Afternoon, Snowheads. I'm Trilby - long time reader, first time poster.
For the past 10 years, whenever I've been on a snow holiday I've worn trousers that barely cover my ar$e, sat in the middle of pistes, stood at the top of runs playing with my feet for several minutes, cut lift lines, smoked weed on the chairs, used obsence language in front of children and crashed in to two-plankers with reckless abandon.
I'd like help in becoming a better person and realising that snaking across the piste, gathering around the offload area for lifts, wearing one piece day-glow and bobble hats, is the more enlightened way to vacation. Maybe one day I hope to hold a conversation that doesn't end with "WOOOOOOOHOO, HIGH-FIVE!", a slap of the palms, a tequila shot and vomiting. Possibly (this is just a dream), I'd like to call my first-born son Tarquin.
So, ignoring all the cliched crap above, can anyone point me in the direction of some web information on how to ski? I've had an hour lesson, followed by an hour practice, two years ago in Holland - at the end of that I could comfortably get from the top of the snow-dome to the bottom parrallel turning on the way down (it helps enormously knowing what edges and snow do with one another so it was a quick process.) However, I've since forgotten what to do and a shove in the direction of some material that may remind me would be very useful. (I'm too tight to buy lessons having spent my money on crap music that I play too loudly.)
If anyone is in Les Arcs on the week of the 31st Jan and see's a two-planker.... sorry, SKIIER (this may take some time), crumpled in a heap, wearing impractical baggy trousers and a bobble hat, help me up and I may even buy you a gluh-wine.
Thank you kindly for the help, y'all.
Oh, and to help me toward enlightenment, how do you say "Les Arcs" is it "Lez Arks", "Lay Arks", "Lee Arks", "Lur Arks" and do you pronounce the 's' on the end of "Arcs"? Ta again.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I expect most people will tell you to have more lessons, or find a helpful friend, or point your 'planks' downhill and pray.
I would say "Lays Ark" personally, but my French was learned in a different region of France.
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?
queen bodecia wrote:
I expect most people will tell you to have more lessons, or find a helpful friend, or point your 'planks' downhill and pray.
I would say "Lays Ark" personally, but my French was learned in a different region of France.
There must be something out there that can trigger my memory to come back - I basically have a fuzzy recollection of it all and it might immediately come back when I'm hurtling at a lift pole or child but something to trigger the "oh, yeah....!" response before I go would be helpful.
Trilby, if it's only two years ago, you're sure to remember. I've had a six year break before without any issues.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Trilby, Im out on the 30th (vallandry) and might be doing similar. I too have a couple hours experience on the dry slope (did those snow shovel pizza turns). My mum is attempting to learn (in her 70s) so might have to babysit her on the foret for a few hours, so might as well give it a go.
I have been practising standing in front of the elevator at work and stopping at the top of the staircase.
Got told off for stamping on other peoples feet in the canteen line today
Personally , If your anything like me , Ill give it a morning max..
Trilby, I'd agree with queen bodecia's pronunciation of 'Layz Ark'. Regarding (re)learning how to ski you could do worse than checkout fastmans videos such as
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.
russ_e wrote:
Judas!
I've been busted. There's spies everywhere.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Axsman wrote:
Trilby, I'd agree with queen bodecia's pronunciation of 'Layz Ark'. Regarding (re)learning how to ski you could do worse than checkout fastmans videos such as
They have better music, which means it must be better instruction (particularly that in video 4.)
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Trilby, Mr L has just started skiing after nearly 10 years on a board. He tells me it is a piece of pish and he can't see what everyone's making such a fuss about.
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.
I think, though, that once you feel you're doing ok-ish, a lesson or several will be very beneficial. I think it's less easy to teach yourself to ski that to board.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Thanks for all the advice folks. Myself and a friend went with the "how hard can it be...?" approach and threw ourselves down the mountain - by the end of the first day we were comfortably getting down the blues and could manage the reds without bails but not exactly that controlled either.
We had a private lesson the following day to "hone our technique", turned up and got a lot of "NON! NON! NON! OOO TAUGHT YOU TOOO SKI?" - seems like we'd taught ourselves snow-plough turns (although ignorant of any other way - I thought they were parrallel turns), which didn't impress the ESF instructor. So, in 90 minutes, he decided he was going to teach us everything there is to know about skiing (or that's what it seemed like anyway), including: parrellel turns, turning until you're riding backwards and then carrying on the turn until you're facing forwards again, side-slipping and carving. He went away and we practiced until we were comfortably parrallel turning and carving on blues (carving on skis is several orders of a magnitude easier than on a board.) Next day we carried on practicing and went through the board park a couple of times, making a tit of ourselves as we went. The following day, we chucked ourselves down the boardercross - it turns out that there's different courses but we didn't find this out until later and it turns out we were riding the red one but since we didn't die or even bail and seemed to get through quick enough, I'll mark that done as a success.
So it turns out lessons are a good idea, particularly when it's only 70 quid for a 90 minute lesson for 2 people. Next time I boarding, I'll definitely rent some skis for a couple of days and maybe get another lesson to remind me of what I'll have inevitably forgotten because skiing is awesome fun.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Trilby, glad you enjoyed yourself.
It amuses me greatly how board jargon seems to have infiltrated skiing as well. I would never describe skiing as 'riding'. For me 'riding' is something you sit on to travel, like a bike or a horse.
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