 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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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DB, so are you admitting by coming in the Boarder section and posting multiple times that actually you think boarding is better than skiing ?
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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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Lizzard,
It's fantastic advice, and I only wish you or Mr L had been on hand in Val d'Isere on that lonely April day in 2001. It was another year before anybody told me about the trailing arm thing, and then another two before I could stop waving that terror-stiffened arm around behind me...
That's my fault though, for (a) taking my first boarding holiday with a bunch of expert skiers and (b) listening to ANY of their advice about drag lifts! (or, come to think of it, flat bits... or moguls... or the indispensability of headscarves... or dayglo clothing and its timeless elegance...  )
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| debbi wrote: |
| DB, so are you admitting by coming in the Boarder section and posting multiple times that actually you think boarding is better than skiing ? |
Being serious for a moment ..... I actually clicked on the Snowboarding section by mistake. I'm just playing along with the stereotype themes posted in previous posts here.
From people I know who board and ski they are different tools that excel in different situations. (e.g. A board excels in powder and difficult snow but not in the bumps). There's no age restrictions for either and what you have strapped to your feet doesn't dictate what type of person your are. I'm sometimes the only skier with a group of boarders and am happy that I am not always last in the powder (as used to be the case a few years back). I've come under great pressure to try Snowboarding and it is something I will probably try one day but for now ski touring http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski_touring is what I like doing best and touring with a snow board has issues. Boarder friends have tried the split boards but weren't impressed - they find that the approach skis http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Gear/Approach-Skis with a proper board works better. One of them who until recently had never skied (semi-pro surfer) took up skiing because he wanted to come on the ski tours. When there is powder I want to be touring out in the backcountry when not I play about a bit in the bumps or ski past my boarder mates on the piste.
| Quote: |
| Snowboards are the tool of choice for some difficult snow conditions like breakable crust, spring slush or dense new snow. Many people also prefer them for powder. Unfortunately, travelling over flats and uphill is somewhat contrived and difficult, with transitions taking much longer than skiers. |
Besides who wants piles?
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 9-11-07 12:17; edited 1 time in total
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DB, yeah piles suck !
You're right about there being some things that just aren't as possible on a board. I have even considered recently putting ski's back on for an afternoon as my friend coming on hols with us this year isn't sure whether she wants to ski or board. So if she ski's I might (and I stress might!) join her for a snowplough session 
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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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one of many hysterical moments on a board is this.
was riding in Lake Louise, was coming down the home run and was close to the bottom and could hear the music from the cabine playing really loud, they were playing hey yah by Outkast. So i started dandcing while on my board, caught an edge and landed right on my face infront of everyone down there who promptly burst into hysterics!
there have been many!
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riding in low flat light in Whistler, thinking that a big bank by the side of the piste looks fun to ride up on, like a bit of a pipe really, just as I get to the side I notice it is not a bank - it is almost a vertical face, and it is separated from the piste by a wide deep ditch - I must add that I noticed this when I am about one meter away and travelling at a good lick, anyway the split second that I was catching some air was good, the cartoon 'daffy duck' splat in to the vertical face bad, and the trying to get my board off in a powder filled ditch was even worse. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Bought a really nice jumper last year but as i washed it it went baggy and was longer than my snowboard jacket, needless to say with all the strapping on we boarders do i was on the holiday video with a dirty great clump of ice stuck to my aris.  A few giggles could also be heard from behind the camera.
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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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| debbi wrote: |
| You're right about there being some things that just aren't as possible on a board. I have even considered recently putting ski's back on for an afternoon as my friend coming on hols with us this year isn't sure whether she wants to ski or board. So if she ski's I might (and I stress might!) join her for a snowplough session |
Oh dear god, where do I start?
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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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| debbi wrote: |
stab, damn thought i'g got away with that comment  I am working on her to board cos I really dont want to waste any time on planks.
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if you have to work on her then is she really a friend?
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Poster: A snowHead
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She's a work friend ! Trying to pin her down to a lesson @ Milton Keynes
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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debbi, you have to get her on a board, that way I might look good.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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debbi, good good, that sounds like me.
431-269 btw 
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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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| snojito wrote: |
| Drag lift for me too... my second day on a board, and my first attempt at riding one. |
Eerily similar to Snojito!
My most embarassing moment on a board so far has to be:
- On my second day ever boarding...
- On my first attempt at a proper (i.e. non-learner) draglift...
- Lift attendant hands me the poma, I hesitate and look bewildered, he mimes the correct action...
- I launch, catch a toe edge, mouthful of snow, various Bulgarians and assorted tourists (mostly skiers of course!) laugh at me, they stop the lift, I struggle to my feet and have another go...
This is where my story gets even worse than Snojito's version though. Second attempt I was so determined to get it right that I got it very wrong, stacked even harder and (cardinal error) stuck my arms out in front of me to break my fall. Nearly broke my shoulder instead, as the lift had a launch speed of 4.5m/s and I landed on my right arm, which promptly ended up pointing due west (i.e. the same direction as my left arm does if I stick it perpendicular from my body).
Consumed by pain but determined to maintain a stiff upper lip, I unbuckled (they'd stopped the lift again), muttered curses under my breath at the attendant skiers and Bulgarian lift-herders and stomped off to the nearby hut. With my right arm hanging uselessly by my side, I bought a drink and sat down. Jules found me after about 15 minutes, and I was still in serious amounts of pain and swearing loudly. Several families had moved away from my table and there was a noticeable gap in the mountain hut crowd (gap centered around the large angry blonde guy). Having ignored Jules' entreaties to "get back on the horse" and having demonstrated to him that I couldn't lift my right arm even as far as horizontal, I stomped 1.5 km across and between pistes clutching my board (took me about 45 minutes) up to the cablecar and went back to the hotel for a hot shower and copious amounts of cheap beer, which is Nature's way of telling you that everything is gonna be OK.
My arm still isn't quite the same but thanks to my insane enthusiasm for continued boarding and the gentle encouragement/constant pîss-taking of Jules, I was back on the slow drags on day 3 and mastered the same evil draglift on day 4, all 400m of it. I've now come to realise how much you can learn (in terms of technique, not catching edges and general one-foot craziness) from draglifts, but it was a bad start.
My shoulder still hurts occasionally and I've definitely lost a lot of flexibility in it... d'oh. Still, hardly the worst injury, and as many people have pointed out, self-inflicted embarassment in front of a crowd is a fantastic learning accelerator. It's one thing to fall over, quite another to have someone with the fashion sense of MC Hammer's visually impaired uncle laugh from the comfort of their rental skis as I check to see if my shoulder is still in its socket 
Ah well. Lesson learned I hope, because I'm off to France in 3 weeks and if there's one thing worse than Bulgarian skiers laughing at you, it could only be French skiers laughing... no freakin' way, man! :=P
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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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| Shallimus wrote: |
| and general one-foot craziness) from draglifts |
two feet all the way.
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Shallimus, stinger. Sounds like I was lucky to get away with nothing worse than battered pride and a frozen butt.
| Swirly wrote: |
| two feet all the way |
yep, I've found that's about a brazillion times easier as well - but not all the attendants seem to like it. What's up with the insistence of some lifties that you unstrap? It doesn't seem to be for simplicity's sake so I'm guessing there's some other motive....?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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snojito, I'm guessing it's to do with the perception that you can get out of the way quicker if you crash.
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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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I completely agree that two feet is easier. However, one foot helps you learn faster. I still use two for tougher/faster draglifts though...
Yeah, I s'pose it must be getting out of the way? But that makes no sense to me as I'm less likely to fall with two feet in. Stupid non-boarding lift attendants
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Elizabeth B, I suspected it might be something like that... it's interesting that you say "perception" though. Would it be fair to conclude you're as sceptical about that as I am (and it looks like Shallimus is too)? I've always felt like the potential for nasty knee-wrenching ACL disasters -- and consquent loss of ability to get out of the way at all! -- would be higher with only one foot in.
Shallimus, perhaps you're on to something with it being about the learners being the more likely fallers...?
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You know it makes sense.
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I have no problem with drags, but I have been known to fall off if someone I know in front of me has a mishap and I can't control my laughing
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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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The get out of the way thing is dangly bits. One foot in hop up and stagger/ crawl with the board flapping along behind you. Two feet in jump up and slalom down the lift track between the skiers trying to regain some kool points.
P.S. I'm aware spelling cool with a k loses me many many points.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Swirly, did you have many to start with
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DebbiDoesSnow, no I lost them falling off drag lifts. Actually I strongly recommend staying away from me on the lifts on the first day in Jan: on the first trip last season after giving tips about using lifts to a novice boarder I fell off the first lift. It was a gondola...*
*actually a chair but gondola sounds funnier and we could have used one to get to the same place anyway.
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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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Swirly, haha most of my 'moments' have been on chairs and not drags.
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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 was so proud of myself first time I ever got off a chair on a board... totally nailed it! Second time of course I was wildly overconfident and stacked it, and at my size when I stack it surrounded by people, basically everyone ends up stacking it.
Q: How many Bulgarian skiers does it take to break my fall when I screw up exiting a chairlift?
A: Well, 3 as it turns out.
They had their revenge a few hours later when a neon-clad novice skied right into me - I wasn't even moving at the time - taking out my left leg at the knee. He managed to get one ski in between my legs on top of my board and the other ski outside my left leg. He was unhurt (of course), and tried to lift me up while barking what I imagine were alternatively apologetic and encouraging phrases at me in (presumably) Bulgarian.
Every time he tried to pick me up, my knee hurt more, so I kept yelling at him to stop, which only encouraged him more in his crazy quest - I say crazy because there's no way a skiiing novice weighing ~12st will succeed in trying to pick up hurt boarder weighing 18st while said skier's skis are still tangled up with the snowboard in question; rather, the hapless two-planker is far more likely to cause further pain to our snowboarding hero. I know this from bitter experience! 
PS before any wandering skiers think they're funny, no, I wasn't sitting down in the middle of the slope when this happened; I was standing facing uphill at the edge of the piste and the guy went to go right past me and then inexplicably decided to turn on a sixpence and try to ski between my legs.
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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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| DebbiDoesDrag wrote: |
| I have no problem with drags, |
Please, please tell me the secret then  I am absolutely dreading going anywhere with drag lifts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Dobz, both feet in, weight forwards but don't tense against the lift, board flat and avoid ski ruts.
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Swirly, Oooh ta for that
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Swirly, Dobz, not tried 2 feet. Bit scared of navigating the scramble before hand
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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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DebbiDoesSnow, elbows anyway you should be able to get between peoples legs 
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Swirly, i will definately try the 2 footed approach in Jan, you watch I will make a complete tit of myself and take out a whole line of people
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FAQ
