 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking to book a follow on course at Tamworth Snowdome, and I'm not sure whether I need to do the one where you learn 'plough' parellel turns or the one where you learn 'graceful' parallel turns? What's the difference? Are plough parallels skiing parallel and then only going to snowplough for the turns? Is this stem turns? Apologies, I'm quite new to this skiing thing, and as this course is my 17th birthday present, I'd like to make sure I do the right one. Incidently, if anyone's ever had tuition at the Snowdome, what's it like?
Also, does anyone know of any way of under 18s going on ski holidays abroad solo without adults? I'm nearly giving up on the idea of being able to go skiing next year 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi and welcome.
Ask them as to what level you should be, but generally snowplough is the start.
Your instructor will make it clear but you start by learning to snowplough straight & turns as this is a good way to control your speed then as you progress you will get more and more into parallel skiing until its the first choice.
As to your second question I don’t know.
Good luck and dont let the odd fall put you off. we all still do it. 
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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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luckysmartie, welcome to 
Don't know about that lot of jargon. A snowplough is a snowplough and if you use a bit of it to turn you may be progressing to a stem. You run the skis straight in the traverse across the hill and may stem to initiate the turn which is a step onto the outside ski and at a plough type angle.
It sounds like the time honoured way to get started to me and progress from snowplough via stems to parallels but maybe others will disagree
You sound like you have a grasp of the terms so ask THEM to explain the difference between the two
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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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luckysmartie, welcome to the asylum, the Snowheads Collective seems to do a good job of chaperoning at the end-of and pre-season bashes, keep your ears open.
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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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Everyone's so friendly here 
Yeah, I think I'll just phone them and ask. I'm fairly sure stem turns are what I just naturally do (I'm not really the most techniqual skier, just try to get from the top to the bottom without falling over too often :S), and anyway, they probably teach both courses on the same day, so if I don't pick the right one, they'll probably just move me to the right one.
easiski, where are good places to go summer skiing (and that are also cheap). The only cheap package holidays (my mums idea of a 'safe' way for me to go skiing by myself) are to Bulgaria (which my mum is convinced that when I break something (as every single skier and snowboarder does everytime they go skiing, apparently) the hospitals will be full of rats and I'll die of infection).
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luckysmartie, you can get a cheapish deal at some of the smaller Italian resorts too, and Andorra isn;t too bad.
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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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luckysmartie,
Plough parallel I would imagine is the transition phase from snowploughing to parallel skiing. So if you can do snowplough turns but not yet parallel turns, that is probably the class for you. If you're in doubt though, as easiski, said, have a chat with the snowdome and let them know exactly how much skiing you've done, and they should tell you which is the right class for you.
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luckysmartie, i guess i should know better, however, i'll dive in and take a stab at an online ski lesson.
typically, and i want to stress from the outset, and this is a gross generality, skiers get into a snowplow (plough) because they are on terrain that is too steep. they become defensive and seek friction (snowPLOUGHING) as opposed to direction (turning).
imho, as soon as an instructor sees any hint of a wedge or snowplough the first question that should come to mind is the appropriateness of the pitch.
so........what's the answer? find terrain where speed/pitch are not a concern. next focus on becoming comfortable balancing on two slippery objects. seek to be centered both in terms of fore/aft balance and laterally. stand in much the same manner you would in any sport. a little bend in all your joints! remember..... a little bend.
i realize this may well open the proverbial can of worms, however, attempt to allow your weight to remain centered. in a left turn for instance, don't confuse what you feel in terms of forces building on the base of your right foot as the turn evolves with any need to actively transfer your mass onto that foot as a pre-cursor to turning. skis turn as a result of rotational movements/tipping the skis or a blend of the two.
no leaning, no twisting. equal weight on two feet and pressure may build on the outside/downhill foot as the turn evolves.
i can remove one ski, put all my mass on the remaining ski, and go perfectly straight. that should serve to demonstrate weight transfer has nothing to do with making a ski or skier turn!
ok, so much for debunking the need to transfer weight.
once "centered" on mild terrain, attempt to slowly and progressively turn both skis in the direction you want to go. don't twist/torque/squirm with the upper half of your body. focus on the feet and legs.
give it a go and let us know if an online lesson works! if not online see a full cert ski pro.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cheers people! Why have we already booked our summer holiday? A summer ski trip would be just the thing to keep me and my parents entertained, I could ski and they could go and do other summery things, (walking etc). Grrr.....! Les Deux Alps has my kind of slopes on their galcier too. I know what I'm doing next summer though 
Rusty Guy, thanks for the online lesson. People have tried to explain to me how to do parallel turns in the past, and I've never really got it, but now I think I realise why. *feels urge to go to Stoke tomorrow and practise*
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