UK Edition
Suburban skiing comes to south London for Surbiton Ski Sunday
There are a few moments in life when one feels unashamedly proud to be British – and seeing the lengths UK ski lovers will go to to simulate their favourite winter sport surely has to be one of them.
The annual Surbiton Ski Sunday event takes place this Sunday October 18, surely begging the question: "How can you ski in the flat, snow-free town of Surbiton, Greater London?"
The answer is simple – just strap blocks of ice to your feet and slide down a street that's been pre-prepped with water and washing up liquid for optimum slippage.
The event first launched in 2009 to raise money for children's hospice charity Shooting Star Chase, after someone joked that if you reversed the principle of skiing – putting ice on your feet instead of wood – you could ski on just about anything.
Hence Surbiton Ski Sunday was born, attracting around 50 participants and hundreds of spectators every year.
There are two competitions: the individual speed run and the team effort, where groups of three attempt the run in a high-tech "luge" (a bathtub with blocks of ice strapped to the bottom).
A competitor racing in a different kind of catsuit Photo: Tangle Photography
To ensure uniform race conditions, all "skis" are made using a specially-designed mould, frozen by volunteers in the days leading up to the event and stored at the local Waitrose (well, this is Surbiton after all).
The prize for the overall individual winner isn't too shabby, either – a seven-night skiing holiday for two at the Chalet Bruyeres in Alpe d'Huez, France (donated by Crystal Ski).
Style and speed combine in this luge team from the 2014 event Photo: Tangle Photography
People travel from all over to compete; the current speed record was set in 2013 by Jesper Hedlund, who came from Sweden to take part. He took just 9.97 seconds to complete the 21m-long run.
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And this isn't the first time Surbiton has held an unusual activity. In 2009 the town hosted an event where people built a giant version of the game Mouse Trap. (Yes, the word you're looking for is "Awesome".)
Surbiton local and event organiser Robin Hutchinson said: "Part of this is playing with people’s perceptions of Surbiton – they see it as the ‘home of suburbia’, and we want to try and present the fun and creative side instead."
Surbiton Ski Sunday takes place on Sunday October 18 2015, from 11am to 1pm, on St Mark's Hill in Surbiton. For more information visit seethingwells.org