J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by ellistine

Perfick.

I'm a member but I can't see it?

http://skiwings.com/

Oh dear!

catford wrote:Good point made about using the dry slope before you go, but I wouldn't waste my money if I were you on a load of dry slope lessons

Dry slopes are more difficult than snow, less forgiving than snow, harder work than snow, a lot slower than snow and an awful lot shorter than on snow.

All of these attributes can greatly improve your skiing if you give it enough time!

One or two lessons will certainly get you ploughing but sticking with a dry slope, in my own experience, teaches you to turn propperly with correct weighting and posture. Mainly because you can't do it any other way. I've spoke to lots of people at our local slope who say 'I'm a good skier but I can't ski on this stuff' - obviously not that good then.

Personally I ski on our local slope twice a week, every week. Probably a bit extreme but well worth it considering how much it has improved my skiing.

Pavelski is your man to answer this question.

I myself bought a set of Spyder pants and jacket a couple of months ago. So far I have only wandered around the house in them - usually when something boring needs doing. I don't yet know how they perform on snow but they soon get you sweating loading the dish washer!

It's exceptionally well made stuff - if a little heavy. I get the impression it's not the most fashionable gear and I'm a little concerned that people might think I'm some sort of instructor (at least until they see me ski).

Still, if it's an abundence of pockets that you want then Spyder will certainly fulfill. I think my jacket (Chamonix 3in1) has 14 of them!

I got my jacket and pants with 40% off yet they still came to £600. I don't think I could have brought myself to pay the full price.

If you don't want to spend a fortune head along to your local Matalan

Let's not forget TK Maxx!

They always surprise me the amount of quite decent ski gear they have. Especially as we head into Autumn. Last year we picked up 4 pairs of top of the line Salomon technical ski socks for about 8 quid a pair and a Helly Hansen Ski jacket for £80.

We visited Wengen this year during the 'build up' week to the Lauberhorn World Cup race. The race saved it for us really. The snow conditions were poor and although the getting up the mountain by train was magic on the first day, the novelty wears a bit thin after a while.

I dont' know what your skiing levels are but if you go looking for blue runs then look for the reds instead. The blues were basically narrow tracks linking other pistes. The reds at least had some width to them.

A lot of people do enjoy the area though. The people in our hotel had been there every year for the last 12 years - same hotel room even. Perhaps that was the off putting bit. It all seemed very British in a colonial kind of way!

Stage 11: You become the Matrix! 8)

Great thread Pavel. I need to print this out and ring some 'goals' for myself and Kim this coming season.