 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm looking to plan a trip to France this winter, probably February time, and am looking for a resort with a half pipe to have a go in. I'm not looking for something huge but similarly not anything tiny. I'm an experienced skier but am distinctly average in a snow park, so looking for something middle of the range.
Has anyone got any suggestions/advice? I've seen some being built whilst I've been in resorts so possibly might need to wait till later in the season?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to snowHeads snowEd 
Tignes Val Claret - you can see it on the webcam, to the right of chairlift.
BUT February in France means school half term, so it'll be full of kids.
Maybe look at January?
The pipe will most probably be used in the Mountain Shaker (10-18 Mar 2023), then reopened to the public.
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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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There are/can be a couple in the PdS - but can seem to be a bit hit and miss if they are there or not, I can't tell if it's because they only build them if they have some event on or more simply down to having enough snow.
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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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Avoriaz builds a massive one.
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| Nadenoodlee wrote: |
| Avoriaz builds a massive one. |
I don't think it was there last season though, unless it was put in after February.
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Avoriaz used to have the only permanent pipe in France, but hasn't had one since Covid and I'm not expecting it to return this season
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| doddsie wrote: |
| Avoriaz used to have the only permanent pipe in France |
When was that? Tignes had a permanent one for years.
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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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The Tignes pipe hasn't been properly built for years. It's an earthwork pipe, so there's always a vaguely pipe-shaped feature which is fun to ride, but in terms of a proper, groomed half-pipe, it's a no-go.
La Plagne always used to have 2, a big one and a mellow one. No idea if that's the case.
Pipe is a pretty specific thing though. Most people will never manage to get out of a full-size pipe. Unless you're really, really motivated to ride pipe, I'd stick to riding a decent park.
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Deux Alpes had a pipe at some point if memory serves well - as did Alpe D'huez - but again not sure if these are permanent features or built for events.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for all the responses. I was actually in Tignes last year and the pipe at Val Claret wasn't shaped or maintained at all.
The pictures of Avoriaz look amazing - will definitely look into that and some of the other suggestions.
Seems like a bit more skiing research procrastination is required.
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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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| snowEd wrote: |
| Thanks for all the responses. I was actually in Tignes last year and the pipe at Val Claret wasn't shaped or maintained at all. |
Bad luck. It's done regularly, especially after a snowfall (after the pistes have been sorted out), or if it is being used for a competition.
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| Kenzie wrote: |
| Bad luck. It's done regularly, especially after a snowfall (after the pistes have been sorted out), or if it is being used for a competition. |
Really? The half-pipe in Val Claret (at the end of Carline piste) spent the entirety of last season as a manky, ordinary bit of side-piste. I was there from late Oct to early May and skied past it most days. The days of having competitions on it are long gone. Tignes's expectation that it would be a money-spinner and attract more visitors was not borne out and they have abandoned it for holding any events.
Last competition (Mountain Shaker 2022?) was held down one side of Double-M (reducing it to, ermm, Single-M for all the public skiers) and the entire construction was temporary, just for the competition no public access.
https://en.tignes.net/events/highlights/mountain-shaker-recap
However, I'm sure I've seen a Zaugg half-pipe machine knocking around in Tignes, so maybe they have constructed half pipes in other locations (snowparks either side of Grattalu?) during the season?
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You know it makes sense.
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do any skiers ever use half pipes these days?
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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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Avoriaz has not had the big Super-Pipe since covid.
There was a smaller pipe next to where the Super-Pipe was last season. (but poorly maintained)
There was an online petition to get the park crew to make the Super-pipe again, but nothing came of it.
TBF the Super-Pipe is too gnarly for most people to ride safely. Most recreational skiers and boarders struggle to get up the walls (especially the icy side) and very few make it up above the lip. Dad's think its a good idea to take their kids down it even though they struggle on blue runs, like the ones to do the boxes in the stash and then stop and pole all the way along them. Invariably the child or Dad will fall over and slide around in the well of the pipe for a while, before scraping their way out.
What would get more use and be safer would be a smaller intermediate oriented pipe.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| bobski62 wrote: |
| Kenzie wrote: |
| Bad luck. It's done regularly, especially after a snowfall (after the pistes have been sorted out), or if it is being used for a competition. |
Really? The half-pipe in Val Claret (at the end of Carline piste) spent the entirety of last season as a manky, ordinary bit of side-piste. I was there from late Oct to early May and skied past it most days.
However, I'm sure I've seen a Zaugg half-pipe machine knocking around in Tignes, so maybe they have constructed half pipes in other locations (snowparks either side of Grattalu?) during the season? |
Lack of snow?
I've seen the half-pipe machine at work in the VC pipe - back to the first season after first dug out.
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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 think the fashion moved on years ago.
This is from 1996 and talks about the early history of pipe:
https://www.snowboarder.com/transworld-snowboarding-archive/snowboarding-photos/a-complete-history-of-the-snowboard-halfpipe/
Reading it now.. perhaps the writing was always on the wall for that particular thing. A decade after that, I think it was over.
A park is at least accessible to anyone, whatever skill level, where as a pipe doesn't really work that way.
In the back country I'm always surprised when people (boarders or skiers) don't enthusiastically rip natural half pipes... but they don't.
Haven't seen a pipe dragon in a while.
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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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Pretty sure Mottaret have now sold their pipe dragon and certainly what used to be the ‘Expert’ halfpipe just below Plattieres 2nd station was no more…
Seems to me that competition half pipes are so big now that it means a huge investment for resorts and most are not interested as it is much easier to build/maintain a slopestyle type of park with a mix of features for everyone…
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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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Pretty sure Mottaret have now sold their pipe dragon and certainly what used to be the ‘Expert’ halfpipe just below Plattieres 2nd station was no more…
Seems to me that competition half pipes are so big now that it means a huge investment for resorts and most are not interested as it is much easier to build/maintain a slopestyle type of park with a mix of features for everyone…
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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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Les Crosets from the chair to the park is always fun as well, steep piste which is always icy, interesting on freestyle skis with rounded edges.
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@snowEd, I know it's not France but Laax in Switzerland is the half-pipe place.
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I had the same convo last season when we were trying to decide which resort to visit and we just couldn't find a French resort that could guarantee one. Ended up in Avoriaz as their park setup is always decent and their pipe dragon was sat up by the baby park looking pretty sorry for itself, guess it was just too much of a drain on snow / manpower to maintain something (and I say that in the loosest sense with the old Avoriaz one) that was used properly by such a low number of skiers / boarders. There was a massive quarter up on the Arare that was bigger than a super pipe wall, but you didnt get the same dropping in sensation when trying to hit it.
Let us know if you do find one, I'm off to Les Arcs late Jan so will see what La Plagne has to offer.
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