 Poster: A snowHead
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The British are apparently spending around £1.4 billion on the latest skiing clothes and equipment, and we need to be careful with it, according to Direct Line insurance company. New research from the company has found that the most common travel insurance claim made by skiers and snowboarders is for loss of a ski pass, followed by theft of skis or snowboards and sunglasses or goggles. ...The next most common insurance claims are for theft or damage to cameras, specialist ski clothes and gadgets such as MP3 players.
From: http://www.travelbite.co.uk/newsbrief/travel-essentials/travel-insurance/insurance-warning-skiers-over-pricey-ski-gear-0637.htm
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It says each active skier in the UK will spend an average of £1.2k on clothes and equipments during the 2007 / 2008 season. That feels high to me.
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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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Whitegold, are you reading the same report as me?
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The insurer points to research showing the value of the average ski outfit plus equipment added up to £1,200, and £1.4 billion is set to be spent his season on ski gear. In particular Direct Line is highlighting pricey ski jackets, skis and ski boots, which cost up to £500 and £1,040 respectively.
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It says that the average person's gear adds up to £1200, not that they are all going to spend that much this season (unless it's just me who's happy to ski in last year's jacket, an last years skis!)
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That still seems high to me. That's a decent pair of skis and boots. A £200 jacket, plus sallopettes - and very few people will be buying at the top end of the market. Typical insurance company... 
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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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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
Whitegold, are you reading the same report as me?
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The insurer points to research showing the value of the average ski outfit plus equipment added up to £1,200, and £1.4 billion is set to be spent his season on ski gear. In particular Direct Line is highlighting pricey ski jackets, skis and ski boots, which cost up to £500 and £1,040 respectively.
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It says that the average person's gear adds up to £1200, not that they are all going to spend that much this season (unless it's just me who's happy to ski in last year's jacket, an last years skis!) |
"£1.4 billion is set to be spent this season on ski gear."
Divide that total by roughly 1.2 million active skiers (source: Crystal / SCGB / Guardian).
And we get circa £1.2k per person.
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Whitegold, fair enough.
I do wonder though if that figure will include all the ski jackets that are sold to non-skiers, who just want a warm winter coat.
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Elizabeth B -- Fair point. That would lower the average.
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I never got why people buy all this fancy clothes and crap... I have some snowboarder trousers I got for 50 pounds, and use my ordinary clothes. I've not been cold in -18°C weather, and that's with a normal jacket, a normal sweatshirt, a normal t-shirt. There really is no need to shell out hundreds of quid for skiing clothes imo.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Mon 29-10-07 22:49; edited 1 time in total
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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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skisimon, Think its about right tbh - £1200 - mine adds up to around that at cost prices when bought.Dont forget to take into account all clothing you would wear, fleeces base layers,gloves, socks etc.
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Ski Club's Ski Analysis says here are 1.31 million "active" participants... http://www.natives.co.uk/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=9&listcatid=39&listitemid=3952 so that lowers the average spend a little. 87% of snails and 93% of frogs hate holidaying in France. 94% of internet forums carry statistics that are + or - 23.8% inaccurate. 67% of those who expressed an opinion said they thought Direct Line made it all up in order to get their press release noticed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And 100% of statistics are made up on the spot. No, that can't be right... can it? 
Bones, agree, for those that own their own equipment that's probably around the mark, but there are a lot of people who don't own their own equipment, and that accounts for probably half of the total or more.
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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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Timmaah, ssshhhhh. You dangerous subversive terrorist type. (You're entirely right, but no-one will admit it because they've all spent £1200 on stuff.)
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You know it makes sense.
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David Murdoch, or could it be that we have all been conned?
These guys didn't have any fancy techy wicki stuff and look happy enough
I don't think it was any warmer back then in the the 1920s, in Canada.
And many of us started out in just jeans with waterproof gaiters, anorak and jumpers.
So maybe Timmaah is not so much odd as enlightened 
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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, interesting picture, Did you note the ratio of ladies to gents? Was it a sport for the idle rich?
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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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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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This is tosh isn't it? I spend a fair amount on gear, but they are confusing average amount of gear a skier owns with yearly spend. Pisspoor use of numbers again.
UK mainstream Journalists are lazy. They publish press releases almost unedited. Add a few spurious numbers and they will publish anything. Perhaps the reality distorting effect of fiddling expenses mean they think 2 +2 really does = 20....
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Jonpim,
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| jeans with waterproof gaiters, anorak and jumpers |
- blimey you were lucky. My first ski boots allowed the spikes of my first bindings to penetrate my feet. Blood everywhere. How is that for a sensitive fit? I kid you not. True story.
I don't think it was any warmer. Some definite differences. They walked up and skied down. 100% effort. No nice chairlifts (or very few). So a very different experience. They didn't spend all day on the slopes. They didn't have central heating (I don't think...) So their blood was "thicker"...
If you wore jeans? idiot! cotton's the worst thing you can wear. Lucky you're alive. And if you think I'm joking, how many people die every year on Scottish mountains thinking a pair of jeans and a cimmet will be adequate?
Jonpim(2), skirts are well warm. Well, Kilts are, especially in "extra winter weight" so I extrapolate that skirts are too.
Timmaah, Frostbitten ear lobes on girls with ear-rings? Scary when it happens, very very quickly.
stoatsbrother, erzackly.
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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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David Murdoch, OK, so some people obviously don't have common sense. That's not going to make me want to shell out on over-priced gear... :/
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
- blimey you were lucky.
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EI: Right. I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, (pause for laughter), eat a lump of cold poison, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad would kill us, and dance about on our graves singing "Hallelujah."
MP: But you try and tell the young people today that... and they won't believe ya'.
ALL: Nope, nope..
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Timmaah, it also depends if you just ski, or if you use your kit for other things too.
I use my jackets, fleeces, base layers and socks for walking and biking too.
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Vests, you mean?
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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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Mosha Marc, so it's an expensive vest. And?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And, I wouldn't say it was a vest.
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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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Mosha Marc, it's a garment designed to cover your top half and be worn under your other clothing. Sounding pretty damn vesty to me!
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Lizzard, nope - no strings. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Jonpim, i would guess that your 1920s guys and gals are wearing wool. still in use today in snowsports circles, i believe. I would also guess that it was not very cheap for them to buy back then either. today's techy fabrics have just made things lighter, more easily washable and cheaper than their wool equivalents.
Timmaah, in terms paying hundreds of pounds for gear, it's up to the individual, if they can justify the expense - fair play to them. but there are bargains to be had out there (my £1200 quid's worth of kit came in at £350) and as Mosha Marc says most kit can be recycled for other activities (any ideas for other uses for ski pants though  ).
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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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Hmm - I started this last year and must be a real cheapskate, cos I have bought:
Jacket £39 - TK Maxx
Salopettes £19 - Mt Warehouse
Boots inc footbeds £200
Bootbag £14
Gloves £6 (Tresspass sale)
Goggles £20 (Mt Warehouse sale)
Socks £20 (found a BOGOF offer so got 2 prs for that)
Base layer - 1 polo neck & 1 pair 'longjohns' £20 (BOGOF!)
Think that's about it!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
"£1.4 billion is set to be spent this season on ski gear."
Divide that total by roughly 1.2 million active skiers (source: Crystal / SCGB / Guardian).
And we get circa £1.2k per person.
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Where does this figue come from- Surely this is a price inclusive of money paid for holidays!
Of 1.2 m skiers, i'm sure 25% must be kids and therefore would find it even harder to beleive we spend on "average" £1.2k.
I have friends who work in the industry in high turnover retailers and there is no way that the ski retail industry in the u.k turns over at £1.2bn!!
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