 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
I've just gone to join up for the ski club and an individual membership is £55. Is it worth it? What are the benefits and is it too late in the year to get everything from the membership?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
PowderHunter,
4 page thread on this very question back in November
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=44250
Couple of pointers in my opinion. Discounts may be worth it IF you go with tour operators and/or catered Chalets.
In resort reps are hugely variable, there is one I would want to ski with everyday, there is another who I wouldn't want to be in the same resort with! and of course you have to go to a resort the week(s) it has a rep .
I believe if you join the SCGB through the rep in resort you still get 18 months membership for the price of 12 but you may not get the cheap 'free' gift 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Boredsurfing, seconded - particularly on the variability of reps  - save that I've probably covered my membership fee by discounts on clothes and equipment, or at least I did last year. Their Freshtracks holiday programme is pretty good, too, and you can't go on those trips unless you're a member.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
I joined to get a 2 for 1 deal at S&R, worth about £100, and a hefty discount on a package somewhere or the other, then I left. Excellent deal. We might join again to give the kids some high standard kid's skiing, which I gather some of their hols provide, so long as the OL and I can do our own thing and aren't obliged to ski, eat or drink with anyone else (I may be prepared to sleep with selected SCGB members if pushed).
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Mon 12-01-09 17:50; edited 2 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
richmond, hello stranger - welcome back! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
PowderHunter, wot Boredsurfing sed.
I am a member and for me the discounts, freshtracks holidays and insurance are good points. Reps useful when I am in resorts with them. Try and join in resort as Cathy says - that is the cheapest way.
£55 doesn't buy very much these days does it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,500 cola bottles or white mice...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
flangesax, White mice aren't as tasty as they were 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Boredsurfing wrote: |
| flangesax, White mice aren't as tasty as they were |
Some pythons may disagree.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PowderHunter, I was a memeber for the last 4 years. I've cancelled it this year as I wasn't really getting anything from my membership.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Ah but that's because you've got snowHeads now Nick L
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Well, I have progressed thro being a member over several years and have 3 holidays this year which are all based on people whom I have met through the Club and would have been the poorer had I not done so. You can't put a price on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Can you become a "kind of" resort rep for the ski club and hence get your resort into the Ski Club market? I'd be happy to show people about and book them stuff to up the visiability of the area I live and work in...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| cathy wrote: |
| richmond, hello stranger - welcome back! |
Hi, thanks, cathy. Not sure why I haven't been around. Busy, I suppose.
Can you answer my question about buying boots in Obertauern?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
I make back most of (in some years more than) the SCGB membership fee through the various discounts - particularly useful if you hire a car regularly or book ski hols through a travel agent or tour operator giving a SCGB discount. I have been on some Freshtracks holidays, which I have enjoyed: they are a good way to get a whole week off-piste/touring with a good guide. I sometimes ski with a resort rep if there is one in the resort, but as said above the benefit of this varies hugely depending on who the rep is. For me the Ski Club is good value.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
in garbure we trust, To be a rep you have to go through a selection course, held each December in Tignes. It is probably quite fun. There are reps who live in the mountains and only operate close to base. Why not talk to the SCGB and see if it were feasible; I personally would love to see a Ski Club rep in Bareges.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I sent them a mail offering to be a rep for free a while back - I think it must have foxed them though as I got no response - despite apprently being over qualified for the job. I have thus decided to class them in the "wierd officious bunch" category and be happy to be part of the Snowheads break away faction (I think I am right in saying this site started when they introduced mandatory membership fee to post on their site).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
However... I am not good at being bitter, maybe I should actually ring them up and have a chat about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
The discounts can be had else where, and stuff like the holidays are off the brochure price, and you have to be a fool in this day and age to pay full price anyway.
thats not to say that new skis and stuff bought this year with a 10% off EB wasn't good...another voucher came out in Fall line the following week anyway.
The luggage tags were a nice touch but they don't do them anymore..lesat not this year..never used a rep and never will...
I initially only paid the membership to get access to the full website and I've used it a lot is it worth 55 quid just to access the full site..i'm not 100% sure...so might cancel and then again might not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| in garbure we trust wrote: |
| I sent them a mail offering to be a rep for free a while back - I think it must have foxed them though as I got no response - despite apprently being over qualified for the job. I have thus decided to class them in the "wierd officious bunch" category and be happy to be part of the Snowheads break away faction (I think I am right in saying this site started when they introduced mandatory membership fee to post on their site). |
I am a former rep myself and I assure you that although you might well be over qualified for the job, you would not be alone in that respect. A number of ski club reps, although certainly a minority, have ski instructor qualifications for example, but still have to attend the ski club training course.
Being a ski club rep is about more than just technical ability so you might want to explore it a bit further.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is probably inviting this thread to deviate right off track but it is nice to have the chance to chat to an ex-rep and get the inside line, how was it as a job richjp ? Did you do it for fun, a cheap way into a winter season, for profit...?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| in garbure we trust wrote: |
| This is probably inviting this thread to deviate right off track but it is nice to have the chance to chat to an ex-rep and get the inside line, how was it as a job richjp ? Did you do it for fun, a cheap way into a winter season, for profit...? |
As someone who could never afford to go skiing until I was twenty seven, I had always wanted to spend a season in the Alps. When I was made redundant at the age of fourty five and because of my personal circumstnces I took a year out to fulfill several ambitions.
So to answer your questions:
Yes it was enjoyable. The satisfaction was mainly in getting a lot of intermediate skiers to get more out of the sport both on and off piste than they might otherwise.
I did it both for enjoyment and as a cheap way into a winter season. I was a rep for three continuous months and with doing the reps course at the beginning of the season and spending time with friends, I was out in the Alps for over four months.
Definitely not for profit! Not a financial one anyway. You get given half board accommodation which can vary from resort to resort in terms of quality, a travel allowance, free insurance and lift pass. You have to provide your own equipment as well as daytime spending and beer money.
If you are a decent skier, which I assume you are, you will probably find that most of the people you ski with will be a bit slower than you.
I did not do it again but once I started working full time again I did not have the time anyway. In summary you get low cost skiing rather than free skiing, however in my view ski club reps give as much as they get.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Not for me
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Likely I will join for use of guiding services around Les Arcs.......
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Alastair Pink, So what is the correct term? shephard, minder, escort or perhaps baby-sitter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Alastair Pink, How about Piste only leader
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
The reps can easily be worth the subscription fee - depending on resort and how often you use them. If nothing else, they can help you get together with like minded skiers in a resort.
Other than that, I find no single benefit to be worth the cost of membership, but taken together each benefit adds up to make it worthwhile for me.
As suggested by a few others, if you join up in the resort, you get that season plus the next season for the price of a single season - and the rep will be eternally grateful.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Having come back through Geneva airport on Saturday, I was most dismayed to see that there were 3 people being wheeled around in chairs with their legs in a cast. Accidents are terrible, and can happen to us all.
Out of the three people I saw in chairs. Two were wearing Ski club jackets, whilst the third was being pushed by their partner, who was sporting one.
Coincidence?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Guvnor,
Yes, an absolutely fantastical one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
SCGB facilitated my transition from average piste skier with no mates who ski, to off-piste junkie with more skiing mates of similar ilk than I can shake a pole at. Freshtracks hols and reps are worth every penny. Couldn't give a damn about discounts, note my location!
They are a little bit anti-boarder on a good day; But I might just change that if I fail to sit in the middle of pistes and treat them as skittles, as they expect on my boarding days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Guvnor wrote: |
Having come back through Geneva airport on Saturday, I was most dismayed to see that there were 3 people being wheeled around in chairs with their legs in a cast. Accidents are terrible, and can happen to us all.
Out of the three people I saw in chairs. Two were wearing Ski club jackets, whilst the third was being pushed by their partner, who was sporting one.
Coincidence? |
 How very strange I skied Paradiski for 10 days over Christmas and didn't see a SCGB jacket at all
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
thefatcontroller, Remeber I know where you live and I'm near there at the weekend 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boredsurfing, Hence I only saw the injured parties with jackets at Geneva - they could have been skiing anywhere
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
can anyone this question? Who are ski club jackets issued to? Or can any Thomas Richard or Harriet buy them?
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Wed 14-01-09 13:34; edited 2 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
- just don't use the "g" word 
