Profile... Sam Cullum
|
|
Introduction...
When Sam started snowboarding at the end of 2001 I could never have prepared myself for what the next few years would bring.
As a dry slope rider Sam battled all the elements on dendex and snowflex to reach a high standard in such a short space of time (not without a few breakages along the way). With his determination to succeed it was only after 9 months when he entered his first AIM series competition taking away all the prizes for the Youth Men along with reaching the men’s final.
Now after just over three years he has won nearly every UK competition he has entered and in 2003 was selected onto the British Junior Squad. After trials in 2004 for the British Development Squad he was selected and has started competing in the World Cup and Europa Cup series. 2004 also saw Sam ride at the Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard Show in the Best of British Competition (reaching the final) and the Red Bull Rail Storm in George Square, Glasgow.
Just this year alone he has competed in USA, Canada and Czech Republic. In January 2005 I witnessed a very proud moment as Sam represented Great Britain in the Winter Junior Olympics in Monthey, Switzerland. He gained a very respectable 13th position against 41 other countries many of which were alpine and his achievements were acknowledged by being awarded the Olympic Silver Passport.
Sam’s achievements have also not gone unnoticed by TASS (Talented Athletic Scholarship Scheme) and in January he was awarded a bursary to help him further his talents in snowboarding. He has also been voted “Best Rookie of the Year 2004” by Document Magazine, awarded for being the young snowboarder who has achieved the most and shown the most potential for the future.
Sam has made this all possible because of his hard work and determination. When the snow is on the ground Sam is up the mountain, first up and last down. Nothing can explain how proud I feel when I ride down the mountain with him, you only have to watch him to see that snowboarding is his life, the passion he has for the sport is indescribable.
By Dad Cullum
Snowboarder Questionnaire
How old where you when you first began riding?
13 years old
What/Who got you into it?
a local council run summer course 1 day 1/2 spent skiing and the other 1/2 an introduction to snow boarding
What sort of board do you ride?
DC PBJ, MLF & XFB
What length board do you ride?
159 - 162
Do you ride Regular or Goofy?
Goofy
Stance width?
56 cm
Stance angles (front and back)?
18 front 15 back
Favourite resort?
Breckenridge
From Sam's Lifestyle & Portrait Gallery.
How many seasons have you done?
2004/5 with British Development Team part time 2005/6 with British Development Team full time 2006/7 with British World Cup Team full time 2007/8 with British World Cup Team full time 2008/9 with British World Cup Team full time
Where and when did you do your seasons?
Travelling around now to Japan, Korea, Canada, USA, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and anywhere else the Squad goes
What was your favourite trip and why?
To DC Mountain Lab....need I say more!
What do you love about snowboarding?
Traveling to different countries and seeing the cultures although waiting at airports etc is a bit of a bore.
What's your goal within snowboarding?
To live the dream as along as possible and to progress onto the international circuit.
What aspect of snowboarding gives you the most satisfaction (powder, kickers, halfpipe, competitions, big air, cliff drops, etc.)?
I really enjoy all aspects of snowboarding especially kickers and rails. I would love the opportunity to ride more powder and do some cliff drops.
What's your favourite trick?
Front and back flips.
What's your scariest snowboarding moment?
Being rushed by ambulance to hospital,strapped to a spinal board with a suspected broken neck after a mega fall at Wycombe dryslope. I also suppose being air lifted from Laax with a broken back but the amount of morphine they gave me sent me on my own little trip - dont remember a thing about the accident.
Daily Mail Ski/Snowboard Show © Frazer Waller @ phase-one
From Sam's Action Gallery.
What are your top safety tips when riding?
Wear protection, especially a helmet but other than that, listen to instruction and use your common sense.
General Questionnaire
What are your other interests?
Skateboarding, wakeboarding, surfing (pretty much anything to do with a board). Photography and watching extreme footage. Trampolining to practise my rotations and inverts.
Where would you like to see yourself in the future?
Professional snowboarder
Who are your idols?
Eddie Wall
What music are you into?
Hip-hop, almost any (except classical).
What's your favourite book?
Tony Hawks autobiography
What's your favourite film?
Triple X
What's your favourite quote?
Everytime I learn something new it pushes some old stuff out of my brain (by Homer Simpson)
Red Bull Rail Storm
From Sam's Action Gallery.
Thanks to:
My thanks to Andy Bott(Slide Snowboard Shop, Sheffield) for seeing my potential and encouraging me when I started. My sponsors, James & Ed from DC, Kellie from Oakley, Dave from Clash, Shaun and Ed from Suso, Leo British Team Coach and not forgetting all the riders at Wycombe(now Hemel) for their encouragement in the early days. A special thanks to my website designer (www.samcullum.co.uk) gpmdesigns for a great job. Lastly Mum and Dad who have made it possible!
Anything else you want to say?
Red Bull Rail Storm - 20th November 2006. What can I say. Glasgow was great but riding in my home city of London was awesome. Such an experience riding in front of 8,000+ people with the top snowboarders in the world. A Big thank you for getting the chance to qualify through the AIM series, to Red Bull for arranging it and to Graham for the set. I will never forget it. My season in 2006 finished off by winning the Orange "Brightest Talent" Award presented to the rider at the Brits with the most potential for the future. Fantastic all those early mornings and hours training have paid off! With the award came the prize of a back country course with McNab and remember that week with found memories of the late Keith McIntosh who taught me so much.
Sam's Results/ Achievements...
Year | Event | Discipline | Category | Position |
| 2008 | World Cup Stoneham | Halfpipe | Overall | 18th |
| 2008 | Dutch Championship | Half Pipe | Overall | 2nd |
| 2008 | Bardoneccia World Cup | Half Pipe | Overall | 31st |
| 2008 | British Championships Laax | Half Pipe | Mens | 3rd |
| 2008 | Junior Worlds Championships Italy | Big Air | Overall | 6th |
| 2008 | Innsbruck Europa Cup | Half Pipe | Overall | 6th/65 |
| 2008 | Junior Worlds Championship Italy | Half Pipe | Overall | 8th |
| 2008 | Innsbruck Europa Cup | Halfpipe | Oveall | 8th/65 |
| 2008 | TTR Billabong Snow Stock | Big Air | Overall | 9th |
| 2007 | Rip Curl Crans Montana 5* TTR | Slopestyle/BA | Overall | 16th |
| 2007 | Westbeach Snowflex Series - Warmwell | Big Air | Mens | 1st |
| 2007 | Bardonecchia World Cup | Half Pipe | Overall | 21 |
| 2007 | World Championships Arosa | Half Pipe | Overall | 28th |
| 2007 | BEO Laax Semi Finals | Half Pipe | Overall | 30th |
| 2007 | World Championships Arosa | Big Air | Overall | 38th |
| 2007 | TTR | All | Overall | 39/3005 |
| 2007 | ONeill Evolution Davos 6* TTR | Half Pipe | Overall | 47th |
| 2007 | Awarded Olympic Gold Passport | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2006 | TTR Tour | All | Overall | 115/1116 |
| 2006 | World Rookie Finals, Solden | Slopestyle | Overall | 11th |
| 2006 | Europa Cup Placing - End of Season | Halfpipe | Overall | 12/143 |
| 2006 | Chevy Truck Revolution Tour Mt Hood | Half Pipe | Overall | 13th |
| 2006 | Saas Fee Europa Cup | Halfpipe | Overall | 14th |
| 2006 | World Rookie Festival TTR | Slopestyle | Overall | 19th |
| 2006 | British Championships Laax | Big Air | Junior | 1st |
| 2006 | British Championships - | Orange Brightest Talent | Overall | 1st |
| 2006 | British Championships Laax | Slopestyle | Junior | 1st |
| 2006 | Zermatt Ladi Jam | Slopestyle/Halfpipe Combo | Overall | 1st |
| 2006 | British Big Air Championships | Big Air | Overall | 1st |
| 2006 | British Quarter Pipe Championships Metro Show | Quarter Pipe | Overall | 1st |
| 2006 | Nouex-les-Mines International Snowboard Jam | Slopestyle | Mens Overall | 1st |
| 2006 | Junior World Championships Korea | Big Air | Overall | 25th |
| 2006 | Aesthetiker Wangl Tangl TTR | Slopestyle | Overall | 26th |
| 2006 | Zermatt Europa Cup | Halfpipe | Overall | 26th |
| 2006 | British Championships Laax | Half Pipe | Junior | 2nd |
| 2006 | Junior World Championships Korea | Half Pipe | Overall | 37th |
| 2006 | World Rookie Festival | Slopestyle | Overall | 3rd |
| 2006 | Nouex-les-Mines International Snowboard Jam | Team Event | Overall | 3rd |
| 2006 | British Championships Laax | Slopestyle | Overall | 4th |
| 2006 | British Championships Laax | Half Pipe | Overall | 4th |
| 2006 | Montenegenvre French Champs | Halfpipe | Overall | 4th |
| 2006 | British Championships Laax | Big Air | Overall | 5th |
| 2006 | Montegenvre Europa Cup | Halfpipe | Overall | 6th |
| 2006 | Chevy Truck Revolution Tour Mt Hood | Slopestyle | Overall | 9th |
| 2006 | Selected for British Snowboard World Cup Team | All | n/a | n/a |
| 2005 | Europa Cup Czech Republic | Half Pipe | Men | 12th |
| 2005 | Junior Winter Olympics Monthey | Half Pipe | Youth | 13th |
| 2005 | Swedish Championships | Half Pipe | Men | 18th |
| 2005 | Europa Cup Czech Republic | Half Pipe | Men | 18th |
| 2005 | British Championships, Laax | Half Pipe | Junior Men | 1st |
| 2005 | Document Best Rookie Award 2004 | All | n/a | 1st |
| 2005 | Aim Series MK | Slopestyle | Overall | 1st |
| 2005 | Aim Seris Warmwell | Big Air | Overall | 1st |
| 2005 | Aim Series Warmwell | BA & QP Comb | Overall | 1st |
| 2005 | Red Bull Ticket to Ride - Trafalgar Square | Red Bull Rail | Overall | 1st |
| 2005 | Aim Series Castleford | Slopestyle | Overall | 2nd |
| 2005 | Arosa Europa Cup | Halfpipe | Overall | 31st |
| 2005 | Europa Cup Switzerland | Half Pipe | Men | 31st |
| 2005 | Chevrolet Grand Prix USA | Slopestyle | Men | 33/100 |
| 2005 | Europa Cup Sweden | Half Pipe | Men | 6th |
| 2005 | British Championships, Laax | Half Pipe Finals | Overall | 6th |
| 2005 | Tandadalen FIS | Halfpipe | Overall | 6th |
| 2005 | Talented Athlete Scholarship (TASS) | Snowboarding | n/a | n/a |
| 2005 | Awarded Olympic Silver Passport | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2004 | Burton European Open Jam | Slopestyle | Junior Mens | 13th |
| 2004 | Burton Black Metal Rail Jam | Slopestyle | Overall | 1st |
| 2004 | Aim Series Milton Keynes | Red Bull Golden Ticket | Overall | 1st |
| 2004 | Burton European Open Jam | Half Pipe | Junior Mens | 22nd |
| 2004 | Best of British Daily Mail Show | Big Air | Men | Finals |
| 2004 | Selection onto British Development Squad | All | n/a | n/a |
| 2003 | British championships les Deux Alps | Slope style | Under 18 yrs | 2nd |
| 2003 | British championships les Deux Alps | Big air/ b'cross | Youth men | 3rd |
| 2003 | British championships les Deux Alps | Half Pipe | Youth men | 4th |
| 2003 | Selected for British Snowboard Squad | All | Youth | N/A |
