 Poster: A snowHead
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| GrahamN wrote: |
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| Dryslopes are outdoors, where the weather is cold, wet or windy |
And mountains are not? I got way colder inside the gloomy fridge that is MK than most of the time on our local slope throughout last winter. I can only assume Whitegold has significant problems skiing in a straight line with such a huge chip on his shoulder. |
The mountains are crisp and sunny. For example, St Moritz sees 88% of sunny days per year.
In contrast, the UK is grey and damp. Britain sees an average 80% of cloudy days per annum.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Whitegold, English weather is Grim you must be used to it by now..............so the answer for flat landers in England not near the snow domes is to do no preparation and hope for the best?
Go to the dry slope on a saturday and watch the kids skiing, are they all crying their eyes out? NO they are having fun........
You need to lighten up and not put off beginners like Megamum, with ill conceived advice.
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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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| scottp wrote: |
Whitegold, English weather is Grim you must be used to it by now..............so the answer for flat landers in England not near the snow domes is to do no preparation and hope for the best?
Go to the dry slope on a saturday and watch the kids skiing, are they all crying their eyes out? NO they are having fun........
You need to lighten up and not put off beginners like Megamum, with ill conceived advice. |
Au contraire. You are the ones with the bad advice. Wholly failing to understand human psychology. Dryslopes deter beginners, due to their inherent low quality. Megamum only needs to hop in a car and she can be at a beginner-friendly indoor slope within 90 mins.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Time: Dawn
Equipment: Handbags(x2)
...game on! 
Well I've just been to gloucester to ski on plastic for the first time in 6 years. To finish my confession it is also at least 7months since I last strapped the planks to my feet!
I have to say I did come away a little deflated, I certainly have no problem leaving carved tramlines on the alps but I felt like a complete biff on the plastic  There are both types of surface there and there were certainly differences between the two, on balance the new astroturf style stuff (dendix?) felt better, but either way, trying to find my edges was embarrassing to say the least! However I'm prepared too concede that if you actually crack it repeatedly on that stuff then the mountains will surely prove less of a challenge. I have a long list of excuses why it didnt come together this week! (hire skis, first time out, new surface, weather, etc!) 
As to the issue of beginners and enthusiasm, well there were at least two groups of school kids there (in the rain) who seemed to be having a great time and, by the looks of the coaching staff, getting some enthusiastic and well structured teaching - so all the ingredients for progression seemed to be there.
On balance, well, I will HAVE to go back to prove to myself that I can get my technique sorted and at the price (£9/hr) not unreasonable. I will also make a trip to the fridge prior to departure just to vanquish any final demons. I dont think it is worth the extra money to have a series of lessons indoors, just play to the strengths of each surface.
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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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megamum, Both my kids (7 & 4) learned to ski at the dry ski slope in Norwich. I have been skiing myself for 6 months on dendix (& snowflex, but try to avoid that  ) and I love it, it is such a challenge, you must develop correct technique to turn well - initially I tried all my old bad snow habits & nothing worked, so I concentrated a bit & started to be a bit more fluid. Now, (although I am still a bit flaky) I can see exactly where it goes wrong & I understand how to correct it. The progress is v.obvious to yourself & we have learned loads - how to do GS, Slalom, snowblades etc., perhaps Norwich is lucky to have v. inspiring instructors, but if you really want to ski properly, I think this is the way. I had built up terribly lazy habits for years on snow.
I have watched new skiers come into the ladies club from snow plough level & they are generally 30+ in age. Their progress over the 6 month period is incredible to watch & v.exciting for them. We are doing a GS race on Tuesday & a couple of the women (50+) are seriously quick (slightly mad though, think that helps!)
Def. learn on dry if you can
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Whitegold, No shes not but if you read her post she is skiing with her 7 year old hence my comments about children.
Not all adults are "slow learning, unfit, disappointed etc. " as you seem to think. Consider rpft, and her 50 year female racing nutters!! they are digging the skiing and although it is on plastic are enjoying it.
i dont disagree that indoor snow is preferable to dry but you shouldnt put someone off from trying both. lets agree to disagree.......
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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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Whitegold, wrote
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Better to drive 60 - 90 mins to a beginner-friendly indoor slope than 15 - 30 mins for a beginner-unfriendly outdoor toothbrush.
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Plastic slopes are not any more begginer-unfriendly than other learning enviroments.
Bad instructors are,
adverse weather conditions also.
Even sunny mountains can be considered begginer unfriendly, two years ago I spent four days teaching in whiteout conditions, the pupils progressed very well and we were using blue runs from top of mountain. On the fifth day the sun came out and when we reached the top, where we had previously skied down from, a couple of kids froze. Seeing the sunshine and big mountains changed thier emotional state and became begginer-unfriendly. 
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Megamum is not a child. Adults have lower tolerance to physical and psychological adversity. They are less fit. They are less supple. They learn slower. They give up more easily. Better to drive 60 - 90 mins to a beginner-friendly indoor slope than 15 - 30 mins for a beginner-unfriendly outdoor toothbrush.
As Pielot says, he "did come away a little deflated." That is a another phrase for disappointment. Disappointed customers often don't return, or they return less often.
The bottom line is dryslopes are hard work. The harder something is, the less likely someone is to succeed. |
that's an apalling thing to say. I don't find it to be the case at all. In general (OK in the alps) the ones who moan most about the weather, the cold etc. are today's spoilt children. Also it's clear that megamum is motivated, and can only benefit from learning to do it right. there are also a fair number of Grade IIs and Grade Is working on plastic slopes due to family comittments, so the chances of getting a good teacher are quite high (especially as she has an introduction to the bosses at the slope). the price of lessons at MK has already been discussed and is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. I think they're too expensive at Gloucester too, but not nearly so bad.
BTW, when I was working at Sandown (the most difficult dry slope to ski on IMO) and ESF guy came over. It took him 2 runs to get used to the surface and on his third run he was skiing with his hands in his pockets! I myself didn't ski on plastic for 15 years, but tried it last year, and this as a social day, and didn't find any problems. I admit to marginally preferring the new snowflex to the old dendix, but either way - no sweat.
People living in the UK often only get 1 week on snow a year, so dendix is definitely better than nothing. I was not impressed with MK on my trip there - expensive, very cold, paid through the nose for everything from lockers to parking. They blocked off half the slope for an hour of my three for kids lugeing parties, the other side was full of jumps and rails and sh*t, they didn't appear to restrict the numbers of people at all, and they allowed some youths who couldn't ski at all to continue to the great danger of all other slope users. So if it wasn't for the ski tests and meeting up with lots of other snowheads I'd have been bitterly disappointed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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easiski, wrote
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I was not impressed with MK on my trip there - expensive, very cold, paid through the nose for everything from lockers to parking. They blocked off half the slope for an hour of my three for kids lugeing parties, the other side was full of jumps and rails and sh*t, they didn't appear to restrict the numbers of people at all, and they allowed some youths who couldn't ski at all to continue to the great danger of all other slope users.
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But I still drive for 1 1/2 each way for the pleasure?
The luging parties at the recent half term ruined the experience for me getting approximatley 12 runs a hour the open slope so busy that I could not let my skis run... but the kids enjoyed the KFC afterwards. 
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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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Dunk, only 20 mins to Stainforth - you must be nuts. Lugeing for the kids I can see the fun, but otherwise - forget it! 
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easiski, we do normally ski on plastic, but Aldershot does not have a KFC(next to the slope). It has instead a good safety policy, good equipment, a seperate slope where they do donuts so the main slopes are clear for snowsports. The main advantage is that we can ski for a day for the same price as 2 hours at an indoor slope and I can afford to park my car(free).
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You know it makes sense.
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Okay, Deflated is similar to dissappointed but I should point out that this is very much part of my own psyche rather than down to the slope methinks. I am probably my own harshest critic, each season I will set myself a target; be it to hone an aspect of my skiing or set out to (hopefully)master a new skill such as the pipe etc. My feelings after skiing at gloucester will ensure that I will definately be back on plastic - I will succeed!
Plastic Vs Sim Snow - well train hard fight easy. I think i have seen just how easy it can be to be lazy on snow wheras plastic doesnt afford you that luxury. For value for money, number of runs per £ then I think the plastic has to take it. If you just want to lark about for an hour (or perhaps trying out a pair of skis before you buy) and are prepared to spend the ££££'s go to the fridge.
Incidentally it was the cost of skiing at Cas that prompted me to put together our first ski weekend last winter, not quite BUT ALMOST cheaper per hour on the snow to nip over to france. ( they wont like that on the cheap ryan air flights thread!)
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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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Yoda, thanks. Of traction extreme case that is. The gliding effortless it was?
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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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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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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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| slikedges wrote: |
I'm an irregular regular at MK Xscape. If you choose when you go carefully, the price while rarely cheap is not exorbitant, and the queues can be short to non-existent  |
Also group lesson prices aren't that bad and usually work well.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
| In contrast, the UK is grey and damp. Britain sees an average 80% of cloudy days per annum. |
You do seem to pull up some cracking stats, care to share where this one came from?
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I've been watching this thread with great interest, before it got took over by a bit of trolling it gave me plenty to think about. But anyway here is my view;
We are going skiing this winter after a break of 16 years (I last skied in school trips) and now my kids are big enough. To prepare for this we went to Sandown yesterday for a private lesson for me and my wife and a lesson for the kids to get familiar. I understand the problems with dry slopes and I would have much preferred to be on real snow, but it was really useful to be able to try out my skills again under some quite close supervision and was given some pointers and good exercises to do on the first morning on the real stuff to get back into it. I will probably go again before the trip so I can try these exercises some more.
But I am clear that learning on a dry slope is not a substitute for real snow and perhaps learning on a indoor slope would be better, but for me that would be 2 hours each way and the increased cost makes it impossible.
The objective of our day yesterday was to refresh our memories, give us some exercises for the first morning before more lessons, get us back up the learning curve and we met all of these. For the kids it was trying on boots and skis and getting familiar with them and building some enthusiasm and confidence for our holiday this was also a success (we had the tantrum regarding walking in ski boots in relative privacy rather than on a busy green slope).
So my conclusion, take a lesson on a dry slope if you can, take one on an indoor slope if you like, they both have advantages and drawbacks. But really who cares, as long as you enjoy yourself and don't get injured go for what you like
Cheers,
Peter
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prthomas, well said..... ps what is trolling???
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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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OK folks, its my thread - I was out last night, but let's see if we can iron things out a little.
OK, last question first: Trolling - taken from: http://www.newmediamusings.com/blog/amusing/index.html
Trolling is making a deliberately inflammatory remark, one that you know perfectly well is baloney, just to get a rise out of other people. Trolling is an art. Trolling works just fine for an audience of one (say, a journalist), but of course the real fun is trolling on public bulletin boards where you can get dozens of people screaming at you simultaneously. Comments on religion, politics or Mac-vs.-Windows are always good bets. The talented troll sits back to enjoy the fireworks with a smirk, and never, ever responds to the responses.
There's a similar definition on the ebay web boards, where I have to say it is rife - I visited there once and never returned because it resulted in boards with such bad feelings.
Personally I wouldn't say Whitegold is that guilty of trolling - he/she has been big enough to come back several times to defend his viewpoint.
(still can't get the hang of getting the names in bold text - sorry)
Something I was once taught on a management course is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and we should do everyone the decency of listening to their opinion especially when supported by their reasoning and try to see their view point and why they might feel that way. That is not to say we have to agree with it, but we would expect them to do us the same decency. I don't think anyone here is guilty of not affording this decency to the other postees. I appreciate EVERY one that has been decent enough to give me their viewpoint, the one thing I can say is that everyone of you has had my best interests at heart and I DO appreciate that.
Here endedeth the lesson in diplomacy
So, what's my uptake on the viewpoints?
Well lets do the facts.
1. I am not proud - I am 37 and not in the first flush of youth, nor as fit as I want to be though I will make an effort before holiday next Feb
Milton Keynes is around 65 miles away, with the A12 and more to the point the M25 in the way. 2am in the morning and keeping it legal, yes easy done in around 1.5 hrs. At the times when I could manage MK is a non starter - no-one in this neck of the woods touches the M25 if it can be avoided in the day time. (B.t.w. don't think 'lady driver' here Megamum is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and has her test under under her belt). For what I want it for MK is out of bounds for me.
Brentwood, no-one here has given it, as a venue, a bad review, except in the guise of plastic generally, and it is within my grasp as a venue.
I grasp that is will feel 'slower' than real snow, also that I will have to work harder to make the ski's cut into it, your technique has to be better and.....oh yes, and it's not very forgiving if you take a tumble on it. However, most have said that good instruction can reduce the 'falling over' aspect and that dry slope instructors do realise the difference between their surface and the real thing and will be able to relate the two together for me.
Cost wise, I have been quoted £40 for a private lesson (+£20 for each additional person).
I think the best thing to do is probably to try it - one session should give me a flavour of the surface, and then the old Megamum common sense should be able to work out if more of the same is liable to help or hinder me. What I might do is try it out myself before involving my 7 yr old. She had 3 full morning sessions at ski school - far more instruction than me and will build on this in Feb if she doesn't get to the dry slope before hand.
How does this sound?
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 26-11-06 13:09; edited 1 time in total
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Megamum, way, way WAY too sensible for this board! Enjoy .
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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M(squared) - have fun!!! 
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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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| Quote: |
I will make an effort before holiday next Feb
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Don't leave it too late, Megamum, being reasonably fit, with strong legs, will make a huge difference to your holiday. At 37 you have not yet reached the prime of life (of course) but the added years do make it a little more difficult to ask your body to perform way over its normal level of activity. When we have had unfit beginner guests at our apartment it has always been their fitness levels, rather than anything technical, which has prevented their doing as much as they would like. Please tell us how you get on with your lesson. Have fun
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Megamum, You're bound to have fun.
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You know it makes sense.
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Michelle, tol-ja Essex was far 
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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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brian
brian
Guest
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My kids (8 & 5) both love skiing on the dryslope. I'm not its biggest fan in the summer when it's warm and sticky but on a day like yesterday, clear and cool with the dendix nice and damp, it's great to get up there.
Mind you, our local slope does have a fantastic view over Edinburgh and the Forth and Northwards to the real hills
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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brian, It also has the benefit of being the longest in the UK. That's why I enjoyed Wycombe  2nd longest
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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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gsb, Wycombe the flat section at the end where the skis melt? Last tine I was at Hillend it was covered with snow... 1983
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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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Dunk, no, it was flat and uphill 
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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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| Dunk wrote: |
| gsb, Wycombe the flat section at the end where the skis melt? Last tine I was at Hillend it was covered with snow... 1983 |
LOL, it was Hillend where I managed to melt my skis one year - no snow there that day!
With Wycombe now closed which is the second longest slope currently in use? Is Gloucester one of the longer ones, IIRC it used to be the second longest many years ago.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 28-11-06 11:41; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Here's my £0.02 worth.
I have been skiing on dry slopes (both variations) for some time and have generally enjoyed the experience. However last Easter I was skiing on a snowflex slope and injured myself quite badly.
At the time I was playing around on the jumps and caught an edge when landing a 360'. At the time I expected to recover my ski quite easily, but how wrong I was. It seemed that my ski was nailed to the slope and that I had no chance what so ever of staying on my feet. Due to the angle of my skis, the binding never released and my knee broke first before anything else. My ACL evaporated, my medial ligament tore and my cartilage was ripped up for back bottom paper. 
Looking back I am 95% sure that if that had happened on snow, I would have got away with it no problems.
In conclusion, I wouldnt say dont ski on dry slopes, but please be aware that you have far less margin for error esp. when catching edges at speed than when skiing on snow.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Chappers, very good point, they are a good deal less forgiving. I have to say I would be extremely wary of attempting any kind of freestyle japery and I can't believe there are folk learning to snowboard on them
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slikedges, I use to be able to go midweek early when damp or frosty, often had the slope to myself. You needed the flat/uphill finish if you were having fun
Roga. This gives you all the slopes details. I think the main Gloucester dendex slope was shortened a good few years ago when they had subsidence near the top. Something to do with un underground stream I believe.
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/guides/uksnowsports/ukslopesmap.asp
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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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Megamum, sounds like a plan, send me a PM before you go as i may be teaching at Brentwood in jan and feb and could give you or your little one some help at the normal snowheads rate (FOC) .....
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I learned to ski aged 16 at the slope in Norwich - I skiied all winter, once a week, until my school trip at Easter. It didn't work for me, though I had become competent on the dry - does anyone use the term or technique "stem christie" anymore? I'm sure that's what I was doing. Anyways, tootled off to Italy full of confidence and in fact was bored out of my brains the first two days as they put me in the beginner group as I hadn't been to the mountains before  . Third day our instructor took us on the iciest red run in the world - it had been broken up by cats and we had to side slip down the entire thing. I spent the rest of the week finding the whole speed control issue terrifying - now I AM a control freak (my sport of choice is dressage ) but I was miserable.
The dry skiing meant I was held back in the beginning, and, subsequent to that, unable to cope with snow conditions. It may not work like that for anyone else, but it did for me. Twenty years later and heading back to the slopes for the first time I intend to ski just a few hours a day, take a hip flask for relaxation and ski with a similarly scaredy cat companion...oh and have a private lesson or two from day 2, after I've realised I'm not going to die out there.
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FAQ
