 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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ANDY2005, welcome to snowHeads. 
Sounds like you're the persevering type; you'll get that bit better with each lesson and will be eager to take on the next challenge (you'll never run out of them!).
Do you have any trips to the mountains planned? - that will definitely get you hooked beyond recall, like the rest of us!
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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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ANDY2005, welcome to snowHeads. Sounds like you're already streets ahead of some of the regular posters here. People like PG, David Goldsmith, DG Orf, ise and all the rest, they can't even snowplough properly yet. They'll be coming to you for advice just you wait to see.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ANDY2005, Welcome to 's
Keep persevering, and keep taking lessons. You will suddenly reach a point where everything falls into place.
Plan a trip, as this will give you somthing to look forward to.
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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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ANDY2005, You can learn a lot on the dry ski slope nowadays. As per other posts I strongly recommend that you persevere for a few hours of lessons. When you finally get out to try the "white stuff" proper, you will find less resistance than the artificial slope, but hopefully will master this and move into ski class class 2 on your first ski holiday lesson avoiding the complete novice class. Thereby you will progress more quickly, and be hooked on ski-ing within no time at all, and ultimately getting excellent value for money out off your first ski-ing holiday. I started at the age of 29 and am still going (sort of) at 63!! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ANDY2005,
Hi,
I had a few lessons on a dry slope which is not as forgiving as MK IMO. But get the basics right and the transition to real snow will be easier. I am not an expert on the snow at MK but I would expect it to be grippier typically. On the real stuff you will get all kinds of surfaces which you will have to adapt to but your course of lessons wil prepare you for this better than anything other than the real stuff
so you are definitely doing the right thing IMO.
It will save you a lot of time in the first few days as the whole thing will not be too alien too you, ie what are these boots/binding things, how to stand up on the skis and move around etc etc... You can get into ski school and get further up the hill quicker into your hol'
Of course, as laundryman says it is all downhill from now on as skiing tends to take over your life.
As it should be...!!!
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ANDY2005, welcome to snowHeads, one simple tip, you often hear the classic bend the knees which typically results in people sitting back on their skis usually followed by them falling over, instead think about bending the ankles and keeping your torso upright, this will cause the knees to bend in the correct location and give you better balance (you should feel the front of your shins pressing against the inside of the ski boot. As a beginner your body should be either over your ski boots or slightly foward of them, never behind.
Second tip, make sure your ski boots fit well, they have to transfer the movement from your body to the skis and badly fitting boots won't do this, the boots should be a snug fit arround the foot (with the toes free to wiggle) and lower calf muscle. If they are to loose then the skis will be uncontrolabele, if to tight then your feet will be in agony and you won't be able to concentrate on the skiing, it should feel like a nicely fitted walking boot or like someone has a firm grip of your foot.
Lastly please ignore Ray Zorro, PG lives in the alps as does ise, I've been skiing for over 30 years and we suspect that David Goldsmith may have been skiing in the last ice age, sorry David 
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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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ANDY2005, Welcome to Snowheads !!
I must admit - I think you have come to the wrong place for advice - except for the legend that is.......easiski !
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ANDY2005, Welcome to snowHeads.
My advice to a newbie skiing addict is to get themsleves a sponsor, or at least a selection of credit cards
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ANDY2005, welcome to - you'vemade a good start!! If you're anything like me you'll become completely addicted to this forum which is brilliant fun. Often contentious, frequently informative and sometimes infuriating, but never dull! You'll have the opportunity to meet other Snowheads from time to time either on UK soil or over here in the Alps - they're all really nice people (the ones I've met anyway). If you can get away how about joining us for the pre season bash weekend? See snowEvents forum. eEvans is deparate for another novice to join in, and the glacier area is easy and wide - ideal for your first foray onto the real thing!
Keep up with the lessons at MK, but be prepared that when you get onto a real ski slope it will all seem a bit overwhelming for the first day. Real snow is different but similar, and of course the pistes are much longer and therefore gravity exerts a greater influence on you. Most of the advice above is very good, and at least one of the people mentioned actually CAN'T do a good snowplough - but I'm not telling you which one!!!!! 
Have fun - it's the best activity since sliced bread!
Paul Mason, Kind words, thank you, but not at all sure about "legend" too much responsibility for me! 
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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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easiski, well I know I can snowplough and as DG used to teach I guess he can
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| Quote: |
easiski,
at least one of the people mentioned actually CAN'T do a good snowplough
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Then there's probably no hope for the rest of us either.
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You know it makes sense.
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Ray Zorro, A good snowplough is surprisingly difficult for experienced skiers - watch how many sit right back and get hip-ache!
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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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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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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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| Quote: |
thankyou all for the advice i try and take it all on board
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I thought you were learning to ski? 
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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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ANDY2005, sell everything, give up your job, move to the mountains. Might as well get it all done in one fell swoop, rather than give in to the madness bit by bit like the rest of us.
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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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Im also 31 and took my first ski lesson the other week. I paid for the Ski in a day lesson at the Castleford Exscape. It turnes out on that day I was the only person on the course . I passed level 4 by 12.30 (only 2 hours skiing) and by 3 I was carving down the slope like I'd done it for years (or so my instructor told me).
I totaly loved it and cant wait to go again. Im going to Austria over Christmas (looking forward to decent length runs) so will be having a few trips down to Excape over the next few months to brush up some more.
Im a fairly fit guy, I play squash at least 3 times a week and football in the football season. So the full day (even though it was my first time) didnt realy make my as tired as I thought it would.
I put that down to all the lunging etc you do when playing squash.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 9-08-05 15:24; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Renry, Welcome & well done - let's hope you get as much enjoyment from ski-ing as the rest of us!! 
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In my first 2 hours of skiing, I couldn't even snowplough, let alone carve. It took me like, 4-6 hours to be able to snowplough properly, so you're lucky. I hope you have fun in Austria - nothing compares to skiing in the mountains, so if you enjoy it now, you will come back totally hooked!
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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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Thats a week to late for me Im affraid. My weekend at work. Im skiing there on Friday this week, and could have made this Satuday aswell.
Never mind, I will keep an aye out for future events.
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Welcome to Snowheads
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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G'day. I started skiing a little late also... 35 when I tried it. For my first morning of lessons I couldn't even manage to ski 20 feet without falling over, worst in the group, but then suddenly it just clicked and now I am a total addict. The more prepared to fall over you are the quicker you seem to progress (well in my case anyway)
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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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Took me three days in total just to get snowplough, let alone linked.
Then my instructor told me "you must forget ze snowplough to advance". All that pain and effort, only to forget it? Am I missing something?
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You know it makes sense.
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Everyone learns at a different rate, and some people are more co-ordinated than others. Never fear if it takes you a little while to get something: "if at first you don't succeed"....
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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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snowshine, my only advice (as one who didn't exactly rocket to high level skiing) is not to think about what you're told to do, just do it. Much of skiing is counterintuitive (until you've done enough that it becomes intuitive) and if you think ' Hmmm .... does putting my weight on that ski sound sensible?', you won't do it properly.
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Poster: A snowHead
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snowshine, Exactly!
Pain? Just another problem with the snow plow, it loads up the knees. People can learn a snow plow in 5 minutes, that is all the attention this movement deserves.
In Pmts the snow plow isn't really taught at all, perhaps only to crawl/brake along the lift line.
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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 couldn't snowplough at all for the first morning. Then my instructor tied my skis together with some plastic thing in the afternoon, and all was good 
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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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richmond, counterintuitive is the best word I've heard for it yet, it all goes complete against common sense to point a pair of slippery soles down a slope and throw yourself off the edge of the mountain
bejes, i agree, the snowplough doesn't deserve as much attention as it gets, the question I would ask if in fact it is counterproductive? I personally found when coming to learn to go parallel, my legs instinctively took snowplough positions (that's how hard it had been drummed into me)! Because of that, going parallel really became a case of unlearning what I had learnt.
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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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I think the snowplough is very underestimated. It can be very useful to all levels so I don't think you leave it on the nursery slope.
A derivitive or version of the snowplough can get you out of all sorts of trouble. Anyone who scoffs at a snowplough probably isn't a all mountain skier as they think IMO.
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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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JT, i've got to agree. I could choose never to do a snowplough when skiing. It would just be more effort and less fun.
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