Humble Beginnings

A snowHead

A very late starter
A first ski trip was on my retirement bucket list in 2007.
My son was going on a trip with 3 mates the January before I retired and they invited me along.
I had 3 x 2 hour sessions at the Bowles dry ski slope at Eridge Green near Tunbridge Wells and 2 weeks later we headed off to La Plagne.
The apartment balcony overlooked a 2 km blue piste and I recall commenting to the other beginner in the party that I would be happy if we could successfully get down that slope by the end of the week.
We had lessons in the same group and successfully completed said piste on day 3.
Our lessons on day 1 were on the village nursery slopes and I still remember on day 2 taking a chairlift with the ski school to the lower slopes and going over a ridge and the awe of the view.
It was mind-blowing.
One week and I was hooked by the skiing and views.
Year 2 was a trip to Meribel, and year 3 St.Anton, both in a catered chalets with my son, and each time 14 of his 30-something mates. Those trips were whole new adventures in themselves.
A week with Rob and Scott of Inside out in Solden and subsequent trips to St Anton and Ishgl followed before I found Snowhead Bashes.
Four PSBs, an EoSB and the BB in 2016 was my last trip.
Ill health meant I missed 2017 and 2018 and was booked for the BB in 2019 but again ill-health struck and I cancelled 2 days before departure .
It's now 4 years since my last trip and I have lost fitness, and more importantly confidence.
With the uncertainties this year with Covid I have taken the inevitable decision to retire.
It's been a short ski 'career', and I seriously regret not starting earlier, but I escaped, injury-free and knees in tact, and still have my golf which is a 52 week hobby instead of just the one or two weeks I could afford.
Snowheads is now my only ski fix Sad

A snowHead

What a great thread.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Tom Doc, great thread

when we were kids school ski trips were out of our families reach to be honest, 6 kids (no tv obviously Very Happy

)

first trip should have been to france in 1988, I would have been about 20yrs old, with one of my best mates who was also my flatmate. this was scuppered due to him having a serious injury in serre chevalier a few weeks previously, doctor in Grenoble told him he would probably need his arm amputated. He persuaded his insurance company to repatriate him back to the UK, where he was operated on and metal plates inserted and arm was saved!!!

fast forward to 1992 myself another couple of mates and a colleague of one of my friends (those 2 had been previously) went to Val Thorens via the party train. For some reason although I had never been before, I was tasked with booking it, did this via the old teletext system, waiting 20odd minutes for the page you want to come back round!!!
it was a last minute booking, which was late feb with the Albertville Olympics taking place, it was £200 each with skiworld for the archetypal shoebox for 4.

I remember falling in love with the mountains during the transfer up to resort. The train journey, the night life and the skiing was just the icing on the cake.

several trips then ensued, including an xmas and new year in Colorado for only mine and my mate 2nd ever ski trip, then to france and Italy.

then in 1995 I snagged a job in Meribel with a tour op for a couple of seasons, met my OH, missed a season then went back for another season. Apart from having the time of my life, it led to other experiences I might not have ever had, and my skiing improved massively and I also learnt to snowboard.

After this I finally settled back down in the uk with work/mortgage/kids etc.
I had a few more ski trips up unto 2006, then a 10year break due to family/financial commitments.

Then in 2016 we went on our first family ski trip to Combloux with another family, unfortunately my youngest snapped a ligament in her knee, though this did not put her off.

we have been on a trip every season since, just noticed we should have been flying out to Les Menuire tomorrow evening, with the super cheap EJ flights and bag(s) deal but covid put a kibosh on this Crying or Very sad

After carrying over flights to next feb, I have today just finished booking up for les menuires again with all accommodation and car hire sorted, with everything being able to cancel at no cost if covid strikes again.
only downside, apart from buying lift passes, is that I have bug all to do now apart from wait until this time next year Toofy Grin

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@codyaitch, Well done you for taking up skiing at a late age, it is not an easy sport to start for 'youngsters'....

At least you had some good years Smile

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Wen't to school in Inverness 1988-1994. Think I went to school ski club for about 4 years, hard to remember. We just went to Aviemore/Cairngorm. Went on a ski holiday to Austria once around that time.

The usual Scottish ski conditions. You'd be up at 6am on Saturday morning waiting for a phone call from school to confirm if skiing was on, many times it was cancelled on the day of skiing. Winds too high, roads blocked, not enough snow etc.

But the days you got up then good fun, it could nice and calm in morning only to end up a blizzard in afternoon but part of experience.

Only used older straight skis. Hard to remember clearly, you were young and just went with the flow, probably didn't think too much about anything.

We didn't have mobile phones back then so you couldn't just take a photo like you do today. Well we did have film cameras but I don't remember people using them much.

Videos cameras back then were huge things that you held on your shoulder like a hollywood movie camera.

Tech has made the world a totally different place now.

I went skiing maybe twice since a year after I left school and that's been it, once it's not paid and organised it's a different story.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

I’ve always been a hill Walker and fancied trying skiing for years. Couldn’t convince my wife that she’d enjoy it and i didn’t want yet another hobby that meant time apart. One Easter we had a week in a gite in Combloux and one day we got a gondola up from Megeve to do a wee walk. The path came down beside a very easy piste and Lorna decided that the skiing looked like fun. Previously the only skiing she’d seen was downhill racing on Ski Sunday, so hadn’t realised it was possible to ski slowly! Next stage was to get lessons. As luck would have it our next door neighbour in Edinburgh was a school teacher who was also an instructor at Hillend. So we signed up for a set of lessons with her. We survived Hillend okay so the next stage was booking a holiday, at the ripe old age of forty. A cheap deal to Niederau was booked and I was super nervous - my whole future in skiing depended on Lorna enjoying this week. Luckily everything went well: good hotel, blue skies and perfect snow. We were both allocated to a complete beginners group and spend a couple of days wobbling about together. We progressed at different rates so soon ended up in different classes. My group got smaller towards the end of the week as other people tired or wanted to ski with their kids. On the last day I was lucky enough to end up with one to one instruction for the day. We skied every run in Niederau, including the Blacks! My thighs were on fire but I was completely hooked. Lorna had a great time too, so skiing has become our main holiday activity and I visit this forum every day.

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Learnt to ski at Catterick Indoor Ski Center, a small ski slope based at Catterick Garrison. A 15M nusery slope and 30M main slope using injection moulded plastic, much friendlier to fall on that dendix.

An unsual entry in to skiing as I had no real interst in the sport, however I was offered a Y.O.P (Youth Opportunies Programme six month work placement) at the Center. I learned all about admin, bar work, ski maintenance, shop sales. Then one evening as a "perk" I had my first ski lesson. That was in 1982, in 1997 I was made redundant (someone had taken it out of Army hands and ruined it) having worked my way up to be the Senior Instructor, Ski Tech, Barman, Dogsbody. Made some (still are) great skiing friends.

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First trip was 1989, early 20's. I was a trainee manager with YHA Adventure Shops (long gone now), and we sold ski gear in the Winter. I remember the manager sitting me and the other trainee down and explaining that bindings hold your boot onto the ski, but also let the ski come off, and that the point of skiing is to make these long straight skinny planks go round corners. I was sceptical to put it mildly, and decided that if I was going to be expected to sell this stuff I'd better take myself off skiing and find out how it worked.
I did a 6 hour beginners course on Bassingbourne dry slope, and then went to Les Deux Alpes with some friends from uni - 6 of us in one of those shoeboxes that supposedly slept 6. On day 3 we did the visit to another resort - Alpe d'Huez, and when we all met up at lunchtime the others told me I was going over a black run after lunch. Turns out they'd booked us all to do the tandem parapente, but when it came to my turn I was scared of the speed and snowploughed, so we didn't take off. My option was to ski down the black run, without poles, or sidestep back up - I sidestepped back up and didn't snowplough on the next attempt!
Been at least once every year since, apart from 2, until this year.

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@Dave of the Marmottes, That would have been Willington, discounting a crappy school trip to catterick, Willington was my first experience of skis, as a warm up for my 21st birthday present, a week in Andorra 1986 after 3 days, I wasn't getting anywhere due to excessive hangovers but then I managed to stay away from my brother for one night and everything clicked the next day

Got talked into a trip to Chamonix by some mates I surfed with to have a go at snowboarding, which was quite a new thing at the time. In my mid twenties, Loved it, because it was just like surfing, did a few more week long holidays over the next couple of years and ultimately ended up living near the mountains and getting to go a lot more often.

Didn’t ski until a couple of years ago, didn’t really see the point of it compared to snowboarding but have been getting into touring a lot more and might end up revisiting skis for that.

You know it makes sense.

Terrific thread.

It was 2002; I was 50, and honestly, I'd never previously wanted to ski.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I happened to have no confidence that I would survive beyond the end of the year.
An old friend (and a good man) said out of the blue: "We're going skiing in Meribel in a couple of weeks." (Eh? What? Where?) "We're a body short; why don't you come along and see if you like it?"
Me: "But I can't ski."
Him: " Don't be stupid! First time out, everybody who goes skiing can't ski!"
(No arguing with that.) Me: "OK." (Still not really interested, but give it a go. What the hell.)

Him: "Good! You'll need lessons; make sure you get some. Dry slope!"
Over the next couple of weeks, a few hours were spent at Knockhatch. Jeans, a fleece and gloves was all was needed.

Knockhatch.
110 metres.
I found the Knockhatch experience was the exact opposite of being thrilled.
Is this skiing. Really.
I was not looking forward to Meribel.
Ski jacket/salopettes were kindly lent by people from work, though.

Once I was there, it was so very different.
I was hooked, well inside the week, despite falling all over the place.
So I kept going thereafter, and coincidentally didn't pop my clogs.

As a result, in 2016, I think it was, I was desperate for more weeks, so I convinced a former work colleague he had to get away from his wife and three daughters for a week in Mottaret to make us (i.e. me) an economical package.
Surprisingly for me, in the departure lounge in Gatwick, there's a work colleague, plus his mate.

Me: "Hey, Richard, what are you up to?" (I had no idea he was into snowsports.)
Him: "Snowboarding! You two?"
Me: "Skiing!"

After a minute or so of chat, he said: "Why don't you join snowHeads? I think you'll like it."
Me: "What's that? (I really hadn't heard of it.) Are you a member?"
Him: "No. (Smile.) Another mate of mine is, though. (Slight smirk.) I think you should check it out. (Smirk. Smirk.)" (What could he possibly have been thinking.)

So I did; first Bash 2017, and no stopping except f'ing Covid, long live snowHeads.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I was lucky enough to have parents who ski. I had my 5th birthday in Hinterglemm. Lace up leather boots, cable bindings. 51 years later I have had a few work related non skiing years in the interim but this will be the first season I’ve missed this century.

A snowHead

Dry slope lessons before a school trip to Le Corbier in about 1985 (after which listening to Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears would never be the same!).....would be nice if someone from the Midlands with a better memory could suggest where I actually went but I seem to remember that it was a wooden framed dry slope with no lift, sidestep only, inside a unit of some description. It was in Edgbaston, Birmingham, before the days of Ackers in the city.

A snowHead

I'm a fellow Knockbraken dry slope beginner. It was the late 90s and I was probably around 10. I used to go to a youth club on a Friday night with a couple of friends and we always spent the whole time raking about on our rollerblades, so I suspect the youth club leaders thought we might enjoy skiing. The youth club booked us all into a course of 5 or 6 lessons at Knockbracken and we piled into the minibus and went for our weekly visits. It was absolute carnage. I vividly remember the sensation of the long heavy ski in the wobbly boot, and feeling completely unable to make it do what I wanted it to. It was not rollerblading. However, I also remember being completely hooked and progressing pretty quickly with my mates. I think I probably went on to my parents about going skiing, but it didn't really happen for a bit as neither of them were skiers.

Fast forward a year or two and my sister went on the school ski trip and came back raving about it. I got my turn the following year. We stayed in Valloire. I recall hitting the snow for the first time and reflecting on how easy it was compared to the punishing dry slope. I was aware pretty much instantly that this was it for me. My enthusiasm hasn't dampened at all in the 20+ years since that trip. The combined pester power of my sister and I must have worked on my parents and we headed off to Alpe D'Huez that easter with another family and some friends. It was a big success (in large part due to Baptiste from the ESF, cheers!), so we went back the following year, and have skied as a family at least once a year since.

Thankfully my now wife took to it really well almost 10 years back, and we can happily ski together, having done a 2 week tour of Hokkaido on Honeymoon. And funnily enough, she grew up with a view of Knockbracken dry slope from her window, but informs me she only ever set foot on it to drink and cause trouble Laughing

.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Whilst Nick Broomfield was shooting "Juvenile Liaison" at my school, a coach load of us juves were bused half-an-hour down the road to the council-run ski slope in a nearby town. Skiing was a "sport of kings", something we'd never imagined we'd do, even if it was only on plastic.

The slope was only a few years old at the time, and the construction still smelt of fresh timber. The reception building provided additional aromas of feet and toilets and excited teenagers. It was small, cramped and dark, with no windows for security. Posters on the walls advertised sexy ski brands and incomprehensible club activities. There was a one-way system: you passed through a production line on your way to the slope itself. At each point staff handed out equipment of random designs, sizes and colours, all exotic although well used. We were told strictly not to mess around with the skis until we were outside. Everything seemed to take forever.

Finally we found ourselves back in the light outside on the slope, where we were met by "instructors". Unlike our other schooling, our teachers were in this one alongside us: all of us were complete novices, fish out of water. One instructor was French and could be encouraged to perform a slow speed wedle by our girls. They were very impressed by this, it seemed.

The instructors all skied with their skis both pointing in the same direction, like we'd seen Klammer do most of the time on the tv. Disappointingly we weren't taught that - instead they taught us the "snowplough". We all knew immediately that the girls weren't going to be remotely fooled by that. Most of us gave up this pointless exercise, instead straight-lining the main slope a few times, then skulking off into the park across the road for a quiet fag. I hated tobacco, but thought that the mechanics of skiing seemed obvious even if the instructors often seemed muddled about it. I refused to snowplough, and practiced until I could ski better than those instructors.

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About 1998, some friends went snowboarding in Big Bear and wanted to go again the next year, so 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. It was a strange trip; getting lost in some really sketchy areas of LA; finding our hotel was also hosting the finals of a cheerleading contest; eating some of the best chinese food I've ever had in a warehouse; losing a passport in Death Valley; getting into an argument with a short-order cook as to whether the Moody Blues were the best band to come out of Liverpool; but it included every element needed to hook someone for life on snowboarding. A massive storm had rolled out the day before we arrived in Mammoth which had dumped about a metre of snow on the place over 5 days so it was in perfect condition. We had 10 bluebird days back to back. There was almost nobody there at that time of the year, we almost had the place to ourselves most of the time and basically had private lessons, exchange rates were brilliant so we ate like kings. After about a week or so had that 'click' moment, and started properly putting it together. 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.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I think I was around 8, (so 36 years ago) one my dads co directors had a place in Meribel and had mentioned several times that he should try skiing so eventually him and mum decided to give it a go.

We signed up at Counthill school ski slope in Moorside, Oldham on a rickety tow rope around 100m long. A few lessons later and we had arranged a holiday for two weeks via snow coach to Meribel.

Several hours or so later on a sleeper coach we were dropped in Meribel centre with no idea where to go and obviously, no mobile phones. Eventually we were collected and taken up to the chalet which I thought was great! Big open fire to cook steaks on and a farm around the corner which I went to every morning to get fresh milk.

I did two weeks in ski school and got a few snowflake badges for my efforts.

Since then I've missed three ski seasons. 1. GSCEs 2. First house and needed a bathroom suite 3. Covid.

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It is nice to read how you all have been introduced. I was about 13 and went to Glenshee with the scouts. Our scout master was great and organised small group trips there over several weekends from where we lived in Dundee. He hired in the equipment from somewhere in the city. As I remember we were kitted out in waterproof trousers, school coats and ski gloves from C&A, a bit of a ragtag bunch compared to others there. We all went of in small groups with no real tuition and a return time for the minibus. I also remember the depth of snow either side of the road of the way up.

I remember the challenge of staying upright and managing a snowplough, learnt from someone with more experience, before venturing more "off piste" to areas that were way to advanced for our level, also the long walks back up the hill having made our way down it. Lifts were something we could have dreamed about. How none of us got injured I don't know. I expect you would not get insurance for it now. Just thinking back makes me smile!

It was probably more than 20 years before I got back to the slopes, this time in La Plange. It took little time to progress away from what was previously learn and move onto parallel turns. The confidence learnt all those years ago stood be in great stead in later life.

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@Idris, I love the photograph. But I wonder why your mother quit when she was only 78 - was it medical reasons or financial or she had no one to go with?

After all it is free

I know someone who stopped skiing and ski racing at 86 to concentrate on his competitive tennis.

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School ski trip in `81, Bosco San Gorgio (sic) in Italy.
As a non-sporty type, instantly hooked, and surprisingly adept (the sporty ones were behind me).
Went the following year, then year after leaving school.
Got the bug when I started earning, everyone else did two weeks on the costa del shag; I went skiing.

Another lover of the "late deal", used to know the Bladon and Ski West phone numbers off the top of my head.
Cefax surfing on a wednesday evening for the following weekend.
I remember the surprised operator from Bladon Lines once, when I accepted a flight from Glasgow rather than Gatwick.
From the North West it was almost equi-distant; problem was, it was Tuesday evening, and the car engine was half built on the garage floor!

Slowly got better at it, looked less like a muppet; now just look old and fat.
Have not skied every season, but managed up to three weeks in a season on the ones I have.
As this is my 40th season(!), was hoping to get the kids (3 & 9) out to the alps this year. Yeah, well.....

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Telford dry ski slope late 89. loved it from the word go.

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First time skiing was on Craigavon dry slope 1985 aged 12. Seven lessons before a school trip to Bled in the then Yugoslavia.

Having been brought up in the NE of Scotland, it was just what we did in the winter months, either the Lecht or Aviemore.

Then when I joined the Marines it was off to Norway every Winter for 3 months, getting paid to go skiing most days, though apart from the weekends, mainly Langlauf.

And then 16 years ago, it was only natural to get a place in the Alps, so bought in Kirchberg.

No regrets, apart from still working, so dont get out as much as Id like to.

But looking forward to the day we move out and live the dream full time.

You know it makes sense.

Inspired to start skiing after seeing the BBC documentary series in 1987 "On the Piste".

Some friends convinced us to join them in driving to Les Carroz. Lessons were advised and duly taken at the artficial ski "bump" (hardly big enough to call a slope) at Wellington Sports centre. Big scramble for kit when we all turned up and they didn't have enough for everyone so we (luckily) ended up having to wait and then have a set of private family lessons.

Our first ski holiday in Les Carroz despite having to contend with Calais being blockaded by French fisherman and having to find snow chains in Cluses, our friends who were regulars had told us not to bother with snow chains as they had never needed theirs, led to the lifetime addiction that skiing has become.

Our second holiday was to Chatel for a £99 January special, coach from Bristol and accommodation included. That led to us falling in love with the PDS to which we have returned nearly every year since, Some years Les Gets others Chatel with a few other non PDS resorts as extra weeks.

Haven't missed a year yet although this season looks trashed, if the PSB goes ahead the the year won't be totally written off.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Wow I see ski Sunday is still on, that was kind of cool in the early 90s watching the ski jumper's.

I always remember Alberto Tomba, Italy seemed to be the best jumper's at the time.

A snowHead

1972/3 school trip to Le Mont Dore, loved it but couldn't afford to go again until left uni in 1982 and went to work in Dubai and got a few quid to be able to afford to go. Absolutely hated the desert and found the UAE a claustrophobic place, and wanted to be in the mountains, and missed skiing in 1983/4 season, vowed never again. Flew back from Dubai met my to be wife, worked in London for a few years and we learned to ski at Aldershot over a few lessons. 1984 went to Kitzbuhel and we've been skiing all over European Alps ever since as often as time permits. Never had the time to ski further afield, always busy but in 5 years the plan will hopefully mean we have plenty of time to ski Japan and US/ Canada - want to sell up, get out of UK, move to the Alps as a base and travel, but will have to see if that's ever possible post B. Crying or Very sad

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Tom Doc, I took my Wife (then Girlfriend) to Knockbracken. She had learned the basics in France (Ski Evolutif in Les Arcs), so we went to try this for a day out....I think that the facility was fairly new.

Well, being very timid, she went down so slowly and in such a wide Snowplough (which I had to teach her, in France, to make it through that fortnight), she was (much to her chagrin) seen as an obstruction and turfed off to the little hill. By the end of the day, she was able to make it down going somewhat faster than the negative velocity of the start of the day. Not being turfed off, was a result.

My first holiday was to Saas Fee in 1972 - boats and trains from Dublin - all incredibly exciting. It was so long ago, that while we were there, the Swiss Franc went from 10 to the Pound, to 9 to the Pound.

Saas Fee was magical and traffic free....and we stayed at the Allalain Hotel, which is still going strong. Our Instructor was Peter Lomatter...and I see a person of that name operating as a Mountain guide....probably the Son?

I think we spent 2 days walking up a small incline and skiing down, until considered good enough to take a drag. The last lesson, on the last day, we were introduced to the joys of the Stem Christy.

This got me hooked....and not even skiing in the rain at Aviemore, where I had a spiral fracture of the Tibia and Fibula a couple of years later, would put me off.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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1980. Southampton dry slope for a few lessons before a coach trip to Aime La Plagne.

I was 8 and my parents really stretched themselves to get us there, we had the cheapest gear they could find in C&A. Lessons out there were too expensive so we all just stuck ski's on and got on with it! Thats where my (lack of) style comes from Laughing

My parents are missing their first season this year, I missed a couple some years back and will miss this year obviously. My brother hadn't put ski's on for about 15 years till last January when we had a day in Chatel. It was amazing how quickly it came back to him!

Roll on 2022....

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Sort of skied before I was born (inside my mother) 1947/8. Probably on little skis about 1952 in Davos.
My dad skied in the 30s and was put in for a ski race by his friends which the world champion was in. There was no marked course, just a start and finish. He knew a shortcut, in a gully with just enough snow, and won the race. So, I admit, not very humble beginnings, except in terms of talent perhaps.

After all it is free

@ciderinsport, oh that brings back memories- C&A outfits!

@spyderjon, Small world bud, knew i'd seen you ripping the powder in those leather boots before.... Laughing

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