 Poster: A snowHead
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Ok so now that the thread title as caught your attention and at the expense of being vilified by the majority of Snowheads please let me explain in more detail.
Anyone who knows me knows that Im not the thinnest of people or in a super fit state but I can ski all day, all week in fact I ski all day everyday ( 8hrs at least ) as an Instructor.
I love teaching people to ski and I will teach anyone BUT WHY OH WHY do people who are in their latter years or life never having done any other sports other than play bridge every Tuesday night round at aunty Margerts or who are so Fat that they can't even fasten up their ski boots suddenly think that having a 3 hour ski lesson or full day lesson is a good idea.
I would love to be able to run a marathon but I know I never will for two reasons.
1 I am not fit enough even to run a 3km race without stopping ( Strange this cos I can bike all day and ski fast if needed all day ).
2 I don't have the motivation needed to train for nearly 12 months to get me to a standard good enough to finish it.
Now anyone should try and have ago and acheive beyond their expectations but please make your expectations real.
Take a taster lesson first. See how you get on and then after 5 mins if you find you can't pick up your feet cos you have no balance or movement or sweating like a pig from just getting ready you haven't wasted all your money by realising that you are not fit enough to even suffle your feet on skis.
I know I'm not going to enter a marathon next week cos I know my capabilities and what effort is involved. Please people just have a little respect for your dignity and think about what is really achievable before you commit to long sessions.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Super Eagle, I'd say it's because (as you point out) they never do any physical activity and therefore have neither understanding of what it involves, nor experience of assessing their own capabilities.
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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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Super Eagle, it's because people see skiing as a pastime rather than a sport - they go to the mountains, think it looks easy, and want to have a go. Then they complain about how much it costs, and how hard it is. Some of these same people play golf - they forget how much that costs, and how they couldn't hit the ball when they first started so had 100s of sessions with a pro (ie lessons!).
Some of the funniest 1st timers are what we call "the Googlers" - work in the Bay Area in IT, often of Asian origin, just not accustomed to any exercise. But they do have fun! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skiing is the only thing inspiring me to get off my @rse at the moment.
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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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skinanny, Agree 100%. I have a friend who I would consider to be pretty unfit, yet she assured me that she could ski 8 hours days for a week without any problems. So off we went on a group ski trip. It transpired that her idea of skiing 8 hour days for a whole week was significantly different to mine. Skiing how i wanted to ski, she was done in by mid morning and sacked off the last 2 days of the trip in favour of chilling out in the chalet.
I think a lot of people see sking as a "jolly in the snow". Not difficult or tiring in any way, so sign up for full days without really understanding what they are signing up for!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skiing is easier the better you get. Which is why I can ski all day as I make more efficient movements. I love teaching people to acheive beyond their wildest expectations but I just wish they would take a moment to think what is an achievable goal by them at the start. It must be so embarresing for them when they are in a group of people they don't know and then apologising all the time for holding everyone up becuase they are needing 100 % assistance and finally ending up leaving the group cos their feet or legs are hurting.
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Fat people are great.  They tend to have good core strength, balance and more motivation than a lot of the 'googlers'. Skiing and mountain biking at a recreational level are non impact sports, to be able to move, by sliding/rolling, so easily must be great. If you are 30st then walking is a mission, sliding down a hill is great. The level of personal enjoyment and satisfaction gained by the fattys is going to be greater than others even if the initial stages of learning are a bigger hurdle.
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This thread needs a quick survey of BMIs
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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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If it weren't for fatties, clothing manufacturers would not make gear baggy enough for snowboarders.....
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| The Voice of Reason wrote: |
| If it weren't for fatties, clothing manufacturers would not make gear baggy enough for snowboarders..... |
Thats good enough for me, ban the fatties!!! how fat is fat before I get banned?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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When Paradiski introduced the new barriers / turnstiles we did see one or two 'larger' people having to squeeze through, last season we noticed that on all all the lifts the right hand gate is wider than the rest, so presumably that is the fat lane 
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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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What's the best way to check how fit you are for skiing (whilst in snowless Yorkshire)?
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You know it makes sense.
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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
| When Paradiski introduced the new barriers / turnstiles we did see one or two 'larger' people having to squeeze through, last season we noticed that on all all the lifts the right hand gate is wider than the rest, so presumably that is the fat lane |
You think it would be in the middle, stop the chair hanging down on one side?
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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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kewhoward, go do the "proper" three peaks. If you do it easily under the 12 hour mark and have no aches/pains/stiffness afterwards; you're good to go.
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Poster: A snowHead
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It's not fat people that is the issue it's unfit folk, we have a friend we are introducing to skiing, she hasn't done any serious exercise for years, is very thin and not overweight, however she can just about manage an hour indoors, but not much longer!! Hopefully she is beginning to realise she needs to start exercising before her first ski holiday in April!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Skiing isn't hard work. I don't even really see it as exercise. But I guess it is different for beginners.
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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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fat people try harder!!!!!!
thats what my mate says anyway
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queen bodecia, your not trying hard enough....come boot packing to get to some fresh snow!!
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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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| Quote: |
Please people just have a little respect for your dignity
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I have a big problem with this. Sure, it's fine to advise people about the need to do a bit of exercise, and to be realistic in their goals. But to say "don't go skiing, think how ghastly you're going to look and how embarassed you'll feel" is  .
It's certainly quite hard for fat and/or unfit adult beginners to get going, but they often have a great time and enjoy their holiday and may be motivated to get into a bit better shape for the next time. Meanwhile, they've had a week in the mountains and quite likely a good laugh. And once you can ski competently then provided you stay within your limits it's simply no effort at all, is it? Big strong lift to carry you up the hill, slide down on a pair of planks. A lot less effort than a walk in the country which involves a bit of uphill.
Top competitive skiers, or those who want to push the limits, need to be strong and fit and are unlikely to be fat. But the same is true of loads of sports. Competitive triathletes are in great shape, but that doesn't stop fat and unfit people enjoying a short bike ride or a gentle swim, does it? It takes fitness and enormous skill to pilot a Formula 1 car round a track, but that doesn't mean I can't potter safely round the place in my Fiat Multipla. A formula 1 driver and I are just different sorts of drivers and there are different sorts of skiers.
Why are some folk so intolerant? It's really wrong, IMHO, to try to dissuade "fat people" from getting out and active with arguments about "dignity".
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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^^^ hear, hear
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kitenski, dread to think what 'boot packing' means! 
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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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And pam w, well said!
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| kitenski wrote: |
| queen bodecia, your not trying hard enough....come boot packing to get to some fresh snow!! |
Wot the man said! If you're ever around my end of the world I'll take you for a tour around St.Anton, or Kitzbühel or up and down the Dammkar a few times. We'll see whether you think skiing is not sport after that
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Mosha Marc wrote: |
| kewhoward, go do the "proper" three peaks. If you do it easily under the 12 hour mark and have no aches/pains/stiffness afterwards; you're good to go. |
Pick the right weather and you could probably do it on skis too!
Here's a report of when I ran it early in December 2008 when there was loads of snow about:
http://www.vibram.org.uk/bootprint0901.htm#Three
We get plenty of unfit folks coming to the CFe to learn to ski in day. Some of the instructors can be quite dismissive but I'd always encourage anyone who's willing to give it a try. Skiing means different things to different people and there's space for all of them. Look at it this way: those that like to spend half the day in the restaurants subsidise the lift pass for the rest of us!
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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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Steilhang, I'm going to Kitzbuhel in March as it goes. But no touring, I'm strictly piste-only.
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| Quote: |
We'll see whether you think skiing is not sport after that
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you're missing the point completely. Nobody's saying that skiing can't be a sport, just that for the vast majority of people out there on the slopes, spending good money and keeping the lifts going, it's an extremely pleasant way of spending a day without undue exertion. I enjoy a swim, preferably in a tropical sea, but am perfectly well aware that it's different when Rebecca Adlington does it.
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, well actually I was just answering to queen boudica's assertion that skiing isn't exercise, which I beg to differ on. at least for some of us it definitely is. So I don't think I did miss the point really.
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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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kewhoward, SNOWLESS YORKSHIRE HOW DARE YOU. We have snow 365 days a year 24 hrs a day
pam w, I have not said that I don't think fat people should not ski. for god sake Im one of them. What I said was look be realistic with your expectations if you suddenly do nothing at all to suddenly ohhh I think Ill have a 3 hr ski lesson or even better Ill learn to ski in a day and book a 7 hr session.
What you need to remember is that as beginners you are going to generally use muscles that you have never used before and be very rigid which in itself uses energy, even to the point that getting up after a fall uses much wasted energy. To suddenly think what you are going to acheive in a long lesson causes many people to suddenly feel embarressed as they feel that they are holding everyone up along with OMG have I got this for the next 3hrs at leads them to fall on Damacleases ( spelt that wrong ) sword.
D G Orf, I do agree with you on the fact that its an holiday and many people are happy just to snowplough in control down green and blue slopes stopping off for coffee or food and take in the scenery. My job is to get them to at least this stage and beyond if they want. However they are not going to do it effectively in few long sessions rather it be better for them in more shorter sessions.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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altis, impressive. There's three parts of that route I wouldn't have fancied when covered in snow and ice.
Do you work at CFe?
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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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Super Eagle, you're backtracking. If those (valid) points were all you were making, why bang on about "dignity"?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If someone is over weight and trying to do a sport and loose weight perhaps we should be encouraging them not discouraging them! skiing may be just the motivation they need to hit the gym, loose weight, become more healthy and generally all these things have to be a good thing!
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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'm not fat. I'm 5'4 and when I first went skiing I was just over 8.5 stone. It absolutely killed me The second time wasn't much easier!
Surely all teaching is about maximising the potential of the student, which will vary hugely?
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| Super Eagle wrote: |
| My job is to get them to at least this stage and beyond if they want. However they are not going to do it effectively in few long sessions rather it be better for them in more shorter sessions. |
Many people going for the first time don't know that they can have private lessons, or who to go with, so will go with a package deal, also considering they might not enjoy it to keep the costs down. I imagine many people don't have a clue what to expect.
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I'm not sure being fat is the issue, it's more a matter of co-ordination, a bit of fitness and attitude in my experience. Frankly the OP needs to define what's meant by 'fat' because it's rather a catch all term and for some people might describe people with a bit of a beer belly right up to those who are so morbidly obese that they can hardy walk. Obviously at the latter extreme it's probably not a great idea to start doing snowsports or any other sport without loosing some weight but many other people who might, by some, be seen as being fat, overweight, big boned or whatever term you wish to use can quite hapily learn and enjoy the mild exercise that most recreational skiing entails.
As an instructor I've seen some people who might be seen as 'fat' by the OP get on far better on skis than some who are thin but uncoordinated. As with anything in life it's really a matter of horses for courses and down to the individual, to be honest making sweeping statements about fat/thin, tall/short or anything else is not the best way to understand who is best able to get on with the sport and enjoy themselves - it's a 'great' way to start an argument though!
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roga,
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many other people who [are] fat... can quite hapily learn and enjoy the mild exercise that most recreational skiing entails.
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I can testify to that!
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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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Hurtle, me to
It is nothing to to with fatness, it is to do with fitness and flexibility and how 'ard you are
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FAQ
