Snowflex vs. Indoor Snow
Posted by on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Which is better? Which is better for you? Which would you build if you had a choice?
We got a letter through the door last week that included a survey regarding some improvements to the Stadium close to where we live. They're thinking about building a new "Sports Village", possibly including an indoor snow slope, and they wanted to find out what people were interested in...
My first thought was cool, that would be handy. Then I started wondering what the slope would be like, and then, would I actually prefer an indoor slope or a snowflex slope?
Which is better? I'm certain that for people learning to ski or snowboard, indoor snow is better. It's closer to the real thing; more accurate. Easier? Probably.
But then, I've never learned to snowboard on snowflex before, so I wouldn't know how different the experience is. But what about once you've stopped just learning? For most people, a 150m slope doesn't really cut it for giving them a fast carving experience. It's not steep and it's not long. It's nothing like the real thing.
So what about for freestyle? I know there are a couple of indoor half-pipes in Europe, which by all accounts, are pretty damn good. I don't see anyone in the UK being forward-thinking enough to go for something like that. No, I'm thinking about our current freestyle offerings in the UK; I'm contrasting something like the Halifax slope with something like the freestyle night at Castleford.
For me, snowflex wins. The kickers are better. End of story. I'd agree that it's easier to build a challenging and varied jib setup on an indoor snow slope, but that doesn't mean a good jib setup for snowflex is out of the question, given the space...
And that's my point. Those indoor snow slopes are so expensive to run. The little of what I've read/been told, suggests that the slopes themselves suck money out of the big centres; by themselves, they'd lose money. It's only the shops and the cinemas and the restaurants that make the whole thing profitable.
What if you had one of these big recreational parks, like Xscape at Castleford, but instead of an indoor slope you had a really well polished snowflex slope? Aim for the best one built to date. Surely they're much cheaper to build and maintain? You could have a slope for just riding and then a slope purely for freestyle. A kicker line; a jib park. Flood-lit. Fast.
The only snowflex slope that I've been to is stuck out in the fields at the top of a big hill. As far as other attractions go, there's a soft play area for kids and a small pub. The sprinklers don't work. If it's a dry day you need to bring your own washing up liquid for lubrication. And it's still great!
How much attention would a snowflex slope get if it was right in the middle of a large leisure & shopping complex? If it was marketed like the indoor snow slopes are? With a significant investment, how good could it be?
I accept that my view is heavily biased toward freestyle facilities. I also accept that I don't really know anything about the revenue plans for these businesses, and how important the concept of real snow is to the overall picture.
But putting that to one side, if someone was going to invest a large amount of money into a slope, right on my doorstep, I'd choose a well planned, well designed snowflex slope. Wrap it up with some restaurants and bars, some decent snowboarding shops, an indoor skate park, build a scene. But definitely give me those perfect jumps, every time!
What would you pick?
Labels: uk riding
It's Been A While
Posted by on Sunday, January 24, 2010
I was just thinking about this today: it's been a good while since I was on a snowboard. In fact, it's probably the longest absence since I first strapped in. Even the first year-period between my first and second snowboarding holidays was broken by one or two trips to the snowdome, and maybe even the dry slope.
Looking back over the last 12 months, I haven't been on my snowboard since Morzine. Wow. Hopefully I won't have regressed too much :)
I did skate more over the last 12 months, which was something I set out intentionally to do, and had a lot of fun doing. I wanted to see if more than a few sessions would enable to me to learn some new tricks; and it did. Nothing major, but progression was made.
And in the past, I've seen the same small-steps with my snowboarding. Since I started keeping a record, I had 9 and 4 UK-snowboarding sessions in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Although I didn't make double figures in either of those years, a few trips to the Halifax kicker is, and has been, enough to learn a few new tricks and get more comfortable with the things you can already do.
So what does this mean for 2010? Well I'm getting married this October, which will take up a fair amount of time and resource. Plus, I've decided to try a cycling event with some friends in August: the coast-to-coast. Being competitive, I'm planning on training for this. And again, I'd like to skate more...
With those things in mind, I can't see myself traveling down to Halifax that often - but I suppose nothing is set in stone. To be honest, I prefer doing stuff when I can dedicate a decent amount of time. I'm not particularly fussed about making a solitary visit to Castleford or Halifax during the off-season; if it was a choice between one or none, I'd be happy to take none, and do more of whatever other project I was giving time to.
And that's probably the reason I didn't go at all last year. One trip might be fun, but I much prefer a series of visits where I can set some goals and get the feeling of progression.
And that's what I'd like to do again. I'd like to set up a handful of sessions at Halifax. Work the kicker; progress. It's flexible with regards to how you spend your time on the slope, which makes it a great spot to get some photos and video, and generally a great day out. The only problem is the time and money.
So if it doesn't pan out this year, I'd like to aim for double figures in 2011...
How about you guys? What do you do when you can't snowboard in resort?
Labels: uk riding
It Just Keeps Snowing
Posted by on Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Normally around this time of year I'm watching the snow reports for whatever resort I'm planning on visiting. Right now, I'm watching the snow locally - it doesn't seem to want to stop.
I think I mentioned it back on the 20th December, last year. Since then, there's continually been snow on the ground. This rarely happens in the UK. I can't remember the last time there's been snow like this, ever.
It hasn't been piling up mind. Probably not more than 3" - 4" at anyone time. But the difference has been the temperature. It's been cold enough to keep the snow and ice hanging around. This morning I'm sure there was a good 4" of fresh snow.
Over Christmas and New Year we had quite a bit going on - not much spare time. But I'm starting to think now that I owe it to myself to get on my snowboard somewhere on UK soil.
I have shredded in Scotland once before. That's not really an option at the moment due to time and cash, and I'm still not certain I really want to go to one of their resorts again. That said, inspired by an article in Whitelines, I would like to try getting a guide and heading in to the backcountry, but that will be a future adventure I think.
There are some fairly local options. Hills that have rope lifts. Never been to one of those, but I'm sure they're fun, to a point. And fresh snow is almost always good :)
Just this evening, Mike sent me this link to Allenheads. They're reporting 60-70cm of new snow, and advising visitors to bring their own shovels to dig out a parking space! If I get a few things sorted, I'd like to try something this weekend, providing the weather's still good enough for snow, but not so good that we couldn't get there.
And that aside, I'm sure there are plenty of UK jibbbers looking for urban sessions. It's never been something I've really tried before, but I reckon I'd still have loads of fun finding a rail to slide...
I should have had my camera with me today; if the weather continues like this I'll take it with me and post some pictures. Driving to work this morning was like driving in a french resort. If only there'd been somewhere to stop for a decent pastry and a hot chocolate; Greggs just didn't seem like the real thing :)
Labels: uk riding
The Snow Centre - Hemel Hempstead
Posted by on Sunday, November 15, 2009
I've been checking out the new Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead - online only unfortunately. I wanted to write a little bit about it; especially so as I'm impressed by the freestyle setup, from what I've seen via the website. Some of the park designs look good, by indoor standards, and I like how the sessions run from Wednesday to Friday, each week (see below). Great if you're a local!
However, I won't get a chance any time soon to go there in person as it's a good deal to travel. So, in the meantime, I've hooked up with some people from the Snow Centre to get an overview of what's going on. I'm hoping also to get some photos of one of the freestyle nights...
The Snow Centre - Hemel Hempstead
The number of indoor snow slopes in the UK is increasing and bringing the benefits of year-round sport for both skiers and snowboarders. Until recently the south of the country was the only area not to have such a facility, but that all changed this year when The Snow Centre opened in Hemel Hempstead at the beginning of summer.
The Snow Centre, is situated close to London and is newest of the 6 real snow centres now in operation. Hemel Hempstead is easily reached by car or train and provides opportunities for millions of people based in the south and south-east to get on the snow and enjoy their sport. The Snow Centre offers membership options which reduces charges, but anyone can just pay for sessions on an individual basis.
The latest snow generation technology was used during construction of the centre and a bank of snow cannons ensure the two slopes, a 100m long training area and a 160m main ski slope, are fully covered with perfect snow. Overnight the air temperature of the snow hall is reduced and the cannons turned on to top up the covering. During the sessions the temperature is maintained at a reasonable minus one or two, which feels quite comfortable. In addition to the modern snow cannons, the latest POMA button lifts are used to keep things moving. For those not quite ready for a fast POMA there are also some slower rope lifts too.
The Snow Centre also has a full teaching programme and runs its own ski school using qualified BASI instructors. Individual sessions or blocks of lessons are available, as are some intensive fast-track courses for those eager to improve quickly.
Hire equipment is also top notch with the centre partnering with Head to make sure visitors have a choice of comfortable and suitable gear to use. For most sessions you'll need to wear a helmet, which is also included as part of the session fee. They have to be worn by children and are necessary for everyone for things like freestyle snowboarding.
The slopes provide good conditions for both skiers and snowboarders. Even cross-country skiers have their own sessions for technique training, and improving climbing and descending skills. The centre puts on a number of snowboard freestyle sessions where the staff put together combinations of kickers, rails, tubes and boxes in a park layout. These run each week from Wednesday, with additions made throughout the week building up to Friday night's four-hour Park and Ride freestyle event. This is now a very popular session, the place where experienced snowboarders show off their skills. About once per month the centre brings out a large Airbag for softer landings. The exact times of those sessions can be found on the centre's website.
Most sessions are open to everyone but some such as the snowboard freestyle slots require a certain level of competence - mainly for safety reasons. It's probably best to check with the centre staff before booking on to make sure you'll be OK. Advance booking is also recommended as most sessions have a limit on numbers.
A visit to The Snow Centre can be enhanced with a trip to its cafe and bar area, which also has a balcony area overlooking the slopes. Not quite the same as being outside a mountain cafe in Val D'Isere but quite nice all the same. The balcony also overlooks the fenced-off children's play area, if you have any youngsters who are too young for skiing and just want to mess about in some snow!
For a bit of retail therapy there's also on-site branch of Snow+Rock, fully stocked with the latest winter fashions and equipment choices.
The centre is already preparing for its busiest time of the year, the run up to the new ski season. The advantages of a few sessions on a real snow before you head off for your next ski holiday are obvious in terms of refreshing technique and getting your body used to the movements involved. For families a few sessions may help you decide if the children are ready for a winter snow holiday. In most cases the answer is a resounding "yes".
Website:
http://www.thesnowcentre.com/
Labels: uk riding
The Season's Over For Me...
Posted by on Monday, April 06, 2009
Well to be honest, it's been over for a while. I won't be shredding anymore this season. Next real snow is likely to be next year, that's a long time off! Poo.
For the season just gone and the one before that, I've been limited to two weeks on snow. I don't want to say that sucks, because I've had a great time snowboarding, but in the past I've been used to more. Before that, I had three years of riding somewhere between 3 and 5 weeks over the course of 12 months, so the last couple of seasons have seemed something like a wind-down.
I'd like to put an end to that, yet, my plan for next season will be the same: two weeks away. I obviously want to make them a good two weeks! Good powder and good parks. Good powder mostly.
This reduction in snowboarding has changed my outlook a little. I'm sure it's slowed my progression, but more generally, I kinda fell less involved. In the past I've been looking for any opportunity to get away - I've been active throughout the season, and in the summer too. These days, it's much more like a holiday.
This blog is mostly about me and snowboarding; but when you're not snowboarding that often, it's hard to write about the stuff you like writing about. For the time being, I guess I'm just more removed than I have been. I look forward to next season - I hope to shred in Canada again - but it's going to be another holiday year...
So what now? What for the rest of 2009?
I'd like to skate more. I'm into double figures for outings already, albeit some of them are short, around the one hour mark, but still, I feel active on a board, standing sideways. I'd like to aim for at least once per week. That shouldn't be hard should it? Maybe more. I'll be keeping track of the sessions in the sidebar, so we'll see how I get on.
I'm going to set out with the aim to post a video each month. It might be short, and I/we won't film every time I skate, but it would be cool to show how I'm improving each month (if I improve). I've already done a few things new that I'm pleased with - the trick is to keep it going for a decent period of time. I'll put something together for March.
I'd also like to prevent the relapse of freestyle skills on a snowboard by hitting up the UK slopes. That'll be Cas' and the 'Fax. I've had it in my mind for a while that it would be good to do 8 sessions in one month: every Friday at Castleford and every Saturday at Halifax. I'm fairly certain that with some motivation one could improve as much over the course of 4 weekends in the UK as they could doing a week away. That said, such a program traveling from where I live would probably cost as much as a week in Europe! But hey, it's something I'd like to try.
So for now, I'll be tied up working on a couple of unrelated projects. I'm trying to get out on the skateboard, film some, and of course, I've still got the footage from Morzine this year.
Gav.
Labels: skateboarding, uk riding
Some Video From This Summer/Autumn
Posted by on Wednesday, December 03, 2008
It's taken me a while to sort this out, but better late than never I suppose. It's just some video from two sessions earlier this year: one at Halifax and one at the Chill FactorE. Right at the start is the slam that I mentioned from Halifax...
It's been a little bit frustrating to be honest. On my old laptop I had a version of some decent video editting software - which did a good job. I've been unsuccessful installing it on my new laptop; so I'm stuck using Windows Movie Maker.
Movie Maker isn't that bad, and it is free after all. But having the basics only is not what I'm used to, and that's frustrating. What's more, the video output from Movie Maker, when presented by YouTube looks bad. If I choose 4:3 ratio in Movie Maker I get black bars at the top and bottom of the video - because my camera is widescreen. So when I upload it to YouTube, the result is too small, which you'll see below.
If I choose 16:9 in Movie Maker, which is what I should select, it looks fine until it ends up on YouTube, where it is squashed, and basically looks pap.
These aspect problems may be caused by the fact that my camera isn't true-widescreen, which is confusing Movie Maker, maybe not. Has YouTube changed their default to widescreen? Either way, my old software used to handle it fine...
If you're a pc user, what do you use to edit your video? (Actually if you are a Mac user, what do you use?)
3rd Session - Real Snow, The WSG And Pain!
Posted by on Tuesday, June 03, 2008
My third session of the summer was on real snow. Five of us headed to the chill factor[e] in Manchester last Saturday; it's the first time that I've been.
Real snow made a nice change from snowflex. The setup was good - especially the kicker. Much impressed. I'm not going to say to much about the slope and the facilities though because I'm putting all of that in a review for the wsg, which you should check out, if you haven't already. More on that later - when I've finished writing the review.
I should mention that I'm pretty pleased to be putting some reviews together for a guide that I've used since I first got into snowboarding - even if they're only uk slopes and not fully fledged resorts. Sick! Hopefully I'll do some more this summer.
So what about the shredding? Well, as I mentioned they had a pretty sweet kicker, nicely shaped and solid. I spent the majority of time spinning backside: 1s and 3s. They're far from being on lockdown, but the backside 3 is definitely getting more comfortable. I stomped at least two during the session, fairly smooth too.
We took a decent amount of video - for the time we had available anyway - and some photos of the slope too. I'm gonna sort that stuff out after I've finished the review...
And finally onto the pain. I mentioned before that I took a pretty hard slam last time I was at Halifax. Well, I (stupidly) managed to catch two heel edges on Saturday night sending me straight onto my back. How I managed that I don't know, but it happened. By time I got home the bottom of my back had the strangest swelling, not good!
The bruising is out now and centred around the spine, and seems as though the pain isn't going away, I headed to a sports injury clinic today. It's 35 notes for an half hour session, but it's worth it. The physio was painful, and the guy reckons I should have it x-rayed just to be on the safe side; I'll probably head back at the end of the week or the beginning of next for a second session.
It's annoying. I hope it gets sorted soon as there are plenty of things on that trick list that I wanna cross off...
Labels: injuries and fitness, uk riding, wsg
2nd Session - It Rained
Posted by on Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Ever so slightly bigger crew last weekend: Ciara, Simon and I drove down to Halifax. I hadn't checked the forecast or anything like that, so I was all prepared with a handful of buckets and plenty of cheap washing up liquid...
I didn't need any of it. It rained. And what a difference that makes. I've ridden the snowflex once in the past whilst it was raining, but it was also really windy that day, so this was kind of like a first.
Such a good session. Ciara is starting to get the hang of hitting kickers - albeit the small one - and I was working on some backside 3s and the shifty-shifty. With the slope being wet everything was much smoother; it was easy to get air.
This time around we did take some video. I'm quite happy with the backside 3s I was spinning, the technique is coming together I think; there's a decent one on camera but it wasn't from the proper kicker so it doesn't count. In fact, I didn't get 'round to spinning at all off the big kicker - it was just straight stuff.
I was going fairly big though - bigger than I've been in the past for sure. I was even speed checking 'cos the slope was so fast! Anyhow, the only thing of note trick-wise was a handful of double shifties. It was the first time I'd tried one and to be honest they're not that hard. I'd say they're easier than boning and stalling a regular shifty (depending on the size of the air).
I got an ok shot on film, but it's quite far away. I'm probably going to look for something better before I cross it off the list. They felt good though.
I finished off the session with a pretty big slam: kinda big off the kicker and landed pretty much on my back. Ouch! That's on film too, but again I'm kinda small in the shot so it's a little hard to see what's going on...
I'll collect the video sometime in the future.
As a closing thought: I think I need to invest some time learning to ride on the 'flex. I'm getting caught out when I mess up the weight I'm putting on my edges, and sometimes the mistakes are a little painful :)
Labels: uk riding
1st Session - Hot And Dry
Posted by on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Ciara and I drove down to Halifax last Saturday to shred the 'flex. It was hot, dry, and generally a bit poo.
Being there in the middle of the day when the sun is fully out is simply too much for the aged sprinkler system. They had some wax out, and I had my usual supply of washing up liquid, but neither availed. Dropping in from the ramp was fast enough, but by the time you hit the kicker it's simply too slow. Pretty much unusable.
The best I managed was a sketchy backside 3. No photos, no videos, nothing to cross off the list.
The lift stopped also, which seems to be a common occurrence. It doesn't bother me that much, but Ciara hates using the secondary lift!
So why then, am I looking forwards to going back? When it comes to a good Saturday afternoon session, am I being stupidly optimistic or are there other ways to unlock the potential of the slope?
I was talking to the guy who runs the place (I think); apparently the slope is totally different on evenings after the sun has gone down. I can believe that. The problem is that the opening times make it too costly for me to travel there, only to ride when the sun has gone in.
So I asked him about dousing the kicker with water. Apparently a solution of water and washing up liquid is best, which is what some of the regulars use. So next time I'm there, I'm gonna take a few buckets, plently of washing up liquid, and periodically lube the kicker.
I'm sure many people consider this to be a lot of effort. Especially considering that Cas' is marginally closer and doesn't suffer from a dry-slope... They may well be right - but I just really enjoy riding there. I like the kicker - when it's running smoothe it can be awesome. So for now, I'm placing my faith in the 'fax (and a handful of buckets).
Labels: uk riding
Now That I'm Back, What Next?
Posted by on Thursday, February 21, 2008
It's almost been two weeks now since I returned home from Fernie. Since then I've spent a lot of time at work, including both days of last weekend, which has delayed any updates here.
So what next?
If you've been reading my posts over the last few weeks you'll know that we were really lucky with the weather in Fernie - we had awesome snow. So good in fact that what I'm about to say doesn't really bother me that much.
You see, during the three seasons previous to this one, I've always had at least two trips planned. In those situations, returning home from the first trip never feels bad, because you know you're going away again. Then, when you return home from the last trip of the season, you still don't feel bad because you know you've had a good fill...
This time around though, I'm done. I knew Canada was going to be more expensive than the usual trips to Europe, but to be honest, it was more expensive than what I thought was a conservative budget.
And I'm content. Actually, more than content. Stoked. I only need to think back to one of the many powder days we had and I'm happy with this season's riding. Happy that I chose Fernie.
As well as looking back however, my thoughts are now starting to focus on what I'm going to do inbetween now and next year. What am I going to do in the off-season? Will I set myself any goals?
- First, there's good riding to be done here in the UK. Last year I kept a tally of days riding and it totalled 9. That was between April and January, which is roughly 1 day per month. That's not bad, but considering I was aiming for 2 to 4 times per month, I want to do better this time.
- I'd like to land some clean 5s on Halifax's kicker. In fact, I'd like to set out some trick goals for the summer - but I'm gonna give this some more thought...
- I'd like to get out on my skateboard more. Last year was abysmal. I missed it.
- I'd like to continue reading about avalanche safety and get in some more practice with my beacon - particulalry with multiple burials. Along the same lines, I'd like to do a review on the Tracker DTS using some video.
- It would be nice to get some riding in on a glacier sometime. I've been to Deux Alpes in summer and Les Diablerets in late autumn - I'd go back to either in a flash. I also think Ciara would like to try an all girls camp.
- Late last year I wrote a couple of reviews for the World Snowboard Guide - UK slopes. If I get the opportunity I'd like to write some more.
- I'd also like to invest in some better camera equipment, perhaps for stills, but more likely for video. It's expensive though...
Labels: canada 2008, uk riding
WSG Weekend Roadtrip
Posted by on Monday, November 12, 2007
This weekend I set out on a mission to take photos and gather information to write a couple of reviews for the wsg's online UK-slope section. Actually, there were three of us: myself, Martin, who was performing the role of photographer and Ciara, who was there to help out, hang out and ride.
If you don't know what the wsg is you can check out their website or read the review. Recent events have landed me with the opportunity to write some reviews of UK slopes for their online guide - starting with Castleford and Halifax. Sweet! I was set to visit Cas' on Friday night and then Halifax on Saturday morning...
But the weekend's story kinda started on Thursday night/Friday morning. Copious amounts of alcohol and a 3am finish led to the development of a ugly hangover. Getting into work on Friday morning for 9am was difficult to say the least. I was feeling really bad, which was not a good sign for finising work, getting everything packed and getting to 'cas that evening.
I booked an impromptu half-day at work so that I could come home and sleep it off. Ciara was in the same boat. The plan seemed to work well as we both got everything sorted and in the car in time to arrive at 'cas for 7:30, which is when we met Martin. To support the depth of the hangover - I went through 3 fast-food meals on Friday, two from McDonald's and one KFC. Urgh!
That was the first leg of the roadtrip: Gateshead to Castleford. With not much time we just grabbed loads of stuff and packed it in... The car was pretty rammed; or at least messy!
The time at 'cas unfolded nicely. We rode some, took some photos of the slope and facilities, took some photos of the riders and I talked to some of the people who worked there. Then we rode some more. I was feeling fine by that time, in fact the only bad thing was that I was sucking on the slope. Not to worry though, it was still good, and I was surprised at how much we enjoyed shooting some of the local riders.
Ciara was still too ill to ride - probably because she didn't hit the fast food thrice!
I'll be posting some shots of the riders soon...
Martin lives in Huddersfield so we stopped there on Friday night. Second leg, Castleford to Huddersfield. A couple of beers, an inspection of the new shred stick he picked up for Fernie and a showing of Absinthe's Optimistic and I was looking at another 3am finish.
Let's just revisit that new board for a second though. Mart found what's got to be one of the best steals on eBay: a brand new Burton Fish for £80! Insane. I want one.
Saturday morning was rainy, which was good as everytime I've been to Halifax this year it's been bone dry, hot and therefore slow. However, it was also windy up at the top which kinda sucked as it slowed things down and blew you around loads. The third leg: Huddersfield to Halifax.
The Halifax visit panned out nicely too. Got a chance to talk to the guys that worked there, and local rider/shop owner Wayne Taylor was there too (A.K.A. Snowskate).
The combination of high wind and a large ski-lesson meant I didn't use the main kicker, but I did have some fun playing on the smaller jump to the side. The highlight was stomping a clean barrel-roll. Nothing big, not too stylish, but clean, I rode it straight out. Really pleased. I also worked on some backside 3s because I can't really do them.
Photos, talking to the Halifax crew, it was fun. It was also dirty, and my pants are taking a beating too!
Due to the late finish the night before, Saturday morning was pretty rushed too. No time to sort out the mess in the car and no time for a full shower. Getting changed in the rainy, cold carpark after riding the wet mossy snowflex - I was starting to feel somewhat urgh.
We stayed around for a pint and something to eat at the pub. That's pretty much where the snowboarding side of things stops, but the driving didn't. I'll keep the rest brief.
After saying bye to Mart we were off to Newark to visit some of Ciara's Family. A tired and dirty fourth leg: Halifax to Newark. We were running late and a mistake with an uncharged mobile phone meant we arrived in the middle of things, so no time to wash up. A few drinks that evening sent me straight to sleep...
Sunday morning was an opportunity to freshen up. After leaving the family we were then on leg five, Newark to Liverpool. Ciara needed to be there for a work thing. We saw this on the way over, much cooler than my ride.
We checked Ciara in and we had enough time for quick look around Liverpool center. Starbucks was well received. The hotel was pretty sweet, but I wasn't staying there.
Before long I was back in the car for the final leg: Liverpool to Gateshead. A bunch of CDs and more fast food to keep me going. The car was still a mess; wet snowboarding gear, some of it dirty. But it didn't matter anymore. When I can do it all again?
Just short of 10 hours driving...
Labels: uk riding
Worlds Apart
Posted by on Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The company that I work for has an office in Newcastle, it's real close to where I live, in North East England.
Snowboarding in England is pretty difficult at times. Without any real mountains to speak of, unless we travel abroad we're limited to artificial slopes. And being in the North East doesn't help...
It's a good distance from our south coast so hopping across to France in the car is less viable and it's hard to benefit from travel options such as the Snow Train.
What's more, there are no indoor slopes or snowflex slopes nearby. Here's the route from Newcastle to Halifax (google reckons 122 miles - about 2 hours 10 mins):
I'm not complaining though. Dependence on plastic slopes and fridges is one of the things that contributes to our strong scene. It's all part of enjoying snowboarding from within the UK.
But check this. Our company also has an office in San Jose, CA, USA.
Imagine if I worked there? The snowboarding options are very different. Lots of resorts all accessible over the weekend. Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Heavenly... Here's the route from San Jose to Lake Tahoe, google's estimate is 227 miles - about 3 hours 47 mins:
Worlds apart.
Labels: uk riding
Here We Go
Posted by on Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Well the season's definitely just around the corner now; the tell tale signs are all there. To begin with, I've started donning a snowboard jacket for the journey to work, so winter is on the way. Secondly, I've picked up a copy of the Burton catalog, which has lots of shiny new things to look at. And finally, the first issue of WhiteLines arrived the other day, which happens to include a feature on the Halifax slope - excellent!
This has made me think a little about what I've been doing in between last season and this coming season... Back at the beginning of April I set myself a mini-goal, to ride between 2 and 4 times each month. Since then, just about 6 months have past, and according to my summer shred counter I've only ridden 7 times.
Once per month isn't great, but it's not aweful either. In the least, I've definitely scored on the snowflex front.
But I'm considering off-season to be the time between my last trip from the season gone and my first trip of the season to come - so there's still time yet. Maybe I'll bump that average up a little :)
That won't happen for a couple of weeks at least though, as this weekend I'm flying to Mexico. For that reason, I'm leaving that new copy of WhiteLine un-opened so I can read it on the plane, most likely from cover to cover. I've also added a copy of Document Snowboard and to my own surprise, a copy of Ski & Snowboard.
It's the first time that I've bought a ski/snowboard magazine, and being honest, had something like Onboard been on the shelves I'd have picked that instead. But Mexico's a long flight and I felt like 3 mags was a good number; and I've got to admit I was tempted by the cover stories of Thigh-deep in Japan and Canada's secret stashes, which should be the same for skier and snowboarder alike...
One final mention about the new season - the European snowbroader guys are back with their blog for this winter. If you're one of their regular readers from last year you'll probably already know this, but if not, you should check it out. Constantly updated with fresh snowboarding news - sweet!
Labels: uk riding
It's Been Too Long
Posted by on Tuesday, July 24, 2007
It's been 5 weeks since I was last on my snowboard, it feels too long. What's more, it's probably going to be another two weeks at least until I get to ride again.
It's dissapointing.
Back in April I set myself a target of riding somewhere between 2 and 4 times each month. I'm not miles away from that, but I'm not riding as much as I'd like to.
The problem is that I've made a few too many commitments and one in particular, is a big one. It's a shame because I really think I can progress this summer. The kicker at Halifax is excellent; I've been getting a little better each time and each session has been a lot of fun.
Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of time between now and next season (I don't think I'm actually wanting to prolong the Canada-wait am I?), I'm just hoping to turn the situation around some.
It's like this. Each year I come home from riding somewhere and at the end of the season when I'm watching some of the video I always think: I wanna be able to spin off there next time, or, I reckon I'll be able to pull a backside 3 off that... That's what I target my progression at.
A couple of things have started to become more natural since April and I really want to keep it going. Damn, the best I've managed over the last few weeks has been thinking about a shopping list for Fernie! :)
Labels: uk riding
Off-Season Riding
Posted by on Friday, April 06, 2007
Now that I've done all of my riding for this season on real mountains, I'm starting to think about riding here, in the UK.
Historically, I've done just about all of my homeland riding at Xscape Castleford, on the indoor slope. I say just about, because I have ridden on a nearby dendex slope a handful of times.
What I've never done is ride snowflex. Snowflex is definitely a target for this off-season. Ideally I'd like to ride it regularly, but in the least, I'd like to try it out a couple of times. The slope at Halifax is well known for having a good kicker, and that's where I'd like to start.
I also plan to continue riding at Castleford, and I'd like to make use of the airbag sessions that they have lined up. I've never hit an airbag before, but I'm guessing that it's lots of fun.
So my aim is to ride somewhere between 2 and 4 times each month, and it would be nice if one of those sessions was a snowflex session. To help me in this goal, I've decided to start some kind of shred counter; a simple record of how many days I go riding between now and next season.
If all goes to plan, I should be off to a good start. I'm gonna be hooking up with Martin tomorrow at Halifax for my first taste of snowflex, and then tomorrow evening we're gonna ride at Castleford and try out the airbag. The intention, maybe not tomorrow but in the future, is to take some photos and video throughout the summer. Let's see how well I keep it up...
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