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Why are ski resorts so uncool?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've yet to go to one that has cool bars or cool clubs, with a decent music policy. Even the most famous bars and clubs in ski resorts are a bit Euro trash, why haven't ski resorts caught up with the rest of the world?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Call me an old fart, but ski resorts aren't supposed to be clones of urban culture. I go to ski resorts to listen to lederhosen-slapping oompah music, alpenhorns, the characterful tinkle of cowbells and the strained yelling of the yodeller.
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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?
Kramer, I have a very cool music policy!! Proper reggae (Toots & The Maytals especially), bits of funk (The JBs), quite a lot of Brazilian (erp erp) stuff, play some dance music, but more of the Louie Vega ilk and def NOT Eurotrash, I even play a bit of Afrobeat. Eurotrash is absolutely banned!
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I'm with David Goldsmith on this one - a skiing holiday just isn't the same without dodgy Austrian europap blasting out at full volume Smile
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David Goldsmith wrote:
Call me an old fart...
OK, but only as you asked snowHead But I rather agree with you on this.

Kramer, I am generally too knackered for cool (as I am an old fart) when I finish skiing. But, depending what you want, there are elegant bars around - the Walliserhof in Saas Fee, and the Zermatterhof at Zermatt (I rather liked the Stars bar, there) spring to mind. You don't have to be a resident to potter in. Piano stuff. Quite relaxing, though.
I do rather like the sound of flying squirrrel's bar. Cool Pity I shan't be in London when he appears.


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 27-08-04 9:40; edited 1 time in total
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DJ Otzi rules the slopes!
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I once heard the strangled wail of a bagpiper on Cairngorm. Marvellous.
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We had a bit of a The Darkness thing last year as well, but I'm over that now....
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David Goldsmith, I heard that a few times in the beech woods near High Wycombe, one summer. Bizarre. Got curious, pottered through the woods, and found this guy practicing where he wouldn't annoy the neighbours. Wonder if your Cairngorm piper was doing the same.
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Kramer, define what you mean by "cool bars or cool clubs", and what is, in your opinion, "decent music"?
And what resorts have you been to?
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What's wrong with Eurotrash music?
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It sounds rubbish, thats whats wrong with it! Only an opinion of course Wink
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Dr Che, I wasn't referring to "Austrian europap". I meant the pre-disco Tyrolean and Bavarian oompah bands that never fail to get people dancing in their ski boots.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
A cool bar is somewhere that is comfortable, well furnished and decorated, and serves good quality drinks, including cocktails. It should be busy but not too crowded. There should be a decent drinks list, but also the barman should be knowledgeable so that you can order a cocktail that is not on the menu if you desire. The music should be enjoyable but not too intrusive, and there should be an overall music policy, rather than someone putting on party tunes or a cd jukebox set to random. Examples of cool bars include Smiths of Smithfield in London, Mash in Manchester, the Base Bar, or Rock Bar in Ibiza Town, and most of the bars in Berlin.

Decent music is when there is a music policy, rather than party tunes, other than that it is up to personal taste.

I'm not saying that apres ski bars aren't fun, they are, in the same way that a wedding disco is fun, but they're definitely not cool. Nightclubs in ski resorts on the other hand, are neither fun, nor cool. Most of them seem to be stuck in the 80s.

I've skied in a lot of places, the most well known for apres ski being Val d'Isere, Whistler, St Anton.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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There's nothing like a bit of Karaoke in a French bar, especially if Johnny Halliday is heavily featured.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Kramer, The bars you talk about are all in areas of massive population and/or club culture. Maybe most ski resorts do not have enough of a catchment area to support a 'cool' bar/club?

From my experience, people who want to get drunk just want as much booze as cheaply as possible with loud foreign music to remind them they're on holiday, whereas most people who fancy a bit of sophistication just stay in their hotel or chalet with a few good bottles of merlot.
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Paul - That's my point. Ski resorts seem to be the only place that club culture doesn't seem to have permeated down to. As for the examples used only being in large poplulation centres, that was only because I was trying to use the more well known examples, there are bars of that ilk in almost every town and city across the UK these days, far smaller in population than a medium sized ski resort.
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Paul Holland, thats a key point - without meaning to sound funny, bars in the alps have to cater to the masses, meaning well-trodden routines over happy hours, shooters, etc etc. I know of one bar that was all cocktail-sophisticated, and they just didn't get enough bums on seats to justify there existence.
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I tell you what, for all of their 'cheesiness', those oompah bands that get people going in their ski boots are, I'm afraid to admit, brilliant. Yes, even I (and my attendant ungainliness) have been caught dancing to this sort of music with said boots on!

The great thing is that there's never any 'edge' to these places, is there? A bit different to back home, I'm afraid.........
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Here we are: The Tyrolean Taverners, no doubt ready to fly out from the UK to any ski location.

The website even lets you run an MP3 track if you feel like putting your boots on and destroying the living room floor.
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What's an MP3 track?
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Kramer - you need to visit Kitzbuhel if you haven't already.
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I've not been to Kitzbuhel yet, what's the skiing like there?
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Not as good as you'd think and it's only 800 metres. Got a terrific swimming pool and fitness center though.
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I've just read the report on it on "the other place", and it doesn't look that great. Not enough challenging skiing from the sound of it.
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David Goldsmith, in many of the bars I seem to end up in whilst skiing, the 2 usually seem to run together Very Happy
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Last time I was at the North wall Bar in Zermatt that was pretty cool. Also Chambre 9 in Chamonix if you like rock music.

I've always found French radio very discerning . Unlike the mainstream in the UK they just pick the best and don't play the rubbish. Usually that means no rap or dance music.
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Quote:

I've always found French radio very discerning


You gotta be kidding? I find French radio is terrible, and based around maximum 5 current songs and the rest aer woeful ballads!! NehNeh
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Peter S -
Quote:

Unlike the mainstream in the UK they just pick the best and don't play the rubbish. Usually that means no rap or dance music.


That would seem to be a bit of a fogeyish attitude - definitely uncool! Cool
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
kramer, Kitz is a smart resort with some smart bars and hotels and with plenty of nightlife including a smart casino. It is 'pre-alpine' and very picturesque. The town is at 800m but the skiing ranges up to 2000. If you want challenging skiing then ski the Hahnekamm from the starting gate otherwise most of the skiing is ideal for middle of the road intermediates. With cheap flights to Salzburg its a perfect short break destination if you feel the skiing is a bit limited. Personally I prefered the skiing at Saalbach but I loved the town of Kitzbuhel.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
You have obviously never been to 'The Ronde Point' at Meribel - they have really great music, one of the bands they had playing there last season was so good the audience nearly took the roof off the place! Having said that, on piste nothing quite matches a sunny day sitting on a ski lift and singing very loudly along to the music from the restaurant underneath that you would never listen to at home, but seems just right for the Austrian Alps.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cool or not in Holland there are actually bars themed around recreating the cheesy oompah and euro techno music bars of the alps called SKIHUT. They have even released REALLY popular cd's that sell millions. So whilst it will never be cool to the youngest skiers or boarders I suspect its a recipe that bar owners in the Alps find very succesful at attracting the maximum number of clients and I enjoy all of them (well nearly all of them!)
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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?
It seems to me that "cool" is a very subjective term. I find too much techno everywhere. Our disco The Opéra has become very clubby in the teenage sense. Don't know about E though! We have a lovely bar here The Mezzanine where the music isn't intrusive, a bit middle of the road, lots of rock, reggae and good old hits - I think that's cool, but then I'm an old fart!
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Ski resorts are 'uncool' as yet another effect of global warming. Wink
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The problem with "Cool" is which country you are in, what's cool in Switzerland is probably uncool in France or Britain. It also changes over the years with peoples nature and the nature of the Holidays they're on.

Here's an example of the "Nightlife" of Wengen in Switzerland over the years that I'm aware of.

1950's to Mid 1970's tea dances (ski boots optional ) in at least 3 hotels plus one for want of the right word nightclub, otherwise it was smoke filled bars

Mid 1970's first disco appeared in the basement of one of the hotels, tea dances still occured though plastic ski boots tended to put people off Laughing

Early 80's no more tea dances

Early 90's Several Nightclubs in existing hotels including one with "Exotic dancers" shipped in from the former Eastern Block

Late 90's to present two hotel nightclubs (including the exotic dancer one) closed, another is known for its drug problem, 3 bars with music, sometimes live or kareoke (sp?) 2 further bars still full of smoke, none would probably be regarded as cool by the UK contingent but might be with people from other countries. Otherwise its the bars in the Hotels

Personally I go on a skiing holiday to ski, not to go clubing, if you want to do that go to Ibiza
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Quote:

Personally I go on a skiing holiday to ski, not to go clubing, if you want to do that go to Ibiza


Off for a week in Ibiza Town next week. I go skiing to ski, but I do get a little naffed off with the cheesiness of the bars in ski resorts.
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Kramer, well, to some, Ibiza is the Gorgonzola topping on the mighty cheesy cheese McCheese cheese feast pizza.
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I remember, a few years back, when Dicks in Val got some top London DJ in to play. Despite having 2000 students in resort at the time it was one of their quietest nights of the season. The following night, back to their usual standard, it was full of punters again!
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Quote:

Kramer, well, to some, Ibiza is the Gorgonzola topping on the mighty cheesy cheese McCheese cheese feast pizza.


Have you been?
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It is driven by the clients - every bar tries to find an atmosphere that will bring in the punters, and music is a key part of that.

There are a number of bars in Plan Peisey & Vallandry, and we all play slightly different music that is relevant to the kind of bar. There's a cheesey dutch apres-ski bar, a noisy bar thats a bit more clubby, my place is more like a jolly pub with grub, another place is more of a typical french bar etc etc...

You do get variety, but you don't get Ministry of Sound clubs or ponsey wine bars, simply because people don't normally want that when they go skiing.
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