 Poster: A snowHead
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Anybody recommend any wax or similar to put on some cheap skis I've got when skiing on plastic, especially if there's no misting on the slope?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hywel, I've heard of people using WD40, although GT85 might be better as it contains PTFE.
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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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petemillis,
Would these substances damage the slope in any way - would those running the dry ski slopes be willing for skiers to use these lubricants? - I was thinking more along the lines of proprietary ski products.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hywel, Datawax Polar X which is a specific dryslope wax. You can then apply Zardoz Notwax on top if necessary. Both available ex-stock 
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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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Living in Tamworth, I'm kinda used to the Snowdome. As a member, we get very discounted skiing in the Summer and I go at least once a month, and try and go once a week, to keep my skills reasonable, although I'm skiing faster now and somewhat outgrowing the slope. Nevertheless, if you go with a specific exercise or skill in mind each time, it can be useful. I got 2 hours skiing for £11.50 last time I went, and therefore it is pretty cheap in the Summer. Learn to Snowboard in a day is about 70 quid for members in Summer so I will be doing this in June. I simply can't envisage going through the summer without skiing, and this is much, much better than no skiing at all.
Plus last year when it was unbearably hot outside, the Snowdome was a really good place to be - the only cold place in Tamworth  Can't imagine using a dry slope outdoors in those conditions, but it was nice to put on ski trousers and jacket and ski for a couple of hours in the big fridge.
You still need a warmer wax - I remember going to the Snowdome after being in Tignes. We had cold wax on our skis, and they just wouldn't run at all in the Tamworth snow - it just stuck to the bottom of the skis.
I just love skiing, that's the truth of it, and anywhere I can get the experience is good enough for me.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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rpft, I started skiing at Norwich in March on returning from our second skiing holiday this year and agree it is different to snow but is fantastic for refining technique as plastic is totally unforgiving. Also agree about the whole experience at Norwich and the treat of skiing every week. Hope to see you for a beer sometime.
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| slikedges wrote: |
Also don't tell the British Children's Ski Team or the England Alpine Ski Team, 'cos if you did they might stop using the place. |
Do they kick out all the sledging toddler parties and unsupervised beginners when they arrive?
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| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| slikedges wrote: |
Also don't tell the British Children's Ski Team or the England Alpine Ski Team, 'cos if you did they might stop using the place. |
Do they kick out all the sledging toddler parties and unsupervised beginners when they arrive? |
Sort of. AFAICS the BCST ski fairly regularly in a time slot before the slope officially opens to just after it's opened to the public. AFAIK the EAST ski at prearranged times yearly but I don't know what the specific arrangements are.
Unsupervised beginners on the slope who aren't up to the recreational standard aren't a very common occurrence in my experience, but when they happen, yes, I think slope staff need to be more proactive. I don't have any particular knowledge/stats/evidence etc but I suspect such unsupervised beginners are more of a danger to themselves on dry where they'd fall more quickly with a greater risk of injury to themselves and more of a danger to others on snow where they more readily slide further in an uncontrolled manner. However I'd guess 'cos you stay on your feet longer on snow it becomes less easy to decide to immediately haul someone up, particularly when you're not a particularly experienced or knowledgeable skier yourself, as I suspect most of the slope staff aren't.
Sledging parties? Usually in the pm, common enough to be an annoyance rather than a big problem, but that may just be in relation to the times I go.
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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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| Hywel wrote: |
| Anybody recommend any wax or similar to put on some cheap skis I've got when skiing on plastic, especially if there's no misting on the slope? |
Hywel, When you go to dry slope races you would be amazed at what peeps put on their skis to make them slide a bit faster through the first few turns. Some use "back to black" or "Mr Sheen" but the most popular are the wax based gloops that are used for lubricating under pavement cables when they are being pulled (gels made by Ideal).
However many slopes are concerned about such applications and only allow soluble clear gels. We put this type on top of notwax which is applied on the ski which has been prepared with polar wax (as suggested by Spyderjon). The datwax can be a bit difficult to get on and it requires quite a bit of heat so be careful. It helps to start with a softer warm wax and then add the polar stuff on top. Bartletts also offer versions by other wax manufacturers and S&R do a really sticky wax as well.
For general training we put on the hard wax and only partially scrape it off again (the mat will do this for you after a few runs). This slows down the base burn a bit but IMO the degree that you can leave the wax on depends how lardy the skier is. My kids and the wife can ski with half of it on; I have to remove all of it (as with snow prearation) or I simply can't move at all! we then apply some notwax occasionally when the smell gets too strong to ignore.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 26-04-07 10:18; edited 1 time in total
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Richard E, I do ladies club on tues, sometimes freestyle on wed & wannabee poles on friday & nearly always there for junior club sats! Are you doing the wednesday night mens club? I occasionally see the men warming up - looks like serious fun - andy & darryl are brilliant instructors - the race techique they both teach is 2nd to none (being as they are both racers  )
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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rpft, Are you doing the ERSA race at Norwich on 15th July. If so family Nick W will see you there.
GrahamN, if you are doing the Tri Regions race in October, we'll see you too.
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You know it makes sense.
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Nick W, no! crumbs, my kids are tiny & only in the baby classes! good luck to you lot though!
Was it you who said you put lightweight boxing gloves on your kids to prevent breaks?
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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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| rpft wrote: |
Nick W, no! crumbs, my kids are tiny & only in the baby classes! good luck to you lot though!
Was it you who said you put lightweight boxing gloves on your kids to prevent breaks? |
rpft, Was this when they hit people or when they fall on the mat!
No it wasn't me; we haven't had any problems with either of them hurting their hands on the Dendix although the same can't be said for us adults (and anyway you have super swish carpet for beginners as I recall). We have got them chinguarded helmets though as they have managed a few painful face plants, cut chins etc.
My daughter (now 5 and in her first year of races) did use mittens but she couldn't grab the poma bar so has had to switch to gloves in the last few months.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rpft, one of our adult racers (who actually has her preferential allegiance to Bassingbourne, but lives down our way now) has been using boxing gloves since breaking her hand in a fall (actually at Bassingbourne IIRC) last year.
Nick W, not sure I'm up to Tri-Region standard yet - certainly after a rather disappointing performance last Sunday - but we'll see what happens over the summer.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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GrahamN,
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certainly after a rather disappointing performance last Sunday
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Looked OK to me 
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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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slikedges, I think you had already left before the MK incidents last year. The "yoofs" in question were getting about half way down the slope at considerable speed and using the whole rest of the slope with their varioius sumersaults to a halt. Certainly a danger to others. the lift stopped about every 2 times I was on it (peeps letting the perches hit the safety cut off bars at the top), and out of my 3 hours I lost about 1.5 hours on the left side of the slope due to kids sledging. As you will remember the right side of the slope was useless for testing skis because of all the jumps and rails (which were present but not in use).
docsquid, But would you drive 3x as far and pay more than 3x as much to ski indoors rather than a local plastic slope?
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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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| GrahamN wrote: |
Nick W, not sure I'm up to Tri-Region standard yet - certainly after a rather disappointing performance last Sunday - but we'll see what happens over the summer. |
GrahamN, Tell me about it. It was my first ever race on skis on Sunday and I finished a rather distant 6th in the old man's group. To add to the misery Mrs NickW was second in her group (also first time out) and my 9 year old was second as well.
Last year's tri region welcomed all comers last year though so there is hope for us yet.
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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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easiski, seems to be 2x more expensive that dry slopes round my parts, not 3x. Then I just found Southampton Alpine Centre are doing 2 hours for price of 1 during the summer - so can get 2 hours on the dry slope for £8 Anyone know what the Southampton slope is like. I know the ski club at my uni use it but haven't been myself.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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GrahamN, Do they look huge? you can get some quite lightweight ones which sound as if they would protect. bit hot in the summer though 
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rpft, yes rather..particularly as they are bright white with a Union Flag on each one!
Nick W, yes I had a look at your results and saw your various fortunes - particularly you being well beaten by sprog No1 . At least one of the virtues of being single is that that'll never happen to me . Well done though on the 2+ seconds improvement between 1st and last run. We also had one Dad in his first race - whose experience almost exactly replicated yours (2 secs improvement on the day - trounced by son). But this is a different thread..... Anyway - we should meet before then at the rookies tele day  .
petemillis, it's a nice location, set in amongst the trees. Unfortunately the last time I went there (about 2 months ago), it was really sticky and they have no misting, so I burnt the bases quite badly. Either use the centre's skis, or you're probably better off going to Bowles (where ski is an instructor, and there were a few Monday evening meets towards the end of last year). The other one you may consider, although still further away, is Christchurch - does have misting, and a decent race club too.
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easiski, I'm not denying that it happens and that in the winter MK is often very poor value due to crowds and sledging parties - as you know I tend to stay away then! (LDA is a much better bet) 
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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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rpft, yes I started going to Men's Club last week and agree Andy is a great guy. Once I have improved my technique and confidence I am really keen to have a go at racing.
I am trying to encourage Mrs Richard E to come along but don't want to be too pushy (but I am) as she needs to build up her confidence. We both had lessons with easiski in March and part of the experience for her was skiing in a supportive environment. I wondered if Ladies Club would be a good idea for her? Would be really grateful for some advice on this.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Richard E, Ladies club is great - you learn so many different things and the people are really friendly. if you look on the notice board in the boot room - there is a ladies club board & a spreadsheet detailing the lessons for the next few weeks - she can get an idea of the different types of lessons - my class, for example is doing moguls for 3 weeks. There are about 60 women there (though less in the summer) and they start from new snowplough level upwards - I think there are about 5 groups - each with its own allotted instructor. hope this is useful - PM me when she is going & I'll try to make sure I am there too!
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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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rpft, thanks this is very helpful. 
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spyderjon, Nick W, GrahamN,
Thanks for the tips - seems like I need to get Polar X and Notwax - problem is, I've never waxed skis before. Is it tricky or could I get the wax applied when I get the skis serviced?
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You know it makes sense.
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Hywel, I use the Zardoz not wax, it is a liquid that goes on a foam applicator pad. Just wipe it on, onto waxed or unwaxed skis. Skill level required, zero.
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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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| Spyderman wrote: |
| Hywel, I use the Zardoz not wax..... Skill level required, zero. |
That sounds like my skill level
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Poster: A snowHead
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| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| Despite being within 30 mins of MK snowdome, I hardly use it for the reasons mentioned above. It's way too expensive (with no discount for regular users as far as I'm aware), the lifts are dog slow and often break down, half the slope is often closed for kids parties etc. But most worringly of all, the standard of skiers on it is appalling. There are often total beginners hurtling down it totally unsupervised and none of the staff do anything about it. Pathetic really. It could be really quite good if it was well managed. At the moment it just seems to cater for a chavs day out and small kids! |
Xscape are offering season passes now but they are pretty expensive. I think you would need to go about once a week to justify it so if you live a while away from your closest centre not very viable.
Fall-Line Skiing/Document Snowboard are offering a 20% discount for recreational passes to their readers, this is better than the 10% I believe Ski Club UK currently get.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BennyK, How much is pretty expensive? I can't find any details on their website.
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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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I wish we had an indoor snow slope here in Northern Ireland, mainly because I like freestyle and dendix is torture to crash on!
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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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iblair, cheers, doesn't show that offer on the MK website. Anyone know if it applies to all the Xscape slopes? Then again at those prices I won't be bothering!
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FAQ
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