 Poster: A snowHead
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So with the suggestion that there should be more skiing-related topics..here's one. (OK should be in the SnowSports forum, but it'll probably get a bit more visibility here)
I met up with ski yesterday at a regional race at Aldershot and he mentioned it was good to see another  on the circuit - AFAIK he's been the only one flying the flag down here since s started. Now as we are all ski addicts, and (until global warming kicks in  ) southern England is a bit short of snow in the summer months  , the good people at SRSA and LSERSA run race series on plastic slopes through the summer to provide that necessary fix during the aestival months.
If any of you have ventured into the backwater that is the SnowSports forum (ours, not My ) you may have seen my initial thoughts on having started on this this year. So how about the rest of you coming and joining us? My club (Aldershot) is actually in both regions, so we can get a double fix, but skis's club is only in the LSERSA league. Now I know there's loads of you in these southern counties, which is dead good, because the SRSA format is much the easier and is really designed for beginners like us, and they're really fun days (if you have the remotest bit of competitive spirit in you). There are of course some pretty damned good skiers around at the top end, and they're a real pleasure to watch, but those at the other end of the ability/experience range are also well catered for. Women over 30 pretty much have the field to themselves: the winner yesterday in the 30-44 group was in her first race, and took it very safely and surely!
Christchurch and Southampton both clearly have very active clubs (So'ton has two), Aldershot is in a bit of a rebuilding phase at the moment, and Bracknell seem to cover the spectrum pretty well too (albeit 'hampered' by not having a race-compatible surface any longer). The two clubs from Chatham also come over and clearly have pretty strong support. Wycombe's a bit more hampered by not having a slope any longer, but they are clearly have the concentration of talent at the top end in the regions at present. It it quite a bit more difficult that it looks though, so you really need to get training first.
Plastic slopes come in for a shed-load of criticism: short, not particularly picturesque (certainly true of Aldershot), and hurts like h€ll when you fall over. All true. But it does absolute wonders for your technique, and having obstacles to go around (or through ) means that you've actually been having to concertrate every inch of that 100m or so and you can be quite tired when you get to the bottom. Just make sure you have some body armour on: stong gloves essential, knee/shin pads are a good idea at all levels, and bum pads could be good too.
Also I hesitate to mention it, since it clashes with the trip snowball is trying to fix up to MK, there's an afternoon training intro/coaching session being organised for Masters (30+) at Aldershot on July 1st. It was announced last about a week ago, and PG has put up a link to in in SnowSports. This is being organised by one of the local driving forces (who lives in Guildford). Talking to her yesterday it's pitched at a very wide ability/experience range: it's primarily to make people aware of all the various levels of Masters' competition, and introduce the idea of racing to people who may not have thought about it before, but she's also reckons there'll be people there who've been on the international circuit. It'll have a bit of talk, a bit of fitness stuff, and quite a bit of coaching (she was trying to find out yesterday how many people would be alikely to be along from that crowd, to ensure she got enough coaches). It starts at 2pm and will probably finish about 6-7pm (but you can slope off earlier if you want to).
So come on Ingogskisno, D G Orf, samharris, Ray Zorro, laundryman and snowscreamer, rungsp, boredmowin, NickL etc - lets see ya!!!!
(And why aren't you on this already rob@rar!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hmmm, I am a doddery old f@rt (on and off piste). But Aldershot is very close and you have sold it well...
a few questions for you...
How much is it?
Is it really open for the next-to-useless?
Will I be shown up by 9 year old girls?
When you mention masters 30+, does that mean the age of the participants or the number of people that they are looking for?
Why shin pads/knee pads?
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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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GrahamN, we're hosting an extended-family barbecue that day; sorry. 
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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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GrahamN, I would be interested but have no race experience whatsoever. I can't make July 1st as I am working. I am 41 with 15 weeks experience and fairly fit. My family have used Bracknell intermittently for a few years (we live in Basingstoke) but as I work irregular hours I have never bothered with race training and with young children (6 and 8)either me or the wife can't go as it is usually evening hours. Perhaps u can give us some advice (Wifey is keen as well-and her technique is better than mine!).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ray Zorro, you're in the right place. If you're talking about the thing Mary Ondrusz is organising, it's probably best to drop her a mail and ask, the links are in PG's post: the price is approx £26 (I guess I need to check up on that before writing the cheque  ).
"Masters" is a recognised international category for those aged 30+, split into Masters 1 and Masters 2 (at age 45 IIRC, although I've not checked that). Apparently there are some really quick guys (probably Austrians) well into their 80s! One name I recognised is an SCGB 'activist' - probably the oldest Mohican around!
For a regular session though come along and join us: the Aldershot seniors are currently probably the least high-powered of the clubs in the region, and the cheapest too! £10 per session for non-members, or £25pa membership and then £5 per session. The only downside is that we train at 8am-9:30 on Saturdays  . Typically we have about 6-12 people aged late 30s to early 60s. Only 4 of us actually race regularly atm, and there are a few occasional entrants, and the rest do it just for technique improvement/maintenance (the reason I started going along about a year ago). You wont be shown up by 9yo girls until you actually enter a race, as we train separately from the kids (whether that's a good thing or not may be under discussion soon). Knee/shim pads for a) when you're charging down the slope and taking the poles out with your shins or b) when it's all gone horribly wrong and you end up landing on your knee after a graceful 10' arc through the air  (that was when I decided my padded trousers weren't up to the job!). We have a few loan pairs for use during training sessions.
steve, from Basingstoke it looks like your choices would be Aldershot or So'ton. See above for our times, or there are links to the So-ton clubs from the SRSA site. Your experience level would be just fine to get started - I've now got about 25 weeks on snow under my belt, and I'm just about half way up the overall race field now (albeit after a year's training). 6 and 8 are also just about the right time to start the kids! There is a 'Skids' session immediately after us, which sound like it might suit them (it probably goes down to about aged 4), but the kids race club trains on Sunday mornings and Wednesday early evenings (and we also follow on from them with an informal session).
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GrahamN, ' Plastic slopes come in for a shed-load of criticism' It is good to see someone standing up for plastic. I think most that do criticise have never been to a plastic race and would be very surprised at what can be achieved on this surface. I use to practice quite regularly at Wycombe ( not race train) with my children when they were younger, but they left me behind a long time ago. Unfortunately they could not make this weekend as this year several LSERSA races clash with Club Nationals or Grand Prix. (Not their best results this week, but makes them appreciate the good ones.) Wycombe Phoenix currently train at Hemel.
Does SKI know that he can still ski in SRSA races as an independent racer.
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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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And in the South West, there's race training going on at Gloucester (2 x clubs, and I'm not sure whether they're limited to children) and Churchill - catering for all ages - and at a less serious level than the Club Nationals and Grands Prix, there's the inter-club League at Gloucester which welcomes teams of all ages.
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poma, actually there are three clubs at Gloucester: Gloucester, Slalom Plus and Western Counties. We belong to Gloucester and the club takes all ages and all abilites other than beginner. The summer inter-club league is good (at least for me to watch) but is for teams of 10 or 12, can't remember which. There is also a Club National on 8 July and any racer can have an entry at one Club National without having to register with Snowsport England.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you for correcting my misleading advice (3 clubs not 2).
Teams of 10 not 12 this year (I believe!). See you there on Saturday?
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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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GrahamN, Masters racing at international level is split into 5 year categories, the Masters 1, 2 and 3 split in the UK is just a compromise because of fewer competitors.
The homepage for Masters racing in Britain is here.
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GrahamN, good on ya! Get them all going. It's fun, it helps your skiing, and hey - are you skiers or not?
ps: ex UK Ladies champion (over 30 - only one category then), so I've been there and done it & it was good!!!
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You know it makes sense.
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gsb, I'm sure he did before, but he certainly will now. Things actually get rather busy hitting both regions - next weekend will be the only non-race weekend in a string of 6!
rjs, thanks for that correction and the link (which I looked at least week but then forgot about) - I knew there was at least one genuine Master on here, but couldn't remember who it was.
poma, Derek Jackson, I was going to mention that there was also something around the Gloucester area, but thought I'd wittered on long enough. Sounds like our regions do a bit more at the individual racer level (the races I've been to so far have had 161, 140 and 176 entries respectively with typically 20-30 racers per club), and then we have team races in the afternoon. I think I'll leave it a good while yet though before attempting the CN level!
And for those out towards the flatlands, there's also an Eastern Region (ERSA), which no doubt kevinrhead can tell you more about.
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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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GrahamN, being just a stones through up the road I'm interested enough to pop down and see what you get up to on a Saturday morning - any problems with watching?
Now is there a class for the over weight over 40s with the grace of bambi on ice... 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Edited due to double entry - bloody computers
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 19-06-06 18:04; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nice idea but for several months of the year I am already booked on saturday mornings.
If there is an ad-hoc snowheads southern gathering for some so-called racing or somesuch then I would be up for it.....
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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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If you do go SHello, can you take a camera and cath a few action shots for us?
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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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FenlandSkier, not on the 1st July but can do the following w/e if there are a few around
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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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GrahamN, no worries about the 8th - just let me know the next Saturday when you will be in Aldershot and I'll dig my boots out.
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GrahamN, I was thinking about going up to stay with a friend in Surrey that weekend and popping up to MK, but this sounds a bit closer.
How crap/inexperienced can you be to do this - I've only done 3 weeks on skis (oh, and 1 day at Gloucester recently). But the only way I can get any better is by doing lots more and I found the plastic OK once I got the hang of it.
Over 30 makes you Masters - is that a polite way of saying you're in the old gits category? I can't believe I'm now classed as an oldie...............
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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 think I may have muddied the waters here a bit by mentioning both the Masters training session and the local race leagues in the same post. The organiser of the Masters' session (Mary) said it was for a wide range of experience, but I think that may have been with reference to any race experience. Essentially the quote was something along the lines of "good skiers who've never thought of racing before". So I would reckon she's probably looking for skiers confident on difficult-red/easy-blacks as a baseline.
| hels_t wrote: |
| But the only way I can get any better is by doing lots more and I found the plastic OK once I got the hang of it. |
is exactly the right attitude! (I should keep that enthusiasm a bit quiet though or you'll have your Lardybird status rescinded). I don't want to be a wet blanket, but think however that 3 weeks is probably just a bit too shy on the experience side for what was being described to me for the 1st July session (unfortunately I never got to ski with you at the event without a name, so I can't comment on your amazing progress in such short a time ). A few weeks ago though I was talking at So'ton to the lady next to me in the starting order (who was also in her first race), and she had done about 6 weeks, plus a few months at her local club, and was just about making it down the course. That would seem to me to be a reasonable starting off point for entering these kinds of leagues.
Now what steps can you take to get there? poma and Derek Jackson have mentioned a few clubs in the South-West. Contact one (or more) of them and see about getting some lessons/coaching there. There are contact details on the SCGB site (accessible to non-members). Unfortunately its not necessarily always up to date  - but that's showing that you have slopes at Yeovil, Bristol (Churchill), and Exeter, with race clubs at the latter two (but not at Yeovil). Give them a shot and see what they say.
Yes unfortunately we seem to be "Old Gits" after 29 in race terms (and I now have to suffer the ignominy in LSERSA of being in the "Veterans" category ). However, we clearly don't need to worry about downpayments on the coffin for a while yet, as I had a quick shufty through the site that rjs linked to and see that the oldest internationally registered Brit is 87 this year - and the oldest registered competitor is 91!!!! Our guy is probably a little young to have competed in those races between the DHO and Kandahar in the 20s - but I wonder when his first race was?
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GrahamN, The Brit who is 87 has retired from Masters ski racing to concentrate on his tennis, he is also a member of the British tennis team for his age group. I'm pretty sure he raced as a junior.
AlanJones (mohican) has also retired but due to injury.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hels_t, Get yourself along to Pontypool with Richard every Wednesday you can, and you'll soon be there!
GrahamN, I don't know about what region Pontypool is, but they have race training every Weds evening for adults, and some are aparently not vey good! Pontypool is easy to get to from loads of places (Bath, gloucester, Worcester, Cardiff etc.) and is a very long slope which has apparently been kept in excellent order. Have a really nice time at the master's 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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Pontypool is about 230 mtrs long. On the ski club website their is a map with all the UK slopes details.
Alan Jones (mohican) was skiing in the club national at Pendle last weekend
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gsb, The list that GrahamN was looking at is of people registered to race on snow.
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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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GrahamN, thanks for including me in your initial list of Southerners who might be up to race skiing. My nearest slope is Southampton but I haven't used it since spraining two thumb-bases and giving myself a huge bruise in one fall about 10 years ago!
Your post has made me reconsider a little bit... but only a little bit. Falling on the real stuff (which I still do - usually when a snow fox grabs my edge on a flat bit) is generally a less uncomfortable experience.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nick L, Go on - try it again. 10 yaers on you must be a better skier. Most peeps fall on plastic due to poor technique - you can't cheat on plastic. You've probably progressed to the point where you wont fall often, and it doesn't hurt as much as you remember!
GrahamN, Had email from Tom telling me about Mary's day and asking if I'd be in the UK - of course I won't, but I hope it goes well. Mary wasn't very good to start with either!
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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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GrahamN, I am up for this - do I need to register with anybody beforehand?
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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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Ray Zorro, yes, there are the details and booking form at http://www.mastersski.com (click on the topmost *New* item, I can't link directly to that).
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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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Thanks for that - that seems to cover any immediate questions I had. I see that she needs the form by tomorrow That may be a problem. I shall email her and let her know that it is on its way.
Do you know if any other sH's will be there?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ray Zorro, the only reference I see to tomorrow is if you want to integrate the day with your current training programme (and I assume she's not meaning how to tie it in with either that being persued by the Lardies, or the trip to MK ). I'm sure dropping her an email wouldn't hurt though.
I know ski will not be, but I suspect narrowlast will be, as he has an ad for it as his sig ATM. You probably already know that IncogSkiBabe is currently a "possible".
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GrahamN, took the plunge see you Saturday, do you think motorcycle leathers and a full face helmet is suitable protection?
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GrahamN, would have been interested but off to a wedding on Saturday. But maybe next time, if only to see RaZ skiing with his bag on his head 
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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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samharris, Don't worry, I will be armed and dangerous (if I go), and I am sure that we can come to some arrangement (£££) for the copies
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FAQ
