snowboarding

Former Member · December 2006

any guys on here into snowboarding??? i want to get into it, and was wondering if people could give me advice on good lesson prices, places that do lessons in the north west, and equipment and techniques, etc!
Also, countries that are good for snowboarding in
thanx

Former Member · December 2006

I have always been interested, but never got around to doing it.

For the life of me I cant remember the name of the place in England that does it. Its a very popular place on dry ski slopes.

In school they used to go out to Italy for ski trips.

Former Member · December 2006

im going to tamworth in staffordshire soon...the snowdome there has real snow+ive heard its better to learn on that than on a dry slope?

Former Member · December 2006

theres the xscape thing at Castleford.

they also do snowboarding lessons at Ski Rossendale if thats anywhere near you? well at least they used to when i went....

im sure most dry slopes these days will do snowboard lessons.

Former Member · December 2006

thanx koe, il look up both those places. is dry slope alot different to real snow?

Former Member · December 2006

ive only ever ski'd on real snow not snowboarded, and it didnt seem that much difference to be honest, just less friction.

Former Member · December 2006

theyve got a snowdome in milton keynes too.
I did it once on the dry slope at ipswich but broke my arm first time down the slope

and never bothered again.

Flake_Mustaine · December 2006

Well the slopes at Pas De La Casa in Andorra (lil country inbetween France and Spain in the Pyrenees) are pretty sweet. Good snow in season, and out if you're lucky. THe nightlife there is stonking too. Plenty of decent bars and restaurants there. Lots of touristy shops and so on too. Things are cheap coz the currency is the Euro. We're going back there in February coz we love it so much. And i guess if you're not into nightlife, you can always stay in the apartments

And a small place called Geilo in Norway has a lot of good slopes too. Much colder there though!! And no real nightlife. Well not touristy anyway.. It's a place where Norwegians go for their weekend skiing breaks apparently!!

But if you don't wanna go out then its peaceful enough

Cept its expensive eating there, so only really go for a quiet time where all you do is snowboard by day, and play cards or something til bed.

Them's my penny's worth into the thread

Good luck

Flake_Mustaine · December 2006

sugar_mouse wrote:

thanx koe, il look up both those places. is dry slope alot different to real snow?

Dry slopes hurt a lot more when you fall over. On snow, provided your board doesn't catch, you just slide!! Try to fall backward if you can and pull your feet in the air. You'll slide for about 10 metres on yer bum!

(depending on how fast you're going of course)

Former Member · December 2006

sugar_mouse wrote:

any guys on here into snowboarding??? i want to get into it, and was wondering if people could give me advice on good lesson prices, places that do lessons in the north west, and equipment and techniques, etc!
Also, countries that are good for snowboarding in
thanx

Austria, hands down.

If you start with it, borrow the equipment. You need a board and boots. The 'attachments' (or however you call that where you step in with your boots, screwed onto the board) should be already there and AROUND suitable for your feet (you can usually change their size).

I hope you have a good snowboard-trouser with winterjacket. You better have toned sunglasses or toned ski-glasses, but you can borrow those and the gloves (some with a railing in them so you protect your wrist) from friends I reckon.

If you borrow the equipment you should get away with AROUND 100 quid for a week (I reckon, just guessing). The holiday inclusive ski-pass is a bit more expensive. You better calculate ~280 quid for a week!

I bought my new winter equipment a month ago and I can't fucking wait for my new burton custom board to grace the slope!!!

Flake_Mustaine · December 2006

Yeh.. ski passes are definately the most expensive bit. Renting gear's not that bad tho. But you would probably need to buy gloves and goggles/shades.

And be sure to get a hat that totally covers your ears

The wind blowing in them hurts after a few runs

Former Member · December 2006

been snowboarding in austria, end of the season though, so the snow was rubbish!

best tip for starting: take padded shorts to wear under your ski trousers things! anything to save your left (or right, depends which is your front leg) arse cheek and thigh from severe bruising is a must

Former Member · December 2006

Snowboarding/skiing in Austria is amazing, StrubbleS I am incredibly jealous of you and your talk of hitting the slopes. I now feel like throwing a massive bitch fit because I can't go this year

I've never skiied in a snowdome-type place but I have skiied and snowboarded on a dry slope and I thought it was awful, no fun at all and sweet fuck all like the real thing.

Former Member · December 2006

Also, if you don't know it already. Wear Fleece rather than cotton.

Cotton absorbs the sweat and you will become cold soon. So rather clothes that transport the fluids to the outside (comes in handy if you are on the slope and have to wee [kidding]).

Best thing is skiing undergarment one fleece pullover and the snowboardning jacket. So you are warm, but not hot (you can open up the jacket a bit, or open the air-stream flaps in your armpits a bit), but you won't freeze because of sweating.

Former Member · December 2006

cheers guys, especially to strubbleS, replicant and flake! Can i just ask: when is the 'season' for boarding+does it vary between countries?
ive heard bulgaria is meant to be good????

Former Member · December 2006

sugar_mouse wrote:

cheers guys, especially to strubbleS, replicant and flake! Can i just ask: when is the 'season' for boarding+does it vary between countries?
ive heard bulgaria is meant to be good????

I don't know about bulgaria. Look at a topographical in which countries the alps are, and they stop pretty much east of austria. northern italy is good too, switzerland, parts of france...

and of course the whole north in norway/sweden, but I've never been there because i'm content where I am.
Season in austria is mainly late december till late february I reckon.

Former Member · December 2006

what does anyone here reckon to this place:http://www.extremeholidays.com/?gclid=CN357OnLkIkCFUBeMAod7n084A

Flake_Mustaine · December 2006

sugar_mouse wrote:

what does anyone here reckon to this place:http://www.extremeholidays.com/?gclid=CN357OnLkIkCFUBeMAod7n084A

Tuition always costs more. If you're on your own then its good i guess coz you get to meet and party with people. Cheaper to go in a group with friends and teach yourselves.

My cousins taught themselves through watching a learning dvd and practise, and they taught me

We all went together, first time ever on snow (5 of us) and it was great fun.

With late-booking kinda deals, we paid £160 each for a week in Andorra (in 2004) and the price covered flights from london to toulouse in France, the coach from there up the mountains, the accomodation, and the trip back again at the end of the week. All we had to pay for was renting equipment and food. Oh and the ski pass.

And Norway (2005) cost £209 each for the same sorta deal. Both trips were in the second half of March. (considered the end of the season)

You don't really need to spend all that much money to go snowboarding

Former Member · December 2006

Switzerland rivals Austria anyday. :grump:

The Alps,

ETA: It stretches to Austria as well ...

Former Member · December 2006

I've been to the snowdome in Tamworth, its pretty good there and the slope is suprisingly steep! Its actually a lot harder than it looks because the board has a fair bit of weight to it. I dont think it would be too difficult to pick up though with a few lessons

Former Member · December 2006

I went skiing in Austria with school and it was awesome. The people doing snowboarding seemed to spend most of their time on their arse, but everyone skiing was zooming all over the place. I've never snowboarded so I'm only guessing, but it seems to me that you have to be a lot better at it before you can start to have a bit of fun. Skiing isn't very hard at all. I've never been on a dry slope, but everyone says that it's much harder (to do, and when you fall) so I'm not really interested. But yeah, Austria seemed like a great country, even though we mostly kept to the holiday resorts.

snowboarding

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