 Poster: A snowHead
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Opponents of the Snoasis project have had their last shot with the planning inspector.
| Their barrister wrote: |
| There are two fundamentally good reasons why when the British invented the sport of downhill skiing they went to the Alps, and have been doing so ever since - firstly, the actual terrain and scenery, and secondly, the reliable climate. You cannot have a good day's skiing inside a ski dome which by nature has no views, no fresh mountain air and only one main run. |
Do you think he's missing the point? The sessions I have been to at Castleford have been testing skis for a few hours in the company of other snowheads. And I know some go for race-training sessions, too. Whilst a few hours at Castleford does not compare with a day in the Alps, I do enjoy myself.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, I hope that I'm going to have a good time in June!!
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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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achilles, he's a barrister. How do you know when a barrister's lying?... 
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his lips are moving
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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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When you live in he desert, and the alternative to a nice chilly -5degree snow dome, is wandering about under a 45+degree sun its a really a very good idea and quite enjoyable too.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I like the way he mentions "the reliable climate". What reliable climate would that be then? The variable and increasingly unpredictable Alpine one or the tightly controlled one in a snowdome.
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what an incredibly ill thought up argument though - could be negated with UK dry slope stats alone!!
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When the game of football was invented wasn't it played outside in a great big open space? Nowadays they build huge concrete monstrosities of football stadiums!
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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 might have some sympathy if he said you can't have a good ski holiday inside a ski dome, but very clearly you can have a useful and enjoyable day especially if you focus on developing kit or even testing kit.
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Well, I agree with the lawyer.
As do the general public, it would seem.
I understand that Milton Keynes is unable to properly maintain the slope and equipment due to lack of revenue.
The main problem is the slopes are just too short.
Coupled with the expense, the poor state of the slopes and clanky lifts that keep breaking down, it is a wonder anyone bothers.
Few people go skiing for the exercise: I go skiing for the outdoor experience of being in the mountains, the scenery, the variety, and the adrenaline thrills of speed, dealing changing snow conditions, steep slopes, bumps, and the weather.
None if this happens in a snowdome.
I also enjoy skiing for the company, but you can get that down the pub.
So I go to the pub instead.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rpft, point of information, ma'am - dry slopes are not inside ski domes  .
That notwithstanding, Jonpim, there will be at least 165 people having a great (or depending on how you do, slightly less than great) day at Aldershot tommorow not put off by the "slopes are just too short" or "clanky lifts that keep breaking down". And probably about another 190odd at Welwyn too.
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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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GrahamN: lots of people (my daughter included) eat Pot Noodles and somehow kid themselves it is an enjoyable experience.
Apparently this "skill" is also available to sporting activities.
(My daughter also goes running on a treadmill - another daft way to spend your time  )
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Frickin NIMBYs.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Jonpim, I've had some great evenings in MK snowdome - disagree with the lawyer chap absolutely. Take the dome for what it is, make the best of it with your mates and have a blast ! Great fun !
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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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austin7, I'm with you - I've really enjoyed the times I've been to MK, and I've NEVER experienced broken down lifts of bad snow.
It's a bit short but it's still nice to keep the skiing feelings going and to keep the ski gear in use. Maybe the Snoasis application should have been for a far bigger world record breaking indoor slope!
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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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Jonpim, Pot Noodles can indeed be enjoyable. I enjoy them most when I'm working outside in the rain and taking a break for lunch in a shed. Kettle on, nice cup of tea and a Pot Noodle, or better still a curry Pot Rice.
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My experience of the snowdome is that the sensory deprivation of being inside a featureless lump of concrete would drive me mad if I had to spend a day there. 
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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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If they could get more people interested in freestyle they would be onto a winner.
I wish we had one In Northern Ireland so I could practise a bit
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Look here you folks I'm trying to convince myself that I'm going to have a good time in June - I will, I WILL!!
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I heartily agree with the barrister, jonpin, and T Bar.
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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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Megamum, You will have a good time, OR ELSE 
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See - we ARE going to have a good time - we're also having a large cake to get a full sensory experience - taste included 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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...the article says they want to build the snowdome in a disused quarry.
Lots of new jobs, a bit of skiing practice, a disused quarry recycled.
What's the  problem?
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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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If I had to wait a whole year between isolated weeks of learning to ski, I'd be too old before I managed to achieve an acceptable standard! Snowdomes allow ppl like me to learn, develop & maintain skills off-season so I can make more of limited time abroad.
Could one reason why MK and Castleford are not so well used off-season be their exorbitant prices? Tamworth have a members' discount scheme (30%) and do massive summer discounts for all (2nd rec hour free and 30% off lessons. It was hardly full on Thursday when we went, but there were plenty of ppl about, especially straight after lunch. Surely the place costs pretty much the same to run no matter how few or many are on the slope, so economics suggest reducing the price to attract more punters makes good sense!
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NewSkier, but then some people moan about too many chavs coming in!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Jonpim wrote: |
Well, I agree with the lawyer.
As do the general public, it would seem.
I understand that Milton Keynes is unable to properly maintain the slope and equipment due to lack of revenue.
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I don't think so.
Both MK and Castleford have always been fairly busy when I have been, and I don't think anybody would want to build new ones if the existing ones were not making a profit.
And I have always enjoyed myself when I have been. It isn;t the same as the mountains, but if you go along not expecting it to be, you can get quite a lot of enjoyment from it.
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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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petemillis, know what you mean - too cheap = chav attraction. That's probably why Tamworth have a membership scheme because that gives a good discount but only if you fork out up front which they probably wouldn't wish to do. Of course membership fees give the centre cash up front which has got to be in their interest too.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Haven't really spoken to anyone at MK about whether it's profitable or not - rather assumed it was, with the packed slope and crowds milling about. I'm sure the profitability is in part due to the rest of the Xscape centre (retail, restaurants, cinema etc) but as has been said already, they wouldn't keep building the things if they weren't profit making.
The unpleasant bit I think is that once again, we in the UK are being sold short (pun intended). They build slopes just long enough to attract people and indeed people desperate enough to use them in their droves at high prices. If they built UK length slopes in Holland or Germany they'd have no customers. Maybe it's simply got to do with proximity to proper skiing, but I do think the UK market had been programmed to accept less for more/high profit low turnover/treasure island (linking into the uk shop euro binding thread).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Been watching this thread with interest since te Snoasis project is just down the road (30 miles . . . a nice bike ride if the saddle were softer or my butt tougher) and I've visited the site. the main part of the slope is in a deep and now overgrown quarry across the road from a now closed major cement works. There was so much heavy traffic 15 years ago that the village (where most of the complaints are rising from) was by-passed by a complete and effective access route that keeps all through traffic to the site away from the local small road infrastructure, add to that the rail spur link that used to service the cement works/quarry is still viable and you have a superb travel infrastructure ... OK it's busy at peak times, but where isn't and since this is a proposed leisure project most of its clientèle will not be wanting to travel at peak times.
As for sliding in a shed, hmmm . . . a day on your own in Xscape on 170m of frequently poorly maintained snow and barely serviceable lits is probably down there with a long neglected dentist visit as an experience. But add a few like minded acquaintances, a bit of scram, some beer and bullsh*t and you have a very acceptable day out . . .
Now make that a 80m wide 500m slope with a 'proposed' mix of pitch, a more 'natural' terrain, quick chairs and you could have a VERY good day out. This project is CenterParcs with snow and CP are very popular. It's not JUST about a shed with snow, the range of proposed sports facilities is huge and it should be a viable week long resort possibility for many.
I've nothing to do with this project but I've been to some of the 'town-hall' meetings and the rabid xenophobia displayed by the locals is something to behold "THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING AND WERE ALL GOING TO DIE . . . AND IT WILL BRING AN UNDESIRABLE ELEMENT" is the main theme . . . what's funny is they didn't complain about the cement works (it was a big'un) 'till the local air quality was tested and shown to be a bit unhealthy, even then the protest was a bit half-hearted. The cement works was only closed when Blue Circle (I think) moved production to Eastern Europe cos it was a LOT cheaper the make the stuff there.
There you have it . . . we're an undesirable element who will murder the locals in their beds and steal their daughters . . . sounds like it will be a cracking day out for any anaesthesiologist.
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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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anyone one know what the carbon footprint is of a snowdome, say per person using it?, including the drive there and back from home, are we just killing our planet for 15 seconds of fun ? I struggle to reconcile building a huge fridge for little use or unsustainable use.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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rayscoops, Every office in Britain now seems to be air conditoned and heated in a temperate climate like ours, people have forgotten the purpose of windows.
A fridge is at least well insulated. I doubt the carbon cost is any greater than builing indoor malls for people to shop in and temperature controlling them.
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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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| rayscoops wrote: |
| ......... So, what do we have, a massive fridge that is not financially viable........... |
Source information for that statement?
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T Bar, agreed but two wrongs do not necessarily make a right  there is a big push for better heating and cooling now, with air circulation and other cooling measures etc. in lieu of air conditioning.
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achilles, from Jonpim above and the fact that it is empty 75% of the time
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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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rayscoops, Hmm. Likeable chap though Jonpim is, I don't think he is the most reliable source of financial information concerning snowdomes. 
Castleford has always seemed busy when I have been there - but then I have visited it only for snowheads events.
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achilles, not necessarilly my personal view but the sort of thing planners come out with - the trouble I have with planners/local councillors just getting permission to build houses on an old petrol station in a residential area is unbelievable ! But there is something in the back of my mind that says skidomes do not, overall, seem the best use of resources, especially from a sustainability point of view. I am with the 'opponents' on this one even though I hate planners and love boarding. If the skidomes were wedged full of school kids from the local comprehensive schools during the week (like swimmimg pools used to be) I might have a different view.
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FAQ
