Reply to: Skiing

[EternalOptimist]

I went to Glenshee up in Scotland for a week. We did a couple of hours on the baby slope and on day 2 the instructor didnt show.
We were all told to go home, but I thought 'sod that, take me to the Tiger Slope'

Waiting for the t bars , this ten year old snotter looks at me wobbling around and says for all the world to hear, 'looks like SOMEONE is heading for a fall'
'Shut it you little tw@t, unless you want this ski pole up yer jacksy'

I have to admit though, he was right

[Moscow Mule]

Wuss.

Still alive...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Richardson

[TheFaQQer]

Do wear a helmet.

Wuss.

[NotAllThere]

If you're a beginner, choose a resort where you don't have to buy a ski-pass to get to the nursery area. Many of the ski-parks are free to use.

There are places where the snowplough is your only option (other than going straight). It has its place. But I'd agree that there's no point in not learning parallel/carving skiing first off. Someone once said to me "Your body knows how to ski", I started to relax, and enjoyed it far more.

Do wear a helmet.

[gingerjedi]

So almost a precursor to doing parallel turns then? (Do they still do those? It's been a LONG time since I went skiing)

You unload the weight turn and load the edges.

[TheFaQQer]

as in Ice Hockey
Turn your ski's so they are perpendicular to the direction of travel.

So almost a precursor to doing parallel turns then? (Do they still do those? It's been a LONG time since I went skiing)

[gingerjedi]

WTF is hockey stop?

A short stop using the ski's edge, in exectution you have cover a stationary skier with snow... its alpine law.

[Spacecadet]

WTF is hockey stop?

as in Ice Hockey
Turn your ski's so they are perpendicular to the direction of travel.

[TheFaQQer]

To actually answer the OP's question...

Modern 'carving' skis are so much easier to turn on than the old, straight planks. As a result ski teaching has changed. In America they do not teach snowplough; they teach hockey-stop from day one. European ski schools are very old fashioned and still teach snowplough, and you will be doing this all week in any European ski school. Opinion is massively divided over the best teaching technique, but if you get a British (or even American) instructor then you should be doing hockey stop from the word go, with no lifting of skis a la snowplough.*

(* any other skiers please correct me here!)

And don't even get me started on the arm-swinging bollocks that the French Ecole du Ski teach snowboarders!

WTF is hockey stop?

[swamp]

To actually answer the OP's question...

Modern 'carving' skis are so much easier to turn on than the old, straight planks. As a result ski teaching has changed. In America they do not teach snowplough; they teach hockey-stop from day one. European ski schools are very old fashioned and still teach snowplough, and you will be doing this all week in any European ski school. Opinion is massively divided over the best teaching technique, but if you get a British (or even American) instructor then you should be doing hockey stop from the word go, with no lifting of skis a la snowplough.*

(* any other skiers please correct me here!)

And don't even get me started on the arm-swinging bollocks that the French Ecole du Ski teach snowboarders!

[swamp]

Unless you're young and agile, a bit too cool, and don't mind sitting on your arse all day, I'd go for skiing over snowboarding.

Go to a resort that is good for beginners, but avoid the more family-friendly ones (unless you have a family.) Get the "Where to Ski and Snowboard 2010" guide. I'd stick to Italy, Austria, Switzerland or France. Italy will be cheapest. Bulgaria is full of poor people on donkeys. Go for full-day all-week small group lessons. If you can, pay extra for a British ski guide or you will just get "ben-zee-nees" all week. Pay £50 for heat moulded insoles in England and put them in your hire boots. Get 2nd hand crappy ski clothes on eBay. Good goggles are worth it though.

</waffle>

[Lockhouse]

Learn before you go. I'd also recommend learning on a dry slope rather than a snowdome. It's far harder to ski on a dry slope so that when you get on the snow in your resort it's all easy-peasy. It's not just about learning to actually ski - learn how to get up when you fall down on a slope and how to turn corners on a narrow slope and your holiday will be much more fun.

Andorra as previously mentioned is good for beginners or any of the big resorts in the French Alps are generally excellent as well. Les Gets/Avoriaz is a nice French area that's not too expensive.

[Svalbaard]

I'd recommend Pamporova in Bulgaria.

When we went it really was like the wild west (apart from the cheap skiing) - openly brazen and cheap prostitutes, gun toting political heavys hiding out in the resort clubs with their "girlfriends", totally cheap beer and schnapps, outrageously bad food and one incredibly bad hotel.

One of the best holidays in my life.

[Moscow Mule]

Andorra is good for a beginner, they've spent a fortune on liking up the two main areas and the Hotels are a high standard for the money. It was a favourite for the Irish but seeing as they're more skint than we are the slopes should be empty.

Soldeu for families, Pasa for nightlife.

WHS, if you are splashing the contractor cash stay at the Spa hotel in Soldeu - it's just next to the Gondola and has an awesome pool/sauna/steam/relax complex over three floors that really helps those aching muscles.

[gingerjedi]

Andorra is good for a beginner, they've spent a fortune on liking up the two main areas and the hotels are a high standard for the money. It was a favourite for the Irish but seeing as they're more skint than we are the slopes should be empty.

Soldeu for families, Pasa for nightlife.