THERE has been a huge uptake in people trying snowsports for the first time at Mendip Activity Centre as a result of Team GB's success at the Winter Games.

Mendip Activity Centre has seen an increase in first-time skiers and snowboarders this winter, as Team GB’s performance at the Winter Games inspires more people across Somerset and the South West to give snowsports a go.

Mendip has seen a huge surge in demand, with sessions selling out fast, especially the centre’s popular Learn to Ski and Learn to Snowboard courses, as more families, young people, and adults look to start their own snowsports journey. The team at Mendip has welcomed hundreds of new faces to its dry ski slope in recent weeks, with many visitors citing Team GB’s success as the reason they’ve finally decided to try skiing or snowboarding for the first time.

David Eddins, CEO of Mendip Adventure, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see so many newcomers hitting the slopes, alongside others rediscovering their love for snowsports, inspired by Team GB’s outstanding achievements. Everyone must start somewhere, and the majority of Team GB athletes started their own journeys on artificial slopes like ours at Mendip.”

Mendip Activity Centre has a history of helping people take their first steps into snowsports, including Olympic snowboarder Jenny Jones, who won Team GB’s first ever Olympic medal in snowboarding with a bronze at the 2014 Winter Olympics, after beginning her snowsports journey with Mendip.

Mendip Activity Centre, alongside their mission to inspire everyone everywhere to make time for adventure, are once again sponsoring Shipham-based bobsleigh athlete Jens Hullah, who recently won gold in the Europa Cup. Jens’ journey began locally, when he first learned to ski on a school trip to Mendip Activity Centre’s dry ski slope. That early introduction to snowsports sparked a passion for adrenaline-fuelled outdoor activities.