiers range from young children who have enjoyed great holidays to International Ski racers - some of whom chose him to coach them, even when they were in British Teams at the time. (including Scottish and British Champions who recognised and valued his outstanding coaching ability.
Few people, if any, have made a greater contribution to the standards and evolution of our National Coaching Scheme.
