Ayr soldier off to compete in ski championships

Apr 3 2009

AN AYR soldier swapped combat boots for ski boots to take to the slopes.

Sergeant James ‘Hammy’ Hamilton, pictured right, took part in the army’s UK ski championships in the Cairngorms.

He was one of more than 100 skiers in a variety of events, including snowboarding and cross-country skiing.

The electronics technician explained: “My team finished fourth out of 16 teams in the team slalom, and for me it was a great result as we were competing against some very experienced army skiers.

“It was a great feeling to have completed the slalom course. It’s nerve-wracking but you get a real buzz when you get to the finish line.

“The Slalom calls for the skiers to zig zag their way down the course between pairs of marker flags.”

Hammy, 33, joined the army in 1997 and has served in Northern Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, France, Holland, Germany and Iraq.

He serves in the REME and is currently attached to the army’s recruiting group in Scotland.

And he competed in the lightening fast slalom and the giant slalom.