 Poster: A snowHead
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hey guys, i tried to find a place to intro myself but couldnt really find one, so imma start a new thread hope u guys dont mind.
im quite new to the snow, but i caught on really well and now is my favourite sport. but the thing is, im from Australia, and as you all know, we dont have much snow. either way im currently planning my next trip in July and any advice is welcomed!
just one question i can never find an answer to...
whats the difference between on-piste and off-piste?
thanks yall nice to meet you!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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enoch, welcome to snowHeads! You'll find a lot to learn here, and great people to share it with. I know a number of Aussies who ski a lot, so I'm not sure about the lack of snow!
To answer your first question, on-piste is generally groomed and marked trails. Off-piste is generally ungroomed and/or outside the marked trails.
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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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ahhh thanks.
are there any other australians on this forum?
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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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enoch, yes, there are some. I'll expect to see them show up in this thread soon.
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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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Welcome to snowHeads, enoch 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Welcome enoch
| Quote: |
whats the difference between on-piste and off-piste?
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On piste skiing or boarding is what you will be taught at first in ski school. As ssh says, they're the slopes that are usually piste-bashed, served by snow patrol / rescue services and would be closed at the first sign of avalanche danger. Off piste is what you aspire to when you're tired of cruising prepared areas. Some never make it..... The skiing techniques for offpiste, especially deep powder, are completely different. And you'll probably need a guide and avalanche equipment for really extreme back-country areas.
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icic...
man this forum is great, thanks! i feel so welcomed!!
ok another question...
whats the helicopter trick called?
is it just called a helicopter trick? how long do u think it'll take to learn to do it?
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enoch, I believe the helicoptor trick is called "a helicopter" 
As for how long it wil take to learn it, I've no idea! I'm not sure whether many snowHeads are into such tricks.
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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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enoch, I don't think I could do it now but I was taught the to do the helicopter in about a couple of hours arround 25 years ago, my dim and distant memory was that you need to be a good parallel skier before you even start to learn that trick plus you have to know how to land basic jumps, I think it required you to initiate a turn just as you went off the jump then use your body mass and hips to carry on the rotation, which if you judged it properly would let you land facing fowards
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D G Orf, Or more usually 'face downwards'
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Masque, that's if you judge it badly, of course these days that's almost certainly what would happen to me which is why I don't even consider trying it any 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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Hi Enoch
Welcome to snowheads... just think - when we're all depressed that its summer in Europe you can tell us about all the good snow you're getting in Oz (or NZ)
p.s. have been skiing for about 5 years now and I haven't attempted the helicopter. But then I am a wuss that doesn't want to do jumps! Looks like a good way to break some bones!
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| enoch wrote: |
| as you all know, we dont have much snow |
Not quite right actually! The snow covered area of Australia is larger than the whole of Switzerland. Of course, it does tend to melt quite quickly. 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Ian Hopkinson wrote: |
| I believe the helicoptor trick is called "a helicopter" |
Hmm, I thought a "helicopter trick" was any attempt at flash skiing most likely to end in an "incident" requiring the attendance of airborne mountain rescue services... that'd be most of mine then... 
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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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Big g'day to ya enoch 
I'm a Kiwi myself, but lived in Sydney for a bit so have a fair few Aussie mates. Yeah, the skiings a lot better in NZ but I left the country before I caught the bug. Is a bit going on in the Snowy Mountains, think the season only lasts a bit longer that the Scottish one hehehe.
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Poster: A snowHead
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enoch, Welcome to Snowheads. There are several quite good resorts in the Snowy Mountains, and I believe Tasmania is excellent. I have a friend who works in Thredbo every summer (ours) and says it's pretty good. Had a good friend who grew up ski-ing is Tassi and reckons it's as good as anywhere!
enjoy your ski-ing and be careful around helis (I hurt myself quite badly trying them when I was younger which is why I now agree with D G Orf, and no longer aspire to them!) 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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enoch,
They all live in St Anton..... !!
This is where most 1st time ski bums go to from down under...
Don't do jumps anymore as it takes its toll on the knees. You have to look after those knees...!!
But if you must....never ever on a flat landing....!!
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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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enoch, these days, a helicopter is usually called a 360, since the focus is on more spinning... Now that twin-tips let us land switch, there're also a 180, 540, 720, 900, and 1080 (and so on). Add in various launch and grabs, and you have the tricks...
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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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wow!
excellent thanks!
i havnt been to tassi but now i'll definately go to try the snow there, hmmm i always see huge mountain ranges in switzland and stuff, so how long does a ski season usually last in europe? it lasts around 3 or 4 months in australia...
has anyone been to japan?
it takes 6 hours from where i live to the closest snowfield...=( but i've heard in canada, it takes 45mins!
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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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The European season generally starts late December when the resorts open up and shuts about mid April. This may be extended by conditions. By Europe I mean the Alpes. Some resorts have glaciers which are 3000m plus and they can have a longer season. Tignes in France boast a 365 day season but the skiing is limited compared to the winter where the area totals 300 plus km of pistes. Its huge but by no means the biggest... It would swamp Threadbo
Aussies usually come to the alpes and live through the season on bar work and clubbing so their access time is 5 mins..or however long the hangover takes to get over....
You will find them in most resorts
Never been to Japan...!!
From the UK expect 10 hours to the Alpine resorts, whether you fly or drive...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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enoch, hi and welcome to snowHeads.
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hi Kramer, thanks JT!
i've read somewhere ppl would go ski/board down the himalyers...anyone here ever dont it?
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enoch, we have one fairly frequent poster on snowHeads who lives in Japan. Mac46. Drop him a PM (private message) if you have any specific questions. And somewhere recently we had a thread about an Aussie company taking over a complete resort in Japan with big plans for it. Ah found it here
Himalayas (or at least part of it - bloody big mountain range) see here
Enoch - try the search engine in user facilities drop down menu on the top left. Searching on Japan, and Australia, will drag out quite a lot of background reading for you. Cheers
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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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enoch,
No, they are too big and only for climbing. Although I am sure some otf the foothills will get developed soon...
Even then the heights might not be helpful.
In Europe, 3000m takes the breath away so anything much higher would need acclimisation. For example the Rockies in the US have much higher resort base stations than Europe and it takes a week to get over the flight and being able to sleep at that altitude.
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icic...thanks heaps.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Maaaaaaaaaaaaaate.
I'm an ex-pat Kiwi, long-term resident in GB.
6 Hours to resort is nothing. But then up this end of the world you stay on the snowline rather than wasting precious hours every morning commuting up the hill. 
Try the NZ scene - season is June(ish), with at least Turoa in the North Island staying open until xmas day most years. And it's only a 2hr flight straight into Queenstown from Sydney. And NZ actually has snow (sorry, couldn't resist it -ssh, Aussies really DO generally have poor snow. They ski well mainly cause they make the most of what's (not) there, or because they've spent a season in NZ/Europe/America).
Or, if you're young enough (18-27), or you have a British grandparent, apply for a British work visa & do yer OE. Visit the Alps repeatedly as required.
However working in the Alps requires an EU passport. Or a British work/holiday visa and good connections with a British chalet company providing accomodation services in the Alps, which is much easier to arrange once you're in Britian.
| Quote: |
whats the difference between on-piste and off-piste?
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As ssh implies, a piste pole marker. Piste is French for trail. You'd call it on-trail, or off-trail. The Yanks call off-trail "back country" skiing.
Happy skiing enoch - will we see you "on-piste" up this end of the world one day?
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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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haha hey manda
yeah definately! imma gonna ski the hole world as soon as i finish my doctor training and make lots of money performing dangerous surgeries on rich people (plastic surgery).
haha yeah i plan to go to NZ prob next season. so Queenstown has nice snow? and UP TILL CHRISTMAS DAY?! WHAT?!
ARE YOU CRAZY?!
geez christmas = sweat and heat.
oh how i loath such heat!!! although it's really cold this summer 
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Oh you B*****d. enoch. You'll hardly need to ask for a work visa anywhere - immigration will be handing them to you as you walk off the plane. Hrumph [goes off to sulk in a corner].
Er hem.
NZ-wise: Try: www.snow.co.nz
Xmas - no, it's a quirk of nature. Only the 2 fields (Whakapapa and Turoa) on Mt Ruapehu volcano in the North Island are likely to open and even then usually only Turoa (faces S/E and is therefore in permanent shade). It's summer in NZ at xmas, but it's not hot like it is in Oz. Never is, really.
Queenstown certainly has the most extensive snow. Stay in Queenstown & push on up the Southern Alps each morning to any of the half doz fields that take your fancy. Mt Hutt near Christchurch has probably the most challenging runs. "Nice" in NZ is ...well - depends on whether the weather's allowing it to occur - for example some of the "best" powder is in Turoa and it falls in late spring around about October/November.
Go ski as much of Oz & NZ as your wallet/studies allow, then add to the brain-drain. Trust me, both the exchange rate, and the snow, is better up here!!
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You know it makes sense.
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According to hannou who spent a couple of weeks skiing at Coronet Peak right at the start of last July there had been little natural snowfall by then, but the low temperatures for some weeks had ensured most pistes were well covered with the artificial stuff. She loved Queenstown by the way (and Oz, where she spent the rest of July and some of August). Some photos from the resort in her album here...
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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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oh mad!
so it'll be like
persiher blue in july, My Turoa in Oct/Nov, and then Overseas for the new year!
brilliant!
hey thanks PG, excellent pictures! the snow looks great, and haha go the koala! geez NZ is so beautiful...
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Poster: A snowHead
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enoch, I know 
But wait till you get up here!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hm how come i cant pm?
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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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enoch, dunno? What have you tried? How far do you get with the process?
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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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PG, loved the photos. The first one of Coronet Peak brought back memories: you can see the nursury slope where i had my first experience of snowsports and in the foreground is the end of a blue run that i went down repeatedly for 2 days while trying to get to grips with boarding. that was the start of a long love affair...
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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, i cant even find the PM tab....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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enoch, there isn't one under the reply box, as in some forums. Go to "Send/Read Messages" under the snowHeads logo at the top....
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enoch, As PG says, at the top of the page is a link to "send/receive messages". Click on that, and you should be okay.
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FAQ
