J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by steverandomno

Is it just me, or has the guy in the photo got some serious rotation going on?

And another thing...

If you spend money in any area then spend it on goggles. You don't need to spend a fortune on the latest bole oakley smith ones that have all sorts of optical filters and coverings etc... However, try to spend a bit of time ensuring that they fit with a helmet on (assuming that you are planning to hire helmets - your choice either way - don' want to open that can of worms ). Idealy, you should at least get some with a double 'glazed' lense. Preferably with breathing gaps between the seal and the lense at the top of the lense. You should make sure that there is a good fit between the seal and your face, especialy around the bridge of your nose and beneath your eyes. If you don't do this tgen you run the risk of your breath getting inside and condensing ice on the inside of the lenses. End result = not being able to see where you are going. This can be a real pain so try to avoid it if possible.

There is no need to spend a fortune on clothing. I reckon it is possible to kit yourself out for less than 150 quid a head even when buying new ski wear. (to put this into context, you could easily spend 1000 without skis or boots). You could save even more if you already have a non skiing specific jaket that is suitable.

For good quality good value ski wear, it is difficult to beat Decathlon. It is like the french tesco for sportswear. The have a few large superstores in the uk and it is usually worth making the effort to get to one. They do mostly own brand stuff. I have had a lot of their ski wear, especially gloves, salopettes, hats, scarves, base layers etc... over the years and it is generaly very good quality.

My top tip for gloves would be to focus less on the quality of the glove and instead buy some silk inner gloves (about 5 quid). It is by far the best value way of keeping your hands dry. This is especially important for beginners as you are likely to have your hands on the snow quite a bit.

I wouldn't be tempted to buy any boots or skis, secondhand or otherwise. You should rent for your firs season. This is actually where a good ski rental shop adds a huge amount of value. The best thing to do would be to ask your ski school to recommend a rental shop as they are likely to have a good relationship with the store. This is important should the instructor recognise that you need a different sized boot or ski length.

If you want to play as safe as possible in case of the very, very, very unlikely chance that you don't want to go skiing again... If you enjoy hiking anyway then you could by some water resistant, thinner isulated hiking trousers rather than salopettes and beef them up by wearing some leg-ins for extra warmth.

Another tip is not to get thick ski socks. Paradoxically, you are more likely to get cold feet due to lack of circulation. Thin and long wollen socks are fine.

A good place I have found for base layers and socks, in the past, has been uniqlo. The stuff is not specific to skiing but some of the winter season stuff is perfect for skiing, but also doubles as general winter clothing.

Hope you have a great time, where ever you go.

Congratulations!

Glad to hear you're back in action.

Where will you be going with the Canadian team (or is it top secret)? Do you stay in Zermatt until the start of the season or do you train in BC for a while? Jumbo Glacier?

Keep it up Daved! Those are fantastic results. Make sure that you do plenty of resistance training to ensure that you maintain your muscle mass. This is very important for skiing.

I am also on a diet. I generally start with 4-5 scrambled eggs, with a pastry and some coffee. I then go to the gym and do either resistance training, moderate cardio-vascular work or a bit of boxing training. Then I have a light lunch, sometimes just a protein bar and black coffee. I snack on apples between meals. After getting home at about 7 ish I will have fish or chicken and microwaved vegetables. Followed by a slice of pie with some half fat thick cream and a punnet of strawberries or rasberries, possibly with the odd toffee, in front of the tv. At the weekend I will have a couple of pints and share a bottle of wine, possibly with some bar snacks.

Over the past 9 weeks I have managed to gain over 6 pounds!

Mmmmm, I should probably cut out the pastries, pie, cream and toffees. This is what happens when I am not skiing. :cry:

pavelski wrote:Bandit just posted the world record "switch skiing" speed.

:shock: OK now, I read that like it was Bandit who achieved the world record. Now Bandit is a very good skier, but this was very unexpected news. :-)

Hotel Mercure has free wifi for residents, not sure about visitors.

Thanks for the detailed info SwingBeep. I found Zermatt to be a bit frustrating when we skied it in Dec '10. Wasn't the best conditions to be fair. We made the mistake of getting the international pass, when the link to Cervinia was open all of about 20 mins through the week. I could see that it would be amazing with a bit of powder but quite frustrating with ice everywhere and lots of wind. Hopefully i will get to try it again when i have won the lottery and can control the weather. :-)