 Poster: A snowHead
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Not off to La Tania until mid Feb so I'm feeling in need of a quick fix of plastic.....
On a drive past Bracknell last week I noticed that they appeared to be resurfacing the main slope - does anybody know if it's finished yet ?
Also is 150cm still the longest they have any decent shaped skis in ? At 6'2" it felt more like snow blading than skiing - still fun though !
Do Bracknell still do the 'improvers' group, a kind of really informal ski around with an instructer for an hour or so sort of thing, no booking, just turn up.
Cheers !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A ski slop, hodsonb? 
I don't like the sound of that!
Please excuse my cheap dig, hodsonb. I see you are new to snowHeads. Welcome to our merry domain, and Merry Christmas. I'm sure in time you will get lots of chances to get your own back. I make lots of slepping mostaks and silly slips. But I can never resist a great "typo" such as yours.
(I wonder if you did it on purpose . . . )
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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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Cool,
I phoned up the slope and they said that the resurfacing would be done by mid Jan.
I'm not off to La Tania until the last week in Feb. My wife has given me a early pass so I get to spend a week there with my best mate before she and our other friends turn up. All in all 17 days 
I'll be sure to come along to Bracknell for at least a couple of Tuesday evenings just to get a little bit of practise in before hand - so I'll look out for a lime green jacket.....
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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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so is it done yet?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Has been completed and open for about 2 - 3 weeks.
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how is it then?
Planning on going next week 
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lbt, Hemel slope could do with resurfacing (Epic HINT)
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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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What's it like then ?
I tried out the 'nuresery' slope just after they had done that. The new stuff is like sitiff white extra long astroturf.
It seemed a lot more consistent then the horrible diamond pattern stuff. But a bit like skiing of "soft ice". Trying to get any real edge grip required much greater angulation than before and to be honest was a lot more dificult.
Opinions (or helpfull tips !)
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Ok, Initial thoughts :-
Seems to run quicker
Less heat generated in ski bases ( although was a damp night and I was using the chair lift rather than the drag )
Consistent surface seemed to allow easier practice of rotary skills
Watching peoples attempts to Hockey stop turning into long side slips probably backs up hodsonb's views about setting edges and angulation.
Overall experience, favourable once technique was adjusted to the different feel.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hodson - have had my first board lesson on the white stuff a couple of weeks ago - am hoping that the fact you need to be more decisive (i guess what you mean by angulation) will mean that when we get onto the soft stuff it will be much easier!!!
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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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Snow is sooooo much easier (ice is a different matter though).
I remember clearly my first day on snow after weeks of lessons on a dry slope. It was bliss ! You'll love it....
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UUUUGHHHH!!!! It was horrible!!!
Well, that was my first impression after 2 weeks away and feeling like I'd actually learned something
It improved as the night went on though. I still can't "ski" it.
Good points:
* A lot, lot, lot faster!! (so much faster that it's nearly a bad point)
* much less risk of thumb damage (I reckon)
* I found it less painful to fall on (though it still burns - so thick gear is good!)
* you need to be very positive in your technique to get an edge
bad points
* it's too hard to get an edge and you slide like crazy
* I think it's like skiing a huge ice-sheet (never having been daft enough to try!)
* It melts skis - seriously. mesk1, half the skis are knackered - our instructor melted the bases on his down to the rails during the night.
Overall
I came back from 2 weeks (and 6 full days of level 5 lessons) in Whistler skiing acceptably.
Noticeable improvements in my extension, pole technique, variable terrain, powder, edging skills etc.
I wanted to consolidate these and practice them - instead I fell over within 20' and spent the rest of the night going back to basics.
I know my technique needs work - but it wasn't that bad - for snow at least.
So quite depressing 
On the positive side: if I can learn to make my technique work there then I think I'll have no real problem with snow (or ice!)
We'll be back next week.
Still, there was one particularly humorous moment
At the bottom of the slope there's a run-off area that goes up about 10'. On top of this is a 6' high, 6' wide section of 'half-pipe' (essentially a ramp that finishes point vertically up)
You'll need this information later - but I suspect you can see where things are going
So I was trying to go get some angulation and was paying more attention to my turns (v. long radius - so not much deviation from a straight line!) and they had a bit of edge to them so not much friction.
All of a sudden I noticed I was doing about Mach 3 and I was at the bottom of the run - oops.
I knew I couldn't hockey stop on this stuff yet (it takes forever).
I saw the ramp and I thought "I'll go up that and reach over the top and hold onto the back"
So up I went
and up
and up
and I reached out.....
and the top of this half pipe is totally flat and about 3' deep.... nothing to hold onto.
Apparently the look of surprise on my face, together with the cartoonishly repeated grabbing and grappling for a handhold whilst in that moment of suspension before the inevitable slide back down to earth, was "quite amusing" to the rest of the people there who proceeded to laugh until they cried (Thanks Robbie, Dean, Neil etc etc)
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You know it makes sense.
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lbt, Having used the slope again in very dry conditions my views are revised slightly. The speed was reduced far more than I expected ( there was certainly no worry about running up the quarter pipe ) and the bases took a hammering.
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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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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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FAQ
£17 for the night - with a break for coffee - free unless it's your round 
