Need some quick information on Artficial Ski Slopes

You been on the pop again Keith?

Some interesting responses here people so here’s my tuppence worth!

When I started skiing on plastic matting there wasn’t a clear technology leader. Some mats were very hard, some very soft, some made of a single piece of injection molded plastic and some formed by pinching bristles into a “U” section piece of metal. The latter slowly gained favour and the others gently disappeared. (See here for details of the winner for at least 40 yrs: http://www.impactleisure.com/dendix.html )

In the late 1990’s a continuous matting solution started to be used which was favoured by snowborders and freestyle (probably not the currently correct term!) skiers. This mat allowed an easier skid but due to its greater contact area also generated higher base temperatures. Here’s a link for details http://www.perma-snow.com

As for the experience I have to agree with Ellistine that one of the beauties of matting is that it remains relatively constant in it’s behaviour, although anyone skiing on a frosty February morning will certainly have a different experience to the one skiing on an August afternoon!

To avoid repetition here is a previous thread on a similar line – Note my comments about Wycombe! http://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/8/3121.page

In terms of technical development I am 100% certain that learning to ski on plastic slopes is beneficial (even over artificial snow slopes) and certainly over learning on “real” snow i.e. in the mountains. Why do I say this? Partly from personal experience and partly from observed results.

Learning to ski well on snow is (relatively) easy and so beginners tend to move from stage to stage of their development quite quickly, whereas on plastic it is really VERY hard to ski well. Having spent 20+ years watching skiers on plastic I think that perhaps only 1% - 2% could really be classed as technically expert. The simple truth is that the surface requires a much greater depth of technical understanding and sympathy to elicit the best results. On snow the surface compensates for the skier and allows a less perfect technique to suffice. This lack of detailed technical understanding becomes all to evident when the user transitions from groomed piste (trail) to ice. Suddenly all the little weaknesses come rushing to the surface and it falls apart.

To put my comments into context there are, of course, many snow conditions that plastic slopes can never prepare the skier for: powder; granular; slush; pack & chopped to mention just a few. My point is that if the foundation of skiing is mastered on plastic the transition to snow will be a breeze and the refinements will follow far more quickly.

I look forward to hearing others views of what could be a controversial subject!

Cheers

Jan

Jan I Stenmark wrote:
In terms of technical development I am 100% certain that learning to ski on plastic slopes is beneficial (even over artificial snow slopes) and certainly over learning on “real” snow i.e. in the mountains. Why do I say this? Partly from personal experience and partly from observed results.

This sounds very similar to the situation in the midwest USA. Often (relatively) icey conditions and lack of steeps encourage two abilities, especially in racers. You have to balance and make your edges grip on ice, and you have to have to carry your speed. Another comparison would be the ease of access. Midwest ski hills and UK dry slopes are close to urban areas. Kids on race developement teams here often spend more time on the hill than thier mountain blessed counterparts. It's a real pity we don't have dry slopes here for the other seven months of the year.

Trencher

I know too well from experience that its not as forgiving as snow,The left side of my ass was black right down to the knee after a fall on it.It took about a month and a half to completly go only after it went through every colour of the rainbow.


AJ Adele

Any photosof that Adele?? :D :D

Ended up in Blackburn Hospital after a session at Rossendale DSS. Stitches in my head and a broken thumb. Response from the nursing sister, (just after I had told her she should have been a film star) was something to the effect that I wasn't to get any anasthetic to the head wound, and "stitch away nurse" :( :(

I always go before going on holiday as i ski in yearly intervals so is good to get back into the swing of things!

I have broken my left thumb twice though! but the second time i just cought it on the ground wasn't even a fall!

Dave Mac wrote:Any photosof that Adele?? :D :D

Ended up in Blackburn Hospital after a session at Rossendale DSS. Stitches in my head and a broken thumb. Response from the nursing sister, (just after I had told her she should have been a film star) was something to the effect that I wasn't to get any anasthetic to the head wound, and "stitch away nurse" :( :(

Nope but believe me Dave it wasnt a pretty sight :oops:


AJ Adele

From what people have said on here, I have been right not to use a dry ski slope!