I taught a lesson with someone who had done a beginners session on these.
I think they had 3 x 2 hour sessions.
She told me she could snow plough, brake and snow plough turn.
Then she met snow so we started again from literally putting your skis on.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yes, that doesn't really surprise me too much because whilst the movements you learn are the same, the feel and experience is quite different, and it doesn't sound as though she had that much under her belt just yet. More skilled skiers can adapt much more easily between the two.
I must have done well over 20 actual hours on the mat last summer but when I finally answered the call of the cold in October, I was completely freaked at the top of Hemel's slope Although I was parallel-ish at Skiplex, my first run down on snow was a slow crab-like snowplough on the tails of my skis, and it took several descents before I started relaxing enough to be able to make any use of my new box of skills, but they were definitely there to be harnessed.
I'd be interested to read of other on-snow instructors' experiences of ex-rolling carpet students.
And a vid of @admin would be wonderful!
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?
I'd give it a go to test out the physics sometime when my nieces are having a session if they'll give me 10 mins for free. D'ya think my midfats would be better than my normal skis?
@Dave of the Marmottes, you have to use their skis - they are 'specially prepared' which I think means not at all in any traditional sense.
@motyl, I initially learnt on skiplex but then did a lesson at MK which freaked me out until I got used to how slippery it was. Last summer I used it to work on getting from plough-parallel to parallel and actually found it really helpful in that regard.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Tubaski, do you think it could be that they prefer blunt edges to avoid too much damage on the surface?
@Tubaski, I didn't so much mind the slipperiness, as much as it being a long-way-down (it looked so steep!), it being so full of (what seemed to me then) huge hills of loose snow, and so many people all over the place. So different to having a room to myself.
@SnoodyMcFlude, I believe they detune the skis so they don't catch the edges so easily. The surface seems pretty resilient - the bit that suffers the most is the join in the carpet but even that is holding up well after a few years.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
flangesax wrote:
I taught a lesson with someone who had done a beginners session on these.
I think they had 3 x 2 hour sessions.
She told me she could snow plough, brake and snow plough turn.
Then she met snow so we started again from literally putting your skis on.
Likewise, although after going through stopping using the plough, turns came a lot easier, even if getting on and off the t-bar took a lot of coaxing!
After all it is free
After all it is free
motyl wrote:
@TubaskiThe surface seems pretty resilient - the bit that suffers the most is the join in the carpet but even that is holding up well after a few years.
Last time I was at Chiswick their join was flapping about (fortunately it was the uphill edge, so no risk of it catching the front of the skis). At high speed it slapped the top of the slope rhythmically as it flipped over the back!
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.
Tubaski wrote:
@Dave of the Marmottes, you have to use their skis - they are 'specially prepared' which I think means not at all in any traditional sense.
Not withstanding the sharpness or lack thereof I think they also need to be totally free of wax otherwise it stuffs up the carpet.
I had a Skiplex sesson yesterday where I tested out what I'd learnt with Rob last weekend - the surface reaction to what I was doing was rather more critical than snow, which after my instructor's suggestions, in turn led to another improvement which I look forward to applying on snow. Breakthroughs don't happen every week but I find the ability to take things from carpet to snow to carpet, really beneficial.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Hmm even ski gods like Miller and Schlopy don't look super comfortable.
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.
under a new name wrote:
...
So if you're not moving relative to the earth, you are however applying frictional force on the moving mat against gravity (otherwise you'd slide to the bottom). Now, whether lateral movement across the mat will allow sufficient centripetal force to allow you to get your centre of mass inside your base of support I don't know but I don't think so.
You need to consider it from the perspective of the skier rather than the perspective of the Earth. Think Theory of Relativity.
When you ski down a mountain you are still in the same place relative to yourself. The mountain which was in front and below you a few minutes ago is now above and behind you. Same thing applies to the moving mat.
G is constant in all cases. Centrifugal force acts on your centre of mass trying to push it away from the centre of rotation created by the centripetal force generated by your skis. Fortunately these two forces are exactly opposite in a controlled turn, but it is the centripetal force generated by turning which allows you (indeed requires you) to get your centre of mass to the inside of your feet.
Of course you can cheat by using the inside ski as an in-rigger, but the same theories in physics apply to turning a motorbike, where you don't have an in-rigger option.
The first 50 seconds of this video explains it with nifty diagrams.
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
Thornyhill wrote:
... Think Theory of Relativity. ..
"Relativity" makes use of "frames of reference", but it's not really the key feature of the "Theory of Relativity" irrespective of what you actually mean.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
philwig wrote:
Thornyhill wrote:
... Think Theory of Relativity. ..
"Relativity" makes use of "frames of reference", but it's not really the key feature of the "Theory of Relativity" irrespective of what you actually mean.
I mean that what you observe and how the physics works depends on your perspective or frame of reference. How far did the bouncy ball on the train actually go ?
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
under a new name wrote:
Quote:
It's entirely possible to generate 'g forces' while stationary compared to the surface of the earth providing the surface beneath the skis is moving relative to the skier.
I really don't think it is...
Pictures can be deceptive.
Whether you are moving down a mountain, or the 'mountain' (in this case a moving carpet) is moving underneath you... going on to an edge can/should cause you to move across the slope - and that movement will be an acceleration, which is felt as a force on the skier. G force is maybe not a good term for it, but a force it certainly is.
Reminds me of that old one about the plane taking off from a moving runway 'belt' that can move at the same speed backwards as the plane moves forwards - anyone still think the plane doesn't take off?
I learnt to ski on dry stuff at Churchill in Zummerzet... was quite a shock (and easier) when I did eventually get on the real thing, but was still ideal preparation for a beginner.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
[quote="Thornyhill"]
under a new name wrote:
...
Think Theory of Relativity.
If you are skiing fast enough for Special Relativity to be a factor, I'm seriously impressed. Are you in fact the Young Lady called Bright?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I currently have an Unlimited Summer Ski Pass for the Reading branch. I, personally, swear by this place; when I first learnt to ski for a school ski trip in 2013, I initially learnt at an Outdoor ski slope which was good (I can't actually remember anything though haha!) but then Skiplex Reading opened and decided to move there instead - I'm literally a 10 minute walk from it. The lessons at Skiplex definitely showed successful, as once in Utah on this ski trip, I was put in top set (sorry for sounding incredibly school-like haha!) and ended up skiing black (which I know is like a red in Europe ), which for someone who'd had approx. 5 hours (inc. dry slope) of broken up and spaced out tuition from complete beginner, I think is pretty good.
I think what people forget to take into consideration sometimes is that nothing is going to compare to snow other than snow. I personally think skiing on Skiplex slopes are nicer than an outdoor dry ski slope, and between the two would prepare you the most for snow. I know this is the thing Skiplex uses to advertise the most, but you really do ski more in the half hour you have at Skiplex than you would at any other place in the UK in that time. The mirror, the varying slope and the majority of the instructors are an excellent tool for improving your skiing - as long as you embrace it and actually use them. I see a lot of good skiers come in to investigate, jump on and are very rejecting of the idea.
The price is very expensive, that I will admit. Before getting this pass in late April, I hadn't skied at Skiplex, or anywhere, for over a year for this very reason. That said, if you look around and take advantage of their deals and bulk bundles, it is possible to grab a good deal. For this pass, I paid £400, and is valid from 1st of April to the 30th of September this year. It works out that as long as you do 11 sessions in this time, you will have made up the money (basing this on £36 per single session). To be honest, if you've bought this pass, you're probably going to be going a lot more than 11 times. I've been 20 times since I bought it on April 18th. I'll let you do the maths. It is more expensive during the winter months.
Credit, this may only work when you're more local, or very very regular, but you soon get to know the staff. You also learn when is best to come so you get the slope to yourself, which is quite easy to work out in the summer, to be honest. For instance, I had a session booked for 11:45 this morning. It would normally work like this; you ski for 15 minutes, then break for 15 minutes (sometimes it's for another session) and then ski for another 15 minutes and you're done. I have the same instructor every session, bar the odd few (there's really only two there at the moment due to summer and lack of demand), so have gotten to know each other. It's a simple, nice thing to hear when he says "I was lying in bed this morning thinking of what could help with you today...". Hearing small things like this, just reiterates that you get a very personal and effective tuition, when learning at Skiplex. Because there was no one else about, or booked on anytime near my session. I skied for the whole hour, minus a five-minute break about 45 mins in (which was killer ). Obviously, this is very different in the winter and you will only get what you paid for then as it's so so busy.
Sharing the slope is always a tricky one. If you can get in on your own, brilliant. But this isn't always the case. They try to make sure skiers are of a similar experience and skill, but again, this isn't always the case. Although some may be skiing snowplough and you may be skiing parallel (which is not an issue) the steepness and speed of slope is what's tricky. There's nothing I can say that will try to excuse this, but what can you do? I personally, find it more challenging to ski 'perfect' parallel at a flatter radiant and much slower steep because I put too much power into the turn as if I were skiing much steeper and faster (which is what I'm working on now), so I sometimes find it useful as it forces you to work on something I don't particularly like doing but know I need too haha!
Any questions you want to ask, shoot! (I may as well live there anyway lol)
(Sorry if this sounded like some crazed testimony of some sort lol)
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?
Quote:
anyone still think the plane doesn't take off?
If the plane isn't moving, it won't be taking off...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks @ImcalledKat, your "crazed testimony" is most appreciated
After all it is free
After all it is free
ImcalledKat wrote:
I think what people forget to take into consideration sometimes is that nothing is going to compare to snow other than snow. I personally think skiing on Skiplex slopes are nicer than an outdoor dry ski slope, and between the two would prepare you the most for snow.
Personally I'd say that is rubbish skiing on a dead flat surface with no terrain features is hardly going to prepare you for skiing on snow where the biggest challenge to beginners is the changing snow conditions and terrain..
Skiing on dryslope at least they have some terrain features and the slope will always slide slightly different each visit depending on weather. Most people will agree if you can ski well on dendix you can ski well on anything. Go try the slope at Gloucester and see how well the skiplex has served you.
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.
@ImcalledKat, I'm always fascinated by ways of skiing in UK and I've looked longingly at the one in Basingstoke (although not for long as I'm there for the Airkixx and flying is pretty special). Have you tried any of the dryslopes around here? I'm wondering how they compare? I suppose I should just give it a go!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Just to add my views. I went to Skiplex in Chiswick. In short, I did not like it and I won't be going back.
I found that the muscles being used were completely different to those you use when skiing. I believe that is because you are experiencing completely different forces on the Skiplex machine compared to an actual slope.
As for it being an endless slope, you do not really get sufficient time.
I think the indoor snow slopes are much better for learning or bettering technique.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Although I was parallel-ish at Skiplex, my first run down on snow was a slow crab-like snowplough on the tails of my skis, and it took several descents before I started relaxing enough to be able to make any use of my new box of skills, but they were definitely there to be harnessed.
?
). Obviously, this is very different in the winter and you will only get what you paid for then as it's so so busy.
