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How I got into the London Ski Show

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Well, it was strange. Noon, and the weather was hot. Dazed and heatstruck I walked into the wrong building: a pub. There was a man sat at a high stool with a familiar face, but he looked stressed and thirsty. I bought him a cool pint. This was an excellent move because he handed me a beautiful ball-point pen. The name on the pen was unfamiliar - not a Parker, nor a Mont Blanc, but the name of a 'well-known ski insurance brand'. The pen had the superb rubbery grip of a quality ski pole, thankfully without the basket.

He said "Why are we in this place - there is a Ski Show over the road". We crossed the piste, and walked right in.

Thanks to that pen (!) here's a story I started earlier on EpicSki.com

Any other show reports welcome - it'd be interesting to see what others make of this year's effort.

-------------
Tips: to get a free DM ski magazine, go to the information desk and ask for a programme. You fill out a form to comply with their ABC circulation requirements. To get a free Dark Summer magazine, go to their stand at the end of the hall - you might have the pleasure of meeting its editor Zack. Basecamp, the instructor training group, have launched their own magazine of the same name - well worth grabbing a copy from their stand. Did I miss the Fall-Line and Snow stands, because I came away without their latest issues?

Maybe best to pick up the Brigham and Snow+Rock catalogues last - the combined weight would have you thrown off an aircraft.
-------------
Foxy: I didn't find Laura. You'll have to tell her yourself


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 18-10-06 15:34; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
So, who was the stranger in the pub?
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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?
I won't reveal his name but he's well worth skiing with, because he's very highly insured.
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I got into the show courtesy of J2Dave (thanks Dave!). The show is continuing to shrink year on year, I'm certainly glad I didn't pay to get in. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I can't help but feel the 'show elements' of the show (quarter-pipe, mini-basketball court with hip-hop dj's and street artists, clothes show catwalk, etc) all appeal to the demographic which is least likely to have a reasonable amount of disposable income. For a commercial show like this I wonder whether this is entirely sensible, and indeed whether it is related to the show's obvious decline.

There were very few bargains and last season's stock available for sale that I could see, just kit and clothing at normal retail prices (plus the cost of your ticket).

On the plus side I did get to meet veeeight on the Mike Dempsey Tours stand, and found out some more info on the latest Intrawest development: Arc 1850.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
At least the basketball/breakdance stage had a bit of life and thumping music to it. The people behind the ski/board action on the quarterpipe need a serious lesson in how to whip up some excitement and energy.

The ski shows of the late 70s/early 80s at Earls Court were amazing - huge spectacles of trick skiing, choreographed ski ballet and aerials, big lighting effects. What the public want to see is skiers getting big air. A bit of circus.

The Brigham and Snow+Rock stands are incredible - like full-size shops. They must take huge money to justify that amount of space.
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David Goldsmith wrote:
At least the basketball/breakdance stage had a bit of life and thumping music to it.

When I was there everyone was just ignoring it. The one place was was buzzing with activity was the Les Arcs/La Plagne stand (mainly because they were giving out free bubbly following the presentation of the Lucy Dicker Award for Innovation).
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
David Goldsmith, i'm guessing the stranger may have been Mr.W of DT

my tickets are compliments of DMG media on friday [i hope] Toofy Grin
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
my memory of 80s ski shows as an excited teenager was the miami vice them tune over and over again and enough fluorescent jackets to shake a stick at! Embarassed
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
it was a Nevica-tropolis when i last went with more dayglow than an emergency services outfitter Laughing Laughing
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
I'm off there on Friday and I'm not paying for my ticket either.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I'm going Sunday as its the only day I'm not working. I see from the website there's a creche run by Crystal and under 14's are in for free. £13 pounds for tickets bought in advance and £14.00 on the door. Now who do I need to sleep with for the free tickets..... Toofy Grin
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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.
Frosty, definately not me Shocked Shocked Shocked
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Reading this thread Frosty, I reckon you must the only one person who is paying for a ticket Shocked
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
boredsurfin, very much not what you know but who you know
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
CEM wrote:
boredsurfin, very much not what you know but who you know


.....and you don't have a ticket yet Shocked Laughing
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
CEM, actually it's what you know about who you know snowHead I also schmoozed in for freemans late this afternoon. A better show than usual and it seemed busier than last year. Noticed quite a few empty stands though.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Visited the Metro Ski show today at Olympia and was pleasantly surprised with its new make over - modern, bright, slick. For the first time in years I actually enjoyed the show. The special features I found was that many of the stands were offering free samples of their local wines, cheeses and cured meat. I especially pounced on the les Arcs stall offering free Genepi! I just wonder if it was 'specially put on just for opening day. Bought myself a wickedly smart ski jacket from Ellis Brigham for a couple of hundred quid and also new for this season, a pair of 120cm blades from S+R. As usual picked up plenty of useless bumph on my rounds (stickers, key rings, endless leaflets and information packs...yawn..) As I walked past the Whistler stand one of the guys ran after me and said that he recognised me from 5 years back when then I was part of his ski esprit group in Blackcomb. And then he went on to say that if I visited Whistler two years ago in January, I would have been very disappointed - Argghhh! I did visit Whistler that year and in January! Had a cumfy little chat with Graham Bell about the inimitable Skiers Edge machine which the Bell Brothers have obviously adopted it as their own invention..
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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?
boredsurfin wrote:
Reading this thread Frosty, I reckon you must the only one person who is paying for a ticket Shocked


lol no, I am too... But I'm going for research reasons - need to find clothing for the winter trip. And boots! Performa 5s?
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Stephen Neal wrote:
The special features I found was that many of the stands were offering free samples of their local wines, cheeses and cured meat. I especially pounced on the les Arcs stall offering free Genepi!


Charlatanefc has hotwired the nearest motor and is making his way down for the free genepi!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Frosty wrote:
Now who do I need to sleep with for the free tickets..... Toofy Grin


£14? you must be the cheapest lay in London! Razz
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Just to repeat the link, you can get discounted tickets via lastminute.com:

Here's the link.

It's more than likely that the London newspapers Evening Standard, Metro ... and maybe the Daily Mail ... will run special deals on tickets. In past years they've been valid for entry after 5pm etc.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Metro has been running a 2 for £20 offer. Go to the book online section of the ski show site and enter the code SPMETRO. I'm not sure how long the code's valid for though...
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
By the way, one thing about the Metro sponsorship which caused a bit of merriment on the opening day was that each person entering the show got handed a plastic shoulder bag with a big Metro logo across it. But a free copy of the Daily Mail inside it!

That morning's Metro hardly mentioned the show, which was odd. As I entered, there was a ski correspondent from the Sunday Times next to me who didn't seem amused about any aspect of any of this, because he flung down his free bag in disgust.

Talk about ungrateful - it had the scoop on Sir Paul McCartney allegedly stabbing his wife with a wine glass and arguing that her breasts were his. Allegedly, according to her court documents!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Went on Wednesday and for the first time in 20 years as a member of the general public so had to pay even though my bus pass saved me £1! Opening day is always the best for socialising and enjoyed the free champagne on The Ski Club stand while Robert Swan was giving a short talk. This year there was no representation by South America and I was sorry to see so much empty space. I remember last year several standholders saying it was their last.
If S+R and EB withdrew there would be no show and I for one would not shed any tears. Tried hard to be selective in what I took home but a vast amount ended up in the recycle bin.
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I understand that the 2006 Ski Show will be recycled to produce the 2007 Ski Show - always good to see something positive for the environment.
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Nipped in yesterday - besides the gourmet venison sausages little to recommend it and increasingly becoming a bit pointless in the age of t'internet unless there are absolutely people you have to meet.
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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.
Have to say I really enjoyed it! Though today was packed!

Got some video footage of the Quater Pipe and a bit of the first fashion show, which I may have to put on my website and then I'll post a link to it.

Best part of the day was getting my boots and custom foot beds. Very Happy Credit must go to Helen & Phil at Ellis Burgham Mountain Sports for their time spent fitting me up. Got some Head Edge 9.8s

Si
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Well, I was due to go on Friday with our marketing director, but when I rang him at lunchtime, he said, "I'ts next Friday we're going isn't it?"

So I might take the kids tomorrow instead.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Went to the show yesterday.
It's been a few years since I last went to a ski show & thought it was pretty good,although a little pricey.
Highpoints..
Meeting Nancy Greene on the Sun Peaks stand.
Free Bushmills,Jagermeister & Mulled Wine.
Seeing that the Bandit B2's were over £200 dearer on the S + R stand than I paid on Ebay.

Lowpoint
Rain pouring in through the roof!
District line not running to Olympia when we got there!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
It was a good show this year - and I managed to leave without any bags/brochures/... I did spend some time at the Alfa stand, surprise surprise.
The main thing I did at the show was to press flesh... Meeting people I wanted to catch up with.
The mulled wine was good - didn't see the Jager stand (although that was probably a good thing). Eventually got home at 2.30 this morning...
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

Alfa stand


Quote:

Jaguar stand



Are sure you went to a ski show Toofy Grin Laughing Laughing
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Wear The Fox Hat wrote:

The mulled wine was good - didn't see the Jager stand ...

It fell over, drunk
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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?
to me it felt like there was two completely different shows going on, the one at the front with S&R Brighams and the holiday companies and a seperate on at the back where the fashion show and the manufactures were, all in all a bit weird rolling eyes but hey what are ski shows for, like Fuxup i was there to have a chat and see the guys that i see about three times a year at the ski show, at the trade show and at the ski test
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Wear The Fox Hat, Sorry that I missed you! I looked round 2 bars at entrance for about 10 mins about the time you were arriving but could not see you! But I did visit the Jager stand but did not participate - the others did.

I thought the show was ok and better than last years experience at B/ham. Bumpled into a few people I knew and didn't spend much which is always good - unusual for me but good.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Mouth,
Quote:

didn't spend much which

Very good well done wink Laughing
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Well I went yesterday and thought it was okay, only problem I have with it is the association with the Mail... NehNeh

Major problem was getting over to London via rail - blimey haven't been on the railways for donkeys years and now I realise why!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
We went yesterday too...first time in about XX years (I'd be showing my age!).
Better than I expected.
1/2 pipe display was fun.
Shops seemed to be busy.
We ended up trying on every flippin helmet in the place two times at least in attempt to get new helmets for the kids who have (annoyingly!) grown out of their old. It's all about fit when it comes to helmets.
Oh joy....the only ones that fitted well were £90 and £85. None of the cheaper ones suited their head shapes.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

On the plus side I did get to meet veeeight on the Mike Dempsey Tours stand


Great chatting to you too!

I was amazed and yet horrified at the number of people that were buying boots at the S&R & EB stands, and having footbeds done, shells punched and stretched etc.

I now understand why we have continual problems with clients when they get to Whistler.


Sunday I think was the worst day, in terms of the numbers of kids, babies and pushchairs in the aisles.


Quote:

Meeting Nancy Greene on the Sun Peaks stand.


I was on the stand next door, should have said hello!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Hi Veeeight
I'll have to say hello when I'm in Whistler in January!
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Please do!
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