 Poster: A snowHead
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Astraeus, please please do the plastic first, save yourself a bundle and learn to ski on a surface that is slower therefore easier for you to control. Once you have mastered the technique then go to Chillfactore to put that technique to use in a more high speed environment!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| learn to ski on a surface that is slower therefore easier for you to control. |
I'm not sure that is necessarily true. Plastic offers much less grip than snow, even the indoor variety, so offers a different kind of challenge for a beginner.
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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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The tuition is good at Sheffield too - my friend who learnt there with the weekly set of six (?) lessons came with us to the Alps in April, to find the ski school had finished. He went straight into a private lesson, did a steep-ish section of slope straight away to the nearest T-bar, got to the top on the T-bar and did his first blue run. I was impressed that he could do so much when he'd never been on snow before.
Having said that, snow feels very different from the dry slope, so on balance I'd prefer to learn at Chill Factore. Maybe a bit of both would be good. What you are proposing sounds fine.
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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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Very diplomatically put. Rob may be saying plastic is the wrong type of snow.
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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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Very diplomatically put. Rob may be saying that plastic is the wrong type of snow.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Astraeus, Well they run every day of the week at the moment so I'd say aim for a mid-week one (tue,wed or thur) as they're likely to be quieter than the weekend or mondays and fridays. Plus the slopes will be quieter too giving you a bit more room to work with and less thoughts of avoiding other slope users.
A cheeky little trick  would be to ring the lesson booking line lateish in the day and ask how many are booked onto the following days lesson, this could get you onto a low numbers course (they take 10 max - too many in my opinion - but of course they're in business to make money). However I did one 3 weeks back with only 2 people on it so virtually a private lesson for the day.
Another option is to do it over 2 days as that is another course that runs.
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Bloody hell. That was a first - I edited it for grammar and got a free post
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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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| beeorchid wrote: |
The tuition is good at Sheffield too - my friend who learnt there with the weekly set of six (?) lessons came with us to the Alps in April, to find the ski school had finished. He went straight into a private lesson, did a steep-ish section of slope straight away to the nearest T-bar, got to the top on the T-bar and did his first blue run. I was impressed that he could do so much when he'd never been on snow before.
Having said that, snow feels very different from the dry slope, so on balance I'd prefer to learn at Chill Factore. Maybe a bit of both would be good. What you are proposing sounds fine. |
Very reassuring to hear someone has come out of tuition at Sheffield as a competent skier. I'll ring up and see when they can get me on a "learn in a weekend" course and that'll give me a taster of how to ski and that's when I'll go to Chillfactore for some enjoyable learning on snow. So skir67, expect me to bother you in the future as to when the best time to come up for a couple of hours of quiet skiing is.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
beeorchid wrote:
The tuition is good at Sheffield too - my friend who learnt there with the weekly set of six (?) lessons came with us to the Alps in April, to find the ski school had finished. He went straight into a private lesson, did a steep-ish section of slope straight away to the nearest T-bar, got to the top on the T-bar and did his first blue run. I was impressed that he could do so much when he'd never been on snow before.
Having said that, snow feels very different from the dry slope, so on balance I'd prefer to learn at Chill Factore. Maybe a bit of both would be good. What you are proposing sounds fine.
Very reassuring to hear someone has come out of tuition at Sheffield as a competent skier. I'll ring up and see when they can get me on a "learn in a weekend" course and that'll give me a taster of how to ski and that's when I'll go to Chillfactore for some enjoyable learning on snow. So skir67, expect me to bother you in the future as to when the best time to come up for a couple of hours of quiet skiing is.
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Hope you have a great time at Sheffield. Happy to give any advice that might be useful.
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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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| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| Astraeus, please please do the plastic first, save yourself a bundle and learn to ski on a surface that is slower therefore easier for you to control. Once you have mastered the technique then go to Chillfactore to put that technique to use in a more high speed environment! |
I can see your point ....BUT the plastic is a nasty surface to fall on, fingers and thumbs broken and dislocated and stuff, i found it very difficult to gain any kind of confidence, my wife who had never skied b4 hated it to the degree that it put her off the thought of skiing for several years. Then came Hemel, she bit he big one last year, 'cos my son is now old enough to learn as well, and agreed to try a week "some where easy", so after a little research i decided on Arinsal, My son started lessons at Hemel, my wife liked the look of and decided to do the guided ladies morning on wed mornings, she is kind of hooked(which is a very large relief from me)she loves it and keeps booking 1/2 day hols at work to go to Hemel.
I'd say straight to snow.
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| Quote: |
slower therefore easier for you to control
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I would not be totally convinced by this?? Turning on dendex and snowflex is much less forgiving than on Snow or 'freezer ice' (IMHO) and even when kept properly wet it does not make learning as rapid, easy or as rewarding as snow.
ricfrench, My better half also hates plastic to the point she will never ski on it again even for a pre trip refresher.
But I guess each to their own and as long as you realise the two surfaces are worlds apart then you will be fine
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You know it makes sense.
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| kevindonkleywood wrote: |
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slower therefore easier for you to control
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I would not be totally convinced by this?? Turning on dendex and snowflex is much less forgiving than on Snow or 'freezer ice' (IMHO) and even when kept properly wet it does not make learning as rapid, easy or as rewarding as snow.
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Yes it's harder to learn to ski on plastic, but the basic technique transfers easily and it's miles better than doing nothing. Snowdomes are better, but a lot more expensive and often very crowded.
Best to just get on with learning, whether on plastic, snow or both. The pay-off on your first real mountain trip can be very rewarding if you make a big effort to become competent beforehand.
I can still remember my first taste of real snow in Switzerland some 30 years ago after learning and skiing regularly on plastic at Rossendale. I was well accustomed to wearing ski boots, shuffling around on skis, riding pomas and, most importantly, I could actually ski from the start. In fact I thought the snow made it considerably easier to turn and stop quickly. Others in the group who had just rocked up were still working out how to clip up their boots by the time I'd confidently skied my first blue runs.
Learning on plastic and/or snowdomes is a no-brainer if you want to become a competent skier quickly. It's not as fun as the real thing, but you can learn all the techniques you need to really get going.
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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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| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| Best to just get on with learning, whether on plastic, snow or both. |
I think that's good advice, with one small caveat: try to find a good instructor who can help you establish good foundation skills.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well I've booked on to the weekend course at Sheffield Ski Village - £80 for eight hours tuition over two days plus two hours of recreational skiing. And having seen the snowfall on the ski village today, I can only hope that it hangs about - there were four-six inches today and it's snowing on fresh powder!
Once again, thank you all for your input. I hope the snow hangs around until Sunday now so I can get the cheapest on-snow experience possible!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FAQ
and I do spend a lot of time on plastic so Im not 'allergic' too it but my OH just hates it 
