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snow boarding GCSE

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi, my daughter , is supposed to be using snow boarding as her GCSE PE individual sport. We are due to go to whistler this christmas for 2 weeks, so were planning on getting an instructor for her and get them to film her at the end of the fortnight....BUT due to covid i am not sure we are going to get to canada ( as canada wont let anyone in for non essential travel ) . Individual videos need to be submitted around march time...so we need to go at christmas and then again in feb half term if needs be.
She is a good intermediate already, but we did not ski at all in the last season due to her being unwell.
So currently she has only had 2 free board sessions at our nearest snowdome in the last 18 months.
And we have no footage for her gcse.

I am guessing i need to plan to go to europe at christmas and feb half term ( we can self quarentine easily on return) , does anyone know any specialist instructors or organisations in any of the european resorts who can coach up to gcse requirements and film them ?
thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Welcome to Snowheads, @redjellybeans. If your daughter is still some way from the standard required for GCSE, then given the major problems with next season, wouldn't it be wise for her to think of using one of the sports she already does in the UK? If she's doing PE GCSE she presumably is quite sporty? It could be quite expensive, and stressful, trying to get the requirements for GCSE completed.
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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?
@redjellybeans, dry slope ?
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People reach extraordinary standards in freestyle in snowdomes.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
pam w wrote:
People reach extraordinary standards in freestyle in snowdomes.

& dry slopes. Most will have jump boxes,kickers, rails, etc. & go the right time - dead quiet! So could get up close for some decent shots to show technique, which would prob. be difficult to do on Snow

Its GCSE at the end of the day, so I doubt anyone expects some professional footage & grabbing big air.


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 14-08-20 12:47; edited 3 times in total
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@redjellybeans, given all the uncertainty this could be tricky. If PE is going to be an important GCSE for her, the first thing to check is probably the precise assessment requirements from her exam board.

You may be able to do the practical at an indoor snow dome in the UK (although perhaps not a dry slope). Or is it feasible for you to spend a number of weekends in Scotland this winter?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
MINT Snowboarding and Gypsy Snowboarding in Morzine/PdS area. Close to Geneva, easy to get to. I have personal experience with MINT, and their instructors are truly excellent. They would be happy to discuss objectives/desired standard before you get out there. Have heard good things about Gypsy too. I should add - they aren't "specialist" in that they cater towards GCSE, but if you list the exact GCSE requirements then they can easily coach to that standard.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I think the exam boards do not allow assessment to take place on dry slopes, only on snow either indoors or in a resort. I don't know much about the snowboarding criteria, but if it's like the skiing criteria it will be a bit dumb and a PITA to do. It might well have a timed slalom element in it if they've done a copy and paste job from the skiing criteria, which makes even less sense for snowboarding than it does for alpine skiing.
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@rob@rar, does that mean a decent racer is guaranteed an "A"?!
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snowdave wrote:
@rob@rar, does that mean a decent racer is guaranteed an "A"?!
No, the minor sports that you have submit coursework on, such as skiing or snowboarding, are a very small part of the overall mark scheme. A decent racer is a great skier, so you would expect them to perform highly in the range of skills that has to be demonstrated, and to ski to a high standard in the competitive situation of the slalom. So for that part of the assessment you'd expect a decent racer to score very high marks.
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rob@rar wrote:
I think the exam boards do not allow assessment to take place on dry slopes, only on snow either indoors or in a resort. I don't know much about the snowboarding criteria, but if it's like the skiing criteria it will be a bit dumb and a PITA to do. It might well have a timed slalom element in it if they've done a copy and paste job from the skiing criteria, which makes even less sense for snowboarding than it does for alpine skiing.


Maybe OP should check. If fridges are closed again & ski travel is not possible, you will prob get away with submitting stick drawing flip book.
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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.
@rob@rar, thanks. Pity!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
They definitely do this at Snozone mk for skiing, not sure about boarding, might be worth asking.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Any footage submitted for GCSE assessment has to continue until goggles removed and include a close up on the face at the end (or start, I suppose) of the clip.
When my son went through this (skiing, not snowboarding, but I understand Thea and applies), I filmed him myself.

We had a form / checklist for an instructor to sign as to his abilities, as others can said, this can be done indies in the uk, but we found it easier to demonstrate the range of pistes listed in resort. He had a single lesson for this rather than a course.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Mr.Egg wrote:
rob@rar wrote:
I think the exam boards do not allow assessment to take place on dry slopes, only on snow either indoors or in a resort. I don't know much about the snowboarding criteria, but if it's like the skiing criteria it will be a bit dumb and a PITA to do. It might well have a timed slalom element in it if they've done a copy and paste job from the skiing criteria, which makes even less sense for snowboarding than it does for alpine skiing.


Maybe OP should check. If fridges are closed again & ski travel is not possible, you will prob get away with submitting stick drawing flip book.
Yeah, checking is always good. The rule that assessments must be made on snow is written in to the GCSE criteria (I've not done any snowboarding assessments, but I've done plenty of GCSE skiing assessments and a handful of A level assessments), and I don't think that an exam board can easily change those criteria, not least because they are all based on a core specification which I think established by government or one of its quangos. But checking is definitely a good thing to do.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The requirements do vary slightly from exam board to exam board so may be worth having the relevant information from the syllabus to hand for the instructor to look through beforehand.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
thanks so much for all the replies...i didnt expect so much help !

So firstly my d was a strong intermediate boarder...able to tackle red confidently, and some blacks . However had not done any freestyle/tricks etc.
then in feb 2019 she was diagnosed with anorexia and spent march 2019 to march 2020 in hospital...
Jan 2020 until covid hit she had started doing 1 hr sessions when on home leave back at Tamworth our nearest indoor slope.

Then covid and that is where we are at.

Ina nswer to the poster who said consider another sport...as my d is going to yr 11 and is going to have hockey as her team / other sport, which will be graded and submitted now by her school, and because she has to get 'back' into it from the point of being ill, we do not have time to try another sport.
Pre being ill she was very sporty and played all school sports teams, and county level hockey..obviously she missed a full yr of sport.
Luckily for her covid has reduced the requirements for gcse pe and she can submit 2 not 3 sports, so she has a full term of hockey coming up to be graded on , and then the best option is snowboarding, with filming at christmas

the criteria are quite strict, and there is no tricks/freestyle allowed.
Candidates need to submit evidence of being able to do all the core skills over increasing degrees of difficult terrain, with grade 9 being awarded for skills in the core skillset and over i guess blacks and moguls and an ability to asses and change tact/direction etc as the terrain presents itself

we are aware the manchester chill factor does gsce prep sessions and even filming for submissions, but the exam boards are clear that is is very if not impossible to get highest marks on indoor slopes, and it does have to be snow not dry.

hence why the plan is some prep sessions there first, a christmas trip to europe and a second at feb half term if needed.
this is if whistler is out of the picture...which i think it will be

currently she is around a grade 6-7 , but wants a 9 as wants to do alevel pe
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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?
@redjellybeans, One of the key skills of snowboarding ( or any outdoor sport ) is understanding the outdoor environment and hazard awareness. Another key life skill is delivering on objectives, and for boarding the key objective is to have fun safely.
For these 2 reasons anyone deliberately snowboarding moguls should be marked down seriously.
You would not take a road bike down a mountain bike trail ( something for which it is not designed ), so why take a snowboard down a mogul-field ?
There may be no freestyle allowed, but a progression from pan flat, standard red, to narrow red, to steep red, to powder field, to black, (maybe a short easy couloir if the conditions are right) ought to provide ample opportunity to demonstrate core skills. ( one foot skating, penguin walk, setting off safely, looking uphill, choosing safe and considerate places to stop, wide turns, short turns, switch riding, controlling steep descents, falling leaf, powder riding, reading the terrain, negotiating small drop-offs etc..)
All without the aid a mogul-field.
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WindOfChange wrote:
...for boarding the key objective is to have fun safely. ...anyone deliberately snowboarding moguls should be marked down seriously.... why take a snowboard down a mogul-field
<laughs> No.

Moguls are a little harder on a snowboard versus skis, that's all.

Anyone on a mountain who can't ride moguls would arguably be less safe, as there are places where they really can't be avoided.
That's probably not a significant risk for kids at a snowdome, mind.

WindOfChange wrote:
Another key life skill is delivering on objectives".
Like delivering pizza you mean? Delivering what, to whom, and when? And what's that got to do with snowboarding?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Delivering fun to yourself - you know FUN, the reason I strap a board to my feet.

I can ride moguls ( swiss wall ) but why would you when there's Sooo much better and more fun terrain to ride.
It's like going to have an injection you dont need.
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@redjellybeans, whereabouts do you live? Would Scotland be an option if they have snow and europe gets locked down?? I'd also try and work out when her mocks are as you wouldn't want to be away for half term if her mocks are the first week back IMHO.

When my daughter did GCSE skiing 4 years ago there was a very specific checklist of things to do and video, inc specific terrain types to do certain tasks on.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
My nephew did snowboarding as part of his GCSE. It was a complete PIA for us to record him and I think the idea of getting help either in a fridge or in resort is a good one. It wasn't helped by the fact he forgot t pack his checklist of what he needed, this was more than 10 years ago now!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
scotland might well be a good back up plan.
Thanks for the suggestion

We have the exam board specifics, but think our filming skills probably are a limiting factor !! plus i cannot ski and hold a go pro .

So currently emailing snowboard instructors/schools in high altitude european resorts in hope of going mid Dec
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redjellybeans wrote:

We have the exam board specifics, but think our filming skills probably are a limiting factor !! plus i cannot ski and hold a go pro .


GoPros aren't good enough IMHO, a hand held with zoom is much much easier, You'll just end up with really disappointing video of small dots using just a GoPro! Some shots work ok, lots don't inc someone skiing towards you where you zoom out, skiing away where you zoom in etc etc
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@kitenski, you use the gopro to do a "follow cam", not as a static camera.
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@kitenski...thank you for tip..the go pro was sort of catch all comment...as in I am really not a good enough skier to ski and film...wouldn't matter what i was using Smile

luckily i have found a couple of snow board instructors via this forum who are very happy to review the criteria and then coach and film ..
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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.
@stevomcd, i am well aware of that, also well aware it's the least ideal way to film skiing for GCSE specific tasks having done so!
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