Group Challenges

A snowHead

Hi guys

A group of us (seven) are going skiing (Zell am See) at the end of February and I'm trying to come up with something to add a competitive element to the trip, especially as there is a Stag involved. We are skiing for six days in total.

In terms of ability, we have a very mixed group (2 very good, 1 good, 1 nearly good, 2 novices, and 1 beginner). I'm sure that there will be various challenges using Phone Apps to record individual speed etc and no doubt we will be counting how many times we stack it, but because there is such a wide range of ability, individual competition won't really mean much.

For the sake of team spirit and levelling things up a little, it would be good for us to split into two teams each day and complete some challenges, both together as a big group and also separating off in two groups.

Ideas would be very welcome.

Thanks all.

A snowHead

You'll find everything you need here:
http://youtube.com/v/4Vb_go27n4w wink

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

*removes Zell am See from list of places to visit in February*

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@clarky999, +1 that's the one

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Skiing is not golf, there is no handicap system to even things out. Please, please don't see who can record the highest speed, particularly with such a mixed group and on a stag do which might involve a bit of alcohol, I'm guessing. Enjoy the skiing, then the après, in that order. If you want some competition, you can organise an evening meal up the hill then sledge back down which I've done. Leave any testosterone fueled activities off the slopes, there are a lot of other people also there to enjoy the mountains, it's not your private race track.

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Oi and, indeed, Oi.

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Just to qualify a couple of things.

Firstly, we are all too old to be testosterone fuelled, we are also all self-employed so will not be doing anything to push ourselves beyond our capabilities and risk injury. Secondly, we have all agreed that drink is banned from the slopes, I don't even drink when I play golf, certainly not going to do it skiing! And to put things into perspective, last time we went we only went out drinking twice in 8 days because we were all too tired each night!!q

But we are all competitive, so anything we can do to help the competitive nature of the group (without having to push any comfort or capability barriers) is a good thing - such as 'most improved skier' each day for instance. Or for the novices (of which I am one) points for completing a blue run without falling over, and a points deduction every time we do fall over.

The sledging sounds like a good idea, thank you.

After all it is free

We met a blokes group in a chalet a couple of years ago, who'd been skiing together as a group for many years. They handed out a number of awards on the last night, though the only one I remember was "cock of the week", a small ornamental cockerel for the person who did the stupidest thing. Laughing

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@Token74, I think the sledging is a great idea plus some resorts set up the salom poles on a run for an afternoon specifically for timed sessions (i.e. someone supervising at the top) which would be great idea for a competition (and you can handicap times), and won't endanger anyone else on the slopes. Also a forfeit for the first person who falls over on holiday is always good (and encourages more careful skiing!)

I agree with the sentiment here - I don't own ski tracks because I think the temptation to beat your fastest speed is too great, and will only end up endangering other people.

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Thanks Scarlet, there will be a cockerel for sure!

HT - The supervised run could be a real winner for the good skiers, will investigate.

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@Token74, I know a lot of people have knocked the whole speed idea, but depending on where you go (never been to Zell am See), there is sometimes specialist speed guns set up to record your speed in a safe area. I know they have a couple in Verbier.

Some Austrian resorts I've been to have timed slalom courses that you can try, more often than not for free. I don't know if Zell am See has one though (although they do have the professional night-slalom race).

You know it makes sense.

@Handy Turnip, This is good suggestion, but with mixed ability group why not see who can do two timed runs that most closely match each other. So the prize goes to the most consistent skier over two or more runs.

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

If they have an airbag you can jump on to then plenty of award possibilities there.....

A snowHead

Good call on the airbag. We did that the other year in tignes.

A snowHead

@Rareperk, @nemesys, couple of great ideas!

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

Who can do the most runs with an egg in their pocket before it turns into an omelette...? Toofy Grin

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Has to be this Toofy Grin

youtube.com/v/zfs7K89FlzI

Another option if you can find some gates set up is a team slalom split the skiers up 2 groups.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Last year Zell had a nice filmed and timed slalom course, which we used as our Group challenge last year.

The best part is you have to wait until later on the evening, when well liquored, to get the times and watch back the videos on the website. Very Happy

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See who can get the most pictures with someone wearing a onesie.

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Last run of the day has to be done naked.

After all it is free

We've had fun with photo treasure hunts - even when time is an element they are not 'speed runs' and I don't feel we are a danger on the slopes during them, even though there is more than usual pressure to get on it's no more than when you want to get to the other side of the 3v before the lifts close for instance. I wouldn't have very mixed teams though, that can lead to a lot of pressure on the worst in each team to keep up = tired = foolish choices. Most of our grup are pretty much of a muchness but when needed we've done different routes/hunts for each level or just take the time element out and rate on quality instead (e.g BEST onesie photo or MOST onesies in a shot, not a onsie + a blah + a foo + ??? and first one back is the winner).

The official slalom courses are always a hit, just put a handicap on and let people race (+5 seconds for each week skiing or similar)

I would avoid the skitracks fastest run temptation too, even when it comes up in our group naturally 'oh look at what we did today' (we do use the route tracking side) I try and turn conversation away - too many competitive folks for that to end well. I would def not want to set it as a challenge. Likewise grab the flag type games sometimes come up (flag in backpack you have to grab it and flee) - again I wouldn't recommend, skiing is not a good contact sport. For the same reason I don't actually like 'best fall' award - it's common but seems to me to encourage folks to think it's normal to wipeout.

Syncronised routines (on an easy slope) are more entertaining than you might expect - makes for excellent comedy video later too. Some of our group suprised with an excellent gagnam style routine a couple of years ago, suprisingly doable.

You can get the stag to do some of the normal type of games from a stag/hen do evening in the lift queues too - trying to collect names/numbers/photos/kisses etc, a photo of them with all the colours of the rainbow is one I like (you actually have to get quite a bit of coordination for that), getting people to let you pick them up, ski hand in hand, change an item of clothing with a stranger (a liftie for extra points) etc etc.

Coordinated outfits are good fun too - people are more inclined to interact with you (and expecting it) if you have an interesting outfit.

hth,

aj x

+ for GNAR - we have an adapted family version that we run throughout the season, usually won by our youngest

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Some great ideas, thanks all. Love the egg idea, and also the photo treasure hunt! A synchronised routine on the last day to be done by each group and judged by a stranger could be a lot of fun.

Keep them coming!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

On the timing thing you can do something which adds competition with timing, but not where fastest is the winner. We do a lottery bike ride every new year, each person who enters is allocated a time (which they don't know), everyone completes the ride however fast or slow they want to, the winner is the person who finishes closest to their time. Sure the same can be done for a ski route.

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@Ian Kenvyn, Please do share / start a new thread.

I recently showed my gf's younger brothers GNAR and they want to play a version when we go out next month.

You know it makes sense.

@adithorp, Thats taking it to a different level.
@Dzmarc, My thoughts exactly.
@Token74, How about everyone has to learn a new trick they couldn't do at the start of the week then judge at the end, that will account for all levels of ability.

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

Hi

We (boys trip, usually 5-9 people) usually do quests. If you complete a quest you get the points. The one with most points in the end of the trip wins. Quests are designed to the ski area we visit, this year it is 3 valleys (we have been there before).

Before we go a couple of us makes the quests and get them printed on a big banner made of fabric (1 meter high) with a nice background and nice graphics. Then we put it up on the wall in the apartment. Print service is a bit expensive, but who cares, its ski trip Smile

A very rough english translation of this years quests:

Win a tobogan run with at least 4 other competitors (300)
Travel to St. Martin and eat a round of their famous spag. bolo. (200)
Travel to Orelle and drink at least 6 of the famous Orelle-lomomba. (300)
Drink champagne (or something like it) in a lift and celebrate we are out skiing (300)
Fall like a fool on a box in the park (200)
Do a 180 in the park (200)
Do a 360 in the park (400)
Do a 720 in the park (800)
Eat a Filet de boeuf triple (600g) on Johns restaurant (300)
Ski on Chapelets in Courchevel (200)
Travel 25 km on one day only via pistes and lifts (100)
Travel 50 km in one day only via pistes and lifts (200)
Travel 100 km in one day only via pistes and lifts (400)
Ride the 3 parks in Meribel (200)
Do Morain from top to bottom in less than 2 mins (200)
Ride the days first trip on the Plein Sud lift (200)
Use "Dont do it" in a conversation with a stranger on the piste (200) (an internal joke)
Make a liftie say your name (300)
Get drunk on Folie Douce (300)
Go to La Tania and home again as random leader* (300)
Go to Courchevel-Moriond and home again as random leader* (400)
Ski under one who is skiing with spread legs (100)
Ride Piste Bleue in Courchevel (200)
Ride all black pistes in 3V (500)
Ride all pistes in the Orelle valley (100)
Ride all pistes in the Menuires/Val Thorens valley (400)
Ride all pistes in the Meribel valley (200)
Ride all pistes in the Courchevel valley (500)

* Random leader means that you lead a group and decides which lifts and pistes you are going on. However 5 times the group can choose a different direction than the leader wants ie. choose another piste or lifte than the leader plans.

Quests are a bit boring these days. Earlier it was much about how many girls you could pick up, which kinds, how much you could drink etc. but we have gotten old (30-34) and settled with girlfriends and structured (boring?) lifes.

The fun is not really doing the quests. The fun is discussing how to do the optimal approach to win, where to get easy points, talk about one who says he has done a quest but has he really, can it be proved etc.

And yes, there is alcohol on the piste, and some fast skiing, but it is handled with reason, you dont have to clear the 3 valleys when we are there (although it would be nice with some quiet pistes Wink

)

Note: The "ski somewhere" or "go somewhere" quests do make sense as we usually ski 2-4 people together and not the whole group as people have different skiing levels (and hangover levels)

A snowHead

Gaffney's Numerical Assessment of Radness.

Close thread.

A snowHead

Slow start, but some brilliant ideas, thanks for taking the time and trouble.

Token

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

Choose a shortish section of a piste, then see how many quick turns you can fit in.

Could "handicap" the better skiers by giving them a shorter run.

Done this in lesson, helps your skiing too

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Bad shirt day. Shirts must be worn all day (under or over ski gear, your choice), including in restaurants at lunch

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@Token74, Had my stag do in St Anton a few years ago. With varying abilities we found this little speed gun thing and had a laugh doing a couple of runs on that to see who was the quickest. Don't know if there's similar in Zell.

As the stag on the last day coming down from the Mooserwirt I had to ski down in a coconut bra and hula skirt, it was not a pretty sight........

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@nbt, They look like my good shirts Laughing

After all it is free

first off the chairlift 100points
second off 200
third 300
etc.

First to lift the bar on the chairlift loses 500 points..

Points for the most offensive flatulence in a cable car.

Points for best jump on a drag lift

points for furthest tracks from the centre line on a drag lift

Who can get the latest lift up on a vital, dead end link lift

Take an item of clothing off every time you fall over

Snow cock building competition

How many bras can you buy?

How many girls can you get to dance topless with you on the tables in a bar. (Astonishingly successful game played in Courchevel 1650 in 2001 although it cost us about £200 in cocktails used to bribe them)

naked stag run through the snow park whilst pelted with pre armed snowballs by the party

I could go on....

Help!!

Group Challenges

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