 Poster: A snowHead
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... got an email from a certain well-known skiing journalist (who, by the way, definitely owns the copyright to the italics bit) this evening. It said:
A strange thing happened in the Milton Keynes snowdome today. Both my old orange Tecnica TNT boots disintegrated. I'm not exaggerating - I stepped into the bindings and the heel of the right boot snapped off. Initially I thought the binding was defective, because my heel came up, but then realised the back of the heel had snapped off the boot.
Obviously I had to go into the hire dept and take out a pair of their wellies. At this point, taking off both boots, whole chunks of them shattered and fell in pieces on the floor. The boots virtually snapped in half, with the inners gaping out. The plastic had become utterly brittle. The strange thing is that I'd put on both boots without incident on peeling them open. I think the lower temp in the snowdome suddenly triggered the breakdown.
Absolutely astonishing. In 89 years of skiing, this has never happened to me, and I've never seen anyone else's boots disintegrate to that extent.
Anyway, in the end, I got to teach a beginner friend for a couple of hours on the slope, just like the old days on Cairngorm but without the scenery.
If anyone can guess the identity of this person or, better, has CCTV footage of events, there is a massive prize on offer. Yes, a fabulous new soon-to-be-published book about the 1836 Lewes avalanche. (Note: prize available from 01.01.2014, WHSmith Inverness. Must be collected in person accompanied by four living grandparents. Judges decision final. No correspondence will be entered into. Please read the Ts&Cs again.)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Delighted to hear that he's back on the snow.
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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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Alastair, you only have to mention the name and you could be the winner!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Don't know the name but 89years of skiing?!?!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Alastair Pink, well, firstly, the bit in italics isn't me... RTFM.
TNTs I reckon first surfaced around '95 (happy to be put right there) and I suspect that the mystery person got them around then... definitely front loaders.
I think you'll find that his refererence to "89 years" may be a joke.
Your stab at DG might be on the money if only you could complete the name.
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Bode Swiller, you might like to point David Goldsmith in the direction of this set of reviews, which would suggest it's a known problem with those boots.
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anotherproblem, he's never been good at maths.
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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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| Alastair wrote: |
| Bode Swiller, you might like to point David Goldsmith in the direction of this set of reviews, which would suggest it's a known problem with those boots. |
Ahhh, is that your competition entry?
I'll certainly point him... he'll be shattered
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Now that the phone vote has been counted (please stop calling, your vote won't count and you may still be charged), I have pleasure in announcing that Alastair is our lucky winner tonight. Look forward to meeting you and your relatives at the prize pick-up party. Yes indeed, David Goldsmith today took on the mighty slopes of Milton Keynes... and lost.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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During his talk on boot fitting at the NEC ski show this year, I seem to recall CEM commenting that the pigment used in the plastic shell material could affect the mechanical properties - this seems to be a prime example! 
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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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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| Look forward to meeting you and your relatives at the prize pick-up party. |
I don't have any living grandparents, but the Ts&Cs don't say they have to be my grandparents so I suppose I'll just ask around the shop.
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Alastair, I hope you're not questioning the Ts&Cs. I expect that Inverness has a branch of Rent-a-granny.
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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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| Alastair wrote: |
| Delighted to hear that he's back on the snow. |
This would indeed be fantastic news.
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FAQ
I love my old Alu Icons . . . Stiffer than a young lad with a Girls Aloud dvd and comfier than a bucket of warm porridge 
