J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

Trencher,
Last year I skied in France in Val Thorens and La Rosiere, and including this year at Val Thorens, I've skied in 7 separate ski classes, and there was only one person (Dutch) in all those classes who was wearing a helmet, and he did look a little odd. And before you ask, they were all upper intermediate lessons. None of our teachers were wearing helmets either.

I guess the U.S. has caught on earlier than us to this helmet issue.

Ally

Mike,
Strangely enough, while writing out my list of 'fors' and 'againsts' I came to a decision about helmets.

I am going to rent one from the ski hire shop in resort for myself, because I don't care what it looks like, and if I can't stand wearing it I can give it back to the shop, and I'm going to buy one ahead of time for my daughter and carry it with us, because she does care a great deal about what it/she looks like, and it will have to be some trendy make and colour that is acceptable to her.

So, thanks very much, and you can be happy now that I've stopped worrying about this particular thing, and I can go and be anxious now about something else.

I don't think you'd ever get me to be humble though, it just isn't me - I make too much noise/type too much to be humble, but it's a nice idea.

Ally

Hi Kittenski,
Lovely photos, thank you very much. I would like to be able to ski like that. How long have you all been ski-ing for?

Ally

For me, it's quite simple. I just add up the pluses and minuses to wearing a helmet, and decide what to do.

Plus - it will decrease whatever minimal risk there is that I will damage my head while wearing my helmet.

Minus -
1. I will have to make the effort and spend the money to buy one, and then expend more effort taking it to the ski resort and back again, and storing it at home - or
2. I could hire one, costs money, and it might be bust already, or no good for some other reason.

3. I might get too hot in it and my head will get all sweaty and I won't be able to take it off and put it in my pocket (like I can with my woolly hat).

4. I might have trouble with my glasses and goggles when I'm wearing a helmet.

5. Where am I going to put it if I'm eating in a cafe?

6. It might be really uncomfortable, and I might not be able to hear properly when I'm wearing it, and I might keep banging my head on things because I'm not used to being taller, and the weight might make my neck ache.

7. I might not be able to see so well wearing it.

8. I will probably have to wash all the inner lining bits because they will get disgustingly sweaty.

9. I might look really stupid wearing one.

Now 9 is quite an interesting one, because if I was the only one wearing a helmet I probably would look really stupid, but if quite a few people are wearing one I won't, and if I'm the only one NOT wearing a helmet I will look stupid. And if it becomes compulsory I won't have to worry about looking stupid in one.

Another interesting factor in all this, is that plenty of people will make their kids wear a helmet, but they won't wear one themselves. Now why is this? Is it because they care more about their kids than themselves, or because they wouldn't be able to stand the guilt if something happened to their kids heads when they weren't wearing a helmet, or is it because there is a higher risk (actual or perceived) of head injury to a child than an adult?

I have always worn a riding hat on a horse, a seat belt when driving a car, and a lifejacket when sailing, so why don't I wear a helmet ski-ing? Possibly because no-one has told me to, and therefore I'm not in the habit of wearing one. I've never really thought about comparing the probabilites of death or serious injury from not wearing a life-jacket sailing, when compared to not wearing a helmet when ski-ing. I have to make a conscious decision to change my habits and start wearing a helmet. Maybe the kids who are now wearing helmets will keep wearing them as adults, and eventually everyone will wear them.

Ally

Very funny Dids! :lol:

We are going to Courchevel, but only the 1550 one, and we're going ultra cheap DIY staying in a maeva Pierre & Vacances studio apartment, and I don't plan to eat out, etc. etc. In other words, we're going for the ski-ing and window shopping etc. I may admire some helmets like that one - but if I buy one it will be from some bargain basement shop as long as it looks O.K.

I won't be going to that Michelin restaurant at 200 euros a meal, or buying that wine at 2000 a bottle (or whatever it is - something ridiculous like that), or buying that helmet either, thanks very much.

Ally

Thanks Dids,
For the tip about buying helmets. I guess you're right, and if I buy one I'd better go to a shop that sells them, and try them on.

I wondered if they have different strengths - like one for recreational on piste skiers, and a different gauge of helmet for e.g. slalom racers who would be going much faster.

Ally

Thanks Karen,
I've had a look at it and I don't think there are any catches. Here is a map of the areas covered:
http://www.skimap.kitzalps.com/default.asp?Lang=en

It says it covers 1,081 Km of piste. A 6 day adult ticket costs 204 euros. An advance season ticket bought before 4/12/08 would have cost only 497-00 euros, but from then on costs 555-00 euros.

It also gives a breakdown of the individual costs of the lift passes for the different areas, which is also interesting.

Kitzbuhel = 187
Skiwelt = 181-50
St Johann = 173
Wildshonau = 150-40
Alpbach = 151-50
? spelling Steinplatte Waldring = 173
Skicircus Saalbach = 195-50
Zell am See - Kaprun = 192-00

It includes the free shuttle buses for each area, but I don't suppose you can get from one area to the next free of charge. There may be a bus, or else you'd have to have a car. It doesn't say.

Apparently there is an 8-seater monocable gondola Ki-West connecting the ski areas Kitzbuhel and Westendorf which can only be used by holders of this card.

So, basically, if you can get around, and you were going to buy the Zell am See one, for example, you might as well buy this one. And if you were planning on going several times you could get the season pass and stay somewhere different each time.

Ally

Tony,
I don't think I'd want to ski off piste unless I was in a lesson, because I don't think I'd feel safe enough. I'd rather improve my skills on the piste first. And I'll be having a mogul lesson when I go to the Manchester snowdome in June.

And anyway, I think my daughter is going to pick off piste and 'pleasure' and she's going to ski the 2 morning sessions, one after the other, with only a short tea break in between, so that she can ski both of them in English.

She doesn't like ski-ing with me (parents are very embarassing at her age), and this way we can make sure we're in different lessons. She's a much better skier than me, but if I make it into the 'advanced' group, then we'll be at the same level, only I'll be at the bottom of it, unless they split us into 2 groups. We had this problem last year, when we were both Upper Intermediate, only she was near the top of it and I was at the bottom of it.

Ally