TWO local Royal Artillery Alpine ski teams have been successful in their divisional ski championships last week.

The teams were from Tidworth-based 1st Royal Horse Artillery (1RHA) and Bulford based 19 Regiment (The Scottish Gunners) Royal Artillery (19 Regt RA).

In addition, the team captain of 1RHA, Lieutenant Aimee Touton, has been selected to Captain the Army ladies’ ski team for 2015 at the combined services meeting.

1RHA team comprising Lt Aimee Touton (Capt), Gunner Brad Wheeler, Lance Bombardier Kas Thomas and Bombardier David Langley won prizes for second in the Super G and 2nd in the Downhill and Aimee Touton won the first lady in the Alpine Combination.

I spoke to a very happy Aimee, who was very pleased with the team’s results.

She said: “We did very well. None of the guys had ever skied at this level before, let alone at army level.

“The conditions made it very hard, there were lots of delays, long waits and then we had to race,”

In addition, six members of 1 RHA are currently snowboarding in Austria as part of Exercise SNOW STORM.

The team were all complete novices at the start of the exercise but have been taught by excellent Army instructors, some of who first boarded on previous Ex Snow Storms. The team has quickly gained the skills and confidence to board effortlessly down the pistes.

One week on, the 1 RHA team is now competing against 50 other Gunners from across the Royal Regiment of Artillery in slalom and jump events, with prizes to be won in both the team or individual events.

OC Snowboarding, 2Lt Josh Bate said: “The exercise has been a tremendous success; the lads have picked up the skills very quickly and are enjoying themselves. Hopefully we’ll do well in the competitions and build for top spot next year!”