Varsity Trip - Blues Races and Competitions

Blues Races and Competitions

The Varsity skiing match takes place in the Slalom and Giant Slalom disciplines during the annual Oxbridge Varsity ski trip. The Blues race bears the distinction of being the world's oldest team ski event with a tradition which dates back to 1896. Most recently, a selection of supplementary events have been trialled including the Combi and Super G events. The most recent competition to be introduced was the Super G event in 2007, which was won by Ben van Zwanenberg (Oxford). The top four racers in the first men's and women's teams are automatically awarded Half Blues. At the discretion of the Race Captain, another two Half Blues can be awarded; and, if certain conditions have been met, a Full Blue can be awarded. In recent years, the competition has extended to snowboarders but this has not yet obtained Blues status although Ed Gunn, winner of the 2008 BUSC snowboarding Championships at BUSC has been awarded an Extraordinary Full Blue. Oxford Blues skier Freddie Clough (New College) was awarded an Extraordinary Full Blue for his selection to the British University team that participated in the 2007 World Winter University Games in Turin; as have Ben van Zwanenberg, who competes on the World Carving circuit, and ex-French ski schools champion Adrien Geiger. Whilst ski racing has achieved discretionary Full-Blue status at Oxford University, it currently remains a Half-Blue sport at Cambridge. This is reviewed annually at the (Blues committee meeting.