 Poster: A snowHead
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Hm, yes, OK - I didn't know the building history. I've not experienced the broken lifts. Health and safety is sometimes too strict, preventing things they used to allow, and sometimes too lax. I assume their money problems are the cause of many of the things you cite - including the lack of supervising staff which tends to close the jumps most of the time. I think my main criticism (combined with that last) is that they build jumps for their specialist jumpers, not for the general public who might like a try - as was the case to start with.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 10-05-08 11:43; 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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I don't think they have any ongoing money problems? Isn't wasn't a profitable business why would they want to build more?
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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 really will be shocked if snowoasis ever gets off the ground. the slope is only a hook to get the go a head to build other things! As with most of the uk snow slopes, the slope is the least important aspect. MK (and all the xcape sites) are shopping malls, Chill is a shopping mall. Tamworth, and now Hemel are dedicated ski slopes.
Noticed Hemel have launched the full web site today www.thesnowcentre.com
Andy Lockerbie, the man behind chill has now vacated the building I also understand!
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| beanie1 wrote: |
| I don't think they have any ongoing money problems? Isn't wasn't a profitable business why would they want to build more? |
I don't think they have money problems now either. It was just the initial build of MK that went pear shaped.
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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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elbrus,
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| Andy Lockerbie, the man behind chill has now vacated the building I also understand! |
That's a surprise. Why? 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Spyderman Sorry I lumped your and Elbrus's comments together , "slagging" was perhaps too harsh with regards to snoasis and chille, sorry bout that I stand corrected...
but saying "Snoasis is a different story. It's in the middle of nowhere. " isnt really postive is it, it works for east anglia and will have a train station. under an hour from liverpool street so accessable to londoners in the east and us Essex mob... bring it on i say...
from Elbrus (who I assume is somebody in the know about BASI/Snowsports, and, seems to have links to Hemel)....
"I really will be shocked if snowoasis ever gets off the ground..."
"Andy Lockerbie, the man behind chill has now vacated the building I also understand!... "
Is a bit of a whispering campaign creeping in. I dont think you guys need to bash the competition they do a good enough job on their own 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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skimottaret, Nothing negative ment by the chill comment and Andrew Lockerbie, more a positive one meaning "watch this space" and its a shame how these big organisation dont value expertise.
On snoaisis, I really will be shocked if it ever opens. Thats just a comment on a personal point of view. How did you read that as "slagging"?
Bit defensive old boy. Take a chill pill.
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elbrus, apologised once for the "slagging" above and will offer a second one to you. Chill pill taken, hangover gone, and enjoying a nice day 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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skimottaret, we are all just mad keen skiers who love snowsports and get very exited at the thought of a strip of snow in our back yards. Few more slopes around will only mean everyone has to raise the game. In the long run thats great for all of us.
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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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Spyderman, If they knocked down the Vauxhall plant and installed a snow slope you could drive up to the airport, giving you that feeling you were off on snowheads bash, entering the slope at the top, just by the short stay car parking, ski down and then catch the resort bus back to the top of the slope. 
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You know it makes sense.
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AFAIK MK is currently doing reasonably well financially. Chill has had lots of problems across the board since opening, sadly and inexplicably seemingly repeating many of the mistakes made by other slopes in their early days. My guess will be that Hemel won't make these mistakes - too many experienced men involved - and will be healthy competition for MK, which imho is still second to no other indoor slope in the UK.
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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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slikedges,
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My guess will be that Hemel won't make these mistakes - too many experienced men involved
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have they built an indoor slope before, or just experience of the ski industry?
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Poster: A snowHead
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From my experience at Hemel, the people involved are passionate about skiing & boarding. Whereas Xscape is run as part of a corporate business, and their approach & lack of customer care is apalling.
I'm sure that Hemel will not make the same mistakes.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| beanie1 wrote: |
slikedges,
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My guess will be that Hemel won't make these mistakes - too many experienced men involved
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have they built an indoor slope before, or just experience of the ski industry? |
It's the same McAlpine management team that just built Chill, so there shouldn't be any problems with the builders. On the Hemel side the management have been running a profitable ski slope since the late 70's.
An awful lot of research and visits to other indoor snow slopes were made prior to the final plans being finalised, in order to avoid mistakes and get the best possible design.
Let's hope it all pays off.
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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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Spyderman, You are quite right Spydie, we spent loads of time skiing and visiting the other snow facilities in the UK. As you know, one of the main directors has ran a ski slope through thick and thin over the last 30 years. The other 3 directors have a range of skills from big coporate business to shop floor ski teaching!
The whole ethic behind this project is very different from the existing snow slopes in the UK, We intend to be about the customer experience and their enjoyment of snowsports! Our centre will be pitched as a "centre of excellence" for first time learners, to people looking to develop a new life path in teaching snowsports, the whole range!
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 19-05-08 20:35; edited 1 time in total
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gilleski, welcome to snowHeads. Good to have one of the Hemel ski school directors with us
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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.
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gilleski, Welcome to  'heads, any update on opening dates for the slope?
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vetski, It's an easy drive for you from where you live, less than a hour. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Linds, slope will be open to public in April 2009. We will have a soft shake down a few weeks prior to opening. So far the build is all to plan!
vetski, Sure we will work out something that suits everyone. Would be a great venue for a regular SH meet. The official slope of SH in the UK?
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Spyderman, Hemel's well 'up North'. Seriously it's just South of the midlands isn't it
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spyderman, that's why I'm excited! Shouldn't take me more than 45 mins, less if excitement causes me to forget to take my foot off the accelerator. I lived in MK many years ago as a child, before a lot of the development had been done. Scarred for life, can't go back.
gilleski, our friends who live some way north of Hemel might object to that description - but admin's down here, and he's the man to see! Will you have telemarking 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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Spyderman, Anything North of the M4 should need a visa 
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You know it makes sense.
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boredsurfin, Anything south of the M4 should be an island...
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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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vetski, yep, Paradise
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Poster: A snowHead
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boredsurfin, Paradise Lost, more like.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Spyderman, Touche 
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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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hemel plans to have dendix under the lift instead of wood like they do at mk
the snow condition will be better because it will be put onto the ground
i bet ur thinking silly boy atm, if this is the case then you have forgotten that mk has a shopping maul underneath the slope, therefor a restriction to the amount of snow that can be on the base
i think the slope will be shorter than it was but it will be wider, alot wider but i know that dosnt make up for the loss in length
i must say that i am 1 of the few people who really miss the old slope and for the moment, the new 1 has alot to live up to
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| sideshow bobbers wrote: |
| the snow condition will be better because it will be put onto the ground |
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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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Perhaps he means that it is being built on a natural hill.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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My take on that is that the snow will not be affected by a heat source from below, as in building an elevated slope above shops like MK or freespace like Chill. Whether the freezing elements are insulated from the ground I'm not sure, or do they turn the ground into Permafrost?
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Welcome to the madhouse, gilleski
| gilleski wrote: |
The whole ethic behind this project is very different from the existing snow slopes in the UK, We intend to be about the customer experience and their enjoyment of snowsports! Our centre will be pitched as a "centre of excellence" for first time learners, to people looking to develop a new life path in teaching snowsports, the whole range! |
FWIW I feel that you need to consider some well marketed provision for those who are just out of their beginner phase but don't yet feel very confident skiing on their own - the struggling "nervous novice" category who without real drive to succeed may sadly give up. I think those in the driving seat often assume everyone will learn easily and quickly, like most youngsters do, but this isn't always true for adults, especially older women. There are packages for beginners, which I took, but on being passed as "recreational" I still felt rather at sea on the main slope without guidance.
What such provision is there at existing centres?
Xscape do one-hour level 5 & 6 lessons, but tell you to go and get practice after level 4 first so you're confident enough to tackle them. If you can ski on specific mornings midweek and arrive by 9am, you can take advantage of their Freshtrax session which has a staff instructor available for casual advice, but this isn't the same as someone focusing on developing your confidence/skills with you.
Tamworth do better as they offer two whole day courses, but for some reason these are excluded from the member pricing discount. I didn't manage to get on one of these though as it's quite a long way away, and there have not been courses which matched my available dates.
Chillfactore don't do anything that I can see on the website.
Sadly Hemel is far too far SOUTH for it to be very useful to me . Mind you were there to be something attractive in terms of a one-day (or even two-day) "ski with confidence" course, at a price I could afford, I'd travel that far & stay over in the Travelodge.
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| sideshow bobbers wrote: |
| hemel plans to have dendix under the lift instead of wood like they do at mk |
I thought it was dendix under the snow on the drag tracks at MK. I'm sure I've seen it there before.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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FenlandSkier, It is either Snowflex or Permasnow, not Dendix.
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| Quote: |
hemel plans to have dendix under the lift instead of wood like they do at mk
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CFe has snow. Much better on the skis!
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