[Closed] The STW Ski & Snowboard thread. The 2016-2017 season

Cheers all

Avimore ski instructor site photos - spot the helmet (I think I can see one, maybe)

Trying to figure out which millennium these photos had been taken

Skiing to snowboarding. My 3 all learnt to ski, then tried boarding. The best skiier wan't insterested in going backwards in terms of standard. The other two who are more indifferent didn't care and have stuck with it. Note one boarded for 4 days on a 25 day holiday on perfect conditions, when I say indifferent I meant it !

Roll on SATURDAYYYYYYYYYY!!!

+1

Snow forecast long range for Sunday but warming up quite a lot on Monday. Regardless it'll be fun.

Wow a helmet discussion 😆

When you consider that helmets for skiing and boarding are a newer phenomena than for cycling it's no wonder that it's not a thing for some. The CTT committee still can't bring themselves to voting for compulsory helmets in time trials (much like Brexit this has been blamed on the older committee members). I'm sure it must be a similar feeling for ski schools, they want their instructors to make their own choices.

I'm actually surprised at how quickly that helmets for skiing have caught on and become the norm.

It does make me laugh when I see an instructor skiing along with their bobble hat on and a helmet dangling off their body somewhere (pun not intended). Why not just wear it!?

Why not just wear it!?

Because you can't communicate as well with it on

Because you can't communicate as well with it on

Male cow excrement.

Far more communication problems from hiding behind mirrored lenses. As worn by almost all ski instructors worldwide, with or without a helmet.

I can hear perfectly when wearing my helmet as it is. If showing people that hearing was that vital, it's got removable ear pieces. So, no barrier to hearing at all.

So, tell us all, oh wise one, how does a helmet without any ear covering, or that has no noticeable impact on hearing, affect communication?

Why not just say you don't like them? It would be a far better argument, as that would be a valid opinion. Your "fact" re communication isn't. More than happy for people to have a choice, and ultimately that's how it should be, but don't try and present facts that aren't facts as a justification.

I confess I never wear one, yet make my boys (10 & 6) wear theirs. The privilege of grumpy hypocrisy.

Mind you I travel far more sedately across the pistes than the two Stoner-rockets to.

I started on a board 17 years ago aged 24 under the mis-guided belief that since I never roller-skated, or ice skated but did skateboard and windsurf, one plank would be a better bet. Then as my boys were learning to ski I decided to learn too, and have to say that I learnt to ski "better" and "with less pain" than I ever did on the board. But then I had spent the previous 15yrs watching skiers ski, whereas I had never seen a snowboard before learning. I prefer to ski in certain conditions and prefer to board in others. It's nice now having the choice.

Id rather the boys didnt "waste" time trying to learn to board until they were good skiers first, probably in another 2 or 3 years.

Because you can't communicate as well with it on

Really? Most helmets I've seen don't stop people from being able to talk, hear, point, wave or draw diagrams in the snow.

If that really is the case (which I doubt) then why not leave it at home?

You can really though.

It doesn't have to be a full face helmet with ear muffs. There are plenty of skate-style piss-pot helmets that they could wear.

I fully support their freedom to choose not to wear one - but communication problems is a totally bogus reason.

Because you can't communicate as well with it on

Bullshit

TBH, I mostly wear one as a hat. If I'm gonna wear a hat anyway....

I "taught" my lad to board by letting him figure it out for himself. Just stuck him on a board on friendly slopes and let him slide down and fall over. Started on my board which was a bit ridiculous!
[img] [/img]
A few tips and a few years later -
[video]

^^ nice

Flashy getting insulting on his own thread.

Communication isn't just about hearing, it's body language, facial expression (instructors prefer sunnies over gogles too when conditions allow). It's about selling yourself, your service, your sport and perhaps also about being objective about risk.

Given the number of people who die from head injury in car crashes on the way to ski resorts each year compared with the number who die from head injuries within "zone sécurisées" (the ski areas made safe including the off-piste within them) you'd do better to wear your ski helmet in your car than on the piste.

Earlier this week on the road up my local hill:

[img] [/img]

Oh good, the usual whataboutery. Cars have crumple zones, air bags, etc. Heads don't.
Your communication argument still doesn't stack up. A helmet doesn't hide facial expression, nor does it affect body language.
Failing to see any insults, by the way, my apologies if you took offence.

Male cow excrement.

Check out the stats for road casualties with death due to head injury and you'll see that all those air bags and crumple zones don't help a lot when you are rolling down a mountain. The guys above were saved by a tree that stopped the car after about 40m.

Walk into a supermarket in a ski helmet in my local town and they'll ask you to take it off. Walk down the street in a motorcycle helmet with a reflective visor down and you are breaking the law. You don't want to see my point so won't, Flashy.

The helmet debate has parallels with cycling. The Dutch rarely wear helmets but have on of the lowest death per km rates in Europe. It's not the helmet that'll save you but where and how you ski.

I snowboard very slowly and stop abruptly if I see a nice bar.
I wear a helmet 'cos I need somewhere to mount the GoPro so granny can get pictures of her grandsons skiing.

True story.

Roll on SATURDAYYYYYYYYYY!!!

+2 8)

Does anyone get anything out of petty arguments about safety equipment? No. Some people choose to wear them, some don't personally I'm good at hitting my head so I do. I have been taught by people both with and without a helmet, teaching methods vary by person more than by headwear.

Do we prefer to keep this thread about the 3 most important things in life, snow, mountains and arguing over whether skiing or boarding is superior*

*This is irrelevant by the way, both are bloody great fun and everybody should just go out and enjoy what they do.

Communication isn't just about hearing, it's body language, facial expression (instructors prefer sunnies over gogles too when conditions allow).

Chris Davenport in a hat and in a helmet:
[img] [/img]

You'd really find it more difficult to communicate with him in the right pic than the left? Bollocks.

I'm all for informed adults making their own decisions about helmets, but the "harder to communicate" argument is complete nonsense.

the 3 most important things in life, snow, mountains and arguing over whether skiing or boarding is superior.

Don't make me weild the banhammer!

😉

You're worried it's not skiing aren't you CFH 😉

We all know the correct answer.

😀

If you really are a moderator, Flash, it would explain the nature of the e-mails that sometimes arrive in my in-box.

Anyhow [url= https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/01/sports/on-slopes-rise-in-helmet-use-but-no-decline-in-brain-injuries.html?_r=0 ]Helmets haven't cut brain injuries and some studies show they have increased.[/url]

Chris Davenport makes a pertinent comment. The latest gear allows you to go faster with less skill needed.

You do realise that that's a ski-mountaineering helmet don't you, Graham? And in the case of that helmet I agree it doesn't affect communication. It also provides next to no protection except from stone fall which is no doubt why he's wearing it. I own one and put it on for racing (obligatory) or when I'm doing a route overhung by cliffs.

You do realise that that's a ski-mountaineering helmet don't you, Graham?

Any skate-style pisspot ski/snowboard helmet looks more or less exactly the same as that without the removable ear flaps.

[img] [/img] [img] [/img] [img] ?v=1445018662[/img]

No removable ear flaps on that ski-mountaineering helmet. For a downhill ski helmet to provide any worthwhile protection it needs to protect you in the most common types of high speed fall, the face plant for a start. Bearing in mind that your ski sticks complicate the hands/arms in front of the face reflex. Skate helmets mainly protect the backwards fall when your skates go from under you.

Little more than psychological protection, risk compensation. If you think your helmet is protecting you you're probably doing something beyond your ability. How much difference do you think a helmet makes if you hit a tree, a rock or some poor victim pottering down minding his/her own business?

The most compelling argument I've directly seen for wearing a helmet is a friend who managed to "scorpion" when landing badly and hit himself in the back of the head with his own board.

As piemonster says, if I'm going to wear a hat anyway I might as well wear a hard one with a good clip to hold my goggles on.

Les Gets minus 3 days... 🙂

I "taught" my lad to board by letting him figure it out for himself. Just stuck him on a board on friendly slopes and let him slide down and fall over. Started on my board which was a bit ridiculous!

Fair bit of 'counter-rotation' and 'scooching' the back end around in that video - not a massive problem but as your lad starts to ride steeper stuff he would probably benefit from lessons if he wants to progress to more 'performance turns'. Sometimes it's good to start with lessons as 'what people do first, they learn best'.

He's clearly enjoying himself though and that's the main thing! 🙂

instructors prefer sunnies over gogles too when conditions allow

Ski instructors in France maybe, but almost every Canadian instructor I've ever met has worn goggles unless they are touring.

The Dutch rarely wear helmets but have on of the lowest death per km rates in Europe

I think those figures refer to death and injury on cycle paths - I think the figures regarding cycling injuries on the road are comparative to other European countries.

Although I wear one when snowboarding, I think it's a personal preference for an adult: when beginning; riding in the trees or the half-pipe etc, you'd be daft not to, but in spring conditions in the European Alps when the air temps can be well into double figures one's helmet can start to get a bit 'funky'! 😳

1000!

1000!

+1 I just wanted to get in there.

For reference I am on sticks as opposed to a tray when on the snow (hoping to avoid the falling banhammer) 🙂

While helmets aren't the be all and end-all of safety I have numerous personal experiences of the benefits of them and will continue to use them.

No removable ear flaps on that ski-mountaineering helmet.

But there [i]are[/i] removable ear flaps are on most snow helmets - so no hindrance to communication there. (Not that the ear flaps are soundproof anyway).

Skate helmets mainly protect the backwards fall when your skates go from under you.

The helmets I pictured above are all snow helmets, they are just in a "skate-style" which is very popular at the moment especially among snowboarders and younger skiers.

Pretty much the entire product line of snow helmets for companies like Smith, Bern and Sandbox are that style or some variation.

Not everyone wants to wear a Ruroc!

[img] [/img]

(now [i]that[/i] helmet would make communication difficult! 😆 )

Edukator makes a good point about common falls. The common falls for skiers and those who use the proper method of descending snowy mountains (CFH 😉 ) are probably different and the value of a helmet may similarly be different.
Also factor in the common closing speed of the common fall. Losing / over-cooking a toe edge may not be in common and may be done at speed, but the face to snow closing speed might not be.

helmets: too much beef not enough stoke

just get an ironman one and pretend you are him when ripping on your board/ski's, like my son, pictured here, calling the shots.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Heading to Les Gets 11th March for a week which should be excellent. Couple of questions:

1. Transfer between Les Gets and Geneva, any recommendations for companies to use/avoid or are they much the same?

2. Looking to have a couple of hours 1:1 tuition at the start of the week as there are a few things I want to work on, does anyone have any recommendations for ski schools? A colleague has suggested Billski but I just wanted to see what else was out there.

Transfers - skiidy gonzales are good and one of the best reputations. Never had any problems nor heard of any. Avoid Alpybus and Easybus as lots of reports of unreliable transfers, people missing transfers, being left stranded etc.

Highly recommend AlpNav for transfers to the Valley d'Aulps from GVA.

http://www.alpnavtransfers.com/

Slightly more expensive but good quality vehicles, the best drivers I've had (absolutley no speeding through towns and villages), and they dont try and stuff the van with people from all four corners of the resort before heading off to the airport, turning an 80 minute transfer into something over two hours. (Im looking at you AlpyBus)

They are now the only transfer Co. I will use to get us to our flat. We use them at least 5 times a year.

roll on saturday! the mountains have called

Ironman up there doesn't seem to be having communication problems.

Lot of guff on here from those that go skiing or boarding once a year and have no long term relationship with those in the ski industry or communities who are directly affected by it.

DougD-there same week with the family

mugsys - agreed, but that doesn't seem unreasonable for a UK based bike forum. I mean this absolutely literally with no sarcasm or the like - did I miss something?
(My once a year is still quite long term - just not a frequent as I'd like)

Lot of guff on here from those that go skiing or boarding once a year and have no long term relationship with those in the ski industry or communities who are directly affected by it.

Total patronising cluster bollocks

I ski twice a year!

Do ski instructors ever listen ? IME it's basically a talking, demonstrating and watching profession.

Jedi, photo updates as usual 🙂

care to explain Mugsys ?

Lot of guff on here from those that go skiing or boarding once a year ..

Or as some people might call them: "customers"

😀

Chamonix in a week's time, can't wait..First time there with MrsDTs so looking forward to showing her around the mountain and the town.
A bit more snow next week would be nice.

[img] [/img]

30cm of heavy wet snow yesterday. Still fun. 😆

Where was the rain line? It's high in the rockies so can only imagine for Whistler. No worries about frozen toes though 😀

Freezing level was about mid mountain, 1500m or so, though it was raining at 1800m the day before. Almost no temp gradient between the village and there there though, so a mix of very heavy rain and wet heavy snow.

And you're right, no cold toes. Warm temps and intuition liners have me sorted 😀