Dry slopes

I had no plans to ever go to a dry slope, not impressed some 24years ago, but as luck would have it my boy joined Beavers (pre-Cub Scout group) and they have a session in two weeks for him to get his skiing badge.

Any tips to remember coming from snow to dry slopes? I seem to recall it being painful and muddy.

The one I use sometimes is at Swadlincote and I find it useful for getting a bit of time on skis before going skiing.
I learned to ski on a dry slope in the eighties and the new ones are much better.
Hard to compare to skiing on snow, it is different and the first time you go you will feel like you can't ski, after a while you get used to it and it is good for working on your technique. Wear gloves and a long sleeve top as it friction burns you if you fall over let us know how you get on. :wink:

Roger Mayne wrote:The one I use sometimes is at Swadlincote...

Where is it the rest of the time?

Sorry :oops:

Owen.

Gloves & long sleeves, cheers.

Got back an hour or so back.

Very weird! I was catching edges for no apparent reason and going over.

I actually nearly lost my balance forward which I thought was impossible on skis.

Anybody got any tips for dry slope skiing?

(The boy loved it)

tin pot wrote:

Anybody got any tips for dry slope skiing?

(The boy loved it)

Sit in the bar and watch the boy :thumbup:

OldAndy wrote:

tin pot wrote:

Anybody got any tips for dry slope skiing?

(The boy loved it)

Sit in the bar and watch the boy :thumbup:

I totally agree with OldAndy on this one. I reckon dry slopes are dangerous. They offered me a free hour on my local dry slope when I bought my helmet but I decided to give it a miss.

Our local dry slope has watering points all over it and some of them aren't working so you go whoosh! until you hit the dry section of the mat and nearly catapult over the front of your skis. And bits of the mat have come up so you're likely to get your skis trapped in the mat and go crash! Plus, the skis and boots they hire out are really in a pretty bad state.

Of course, your dry slope may not be as bad as our one.

But if you insist on going on the dry slope I'd advise you not to use your poles as that was how I broke my shoulder. And you go faster and get a smoother run if you do it when it's raining.

Ally

AllyG wrote:

OldAndy wrote:

tin pot wrote:

Anybody got any tips for dry slope skiing?

(The boy loved it)

Sit in the bar and watch the boy :thumbup:

I totally agree with OldAndy on this one. I reckon dry slopes are dangerous. They offered me a free hour on my local dry slope when I bought my helmet but I decided to give it a miss.

Our local dry slope has watering points all over it and some of them aren't working so you go whoosh! until you hit the dry section of the mat and nearly catapult over the front of your skis. And bits of the mat have come up so you're likely to get your skis trapped in the mat and go crash! Plus, the skis and boots they hire out are really in a pretty bad state.

Of course, your dry slope may not be as bad as our one.

But if you insist on going on the dry slope I'd advise you not to use your poles as that was how I broke my shoulder. And you go faster and get a smoother run if you do it when it's raining.

Ally

That`s why they sold you the helmet first. )