The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2012-2013 season

I was the only one (apart from my kids) wearing a helmet when we went in Jan. I was thinking along the lines of I need it for MTB and I can do that quite well, I’m definitely going to need it skiing. I probably wore it 50-75% of the time because it was bloody hot that week.

As for lessons, I am a beginner so need them although I only did half days and will be doing half days again next season. Its nice to go out with the wife who is good and takes me down pistes that the instructors don’t. I find I progress better when put in a challenging situation. I was comfortable, if not graceful, riding all the blues that we came across and even tried a red. I will be pushing myself to try a black next time out but I will definitely be wearing my helmet then. I am a big believer in having lessons to progress your skills but you (I) need to push your boundaries to make big steps.

As I said I’m a fan of lessons but I don’t think they are a fan of me. I broke a couple of ribs on a snowboarding lesson at the Snowdome in Tamworth and I broke my leg on my first Skiing lesson in Morzine. I have a day with Jedi booked for the weekend after I get back from Morzine next year lets hope I don’t break anything on either of those!

On another note, a friend had a lucky escape in Sauze a few years back, waiting for the ski bus up to the lifts, not paying attention, caught a wing mirror on the back of the helmet! Was fine, if a little dazed!

CFH – Can you explain that a little more? 😆 . I’m guessing some vehicle with a high wing mirror clotted him on the head while he was waiting? :-

And yes the risk of other numpties crashing into me is a big reason I wear a helmet. I actually find the last run of the day heading down to the village the most dangerous, less than desirable porridge snow conditions and loads of tired sketchy looking people about.

I find I progress better when put in a challenging situation

True, so long as you don’t start picking up shoddy habits in the name of survival! We all get sloppy at times, but I like to keep myself in check with the odd lesson.

I’m guessing some vehicle with a high wing mirror clotted him on the head while he was waiting?

Yes. The ski bus! 🙂

last run of the day heading down to the village the most dangerous,

Hell yes! The Alphand on a nice sunny day becomes a flat-light soup of moguls and tracked out piste full of numpties who for some reason believe you HAVE to ski to the resort every day, regardless of how useless/pissed you are. I sometimes just don’t bother and take a download instead!

I get the feeling that a lot of boarders don’t/won’t do lessons (too cool for school?) and just try and pick it up as they go along.

Sadly I think you are right CFH … it’s an odd mentally that does seem particularly prevalent with the ‘one week per year on the snow in Europe with the lads’ brigade, which, when combined with a hangover, some ‘derring-do’ and a big dose of testosterone can often endanger themselves and others when they crank up the speed etc without having complete control over the board. 🙁

I wonder if it’s the same mind-set that dismisses MTB coaching as overlooks ski/snowboard lessons as a fundamental building block of winter sports?

Ski & Snowboard lessons are a fantastic idea I reckon. Whether you are starting out (“what we remember best is what we learn first”); as a refresher; or for progression when your riding is stuck in a rut.

Snowboarding has matured I think – the days of the ‘punk-maverick-have-a-go-hero’ are long gone and now that snowboarding is permitted in pretty much every public resort, a bit of consideration for your fellow snow-sport enthusiasts goes a long way, so at the very least a skier should be able to snow-plough to a halt and a snowboarder should be able to stop on either toe or heel-side edge before they leave the bunny-slopes!

michaelmcc – it’s not a lesson at our stage of the game, it’s “training”. 😉

so at the very least a skier should be able to snow-plough to a halt and a snowboarder should be able to stop on either toe or heel-side edge before they leave the bunny-slopes!

Agreed in full!

I also think the lifites and pisteurs should be a little harder on people. “Seriously? You think you can do this piste? I’ve just seen you wobbling down the nursery slope. Go home!” 😉

I only did half days and will be doing half days again next season

Half days are the norm. Never seen any full days ones. Although I’m sure you could book private lessons for a whole day.

I wonder if it’s the same mind-set that dismisses MTB coaching as overlooks ski/snowboard lessons as a fundamental building block of winter sports?

Er, nope… I can’t bring myself to spend money on MTB coaching…!

I get the feeling that a lot of boarders don’t/won’t do lessons (too cool for school?) and just try and pick it up as they go along.

*hand up*

I very much picked it up as I went along. When I was learning, back in the day, lessons simply weren’t an option – not many BASI-certified snowboard instructors cutting about Nevis Range in the mid-90s. And fewer still that would do a lesson for what I could afford as a poor student. 😀

Since then I’ve just bumbled through. Lessons always sound like a good idea but when it comes to it I don’t want to “waste” a day of my holiday. I can ride well enough to enjoy it and feel like I mostly know what I’m doing wrong anyway (which mainly comes down to commitment and practise). If I was out doing a season somewhere I’d get a ton of lessons – but when you’ve only got a dozen short days a year to ride it’s a different story.

Oh yeah.. and helmets.. started wearing one a couple of years ago. Mainly cos I needed one for the snowdome. Smith Hustle. It’s comfy enough that I don’t have any reason not to wear it now. It’s good for going through the trees without braining myself.

… I can’t bring myself to spend money on MTB coaching.

Do you mind me asking why DezB? … any particular reason why you make the distinction and are happy paying for one and not the other?

As an aside, I remember (from the old forum) reading about a now highly regarded MTB Coach from this forum heading out to Chamonix snowboarding with a group of mates a few years ago, being adamant that they wouldn’t have any snowboard lessons and they were looking forward to the ensuing ‘carnage’! … 😯

I reckon I’ve benefited hugely from MTB & Snowboard Instruction/Coaching … but I’m just interested in the [obviously very personal] distinctions that people make regarding both disciplines.

Did some lessons/coaching a couple of years back. That, and new boots, were probably my best investment for a long time.
Lessons went all about the mountain, not up/down one piste, so not really being “wasted” as such, and if anything, guided by someone better than me. Depends if you’re a 1 week a year slider, or go more often. Having some coaching in December (6×3 hours, plus video etc.), and then getting another week shortly after to put it in to practice was ace. Got 3×2 hours and a bumps session booked for December, on what is potentially not brilliant snow (wasn’t last year), then a real holiday in Feb.

In regards to ski/mtb training.

I need ski lessons because I can’t do it, my wife has been skiing for about 25 years and is thinking about the odd lesson in a couple of years. This would be to improve her, already decent, skiing. Partially because she doesn’t want me to be better than her partially because she actually wants to get rid of any bad habits.

I can MTB to a decent level, not as good as a lot of people but better than most. I am choosing to see Jedi because I know there are a couple of areas of my riding that need work. I can’t get out riding enough to practice these things so some pointers from an expert should make me loads better.

I’ve had a few lessons on the board over the years but not many. I can get down pretty much anything I have the guts to try, though I hate flats (probably because I’m slow). I’m in control and the biggest danger to others is probably that they under-estimate my slowness.

I’m happy cruising reds and blues really.

However.

Elder son did his first full week on skis last year, and at five was already faster than his mother (and reasonably controlled). I will be doing more lessons this year, because I need to build my speed to make sure that for a few years at least I can catch him when I need to.

And I’m rubbish but safe on a bike too. Perhaps Jedi et al need a call.

Right then. These metal boom things you see on the side of the pistes.

You can see them in the Serre Ratier webcam at the bottom of this page, with bright orange padding wrapped around the base.

What are they!?

http://www.serre-chevalier.com/en/winter/ski-area/resort-live2/webcam/

They’re part of the snow cannon system, IIRC.

I like that new Serre Ratier webcam by the way! Much like the Cucumelle one, it’s a really cool view of the place!

Pizza at Café Soleil is lovely….! 🙂

Thank you Flashy. The mystery is now over, though I will confess to being a little disappointed with the reality.

OK, if you prefer…..

They’re death ray laser beams, cunningly disguised as snow cannons. They are designed to spot anyone using blades and exterminate them in an instant. Vapourised. Blown to smithereens.

I can confirm that flashy got it…….on his second guess

The bladist vapourisation is a good thing. Except when we demo blades to let people have the experience of them so they can then genuinely argue with authority how cack they really are, and understand why the vapourisation needs to happen.

i’ve done 2 seasons but only had an hours lesson on skis (the very good billski in morzine) – just couldn’t afford them. however, the lesson progressed me in 1hr as much as the previous 2 months. i’m quite keen on getting a mtb training day too, next year.

just got a call today to say that i’ve a job as a ski boot fitter until xmas in ellis brigham (bristol) starting tues – wish me luck!

just got a call today to say that i’ve a job as a ski boot fitter until xmas in ellis brigham (bristol) starting tues – wish me luck!

Congratulations! 🙂

Now, someone here was after a good fitter in Brizzle recently, weren’t they? 🙂

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/mods-can-you-fix-the-new-page-glitch-please

Now, someone here was after a good fitter in Brizzle recently, weren’t they?

let’s not get ahead of ourselves here 😉

😆 sort of my point! 🙂

Talking of snow cannons, they seem to be in full flow around the Sella Ronda looking at the webcams, which has surprised me. Lifts don’t open until 1st Dec.

Seems a bit early, unless they’re just checking them out or something, and hoping something will stick around till opening day?
(edit: T-94 days and counting… )

Les 7 Laux opens this weekend

Our FD has just announced that the office will be shut on 31st Dec, when I’d expected to be working, so I might book 27/28 as well and see if I can find a cheap ski trip somewhere.

This is at 1300m which I find really surprising at the moment

A fair bit higher, but mounds of the artificial (lots of the real stuff too)…

Just looked back at some webcam photos posted last week and it seems by putting these in here, they show the image as it is at the moment – so keep updating. Which is quite cool, but will also make whatever we’ve written at that time look a bit silly if we look back!

I picked up a new pair of Atomic slalom skis from the shop yesterday. It says ‘rocker’ on them, the first time I’ve seen it on full-on race skis. It’ll be interesting to see if I can tell the difference. There’s enough snow on the pistes to fall over on but not enough to ski on.

will also make whatever we’ve written at that time look a bit silly if we look back!

It doesn’t need any photo trickery to achieve that…! 🙂

I picked up a new pair of Atomic slalom skis from the shop yesterday. It says ‘rocker’ on them, the first time I’ve seen it on full-on race skis.

Just stand the skis up base to base and look down them. Nearly every company is throwing around the rocker word at the moment. K2 are a good example with their jib rocker, speed rocker, and powder rocker. I think it confuses people, but I highly doubt a pair of slalom skis have anything like the amount of rocker on powder skis! 🙂

All skis are powder skis. 😉

Edukator – I agree all skis are powder skis!

I should imagine that the Atomic Slalom skis you picked up aren’t the proper race ski. The proper WC race ski (or whatever they’re calling them this year) often bare very little resemblance to the toned down ones they sell to the general public.

They’re the Racz D2 SL which aren’t FIS skis as I doubt junor will be doing any FIS slalom races (so the FIS label isn’t obligatory) and weighing only 63kg (I’m 68kg) the FIS skis are a bit unbendy.

Death rays? I leave you boys alone for half an hour…..!

I was thinking more vin chaud dispensers.

Death rays? I leave you boys alone for half an hour…..!

I was thinking more vin chaud dispensers.

Silly billy….

The death rays are for the bladers. There are different posts which provide, as follows;

For boarders – Arse-warming jets of warm air. After all, that sitting around in the middle of the piste is hardly conducive to warm cheeks, is it?
For skiers – Vin chaud.

They don’t need hot air to warm their little botty wotties – they have extra padding in their pants!

Nah. Those are incontinence pads. As any fule kno.

Good shout – the Atomic factory skis always used to be at the stiffest end of the race skis anyway!

Ive lost a bit of weight and weighing in at 68kg nowadays too, hopefully as ive got fitter my legs might still be ok with my Dynastar 64’s!