Skiers and snowboarders come forward...!

[fabdavrav]

Hopefully I'll get out mid feb onwards once the weather has calmed down abit & the snow has got a good base.................been x-country ski-ing for 32yrs.............now days I prefer to Ski-mtn/telemark...basically I have a big set of telemarks/plastic boots, with bindings that have MTN forward pivot, heel risers, DIN front release ............all good fun...........

 

Me climbing the back of the Corries in Cairngorm...........then ski along the Plateau.......

 

 

 

[snow_muncher]

I'm from a nordic touring background, and still find it feels odd when I clip my heels down on my alpine touring gear

 

and its been 15yrs since I last did any serious nordic touring

[Norco]

We have lessons booked out there!

 

We could technically still squeeze lessons in if we went to Castleford.

 

Phil

 

Don't waste your money. Group lessons on slopes like Castleford are at best frustrating. I watched my friend who we were taking away with us for the first time and he hardly got any tuition at all. The instructor / student ratio can be really high this time of year and before you know it you are at the bottom of a maybe 10m run? That's not the best way to practice. When we first started we had 3/4 half days of tuition which got me and my wife (then gf!) up to a standard where we could easily negotiate blues and attempt reds.

 

It may not work for everyone but I found watching plenty of snowboard films (and not all balls out pros) but also some instructional films on the youtubes really helped me to picture what I should be doing and how the board would react. Many people advise bum pads. I didnt need them but my wife did come a cropper and bash her coccyx pretty hard so maybe worthwhile. If you are nervous then wrist  guards might help too.

 

Mostly enjoy! Doesn't look like we are going to get away this year (not even Scotland!) so will be the first time in about 8 years we are off the piste! The terror and satisfaction of getting your first turns nailed is great!!

[Phil-E]

Thanks for the tip!

 

We have 3 half days of tuition out on the slopes. There's 5 of us going- 3 beginners and 2 intermediate.

 

The plan is the beginners do our lessons in the morning then muck about practising on the slopes with the other 2 for the rest of the day.

 

Plus Castleford is bloody expensive! £89 for a 3 hour lesson!

 

Phil

[kilted]

The beauty of boarding is that, with relatively little instruction, you should be able to get down a slope with a few turns.

 

The first time we went we were sideslipping (heel and toe edge) in about 15-20 minutes with turns coming in after about 1 hr. Within a couple of hours we were ok doing runs down the easier slopes

 

I would say the biggest tip is always have your weight over the front foot (until you get comfortable with it) and turn from your shoulders (the rest will follow!)

[Jrjg]

The beauty of boarding is that, with relatively little instruction, you should be able to get down a slope with a few turns.

 

The first time we went we were sideslipping (heel and toe edge) in about 15-20 minutes with turns coming in after about 1 hr. Within a couple of hours we were ok doing runs down the easier slopes

 

I would say the biggest tip is always have your weight over the front foot (until you get comfortable with it) and turn from your shoulders (the rest will follow!)

I can agree with your statement here Kilted.

Although I had done quite a lot of 'longboarding' (a stretched skateboard with bigger soft rubber wheels and the objective being 'carving' and going fast rather than tricks and jumps) which I think helped a great deal with the balance and the leaning and changing in positioning weight and distributing weight, I still picked up Snowboarding very quickly.

We have had a lesson a week for the past three weeks and an hour after each lesson spent practising. I feel very confident, so much so that I am even attempting and landing small jumps.

I have near enough mastered getting back onto the drag lift without having to clip one foot out and back in, saving huge amounts of time, it all adds up that sitting about! However I also had my first proper tumble when trying to do the basic turns on the main slope that had been swept of snow, meaning the board reacted differently than it had done on the slope (with lots of snow cover) I had spent the past two hours on. I did about three turns, caught a back edge and flipped onto my arse whilst travelling at quite a good speed. Jesus wept it was sore. I have struggled walking up stairs and up inclines for the past four days. Sneezing, coughing, passing wind, all send shoots of pain up my lower back. A few friends asked if I'd soiled myself, I wish I had, at least that would wipe away! Thoroughly enjoying it though, and intending to spend a day snowboarding when I go away skiing for a week in a few weeks time.

JRJG

[mcdeli]

Having both feet on the board on an anchor lift... Imho remember there are very good reasons to go on all lifts with one foot out on a snowboard. It is very dangerous for others if you get caught and potentially nasty for you, especially getting off a chair lift. Sensible advice, especially to beginners, especially at proper hills, is to get that one foot out;)

Great conditions in mid Finland this week. Snow and -5 to -10. All we need here are some mountains if anyone could deliver...?

[littleade]

Thanks for the tip!

 

We have 3 half days of tuition out on the slopes. There's 5 of us going- 3 beginners and 2 intermediate.

 

The plan is the beginners do our lessons in the morning then muck about practising on the slopes with the other 2 for the rest of the day.

 

Plus Castleford is bloody expensive! £89 for a 3 hour lesson!

 

Phil

I don't know what your mates are like who are the intermediates, but be wary of going on any runs you've not been with the instructor on, especially for the first few days and even more so if they are more difficult than you've already done plus stay off the pop at lunchtime. A chap in our group 2 years ago went out with his mates in the afternoon and had a bad fall. He didn't break anything but he looked like he'd been beaten up the next day and it ruined his confidence for the rest of the week. He wasn't even a beginner. Be prepared to finish for the day when you start to get tired too, as that's when ypu're more likely to go a pearler..... End of sermon...Enjoy.

[Phil-E]

Thanks for the advice!

 

Heading off in the morning. Very excited!

 

Got my gopro and mounts etc all sorted- hoping for some you've been framed £250 moments! lol

 

Phil

[littleade]

Don't forget to take some ibruferen and co-codamols as you may well use muscles you never realised you had!

Which resort are you going to?

[Phil-E]

Haha. Good suggestion. I've got some padding shorts to protect by bum at least too!

 

Going to Bansko.

 

Phil

[Norco]

Hope you have a great time. 

 

Don't break the cardinal sin of announcing last run. That is a guaranteed accident waiting to happen.

 

[kilted]

Hope you have a great time. 

 

Don't break the cardinal sin of announcing last run. That is a guaranteed accident waiting to happen.

This - I have taken the liberty of highlighting it for clarity.

 

The announcement of last run should be banned as this is when the worst accidents happen (my mountain biking mates have both had bad fractures after declaring last run but funnily enough very little by way of injuries the rest of the time - it is declaring last run that does it!)

[littleade]

Haha. Good suggestion. I've got some padding shorts to protect by bum at least too!

 

Going to Bansko.

 

Phil

I didn't go there but from what I've read it's better than where we went (bouravets) which was a bit grim and 3rd worldy, but Bulgaria is a good place to start if you don't know if you'll like it as its cheaper than europe and stateside. If you like it then start saving!

Have fun and watch out for skiiers and other boarders lower down the slope as they have right of way so its up to you to avoid them (often a problem with boarders/skiiers as you cross paths because you take different lines done the slope)

I'm off to Italy shortly and can't wait. It took me years to get SWMBO to give it a go and now she really likes it. Both our kids ski (at our expense) and they're better than us...gits...

[Phil-E]

A colleague of mine just got back from Borovets. She really liked it but it did look a little grim from the pictures.

 

My friends have been to Bansko before and really enjoyed it. Good snow there at the moment. Obivously it's a little further away from Sofia airport but hopefully worth it.

 

Price we've paid is very good compared to other European resorts.

 

I'll be sure that last run announcements are banned!!!

 

Just got to squeeze 5 people, with 5 cases and 5 lots of hand luggage in the car in the morning! Car's going to be mega sloooow. lol

 

Phil

[littleade]

When we went it was our 1st time and there were loads on the coach that had gone before but having been thete I don't know why-must be the cost. These was a brothel next to a clinic and a strip joint at the bottom of the black run that ended in the town! The food was pretty grim in the hotel so we ate out a lot. All in all it was an experience! Check out where you'll be getting your kit from as there were massive queues at Bouravets unless your were in a big hotel the ski hire place was at the foot of the nursery slopes and 1 company had the monopoly on everything including the lifts and the ski school. Let us know what you think of Bansko -it's got to be better than Bouravets!

you're probably lucky about the snow as Bulgaria has a very short season and its still hit and miss even now. Our ski instructor said the end of Feb is the best time to go.

[Jrjg]

9 days on and my tail bone still feels sore, not as bad as the previous week, but still tender, jujitsu training was a nightmare, shouldn't of bothered. And lying down onto benches at the gym is an awkward thing to do.

I have been looking at protectors and padded shorts. Trying to find some reviews on some well established padded shorts. Saw some for £100 but not sure whether to spend that much. Or to get a solid plastic protector for only ~£20

JRJG

[Norco]

A colleague of mine just got back from Borovets. She really liked it but it did look a little grim from the pictures.

 

My friends have been to Bansko before and really enjoyed it. Good snow there at the moment. Obivously it's a little further away from Sofia airport but hopefully worth it.

 

 

 

Phil

 

Soooo how was it!?!? Sitting down yet?

[Phil-E]

Soooo how was it!?!? Sitting down yet?

 

Ouch!!!

 

Had great fun. Was ready to give up after the first day to stuck with it and had it cracked by the 4th day. Then this happened:

 

This is my right bum cheek. It covers my whole cheek and the muscle is very tender. 3 hour coach, 3 hour flight then 2 hour drive was... uncomfortable!

 

 

Basically I was doing a turn from my heel edge. The board wobbled a bit and instead of committing and shifting onto my toes I hesitated and the heel edge dug in flipping me backwards. Lucky I had a helmet on as my head bounce off the slope. My ass took the brunt of it.

 

I lost the last 2 days of boarding but I didn't mind too much. Had a relaxing day in pool etc then the next day had a lovely trip up to the top of the mountain on the ski lift.

 

Had such a laugh with my friends... I've got a six pack I've laughed so much! lol.

 

Would definitely recommend Bansko. Food and drink is very cheap and everyone very friendly.

 

Planning some trips to Xscape in Castleford through the year then maybe another trip next year.

 

Phil

[Norco]

Yikes!! haha that looks painful. I've been so lucky that I haven't had any big injuries from snowboarding. The worst I have had was a smashed shoulder that was super sore for the rest of the week but I wasn't even snowboarding. Just sledging back from the shops haha Hurrah for helmets though. 

 

Glad you enjoyed it. Its a massive strain on the body so a day off isn't usually that bad anyway. Unfortunately Castleford will barely be able to scratch the itch now you have been on real snow. Keep an eye on Scotland. When it is on there its ace! It helps that we have our own boards but we live near you (you're further North) and Glencoe is an easy 6 hour drive. Accommodation and passes are cheap too. It has to be treated as an adventure though because if conditions are bad they are really really bad.

 

 

[Jrjg]

[emoji15]

Good grief.

That is a fair old bump. I have been looking at these: http://www.absolute-snow.co.uk/admin/images/Larger/16ca7ef3-a1d8-418e-8e07-fab9a7b07c0cAction%20Shorts%20front%20grey_L.jpg.

**EDIT** can't get the link to work:

Forcefield Action Pro Shorts.

As I am determined not to receive another crippling blow to the tail bone (I too had the 'heel edge flip' experience).

Does anyone have any recommendations on 'impact shorts' or padded/shock shorts? I was also looking at a coccyx protector which was basically a plastic plate that clipped to the waist of your pants to provide protection against tumbles.

I bet your arse is like a rainbow at the moment. I am glad you enjoyed it though. Hopefully this fall won't of put you off returning to go boarding/skiing again.

Ps. At least you won't go anywhere without your helmet on now, with a scare like that. They're lifesavers!

Have a swift recovery

JRJG

Edited 17 February, 2015 by Jrjg

[kilted]

Never even thought of padding of any sort when I last went.

 

Thankfully made it out without any major injuries.

[Phil-E]

I did have crash pants on too!

 

The ones we got were just some cheapish ebay ones. They did the job for the general falls and tumbles. I'd have needed a lot of padding to prevent injury on this fall!

 

Our friends had some that came with the plastic insert.

 

We called them "skid knickers" as it was funnier! lol

 

Phil

[kilted]

I did have crash pants on too!

 

The ones we got were just some cheapish ebay ones. They did the job for the general falls and tumbles. I'd have needed a lot of padding to prevent injury on this fall!

 

Our friends had some that came with the plastic insert.

 

We called them "skid knickers" as it was funnier! lol

 

Phil

After your fall they probably would have been "skiddy" knickers!

[Jrjg]

I did have crash pants on too!

Phil

Really!? Hmmmm, I wonder if the 'padding' was a factor effecting how badly you bruised up then? Was it 'squishy' padding or fairly solid stuff? I was thinking along similar lines when looking at the plastic coccyx protector: "great that will save my tailbone... But what about the rest of my arse that the shock will be spread to?".

I will have a look at some of the higher end stuff, although anything will be better than nothing I suppose.

I go skiing on Saturday to Kitzbuhel in Austria and am going to spend at least one day boarding, I'll just have to take it easy and not get too excited/enthusiastic.

JRJG