 Poster: A snowHead
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... "an executive ski bus"
The Good Ski Guide, in a seven-point "Ski Safety Warning", has these observations in Zell am See, captured by technical editor Bill Dale:
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| Finally as new generation of ski and boarders has come in from Eastern Europe, and resorts have dubbed the ‘Beasts from the East’ as the biggest safety issue. Some resorts are over-run by Russians, Poles, Czechs and Bolsky Balkaners who go skiing for the après and partying on all day. We watched in horror as an executive load of Poles or Russians staggered off an executive bus at 9am, having slurped all the way to Zell am See in Salzburg region. |
He then reports the same group eating a hotel:
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| They breakfasted on a hotel, washing it down with vodka shots and pints of lager, then invaded the slopes… and went straight to the mountain hut for a top up. All day the piste maniacs endangered all who came their way and it was obvious after lunch that the East Beasts had been drinking more. Our reporter Bill Dale saw three collisions and was cut himself by an out of control Russian teenager. |
Has anyone met technical editor Bill Dale? Alternatively, have you avoided colliding with him?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith, Last week I was cut up on the piste by Parisians and by a UK Chalet op minibus from Tignes on the motorway near Albertville, if that helps.
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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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Boredsurfing, it does help enormously. It seems there are no nationality boundaries in the 'terror threat shocks' one can experience in the Alps. And when it gets to the point where you can't even trust your fellow countrymen it's hard not to give up hope.
By the way, the Good Ski Guide is not to be confused with what was the Good Skiing Guide, which became the Good Skiing & Snowboarding Guide, and is now Hardy's Skiing & Snowboarding Guide.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Skiing at Courmayeur earlier this month (since snow was bad in Chamonix) we skied off piste over the back with our guide - followed a short way back by a group of Russians, most on snowboards (to the annoyance of the guide). We went to a steep couloir which some of them couldn't cope with - one falling the whole length head first and very fast (he didn't even know to get his feet below him). Luckily for him there was a flatter bit below where he stopped before the bowl got steeper again.
At the bottom the ski out is a 5km track - 2 km of it dead flat. Our guide told them off for following us and told them about the path (which shocked the boarders) saying it would teach them not to ski somewhere they didn't know about (we could have been heading to another valley or to extreme skiing!). I don't know if they made it to the lift back up before it closed or had to do a few more kilometers on the path. 
Don't know if they were drunk though.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 26-02-09 11:22; edited 2 times in total
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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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snowball, do you get followed by Russians in London?
Next time, point out to boarders that they should get 'touring bindings' fitted when they return to the resort.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have seen these so-called "East Beasts" on the piste (why didn't they make it rhyme in the article?)
They are easily spotted because their gear often looks a bit outmoded, they still sport porno moustaches and they always look unsure of where they are going. They are exceptionally easy to avoid on the run because they move gingerly or are still in the hut. Methinks old Mr Dale has exaggerated just a tad in a "super soaraway Sun" kinda way. Rest of the article seems to be sensationalist tosh as well.
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Sounds like most University organised trips from the UK to me.....
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| I have seen these so-called "East Beasts" on the piste (why didn't they make it rhyme in the article?) |
For the simple reason that they don't have your level of sophistication, Swiller.
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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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I should have headed my bit "Lost off-piste Beasts".
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snowball,
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Skiing at Courmayeur earlier this month (since snow was bad in Chamonix)
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Not often you see that in a sentence 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Boredsurfing, they had had 100kph winds - stripped all the snow off the flat lower section of the Vallee Blanche, leaving all the rocks sitting on top of ice. Also Courmayeur had had another snowfall later and Chamonix hadn't.
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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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snowball, ah yes, I think Les Arcs had suffered from the same wind problem as well.
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
I have seen these so-called "East Beasts" on the piste (why didn't they make it rhyme in the article?)
They are easily spotted because their gear often looks a bit outmoded, they still sport porno moustaches and they always look unsure of where they are going. They are exceptionally easy to avoid on the run because they move gingerly or are still in the hut. Methinks old Mr Dale has exaggerated just a tad in a "super soaraway Sun" kinda way. Rest of the article seems to be sensationalist tosh as well. |
yes big bushy tache and well old spyder gear nearly always in red and grey..maybe with a silly hat but always with either a dayglo bib or arm band from their local ski\drinking club...often found blocking the top of lifts standing round passing a flask of vodka around.
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You know it makes sense.
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In his "GSG Exclusive" technical editor Bill Dale also makes this interesting and useful point about the dangers of artificial snow:
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| ... artificial snow is harder than natural snow and gives a faster piste, and one that turns to ice quicker without changing colour like natural snow. |
Not a lot of people know that. Did you know that?
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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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No one likes to be skied into by a p*ssed-up fool, wherever they're from, but isn't this just a load of xenophobic twaddle?
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We watched in horror as an executive load of Poles or Russians staggered off an executive bus at 9am...
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Not speaking English, French or German, so must be Russian or Polish. Didn't even check if their speech bubbles were in Latin or Cyrillic script. (I assume there were pictures with the story).
And how big is an "executive load"? Smaller than a board-ful but larger than a management pile? The standard of reporting these days... grumpy old git mode... 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Before having a go at Good Ski Guide's reporting, please be aware that it's the only ski magazine with a head office in Kingston-upon-Thames, a European office in Hopfgarten, a US office in Boulder, a Canada office (secret location) ... and a very substantial editorial team including James Whitaker "ITV Royal Correspondent & ex-News International, Editor at Large and Chief Writer"
Full information 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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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| They are easily spotted because their gear often looks a bit outmoded, they still sport porno moustaches and they always look unsure of where they are going. They are exceptionally easy to avoid on the run because they move gingerly or are still in the hut. |
So basically there isn't much at all to differentiate them from David Goldsmith?
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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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| DB wrote: |
| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| They are easily spotted because their gear often looks a bit outmoded, they still sport porno moustaches and they always look unsure of where they are going. They are exceptionally easy to avoid on the run because they move gingerly or are still in the hut. |
So basically there isn't much at all to differentiate them from David Goldsmith? |
no... he got rid of the porno moustache.
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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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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
Before having a go at Good Ski Guide's reporting, please be aware that it's the only ski magazine with a head office in Kingston-upon-Thames, a European office in Hopfgarten, a US office in Boulder, a Canada office (secret location) ... and a very substantial editorial team including James Whitaker "ITV Royal Correspondent & ex-News International, Editor at Large and Chief Writer"
Full information here |
Hmmm... how come I've not seen it anywhere?
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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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ex-News International
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- Applies to more than one of the editorial team
Hence the Sun /NoW style reporting, presumably.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Beequin wrote;
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- Applies to more than one of the editorial team
Hence the Sun /NoW style reporting, presumably. |
Quite! Guilty as charged, your honour, Send them down!!!
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Just had a look around the website. My favorite part has to be this.. http://www.goodskiguide.com/trade/htm/highlights.htm where it says:
1999 - GSG and Harrods launch the Harrods Ski Week, hugely successful, and would have continued but for the tragic death of Princess Diana. S'funny that. She died in '97 
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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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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
1999 - GSG and Harrods launch the Harrods Ski Week, hugely successful, and would have continued but for the tragic death of Princess Diana. S'funny that. She died in '97 |
Magnificent! Maybe Mohammed al Fayed is on the editorial team.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| DB wrote: |
| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| They are easily spotted because their gear often looks a bit outmoded, they still sport porno moustaches and they always look unsure of where they are going. They are exceptionally easy to avoid on the run because they move gingerly or are still in the hut. |
So basically there isn't much at all to differentiate them from David Goldsmith? |
no... he got rid of the porno moustache. |
No wonder he's not getting as much work these days.
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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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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
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| ... artificial snow is harder than natural snow and gives a faster piste, and one that turns to ice quicker without changing colour like natural snow. |
Not a lot of people know that. Did you know that? |
I'd say he's got that a bit wrong. It's grabbier and less slick than natural snow IME. Also, I reckon you can spot it quite easily as it is duller to look at than nature's own. Also... a dead giveaway, there's normally a spout or machine spewing the stuff out and making a racket. Has the bloke ever been skiing?
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
By the way, the Good Ski Guide is not to be confused with what was the Good Skiing Guide, which became the Good Skiing & Snowboarding Guide, and is now Hardy's Skiing & Snowboarding Guide. |
'Where to....' was the best of the guides at the end. The original Consumers Association guide was content to rest on its laurels and duly passed its sell by date. Hardy was the editor at that stage.
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You know it makes sense.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| Before having a go at Good Ski Guide's reporting, please be aware that it's the only ski magazine with a head office in Kingston-upon-Thames... |
Crystal used to be based in a small back road behind Surbiton station they then moved into Kingston centre.
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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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unoficial reports from hoteliers in Obergurgl do not accept reservations from such countries for the sake of their loyal
regular customers
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think there is a cultural barrier here to what is acceptable in some countries is not in others. I have yet to be run into by a so called east beast! I have had a run in with a couple of Germans and English boarder and a few close calls with people of various nationalities who thankfully all spoke English and we could co ordinate evasive action
As said above I have seen the same actions from people of all nations on the slopes no matter where they are from
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lucky you fattes13,you now have the information to identify eastbeast if and when he does run in to you.
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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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We've had loads of Russian and other East Europeans this season. They haven't been anything like that at all.
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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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| Latchigo wrote: |
| David Goldsmith wrote: |
By the way, the Good Ski Guide is not to be confused with what was the Good Skiing Guide, which became the Good Skiing & Snowboarding Guide, and is now Hardy's Skiing & Snowboarding Guide. |
'Where to....' was the best of the guides at the end. The original Consumers Association guide was content to rest on its laurels and duly passed its sell by date. Hardy was the editor at that stage. |
I'm inclined to agree with you. Chris Gill, founder editor of 'The Good Skiing Guide' (as you say, published by the Consumers Association) - whose expertise was combined with Adam Ruck in producing it - went on to produce 'Where to Ski'. Gill also hired me to write about ski equipment for the early editions of the GSG, so I admire him greatly as an editor (impartial comment).
From memory, Chris Gill originally edited Holiday Which?
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 26-02-09 18:19; edited 2 times in total
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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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We have had lots too, and they've been great. Like the journalist above has never met any Brits behaving in such a way, heaven forbid!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| We've had loads of Russian and other East Europeans this season. They haven't been anything like that at all. |
Did they complain about the lift ticket prices and wave Rusky Express cards at you? 
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
Before having a go at Good Ski Guide's reporting, please be aware that it's the only ski magazine with a head office in Kingston-upon-Thames, a European office in Hopfgarten, a US office in Boulder, a Canada office (secret location) ... and a very substantial editorial team including James Whitaker "ITV Royal Correspondent & ex-News International, Editor at Large and Chief Writer"
Full information here |
I think Charlie Locke doesn't publish his address to avoid hatemail from RCR/ Lake Louise passholders 
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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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Swiller, are you aware that Bill Dale (26 years with the Good Ski Guide, apparently) is not only a ski safety guru but also turns his keyboard skills to the piano. Click here:
From Piste to Piano!
Is there a Good Piano Guide? Is there public demand for a 7-point Piano Safety Warning? Bill Dale is the man.
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Whatever must the other guests have thought when they returned to their hotel only to find it had been eaten by Russians? Would their travel insurance cover them for such loss of accommodation?
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FAQ
