 Poster: A snowHead
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When Wycombe Summit, the major artificial ski slope to the west of London, was bought by the operators of Tamworth Snowdome last year there was speculation that the slope would be enclosed and converted to real snow. Similar ideas have been sketched out for Sheffield Ski Village. The plans for Wycombe are extensive, and could also involve the reinstatement of an original plan to build a fitness centre, but the ski centre lies within quite an attractive area of countryside so there may be planning objections.
More details on this story from Bucks Free Press
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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This is quite an interesting development but my only reservation is that I believe snow skiing should be kept to the mountains. Does the experience of skiing the same 200m of indoor snow each week detract from the magic of skiing the 'real thing'? I have, admittedly, only skied on indoor snow once, way back in 1989 when the dry slope operator I worked for developed a prototype snow hill just outside Birmingham. It could only have been 20m long and it was an utterly strange and surreal experience to ski fresh snow in July! That said, I reckon one might become blase about the repetitive yo-yoing of going up and down the same stretch of snow. I'm probably wrong, and normally am.........
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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kevin mcclean, from what i see most people seem to use it to learn freestyle in a more controlled environment.
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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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Wycombe Summit is such a pleasant environment that it would seem a pity to cover it with a building, even if this means a snow surface instead of plastic.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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And it gives those of us who can only afford one holiday a year the chance to hone our technique on something other than upturned brooms 
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Witches may not agree with you.
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I would have thought Wycombe Summit would be a little steep for a snow slope. Even the beginners bit is by no means flat. Would that mean that they'd have to infill at the bottom.
I have always recommended the slope to my clients who live nearby, but I'm not so sure now - lovely clubhouse. 
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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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Are these indoor slopes poor for the Environment? Surely they eat up a lot of energy?
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They're big freezers so they expel hot air, or the heat exchange can go into an adjacent swimming pool.
But yes, they have to be plugged in like any other freezer, so the electricity has to be generated.
On balance, there's an exchange of burned fossil fuels for hot air.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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So, on balance they're not great for the environment?
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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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I don't know the energy burn. Maybe our Milton Keynes regulars could take a look at the electricity meter.
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The dials spin so fast on it, they have to keep it liquid cooled!
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You know it makes sense.
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So is flying to the Alps good for the enviroment then? Or mountains covered in pylons, and people in bright clothing!
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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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It would appear that most of humanity's efforts are environmentally damaging in one way or another. Anyone see that prog the other day which essentially suggested that the aboriginals were responsible for the desertification of Australia? And I thought they were "living in harmony with the earth" types...how wrong can you be?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Neat link there, Alan, since Adelaide's Mount Thebarton was the world's first snowdome!
Not many aboriginals in the photo.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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The heat expelled from the cooling systems for the indoor slopes is used to heat the rest of the complex. So in a way you could say the slope is a giant heater for a shopping complex. (Now there’s a business plan I’d like to see)
The indoor slopes vary in their quality and need bashing a couple of times a day. It's bit like late season or summer skiing, nice for a bit then gets slushy - although the indoor slopes are a constant temp' & without sun effect so it's dry slush.
The freestyle training side. Yes they are used by a lot of guys to train but mainly just for rails. The slopes are generally too flat to build a landing hill for ramps so the best ramps are specially built and put up for comps only. I've been along to a few 'Freestyle Nights' and just seen knee shattering landing with none of the good jumpers using them.
JJ. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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"knee shattering landing"....if so, that's a throwback to the bad old 1970s, which many freestyle skiers wrecked their knees for life. Jumps that inflict this should not be built.
"dry slush". Good phrase!
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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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I first heard about this at the National Finals of our race series earlier this year - I believe that there are also plans for an ice rink as well (I mentioned in an earlier post about redevelopment when people were talking about Wycombe):
http://snowheads.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1511&highlight=
It would be a great loss to us for the slope to be converted to a snowdome as there are very few slopes with the facilities that Wycombe currently offer that can accomodate us (and many other bigger organisations than us) for big events.
People may argue that you would have snow racing but it is completely unfeasible to run many of the UK events on a snow surface due to the time constraints and the deterioration of the course throughout the day.
I will be very interested to see what does eventually happen to Wycombe.
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FAQ
