 Poster: A snowHead
|
Lots of skiers don't 'get' the patterns of snowboarding. I generally feel terribly vulnerable whilst snowboarding, and have countless 'WTF' moments where I get overtaken under much more risky circumstances than I ever do whilst skiing. It's usually being overtaken on my heelside, whilst just completing a toeside turn - i.e. into the path of my new - blind - turn direction.
This is, I'm pretty sure, just ignorance (in the true sense of the word) on the part of skiers who don't understand the mechanics of snowboarding, nor fully understand the asymmetry of it. I never 'got it' until I started boarding for myself.
Also - we all stop in the middle of the piste sometimes, regardless of equipment, and I simply don't believe anyone of normal recreational ability who claims they never do it. For the dozens of reasons stated all over this thread, it happens all the time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Another thing that skiers don't understand is that it's very difficult to stop on a snowboard, and keep standing up. It uses up lots of energy - minute balancing movements all the time. skiers stop in the middle of the piste too - the fact that they don't immediately sit down doesn't make them less of a hazard. Also, when you're just learning, stopping right at the very edge of a piste on a snowboard (and starting again from there) isn't always easy.
Unless pistes are very busy any competent skier - or boarder - should be perfectly capable of avoiding anybody stopped in the middle, for whatever reason. If they suddenly start off again without looking, of course..... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
I was once out boarding with my brother (who was skiing), along quite a flat bit so having to ride quite straight, and I chose to hug the right hand side of the piste so as to keep myself out of the way (I'm left foot forward, and my emergency stop mechanism is a heelside hockey stop, so rhs of the run is natural).
My bro skied up alongside me for a chat (!), trapping me between him and the side of the piste (a massive snowbank - insta-wipeout if I put in more than the merest of toeside turns) and couldn't understand why I was nearly screaming at him to get the f*ck out of my way. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Haha, I also just remembered that he stuck his pole out to offer me a 'hang on and pull' ride even though I was tanking it pretty much as fast as I dare!
What a pillock.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
It's also just reminded me of a massive crash in Courchevel last year, where a skier hit me on my heel edge exactly in the circumstance I've just described - hugging the RHS of an *enormously* wide piste with nobody on it, and she chose to overtake me as close as possible, smashed into me just as I put in a slight heelside turn, we both went crashing to the ground, skis and poles everywhere, and she glared at me like 'idiot snowboarders!'
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
sanman, the skier problem manifests itself in all sorts of numpty behaviour all over the mountain just as for snowboarders. Snowboarders sit down when at rest - it's just a fact, the fact that some of them do it in large crowds in numpty places is exactly the same as why both skiers and snowboarders will think nothing of blocking the entrances to lift mazes while they wait for their whole party, can't count to 4 or 6 to load a chair, stand around on chairlift offload ramps etc etc
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
paulio, I would like to say I am sorry for that incident.........but I woud be lying
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
paulio, anyone choosing to ski that close to you is clearly in the wrong anyway, regardless of what they know about heel-side turns on snowboards. What is it the FIS rules say? something like "must allow for voluntary and involuntary movements of those you're overtaking"? I'm sure someone can quote chapter and verse at me... actually *googles* here you go, rule number 4: http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/insidefis/fisgeneralrules/10fisrules.html
Essentially, someone overtaking me has to assume that at any point I could catch an edge and go head over heels out of control, and they need to give me space for that to happen 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
ap96, good link, which reminds me of an, er, incident I had with a French gentleman who skied into me from behind as I was going through one of those orange netting slalom-fence-thingies they put up to slow you down before a junction. I was moving from right to left to go into the gap, and he tried to get there before me, but didn't.
In the spirited discussion which ensued, he and his companions seemed to be suggesting that there was a rule that the skier to the left has precedence, clearly this is b***cks and I made clear this view to him with a cheery gesture, but were they making it up, or has there genuinely been a rule about this is the past? Anyone else heard of it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Since the OP's location is Samoëns I suppose this is a French problem. From my experience there are less piste users competing space in the Austrian, Italian and Swiss resorts and so piste users there don't mind much others stopping for whatever reasons.
I suppose this is a problem specific to how many users on a piste. The Canadian way of solving it, as in Whistler, is to employ piste patrols who would ask piste users not to stop in places where are risky to others. However stopping is pretty much the right of a piste user and should be respected.
The very fact that a piste user think there should be no stopping on a piste is rather disturbing. A piste user might stop simply because the age catches up with him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Quote: |
A piste user might stop simply because the age catches up with him.
|
Indeed. Yellow snow every 150m?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Ah people stop in stupid places but more of a problem is people starting off without looking uphill properly.
We shouldn't so harsh all the time when collisions occur. I'm highly a competent snowboarder (10+ years) but in a white out at Christmas, moving slowly, I unexpectedly fell over on a green slope for no apparent reason (spaz!)and in the process kind of scythed round uphill and took out a learner skiier! Obviously my fault, but then again I wasn't intending to fall over and swing round my outstretched hand uphill!
Funny later in the week though - along a fly bit which was about to go downhill again another snowboarder overtook me, right next to me, very slowly. Then as the incline increased I gained a little speed and at that point he decided to turn left, into me. Who he was in the process of passing!! He was very indignant that as he hit me and went over my board I gave him a little push to get him off me. He basically fell over out of suppose at me pushing him off me!
|
|
|
|
|
|
cran
cran
Guest
|
| saikee wrote: |
| The very fact that a piste user think there should be no stopping on a piste is rather disturbing. A piste user might stop simply because the age catches up with him. |
Don't have a problem with people stopping... as long as they are at the side and/or leaving space for people to pass, I just wondered why they stop...
On piste I just go top to bottom in one go, and slow down rather than stop if I want to see what is over a blind crest.
No point waiting for people in your group as if they got separated then they will get separated again... just meet at the bottom...
burning legs (or age) is probably a good excuse 
stopping over a crest out of view is just plain stupid, and fortunately I haven't seen much of that.
But I have seen ski instructors using the whole width of the piste, surely they should know better and could leave a few metres each side for people to pass or just use half the piste rather than block the whole piste with their 20 person snakes that literally block the whole width at the same time leaving no option but to ski between people and hope they don't catch an edge or something while you are passing in between them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Quote: |
But I have seen ski instructors using the whole width of the piste, surely they should know better and could leave a few metres each side for people to pass or just use half the piste rather than block the whole piste with their 20 person snakes that literally block the whole width at the same time leaving no option but to ski between people and hope they don't catch an edge or something while you are passing in between them.
|
ARGH its nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get through a long ski school snake! Ski school snakes are the most evil snow creature known to exist in ski resoprts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
With a group, it can be useful to stop near junctions where pistes split to make sure everyone is heading in the same direction, especially if the divided pistes don't finish in the same place. Also, keeping the group together is handy if someone drops a pole or loses a ski, unless they're the one at the back 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Can I reiterate that the stopping problem can have something to do with the choice of resort and the country? I am currently in Gressoney of Monte Rosa in Italy and today took a video of about 12 minutes on an deserted red run(no. 82 Betta) finding no one behind and no one in front for the full duration. When I descended from Passo Salati (2971m) to Alagna (1212m) the number of piste users I met can be counted on the fingers of the hands.
Leave France to find out what skiing is like in other Alpine resorts. If you do not see other piste users on a run what is the problem of stopping?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I go on holiday with family and we stop every 5 minutes or so. This is to stop and catch a breath, check everyone is ok, see where we want to head to next and also look at the stunning scenery. Dont really see the issue with stopping if im honest?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Yes, when skiing in a large group, stops can become fairly frequent resulting from people travelling at different speeds etc. As long as you 'pull over' to the side of the slope and choose a position so as to remain as visible as possible, there shouldn't be a big problem. The side of the slope is obviously the important bit - you don't see many cyclists for example stopping in the middle of a main road for a breather - and if they did, they probably wouldn't remain cyclists for too much longer...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
my favourite stoppers are the ones who stop halfway down tamworth slope, in the middle. They stand there, just as if they were on a real mountain. But to do what?I can only think they are admiring the view....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Forgive me & my skim reading. Dinnae ken if Im repeating someone elses post here.
But what I hate allot, and dont understand, is why on every run in every resort in every country in every continent on Earth. Snowboarders alway, ALWAYS, seem to find the most inconvenient spot on the piste (usually over a blind crest) and have a tea break. Usually boarders go in groups (sometimes large) and especially in Scotland where the pistes are generally narrower I often find myself having to navigate through a human barricade. Does snowboard school not teach them to stop at the side of the run?
Grrrrr. Why do they do this? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| cammyammy wrote: |
Forgive me & my skim reading. Dinnae ken if Im repeating someone elses post here.
|
Not at all - only almost all the above posts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Boredsurfing wrote: |
Having been out with a boarder for a couple of days before Christmas I never realised how much faffing they have to do do having got off a charlift before thay can set off for the next kneel down and pray in the middle of the piste.
( No, I'm not talking about you Mouth ) |
Sitting down is not a sport!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Let's get back to important matters - why do we stop ?
Obvious - so we can look for more sexy redheads to follow down the piste
Problem is everyone wears helmets these days, so you hav eto stop more often to look for and find any
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
I usually have to get my kids to wait on the next ridge to wait for me 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
