 Poster: A snowHead
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My first ski holiday was aged about 19 for two weeks with 5 male friends (an experience!!) to St. Johann in Tirol. I loved it and this despite the fact that we were in a chalet that was at least a miles walk along a country track to get into the village every day for the skiing and every evening for the après ski. It was a great laugh even though some of the guys had gross habits. Yuk!
I returned by chance some years ago with my daughter and hardly recognised the place. The Austrians are mad with fireworks! Stay well clear.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Japan near Hakuba jan. 1982 with Tokyo Institute of Technology students.  The why - pure love - and that not to the snow.
https://www.kashimayari.net/snow/
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 6-07-22 13:59; edited 2 times in total
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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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'75, or '76 (15, 16) I think, school ski trip. £80 all in: travel, accommodation, all day lessons, food. £5 pocket money allowed. Barely touched it. (One guy even came back with more than he left - bit of a poker whiz...) First time I'd seen duvets.
Train to Landgraf IIRC, after ferry to Calais, then staying in Zell am somewhere, without slopes, bussed to Nauders each day. Pyjama bottoms under slacks, thick norwegian socks, leather boots, with laces, ankle tethers, (not brakes) "push down" spring loaders for bindings. Although our instructor did have step in. NIghtmare, but loved every minute of it.
Went on two more school trips, then 10 year break until '87 after getting married and took Mrs Roll on her first trip: to La Tzomaz (sp? 4 valleys, anyway), where my cousin has an apartment. Thought we'd never go again after that - the experience was... shaky... But she persevered, and came to love it, so much so we ended up buying our place in Les Arcs.
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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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| CaravanSkier wrote: |
OwenM, I think my cousin may well have been one of your instructors! |
I hate to disillusion you but every Regiment had their own instructors so there must be hundreds of ex-army ski instructors out there somewhere. They were in truth quite rough and ready in their method of instruction but most of us seemed to pick it up quite quickly.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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1994, some tiny place in Austria, that I can't remember the name of. A guy at work kept talking about how wonderful skiing was and after hearing loads of great stories, I roped my mate in and off we went. Did a 6 week dry slope course at Hillingdon and loved it. Went again that year at Christmas, then missed year after year ever since until this year.
After we went earlier this year, my stepson called me an idiot for missing out so many years. Like me, he thinks it's the best thing you can do. It's true, I love lake swimming, martial arts, etc, but nothing is as much fun as skiing. I love everything about it, except how bloody expensive it is 
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OwenM, I had not thought about how large an operation it must have been! I do remember one of my cousins colleagues explaining that squaddies needed no instruction, just throwing off the top of a mountain lol. I have to say they were super instructors for us, extremely patient and great fun!
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Snoqualmie 1990, seems a long time ago.
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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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Aldershot dry slope in late 1984 in preparation for a week in Tignes in March 85 with a group from work. I was hooked, been most years since for at least a week. Was a part time ESC club instructor for a while (at Aldershot) and loved being able to give something back. Still wish that work hadn't prevented me from progressing up the instructor ladder. Hope to keep going for a few more years yet 
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TRAFOI in the Stelvio National Park, Italy in March 1986 when I was 19.
http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Trafoi
One week trip by bus from London. Went with my cousin who had skied before. His aunt on his father's side had a 'buy one get the second half price' deal and she couldn't go. We jumped at the chance.
Spent the week on my ass and hips on the beginner slopes in the village. Sheet ice. By the 5th day my ski pants looked like jodhpurs with all the extra clothing stuffed down the sides.
On my last day I went to the top of the mountain on my own. Why the ski school hadn't taken us up there earlier I'll never know. Sunshine, wide pistes, SNOW.
Excellent way to finish the trip.
Didn't get to ski again until 1993, when I spent the season as a chalet boy for Crystal in Ellmau, Austria.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Fri 19-09-14 12:21; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Harrogate dry slope for a few lessons followed by a week in Aviemore in about 1974. C&A skiwear. Mine purple and orange quilted and my sister's red and orange. Somehow it was neither waterproof nor breathable. We used to finish soaked to the skin and with early stage hypothermia. The gloves just didn't work and the goggles would steam up as soon as we put them on. Lessons were with The Scottish Norwegian Ski School. Absolutely loved it.
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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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OwenM, who were you with?
I know REME has a hotel in Wertach (sadly closing now), can't remember which mob had chalets there.
You must have done most of the Alpine stuff on the Nebelhorn.
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school trip when I was 13 to Aprica, Sondrio valley, Italy .
flew 'Dan Dare' airlines - anyone remember them, long coach transfer, dodgy hotel, poor food, the worst hired ski boots ever & spending the week sidestepping up within 100yds of the lift station half way up the hill in (what I would now consider) dreadful snow conditions - totally hooked.
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You know it makes sense.
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Was either 1980 or 81 aged 6/7ish with my little brother , late Dad, then step-mum & step-brother to Alpbach. Hated the first week but loved the second - I remember crying at the top of a blue run and also getting my pole caught in a chair lift wheel at the top and starting to go back down the lift! I was lucky enough to go pretty much every year after that (my brother only came a few times, wasn't that in to it) and by age 13/4 I was in the ski guiding classes as my Dad couldn't keep up - Dad liked his comforts and we saw a lot of lovely 4/5* Austrian hotels in some off the beaten track places such as Hintertux and Gargellen although Saalbach was a favourite . Once we hit 16, Dad decreed I could get a Saturday job and pay for my own skiing so I ended up mainly on the dry slopes at Rossendale and surrounds in university leagues, doing BUSC a couple of times too. Then a loooooooong break til well into my 30's when Richard_Sideways was on the scene and the expenses started again  and passing on the snow love to Sideways_Jnrs 1 & 2 that my Dad gave me for all things snow!
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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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We are late comers to skiing. Always liked the look of it and decided I would like to try it once before the teens flew the coup. Booked Lofer Austria for January 2009, really didn't have a clue what it was about, looking back on it that trip was really hard work, 4 kids aged 6 to 19, 5 days of private ski lessons, cut a long story short we all loved it, and have been back every year since, twice some years. Roll on December 26th and we will be on our way again.
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Poster: A snowHead
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In the Spanish Pyrenees (Astun) with a fellow TEFL teacher who I had just fallen for. He went off up the mountain and left me on the nursery slope, slowly freezing up in jeans and thin leather jacket. I can remember thinking, as my hands stuck to the drag lift in thin wool gloves, 'this is hell, why? why?' But I had really fallen for this guy and pretended I loved it because he did (I was very young at the time) and came back the next week, better kitted out and with instruction. I completely took to it for real that time. 27 years on, we are both still in love with it, and so are our teenage kids, only missed a few years when they were young and now try to make up for that and go as often as possible
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Soldeu, Andorra 1986, I was already an adrenaline junkie on motorcross bikes etc, my older brother tried to persuade me to go skiing but I thought I had better uses for the money so Mum & Dad gave me the holiday for my 21st birthday. Big bro took me out drinking every night, so for the 1st 3 days was hopelessly hung over and not enjoying it much so hid from him on 3rd night and by the end of the week didn't want to go home. been skiing 2-3 weeks each year ever since.
Still went to Andorra for family skiing till this year as a friend has an apartment there but mrs T did her acl and is unlikely to ski again, older kids doing GCSEs so not likely to have another family ski hol or any other family hol for that matter as everyone else wants to go somewhere hot & sunny to sit by a pool or go sight seeing, I get too hot anywhere south of York in the summer and paying money to sit around with nothing to do but read a book is something I might do when I'm too old and knackered to do anything else!.
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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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Started to ski in the winter of 1981, at Catterick Indoor Ski Centre. I was on a Government work scheme (Youth Opportunity Programme for us oldies) working there as I wanted to do "something" different as a job. It was closed down in 1997 and I left as being the Chief Instructor/all round dogsbody. Happy Days.
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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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We were latecomers too. I wanted to try alpine skiing for years but my wife wasn't keen. One Easter about 12 years ago we had a gite in Combloux for a week. One day we took a gondola up from Megeve to do a bit of walking. Lots of easy blue slopes all round, and Lorna (my wife) decided that it looked like fun. Turned out that her only notion of skiing came from watching the downhill racing on Ski Sunday, so watching people pootling down a tree-lined blue was a revelation. A few month's later we took a series of lessons on the dry slope at Hillend in Edinburgh. The instructor was our next door neighbour and as luck would have it we were the only two signed up to a ski week's beginner's class. Moving house meant we missed the next season, but the season after that we booked a cheap week in Niederau. I was half expecting her to hate it but a lovely hotel (Sonnschein), perfect weather and perfectly groomed pistes and a great instructor meant it was a superb intro to skiing. Ten years later we're still not experts but we're doing 3 weeks per season and spend half the year looking forward to it.
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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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Sheregesh having wanted to ski as long as I could remember fate eventually put me in a pair of skiis. I went with a group of students all snowboarders, one of them lent me his old boots and skiis (I prefer not to mention his dads undersized all in one) I spent a few weekends falling from the top of the hill to the bottom. Thank you Igor for lending me the boots and skiis and the total stranger for accompanying me down gesturing to get forward.
I am now in my wife's assessment officially a ski bore obsessing all year as to when and where I am going next.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skiing is a 'socially transmitted disease', as they say!
My friend Clare had been with her friend from work twice. Then her family decided they'd like a go, and I went along to make up the numbers. We spent a week in Passo Tonale and had a great time. I've been every winter since, for increasing amounts of time, and passed my BASI 1 this summer. I managed to break my leg in an argument with a mogul at Hemel a few weeks ago, which has slowed down my progress, but I'm not put off. I'll be out in the Alps again for New Year.
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We learned at the Castleford fridge after the wife made it known she had a bucket list for her significant up and coming birthday, and on it was a desire to learn to ski. The children clubbed together and got us ski lessons. I went along thinking it was a phase I needed to endure, but would all be over in 6 hours and we could return to our normal life.
I have to say it was great fun, especially when we progressed to the main slope, which my wife refused to do without the instructor.
That winter we booked to go to Pamporovo, and I constantly complained that we could go somewhere warm and all inclusive for the same money, but decided it was a one off, and if it kept the other half happy.....
The moment of Zen was at the top of that mountain, skis on, ready to go, I had a real shot of adrenaline, and as we made our way down the long green run in a perfectly groomed condition, I got the bug, and still get that same buzz first turns every holiday since.
We've met some great people skiing, and made some great friends, and are now doing three weeks a year. (90 days and counting)
It certainly is an obsession for us, and we are total ski bores, if anyone comes to our house and conversation starts to slow, the ski DVD's come out, and arguments between me and the wife start as to where a particular shot was taken, and is it a red or blue run. 
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Was taken to LDA with my parents when I was 15. Picked it up pretty quickly and loved it. 26 years later, I'm still going as often as I can!
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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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I got extremely lucky and had my first snow days early on in life. My parents in the early nineties did ski trips once a year. The first couple of times I came along with them as a baby and was looked after by my grandparents. I got my first ski lessons at 3 years old, privates on an indoor slope in Belgium and group lessons with Esf shortly afterwards. In kindergarten me and my sister often got sick and mountain air was always a great solution, so therefore we upped to 2 trips a year almost immediately (once at christmas and once out of school holidays) untill obligatory school happened at 6 years old when for a few years it became too expensive to go twice. Afterwards, we did Christmas & Easter. Between the ages of 10 and 16 I often added a third week in february by going on a school ski trip or a youth ski camp. With the family we usually visited the hugely known French resorts, for the most part La Plagne and the 3V. The ski camps were all Italy or Austria. At the time it was not done to think about other trip options during the winter holidays besides skiing even though my mother sometimes tried to suggest something. I am now in my 4th year of university. Theoretically there is only a break in the first week of february. In my first year this was the only week I originally booked. Me and my father had the following deal: If I passed all my January exams, I could have a couple of days at Easter too (a short trip only, as it is supposed to be a study break). This has been the highest motivation for me ever and I succeeded every year and so got my Easter trips to respectively Les Menuires in 2012, Verbier in 2013 en Zermatt in 2014. In my second and third year I got an extra sneaky weekend in early december as well. This year will be a little different as I am on an exchange programme in Lausanne, Switzerland untill february and obviously hope to get some ski weekends in during that time There is just no comparable feeling to making turns in snow in winter & I love absolutely everything about it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Stared some time very early 80's with a couple of trips to Ski Rossendale in preparation for a holiday to Tulfes just above Innsbruck. was hooked totally at that point. I started skiing regularly at Ski Rossendale and soon joined Oldham Ski Owls at the Counthill ski slope in Oldham between the two was skiing about 4 times a week.
A few years later went to Pamporova in Bulgaria and was skiing every week at Ski Rossendale ( felt more like living there as well over 20hrs a week ) I went on holiday every year there after till I stopped skiing, plus regular weekends in Scotland. Stopped skiing in the mid 90's due to family and other reasons and started back this March.
Just hope I can continue and not stop ever again, I do not think I could cope with the withdrawl symptoms twice.
Finally hoping to get the family skiing this season and hope to get a week for what will be our first ever family ski holiday ( very shameful of me considering my skiing background  )
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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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Started in 2011 when I moved to Swiss and everyone else went skiing at weekends so thought I'd give it a go... I was crap and every one else was really good so I went and worked 2 seasons in the Alps to improve.
I'm still not as good as some of my friends who have been skiing since they were 2, but I can keep up and I can do more spectacular wipeouts 
Was thinking about doing an instructor course in Austria this year, but recently got a full time job, can ski every weekend plus flexi days when the snow is good, so it would be silly to give that up. Can do the instructor course anytime.
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I always wanted to go from a very early age, but parents would never let me as there wasnt a beach or an outdoor pool they could sit by and read in the warm (so i stopped going on family holidays at 16 as i hate both those things). Had to wait until I was 20 when I saw the light and found a boyfriend who's parents had a place in lenzerheide, and now have a place in saas fee (not the main reason, honest ). His mother dragged me down a red run on my first day (my natural balance is reasonable, but skis are much harder to turn than ice skates as I found and went down via the straigtline-hockey stop-straightline-hockey stop method), I survived and that was it I was hooked, so now we go 2 or 3 times a year and I've even had some lessons!
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You know it makes sense.
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Went to Westerndorf in Austria with 9 mates in the early 70's. Leather boots with laces,ankle tethers, push down spring loader bindings. We had all day lessons with a really good Austrian instructor who spoke good english and was a bricklayer in ths summer. Was hooked and next winter went on my own to Obergurgl for the two weeks before Christmas as well as back to Westerndorf with some of my mates who were still keen to ski. Got married and children arrived so had to stop skiing in 1977/78. However my daughter when she finished University in 1998 got a job as a ski rep for Swiss Travel in Wengen where she learnt to ski and persuaded me to come out and try skiing which i did. It was so easy using all the modern equipment so i have been skiing every season since 2 to 4 weeks a year in Wengen or Arabba in the Dolomites. I still have lessons every year which stops bad habits creeping in and hopefully improves my technique every year which compensates for the fact that as you get older you are not as strong and flexible as you used to be.
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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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1979 age 4.5. Livignio skied every year since. Taking kids for their first go this year and am looking forward to the challenge.
I hope it can be as great a part of their lives as it is for mine.
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Poster: A snowHead
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For me it was Pertisau on the Achensee in Austria.
I think it was 1963 ... "The Lion sleeps Tonight" was on the village Juke Box.
There was only one lift and that only went up 50 meters. (But we didnt have a card anyway)
The skis were about 6ft long, but we were only just over 5ft.
The Ski School was very good we all past the exam at the end of the week ..We were proficient in:
Side Step up the hill,
Herringbone
Traverse,
Snow Plough to both left and right.
I also learnt to smoke cigarettes, and get drunk.
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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've just checked the website of the Hotel Post in Pertisau,
Gosh it looks pretty swish now
It only had that Juke Box then and then and better still the beer was only 9d a bottle.
http://post-achensee.at/
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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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| Quote: |
I also learnt to smoke cigarettes, and get drunk.
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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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Orcieres Merlette about 25 years ago when wife and I were over 40 but gave in to the kids, "just this once", to have a winter holiday as we didn't want to give up on the sun and beaches. Since then have skied every year going from once to twice to thrice a year and buying a studio in the Alps. Addictive isn't it? Still do the sun though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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1997, family christmas in Soldeu. My parents had been in their twenties and enjoyed it, but children and a move to Hong Kong meant that skiing wasn't on the agenda until we moved back to Blighty again. We are all still hooked (though my sisters have defected and now favour one board instead of two!) I missed three seasons due to pregnancy/babies, but it was worth it as it is wonderful to be going skiing with two little ones who have also caught the bug, and have been asking all summer when we can go again
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First started skiing aged 10 on the dry slope at Gillingham (have not been back as adult, is it still there?) in 1986, via my primary schools skiing club. It was a state school, but I think someone had donated some money/the slope was trying to get people hooked so had given massive discount, not quite sure.
It was funny because obtusely its the reason I can now sow. My best mate at the time Sam and I overheard the teachers talking at the beginning of the summer term about how they were going to need two boys to volunteer to transfer from football to sewing club, and one of them suggested offering a surprise to those that volunteered, surprise being automatic first refusal on the ski club beginning next winter term (which they rightly assumed would be instantly over-subscribed)
Needless to say the teachers were very surprised when Sam and I both shot our hands up within seconds of this surprise being offered and joined sewing club (results of my efforts one dodgy stuffed cushion) as were our mates, until it was revealed we would be learning how to ski
I ended up doing two terms of ski club at Gilliingham, only missing one session because of the 'great storm' in 87.
Then in 1991 my Dad came into some cash and we went on our first and only proper ski trip to Soldeu in Andorra which I loved, and one day I would like to go back there and see how my memories and impression as a 13 yr old compare.
Subsequently we never went again and then uni adulthood and a mad passion for music consumed most of my free time till I was 33 and I met my now wife who is a ski addict and she persuaded me to join her on a ski holiday soon after we first met.
20 years later, and my first day on skis went well, days 2 was ropey, day 3 wife threw me down the Fornet bowl in Avoriaz, I was terrible and made a pigs ear of it, but was hooked again.
Now we go minimum 2 weeks a year, and ideally 3 or 4 depending on work and school commitments, and I eat the Fornet for breakfast
G
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Always wanted to try it but never had anyone pushing me to do it or any friends that did it. Met current partner 4 years ago aged 36 and she skiied from age 5 and eventually got into it. Did 2 lessons at Braehead and then off to L2A for a week where went to ski school for two mornings and having not progressed from snow plough which i could do when i arrived i spat my dummy and refused to go back or ski ever again as my knees were bloody killing me.
Partner told me too man up and get up the mountain and after an hour on les cretes with her I was parallel turning and felt like franz klammer (was still rubbish) and totally found out what all the fuss was about. Since been to Ellmau, Zell am Zee, Kaprun, Sauze d'Oulx and booked to go back to Ellmau in February and Sauze again in March.
Taking my kids in Feb for their first trip abroad after spending a fortune getting them snowboard lessons and all the kit. They are pretty good already and have had several trips in Scotland last season. If it was a straight choice between the sun holiday and the skiing, the snow would win hands down everytime. Being in the mountains is the greatest holiday in the world and having just turned 40 I need to get as many holidays in as possible to make up for all the lost years
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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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Drunk in a pub .. All I remember was a friend asking for the deposit that I had promised....
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Started in my mid 30's. A combination of always wanting to try skiing and wanting to get out of UK for New Year.
Had a couple of hours tuition at Tamworth and then made the mistake of 'winging it' in La Plagne on my first ever ski holiday. Scared myself to death nearly every day. Changed underpants after lots of frightening moments trying to ski blues with no basic skills. Knackered my had falling over. Crystal shafted us on flights and quality of food in chalet. Spent lots on the holiday and buying basic ski gear.
But.... I bloody loved it. Love skiing and love being in the mountains.
I now get lessons to improve and try to book a couple of trips a year. One family and one with just friends. I have got my 5 year old girl on red slopes and my 3 year old lad will be introduced to skis this New Year. Bring on the La Ros and Val D this year.
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FAQ
Everyone else had skied before and the instruction was in French. We were just told to put our skis on and get on the chairlift. The instructor was next to me and the chairlift had barely started moving when he started yelling at me..I eventually realised it was because my left ski was not on the foot rest and was out at an angle about to hit a pylon 
At the top we were basically not told anything and had to do a turn unsurprisingly I fell over straightaway. At some point the same afternoon an experienced skier came flying down on his way home and smacked straight into me from behind and his ski badly bruised my back. As the week progressed I started to get the hang of skiing but the snow was melting fast and conditions generally not favourable.
