 Poster: A snowHead
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So, as you may have guessed from my indoor slope question, i'm not entirely sure where to go next with my skiing, and would love some advice from the more experienced heads out there!!
Basically, I went skiing for the first time last year in Tignes, and had 3 x 2 hours beginner lessons booked. After the first 2 hours that I took too fairly well, thanks to a history of rollerblading, I spent the afternoon with a friend going down a blue repeatedly until I was happier.
The second day of lessons, and I felt that as I was fairly comfortable, I had barely any attention from the instructor, as there were still a number of people in the class struggling a lot more! This led to me sacking off the 3rd day, and spending it with a group of friends, mainly on blues, with a red or two thrown in.
By the end of the holiday, I got as far as going down a black (seemed to be one of the easier ones from what I saw), and coping fairly well with it.
My issue is that my technique largely appears to be more of a skidding turn rather than anything neater (but I feel a lot further advanced than needing to traverse across before I turn, I'm quite happy with pointing down the hill). I feel fairly in control, but that I imagine relates to being so inexperienced, so I still make sure that when there are other people around I don't go exceptionally fast, rather than rely on what is surely an inflated sense of control!
I go skiing again in January (Meribel this time), and I'm just looking at what I should before then.
My options are
use the "coaching nights" that they have on my local gloucester ski slope
getting a private 90 min lesson at hemel hempstead (or another indoor)
wait until I'm in resort to get a lesson
Bear in mind that whatever I do, i will probably be visiting mk or tamworth indoor slope just in a normal session to try and work on skills myself/play around on the jumps!
As per my other threads, any advice is massively helpful!
Thanks
Lewis
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Lewischelt wrote: |
My options are
use the "coaching nights" that they have on my local gloucester ski slope
getting a private 90 min lesson at hemel hempstead (or another indoor)
wait until I'm in resort to get a lesson |
Quality of lesson/instructor probably more important than location at your stage of skiing. The more you can do now to embed good skills the easier you will find it to ski all the mountain as you get more experienced.
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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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Thats what I thought rob@rar, , I would rather try and not get into bad habits (which I feel I have a tendency to do!!)
On this note then, any good instructor recommendations would be amazing!
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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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Send a message to roga who teaches at Gloucester and I'm sure he'll be able to help.
Derek or Nick or JoJo at Marmalade in Meribel.
Check my signature for Hemel recommendations 
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 23-10-12 11:43; edited 1 time in total
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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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Definitely Option 1
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm in a similar position as I only started skiing at the start of this year. My first ski holiday was to obergurgl Austria in march. The last thing I wanted to do was spend a week in ski school so I decided to do the learn in a day course at tamworth I was instantly hooked.
The holiday was with my wife and her family who are all very experienced skiers so in wanting to keep up I practically lived at the snowdome in the build up to the holiday. It wasn't pretty but I got myself to a good enough standard to stay with the group and have a great time.
Since then I have spent many hours at the snowdome and have massively improved my technique with the help of the endless amount of hours watching coaching videos on YouTube. I'm not for a minute suggesting these are a replacement for a private lesson, but they can be a great help in understanding the technical side of skiing.
When I first left school I worked as a assistant golf pro and spent most of my 3 years in the job teaching others. It use to infuriate me when someone would have a lesson then come back 4 weeks later for another lesson having had only one game of golf between the two lessons.
The point I'm trying to make is as important as lessons are (especially in the early stages to get the basics right from the start). nothing will improve you better than time on the skis so as much as the wallet will allow use your local dome as your second home!
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Go to Gloucester every week from now until January and you'll improve no-end. Consider joining one of the clubs there, either Gloucester or Western Counties, and you'll get great coaching at a bargain price.
Gloucester is one of the best artificial slopes in the country, especially with the investment the new owners are putting in with the extended slope, and you would (IMNSHO) have to be mad to drive half way across England to a smaller indoor slope where you'll get much less skiing in and pay double the price.
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Lewischelt, If you ask for Sue Dermody at Gloucester she will be able to help, tell her the boys from Inside Out sent you .... Or you you want Inside at Hemel ask for me , Rob@rar is rubbish 
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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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Gloucester's a really nice slope, plus the chips you'll want to reward yourself with are really cheap 
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I wouldn't bother getting any lessons on a dry slope unless you have never skied - yes I know some people will disagree, but I would suggest, at your stage, just going to a dry slope for fun. If you want to progess your skiing, you need to go (in the UK) to a big fridge.
I agree with rob@rar that you should book some lessons with Derek (BASI trainer) in Meribel and you will come on more than spending a year on a dry slope. If you send me a PM I will give you his direct email address.
Also I note that you say that you will take a lesson. At you stage in the learning curve I would suggest you take a full week (maybe a couple of hours each morning) with a BASI instructor as we tend not to ignore people at different levels in a class !!. Once again contact Derek about this and he will give you the options available.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As Wayne predicted, I disagree about the benefits of dry-slope skiing. It is a good way to refine and improve technique through the year. I don't see this as an either/or question - you can
get coaching at the dry slope and still get lessons in resort when you go away. To progress at your stage without ingraining bad habits it's important to get some coaching not just practice, so if this is easily accessible to you at Gloucester that is definitely the route I'd go. You're obviously really keen to improve, so will do so fast, and I think you'd find it frustrating to go back on snow after a year's absence and find the bad habits are still there.
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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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| Quote: |
book some lessons with Derek (BASI trainer) in Meribel and you will come on more than spending a year on a dry slope
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Wayne, what does Derek do that's so radically different to the rest of the worlds instructors? (genuine question)
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Lewischelt, I started on a dry slope, my kids started on a dry slope, I used to ski on dry slopes regularly and did a bit of race training on dry slopes many years ago, but I'd wouldn't choose to go to a dry slope regularly if I had a dome near me. However, if I had a dry slope on my doorstep and the nearest dome was miles away, as it would appear to be in your case, I'd find out the best instructors at the dry slope and do regular coaching sessions or private lessons with them, and just go to the domes for a bit of fun or a sporadic lesson on occasion. If you choose to go to Hemel I can highly recommend Scott and Rob at http://www.insideoutskiing.com/ and if you choose to go to MK I can highly recommend Glen at http://www.gravitysnowsports.co.uk/ . Dunno much about Gloucester other than that I often hear talk of fine instructors there on this forum.
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You know it makes sense.
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I was/am in a similar position - spent my first week skiing in Morzine earlier this year. Had lessons with ESF which were of dubious quality. End of the trip I was snowploughing comfidently around any blue with some parallel traverses but it wasn't pretty. Since coming back have been going to Hemel snowdome at least once a month and basically practising as much as possible (within budget/travel constraints). Used youtube videos and about 15 hours of practice to get myself to a parallel'ish standard, then have been doing 'building confidence' clinics with inside out to make sure I'm not going way off track. These have been really really good.
Have been keeping a skiing log book tracking times spent skiing and what I was working on at the time. Useful for jogging the memory now and then. Currently totalling 12 snowdome visits (inc IO) since April for a total of 52.5 hours.
It sounds like you were/are a bit more advanced than me - but for me, lots and lots of practice at the snowdome and IO sessions have made a huge difference.
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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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| gatecrasher wrote: |
| Wayne, what does Derek do that's so radically different to the rest of the worlds instructors? (genuine question) |
"Some" of the "the rest of the world’s instructors" guide whilst giving tips.
Most BASI instructors teach.
There is a big difference.
To me, Derek seems to be able to deliver lessons at the right level for his students (from begginer to ISTD). He doesn't do anything radically different from other BASI teachers, but he is someone I would have confidence in recommending
There may be other teachers available in Meribel, it's just that I have not met them, so I'm not saying that you only have one choice. Ask around and you'll find other teachers than can do the job just as well.
PS. I'm not on commission BTW
Of course the best option would be to take a holiday in the Brenta Dolomites and take a lesson with the ski school there (ask for the English guy)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Wayne, oh ok thanks for that, I was just wondering if Derek had some different method that could teach someone more effectively in a week of resort lessons than that of other suitably qualified basi or sse instructors could manage in a year on a dryslope!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Wayne wrote: |
Also I note that you say that you will take a lesson. At you stage in the learning curve I would suggest you take a full week (maybe a couple of hours each morning) with a BASI instructor |
As a recreational skier, and not an instructor, I tend to agree with this. I took 5 x 2.5 hour lessons over a week with a BASI instructor (was 1 on the old scale) and it made a dramatic difference. Hang the cost, the benefit to your skiing, especially over a long time, is more than worth it IMHO.
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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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Hi Lewis,
I just saw your post, and your description of your own ski journey sounds almost absolutely identical to my own. I also learned at Tignes and ended up getting moved up between classes 3 times during my week. The only difference is that I've been for a week at Cairngorm in the interim.
When in January are you going to Meribel? I'm going the week of the 13th Jan, and have already contacted Derek about his 'All piste' group performance clinic that week. For it to run, the class needs to have at least two people in it. Do you fancy buddying up?
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