 Poster: A snowHead
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Open this week in a totally rebuilt and modernised form, the Winter!Sport!Museum! is Austria's new addition to the international network of ski, wintersport and mountain museums. It's in Mürzzuschlag, Styria.
The museum's exhibits deal with the origins of skiing 5000 years ago up to the accomplishments of Hermann Maier. Other topics include ice crystals, glaciers, avalanches, the rarified atmosphere of the mountain world, famous treks in the arctic, and the so-called Scheffelhütte, a 100 year-old ski hut. The highlight of the exhibition is a 3D film filmed in and above the area of the Grossglockner that includes footage from paragliders.
Here's the museum's website, which is in German. The photos suggest there's lots of interesting old equipment on show.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith, what is the man in the top picture doing?
It looks like he is about to throw himself onto a spike. Surely not.
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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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David Goldsmith, Thanks for that info. Being interested in the history of skiing, I have been to a couple of skiing related museums, which I can recommend, as follows:
In Oslo at Holmenkollen (site of the gigantic ski jump which overlooks Oslo). This covers skis from prehistoric times, the developments by Sondre Norheim (father of the Telemark turn), Nansen's first crossing of Greenland on skis in 1888 etc.
Zermatt has a small local museum, which as well as some information on the local history of skiing, also has the actual rope from Whymper's first ascent of the Matterhorn (which as you may know, tragically broke during the descent when several of the party fell to their deaths  )
St Anton also has a local museum, which details the pioneering work of Hannes Schneider who founded the widely influential Arlberg ski-school in the 1920s.
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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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"Wir sind für Sie ab 30. September 2004 von Dienstag bis Sonntag von 10 bis 18 Uhr. Darüber hinaus sind wir natürlich auch auf vielfältige Weise erreichbar:"
Means open from 30 September 2004, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 till 18:00. (Just so that nobody turns up on Monday).
In 1893 Mürzzuschlag delivered the first international ski matches. Passed this place a couple of times on the way to one of the local hills, must pop in sometime.
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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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It would be great if you'd provide a mini review of it, DB.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Understandably, the history of skiing tends to concentrate on equipment (skis, boots and stuff), but I am intrigued by the outfits. These days we have underlayers, overlayers, wicking, goretex, thermal this and thermal that: we venture out onto the slopes looking like arctic explorers. The outfits of "olden days" look just as if they had ambled out from the office, pulled on a jumper and tucked their trousers into their socks ( see photos 1 , 2 , and 3 ) . It can't have been any warmer then, what with global warming and all, so how did they survive? Are we just soft?
I also note that snowblades are not a modern invention after all. This photo form Park City is dated 1954.
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Jonpim, Soft is the word. back in the days before central heating etc. A lot of todays outfita are unnecessary. Although I am the proud owner of some fine Killy garments cortesy of my brother, which incidenrtally are too effective under most conditions, I still remember my first weeks skiing in a woolen jumper and waterproof coat and leggings which were perfectly adequate at the time. Nowadays of course would not be seen dead in the same attire whilst on the slopes but all the same.
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Jonpim, ah the multi-linking poster, the bane of dial-up users is back. Only joking. Great to have you active on the board again. Re that last Park City photo. Never mind what they are or are not wearing. What the hell have they got on their feet - barrel staves ?????
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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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kuwait_ian, you're right, they do look rather curvy.
And sorry about all you dial-uppers. (You don't have to click the links. No one will know if you don't.)
But my advice is get with it, enter the 21st century, dump your modem and get yourself on broadband. I can't believe Kuwait hasn't got it.
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Jonpim, I have ADSL so when I'm in the office it's OK. Dial up at home - which I rarely use. If you don't open the clinks you can't contribute to the craik.
BTW - The first broadband location in your link, Camp Arifjan, is a US Army Base !!! No way am I going there to view your splendid links. Probably wouldn't get past the gate with my strange accent and beard 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ian, so you have ADSL at work.... interesting. I read somewhere here yesterday that snowHeads was like a graveyard at weekends (very ungraveyard-like just now, or is that coz I'm comparing it to SCGB?). So most of the posts are during the week, when most of us should be working. I wonder if the downturn in the economy, slump in the housing market, and rise in the oil price over the last few months is all due to 600 key players in the world's affairs spending more time posting here rather than getting on with their proper jobs. Just a thought....
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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 only I'd known they were opening a museum - I could have donated a nice pair of rear entry boots 
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Jonpim, Sat & Sun is not my weekend. They have been dire in terms of forum action mid-summer and on a Bank Holiday ...... forget it. But now the season is approaching and the UK weather is more agin outdoor activities than usual, w/end activity is picking up, helped greatly by your welcome return to the fold. If you look at one of Ian Hopkinson's beautiful graphs (about time for an up-date, Ian?) the w/end effect is very clear. Yes - snowHeads are very largely a bunch of skivers. Not at all interested in world domination...
Another interesting thing about the forum activity is that Apres Zone is now quietening after an active summer and other 'real' snowsports forums are picking up. Only to be expected, I suppose. We need some new blood with some fresh ideas for Apres Zone.
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You know it makes sense.
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Nearly on topic, an exhibition in Turin about it's long history of skiing. Claims to have been the birthplace of Italian skiing...
From the Official Olympic site so even if it's not actually true at least it's not drug-assisted writing.
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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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I suppose it is difficult to keep Apreying when it is so long since we Preed.
Some have been Xscaping, it is true, but these piddley ice-slopes are just male-chicken-teasers: gets you going but no real fulfillment. What we are all dreaming of is a long piste with fluffy snow that leaves us gasping and laughing and breathless. It's been so long.....
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Poster: A snowHead
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FAQ
