 Poster: A snowHead
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Bring back one-piece ski suits and rear-entry boots!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Layne, You appear to be in my old boots and wearing my old sunglasses....the Sunnies appear to be the special Glacier ones, with a lighter strip across the middle and darker areas top and bottom, to help with the glare from sky and snow. Brilliant! If they are the ones I'm thinking about, they even had fetching clip on side pieces and nose protector. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I went on a school ski trip aged 10 and 13. Did a couple of days around age 16 then a big gap until 35.... now obsessed and really wish I had done it at uni and in my 20s. I have made massive progress in 1 year with lessons at Chill Factore and 16 days of Snowheads bash. Planning to keep pushing it. My advice: If you live near an indoor ski place make the most of it!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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A bit later than I would have preferred in retrospect - 42.
It was always too expensive until my wife decided we were going to Morzine with the three children.
And somehow we have afforded it every year since. At least the kids got an early start.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I tried a couple of times at the Glasgow dry slope and Glenshee when I was a teenager, but hated it ("There's snow IN MY EAR!"). At 27 (and about 4 stone down on my teenage years) I waved my then-boyfriend off to the Trois Vallées with his friend and discovered that our local dry slope offered a learn-to-ski package for not much money. Then we decided to take advantage of the extra bank holiday for a royal wedding to go on the 2011 EOSB, and 40-odd days of skiing, innumerable hours of dry slope lessons, a wedding and two children later here we are. I wish I'd done more skiing when I lived in Scotland, but I wouldn't have been able to afford it in my early 20s anyway!
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I learnt to sort of ski at age 48 1/2. I was snowboarding for 8 years before that.
I thought I should learn how to ski just in case I lost all and any self esteem when I got too old to enjoy myself on a snowboard.
One of life's greatest pleasures for me has been sliding down mountains with my wife and kids for the last 10 seasons. Eldest now 20, youngest now 16, I am so glad we took that time together.
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I was 8 and it was in Sauze D’Oulx . Spring 1966 I think
Since then I have managed 77 trips ( so sad I keep a record ) and hope to make it 100 before either global warming takes the snow away or the grim reaper knocks on my door.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Charliegolf Jan 2015 for me too at 47, weekend in Aviemore - completely hooked and 3 trips a year ever since!
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I'd always wanted to go on the school ski trips to France but as I already took part in a fairly expensive sport/hobby my parents couldn't afford it. I got a present of a few lessons on the local dry slope at age 34 and knew immediately that this was going to be something I was going to love. I had my first day on snow at Glenshee early in 2012. March 2012 I had a week in the 3V. The next season I did a trip to LDA in Dec, 3V in Jan, Les Sybelles in March and 3V again in April and a few days at Glenshee and Cairngorm. Have done 4 trips a year since. It's made me poor but happy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Nickbrad, just make sure you're out skiing when he knocks on your normal residence so he can't git-ya 
I honestly think doing things like this must hugely benefit your life. It's good to hear all the positive stories in this thread, and at such a mix of ages.
I helped someone up in Sauze a few years back, he'd got into a tangle with another skier and fallen but was in his eighties. Great to see him out there.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Nickbrad wrote: |
| .... Since then I have managed 77 trips ( so sad I keep a record ) and hope to make it 100 before either global warming takes the snow away or the grim reaper knocks on my door. |
Which reminded me to check my own records. I was surprised to see it at 101 trips to date. A few years on snow. Excluding dry slopes, indoors, and day trips to local hills in UK & Finland etc.
I would be less happy if I had lost track of what I did. I take photographs & video for the same reason; it stops things blurring into one.
I think I'll avoid setting a target though - it's not about quantity of course.
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I'm surprised at how many started skiing in Scotland or lived there.
I must have met a couple if hundred snowheads at bashes and bbqs etc and only a handful are Scottish.
But then I haven't met all snowheads, yet.
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You know it makes sense.
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started at 47 (5 years ago) when my kids were getting a week of lessons at hillend and my wife said i should give it a shot. loved it from the first moment. i'd never had a hobby before (my job isn't what what most people would call a 'proper job') so it turned from a hobby to an absolute obsession almost immediately.
i don't have many regrets in life but i really wish i'd learned to ski when i was the kids' age. they're 12 and 10 now and they're brilliant skiers.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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i think around 4 years old. Have been nearly every year ever since. Ski school were some of my favourite holiday memories. Now 32 I probably manage 2 weeks a year skiing which just doesn't feel enough. One of my biggest regrets is going to uni instead of doing a ski season. I hope I get to do one before its too late. Still on the bucket list.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| speachmaus wrote: |
I'm surprised at how many started skiing in Scotland or lived there.
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Scotland is the part of the UK with reliable skiing.....well at least as reliable as it gets these days. I presume most snowheads are from the UK so it figures that they will have learnt in Scotland, particularly within the last 40 years before cheaper European holidays....although that may be changing !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Was 6 or 7 - to Alpbach in the very early 80's with my late Dad. He paid for one or two trips a year until I was 16 by which time "you're old enough to get a job, pay for yourself" (old school, northern self made money ethos!). I abused student overdrafts and raced on both dry slopes and snow at uni until '94 / 95 & then money / lack of skiing friends conspired against me until meeting @richard_sideways 10 years ago. My friends thought I was utterly bonkers booking a 10 day trip to Canada with someone I'd been dating a few weeks but I've lost count of the money spent on the snow since, I even skied through both pregnancies and our 7 & 6 year olds have been to the Alps 10 times. I'm trying to convince him that we need to bunk off grown up-ness for a while and do a season with the boys, you only live once eh?!
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 2-11-17 22:03; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Started aged 4 at the Scotish Norweigen ski school ? at Cairngorm and lessons at the small ski slope at Coylumbridge with the rope tow, Im now 45.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Started age 13, school ski trip, monte Bondone Italy in 1980, loved it persuaded the family the next year, I had a week in chamrousse with a school friend then the family trip to Maribel mark Warner. My brother completely bust his knee aged 12 within 2 hours of starting. No more family skiing until 19 then alpbach for 3 years, lovely place to learn being skiing ever since, never did a season wish I had. Skiing with he kids only one of the four kids is really keen though
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Started at 40 in 1983 when I spent 18 months in Antibes. A fantastic year for snow and every weekend we joined the suicidal rush up to Isola 2000 plus 2 weeks holiday. Bemoaned the lost years but trying to make up. Now 73 I've skied 120 different resorts and spent over 14 months of my life on skis. Glide on!!
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@skivor,
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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27. Wished I started sooner but it was always one of those things we never got round to doing.
Now hooked!
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As many others, I wish I'd started much sooner than I first did, but so glad I did.
I first skied at 30, if you don't include the grass skiing that I did with school whilst on an activities week away somewhere or other.
Went on a weeks holiday with a group of friends to Andorra - Pas de la Casa. Four of us in total, two of us had never skied, so in the run up to it we had lessons down in Southampton at the Alpine Snowsports centre on a dry slope once a week for 6 - 8 weeks if I recall. It certainly paid dividend once you got on real snow, as I found the dry slope hard work, so once on snow it was more giving and forgiving. Also, having worn boots before and skis made it all less alien.
I think it was February when we went and I recall how cold and bleak the resort was, or at least felt. The transfer from Toulouse sticks in my mind as well, that felt as though it went on for ever in the coach.
I then didn't ski for 8 years after that, but since starting again have been fortunate to have been at least once every year since, for either a week, or sometimes two, with the exception of last season 2016/17. Certainly plan to make up for missing out on last season with trying to get three trips in in the 2017/18 season
Now in my 40's and plan to ski as often as I possibly can.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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At age 44. Love it! Now aged 52. So wish I had learned earlier. Now I get one week per year, and as many weekends in Scotland as there is snow to ski on.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@motyl, I didn’t realise you’d only got back into it properly so recently.
I’m so glad I started this thread, as there have been some fascinating stories. Apart from my married years I’ve mainly used most of my annual leave on skiing holidays. I think I got back on track in 2004 when I took my son for a half term trip to Andorra. I think I discovered Snowheads in 2007 but didn’t meet anyone till 2008 when I bumped into Ronald at Wengen, only recognised as we’d got Snowhead stickers on our skis. Ski show followed that year where I met Admin for the first time although I’d signed up for the 5th Birthday Bash by that point. I still went through with it amazingly.
Now I look back on my Snow account but regret none of the money it’s cost me, just reflect in the fun I’ve had. Mostly done Snowhead trips since but many others sorted through Snowheads connections.
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You know it makes sense.
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16 in 1983. School trip from Perth, Western Australia to Falls Creek, Victoria. Rained just about every day and the snow was disappearing fast. You used to have to use tokens to get ski lifts, and I dropped mine in the snow and lost them, so got left behind by my ski class who went ahead. Tried finding them on the beginner slope up the top of the chairlift, but missed them and accidentally continued past the end of the beginner slope onto a mogulled red. Fell on every "turn" almost all the way to the bottom, but by the time I got to the bottom I was making 2-3 turns at a time without falling. Proceeded to fall off more times than I can count on the t-bar but eventually got the knack. Did the same red slope over and over, and wound up back at the bus with all the other kids and teachers wondering where I'd been - they'd been there for a few hours with all the rain. The rain didn't bother me - I was hooked 
Went for 2 weeks the following year on the same school ski trip, and 2 weeks to Thredbo, Perisher and Guthega with a surf buddy the year after. Then dropped out of university** the next year to be a barman in Falls Creek and then having been fired for skiing when I should have been helping clean the chalet, went to Mount Hotham and worked as a "towie" - ski lift operator. Then big trip to Europe and 3 years a ski bum in the Alps - Innsbruck/Igls, Anzere, Leysin, Morgins, Saas Fee.
**Went back to Uni in Geneva to get a Phd, and now a university Professor. Never would have ended up a Professor if it hadn't been for dropping out and being a ski bum
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@doddles, Great story.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I started back in 1976, went with the school (Austria Andalo), then again in '77 (Austria, Sappada) then a gap of three years, when at 18 a mate and I went with the school again (Switzerland, Leysin) to help the teachers with the skiing groups. Then adulthood and marriage, work and destitution set in......wind forwards to 2011 some thirty years later at the age of 48 I went again and haven't missed a season since.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pigeondave wrote: |
Sorry im retired from slalom, concentrating on more off piste stuff.
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I thought off piste was what happened when you weren't concentrating? Or when you were concentrating on being 'at the back in case anyone falls over'...
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First put skis on at age of 31. Still waiting to start skiing 33 years later... 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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17, at Catterick Indoor Ski Center, started work there on a YTS scheme. Stayed for 15 years, ended up as the chief instructor/ski tech/shop sales/barman/admin/dogsbody
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About 10 years ago, so when I was 28/29. I always thought skiing was far too dangerous for someone in to football, running etc... I was very wrong!
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FAQ
then spent 10 minutes running up and down the stairs in his snow boots.
