Messages posted by : Dave Mac
Not really a problem. I still ski there between 4/6 weeks a year, and know just about every instructor, all the hotel owners, all the ski hire owners, the valley chiefs, many of the next generation, all the sleigh drivers, most of the bus drivers, all the racers, blah di blah. It is fair to say, I have a modest knowledge of what is happening. It is true that there are private lessons ~ there was when I worked there. That is seen as an addition,not a replacement, less than 2% of teaching capacity. There are different ownership structures in the Wildschoenau ski schools, unlike most ski schools which are privately owned, and this impacts on their organisational behaviour. Zell is different, it is more of a town. Leogang, (I really enjoyed the skiing there), may have a cartel issue. It would not be the first place in Austria for this to have happened! Try hiring skis in the Arlberg! (Alledgedly!) If the main ski school in the Wildschoenau took such action as you have witnessed, the hotels would immediately form their own ski school(s), (jointly or separately) How do I know this? Five years ago, a friend of mine, owner of a group of hotels, was going to do exactly this, set up his own school. In the end, he didn't, simply because the ski school set up a base next to his main hotel. The outcome was a total win-win situation. The Wildschoenau is not Leogang. It is an ancient Hochtal. There are cousins across many businesses. There is co-operation alongside competition. You perhaps might consider that this is a Leogang issue! |
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The Niederau Red ski school, (The 1st Wildschönau Ski School) has class times of 10.00am ~ 12.00 noon, and 1.00pm ~ 3.00pm, Sunday to Friday inclusive. Exactly the same as when I worked for them, about a hundred years ago.
Instructors are free to arrange to differ the times, by agreement with their class ~ this is useful if they want to get up the mountain early, or go to a different village. The instructors own the ski school, and it is their interest to give good value, and keep the standards high. It would not be in anyones interest to change the times. |
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Very good video, Niiixsy. Nice skiing too.
Here's mine. Hand held digital camera, two sticks in the right hand, one complete run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGAAR5dS_Vg |
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Asssuming, Icy, that you are behaving yourself, you do not get the shakes from any modern digital camera ~ there is inbuilt software that smooths out any vibratory effects. On my 4 youtube vids, all are made with a digital camera, and on two, I have the camera hand held. The other two are with someone elsefilming. The downhiller Martin Bell, who does a lot of ski video work, told me he does hand hold filming all the time. I have two head cameras, complete with all kinds of straps and clamps, but have used neither. The switch control is more difficult. I may try next week or the week after. |
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Snapzzz, I agree with your views on these trees. Trees are NOT the same adjoining every run in the alps. Many resorts take a view on how important is the planning of views, whether for skiing or summer walking.
I recalled a comment you made when viewing my Niederau Run 19 vid ~ "Nice trees" ~ at that time it crossed my mind you were taking the p. I was so wrong about that. |
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Hi Noraa, welcome to J2ski. I will be in Obergurgl in the Oztal at that time, getting the last use out of my season pass! Both Obergurgl and Hochgurgl good for inters.
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Eeh lad, t'Zell, t'flip flops? Nobbut luxory. When ah were a lad in Zell, we wore us bare feet, an that on t'snow at -15 summat. An you try tellin t'young fowk today..... |
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All the main Colorado resorts have good a good snow history for December. Vail and Aspen, and for sure A-basin.
Man, it's freakin cold at that time of year, tho! |
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