 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Are dry slopes actually good do they feel anything like actual snow? Could you learn to parallel turn on them etc?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
They're different, but I learned quickly how to parallel on them. By the time I got to snow I'd learned how to ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
@philwig, +1
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Plastic is fantastic! Any port in a storm!
Sliding is sliding, get good on the dry slope get better on snow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@jwardy, you can do anything on plastic! It can be a bit pricey but worth it if you have the money to spend. I'd rather lose a day or two at home learning how to walk in boots, put on skis, snowplough, stop, turn etc than in resort when you might only have six days on snow
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When I did BASI instructor training all too many years ago, there was a guy on the course, who had never previously skied on snow. Only ever skied on a plastic slope in Norfolk. Everyone including the Trainers were sceptical until we watched him ski. He was by far the best on the course. He could do short swings (remember them) on the spot whilst holding a conversation with you and even use them to jump back up the slope - so yes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
everyone else has about covered it. I race trained hen I was younger on plastic, 2hrs monday night 2 hrs thirty and 2hrs Sunday, my skiing improved massively. lots of kiers from our club are now teaching in the alps(passed the euro test)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
if you can ski on dry slope, transferring to snow is a doddle.... until you come to your first bit of cut up piste & clumps of snow 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do they feel like snow? Not really.
Do they make you better? Yes.
If you can ski on dendix then you can ski anything. I'd take a dryslope over a dome any day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
As others have said, if you can ski dry slope, you can ski anything
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| FastCarver74 wrote: |
| As others have said, if you can ski dry slope, you can ski anything |
This is very true. I grew up racing on the stuff, any ski holiday everything was easy.
My buddies kids had done "A couple of evenings" on the dry slope, turned up in January and found skiing easy on what was refrozen strips of ice between the grey/green fields.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My first lessons were on dry, Uxbridge I think it was Dendix? (upturned nailbrushes in diamonds, looked like the video) in mid-80s, as for a few of my schoolfriends.
When we all then went to snow the one thing we all agreed on was that it was much more slippy. Certainly we all had to do a dog-leg left on the learner's piste, and most of us couldn't turn and just went straight on and slammed into the snowbank. Eventually we understood we had to lean a lot more on the left ski to make it turn. (This was on skinnies).
I know there is a dry in Lisbon, not diamonds but more like astroturf, but it is constantly being watered to make it slippy. Tried it once or twice but didn't like the feeling of skiing sodden after the first 4-5 passes. They told me to come back mid-summer when it's 29C and then the water is cooling! I didn't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Gosh makes me tempted to try Brentwood again. I'm always at Hemel but I drive past Brentwood to get there
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Didnt Dave Ryding start out and ski for many years on a dry slope?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@djf, Brentwood is a very friendly slope, with a great race club if you want to really work on your technique. Be prepared to be embarrassed by 8 yr olds...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
We used to ski at a dry slope in the Ayrshire coalfield - run by an impoverished local authority it had no lift. Good for the leg muscles. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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've always been put off by what seems like a higher chance of injury and gear damage on the dry slopes. I could be completely wrong though
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
What do you think to a few of the more experienced snow heads giving lessons to others in the summer?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I suspect you'd have to hire the whole slope to be allowed to do your own teaching, it's a significant source of revenue for the slopes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeh, I wanted to spend a couple of hours in Milton Keynes giving the Mrs a few pointers before her lesson, but their website is plastered with warnings not to come and teach.
My thoughts were that a couple of experienced skiers wouldn't draw attention.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks @snowdave found them really nice when we did our initial lessons. Just I haven’t been back since being on snow. Out of interest do people take their own skis. Does it knacker them any quicker (correct wax of course)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@snowdave, any idea if Brentwood is staying open for much longer? I remember signing the petition to keep it open a while back, but not heard anything for a while now!
My little one turns 4 in the summer, so was looking forward to some summer ski school 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joined our local dry slope a year ago primarily as my kids were taking part in school comps and doing really well and teacher recommended they enter the race training program. I have recently started the adult version and it was noticeable that I was skiing much better last week when we were in Kappl and the kids are well outta reach now.
I bought new skis last year so am using my old set and have not noticed any deterioration in them. Use a hard wax and regular edge sharpening and all fine.
I would definitely recommend joining your local dry slope as ime you gain more versus indoor slope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@vjmehra, yes, my understanding is that the planning application to build houses has been withdrawn. I've not asked the owner for the latest update but as of a few weeks ago he was very upbeat! There's a Saturday morning kids club, and once they get good there's the afternoon race club.
@djf, yes they are really nice guys there. Most regulars use their own skis, I'm sure it does out a lot more wear on them, but you're not actually doing that much skiing in distance terms, so it's not too bad. However, for gates which is the main activity, a short skinny flexible ski is best which may not be in a normal quiver...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@snowdave, thats awesome news, we're only a short drive away now, so looking forward to Saturday morning kids club soon if it does stay open
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| djf wrote: |
| Thanks @snowdave found them really nice when we did our initial lessons. Just I haven’t been back since being on snow. Out of interest do people take their own skis. Does it knacker them any quicker (correct wax of course) |
yep base burn. you can smell them burning in the summer, along the edges the base wears out
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Quote: |
yep base burn. you can smell them burning in the summer, along the edges the base wears out
|
That and the clouds of pledge / back to black being sprayed on bases to speed them up!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Brings back loads of fond memories for me. I learned to ski on plastic and then later race trained on it for several years. Dry slopes are surprisingly good for building a solid ski technique. I still remember the very first time I skied on snow after maybe a year skiing regularly on plastic and the transition was instant. Snow just felt amazing from the first turn and I never looked back. But I developed all my fundamental technique on dry slope over a period of 10 years or so and it made me a much better skier compared to anyone I know only skiing for a week or two on snow every year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
I learnt to ski at Catterick Indoor Ski Center, a 30 meter "plastic" slope, while working there on a training scheme. Made by Curver it was injected moulded with dual hight spines. It had good sliding properties, increased by lubricating with oil, the dual hight spines made for a progressive grip when turning. It gave me a great technical start to learning to ski. So much so I stayed there for 15years working as a dry slope instructor/ski tech etc etc
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
