Nestled in the rolling countryside in northwest England is a modest ski slope surrounded by roaming sheep.
It’s a gentle hill at Pendle Ski Club with three tiny inclines at the start and a mostly flat section to finish. In some parts, grass protrudes through plastic matting. The course has a rough, bristly surface. There is no snow.
To the astonishment of many of his rivals, this unassuming dry slope is where Dave Ryding started. Ryding has risen to become Britain’s most decorated slalom racer. Slalom is a classic winter high mountain skiing and snowboarding sport.
Ryding remembers turning up for lessons in a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a long-sleeve T-shirt. The slope was so short that it would take him barely 12 seconds to get from the top to the bottom.
