 Poster: A snowHead
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First ever topic for me but here goes.
As GrahamN kindly reminded me, in my first ever ski race on Sunday I improved by over 12% over the three runs (whilst being thrashed by my more experienced 9 year old son but that is another story!). Can anybody offer any advice as to how I can be more consistent (and faster obviously) over the three runs.
I am guessing (hoping) that this is a matter of experience but I am sure you all have tips to give me?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nick W, Just had a look at your times as your first proper race I thought they were very respectable as you said you improved with each run suspect that experience will bring improvement.
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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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If you've not done much racing previously, then a little experience will improve your times quite a lot as you become less intimidated by the gates. Then you need to start looking at your technique: look around for a race coaching group at your local slopes. I guess there will be at least one at Hemel.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| RobW wrote: |
| If you've not done much racing previously, then a little experience will improve your times quite a lot as you become less intimidated by the gates. Then you need to start looking at your technique: look around for a race coaching group at your local slopes. I guess there will be at least one at Hemel. |
RobW, Thanks. As you and ski suggest, practise, practise. I have joined the Friday night race training group at Hemel and it is helping with technique ( and a good laugh to boot). Welwyn in two weeks time is the next chance to see how the training has gone.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Nick W, LSERSA have a race at Welwyn on 8 July - GrahamN and I will both be there... fancy a  's meet there ?
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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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GrahamN, Easy. Doug Cooper was one of the many who beat me last time 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Nick W,
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Also, do you know if ERSA racers can enter another race series
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You can. GrahamN, and I both played in LSERSA and SRSA races last year.
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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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Is there a race over the end of May bank holiday? If so, which day?
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easiski, There is a Club National and an inter regional race on the Saturday and Sunday respectively (26th & 27th May) at Rossendale (way out west I think)
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You know it makes sense.
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easiski, In addition to the two races Nick W mentions, the first of the SRSA series races is at Christchurch on the 26th. It was going to be at Bracknell (on that crap Permasnow), but fortunately the slope cried off and we're now on a proper surface.
Nick W, Rossendale is just north of Manchester....so yes it's a bit west of you, but rather more north.
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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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Nick W, I ws thinking of South or South East. The last 2 years Snowskisnow and I have had a little get-together at Gloucester around the beginning of June. I was thinking that if there was a race that Snowheads were participating in we could have a meet there, wherever it was.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| GrahamN wrote: |
| easiski, In addition to the two races Nick W mentions, the first of the SRSA series races is at Christchurch on the 26th. It was going to be at Bracknell (on that crap Permasnow), but fortunately the slope cried off and we're now on a proper surface. |
How do they manage to set gates on the permasnow? Is it really that bad to ski on?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rob@rar, they use a flat metal platform that fits under the velcro at the seams, replacing the wooden base used for Dendix. When we had a tryout last year we destroyed the poles in about an hold flat, but I understand they've made them a lot stronger now. I've only skied on Permasnow once, at Bracknell, and I felt it truly horrible. It has virtually no grip - although you can just about find some if you really work the edges, but if you once slide a turn then forget the rest of the run. It also burns the bases like hell, and goes bald pretty quickly - so I guess the slope was a bit worried about the ruts  that would form over nearly 1000 runs down a race course...I know I would be if I ran the slope.
Although I've not skied on it, I understand that Snowflex (as IIRC they have at Warmwell, part of Gloucester and some of the northern slopes) is much better.
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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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Although I've not skied on it, I understand that Snowflex (as IIRC they have at Warmwell, part of Gloucester and some of the northern slopes) is much better.
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Snowflex certainly has more grip, but both are useless compared to dendix when it comes to training ski racers.
Even if they do make the gates stronger, they're still always going to have the problem of having to set them only at the seams of quite large mats and not where the course setter wants them. Sounds like a complete nightmare to me and I REALLY hope that Gloucester doesn't go that way too. 
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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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I quite like snowflex to ski on, but clearly useless for racing.
OK I'm going to start a meet thread for Christchurch on 26th. 
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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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ski, As you say LSERSA and SRSA will accept entries from anyone, Unfortunately (unless they have changed this rule from previous years) though, you have to be a member of an ERSA club to ski in their regional races.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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gsb, True enough about ERSA according to the 2007 race rules. They say it is so that numbers can be kept to manageable levels. There were 195 registered for the first race at Hemel.
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gsb, Nick W, Thanks. As SRSA and LSERSA were the same I assumed the other regions where too 
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FAQ
), so you need to be able to know that you can apply your technique reliably (or recover immediately when you don't get it just right), then you will know how fast/tight you can take any particular corner without skiing out. That only really comes with practice and experience. I know unfortunately I'm also a long way off getting there myself 
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