The STW Ski and Snowboard thread – 2011/2 Edition

Anyone see Dancing on Ice? 😯

No, but there was a rather interesting section on Ski sunday about the person I think you are referring to on that other show…..

Yeah, missed that, was too busy fixing a bicycle 🙁

it’s on iPlayer Dez, and worth the effort

worth the effort

yes, but more for Jorgie than Chemmy 🙂

It might be interesting watching Sébastien Foucan, the free-runner.

Just watched Ski Sunday on iPlayer.

Oooooooh that fresh snow at the start. Luuuuuvverly! Where’s my plane ticket??

Good to see a bit more snowboard coverage.
The Jenny Jones[/url] interview was good and that Billy Morgan triple rodeo.. blimey 😯

Still wish they’d bring back High Altitude for a bit more “other stuff in the snow” coverage. But I don’t think that will happen in the near future. 🙁

Oooooooh that fresh snow at the start. Luuuuuvverly! Where’s my plane ticket??

Mine’s on my desk at home. Which is nice. 8)

Damn I’ve got another month to wait. Starting to get itchy. May have to head up to Jockland for a cheeky weekend. 😀

Aren’t les Vosges closer and quicker?

Not from Northumberland!

Ah, 55.5°N, I see, same latitude as Malmo in Sweden. Do you see the northern lights?

Looks like I’m going on my first ever ski trip next month. Excited to say the least, I expect to fall alot and make an eejit of myself for a few days! 😀

I’m more like 54.9°N – never seen the northern lights. But then I never saw them when I lived up in Aberdeen either.

@st colin: Have fun! 😀 You can always get some lessons at a dome before you go if you want to reduce eejitness and give yourself maximum bruise recovery time.

St Colin, where are you off to then?

You’ll love it, wherever it is! 🙂

Not from Northumberland!

Have you tried any of the local areas GS? Word of some snow next week

No I haven’t. Quite fancy a trip to Allenheads[/url] which is quite close to me, but seems that if there is enough snow for it to be open then there is enough snow to prevent me getting there!

nowt in Tahoe and we’re there for 3 weeks in 3 weeks 🙁

Not sure yet, the girlfriend is organising it for us. She spent 18 months in Whistler, and been to Europe a few times. She mentioned the possibility of Scotland (Aviemore), any thoughts?

She mentioned the possibility of Scotland (Aviemore), any thoughts?

You are far from guaranteed snow. It is quite possible you could go for a week and either have no snow or have the mountain shut due to winds etc.

Depends how much of a disaster that would be for you really.

Haven’t been to Allenheads but I’m a member at Weardale (Swinhope) which is remarkably good considering.
Access is sometimes difficult too but not as bad as Allenheads from what I’ve heard.

Ok it’s not The Alps but it’s a lot of fun for a few hours and gets the legs working.

Cairngorms is a truly tiny resort, when they do have snow you spend 95% of your time queuing for lifts for the 100m pistes….

when they do have snow you spend 95% of your time queuing for lifts for the 100m pistes….

can’t you just walk back up then – loads of people doing that in Verbier when I was there.

Cairngorms is a truly tiny resort, when they do have snow you spend 95% of your time queuing for lifts for the 100m pistes….

Be fair – the Scottish resorts are situated on pretty small mountains compared to their European counterparts!

When conditions are good, they are busy at the weekends but the staff on the mountains do work hard to try and minimise queueing as much as they can. Much of the uplift is ancient and slow but the money simply doesn’t exist to replace with high speed detachable 8 man lifts.

You have to pick your times sensibly and also be a bit lucky to enjoy brilliant days on the mountains in Scotland, but they’ve not been hard to come by in recent seasons.

My last day at Cairngorm (not my favourite resort in the country) was fantastic – a midweek day last season with all terrain open right down to Glenmore, the best bits loaded with powder and the weather behaving itself. Got there shortly after 9, no queue for a ticket, ate my food while on the Poma, stopped once to go for a piss and rode til the lifties finally stopped the last tow at around quarter past 5.

The longest queue I stood in was maybe 15 minutes while the lifties fixed a fault. I spent the time chatting with other people, all of whom were as delighted as I was with what a glorious day it was.

Its certainly not the Alps or the Rockies, but I was back home before my kids went to sleep.

@st colin – you can’t really compare a Scottish ski trip with a European one; the weather could easily wreck the whole thing for you and conditions can change rapidly from week to week. But, it’ll almost certainly be closer and cheaper and should the weather spoil it you’ll not be stuck for other things to do. By picking a place to stay carefully you could have a trip that took in a couple of different centres and see some great bits of the country.

I’ve had Scottish snowboarding trips in the past that have seen me ride a snowboard, a bike and play football on the beach (in blazing sunshine) in the space of 24 hours.

Chemmy’s crash was shown on ‘Dancing on Ice’*, it made me cry. She hasn’t seen it herself, as she doesn’t want to get into a ‘dark place’.

*I don’t usually watch this kind of telly (stictly being the exception), however she’s such a lovely lass, so I voted. Go Chemmy, go.

This’ll make you wish you started at a younger age

http://www.zapiks.fr/kelly-sildaru-videoblog-epis-1.html

Looking for some recommendations on eyewear for forthcoming ski trip 8)

mrs rkk01 definately needs some new ski shades – old ones lost, broke, or some such excuse.

I tend to wear my mtb glasses, but with clear lenses swapped out for darker lenses. They’re ok for skiing, but I could be persuaded to get a new pair. quite like the look / fiit of fast Jackets (but not keen on the price 😥 )

Need some good suggestions…

… mrs rkk01 is terrified that I will fullfil my threats to wear a shocking pair of old mirror blue Briko Stingers 😈

…but blue

Not goggles?

My preference is a Snow Black Iridium for bright days and Persimmon for non-snow days (Both in a pair of Oakley Crowbars)

For sunnies, try and find something with a positive contrast lens (usually on a brownish base lens) as this will help with definition on white surfaces. Bloc used to do some really good cheaper ones, would be worth a look at them if you’re not going to the O-zone….! 🙂

Gogs are fine – I have a nicely fitting pair of Addidas goggles, and mrs rkk01 has some she picked up in Italy a few years ago.

Somthing reqd for the bluebird days 😀

ETA – on the serious side, ladies sunnies recommendations much appreciated…!

I think goggles are definitely a personal fit (like helmets).

You really need to get to a shop and try on a load of different brands and models to find the ones that sit well on your face, don’t pinch or have gaps, and give you a good unobstructed view. If you wear a helmet then take that too so you can be sure they fit well under it.

Personally I’m wearing Smith Prodigy goggles with a Smith Hustle helmet – sticking with the same brand means they sit well together and being Smith there are plenty of lenses available for different conditions[/url] if that is your thing.

Somthing reqd for the bluebird days

Gold Sol-X Mirror = 7% light transmission. If it is any sunnier than that then you may be in space.

ladies sunnies recommendations much appreciated…!

Oakley. Oakley. Oakley. 8) Unless cost is an issue…..
If it is, Bloc are great budget options, IMO.

Tiffany make some nice ones these days as well. 😉

sticking with the same brand means they sit well together

Not always. I wear a Smith helmet with Oakley goggles. Perfect fit for my noggin. It really does depend on your face. For some people, even teh most “integrated” goggle/helmet designs (Such as Smith, Salomon or Giro) just don’t work at all.

Anon (ie Burton) Helix goggles are good value (£40-50) quality goggles, particularly as they include two lenses (including one mirror)

Must be eight or nine years since I last wore sunnies on the slopes. Goggles all the way for me, especially since I got a helmet.

As for lenses persimmon is the only one for me, wear it all the time – Oakley A frames

Not related, but this amused me:

nbt – agree that goggles are a better match with lids, but I’m not keen on wearing goggles unless the weather is pants.

Maybe different this year – all our helmet wearing trips have been at Easter with lots of lovely spring skiing days, and the occaisional white out.

This year will be a Feb trip with consequently colder conditions.

Bearing in mind what Graham said about fit so they might not suit you, Lidl Goggles are ace (yellow for flat light and blue for bright days). The whole family now uses them while fashion items from brands hang in the cupboard. They are the best ventilated Goggles I’ve ever used so mist up less.

As for sun glasses anything will do, the dafter the better.

the dafter the better

You’ve seen my new Holbrooks with the Ruby Iridium lenses, then? 😳

For goggles, double lens is a great thing to have, as it really helps prevent fogging.

Helmet + goggles = Acceptable
Helmet + glasses = Silly
At least in terms of how you look, anyway! 🙂

Helmet + glasses = Silly

Aye, that what all us mtb’ers say… 🙄

… on the other hand…

… you might be right

Can you still buy Goggles without a double lens?

Ah, well if we’re translating it in to MTB terms;
XC helmet + glasses = WIN!
Pisspot + Glasses = Totally acceptable
Pisspot + Goggles = Are you Brian Lopes? If yes, WIN! If not, no.
Fullface + Glasses = WTF? ROFLCOPTERZ etc.
Fullface + Goggles = WIN!

🙂

Just as well I haven’t worked out how to post pictures since Fotopic died.