Alcott and Bell Lead Olympic-themed Roadshow at Skiplex

Skiplex in Reading is kick-starting the winter season with an Olympic themed road show on Sunday 6th October featuring two of Great Britain's most well-known skiers – three-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott and BBC Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell.

Slide2Sochi Sunday is being run in conjunction with governing body Snowsport England as part of the new 'Go Ski Go Board' campaign and their 'Slide To Sochi Roadshow' to try to encourage more people in to snow sports. It's one of many events in the new initiative being staged at dry slopes, indoor snow slopes and on Skiplex's case on the 'endless' conveyor slope during October.

For those not already in the know Skiplex is a new way to learn how to ski or snowboard, get your ski legs back or fine tune technique. The revolving slopes, a similar concept to the runner's treadmill, are made of a forgiving carpet-like material which is much softer than the traditional dry slopes and the speed and gradient of the slope can be altered to suit all abilities. Skiplex has opened a number of the centres in the UK so far and other companies have been opening more around the world. The idea has been popular in the Netherlands and the USA for more than 50 years.

"With the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics in February less than six months away the roadshow will be buzzing with Olympic fever with visitors able to sign a giant good luck snowball for the British wintersports athletes, have their face painted with their favourite country's flag," said a statement from the organisers, "There will also be a big barbeque on offer for all visitors, making it a great day out for all the family."

Visitors have the chance to get coaching tips from both Chemmy and Graham as well as ski or snowboard for free or for a hugely discounted price on the Skiplex endless slopes.

"It's a great way for the public to get involved with us, the athletes, and experience the latest way to learn to ski at Skiplex. It should be a great day and I am looking forward to seeing everyone there!" said Chemmy Alcott.

Anyone wishing to book slope time for Slide2Sochi Sunday should call 0845 6003599 or visit skiplex.co.uk. More information on all Slide2Sochi roadshows is at www.slide2sochi.org.uk

That's a bonus then, my daughter is booked in for a lesson there on Sunday :D

TC wrote:That's a bonus then, my daughter is booked in for a lesson there on Sunday :D

Trip report and photos then please TC! That could be our first "trip report" from a carpet... 8) Be interested to hear what your daughter thinks.

OK will do.

Usuing it to try and get her confidence to transition from resorting to a trusty snowplough most of the time to paralell more, need to save her legs and mine.

I should learn to read as we were ate Skiplex this weekend, not the 6th, though when I booked my daughters lesson I was told this weekend.

Never mind going beck next weekend anyway, as I felt this form of learning helped my daughter hugely.

She has just turned 11 and although she did a trip when she was 7 ad had lessons there was a break and therefore really itis only the last 2 seasons trips that I would deem as counting to where she is as a skier.

Skiplex Reading is just in an indutrial unit on a Business Park in Reading so very simple afair but clean tidy and used pine where possible with receiption desk, becnh seats and stairs to a viewing area in pine to try and give the alpine theme

The best way to describe a Skiplex slope is a large running machine with the artificle base enabling ski's to emulate sliding downhill, with varying gradients and speeds available and remotely controlled by the instructor so it there is a problem the machine can be shut off quickly for the person to sort themsleves out.

Although the lessons are for 1 hour, the time on the slope is 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off, 15 minutes on. However the 15 minutes is pretty much continuous so for an 11 year old quite demanding really.

For beginners and improvers I think this is ideal as there are mirrored screens at the bottom of the slope and the encourage ment from the instructor was to get the head up and look ahead instead of at the tips of the ski's, which in turn helps with the posture over the ski's.

The first few minutes were taken getting used to the feeling of the ski's on the matting and how the machinery works and at the very bottom is a bar to hold on to to get the feeeling and then when they let go the speed of the skier is controlled by the use of parallel ski's to move down the slope and snowplough to slow.

My daugters issue is breaking the snowplough and her posture over her ski's to me was too much back seat stopping her really getting forward and being able to bring the ski's parallel without a huge effort.

This was indeed picked up and by the end of the 30 minutes her posture over the ski's was much better, pointing down the slope, head up and making continuous turns across the slope consistently. This was tested with the use of cones being placed on the mat and she had to ski around them in different positions.

The idea is that the progression on these slopes is much quicker and I can see that it would be, BUT, as we all know slopes are not all smooth as carpets and bumps etc. need to be negotitaed but with the basic mechanics and posture and confidence I don'tthink they will be as much an issue.

We are away over Xmas and these lessons are not a replacement for lessons there as she will be having those too, just a confidence boost and get her posture better so that we can spend more time on slope together and ski further together as her legs can last loger and sure will enjoy the whole sking experience I am trying to share with her.

For those who have had an injury and want to have some confince on ski's I could see this as perfect.

Myself, who has only ski'd 7 season's (12 trips I think)I could see as a great opportunity to ensure I get posture correct and get the ski feeling before heading out.

Think they also do ski fitness there too so ski machines to exercise on, a trampoline, so a work out programme I guess can be tailor made too.

In short impressed for what I would want personally and for beginners like my daughter, so much so (A Victor Kiam moment for those who remember him) I purchased 6 more lessons as you get 6 for 5 and a choice of peak and off peak prices. They also offer discounts, the one I was aware of was a Vectis card which staff at our County Council have, my wife works in the local school, that gives you 25% off. So I have paid £75 for another 6 lessons for my daughter at £12.50 very good value and any of us could use them so this daughter may have 3 more, I might have 1 and the eldest daughter a couple.

I should be going back next Sunday so will update then

So yesterday Chemmy Alcott & Graham Bell were at Skiplex in Reading, whilst I was here with my daughter who was having a lesson. (Got the right week this time!!)

Whilst I was there they mingled and spent time with everyone and on the slope side encouraging and offering advice.

As we were there for a paid lesson and with the lesson being fairly early in the day, my daughter was fortunate enough to have a 1 to 1 session with the instructor which became 2 to 1 as Chemmy also stepped in and helped giving some tips.

The lessons are split into 2 X 15 minute blocks which is pretty much continuous skiing, with the odd stop to try and enforce something to work on. At the end of the first 15 minutes both the instructor and Chemmy came and gave me feedback and what they were working on.

The second part of the lesson I decided to video a little bit of my daughter to show her progress and Chemmy saw what I was doing, so she did a commentary over a piece of footage for her so she could see the video and look at what she was explaining to her to work on to get the progression to parrellel.

What a great relaxed event and a great way to spend a few hours and the fact that these Chemmy and Graham just interacted easily was why it worked, as I been to these type of things before and it is really structured and the guests are rolled in and out and the participation is very "plastic" is probably the best way to decribe it.

Having been to Skiplex a couple of times now I can see a great benefit in using the slopes no matter what level just to get some tips to improve and in the 2 weeks I have seen a huge improvement in my daughters technique and posture over the ski's and improtantly confidence on the ski's

It is not a direct replacement for lessons in resort where terrain then plays a huge part in learning, but it enforces good technique and habits that I feel have been missing in the larger group lessons my daughter has had the last 2 years and think when we are away at Xmas this will bring her skiing on hugely.

It is definately a try before you knock it type of thing which is what we did the week before before booking a further 6 sessions and now I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to people trying to improve or just get their ski legs before going away.

There were a few accomplished skiers yesterday taking the taster sessions and all came off really happy with the experience.

SKiplex gets a thumbs up from me and meeting Chemmy and Graham was a huge bonus