 Poster: A snowHead
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I can't recall the precise age I strapped on my first wooden planks, but the horse and buggy was in vogue, that I do remember...................
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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12 on a one week school trip, then nothing (except surfing) until "I saw the light" and started at
52 on a snowboard, now been riding seven years.
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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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27, always pooh-poohed skiing, I was a died in the wool water skier and thought skiing was a bit poncy.............
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11 - I had wanted to go on the school trip but it had been oversubscribed and so didn't get on it. My parents then decided to book a family ski trip (first for everyone in the family), and we did dry ski slope lessons in Tonbridge Wells before our first week on snow at Mayrhofen. That was loved by all and we all still ski including my parents.
My hubby did a school trip which was almost enough to put him off for live. Thankfully he gave in to my arm twisting to give it one more go but with me. After that he was hooked. 
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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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11/12 on a dry slope in Kilternan, Dublin before heading off for a week in Pamporovo with my family. I had to take a bit of a financial break in my mid 20's once the parents stopped paying!! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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3, or at least that's what i have been told...
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25 - after years of watching Ski Sunday and thinking to myself 'mmm, wouldn't mind that' some friends went snowboarding in Big Bear and wanted to go again the next year, so another friend of mine and I booked a learn to snowboard lesson at Tamworth indoor snow slope. I really wanted to be good at it - I stank. I tried again, I still stank, but I did enjoy it, so booked to go to Mammoth in California along with those friends, vowing to take a shed-load of lessons while there and, after about a week or so had that 'click' moment. I left with boots, bindings, a 160 Burton Charger and a second-degree sunburn after forgetting sunscreen on the first day, and haven't missed a year since.
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15: Three school trips. My Dad had always wanted to try, so he booked a family trip to Scotland - which for some reason got cancelled (Foreign travel money restrictions?  JOKE ) Anyway, as compensation allowed me to go with school.
(When I look back, I wish I had taken dad so he could see it for himself: but it wasn't something I could have afforded to treat him with when he was well enough to enjoy, and by the time I could, it was too late. That last sentence are words you never want to write.
IIRC it was £60 all in, train to Dover, ferry, sleeper train to Landeck from Calais. 2nd and 3rd times, paid for by cashing in a life insurance policy started by my grandmother - one of those "pay a penny to The Man From the Pru" at the door - netted about £100 so covered most of the two trips.
Leather boots, pyjama bottoms under jeans for warmth, Norwegian walking socks... how did we survive?
Then a long gap, 15 years? - until I persuaded Mrs Roll to try it - 1st trip she hated ( Confess, I wasn't too enamoured either - thought it would be like riding a bike and dead easy to get back to where I'd been. It wasn't. And, somehow it didn't seem as much fun in your early thirties as as a teenager). Fortunately, she was game enough to try again: now we own an apartment, and go 2, 3, 4 weeks a year or more.
MiniRoll OTOH, started at 3, and has well over 25 weeks experience on snow now. I'm glad of that.
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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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| jedster wrote: |
I'm surprised more people aren't saying they skied as small children. Perhaps most people who grew up skiing are just too blase about it unlike us obsessives? |
Me too.
Why am I not more blasé?
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25 or so. It falls right in the middle of the rugby season and is only for really posh people.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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First experience was on dryslope at 10. I went most weekends for a couple of years until I was lucky enough to go on the school trip in Jan 1987 at 12 years old. Big break then until I could afford to go myself. Since then I have worked a season and teach kids every Sunday morning at Castleford.
I've been lucky enough to give my kids the opportunity at a very young age. My daughter started at 4 and my son at 3. They are now 7 and 5 and are pretty competent skiers. Luckily they love it as much as I do!
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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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18 Glenshee. Back when we had proper winters but rubbish clothing. Really had to want to ski to keep going back, it was an adventure.
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After 25 years of climbing and mountaineering, after a couple of really rubbish Scottish climbing seasons we (JanetS and I) decided to go skiing (all our friends assumed we could ski already!), I was 44, she was younger. Went to the local dry slope for lessons. A week before our first trip to Livigno I suffered my first prolapsed disc. Skied any way and was hooked. The second prolapsed disc later caused permanent nerve damage, loss of feeling and strength in my right foot and lower leg, meaning I could no longer rock climb, so all energies went into skiing.
Now, 13 years on we instruct year round at Norfolk Snowsports Club, and are looking forward to twelve weeks skiing in Austria this season.
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You know it makes sense.
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6 - Family trip to Santa Caterina. Won the ski school race 
Then one week a year up until 18 - save one year we didn't go and one year we went twice.
First season at 19, and now living full time in Austria for 5 years! Scary how quickly time goes...
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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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15, I was taken on a family ski trip with my parents to LDA. Absolutely loved it! Went on family trips for about 11 years and had lessons every time, then went on holidays with a big group. Now go a couple of times a season with mates.
I really should be better than I am but I'm too tight to pay for lessons!
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Poster: A snowHead
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21 in 1986, Soldeu, Andorra, I was so hung over every morning that the skiing was going nowhere and I wanted to go home, I managed to stay away from the bad influence of my older brother on the Wednesday and everything clicked into place on the Thursday, 2-4 weeks every year since then apart from the year I got married and the year our twins were born. My love of skiing (and dislike of summer sunshine holidays) was probably a major factor in my subsequent divorce.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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11 - school holidays and my parents couldn't get time off work to look after me so chucked me in to a week long ski school at the Glasgow Dryslope....never got the chance to ski again until about 6 years later when my brothers picked it up and took me on a couple of trips to Killington, when you got almost $2 to the £1....then had another few years off until i met my now wife who was keen to give it a go. So booked up a cheap late season trip and she loved it. 8 years on and i now manage 3 trips a year (2 with the wife and 1 with mates) started off piste / ski touring and even got married on snow this year in Zillertal!!
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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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| Quote: |
I was so hung over every morning
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 @tangowaggon, at 21 you don't get hungover in the mountains.
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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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| hawkwind wrote: |
hooked from the 1st go, ill never forget it.
The mountains, the snow, the icicles on the wooden buildings, the natural fires and food with this exhilarating skiing.
it was like being alive for the first time and experiencing things like a child.
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That kind of thing 
36, I think. Skiing had never entered my head as something that was accessible, it was something on the telly that other people did, then out of the blue I decided to head for snowy mountains on holiday, just me & my girl - booked a week 'learn to ski' in Pamporovo, absolutely rubbish, I could not get the hang of anything, slid into trees, fell over everything and nothing (even fell off the dog sled!) but loved every minute. Minime was 5 or 6 and just did what kids do and got on with it.
Now, after 13 trips, 3 broken bones and 2 torn ligaments, I'm still determined that I will be able to ski one day & Minime will stop screeching at me to hurry up & stop being ridiculous about everything.
Definitely one of the best things I've ever done, for me & the daughter, it's what we do together & it's great.
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I was four. Outside the then new hotel at the Aviemore centre.
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The trees have now matured somewhat ! I'm also a little taller.
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25
Snowtrain to Tignes for two weeks late season with a work colleague and mate.
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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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I was 9 or 10, and went to the dry slope in Belfast (Knockbracken) with Dad as he was going on a trip with the rugby club. There was no thought at that stage of me actually skiing on snow for years, but in Form 1 (I was 11) the school Bible club had a few spaces in a trip to a Christian Centre in Braemar, so I persuaded some mates to persuade their parents and about 4 or 5 of us went along. I still remember the suffering on the buttons and tows at Glenshee in driving rain/hail/wet snow, and by the time you got to the top there were icicles hanging from your goggles, your scarf, your elbows etc etc. (I've just looked at a piste map - it was the Glas Maol poma) This would have been about 1985.
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| Peter S wrote: |
I was four. Outside the then new hotel at the Aviemore centre. |
That's the same slope I first put on a pair of skis in 1982!! Ski train up from Euston on a Thursday overnight and on the snow in the morning. My aunt showed me how to do it before I had my first lesson on the dry slope out the back. The dry slope was covered in snow which was fab.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@RobinS, Will have to meet up again
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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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| Peter S wrote: |
I was four. Outside the then new hotel at the Aviemore centre. |
I dare not show photos of when I started skiing.
Dry ski slope, at night with goggles and what can only be described as a bognor recreation jacket.
Style hasn't changed much since
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I’m so glad I started this. Some great stories and it was something I’ve thought about over the years skiing. There’s a theme about those that started late in that they wished they’d started earlier. I also got my children into it early for the same reason as many have already posted. Thanks for all the replies.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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@SnoodlesMcFlude, what an inspiring guy.
Can only hope I keep going so long!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Quote: |
I was so hung over every morning
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@tangowaggon, at 21 you don't get hungover in the mountains. |
Drinking poo poo bottled Spanish beer will give a hangover anywhere. I was probably still hammered?
I don't get such bad hangovers these days
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Quote: |
I was so hung over every morning
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@tangowaggon, at 21 you don't get hungover in the mountains. |
Research carried out at my expense and by me over the last 54 years suggests that I had much worse hangovers in my youth than now. I agree that mountains seem to have an anti-hangover effect.
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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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Aged 6 in Mayrhofen my parents rented us gear for an afternoon one day as part of a holiday in Austria but no lift pass, I spent the entire afternoon walking up part of a slope and sliding down in one fashion or another. Now 31 and have skied pretty much at least 1 week every year a side from a break between 21-25 I'm very glad I was lucky to start so young. However my girlfriend has picked it up ridiculously quickly and enjoys it which I'm very thankful of, even if she can't quite understand my 'must ski every possible hour of the day' attitude! Very much looking forward to attending my first bash this year in SC. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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My sister (who is 11yrs older than me) and future BiL took me up Cairngorm in Primary 7. I was done up in a woolly jersey and oilskin trousers. Never made it near the lifts, but really enjoyed myself. At that time (late '70s) there were two ski hire shops in town. I spent the rest of the winter getting lessons at The Lecht. Joined the Ski Club when I went to Secondary School, where a group of teachers took a bus load of us up to Cairngorm every weekend, we were about 50miles away. Great times.
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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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12 years old on a school trip. Reith bei Seefeld in Austria as I recall. My boots were double leather lace ups It was a long time ago and they were old boots then! Still at it 48 years later . Still only advanced intermediate though as thats where 2 weeks holiday skiing a year has got me.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@SnoodlesMcFlude, that was really a great watch. And the answer is... ski more you f*ckers !!!
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| Layne wrote: |
| @SnoodlesMcFlude, ski more you f*ckers !!! |
Absolutely, as if I needed justification. 
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10. Learned on a couple of tiny hills in Pennsylvania -- super cheap ($12 IIRC for evening passes, plus used skis/boots for $150 r so, and you're off!).
My parents saved up for a few years for a ski club trip to Zermatt/Garmisch when I was 13. That was a life-changing experience, both for the skiing (imagine an American kid who'd never left the country going to Zermatt!) and for the exposure to Europe. I can still remember taking the train up to the runs from the village.
Skiied a lot until I left for college, then only a few trips here or there until we moved to France 10 years ago. Now it's a yearly thing with a few stray weekends. Taking 20 years mostly off was a good thing -- too expensive in the US, frankly, and now I appreciate skiing so much more.
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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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32. Friends had a trip to Tignes booked for the following March and someone dropped out which resulted in loss of a group discount. I was persuaded to join the trip and spent as much time as possible on the dry slope from October to Feb. Went on the trip, despite suffering from 'flu and was hooked. Got the kids into it a few years later but never the wife.
Now down to one trip a year (pension not so good) but still enjoying every minute and wish I could do more.
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Tignes 1991
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FAQ
