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20/12/06 On way back to Lofer from FIS race in Pampaggio. Got a 13th in only my 4th Slalom so far this year. Slalom is so competive these days, the standard just gets higher and higher. Snow was a bit soft and I really like it bullet proof. It's really cold now so hopefully we'll get some harder pistes. I'm back home on Saturday - so far I've only spent one week with my new son Kerr since he was born 4 weeks ago. So I'm really looking forward to a good break and the chance to spend some time with the family. Snow's definitely a bit patchy everywhere, so lots of races are being cancelled and those that run are really busy. Looking forward to good snow and good races in the New Year. Happy Christmas everyone. 21/11/06 Congratulations to Alain and Sheila - Kerr Baxter, was born on Monday 20 November at 4.18pm weighing a healthy 7lb and 5oz. 10/11/06 Eleven years after his first FIS World Cup race, and a lifetime of ski racing experiences later, Alain Baxter believes that the start to this winter World Cup season feels different. As he heads to Levi, Finland this weekend to race at the first FIS World Cup Slalom of the season on Sunday, Britain's top slalom racer professes to feel more confident and upbeat than for a number of years. Any nerves will be directed to the outside prospect of his first child being born - young Baxter is due this weekend too - but expert medical opinion is that the baby will be about a week later than his due date. Changes to Alain's domestic and professional skiing life have been pretty big during the summer. He married Sheila at the end of the summer and is now living just outside Stirling. The departure of former British Land National Team Head Coach Christian Schwaiger to join the German Ski Team ends a fruitful but, for both, at times frustrating seven year working relationship. New coach (Thomas) Loedler is also Austrian. He is an ex World Cup racer, a former rival and contemporary of Alain's. Having worked most recently with the Austrian team, including closely with the comeback of Reinfried Herbst who came in from the cold, de-selected from the Austrian team, to win Olympic slalom silver this year, also winning his first world cup slalom race in Japan at the end of last season. "In many respects what we have been doing with Tom is similar to what I worked on with Christian but it feels new and fresh. Technically it is good and things really clicked the last couple of days before we left Pitztal and I had some good training on hard snow. I was a bit worried before because we had had no hard snow through the summer." Alain has worked hard with the Volkl factory through the summer to find the skis he is happy with, and reports that he is happy with the set up. 22/09/06 In Saas Fee at the moment and am just starting training through gates now. The last two camps I have been on have involved a lot of technical work, going back to basics trying to iron out the little problems. The snow out here is getting more and more like winter, cold and dry and so far the conditions have been good 8/05/06 Alain Baxter married his businesswoman girlfriend Sheila Dow yesterday. The couple walked through an eight-strong guard of honour holding skis aloft after the wedding at Dornoch Cathedral in Sutherland. Alain, 32, and 33-year-old Sheila got engaged at Christmas after they met last April. Last night, the couple said they were over the moon. Alain, said: "I couldn't be happier. We are very much in love." After a reception at Dunrobin Castle they jetted off on honeymoon to Cyprus 21/03/06 Been pretty full on since the Olympics,the season's coming to an end now. Just finished the Europa Cup Slalom in Flachau, Austria, I was going pretty good but unfortunately straddled about 3 |