 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I am a newbie on the forum but a long-term "leisure" skier with nearly 25 years' experience (punctuated by various breaks) and am lucky enough now to have a small apartment in an obscure Swiss resort
About 8 years ago my wife and family (two boys) took up ski-ing as well, and they started with lessons on a local dry slope. I have never skied on one myself.
My nephew (15) would like to come with us on a weekend trip next season. He has never skied or boarded but he is sporty (far more so than my own boys) and i am sure he will take to it. Having taken beginners before, I know how difficult it is for them, and for everyone else in the group as well
But we live a long way from any artificial snow. I thought about getting him on a beginners course at our local dry slope, so he has a chance of keeping up with us
What's the view on dry slopes? My wife's view was that apart from getting her used to the sensation of movement on skis, it was so different to the real thing it didnt help a lot. Views welcomed.
Cheers Tim
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I was taught how to "ski" on the Sheffield dry slope when I was a similar age to your nephew. I never got past the snow plough turn whilst I was there as I only had 3 lessons but it wasn't too bad.
Obviously not as good as the real stuff, but in terms of practicing basic turning and stopping techniques it is fine.
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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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sanman, welcome to snowHeads 
Personally, I think that anything that helps familiarise with equipment will be an advantage come the first venture on to snow - getting used to putting boots on, being familiar with bindings and putting skis on, drag lifts etc.
There are instructors that post here and I'm sure they'll be able to extol the benefits of learning on a dry slope - suffice to say that I'm sure when one moves onto the real stuff it'll probably seem far easier. All these things, including the sensation of movement when 2 planks are tied to the feet can only serve to advance the learning process on snow.
All pretty obvious I suppose - I'm sure better qualified snowHeads will be able to express the technical virtues more prosaically.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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absolutely agree with the above. I think the old toothbrush surface has moved on a bit in recent years so its probably a bit more realistic nowadays too.
If he can arrive in resort confident about the equipment and able to do the basics like stopping and maybe even some basic snowplough turns then I think he'll be flying with a couple of days of instructiion on the real stuff.
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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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sanman, The more he does, the better...if he does a beginner course, and then some practise -- so he can turn, use the tow, and (depending on slope !) ski from the top of main slope - i.e. a run of about 100 metres or so - he'll be flying in time for your holiday
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hello Tim,
I would say a one off lesson would be pointless however a minimum of 4 lessons with a good instructor on a dry slope would have most people doing competent snowplough turns and would put them pretty close to a weeks half day lessons in resort. If the lad is fit and has good balance he might even be starting stem turns. At total beginners level I don't think the difference between snow and plastic is all that important. I've found people who have a few lessons on plastic get on much quicker when they get to resort and can already negotiate the easy blues, finding the snow much easier, which gives them great confidence and helps them develop much quicker. I would strongly recommend it.
My local dry slope do a package with one evening lesson over 4 weeks or all 4 over a weekend.
Andy
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| sanman wrote: |
| My wife's view was that apart from getting her used to the sensation of movement on skis, it was so different to the real thing it didnt help a lot. Views welcomed. |
Your wife has it about right
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Thanks for the advice everyone. Looks like the dry slope will be money well spent so we'll give it a go. Solves the Xmas present problem anyway!
Cheers Tim
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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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| sanman wrote: |
| Thanks for the advice everyone. Looks like the dry slope will be money well spent. |
For sure. It will make a big difference.
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I'd agree with getting a few lessons on the plastic stuff. Even if all he gets out of it is fimiliarity with the equipment, used to the sesation of sliding and how to use a tow. Its got to save both of you time on the very basics in the resort and that way everyone enjoys the holiday more.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
it was so different to the real thing it didnt help a lot
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Not in my opinion. Before the advent of indoor snow I used a dry slope weekly to improve my skiing. It worked wonders. One of its invaluable uses was that when I did get onto snow it didn't need any time at all to get used to skiing again - meanwhile I had friends who skied one week a year telling me that it took them a couple of days to get their ski legs back.
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I would say a one off lesson would be pointless
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I wouldn't. Two of us did one hour's private lesson as total beginners at the local dryslope. Three days later we drove up to Cairngorm. We didn't book any lessons there (times were hard) but, after our hour on plastic, were able to get straight out onto the snow. Building on our dryslope lesson we managed to snowplough top to bottom of the mountain on our first afternoon. Happy days 20-odd years ago.... 
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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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Dry slope any good?
Yes
There's loads of us Brits who learned to ski on the bristles and went on to conquer the alps. The British dry ski slope may become surpassed (if not already) by the indoor snow, but both provide a huge service to the ski industry. We don't have a whole load of mountains in the UK but we are mad for the snow. Personally, I can thank dry slope for getting me out of the Gloucestershire fields and into the Alps where I now live. Hoorah! Vive la Dendex!
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I'd have to agree very strongly with mountainaddict and rorie as well as everyone else saying it's worth it.
I'm a bit biased though because off-season I instruct at one but regular practice on dry is very good for your skiing and don't believe anyone who says otherwise (I train regularly on it). Unlike rorie I was luck enough to grow up skiing those rare UK (read Scottish and not so rare up there lol) mountains but he's absolutely right in what he says, dry slopes in particular have made one heck of a difference to a lot of UK skiers.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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All the pain, none of the pleasure.
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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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| planeurge wrote: |
| All the pain, none of the pleasure. |
Depends how much pleasure you get from improving your technique I guess! 
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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 need to Login to know who's really who.
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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Hi sanman (you the same sanman on RC or TAS??, ignore me if not!!) my first experience on skis was at a dry slope, had a course of private lessons as I was terrified! I learnt what size skis and boots and poles I needed! how to walk down/up steps with ski boots on, carrying skis and poles! and what to expect without snow!! for me it was worthwhile and perhaps eased me into the real thing a bit, I would guess a sporty young lad would have fun on a dry slope but will do great anyway without it!!! HTH!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks again everyone for the advice. BTW Feefee, no I am not the same Sanman!
So, dryslope (or dampslope) here we come!
Cheers - Tim
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Go for it. But dry slope skiing (in my experience) is a bit like an icy piste - but very slow. Hard to carve on but OK for beginning.
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It's deffo slower than snow but not too bad if you choose a slope with a decent misting sytem and head there on a day when the air is reasonably damp and/or cold - evenings are good too, particularly in the winter. Avoid very dry, hot (hopefully not likely at the moment) and dry/windy days because all of these dry put the matting and tend make it quite unpleasant to ski on, particularly if the misting system doesn't work too well or is switched off at the time.
Mind you you could try waiting until next week and see if the forcast very cold weather brings snow with it too - then you'll be able to have a slide outdoors on the real stuff, if you're local dry slope is open then it'll be well worth heading along 
| snowball wrote: |
| Hard to carve on but OK for beginning. |
Yes it is hard to carve on, that tends to be why dry slope racers throw their knees from side to side so much whereas those used to snow tend to use ankles and knees as well as hips.
I think it's actually very good for people at higher levels than beginners too, it's a good surface for all sorts of drills and exercises and given it's unforgiving nature it tends to be less forgiving of any mistakes than snow, meaning you'll soon learn not to make those mistakes (or stop using the surface) ... ouch! Only major issues for me are the slopes are invariably very short, it can't and doesn't prepare you for the variability of some conditions on snow and it can cause some bad habits to build up (like the knee thing I mentioned above) if you don't get enough snow time too.
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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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For a sporty youngster, even a single session can be v worthwhile. Some years ago, in the same position as the OP, with a nephew who had never seen snow, we gave him a 2 hour private lesson at Southampton dry slope as a Christmas present, as he was coming skiing with us in early Jan. He did very well - he was an international polo player so had strong legs and no fear of falling. On the holiday, he and a young teenage girl who had done much the same, decided not to bother with lessons and just came skiing with us. they struggled - of course - and it's not the ideal course of action but that 2 hours intensive private tuition gave him a huge flying start.
Subsequently he went to University in Colorado and did lots of skiing but I suspect that remains his only lesson!
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FAQ
) are enjoying good snowfall and long seasons (and I'll gladly to praise the Scottish ski resorts for getting us Rosbifs on the planks), the conditions aren't always great and it's a bit inconvenient for the Cockney skiers to pop up for a Thursday night after work!
