 Poster: A snowHead
|
Season pass that covers more than 1 mountain.
But wait, that came AFTER internet ski forums. (there're several in the US, before I joined snowhead). It was from epicski.com that I found out about $350 season pass (this was probably 10 year ago) in Colorado.
Anyway, between finding people to ski with and instructional clinics from the now defunct epicski.com, going to bashes with snowhead, I went more often, improved my skiing, travelled to different parts of the world (and have people to ski with)....
That's about skiing.
What change it has to my life remains to be seen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Better fitting boots transformed my skiing overnight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
It's fair to say the SCGB changed my life (ski-life & other) fairly significantly when they closed the forum I was about to post to on 5th Feb 2004.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@admin, hope you're suitably gratified by people saying that snowHeads had changed their lives.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Discovering salopette Tuesday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Snowheads, probably had a hand in the demise of my marriage and definitely had a hand in the formation of my current relationship.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Being offered a Youth Opportunities Programme 6 month work scheme (a 1980's government training scheme for school leavers) at my local ski center. Being there for 15 years, learning to ski/instruct/ski tech, shop, meeting some now lifelong friends and characters along the way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Snowsports changed my life - gave me something to talk to the future Mrs Sideways about at a house party... I suspect her interest wouldn't have held up over a discussion about the ideosyncracies of the SR20DET engine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pivotal moment for me - finding out that the PE teacher that lived next door to me was also an instructor at Hillend dry slope. She persuaded my wife (I was already keen) to book on to a six-week course and that's what started us skiing at the age of 40.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Retiring early, deciding to ski a lot more, buying a place here, moving out full time 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Moving up to Carlisle and doing lots more skiing in the lakes, Pennines and Scotland. Still my favourite places.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conservative governments management of the public sector and Brexit. My wife is a teacher and I am a GP.
So we are moving to Nelson, Canada next month!
We've done this before, for visits, and accidentally skiing into a tree filled gully with my 6 year old was amazing 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Doing a season (my first) as a Chalet Rep for Crystal in Ellmau, Austria.
Set the ball in motion.
26 years later it's still rolling
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
My first season.
An extraordinary lesson with the inestimable Thierry Copreau in Morzine.
Rossi 7S.
Dynastar Course Mk1.
Layering.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Dynastar Dynasty Airflow 195 cms
Event Goretex One-Piece ski suit
Salomon Equipe 9000 2S (Power 
Salomon Equipe 92
Nordica GP ski boots
Nordica Doberman Spitfire GSR
Snowshark Mountain Gun Monoski 193 cms
Nordica SpeedMachine 130 boots (the new ones!)
Blizzard Brahma 187 cms
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Going to see my mates dad 3 days before he died. He'd spent years planning and saving for his retirement, then got throat cancer 6 months after retiring. His last words to me "Don't spend you're life planning"
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@adithorp, That I can relate to. My own managed 18 months, and there were still parts for the bikes he was rebuilding arriving by post while he was in hospital.
To anyone waiting for their retirement: don't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
- Rossendale Borough Council
- Regis Rolland
- Over-the-head powder
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
My son phoned me a few years ago enthusiastic that he received by email a "buy 1, get 1 free" birthday offer for a flight ticket.
The destinations were Milano or Zurich. We checked the weather, it was raining heavily in Milano. We wondered what to do around Zurich for a few days, found a good train deal to Zermatt, went to a dry slope....
The rest is history..
It was the most expensive free offer I've ever had in my life 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@adithorp, @Scarlet, big YEAH to that!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The turning point for me was a private lesson in Lake Louise. In my second week on skis I was still scared and struggling. I went off on my own and left our group of friends to have a private lesson. The instructor that day was the overall head of the ski school and he occasionally took a beginner to 'remember what it's like' to teach at that level. At the end of three hours I was skiing 'dark blues' as they call them (reds in other words) and felt for the first time that I may actually like skiing. I was 47.
Fast forward 16 years, we spend our winters skiing.
I booked a lesson with that instructor just this winter when we were in Lake Louise - he loved the story.
Well fitted boots have to have a nod and Snowheads definitely needs a big shout. Information that has been so generously shared with me on this forum has made me aware of all sorts of ski adventures I would never have know about, and the confidence to pursue them. Many thanks to all over the years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winning an online poker tournament about ten years ago. Group of friends were going, one of them pestering me to come along by text. Replied with ‘if I win this tournament I’m playing I will use the money to come’. Five hours later, 1st out of about 1200 people and £700 in my back pocket........ I was booked to go to the alps. Have never looked back.
Closely followed by my 5th day of 6 on the above mentioned trips to the Alps. ‘La Douche’ run in La Grand Bornand. Had a really difficult first 4 days and was struggling to get into the groove and can’t say I was hugely enjoying it. First turn off the top I took much faster than I planned........ but it worked, did the same on the next one..... and the next...... and the next. Got to the bottom of the run with a massive smile on face...... it had ‘clicked’ and again, haven’t looked back since.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Layne wrote: |
Skiing wise working with someone who was into skiing and was going to be going by themself - gave me the perfect excuse to try it.
|
That's exactly how I became addicted to skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#1. A 1 hour ski ‘taster’, organised by work colleagues, at a local dry ski slope. I think the Instructor asked if I’d skied before, and told me I was ‘a natural’.*
#2. After talking my daughter into joining me on a set of beginner lessons, we spent every Tuesday evening at ‘Ladies Club’, and after 12 months we booked our first skiing holiday to Andorra. Beach holidays NEVER felt the same after that!
#3. Skiing once a week was just not quite enough, so I volunteered to help the Adaptive team once a fortnight, on Sundays 2-5pm. Became absolutely hooked on teaching skiing to adults and children with a range of physical and mental disabilities - there is such joy in conquering their fears and limitations, helping them to achieve one perfect glide, or a side-slip, or a series of turns.
* Even if it wasn’t true, it ensured that I came back for more, and have been skiing ever since. On this basis, when I’ve been teaching ‘taster sessions’, I make sure I tell those who have ‘a natural talent’ that it would be almost criminal not to sign up for beginner lessons!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
School trip to Pertisau Achensee in 1962 (I think)
Wimoweh (In the Jungle the mighty Jungle) was on Jukebox in the Hotel Post
Beer 9d a pint, and they let us drink it ... I must have been 13 
There was No Lift for us,
Learnt to side step, herringbone, snow plough, traverse, kick turns and to love skiing.
I'm still working to perfect that snow plough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
My third week snowboarding, my sis and I met some guys in a bar in Whistler and agreed to go out the mountain with them next day.
We started off down a gentle blue. The trail turned right but they went straight on off the edge and through the trees into a deep powder bowl. That’s when I realised the pistes are really just there to get to the top of the off-piste
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In terms of skiing ability- taking a season out (sort of) from my job, spending money on renting a nice place (in Verbier), and skiing throughout all weather.
Repeating above 10 years later in Mayrhofen.
Warren Smith Academy (in Verbier) for pushing me on moguls way above what I would do myself.
My latest skis (this season) Salomon Aira which I finally replaced my 8 year old snow ones with.. now I can grip on piste too! However not tried them in soft stuff- not a lot of that around this year when i skied!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Mine was meeting some bloke called Jon, can't remember his second name but it began with M. Anyway he was just desperate for someone to........ well work it out .....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
moving to Canada.
Then having a left vertebral artery dissection, changed everything for a bit , including skiing. But back in the bindings now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Also, buying a pair of Atomic SL11 after getting bored by hire skis in the early noughties
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Seriously, for me ski wise was Snowheads
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Moving to Munich in 85. Original plan: spend a couple of years here skiing and enjoying beer gardens, then move on. So much for plans!
Next big game changer was my wife buying me an MTB... never looked back.
Then in 2004 someone on a ski site called goski.com pointed me at a site called snowheads...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@Richard_Sideways, which bit? Suck, squeeze, bang or blow? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@GlasgowCyclops, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I never though I would ever have the money to ski but .........
The band I was in was asked to play at the university ski championships in Alpe D'huez in the mid 80s.
They gave us free week-long ski passes. Then, at the end of the week, apologized profusely that they didn't have enough transport to get us and our gear home so did we mind terribly if we could stay another week with another free pass???!
That was it ... I was hooked.
Now, a hundred years later, I am still obsessed. I ski about 6 weeks a year all over the world.
It's weird how one chance event can completely change your life.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Whilst serving with the RAF in Cyprus (1975) I signed up for 'Expedition' training -- turned out to be an all expenses paid TWO week ski holiday in the Troodos mountains. !
Having never even considered learning to ski before, I have skied every year since..
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 28-05-19 10:47; edited 2 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| adithorp wrote: |
| Going to see my mates dad 3 days before he died. He'd spent years planning and saving for his retirement, then got throat cancer 6 months after retiring. His last words to me "Don't spend you're life planning" |
poo-poo, this is good food for thought. Although you can't completely ignore that there is a high chance you will have a long retirement time and you better have saved some money
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@Gustavobs, Yep it's a bet that's hard to get right - for some with a huge pension pot/ goldplated final salary the numbers game might be easy. For those of us with more modest amounts there are various bets you need to start making once you hit your 50s. Mind you some sHs successfully hedge with a hybrid lifestyle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great thread @Dave of the Marmottes,
Whats a pension?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
. Jealously drove me to the dry slope so I could tag along! 
