 Poster: A snowHead
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@No Style, ok, that works
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@under a new name, small note….rush up from car park borrowed Suzuki jeep hurriedly, grab family’s skis from rack, bundle everyone in after manic panic changing of boots, place skis on ground, deal with lots of shouting and cursing, forget skis, reverse jeep….ah…..crunch
Luckily only one pair. They look fine but I went over the bindings, and despite big squidgy tyres I decided not to trust them. So they sit grumbling at me from the back of the garage.
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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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| valais2 wrote: |
@under a new name, yes I like that ‘vertical by toe binding’ but sometimes I even find I get all flummoxed picking them up off the ground since I can’t get my hand fully round the waist. So I have to wrangle them 1 by 1. Clatter clatter bang crash curse.
The worst is when the skis spin against each other slightly after you’ve locked the brakes together - with a grinding of edges it’s like trying to manhandle the blades of an apache attack helicopter. |
One technique is to place the skis, with brakes locked together, against your back. Then "bend ze knees" while grabbing the tips. Makes it easy to lift them onto shoulder. And the easiest way to hoist two pairs at the same time. Looks cool, and you will get lot's of admiring looks from other wives whose husbands have not mastered the trick. Bonus points if you can carry the poles too but that takes some figuring out!
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@valais2,
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The worst is when the skis spin against each other slightly after you’ve locked the brakes together
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My current pair do that all the time and I cannot work out why. It drives me nuts.
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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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Usually wider brakes don't mesh very well. Worth carrying a ski tie or voile strap if you're going to carry fat skis any distance.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, ah. Thanks. They're not very wide, but not very narrow either.
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@Hurtle, are they rockered or flat base? A trad camber should spring load themselves against each other and the pressure keep them in place. I've found the lads Factions never want to stay together and they're rocker.
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@zikomo, and with a bit of a hip wiggle you can easily shatter two or three folks jaws  in one move. James Bond would be proud
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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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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| @Hurtle, are they rockered or flat base? A trad camber should spring load themselves against each other and the pressure keep them in place. I've found the lads Factions never want to stay together and they're rocker. |
Rockered (Scott Luna).
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And don't get me started on people whacking my poor dog with poles. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @zikomo, and with a bit of a hip wiggle you can easily shatter two or three folks jaws in one move. James Bond would be proud |
Yes. The problem with the technique is you really need two people. One to hoist the skis and one to ensure no one else in injured in the process! Mrs Z has a busted ACL and wears a brace which makes walking quite uncomfortable for her. So I am a good husband and often carry her skis as well as my own, which means she is available as a "back marker" to monitor behind me when I am lifted the skis. The key benefit is it looks much cooler to lift both sets to shoulder in one movement than one after the other (or heavens forbid having the second set lifted up for you)! And with practice you can lift 4 sets. I once did 6 sets as a drunken challenge, got them up there and but only managed about 10 steps before the wheels started to come off.....
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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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Z@zikomo, z … I’ve always known you have inner style tart…
But I’m just jealous. I try to be cool when wrangling gear … boots on neatly and swiftly, gear off roof rack tidily and smartly, helmet and goggles safely out of protective bag carefully stored in box in car … gloves fumbled and dropped in puddle
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You know it makes sense.
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| zikomo wrote: |
| busted ACL and wears a brace which makes walking quite uncomfortable for her. |
Sine note, but would humbly suggest she needs a new/different brace. Walking and skiing were never uncomfortable with my Ossur CTi.
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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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| valais2 wrote: |
Z@zikomo, z … I’ve always known you have inner style tart…
But I’m just jealous. I try to be cool when wrangling gear … boots on neatly and swiftly, gear off roof rack tidily and smartly, helmet and goggles safely out of protective bag carefully stored in box in car … gloves fumbled and dropped in puddle |
I do indeed aspire to look cool. Normally ends up with me deflated after I screw it up and the children either laugh at me or worse try and pretend they are not with me. Youngest says to stop bothering, as no matter what I do I am simply old so can't be cool anyway!
Anyone heard of the ghillies curse? Spey casting beautifully, sending a long and elegant line out across the river. Ghillie comes round the corner and it all goes to pot, timing goes and you look like a novice with you line in a pathetic spaghetti puddle at your knees.. Same sort of thing seems to happen when I try to do something "cool" in front of the children, or do something showy in front of a guide or instructor friend.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We were 'secretly' taught a reliable ski grading technique - which is remarkably accurate in practice - forget the skiing, just look how they pick up and carry skis .... But this rather snobbishly ignores all the glorious examples from @Blackblade, post
PS: one handed pick up and spin over shoulder, binding above shoulder and tips down seems to be what most guides/instructors will do except when just carrying one handed. (easier with a light ski). My technique seems to involve finding a way to look foolish falling in a heap of skis and bruises on any road ...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Dr John wrote: |
| zikomo wrote: |
| busted ACL and wears a brace which makes walking quite uncomfortable for her. |
Sine note, but would humbly suggest she needs a new/different brace. Walking and skiing were never uncomfortable with my Ossur CTi. |
Thanks for the thought and advice. We spent a lot of time, and got specialist advice/fitting, to find the one that worked best for her and was most comfortable. She is a very good skier and so the solution was biased towards comfortable and effective when skiing rather than walking. Add to that the psychology where she is terrified of the knee "giving" in the middle of a high speed turn, and we ended top with a pretty chunky bot of kit. The compromise is walking is a bit less comfortable, going down stairs especially, but she has complete confidence and does not even think about it when skiing (which is a long way from where she was after the injury believe me). I appreciate the comment though.
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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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| pisteoff wrote: |
We were 'secretly' taught a reliable ski grading technique - which is remarkably accurate in practice - forget the skiing, just look how they pick up and carry skis .... But this rather snobbishly ignores all the glorious examples from @Blackblade, post
PS: one handed pick up and spin over shoulder, binding above shoulder and tips down seems to be what most guides/instructors will do except when just carrying one handed. (easier with a light ski). My technique seems to involve finding a way to look foolish falling in a heap of skis and bruises on any road ... |
I can second the ski grading technique. Most instructors take a look at how you handle the kit and then how you stand on your skis, and know your level pretty accurately from that. I will pick the terrain to start with based on that as it is so reliable. Some with spey casting, I can tell where someone is up to from watching them out up their rod etc.
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@pisteoff,
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My technique seems to involve finding a way to look foolish falling in a heap of skis and bruises on any road ...
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+1 in spades! 
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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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| zikomo wrote: |
| Thanks for the thought and advice |
Not a problem. Guess I was lucky in my leg shape. I did stop wearing it as soon as I could though, as advised (but still have it just in case) so as not to become reliant. 10 years on my ACL knee is now my stronger turning leg, go figure.
But we digress...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have no problem with the notion of somebody stronger carrying skis for somebody weaker. I can generally carry my own (and I do it right) but if somebody stronger offers to carry them for me I accept - as I accept the seats on London trains which people have started leaping up to offer me with disconcerting alacrity.
I once skied for several days with a very traditional bloke, who insisted on carrying my skis, which I found difficult as he was a fair bit older than me, and not strong. But refusing would have been churlish. After one particularly hard day with new snow and awful vis (I'd not have gone out if I didn't have a visitor) he was clearly exhausted when we took our skis off, with just the short but uphill walk to the apartment. I gave him my poles and said I'd carry the skis - he was too exhausted to object, poor man.
That was a good few years ago before my heart decided not to work properly - these days I'll avoid much uphill, whatever I'm carrying!
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I carry a Velcro ski tie in my pocket for when I’ve finished skiing and need to carry skis back to hotel/apartment/get on ski bus etc
I use it first thing in the morning when off out and when I’ve finished for the day going back.
I do leave the skis to dry in the ski room without it on though.
It just makes it easier when sliding them on shoulder/carrying them vertically by toe binding to get on the ski bus/train/carry them up a lot of steps. The rest of the time during the ski day I do without (unless I was going to do a boot pack)
Note however if you have to separate skis so they fit in gondola ski slots (such as twin tip) make sure it’s off before then to avoid any unnecessary faffing.
You can buy them for a few quid.
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I think my record ski carry is 4 pairs, mine, my wifes and 2 of the kids. Adult skis on the shoulders (tips down, bindings behind shoulder, arms draped over front of skis), one kids pair on a backpack and one in my right hand hanging down in front of the skis over my right shoulder. Loading and unloading was a tad tricky but the 200m walk went without incident! The joy now of having kids old enough to carry their own kit.
I always carry my wifes skis when with her (pair on each shoulder) and she takes the poles however my preferred method is skis on left shoulder and poles in right hand used as a walking stick for a third point of contact with the ground (saved me from a slip or 2 in adverse condition under foot).
Velcro ski ties are very useful for a lot of reasons, keep skis together better, protect edges from touching etc. I always have a min of 2 on all our skis, although 3 is better for longer skis. I don't tend to put them on to carry skis around after skiing but at the end of the day I always put them on before putting the skis in our ski room, mainly to protect the edges form touching.
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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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@VolklAttivaS5,
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I carry a Velcro ski tie in my pocket
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I'm going to do this in future. They didn't slide about when they were new, but they do all the time now.
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if you have to separate skis so they fit in gondola ski slots (such as twin tip)
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oof, tell me about it, I have that problem too. But I have to agree with spyderjon that they do suit my needs otherwise.
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@Hurtle, yes my latest ones are twin tip again so I’m going to have that ‘issue’ going forward but it just means you make sure you take off your Velcro ski tie when you’re still in the queue (but are already up the steps).
Cunning timing is what’s required.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@VolklAttivaS5,
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Cunning timing is what’s required.
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As in skiing - and life - generally!
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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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On the subject of queues (and people walking around carrying their skis, or not) something I’ve never understood is why some people don’t seem to mind letting their boot power straps trail behind them instead of doing them up (not necessarily tightly until skiing). That would drive me nuts.
It can be mildly entertaining to see what happens when someone else stands on the trailing strap and then the person in front can’t move forward 
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| Hurtle wrote: |
@VolklAttivaS5,
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Cunning timing is what’s required.
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As in skiing - and life - generally! |
Oh yes
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You know it makes sense.
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| VolklAttivaS5 wrote: |
It can be mildly entertaining to see what happens when someone else stands on the trailing strap and then the person in front can’t move forward |
Not to mention the amount of dog poo-poo on the French pavements
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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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@Dr John, exactly so why on Earth leave them trailing behind dragging in all sorts, even the toilets have got wet floors etc, yuck.
It’s the inexperienced that do it though. I think they start doing them up when people keep stepping on them in lift queues though
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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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Hmmm skis together …. Well …
My piste skis: push together, click, carry, lift one slightly, they unclip instantly, lay them down, click in. Go.
Simple.
My fat skis: push together, click, pick them up, wibble, spin, grind, curse, grapple, stop, adjust, repeat. Pull apart in frustration and carry separately, lay them down, go. Irritating.
My park skis: push together, big click, carry, try to pry them apart, fail, pull one up, fail, pull out one brake, one ski spins and whacks me on the helmet, still stuck together, grapple, more grappling, finally separate them and throw them on the snow, click in, ski off in a fug…
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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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@valais2, 
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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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This thread has reminded me of the old adage that all-mountain skis are suboptimal for every purpose. Turns out that, especially, if they are twin tips, that includes for the purposes of carrying them from a to b, and placing them in gondola slots.
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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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@Hurtle, I noticed in Kitzbuhel/Kirchberg the other week when I was waiting to get on a gondola (Fleckalmbahn if anyone’s interested) there is a gap in the floor just before you get on about the thickness of a ski tail and mine went though it! It was an all mountain ski but with a flat tail on it.
So no more of that for me with new twin tips.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@VolklAttivaS5, while waiting for the gondola at the middle station at Vercorin I noticed that one of my skis was suddenly half the length of the other, due to it having fallen down tail end through a narrow but long slot in the metal decking. Hilarious until I realised it was completely jammed in there, held by a sharp piece of metal jammed against the base. Yes it did leave a big scratch in getting the b@@@er out. Grrrrrrr.
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@VolklAttivaS5, don't ever be tempted to try one of those slots with a twin tip - the ski will get irrevocably stuck and will then circulate in the lift system into eternity.
Edit: I meant one of those less-than-helpful slots inside the gondola, not a random slot outside it.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Wed 22-03-23 20:05; edited 1 time in total
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@valais2, oops
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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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| valais2 wrote: |
| @VolklAttivaS5, while waiting for the gondola at the middle station at Vercorin I noticed that one of my skis was suddenly half the length of the other, due to it having fallen down tail end through a narrow but long slot in the metal decking. Hilarious until I realised it was completely jammed in there, held by a sharp piece of metal jammed against the base. Yes it did leave a big scratch in getting the b@@@er out. Grrrrrrr. |
Same! One was suddenly a lot shorter than the other and it was in up to the heel binding. No scratches though, thank god!
Bit of a silly place to put a gap really but I shall look out for it in future. It’s a new gondola station more or less, only been there a year or two I think.
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FAQ
walking behind me 