Poster: A snowHead
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From the SnowboardClub.co.uk site:
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And you thought all that "them vs us" was pretty much done and dusted. Well think again and check out this article from Ailene Voisin at SacBee. Luckily they've included her email address, should anybody want to send a reasoned reply. |
It would be laughable if it were not for the fact that some people really believe this rubbish.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tony Lane, Trouble is he's not that wrong, but I wouldn't dump it in the lap of snowboarding per se. It's just that many of 'those that don't give a s**t' about the rest of us, use boards as the weapon of choice. Young skiers tend to have skiing parents that introduce them to the sport and teach them basic hill etiquette. Boarders tend to have mates and peer pressure to guide their behaviour development.
Been there and seen it, there are some real buttheads on the hill but the real TW*TS tend to ride blades . . . and before I get a new butt reamed . . . it’s NOT ALL bladers!
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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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that's the point. we can all point to examples like those cited in the article but i can equally well point to examples of inconsiderate skiers (esp the gripe about hanging around near the top of lifts) but the general tone of the article makes it sound as if the boarders are mainly wrong and that the skiers are perfect - it's the lack of balance which makes me think that this person should join the team at the Daily Mail or is just waiting for the stormy reaction that they are trying to stir up.
I think that you now get lots of kids getting into boarding whilst with their skiing parents. I also know plenty of skiers who have started while on holiday with their mates and so have none of that history to shape their attitude on the piste. It should all be common sense anyway.
If there is any truth in the article it is the fact that boarders tend to take fewer lessons and tend to reach greater speeds before they gain the ability to turn and stop at will. But that hardly warrants an unbalanced article such as this.
I have so far resisted the temptation to reply...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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what a wa#ker!!!!!!
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Fantastic.....
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Snowboarders are slightly more dangerous simply because a snowboard is harder to control for a begginer than skis are. New skiers are also dangerous in their own way, because when they snowplough down the mountain, they create little moguls all over the place.
p.s. awsome picture
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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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YAWN !!!!! Haven't we done this to death over the last couple of years?
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Don't get in such a tizzy! -
1. the article is from the SacBee, a regional newspaper.
2. snowboarders are getting a lot of bad press in the US at the moment anyway, so it's just someone else jumping on the bandwagon.
3. undereducation in a problem in all areas of snowsports - I spent last weekend with a small child who has had mini race team coaching for the last two years, and hadn't a clue about hill etiquette, it was scary to watch her the first run down until she started her education with me!
4. I've had more problems on the slopes with skiers rather than boarders (apart from the one bloke who strapped his board on for the first time at the top of the slope leading from the lodge to the first lift, stood up, and promptly cannoned in to me - he got soundly told to get himself over to the bunny slope for a lesson!). And the skiers haven't been beginners, either - just rude!
5. people seem to be worried that boarders are taking over the mountains, but maybe that is what needs to happen to keep people interested, and to get younger people into snowsports in the first place. Afterall, if boarding hadn't taken off like it has then skiing would still be on really long skinny skis.
6. and economics may play a small part - for some reason (may be age related) boarders seem to be less affluent than skiers. So they ski at resorts where the lift ticket is relatively cheap, which is usually a smaller resort, so there is a higher concentration of people there anyway, and they can't afford to take as many lessons!
So any skier who is really bothered should just ski at the expensive resorts (or go to Alta) or just just shut up and put up, especially if they ski on the "new" type skis!!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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also an interesting point is the boarders grouped around at the top of the lifts. this is actually something thats needed when boarding unless you are really good and dont mind wiping out a few times on a packed lift slope - as its very very hard to board away from the sit-down lifts - so most boarders carry their boards and strap in at the top. yes its polite to move aside and not obstruct the way for other users of the hill, but this is something that the resort ive been going to has been addressing (huge areas around the top of the lifts, and some nice flattened and sheltered areas specifically for the boarders to strap in on.
resorts themselves can reduce a lot of these problems by education, sign posting and creating the right environment for everyone to be able to enjoy themselves and not put anyone in significant danger.
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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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dnc, that is not how it works in western europe. I cannot imagine the French lifties letting people go up with their boards on their laps - unless i have mistunderstood what you have said. And if you do, surely you can simply walk away from the lift to a convenient spot that is not in the path of the next people to arrive?
It is fairly easy to travel up with the board on the front foot, with the back foot detached. Then, when you get to the top you glide away from the chair (i usually give a gentle push against the chairseat to get some momentum) and then as you stop sliding or if you are heading towards someone else, you can use your back foot to brake, steer and scoot further away from the lift to a safe place to find your mates and strap the back foot in. Beginners usually fall a few times but then get the hang of it.
There is no excuse (for skiers or boarders) for hanging around in the immediate exit area. I don't think either group is more guilty than the other, but i agree that sensible design of the exit area can prevent most problems.
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really? ive tried twice to board successfully on and off a chair lift, the first time i managed to get on ok - but got clobbered by the chair on exit and caused the lift to be shutdown, and the second time got clobbered on entry AND on exit. on kopaonik its common practise for everyone but instructors to take off their board, walk onto the lift and hold it in your hands. you then bring the bar down and manuvear the board so you dont get it trapped and comfortably hold it in front of you (makes a good makeshift table). this makes the utmost sense to me, as its only been on skilifts since that ive hurt myself over the past 3 years. (those times i just mentioned, and forgetting to let go of a "button" drag lift, oh and being run over by another boarder on a drag lift. oh and being yanked face first up the first 10 meters of a drag lift the first time i was being taught to use one. and dont get me started on those anchor drag lifts).
im going to have to reconsider a boarding trip to france (or at least find an empty slope and lift so i can practise) if thats the case.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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When I boarded in Andorra you weren't allowed to carry the board on the lifts, apart from the nursery slopes. You can see why. It's a very dangerous thing if you fumbled it while on the lift.
Having said that my wife will be giving up snowboarding after two weeks. She just can't get off the lift at the top without wiping out. I've only managed it once, but am more willing to try and try again. If my wife could carry the board up then she'd probably stick with it, but I can't see France being any different from Andorra.
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Poster: A snowHead
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m00958, stick with it!!! Ride the lifts straight off if you can, and let others on the lift with you what you are going to do...........or make sure you are on the outside.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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dnc, maybe your lifts are different, but in France they travel slowly enough at entry and exit. Getting on really is not a problem - you just shuffle forward with your board attached to your front foot and flat on the ground. look for the the seat coming round behind you, put your hand on the seat to steady it and sit down. simple as that.
I admit that getting off is a bit more tricky, but it comes with practice. As Dan says, the key is to be on the outside so that you only have one person beside you to worry about. You may also prefer one side over the other. As the lift comes in to its drop off point, slide on the seat so that your forward hip is pointing forward (I sometimes dangle my rear arm over the back of the seat if the person beside me is a wriggler). Then get ready to place your board flat on the ground pointing directly straight ahead. When the board makes contact with the snow, place your back foot just in front of the rear binding and, using your hand on the seat to steady yourself and to (gently) push off, simply stand up on the board. Keep your weight perfectly over the middle of the board and equally weighted on both feet. If your weight is too far over either edge, you WILL fall over. If it is perfectly over the board, you will simply glide away. Then you need to check what or who you are gliding towards and that is when you may want to tilt the board to steer or simply put your back foot in the snow to brake or steer.
The perseverence will pay off. As you gain confidence, you will relax more and it becomes much easier. Pushing yourself away from the seat gives you momentum which also makes it easier to maintain your balance. It is a viscous circle because as you get better at it, it actually becomes easier to do!
I cannot imagine unstrapping and re-strapping every time - that is such a hassle!!
Good luck!
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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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Just to add to Tony's notes, if you can see which way you need to go off the lift if you can't go straight off (or don't want to), place you back foot slightly over the edge of the turn you are going to make i.e. heel or toe. This helps to stabilise everything and also helps when you want to stop.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Tony Lane, thanks tony, i'll definately be practising this - for what its worth, the skiiers have no problems skiing off the lifts (although this does increase problems for the boarders, as there are horrible little ice channels in the ramp) and until this year the lift in question (or at least the one i tried boarding on) was 2 person. this year they've just upgraded it to a 4 person lift, im eager to try it out - but i think at first i'll stick with the walk on, walk off process. oh and unstrapping and restrapping is less of an issue as ive got step in bindings. when i first went i had strap ins and it definately gets you to really jealous of skiers (they are off the lifts and almost at the bottom by the time you are just standing up).
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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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Ailene Voisin: wonderful lady! At last someone brave enough to stand up to the Boarder Bullies and tell them how it is.
It is definitely time we sorted these drug-crazed anarchist commie b@st@rds once and for all. Like those dangerous drivers from days of yore: all Boarders should be preceded by a man walking with a red flag and ringing a bell to warn sensible skiers there is a dangerous object in the vicinity.
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Dan, Thanks for the encorougement. I'm planning on practicising lots of running the board straight with my back foot out on the lower slopes, and then going for it!
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Just to add to the whole getting off the lift thing, it is important to stand up strainght as soon as your board touches the ground/snow. Then keep more of your weight on your front, strapped in foot, and push off if you have too. It's easier if your stomp pad is not right beside your rear binding, but closer to the middle of the board, as this is where your foot will naturally want to go. After your first full day of boarding and getting of the lifts it more or less ceases to be a problem. And in general you do not have a choice anyways, I have not been to a single hill in Canada where they let you on the lift without one foot strapped in.
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