Snowboarding vs. skiing rivalry cranks up a notch

SINCE the widespread introduction of snowboarding in the 1970s, a war of words has been fought between the rebellious youths in baggy trousers and the traditionalist skiers who want the slopes to themselves.

AT ODDS: Alpine skier Chemmy Alcott (l) and Zoe Gillings are at opposite ends of the brewing row (Getty Images)

Fuelled by stereotypes which have held steadfast over the decades, snowboarders are seen as punk teenagers with bad attitudes while those on skis are the upper class who refuse to move with the times.

As snowboarding's popularity has increased so has the criticism from those who want to rid the slopes of the rowdy youngsters.

Boarders are routinely blamed for ruining the quality of the snow with their wide tracks and for clogging up the ski lift areas.

But the ski resorts have welcomed the influx of hip young things who will happily spend their cash après ski and what once was a fad is now certainly set to stay.

This mutual disdain has spilled over into the organisations which run the sports at elite level.

The latest battle brewing comes with the news that SnowsportGB have been put into administration just a week before the start of the Winter Olympics.

Their failure to raise a cash injection of more than £200,000 has led to the British Olympic Association taking responsibility for the 14 skiers and snowboarders who are competing in Vancouver.

The British Snowboarding Association has directly blamed the amount of money spent on alpine skiing for the organisation's downfall and has gleefully taken over the running of snowboarding in the UK.

BSA chairman John O'Grady dug the oar in, saying they were unable to understand the mismanagement when their own programmes and results have come within budget season after season.

The Olympic programme now includes three snowboarding events with the athletes competing for medals in the halfpipe, parallel giant slalom and the snowboardcross.

And if the feud rumbles on to the slopes of Whistler, snowboardcross athlete Zoe Gillings looks far more likely to pick up a medal than Great Britain's highest ranked alpine skier Chemmy Alcott.

That will put the Battle of 2010 firmly in the hands of the snowboarders.