 Poster: A snowHead
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What weird and wonderful places have snow heads clicked into skis at? I'm sure I've seen photos of people building kickers in London parks before?
For me, when living in the middle of Aberdeen I once skitoured to work (about 45 mins) and skied home (on the pavements) through the city. Definitely got some weird looks! 
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 5-11-16 17:55; edited 2 times 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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Ruchill Park Glasgow
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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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Back in 2010 when we had that snowy weather I was able to ski from my front door (on old leather boots and Telemark skis with 3 pin Rottefella bindings) down the street and to the local park for some skiing. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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 was going say an indoor snow slope but really it was round our estate when we had all the snow in (i think) 2007.  (maybe it was 2010).
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Box Hill in Surrey with my mate in the car shuttle.....
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Mount Calan, Co. Clare, Ireland. Only about four or five miles as the crow flies from the sea. Snowboard in the morning, surf in the afternoon.
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I suppose I think skiing in Helsinki is fairly weird. When I did business there I'd stay in the hotel on the edge of town rather than in the middle - the costs evened out with the hotel being cheaper and the taxi obviously costing more. The ski hill is at the door of the hotel I used to stay in. Work all day, ski in the evening... until I got bored and learned to snowboard there. The same hill produced several world-class Finnish snowboarders, who called the place they learned to ride "the Mountains of Serena", which is a Finnish joke (it's rather like saying "Mount Milton Keynes"). The skiing is weird because it's basically a working city. The sun only just makes it over the horizon so the floodlights are on pretty much all the time, and it gets pretty cold, and the cafe is in a cave.
In the US New Mexico is pretty weird. You drive through places which look like they should be in cowboy films, with Americans who tell (possibly made up) tales of the last time they drove though and there was a gunfight in progress. Eventually you get to a resort beyond the town (Taos isn't in Taos) and there's a french-run hotel which could be in the Alps except for the service. And then (they've changed this now) you had to hike to get the best riding. And then I rode there "when hell froze over". That was pretty weird.
There are some small hills in BC which are pretty weird, but they're secret and you'll need to find them yourself. One which is now "out" is what used to be called Whitetooth near Golden (renamed "Kicking Horse"). It used to be the town hill, closed one day a week - Thursday I think. So that made Friday "powder day", with two day's build-up of snow. The main access was via school bus. I rode there when they'd never met English people before... there was just one UK guy on a board and a load of dope-smoking children bunking off from school... they were skiers and this was in the early days of boards, so they tried to work me over. Tried: happy days.
Norway is fairly weird, in summer at least. I rode Stryn in summer with a bunch of women in lycra from the Norwegian national ski team. Happy days again.
For UK stuff, well I guess anywhere you get snow is going to be weird, outside of Scotch resorts at least. Here's my contribution from The Mountains of Royston, which is absolutely not in Cambridge, despite what the industry nearby may try to make you think:
https://vimeo.com/36607601
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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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philwig, Love the Vid
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Not nearly as esoteric or far flung as philwig...but x-country skiing along the union canal towpath through wester hailes got some funny looks. Also skinned over the meadows en route to Arthur's Seat which gave great fun on the descent, but that wasn't particularly unusual; loads of Edinburgh skiers out that evening.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Walking my dog down to the beach in North Berwick one night in Dec 2010. Was overtaken by a guy skiing down the road, but he did have lights on so that was ok. Folk were skiing down the fairway of hole 2 on the kids golf course.
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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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philwig!
I was going to say Royston Heath too!
I see you got up a bit late and all the powda was skied out!
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You know it makes sense.
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@offpisteskiing, nutters 
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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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Golf course in Skem
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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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I can't claim to have skied anywhere weird, but when I was a wee lad, back in the late 60s, there was a large dump of snow, which turned our back field into a potential ski slope.
My much older Australian first cousin, who had just got married, was staying with us to show off his new bride. It also happened that he was a competent skier and suggested that it might be fun to ski down this hill. Now in the late 60s, very few people went skiing, let alone had skis...but my folks had a flash of inspiration. They phoned the Duke and Duchess, who they knew quite well and were the only people in a very wide area posh enough to own their own skis.
Well, my parents struck oil and we collected a very ancient pair of wooden skis that belonged to the Duke, complete with Cable Bindings, Leather Boots and Bamboo Poles, thus allowing my Cousin to show off his skills over the next couple of days. I even did the odd run standing on the back!
My obsession with skiing had now started. 
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 9-11-16 21:28; edited 4 times in total
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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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Down the Chevin in Otley, top bit over heather etc then down the path to the White House and back up the steep steps. This must have been in the mid 90's. Great experience, but I do wish they'd build the tourist chair lift that someone suggested about 10-15 years ago.
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@balernoStu, @Hyst, I have a couple of mates who ski on stones in various places in the summer (Drome 'department' is apparently quite good as are a couple of volcanoes in Sicily..!) - have always fancied a road trip to the SW of France - there is a place they used to do ski jumping on a slope covered in pine needles, and a big sand-dune nearby... 
- crazy? it all depends on one's point of view...
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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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The guys in Ogden, near Halifax, who do the grass boarding had a rope tow going in their field that time a few years ago when we had loads of snow and it hung around for a few weeks (2010?). They even had a bit if tree skiing! It was an interesting day out, though they could do with a steeper field.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skinning up on the beach in Iceland, using a mini ice-berg as a bench
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A China clay pit near Dartmoor with Patch.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Golf course in Skem |
Ashurst Beacon? Think I skied there when I was about 5. Before it was a golf course.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Golf course in Skem |
I'm guessing Beacon Park?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| geepee wrote: |
| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Golf course in Skem |
I'm guessing Beacon Park? |
Me too, it's been a long long time since I played golf there though!
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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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@KenX, I also skied on Box Hill, early February 2009 in proper (but not really deep enough!) powder, definitely one of my weirdest skiing experiences having grown up around there and never really seen enough snow before to make it ski-able. Also skied near Polesden Lacey in 2010, in much wetter snow.
This year I did sand skiing in Peru, which was excellent fun and not actually that different to "normal" skiing.
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You know it makes sense.
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Milnrow Memorial Park near Rochdale.
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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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Ben Rhydding golf course, skied from the Cow and Calf, via the pub car park, dropping off the cornice by the golf pond. Probably 20 years ago now at Dob Park when the ski club set up the rope drag lift, and at Windy Ridge by Kilnsey. I reckon I used to get 3 or 4 weekend skiing per year in and around Wharfedale back in the day.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@philwig, thanks, I'll stay in Serena next time I'm in Helsinki!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Scarlet wrote: |
| The guys in Ogden, near Halifax, who do the grass boarding had a rope tow going in their field that time a few years ago when we had loads of snow and it hung around for a few weeks (2010?). They even had a bit if tree skiing! It was an interesting day out, though they could do with a steeper field. |
I've been there a few times over the years, as it's just over 40 minutes from home it's a great find. They get the tow out whenever there's enough snow.I think he's played with some snow making stuff as well. The downside if you don't have gear is that it's all from the 1970's (or so it seems). IMHO it's far better than going to a fridge. The diagonal runs are quite long.
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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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@skimastaaah, @stevew, yeah, that's the badger. Modern ski gear has not made it that far up the hill!
A gully in Denholme, you say? Even though I only live 15 min away, I have no knowledge of that part of the world. We had been using a local golf course, but it's all a bit gentle around here.
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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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In 1991, or thereabouts, I skied to work, on XC skis, from Deptford to Borough High Street, for a bet. I left early enough in the morning that I didn't need to take the skis off to cross any roads until almost there. The snow melted through they day, though, so I got a life home.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Yellow Pyranha wrote: |
| The snow melted through they day, though, so I got a life home. |
Freud probably had a point 
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Cold Ashby golf course in Northamptonshire, with @austin7. They used to borrow a drag rope and skis from Rushden dry slope if it snowed….
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| Scarlet wrote: |
A gully in Denholme, you say? |
Driving towards Bradford/Halifax from Keighley after the 4X4 garage bend there's a quite sharp left bend almost 180 degrees, the gully is on the right as you go up the gradient. A couple of years back the drifted snow lasted several weeks.
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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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Whyteleafe Park, Surrey, then down the main road, round the roundabout and stopping at the Whyteleafe Tavern for apres ski. Not me, but my regular ski buddy.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
What weird and wonderful places have snow heads clicked into skis at? I'm sure I've seen photos of people building kickers in London parks before?
For me, when living in the middle of Aberdeen I once skitoured to work (about 45 mins) and skied home (on the pavements) through the city. Definitely got some weird looks! |
Manali, indian Himalaya. Tow was a tractor and a rope.
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FAQ
Maybe having the balls to jump the fence would not have been the best idea after all 