Whether you know your backside rodeo from your wildcat, you’ll know Tim Warwood’s unmistakable Brummie twang and energetic snowboarding commentary. We had a natter and found snowboarding to be so much more than sport
If you watched the BBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics, you’ll have encountered Tim Warwood and his friend of 20 years, Ed Leigh living the dream commentating on a sport they’ve loved, excelled at, championed and helped shape. Their genuine excitement was palpable and infectious and for the first time, viewing figures put freestyle on a par with alpine skiing which has traditionally been the blue riband event.
While snowboarding likes to shy away from the mainstream and remain a bit alternative, Tim’s becoming a more regular fixture on our TV screens covering events away from the snow, such as the London marathon among other gigs.
TEEN SPIRIT
Tim describes his teenage self as a grotty skateboarder with baggy clothes and scruffy hair. He wasn’t into football and rugby like lots of the lads at school and was a bit of an outcast – not bullied, just a bit different. In 1994 when the SnowDome opened in Tamworth close to his home in Aldridge, Tim went along to see what it was all about. He’d been on a school ski trip to Italy and thought he’d give it a whirl. When he saw the snowboarders doing their thing, he liked the look of it and hasn’t been on a pair of skis since.
The SnowDome had been open for just three weeks and Tim asked if he could do his work experience there. They agreed and the rest is history. Tim spent every spare minute riding. Beyond his work experience period, Tim stayed at the SnowDome working and riding as much as he could. He says: “I absolutely loved it. Just sliding sideways and doing a few tricks. I was quite good at it and I found my crew, my gang. It was a lovely thing.”
POWDER FOR DAYS
Tim travelled the country riding in Edinburgh, Rossendale, Gloucester and Plymouth enjoying the scene and thriving. When he was just 16, he was offered a job at a friend’s chalet in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. He says: “I have a daughter the same age now and it blows my mind that mum and dad let me go. It was a different time. It’s mad really. I was mainly riding powder everyday.”
When Tim got back he found out he’d been enlisted to the Team GB Junior Snowboard Team so he worked all summer saving up so he could go to the World Championships in Japan. In the early noughties Tim was all about packing in as many powder days as possible with a season in Whistler, Vail and Breckenridge, four seasons in Morzine and the British Championships in Meribel. He’s still the current British slalom champion largely because the event disbanded, but still…
BAH HUMBUG
The media bug kicked off early for Tim and he had some sketchy stints at Rossendale dry ski slope as a teen commenting on the action to crowds of four people, but it got him started. He’s now a regular on BBC2’s Ski Sunday as well as Red Bull snow sports live events, presenting on Free Radio and hosting The Après Podcast with friends Jenny Jones and Ollie Peart. Tim’s first commentating job at the Winter Olympics was the Sochi Games in 2014 when Jenny Jones won the bronze medal at which point he, Ed and fellow boarder Aimee Fuller erupted with emotion and huge pride. It was quite the moment – Jenny had been a trailblazer of the women’s sport and it was the first Winter Olympic medal GB had ever won. There were some complaints to the BBC due to the trio’s lack of partiality which seems a bit harsh.
BAGGY TROUSERS
Encouraged by people like Jenny, Tim and Ed snowboarding has never been stronger. The tricks are getting bigger and bigger at a phenomenal rate. Tim says: “Every four-year Olympic cycle the riders are adding another 360. To put that into context, it took 30 years for a triple toe loop to progress to a quad toe loop in figure skating.” As well as the kit being better and the boards lighter, Tim says the competitors are super professional.
“In my day we’d have a few pints the night before a competition. Now they are athletes working really hard week in, week out. There are also a lot of them, so at the World Cup for example there are between 90 and 120 riders all pushing one another along.” The Olympics aren’t the bee-all and end-all for snowboarders. The XGames for instance happens every year which celebrates the culture plus there’s big money involved. Also, some riders aren’t comfortable with the conformity of the Olympics given snowboarding culture is alternative. The style is intrinsic to that culture so the team uniform irks a bit for some although the baggy relaxed trews prevail.
HOME SWEET HOME
Tim’s back in the Midlands having lived in Brighton for a while followed by London where he met up with his wife who he’d known as a youngster. They had a baby in London and started hankering after a slower pace of life which meant moving back to be close to both their families.
Tim’s enjoying being a bit older and not chasing work so much although having said that, he has a policy of never saying no. His dream job – and this came as a surprise – is quiz show host. He says: “I would absolutely love that. Like a poor man’s Bradley Walsh!” Now he’s said it, we are convinced it will happen.