 Poster: A snowHead
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What is the secret of using the magic carpets?
Only tried the one at Belle Plagne this week - fell as soon as I got on it - wobbly on the second attempt but made it to the top only to nearly break my neck getting off.
Have avoided them for the rest of the week but today we were in Plagne Centre watching and every person who came up fell off it as they got off
So what’s the secret - do you lean forward, stand up straight, try and snow plough off? when I got to top my skis were in a reverse snow plough I thought I was gonna do the splits
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just kind of waddle off onto the mixed zone (plastic dendix or astromat IME then slide normally once you're on the snow ramp.)
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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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I've never had a beginner take more than a couple of tries before managing these perfectly well. Do you have some sort of balance issues?
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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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Just stand in a normal skiing position, skis in parallel and ski off, deal with any plow needed once the skis are all on the 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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Great - I think this just infested me with a new mind virus...
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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 thought magic carpets were designed to be the absolute easiest to use given its users. No real “technique” apart from shuffle on, it pulls you on once enough ski is on it, stand there normally , then reverse at other end.
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Don't lean casually forward resting on your poles, in case the carpet stops and you smack yourself in the face with your poles
Happened to errrrr a friend 
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| ster wrote: |
| then reverse at other end. |
But not literally unless you're on the one at the top of the Hahnennkammbahn in Kitz which gets slippy and you've a job on not sliding into the person behind you...
Definitely keep your skis straight and shuffle.
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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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I detest them and will only use them in extremis. If its a short one I'd rather walk up alongside. I dislike the 'grab' as it carts you off, getting off not so bad
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I confess to having felt a bit wobbly on the one in Les Saisies, which appeared only recently, when I was doing a lot less skiing. I always felt foolish when so many tiny tots were managing with no problem at all. I often stood at the top, more recently, waiting to pick up little ones ending their ski lessons. It was very rare that anybody fell over. That magic carpet replaced a drag lift - which one of my grandsons unplugged. He got to the top and sort of sprawled off it, waving his sticks around, and one of them pulled the plug out. The whole thing juddered to a halt and as nobody was hurt I think he felt secretly proud of himself. He was a clumsy boy, and if he'd tried to unplug the thing he'd never have succeeded.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Getting on no problem, shuffle forwards and go, stand upright, weight central so you don't slide backwards. Getting off, normally easy, wait for travelator to slide you off the end and shuffle away.
However - why do some installations have the drive mechanism at the top, so instead of sliding forward off the end you have to make an ungainly step diagonally sideways off the sloping, moving carpet onto sloping snow. Idiot design, and I can perfectly understand people struggling with these ones.
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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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Although having said that I do remember one (it may have been in a snow dome) where the grippy surfaced had been negated by snow/ice so when you got on you actually slid back when it got steep unless you dug your edges in.
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@RobinS, oh yeah, hadn't thought about the ones you have to shuffle out sideways. Been so long since I've used one that I'm not even sure how I approach them, I guess just try to step out
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You know it makes sense.
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on one in Val D this weekend - stood slightly forward propped on ski poles
at the top the carpet stopped going up and instead transitioned to going down and then spat you onto snow - seemed well designed... (pole props removed before transition).
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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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| ScaredySki wrote: |
today we were in Plagne Centre watching and every person who came up fell off it as they got off
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Sounds like there’s something wrong with the magic carpet? Maybe ice on the carpet or the unloading zone?
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