 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Gaza, don't be daft. The purpose of the course is to teach you to teach other people (and for you to pass). So of course you should do it in the environment you feel most comfortable in (Braehead). That way, you relax, you concentrate on the Trainer, you learn more and you pass the course comfortably. Once you've got the badge, you go back to Hillend and adapt your demos etc. to that surface. No brainer.
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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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I like your thought process @Raceplate. My real preference would be to do it on a mountain but none of the dates I've seen work for me.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Can't remember who, but I read on here someone buying a cheapo pair of Head skis from Glisshop recently just to use on dryslopes. Might be an option for when you do your shadowing at Hillend - after all it wouldn't look great if you are teaching on there but struggling, so might be worth the investment.
Or if you can afford another new pair of top end skis, get some and demote the Fischers to dry slope duties! 
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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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@hammerite, my use of 'struggling' was probably overstating the issue. 'Uncomfortable' is probably a better description.
Mrs Gaza would have a fit if I suggested buying any more pairs of skis. In addition to the Magnums Junior Gaza has just had a pair of Salomon X-RACE JR SL and there are a pair of K2 Juvys in the attic that Santa picked up in an end of season sale for this Christmas. 
I might have a trawl of ebay and Gumtree to see if there is anything on there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My daughter did her L1 at Hemel and all her shadowing and a bit of teaching at Tallington Lakes dry slope. She'd never skied on one before but it only took a couple of runs to get the feel. She just used the pair of not too wide twintips that she'd used prior to getting a new pair of piste skis for her L1.
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Just a thought (unrelated to your actual question) - if you as a competant skier can't ski the hire skis on that bit of slope, how on earth are the students supposed to?
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| Gaza wrote: |
| Hillend (dryslope) I've grown to dislike it. I know I never ski as well there as I do on the mountain or in a snowdome. |
Go for the slope you are more comfortable on, the course is stressful enough without you thinking you don't "like" the surface...
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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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@Gaza, I did a Tel L1 at Hillend a while back...much prefer being outside.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ski, did you use your skis or Hillend's?
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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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@Gaza, the face is indeed pretty hard to get grip on, especially for adults, but is good training ground for steeps skills. I'd be surprised if much of the L1 is done up there.
Hopefully the course will go well at whichever venue you choose. In summer I think I'd prefer to be on snow at Braehead, while in winter it's a closer call as it is nice being outdoors at Hillend. That may sound the wrong way round !
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You know it makes sense.
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@Gaza, Yes... used my own skis..
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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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My new Head Magnums arrived yesterday so I'm going to give them a run tonight at Braehead. I may give them a run at Hillend next Saturday before making my final decision. I will make sure they are waxed with either Polar X or GX before venturing on to the latter.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Gaza, all the very best with it, I agree with @kitenski'spost above, just go for the surface you are happier on and thus remove one source of stress 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Gaza wrote: |
| My new Head Magnums arrived yesterday so I'm going to give them a run tonight at Braehead.. |
Oh what a bittersweet experience. Took the Magnums out for a run on Friday night. They were superb. I felt they flattered my ability. Today (Saturday ) I took them out again as Braehead gave me a very good deal to accompany my son on the slope for the races today.
I was really getting in to the swing of things when I came to the end of a run and as I turned to head to the tow there was a sickening crunch and I came to a near halt. There was nothing obvious but when I got to the top of the tow I took my ski off and saw a long, deep scratch ending in a deep gouge about an inch long. I had a range of emotions. Anger being one of them. I skied down and told the liftie what had occurred and we both looked for the cause. It was easy to spot. Just covered by snow was a piece of metal and wood that had been exposed by the plastic matting being missing.
They immediately roped the area off and called the manager. He told me to take the ski to Ellis Brigham and they would pay for the repair. Repairing a brand new ski hurts but there was little other option.
I immediately went along to EB and showed them the damage. They were very good. They took the ski in and said to come back later. They gave me their 170cm demo Titans to use while they did the repair. This was very helpful as it allowed me to test the other option I considered.
I liked the Titans and, if the trutb be told, couldn't really tell much difference. I think the Titans were slightly better in the crud at the edges of the slope.
After the racing had finished I went back to EB and collected the sky. They seemed to have made a good job of the repair but have recommended a full base grind. They didn't want to do one ski only and said I'd need to bring the other in. However, I wouldn't have got them back until next week and as I live about 70 miles away it wasn't going to work.
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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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@Gaza, A mate of mine has just launched a ski academy with Basi based at Zauchensee in Austria. I'm not sure whether they have marketed it yet but there may be some convenient on-snow dates for you??
www.skiacademyaustria.com
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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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@Gaza, skis are meant to be used. Damaging the front part of the top sheet I find more upsetting.
Anyway back on topic - ebay yourself a cheap pair of used cheater slalom skis and use the for your assessment on Hillend.
sorted.
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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: |
but have recommended a full base grind.
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It's a bummer gouging new skis indoors but it's only ptex and once patched will make 0 difference to how the skis perform or their life expectancy, I would ask why they advise a full grind, the repair should be flat & even and as they are new skis they will just have been ground flat, grinding them this soon in their life would annoy me and it terribly wasteful for just a patch (normally anyway)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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After a couple of slides today it was virtually impossible to see the repair. @balernoStu had a quick look and confirmed that a base grind would not be necessary.
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@Gaza, all good then, I'd have been very skeptical that a base grind was needed!
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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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@Gaza, good luck, let us know how you get on during the week if you can!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Gaza, good luck with 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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Glad you stuck with Hillend they need the business ! BIL instructs there part time.
Do you have a diamond tool in which case you could do a quick and dirty edge sharpen on some rentals
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Took my Fischers up to Hillend today. Last night I gave the a liberal coating of Dry Slope Wax. It did the trick but it seemed a bit strange not scraping it once applied. I think I need to practise application a bit more as I could not get it bump and ripple free. I did give it a brush with a brass brush followed by horsehair but is wa still a bit mottled.
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You know it makes sense.
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The wax you mention is good for dry slopes and you are right not to scrape it, it's too hard and brittle. To get a smoother finish try a slow final pass of the iron tip to tail, I use this wax and you can normally get a nice smooth coat which doesn't need brushing. If the finish is mottled it's possible you have applied it over zardoz?
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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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| ski wrote: |
| @Gaza, I did a Tel L1 at Hillend a while back...much prefer being outside. |
^ This.
Much of a L1 is spent on the nursery slope - better being outside that under neon lights for 5 days ?
Hillend in a good long slope, so in some ways it is better than a snow dome ?
Just ordered some Polar GX wax.
Amazingly had never heard of it - cheers for the tip.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Gaza wrote: |
| Took my Fischers up to Hillend today. Last night I gave the a liberal coating of Dry Slope Wax. It did the trick but it seemed a bit strange not scraping it once applied. I think I need to practise application a bit more as I could not get it bump and ripple free. I did give it a brush with a brass brush followed by horsehair but is wa still a bit mottled. |
How did you get on using these instead of rental skis? One advantage would be knowing what skis you will be using, instead of trying to get a pair from rental that you may have got on with previously.
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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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Gaza, If you are serious about skiing slalom on plastic then look at something a lot shorter than 175cm.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Gaza, Ok but they are not really "cheater slalom skis" if they have a larger sidecut radius than proper race ones.
The difference for me between snow and dryslope is the lack of grip on dendix, I can spot a dryslope racer by them avoiding getting big edge angles.
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@rjs, as a plastic slope ski for @Gaza's requirements I'd have thought the ones he has suggested could work quite well?
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I have the option of purchasing a pair of Head Icon TT 60.0 at a very good price. They are 177. Radius:15. Sidecut: 117/68/101. Any thoughts on these?
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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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@Gaza, no idea where in Essex you are based when you are there, but Welwyn and Hemel aren't too far.
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FAQ
Hillend (whilst not being snow) is a great place to spend a week. At the top of the tow you can (almost) be in the mountains ! Just an FYI tho' ---- heat and base repairs do not go too well together.... but.... assuming it's just a gouge in the base -- then it can easily be redone....and application of a very very hard wax (Polar-X or CH4) will protect the bases anyway. It's worth remembering that a lot of your ski time on the L1 is going to be snowploughs, plough parrallels and basic (slow) stuff like that so you are very unlikely to do further damage. Keep an eye on EBAY --- anything reasonably recent, and piste orientated will be fine, if your son races then you already know how to sharpen edges and wax bases The Face is a nice challenge too --- although we tele'd it 
Never used it.
