 Poster: A snowHead
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Come on laydees!
I am 48 (ugh!), female, advanced but by no means brilliant skier. I am just back from a week's off piste course in St Anton. I have to say the male to female ratio on the resort was probably about 5:1. However on the courses run by Pistetopowder last week, it was even higher. My best guess each day was that, of the 3 or 4 groups of 6-7 skiers going out each day-at least 20 skiers, there were never more then 3 women, often just 2. All I can say is that's it a pretty poor show by the girls. Where is your sense of adventure? You don't have to be a gnarly ski dude to learn and have fun! (And yes, I fell over, ache a bit, but skied some amazing places, and had a much better time than anyone sliding about on piste would have ever had in the conditions last week!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Perty, I am 66 (ugher) and female, by no means brilliant skier, doing an "introduction to off piste" course next week, in Les Deux Alpes (which, I'm happy to see, is forecast a fair bit of snow). However, I think I'm the only female and the oldest person by some distance. 
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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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Perty, I'm female, 45, solid intermediate skier, not really good enough for off piste and my insurance doesn't cover it. I have dabbled with some soft stuff at the side of the piste with varying degrees of success, but I feel my precious limited skiing holiday time is best spent enjoying myself in my comfort zone on piste. I'm aware of my age and fitness limitations and long past the stage of wanting to 'push' myself.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'm not a lady. I ski off piste because I'm too, scared to ski on piste. In some resorts the m/f ratio is skewed dramatically by lads trips.
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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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It's quite hard to get ladies to come away. Everytime I get a lady wanting to come, she's either got to be in a relationship with one of the lads, or I have to find a second lady for her to share with and I wouldn't say we only do lads trips as we're all 48-51.
Why is it only the lads organise skiing trips, I've yet to talk to a group of ladies who've gone out on their own!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Perty, interestingly on the two off-piste courses I did with the German DAV ( one in St.Anton based at the Ulmer Hütte ), we had about 30% female participation. This was a long time ago so maybe the ladies have become less adventurous in the meantime!
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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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It's a shame, isn't it? I guess it's partly a confidence and cautiousness thing. queen bodecia's point about insurance is a good one. I am paranoid about doing anything I'm not insured for, and have felt 'guilty' about every bit of green run steepness off piste I've done alone. This year I'm buying carre neige. I still am unsure whether I'm 'good enough' to join a guided group, which is silly of me really. I should just go for it.
I'm trying to avoid stereotyping, but a gang of lads is probably more gung-ho at giving it a go regardless.
And then there's a vicious circle where; women aren't doing something, so other women think women can't do it. Such a shame.
I see the same in my gym - I rarely see other women in the free weights area. I love weightlifting, and it has utterly transformed my skiing. I know that I'm strong and fit enough to take on the mountain. But most women in the gym are doing pure cardio, which doesn't really help at all.
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Seems to me to be a much more extreme male/female split offpiste amongst tourists than locals; it's fairly (though not quite) even amongst people I know who live out here.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
It's difficult to explain the sense of achievement you get compared with a great day on piste. Plus the sheer pleasure of being away from the crowds and the lifts, it's just so darned beautiful. Remember to drink in the views, the nature, the tranquility ....ahhhhhh!
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Well I got all that in the new Year week, when I did a week of cross-country skiing. I'm looking forward to trying the off piste course and have 100% confidence in the instructor (who I've skied with before), and am ready to give it a go. But I'm also ready to decide I'm not going to make an off-piste skier - we'll see.
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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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Alastair Pink, aah! thanks for that. Just wonderful - I was wondering this afternoon if I could find that clip again. Mega-inspirational. If I get to do just 10 turns like that in Les Deux Alpes next week I shall die a happy woman (though not necessarily next week  )
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You know it makes sense.
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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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I'm female and like off-piste snowboarding. 
I think it isn't just a problem with off-piste, but also one with even just normal skiing, or climbing, or mountain biking - really any kind of adverterous activity. My group of friends are all very active and 'adventerous' as they are predominantly friends met while doing an certian sport so I am used to having 50/50 male and female split. People at work are often surprised I am going on an off-piste course, or going MTB after work or whatever as, in their experience, it is unusual for girls to have active hobbies and interests. Which I find quite sad.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I would say there is a fairly even balance between men and women in the German ski club that I belong to.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alastair Pink, love the vid. Can't say my skills came close last week...but then again, conditions weren't quite as perfect.
However, Japan here I come in 4 weeks!
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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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kat.ryb, Don't be sad. You're living your life, don't be bothered by other people sleepwalking through theirs.
BTW, testosterone courses through my veins like (...er...) water through a mountain stream but I hate off-piste with a passion which just goes to show
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I'm in my 50s, male and ski a lot of off piste, around 1 in 3 of the people I ski with off piste are female, this applies to the off piste courses I've been on too
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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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| Quote: |
I hate off-piste with a passion which just goes to show
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why do you hate it so much, and what does it go to show?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm no lady...
The thought of more ladies going out of bounds, wahey! Get out there and enjoy it.
Once, my wife and I were dropped in on by a testosterone saturated Yank as we navigated the ridge of a pristine bowl - all he shouted was "CLEAR!!!!". Tut. A discerning female would politely have let us ski ahead and take first tracks, maybe.....
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My wife and I ski almost exclusively off piste.
She does occasionally moan it's always a bit full on.
Is that the testosterone effect?
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Perty, St Anton is known for being a bit male dominated. it ruins the apres inmho at times in the season. don't know if you found that? in contrast 2 male friends of mine did a powder course in Ste Foy with mountaintracks (recommended) in 2011 and found that they were the only men. both married and in their 40s but they had fun pretending to be playahs in the hot tub (not). it shows i think that gender divide varies by location and standard of course with the more "serious" resorts attracting the more macho. ski freshtracks do ladies only off piste courses which I looked at for my daughter.
however, I think it is true that basi has more male qualified instructors at most levels. worth a study of some sort.
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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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pam w,for me, it's too slow, too soft. I like to feel the feedback up from the piste to my skis - the subtle changes of movement as the edges interact with the compacted snow - not that gentle floating one gets off piste.
And it just goes to show... that it takes all sorts! (can't believe you needed to ask that  )
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red 27, I've always thought that most of the people who (like me) ski almost exclusively on piste just don't have the skills (as I don't) to ski off piste for more than a few tottery sort of turns before heading back to the predictable piste. If you are a skilled off piste skier but prefer the piste then, fair enough, that goes to show that it takes all sorts......
But if you are a poor off piste skier then it only goes to show that many people prefer to do something they;re good at and don't like heading outside their comfort zone.
I prefer skiing on piste because I am crap at skiing off piste, but I'd like to give it a decent go before giving it up as beyond me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Perty wrote: |
...If only I were single....
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If only.
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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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pam w, all agreed. I am very intolerant of anything other than perfect off-piste conditions which obviously doesn't help.
Enjoy your course next week, looks like conditions might come right for you, we will expect a full report
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You know it makes sense.
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I am a 39 yo mother of 2 and I love off piste. I did several avi courses, and carry transceiver, shovel and probe, and a snowpulse airbag. I do see that there are not many gals to find and I already did several trips as being the only one. I am used to share my room with guys as I have to. The first time was weird, not anymore. Good thing is that I found a new relationship and we both are crazy about freeriding. So if we are both free to go we can share a room together...
Go powderchasing and the ratio is worse: on the courses there are some girls. By the way some said the male-female ratio was ski-wide. And it is true. All my male friends go on ski holiday with friends. I tried several times to organise a girls' trip (also regular non freeriding trips. Usually I have to cancel it as all the girls bail. No money, no time whatever...
My female friends think I am crazy as I like skiing, freeriding, mountain biking, off roading with 4x4 etc etc. And yes I also like putting on make up, dressing up nice and having coffees with my friends.
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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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| Quote: |
we will expect a full report
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I think there are several snowheads doing the course - I expect we'll do our best to give a flavour of the experience.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| skiester wrote: |
| And yes I also like putting on make up, dressing up nice and having coffees with my friends. |
..and a little 'manger de la rug' perhaps?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mollerski,
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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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I ought to point out I'm not a girlie girl (erm, woman). I don't shy away from skiing something steep, bumpy, icy or whatever, I might not do it particularly well but hey I'll have a go. I'm also a motorcyclist and I spent many years playing ladies rugby.
If I was 15 years younger, fitter and better insured, I'd definitely want to try the proper off-piste thing, I wouldn't let my gender stand in the way.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Seems to me to be a much more extreme male/female split offpiste amongst tourists than locals; it's fairly (though not quite) even amongst people I know who live out here. |
yes also seemed more equal in Scotland where everyone skis everywhere and among people I have seen touring there. I'm 34 and have skied off piste since I started skiing, I've never really understood this massive difference between on and off piste and how people could say they are an expert skier, can ski all blacks with style but can't ski off piste. You find steep slopes and tough snow conditions on and off piste (obviously steeper for some off piste) and I would much prefer to ski ungroomed snow than some steep piste than has had all the snow scraper off and is now an icy wall of death.
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
I ought to point out I'm not a girlie girl (erm, woman). I don't shy away from skiing something steep, bumpy, icy or whatever, I might not do it particularly well but hey I'll have a go. I'm also a motorcyclist and I spent many years playing ladies rugby.
If I was 15 years younger, fitter and better insured, I'd definitely want to try the proper off-piste thing, I wouldn't let my gender stand in the way. |
What is a girlie girl? I do DH mtbing, does that mean I'm not a girlie girl, my DH bike is bright pink though, does that cancel it out
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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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DB, in the purple jacket? She smokes the guys in that video.
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The guys really suck big time though. If I were "bunny" Warren Smith I'd send them home.
1. Billy Backfoot
2. Bowlegged "Bottleout" Brian
3. Larry "Killy" Locklegs
4. Arfur "Flappy Arms" Daley
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6. Wayne "big air" McKnockney
7. Lanky "Legs Eleven" Lennox
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