 Poster: A snowHead
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I hadn't been to a dry ski slope for years, and yesterday I remembered why! I went to the dry slope at Chatham in Kent with my wife and 3 beginners who we are taking to Courchevel (along with 15 others) next month.
They had a lesson while my OH and I had a few runs on the slopes. Well not exactly runs, more like slides and falls. I found it impossible to turn in anything like a carve (perhaps I should have known better) and was reduced to trying to do snowplough turns just like the newbies. My OH was more persistent than I was and eventually managed to get down without falling every time.
I am sure the old surface at Chatham, which is still in evidence on the drag runs and consists of interlocking diamond shaped brush like material, was a bit better. The surface now is short looped nylon which provides as much grip as hard pack snow/sheet ice/concrete and is about as pleasant to ski and fall upon.
I told the newbies that if they could ski on that stuff they would be wonderful on snow, and think that if they want another lesson they would be much better off spending a bit more time and money going to the Snowdome at Hemel Hempstead. However, my embarrassment at being such a cr*p skier on that surface was enjoyed by the beginners who seemed to stay upright a bit more than I did. 
Bring on the real stuff in the wonderful 3V. Meanwhile, I don't think I'll be wasting my money (£15.50 for 90 minutes) at Chatham again.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The first team I went skiing (Tignes 1991) I took a series of dry slope lessons at Swadlincote (no idea if still exists). I thought the lessons were OK at the time but when I went out on real snow in the mountains I realised it was largely a waste of time. Good to have the planks on and be able to side step, basic snowplough. But I never went back after.
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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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Big Dave, Chatham is apparently one of the Nike slopes, they use their own matting which I believe is something like snowflex, only cheaper and nastier or so they say. The diamond like material you refer to is Dendex matting which is still used on many other slopes and I agree is much better (in comparison to snowflex, never tried the Nike stuff).
Layne, Swadlincote is still open and is now also owned by Nike and has the same surface as Chatham, not sure that it would have done back in 1991 though.
Although many people don't like Dendex it is actually a pretty good training surface and many racers and instructors from the UK cut their teeth on the surface. Certainly if there is no other option (dome etc.) for regular practice it will benefit anyone to use such a slope and given regular coaching sessions technique should develop far quicker and more successfully than it will for a once or twice a year holiday skier. However, I appreciate that for some irregular skiing in the mountains is more to their taste - c'est la vie 
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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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the material at Chatham reminded me of the artificial green stuff that greengrocers use in their windows, painted white!
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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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roga,
i agree with you that 'dendix' is actually a very good skiing surface, when properly maintained and 'misted' in dry conditions.
Quite true about the racers and instructors. Infact its very common for UK 'race training' to be on Dendix.
Dendix does have a habit of exposing a skiers technique though. It rewards 'good form' and 'correct technique'. Hence it is excellent for training. You can actually hear as well as feel what the the skis are doing. It can and will punish bad habits.
It is a joy to see really good racers carving on Dendix.
So yes regular coached sessions and correct practise on 'Dendix' will benefit your snow skiing a lot.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Big Dave, Your beginners (having no idea of what snow does ski like) - will have picked up useful skills on the carpet. No need to go to a fridge for them.
If they get as far a turning and using a lift, they'll really benefit when you get to the snow.
Dendix (the diamond stuff) is much, much, better to ski on, but much worse to fall on - hence the carpet. Racing at Chatham (years and years ago) used to be great - it's a shame it changed.
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I find Dendix significantly better than Snowflex although dry slopes generally do take some adjusting to after snow skiing, don't be too hard on yourself. I completed an entire season on snow once and had not fallen for along time, came home to the UK drove to the dry slope with a couple of mates who'd already said "you must be a great skier now" in the car journey to the slope. I promptly plastered myself all over the slope, ski's off and big tumble on the first run down. Its worth perservering on Dendix
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Dendix is the model for artificial slopes, all other synthetic surfaces pale in comparison. Dendix is expensive: when I started teaching on a dry slope in the 1980's it was so many hundreds of pounds per mat. Dendix does wear out and requires maintenance and careful wiring together with a looping tool (I remember doing this tedious work every so often!). But it is the best. Carpets, permacrap, snowcrap, call it whatever you want, it isn't a match for Dendix. Big Dave, I note you are in Kent-go along to Bromley Ski Centre. They actually use Dendix and the slope is 120m (not as long as Chatham but a better run).
It's all basically down to economics, you see.
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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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Back in 1991 Swadlincote was Dendex. Actually I lied, or rather my memory failed me, as I did go to Hemel a couple of times after I came back. Which I believe was also Dendex. Don't know whether Snowflex or their equivalent existed back then. I remember vaguely enjoying the sessions back at Hemel but then I was young and carefree then, and thrilled by the new sport of skiing. I remember we skied in jeans and my mate fell and got a 10 inch rip for his troubles. Another time, my bindings had obviously been set a bit lose. And I was suddenly skiing with only one ski. That fall hurt. We then started doing 2/3 weeks a year proper skiing on the allure of a dry slope faded away. I went to the Tamworth fridge once but only to test out my new kit. I live a 5 minute drive away from the MK fridge but I've never been. £20 to ski such a small slope constantly for an hour doesn't have much attraction for me. My wife is helper at the disabled skiing sessions though, which is a great use for it. Thought about taking the nippers down there but never got round to it. Their is a race school there which could be interesting. Back on the subject of dry slopes, I think the sunbuel's point about the maintenance and preparation of them is also a factor. I suspect in many cases this isn't done well if it all. And so maybe it's just better to save those £20's up and get out to some real mountains more often. Just maybe. Maybe they also serve a function.
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The man's name was Dennis Dixon, not Dennis Dexon 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Layne, I think any reasonable skier would rapidly get very bored on any artificial slope (dome or dry) but they are valuable if you have a focus, say race training or being coached. That being the case it relieves the relative boredom of going up and down the same length of slope over an over again and will allows a skier to focus on skills and development of technique, all of which will be very useful once on snow. Without a focus like that after a few runs it tends to suck unless you're just having a lark with mates/family, but then you've eloquently described the pitfalls of that above 
As for beginners I have to say I'm a great believer in people having a go at an artificial slope in the UK before heading off to the mountains for the first time. I think it teaches all the useful basic skills and can give any beginner a useful advantage for when they're on snow.
As for the comments from a few people above about Dendex, I absolutely agree a decent misting system and maintenance is very important and unfortunately there are a few slopes that give the surface a bad name due to lack both - however it's not good for falling on and will punish poor technique!
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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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| kevin mcclean wrote: |
| Big Dave, I note you are in Kent-go along to Bromley Ski Centre. They actually use Dendix and the slope is 120m (not as long as Chatham but a better run) . |
Thanks for the tip about Bromley Kevin
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FAQ
