How different is Dryslope to the real thing?

Dryslopes are great to learn on because when you get on to snow you'll think your a completely different skier because its so much easier on snow! I've been three times to dry ski slopes generally a couple of months before going on holiday just to get back into and i've had two broken thumbs from it! woops

Dry ski slopes are hard to ski on so therefore your technique has to be good. Therefore you will benefit when you get to La Plagne.

Which dry slope did you learn on?

Also I am going to be there from Saturday onwards so if you see me give me a wave - black/white/beige Columbia jacket, brown Peruvian hat, and red Spy goggles.

I've heard about people breaking their fingers, could you still ski? Luckily snow is soft so I should be alright.

How long are you going for? I'm going on the 15th of Feb so when I said soon I meant soon for me because It was planned in September last year! Have a great time!

Regards,
Tom

Hi Tom,

As a number of learned people have noted above, skiing on an artificial slope (by which I am talking about plastic rather than man made snow) is HARD to do well!

Yes, you may well break bones especially in your hands and arms but don’t imagine that snow is always soft and fluffy and painless when you stack … Your comment

Luckily snow is soft

is probably only true in Warren Miller films and in all our dreams :D

I would recommend you go to your local slope (hiring skis) as much as possible, train hard or take some intensive lessons. Then, as also mentioned above, when you get onto snow you’ll be in paradise!

As an aside, there has been at least one World Championship Slalom event held in the UK on a plastic slope (Wycombe). Teams from Austria and as far a field as Korea turned up and to a person they couldn’t compete with even average racers from the UK. And just to head off the obvious comment, No, not every UK racer who trains on plastic can transfer their skills to snow, but this doesn’t mean that the training is without relevance.

Jan

As a side note, I'm off to the dryslope tomorrow night to try some techinques I picked up on the snow last week. If they work the same on the drystuff then I may have cracked an on going problem. For me, how I ski on the dryslope is my 'baseline'. If I'm doing ok there then I'm doing ok anywhere.

Jan, one word - blog?

I'm off to Hillend dry ski slope tonight! Got my boot bag on the desk beside me.

Sorry Tom I'll miss you as I coming back to Boredom on the 9th of February.

Thanks for the replys!

Jan I Stenmark wrote:don’t imagine that snow is always soft and fluffy and painless when you stack

I'll just have to be a bit careful then but I am hopefully having some more lessons before I go so I want have to be stuck learning to turn correctly and other basics when I get out there. I know it won't be completely the same but the technique should be similar.

Oh, and the dryslope I got to is called Bowles. I think there's two slopes there.

Hirsty wrote:Sorry Tom I'll miss you as I coming back to Boredom on the 9th of February

Ah well, have a great time though!

Regards,
Tom

_Tom_ wrote:I've heard about people breaking their fingers, could you still ski? Luckily snow is soft so I should be alright.

Yes, first time was a bit close for comfort ended up with a cast up to the elbow but second time it was a tiny break!

Went to the dry slope today as we had an inset day at school and found that the technique of skiing came back very easily which i was pleased about, with it nearly being a year since i last set foot on skis! :mrgreen:

Chris