Chris L

Hi

Looking for some advice from the snowboarders. Me and a couple of mates are planning a trip in the new year. Fancied something different, so we've decided to go snowboarding.

Now, I never done it before, so what I'm looking for is some advice on the best resorts (hopefully we're going to the States), cost etc. Is it worth going to a dry ski slope first? How do I stop myself looking like a total ar$e for the duration of the holiday ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers

Chris

Doc

I would suggest you try Lake Tahoe. Look in the Virgin Ski brochure. You get to fly on scheduled Virgin flights to San Francisco and no excessive room supplements. Lift passes are more expensive in the states but most lifts are quality fast chairs.

Chris L

Thank Mr C!

I heard the same about dry slopes! Anyone else?

Cheers
Chris

chuckster

Me and a bunch of mates did alot of dry sloping before our first skiing holiday, most of the peeps felt it was pretty worthless, the experience on snow is very different = slippery! I managed to dislocate a finger too, on the dry, ouch!
The best place for pre week lessons would be the snowdome's. There is one in Tamworth, and a new one opening down south this month or next (Just north of the M25 I believe).
Regards
Charles

jbryant

I wouldn't worry too much about the dry ski slopes for learning to board. Broken fingers will put you off badly. A couple of days tuition on snow and you should be OK, as long as you have a reasonable sense of balance. Then you should be able to start trying new pistes with your mates. Just book into another lesson if you don't feel yourself improving (you will though )

Beware anywhere that doesn't have >90% Chairlifts. Draglifts (button lifts) or T-Bars on a snowboard are a complete nightmare. I was very impressed with Breckenridge (Colorado) as the skiing area was enormous. We only got to see about 30% in 10 days. Nightlife in the States can be a bit sad however as everyone goes to bed early to get the good snow in the morning(not that it's bad in the afternoon or anything - the snow is much better than anything I've seen in Europe). Biggest cost is accomadation. Look out for the excesses on the rooms you book as these can double the price. When I went out with a mate we just bought flights and looked for hotels there. Don't arrive on a weekend if you're going to try this!

Bear in mind you WILL fall over. LOTS. You should be able to hire wrist guards (fibreglass) or you will be cursing the pain in your arms after a couple of days as your wrists take all the punishment from falls. But it's worth it once you start getting really gnarly dude

Oh yeah Grab a chance to go on a Skidoo tour through the rockies while you're there.

Cheers
Joolz

jbryant

Oh. If you decide on Europe for cost reasons (don't), Courcheval is meant to be a bit of a Snowboarding Mecca...

Joolz

gregh

I would recommend you don't spend that much on your 1st ever trip, in case you hate it!

For that reason I'd recommend if you are all total beginners to go to Andorra.

Advantage is it's cheap, good instructors and it's duty free for the evenings!

Greg

Mr.Cookie

Have done it but could not get to grips with button hole toe ropes so gvae up would recomend you go to a dry slope for a bit of basic training make the holiday more enjoyable if you are already compentent with lifts ETC..

Simon
Ps Boarding on snow is a lot easier than dry slopes

jbryant

gregh,
I don't think many people who drive Scoobs for fun will hate the thrill you'd get from skiing or snowboarding. From experience you'll get a far better quality holliday in the States for a couple of hundred quid more, and maybe get a 10day holiday too. Snow is pretty much guaranteed in most US/Canada resorts as is decent hire equipment and staff with manners.
I've only heard good reports on Lake Tahoe.
Andorra is cheap. For a reason...

I swore after my last trip to the USA never to ski in Europe again. I went against my word and regretted it big time.

Pays ya money...
Joolz.

chuckster

Val Thorens is great if you are skiing in Europe. It's all above the tree line too, so, for all those out of control runs you'll make as a boarding newbie, there are no tree's to run into. Masses of wide piste and a board park too!
Chuck

andyp

Chris,

I agree with Doc - Tahoe rocks! But I wouldn't recommend it for 1st time boarders. It's basically made up of many smaller resorts and you'll need a car (truck - this is Cal) to get around and pick the best resorts for the prevailing conditions. the places where the packages go are not actually the pick of the resorts in the area.

If you have the money to spend I would stronly recommend Whistler/Blackcomb in Canada B.C. It is by far the most learner-friendly resort I have been to and the level of snowboard instruction is reputed to be very high. The terrain is varied from high(ish) alpine to tree ladened runs. Lots of off piste and the runs are wide, soft, consistent and not too steep. Food is excellent and everyone is friendly. I've been there for three weeks with a mixed ability group and everyone enjoyed it. Personally I find it a little bit too soft and cossetted - but that's my personal taste and I've beed boarding for 6-7 years now.

Avoriaz in France is really good - very snowboard friendly and must rate as one of the top 5 snowboard resorts in France. Alpe D'heuz is good for learners as well - smallish resort and full of Brits (no comment). Great nightlife. The bigger skiing resorts have a lot to recommend them (3 valleys, Les Arcs, Tigne/Val D'Isere) but are less learner friendly and you should be able to get better deals to Avoriaz and Alpe D'heuz.

I've done a bit of boarding in Andorra however it's all been off-piste hiking. Although the deals are cheap - the quality of snow is extremely variable. In my opinion you've got a better chance of enjoying the holiday if the snow is good (hurts a lot-lot less), the slopes are wide and consistent (easy to learn) and the instructors are good. You may pay £200 quid more for Canada but if it's your first time you might as well make sure you enjoy it!

IMHO I think you should give Whistler a shot - you'll love it!!

Cheers,

Andy

PS. Give dry slopes a miss - it's more likely to put you off than make it attractive. If you must, then try somewhere like the snowdome in Tamworth or (soon to be) Milton Keens. It'll give you a feel for wearing the kit, etc. But you'll learn more in the first half hour of normal snow than a week of dry-slope!

Ron H

Went boarding in Vermont X-Mass last year.
Tremendous fun. Spent a shed load on some retro quicksilver gear. The current ski wear is pretty good.

Have to say, sking in the states is amazing. The people are so accomodating and Its funny when you get knocked over. They always stop and help you up.

Cracking place to go.
Bit expensive though. Try Val D'sere (not too accomodating to boarders..more to skiers-thats why I chose the states) or anywhere on Mount Blanc. Cheap flight to geneva. I can sort you a car (work for car hire firm)

Ron H

Chris L

Thanks guys for all your replies - excellent as ever. Any other comments welcome.

Chris

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Chris,

Be prepared for big bruises and aching kneecaps! As said before, priority for you would be a resort with chair lifts as opposed to drags, bear in mind on your first time you won't be seeing all the runs in the resort, so quality of the nursery area and green/blue runs rate higher than 100s of km of piste! Have a look at equity's site as a taster, I've used them since 96 and can highly recommend them (I've only been to Europe though).

Gethin

Went boarding in Cypress Bowl 12 months ago in Vancouver....excellent fun!!! Big grins.

It's best to get a few hours tuition so you get the basics right (turn with your upper body etc). The guy teaching me told me to imagine my upper body was seperate to lower body, and to imagine I was holding a camera up in front of me, then to twist my upper body to point the camera to the desired path you want to follow....

and bugger me.....it worked....after 2 hours I could do the turns and all!!!!

Now if I skipped the tuition it would have been a nightmare!

Superb fun.

Scrappy2

If you’re looking for some practise and are down south - they are opening a new indoor real-snow slope at Milton Keynes at the end of this month.

S600BYY

anddora,and say no more apart from go to pas de la cassa,i promise you will love it.
the mountain (grau rog) has some thing for every body and they don't call it the ibiza of the snow for nothing.

S600BYY

Paul Wilson

I'd reccommend private lessons for just your mates for a few days, you learn an awful lot quicker. I've taught 6/7 people to board in the morning and taken them up the mountain in the afternoon. Group lessons will take a lot longer.

Canada is very friendly

If you can get them I'd use soft boots with step in bindings, as they are so much less hassle when you are learning, the temptation when you are knackered is not to ratchet your bindings up tight enough and then it all gets harder as you don't have the control. I've lost count of the number of people I've stopped to help when bording who's bindings are loose.

swa

Pas Del Casa - Andorra
Good for a beginner. But the park they advertise there is **** -- totally.

If you are going to just Snowboard then don't go there. If you are going for a holiday and fun and snowboarding then go...

It is a late night town so if there is a dump you can get some nice soft stuff.

But if you can do half pipe then forget it.

Swally is MEGA cheap!! 2 weeks and I was pickled

Swa

swa

clever little BBS - the **** was meant to be sh$t
lets see if that works...