 Poster: A snowHead
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If you, daughter, wife, girlfriend, mum etc fancy giving skiing/boarding a try then you may be interested in this.
From an equality point of view I have asked when the men's session is - JUST KIDDING ALTHOUGH IT BUGS ME OK
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Only a few days to go until our first ever This Girl Can ski & snowboard event kicks off THIS SATURDAY - with special guest JENNY JONES! There's still time to get involved and join us for a morning of snow, sliding and shredding!
This Girl Can is a celebration of active women up and down the country who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets.
If you’ve ever fancied giving skiing or snowboarding a try – this is the perfect opportunity. Complete with female instructors, there will be a range of beginner taster lessons available, for females of all ages, to give it a go and try something new... lessons and sessions are only £10 per person!
Plus, for girls that can already ski and snowboard, join in with one of the progression sessions, where our female coaches will offer up hints and tips to take your skills to the next level.
AND Jenny will be hanging out with the girls on the snow, chatting and answering questions… they’ll be chance to get a photo and an autograph too! |
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 11-08-15 16:56; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fair dos, Boris - there's a great deal of catching up to do. Most girls do zero exercise and measures to encourage participation are worthwhile from various points of view. Female participation in sport in the UK is dismal.
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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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@pam w, I know and agree, I'm just being deliberately difficult as I'm bored
And I haven't emailed them!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Boris, well you could always put your skirt on and see if they will let you take part...... 
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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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@Alastair Pink, Now there's a thought
Just to be clear - I'm messing about - so any mods around please feel free to strike this from existence
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Boris, don't protest too much..... I am sure I can recall similar posts from you in the past 
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@Boris, Maybe you should just change the post title - the idea is actually quite good. I'd happily spend £10 on a beginner snowboard session if I wasn't 150 miles from Tamworth!
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@pam w, I admit it - I get irritated that this, along with Race for Life and Ladies Gym or swim sessions, is perfectly acceptable but Men's clubs are seen as sexist.
But I fully understand the reasons for Race for Life, gym sessions whatever for all the reasons you outlined earlier and a whole host of others! Who wants to be running when there's a pervy bloke (like me) running as well eh.
But this was only meant to be a light hearted dig and not a serious thread, however will change the title as @Scarlet, suggests to promote it.
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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 go to the Ladies Only swimming sessions at my local pool. The main reason being that it means I can swim in the medium lane. If I go to a mixed session I get demoted to the slow lane and some of them are too slow for me (plus there's no room to overtake).
Perhaps the same rules apply here?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thinking about this some more, it is important to challenge perceptions of reality as well as reality itself. There is a gender imbalance in snowsports – how many threads do we get regarding lads' trips vs girls' ones? And look at the bashes – some may be more gender balanced than others depending on the demographic, but it was clear at the EoSB (I was the only female in an apartment with six men... I didn't really mind, but the imbalance is obvious).
If a woman maybe wanted to try snowsports but didn't have a friend/partner to drag along, the perception that "it'll just be me and fifteen blokes" may be a little off-putting for some.
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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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I think its really important to encourage young females to get involved in sport, any sport. They simply don't to the extent guys do. They are way more likely to drop out of sport in their teens than guys do and that isn't good for a country or a world. Its not good for health, self esteem or anything.
Anything we can do to encourage more uptake and continuance of sport by girls is a great thing; and one thing that is proven in this field is positive female role models.
My daughter did a 'fast and female' summit last november, and loved it (https://www.fastandfemale.com/). She also did and all girls mountain bike camp this summer. She would never have done a mixed one, because the mixed one is 90% guys 10% tomboys and she doesn't feel encouraged by boys her age!
From the ski hills perspective females are probably a huge untapped market, it makes business sense to try and grow it. Plus it could well be that Jenny Jones is giving her time for this for free and she may not for a mixed, open to all event. Fast and female have great success in parading out Olympic athletes, but that's because they believe in the cause and give their time for free.
Is a shame you think its sexist.
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@gryphea, could you explain to me how having an activity which only one sex is allowed to take part in isn't sexist 
Now common sense dictates that these activities exist and yes I understand that there possibly isn't the demand for men only session. But for balance, how about some men only sessions to let men have a go at primary school teaching or nursing, two areas which they are chronically under represented.
Personally I don't have a problem if men or woman want to organise same sex groups, I think they should be allowed to.
Now I'm taking this thread seriously and need to leave
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You know it makes sense.
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@Boris,
I completely agree with you on the nursing/primary school teaching thing.
Its really important to keep girls active, it even impacts the NHS budget in terms of cost to health; and girls are way more likely to drop out of sport than boys. Given that, why would we not want to encourage higher participation in anyway we can?
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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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@gryphea, I have no problem with encouraging girls and woman to take part in sport.
I have a stupid, childish, irrational hatred that it is acceptable to have ladies only sessions, but it is not ok for men only golf clubs, or dining clubs etc as that is sexist apparently.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Boris, big difference form holding a one day session, to barring women from a whole institution..................besides which boys can still probably ski/board that day anyway; there's nothing to say that the girls have exclusive use.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@gryphea, like I said, stupid, childish, irrational that's me
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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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@Boris, single sex only days tend to exist in areas where one sex is under represented so I could actually imagine a teaching or nursing college holding a boys day to encourage more to apply, I couldn't imagine why anyone would have a problem with that? Like @gryphea says a lot of sports are dominated by men so if you sign up to a mixed gender event there is a very large possibility that it will be 90% male, some women will love this, some be indifferent and some hate it. If it encourages more women or girls to take part in sports I'm not really sure why it's an issue. Clubs that permanently exclude someone based on gender are sexist because because they are excluding one sex rather than encouraging another which is what the other examples I've suggested are doing. I guess if you really wanted to see more men only days for areas men are under represented you could organise them? I've organised women only DH mtbing days which were fun and no one seemed to complain or feel excluded by them, in fact we always got positive comments from the guys we saw on the trails.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The boot does fit on the other foot - there are pilates and yoga sessions that are specifically for men for example. Both of those activities are normally very dominated by women, which might prevent some men from giving it a go, and men are likely to have different strengths and weaknesses so having a session tailored to their physiology is probably sensible.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 12-08-15 9:10; edited 1 time in total
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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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There are some 'This Girl can' cycle sessions running in our area, as well as a Breeze women's cycling group.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
could you explain to me how having an activity which only one sex is allowed to take part in isn't sexist
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"Sexism" means thinking that one sex is naturally superior to the other (cf. "racism"). I don't think having a session which specifically encourages one under-represented group to participate is "sexist" in this sense (rather the reverse, actually, as it implies that the girlies need protection from unfettered male competition).
You do need to look at your question about golf clubs, dining clubs etc, in a historical context. Huge swathes of public and private institutions were entirely male dominated - often by legislation - until the very recent past. When I started working women in the Foreign Office were required to resign on marriage. 
I wouldn't be too happy joining in a beginners group coaching session for a new sport - for example surfing, SUP, kayaking - where I was the only woman, because of the simple, non-ideological preconception that the men were likely to be stronger, in a straightforward physical sense.
I do strongly agree that there should be more male primary school teachers; it would be a big help to little boys starting school, who often see it as an overwhelmingly female kind of environment. But then I think women have become the majority in secondary school teaching too - perhaps because it's not a very well paid job! Throughout Europe a majority (sometimes a huge majority) of primary school teachers are female.
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I went on a women only ski course in Whistler. I hated it, mainly because most of the participants were regulars and had been doing these sessions all winter. I felt quite excluded. All chatting about their family and who they'd had for dinner that week.
In an off-piste group in Serre Chevalier, I was the only woman, and was definitely not the best member of the group, and not as strong as the male participants, but was never made to feel left out, possibly because they were all snowHeads.
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The women only sessions at my pool bug me because after everything else is prioritised - lessons, swimming club, school galas, aquarobics (which let's face it is a women only session anyway) there's few enough evening hours to swim.
That and the gossip squad swimming slow hair up breaststroke 2 or 3 abreast clogging the non lane bit of the pool ( funnily enough this seems to be sex biased too).
I do strike back by attending predominantly female spin classes and ignoring the dancey bits by resolutely grunting through in a higher gear.
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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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What's wrong with swimming with your head out of the water? How else are you supposed to breathe?
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| What's wrong with swimming with your head out of the water? How else are you supposed to breathe? |
not ,much it is just slower. As to how else you are supposed to breathe? You breathe out under water and in when you bring your head up.... Which o have just spent the last week teaching my daughter as I suddenly realised she had been holding her breath all the time her head was under water meaning that when she came out of water she had to attempt to breath out and in which there isn't time, hence why she has been struggling to progress in her lessons,
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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What's wrong with swimming with your head out of the water?
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It will tend to give you neck ache, possibly back ache, and will tend to make you drop your hips down, too - far from the streamlined shape you're supposed to be, and which I'm trying to aim at. @NickyJ, I have to make a conscious effort to breathe out with my head under water - all part of the process of learning.
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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 wrote: |
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What's wrong with swimming with your head out of the water?
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It will tend to give you neck ache, possibly back ache, and will tend to make you drop your hips down, too - far from the streamlined shape you're supposed to be, and which I'm trying to aim at. @NickyJ, I have to make a conscious effort to breathe out with my head under water - all part of the process of learning. |
Really pleased I have been able to help her, just couldn't figure out why she was doing two or three lovely formed strokes, then doggy paddle then good strokes, until I watched her from underneath and realised that there weren't any bubbles coming out, she has tried really hard to change and can now confidentially do a good solid width of breast stroke without changing stroke to breathe and she is getting the hang of front crawl as she was doing the same with that (that and attempting to lift her head up in front not at the side), which is why she is taking a bit longer to get confident as she is having to change more.
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I swim with my head out of the water so I can avoid being barged into by very large men with their heads in condom-hats and goggles swimming crawl at a rate of knots, not looking where they are going and caring even less  .
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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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What's wrong with swimming with your head out of the water? How else are you supposed to breathe?
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It is slower, more tiring and puts strain on a neck thus largely negating the benefits of swimming.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We did one of the This Girl Can things at hockey and only 2 still come training with us, not many stick it out when it has a cost or the expectation of regular structured attendance, particularly in 'expensive' sports.
I would like to see more clubs do open days aimed at adults though for those already [vaguely] competent, so have a go at say race training or freestyle, but without the pressure of people already good at it, but with a structured club/training scheme you can join if you want further training. I'd love to try ski racing but at 26 I don't have the confidence to 'join a club' where I feel I will be able to improve up to being able to race, but that I would if I was 12, stuff for kids seems really well advertised in comparison.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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The biggest thing we found with the This Girl Can stuff is that it was funded or part funded based on number of people attending who were something like age 14-25, so it has to be advertised as such.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I didn't know that, they certainly don't make it clear. I'm 32 so not their target demographic, which is a shame.
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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 guess I swim wrong then. But I think I'd struggle any other way as I have to breathe through my mouth, I'd end up swallowing half the bloody pool...
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
The women only sessions at my pool bug me because after everything else is prioritised - lessons, swimming club, school galas, aquarobics (which let's face it is a women only session anyway) there's few enough evening hours to swim.
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Used to regularly swim in the hour before the ladies only session at local pool, as it was only time I could get there. There would usually be same 8 or so of us swimming, as the appointed approached the 3 or 4 chaps would get out and the 4 or 5 ladies would carry on, by the time I'd got showered and changed and was heading out 20 min or so later (so 1/3 of the way through the session) almost always it would still be same group of ladies who, shortly before, had been happily swimming in a mixed session in the pool. shows what total nonsense of political correctness it was to have the ladies only sessions.
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FAQ
Everything is aimed at kids or people who are already good at things, it would be nice if adults were given the chance to take part in some different things too but without the pressure that comes with joining a club first. Nobody seems to realise that adults want to have fun and try different things too 