YOUNG Brighouse snowboarding star, Katie Ormerod, has proved she has the ‘white stuff’ to be a future Olympic champion after a series of major wins.

The Hipperholme Grammar student, who is sponsored by indoor real snow slope SNO!zone Castleford, Katie has been named as overall champion of the Burton AM 2008/2009 snowboarding tour as well as achieving three first places at this year’s BRITS competition in Laax, Switzerland.

At just 11 years of age, Katie, who began snowboarding at the age of six, has already been named as one to watch and a potential Olympian of the future.

More than 600 riders participated in the pan-European Burton AM tour which visited 12 countries across the continent. Katie won the overall youth girls title which wins automatic qualification to the 2010 Burton European Open, also in Switzerland.

To top a fantastic season, Katie also finished top in the youth categories of the Big Air, Slopestyle and Halfpipe competitions at the BRITS, which is regarded as the highlight of the British snow sports season.

Campbell Orr, co-ordinator of the sponsored riders programme at SNO!zone, said: “Katie has had a fantastic season and we are thrilled with her progress.

“Despite her age, Katie is already making a name for herself in snowboarding and we’ve got high hopes for her future.”

Katie is also a keen gymnast.