Poster: A snowHead
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Not the 'I only go to 3V or Zermatt' type ...........but ..........
As we get more experienced at skiing do we start getting a bit above ourselves because we know more about the kit, the places, the snow, the altitude, the bars, only ski resorts with reds and blacks, how to adjust your bindings, din settings, the best route from 'a to b' etc etc,.
Do we go from nice fluffy snowheads who want to learn more about our sport ..... into grumpy old skiers with a bias against anything except for skinning for three hours to hit some nice powder and turning our noses up against those with short skis, high street brands, resorts without gnarly off piste, Andorra/Bulgaria, cheap goggles, and dare I say it .... snowblades/skiboards
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rayscoops, I have certainly noticed a difference with my attitude towards things. I am on my 4th season out here and have seen a lot of dangerous 'intermediates' etc... etc.. So I don't want to brand myself as a snob but I really do have genuine concern for the stereotypical holiday skier (normally from the UK) who rocks up and says things like... 'yes.. my daughter can ski that black run... she is fantastic... didn't turn at all... just skied straight down it...'
So snobbery know... moaning fuddy-duddy... yes!
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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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You don't have to be experienced to know snowblades/skiboards suck
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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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I hope I'm the opposite of a snob. Cheap gear, one week a year holiday skier. However, I do draw the line at rubbish accommodation.
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I think I'll be grateful just to be able to ski again! But seriously I still want to carry on learning and I always had it in my head I would reach my skiing peak (not physically) but technically with all the experience and increased awareness that comes with that. Ok sitting this season out so we'll have to make that 41 but if I do my rehab right I will be stronger than ever. In some ways I have become more chilled about things, I understand about turning your nose up at resorts without gnar off piste but actually I think everywhere has gnar potential if you know where to look and work a bit hard to get there. The only thing that really gets on my tits is what flangesax, commented about people who think they are great and tell everyone when they are in reality sh*t. And the worst offenders are Brits (probably cos I can't speak another language). I was in La Grave a few years ago and sitting outside a bar in the sun having had a great day and was just chilling. Then a crowd turned up on some kind of BASI course, the worst was some old bag harping on about how great they were so literally everyone could hear, they got the laptop on the table and were admiring themselves coming out with all sorts of dangly bits technical speak. On the table next to me was ex world freeride Champion Hugo Harrison who had just destroyed the mountain having a quiet beer with his girlfriend and and some locals who are just on a different skiing planet compared to these muppets who were high fiving as they admired themselves side slipping down a couloir! So I don't think snobbery I'm in the moaning camp as well,
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rayscoops, I've always assumed that much of the snobbery displayed has always been firmly tongue-in-cheek, because if it isn't then... *shudder*
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hmm. There is probably a bit of snobbery about the slopes I like to ski - hilarious really, since I'm so often coming across far better off-piste skiers than I. Kit? I like it to work. My Mission skis are in their 4th season - and I'm in no rush to change. I wear old Shoeffel salopettes, which were quite pricey, once, but one of admin's Keela jackets which was cheap but brilliant. For my first week's skiing I wore a pair of Marks and Spencer thermal, sympatex gloves which I bought for £15 (can't find them on their site, now, or I'd give a link) - but I wear Oakley glasses which I trust for my eyes. So costwise a real hotchpotch. Accommodation? I don't like it to be to cramped, other tan that anything between self-catering and a 3* hotel - I do feel that more pretentious hotels, apart from being goppingly expensive, would not tie in with the slightly sloppy approach I like at breakfast and in the evening.
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Gsyfreerider, nice!
rayscoops, I'm with you on the pleasures. I love all types of skiing until the holidays and then I stear well clear of the pistes if possible.
I love skiing on my own with music. When I do this I really feel like I take the mountains in. I tend to stop more often to soak it all up. I love skiing in groups that can improve you just by watching the better ones ski. But I also love helping my mates that come out to see us. There really is something great about getting someone skiing and maybe it is that joy in their eyes! Maybe cos I know I've got the whole season to ski I'm not so precious about my time and what I do with it. I have to say if I only had 1 or 2 weeks a year I doubt I'd be so keen to help beginner mates!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Ski ability snobery is rife with the Brits, however the ones that really do big it up are the Dutch! Mrs RH went out with a Dutch guy and told her that he was a brilliant skier. They went skiing and she was suprised with his ability!! She is a very good skier and was a very good racer, she does not tell anyone how good she was, just says something like "it was easy to win as not many women race!". Those that brag often are not the business!
I go along with the old addage "be more than you appear!"
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You know it makes sense.
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Snobbery is not the same as perceived boasting. Some of you seem to be getting the two confused. What rayscoops is saying is that some skiers on here seem to think that unless you ski predominantly off piste, are into touring or telemark and ski on obese skis you are inherently inferior. It's a load of tosh. I know for a fact that at least a couple of the more vocal of the gnarly brigade can't even perform simple cleanly railed arc to arc turns whatever they may ski off piste.
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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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not at all, We still have a discovery for the luggage shipment and I still help jeeves pack the limo and put the rack on for the ski's although we have moved to a box to protect the lacroix from the salt on the roads. And when we get to klosters we always head for the bar to meet charlie and the kids for a beer although didn't see him there this year.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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slikedges wrote: |
Snobbery is not the same as perceived boasting. Some of you seem to be getting the two confused. What rayscoops is saying is that some skiers on here seem to think that unless you ski predominantly off piste, are into touring or telemark and ski on obese skis you are inherently inferior. It's a load of tosh. I know for a fact that at least a couple of the more vocal of the gnarly brigade can't even perform simple cleanly railed arc to arc turns whatever they may ski off piste. |
Take your point but certain skiers esp. ski instructors seem to believe you are inferior if you aren't making near perfect carves on blue runs all day. Not sure if I make your "unclean carvers gnarly brigade" feel free to confirm either way, but to be honest I just have more fun skiing offpiste and I don't ski either perfectly.
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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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slikedges, yep, think you hit nail on the head there.
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DB wrote: |
Take your point but certain skiers esp. ski instructors seem to believe you are inferior if you aren't making near perfect carves on blue runs all day. Not sure if I make your "unclean carvers gnarly brigade" feel free to confirm either way, but to be honest I just have more fun skiing offpiste and I don't ski either perfectly. |
I don't recall ever seeing a post on here by a ski instructor or anyone else intimating that, though I obviously don't read every thread. I'd agree though that if one can't actually make clean arc to arc turns given a reasonable slope and surface that one's skiing has a way to go. Of course if you can't ski ungroomed with some reasonable form your skiing has a way to go too. I'm sorry but you don't qualify for the brigade - I don't recall having seen you ski (maybe you've posted a vid or pic?) but anyway while I do get from you that you prefer off piste, I don't get from you the feeling that you look down on piste skiers. For the record I ski both far from well but have more work to do on my off piste than my piste skiing.
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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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slikedges, to a certain degree yes, but also those that actually were the blue piste cruisers last year and now because they might have had a two week holiday and did a bit of off piste skiing start criticing Cervinia (for example) as 'ok if you like motorway skiing', and come over as if they are free mountain gods and again I fall in to that trap a bit probably
So I am not really on about good skiers who ski hard conditions or off piste, I am really on about those of us, our mates etc., that if you listened to them or looked at their pictures you would assume they had been dropping 60 foot cliffs and skiing stuff that no one else would touch, but in reality they are just plodders who have become a bit better and can put a decent track down in powder, but now come over al superior and look down heir noses a bit at those who do not know about the latest fat ski or buzz word.
A bit like sometimes you see people in restaurants parading around in their body armour gear (as if to say look at me I must be good if I have to wear this) but you knwo they can hardly get down a chopped up black
A bit like some one who might have been enthusing about their TKMaxx bargain last year, but this year is advising people that unless a jacket has a Gortex rating of 9000 it is not worth having
A bit like the anti snowblade brigade, when I suspect there a few bladers on here who would whoop their 8rses on or off piste
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DB,
Quote: |
Probably more Epicski than here but appreciate if you can't put a clean carve down on piste then difficult offpiste (e.g. breakable crust) is going to have you on your head / rear-end. |
Yep, also any kind of heavy snow and you'd be over...unless you skim over the surface on nice fat skis
Quote: |
I have skied with a few Snowheads (e.g. Masque) even skied with Admin once but I was knackered after a few days powder skiing with a guide (read digging myself out of powder) and Admin was fresh as a daisy. Not surprising really as he surfaced just before lunchtime to put a couple of runs in. |
Right, time for a few PMs
rayscoops, ok, a bit different then, sorry for thread drift.
I think there is some of that around. People who are a little better, a little more knowledgeable, identifying with or masquerading as people who are real experts. Rather merges with the who's boasting or being falsely modest, who's being truly ?unnecessarily modest, who just tells it like it is thing. I try to be measured in my posts on this sort of thing, and hope that comes across.
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slikedges, you were not off topic, just another example really
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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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There might be some s who come over as though they look down on everything but gnarly gnarly but I always get the impression - maybe wrongly - that they are not necessarily the best skiers around. In fact one of the best SH skiers (according to easiski) absolutely never comes over like that at all - quite the reverse.
There are plenty of SHs with expert knowledge about all sorts of things and I've often been grateful for their willingness to share it. Not necessarily skiing stuff, though I had an extraordinarily helpful quick post from someone who knew Val Thorens well, when I was taking my brother in law there for a day and wanted to avoid anything with "edges". That bit of advice meant we had a great day, he wasn't freaked out, etc. And on the gnarlier side, there's some incredibly good stuff available about, for example, the Vallee Blance. I think most people are able to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to advice.
Me, I'm an expert on beginner progression round the Espace Diamant. That has come in useful for some non-gnarly people. I feel that some of the detailed resort-specific advice - restaurants and accommodation, as well as pistes and lifts, is amongst the most useful SH resource. There's always someone who knows.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yes, they do..... of course I knew that, but silver on the box did not match the gold plated wheels of the Rolls. Surely everyone does the same. Oh and we got good use from the ski pass, skied a morning in 1850 and had champers with the russian ladies.
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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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i don't like the word snob, but i am extremely unsympathetic to learners (thats learners outside of greens blues and reds where they should be)/ gapers/ retards etc etc and have no problem letting people know it either...i am just back from morzine, and after skiing only cham (many times) and vail over the past 4 years, i was astonished at the retardedness on show...its just that i had forgotten how bad places like this were...i wasn't able to get my dukes mounted anywhere in morzine either (which says it all really) so it was very difficult to get myself away from the lift lines, where high gaperness was abundant...but after day 2, i had had enough and treked anywhere safe and accessable for me, my neice/ neph and oh could go...anywhere away from the beaten track, and just closed my eyes and turned the ipod up in the lift lines....
okbye
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Fri 19-02-10 16:44; edited 1 time in total
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I am the Nicholas Winterton of skiing..........................
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You know it makes sense.
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Spyderman,
They're nice, may I borrow them ?
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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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is there a criticism of Cervinia? I zipped over from Zermatt last month and thought it was lovely.
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Poster: A snowHead
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thirty06 wrote: |
Spyderman,
They're nice, may I borrow them ? |
I gave them to the chalet maid, you don't expect me to cart them all the way back home do you Besides they'll be so last year, I'll buy some new ones for next year.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Spyderman wrote: |
thirty06 wrote: |
Spyderman,
They're nice, may I borrow them ? |
I gave them to the chalet maid, you don't expect me to cart them all the way back home do you Besides they'll be so last year, I'll buy some new ones for next year. |
Hmmmmm, interesting....... So what do you tip the helicopter pilot with then?
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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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daehwons wrote: |
Spyderman wrote: |
thirty06 wrote: |
Spyderman,
They're nice, may I borrow them ? |
I gave them to the chalet maid, you don't expect me to cart them all the way back home do you Besides they'll be so last year, I'll buy some new ones for next year. |
Hmmmmm, interesting....... So what do you tip the helicopter pilot with then? |
Nothing, he's an employee.
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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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Off to Courchevel tomorrow, so I think I'll just step away from this thread...
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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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Gadge wrote: |
Off to Courchevel tomorrow, so I think I'll just step away from this thread... |
May I recommend the Dom Perignon 1969, very nice with the Bacon Rolls for breakfast.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Why all off the sudden numerous threads about the tone of posts???
I come here to gain information, whether it's about skiing technique, resort suitability or best lodging/mountain restuarant etc. If someone comes across with an attitude, I just ignore it and absorb the information.
Some resorts ARE better suited for motorway cruising. Others may have easily accessible off-piste. If I'm looking for motorway cruisers and someone "recommends" resort A with a snobbery tone, I wouldn't gotten upset about it.
But then, I don't post question about "which resort is best" without giving out information on what is it that I'm looking for. So I don't often get bombarded with "sideway recommendations" in upsetting tones like the above.
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Spyderman wrote: |
daehwons wrote: |
Spyderman wrote: |
thirty06 wrote: |
Spyderman,
They're nice, may I borrow them ? |
I gave them to the chalet maid, you don't expect me to cart them all the way back home do you Besides they'll be so last year, I'll buy some new ones for next year. |
Hmmmmm, interesting....... So what do you tip the helicopter pilot with then? |
Nothing, he's an employee. |
Oh I see you still have a heli, let ours go last year when we took delivery of the jet, the damn thing got some cobwebs of it and looked a right mess
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daehwons, Big mistake selling the heli. I like to have one in the UK, Gulfstream at LHR and one in GVA, doubles up for a bit of heli-skiing, one must get value out of one's assets.
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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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Isn't it a kind of snobbery if some people on here are talking about the state of someone else's turns?
Personally, I don't care much although I am concerned about how I am skiing on any given holiday but a specific turn is just a part of the toolbox.
But do I worry about someone else's skiing?
As long as you have enough turns to ski what you want to ski then what is the problem?
I have certainly seen very good piste skiers fall over too often in powder no matter how well they think they ski on piste
but as long as the group I am skiing with can ski what is in front of them, whatever that is, then that is good.
It would be a bit funny if you were last on the piste, but had to wait all the time when off it, though.
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