Inside Alain's shop

By James Choularton of Outdoor Traders

Alain Baxter is Britain’s most successful World Cup skier and, over his two decades as a member of the British Ski Team, he has brought skiing fans from around Britain and beyond some amazing sporting memories. For who can forget his brilliant performance at the 2001-2002 Olympics that lead to him to become Britain’s first Winter Olympic medal winner in skiing – followed by the subsequent pain of being disqualified?

Whether on or off the mountain, Alain Baxter has always displayed the qualities of a world-class athlete and even has a bit of star quality: he continued to thrill fans off the mountain when he appeared on the BBC Superstars as runner-up in Season One and winner in Season Two.

Finding a new direction

So, when he announced his retirement from international skiing competition, I was sad to see him go. He was amazing to watch, always giving it 110%, and I for one miss jumping up and down on the sofa screaming at the TV while Alain was cooking down some World Cup course. But the story appears only to be half told. Alain Baxter has taken his decades of passion for the sport and a wealth of knowledge that he has amassed during his time in World Cup ski racing to help him find a new direction.

“Having skied for 35 years, 18 of which as part of the British Ski Team, I’ve had my fair share of sore feet. It was only during my later years on the team I discovered I didn’t have to sacrifice comfort for performance, and how much difference a pair of well-fitted ski boots can make.”

So Alain decided to open his own ski shop, Alain Baxter Sports in Stirling, Scotland. The state-of-the-art facilities have been purpose-built and the workshop, which boasts a full complement of stretching and fabrication tools, establishes AB Sports at the top of the list when searching for a top-notch ski boot fit.

The ski shop, which is located at Unit 2 of the Imex Business Centre, showcases Alain’s bootfitting skills and stocks a carefully-selected range of ski clothing and accessories such as Instaprint high-definition custom insoles, Vist, Dare2B, Hardnutz, Zaini, and Von Zipper.

It’s a comfortable environment to sit and relax while Alain sorts out your ski boots and there’s a wide-screen TV to inspire you, with images of powder days and ski racing. So whether you are a racer or a just a mere mortal of a skier and you need your boots sorting…and you happen to live near Stirling, be sure to pay Alain Baxter a visit.