For UK based skiers - New club in Midlands

In case anyone is interested I am passing on a plug for a new club -
email me for contact details.

Midland Nordic Ski Club

Founded in 2005 and based at the Tamworth Snowdome.
They meet once a month on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm until 11:00pm
for skiing on snow throughout the year. A level track 300m long is
available for coaching and training in both skating and classic styles.

Downhill facilities are also available for Telemark and cross-country
downhill practise.
A qualified BASI or SSE coach will be available at most sessions

They hope to put together a programme of races both in the UK and
abroad for the 2005/2006 winter season.

Forthcoming events
12th June 9am until 1pm skiing and racing on cross-country track.
Downhill (which means up hill also) practice on Academy slope. Free
skiing on main downhill slope in the afternoon.
Turn your old skis and boots into cash at our Ski jumble.
All inclusive price of =A320 for the day. The best value snow in the UK

Alex wrote:
In case anyone is interested I am passing on a plug for a new club -
email me for contact details.

Midland Nordic Ski Club

Founded in 2005 and based at the Tamworth Snowdome.
They meet once a month on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm until 11:00pm
for skiing on snow throughout the year. A level track 300m long is
available for coaching and training in both skating and classic
styles.

300m? Isn't that very short? It's about 1/3 of the hill I use for interval
training. In my opinion you will need at least a track of 3 km, preferably
5-10 km.

--
Terje Henriksen
Kirkenes

Terje Henriksen wrote:
Alex wrote:

In case anyone is interested I am passing on a plug for a new club -
email me for contact details.

Midland Nordic Ski Club

Founded in 2005 and based at the Tamworth Snowdome.
They meet once a month on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm until 11:00pm
for skiing on snow throughout the year. A level track 300m long is
available for coaching and training in both skating and classic
styles.


300m? Isn't that very short? It's about 1/3 of the hill I use for interval
training. In my opinion you will need at least a track of 3 km, preferably
5-10 km.

Just consider this as very very basic tuition.
For years as a 'no snow' lowlander country we've had lengths of flat
plastic material, or the same with two formed grooves, which we could
roll out onto a school playfield for just this type of basic tuition,
with bumps and anthills etc.

Its a novelty for us to be able to do this on snow. I wish them well.
Its great that a purely commercial operation has even considered helping
another branch of our skiing world.

We have quite a few downhill skiracers who've learnt on plastic bedded
slopes, its said that some never race on snow, but I'm told their ski
and boarding standards improved with the introduction of the indoor
Snowdome at Tamworth.
Mike

300m? Isn't that very short? It's about 1/3 of the hill I use for interval
training. In my opinion you will need at least a track of 3 km, preferably
5-10 km.
What we need and what we get, snow-wise, isn't always the same thing,
especially in England.
andyb

I am told it is a 300m loop, so an interval can be as long or short as
you like, if you can stand skiing round and round.

Alex wrote:
I am told it is a 300m loop, so an interval can be as long or short as
you like, if you can stand skiing round and round.

Do you find places in Scotland with permanent skiing conditions during the
whole winter? I always wondered why I never hear about Scottish skiers.

--
Terje Henriksen
Kirkenes

Do you find places in Scotland with permanent skiing conditions during the
whole winter? I always wondered why I never hear about Scottish skiers.
Not really.
I dare say you could find some snow on the top of the highest mountains most
days in January and February but it is likely to be:
A long walk in,
Subject to severely unpleasant weather,
Hanging off a cliff,
Or down a steep gully.
Believe me I've been looking for it.
Of course, conditions can be superb in Scotland
andyb

I haven't been skiing in Scotland for 18 years, so only know what is
happening there by anecdote.

There are a few alpine ski resorts which have a patchy snow record but
are producing some good skiers - watch out for Finlay Mickel at the
Olympics - he has a good chance of top 10 in the Downhill.

There used to be some Nordic track skiing at several locations in the
80s - I raced in the UK Champs at Glenmore in 1986 or thereabouts.
However, it was all fairly low lying and the snow record is getting
worse. A lot of the forestry has been cleared which has meant the main
racing track is now disused as it too exposed to hold the snow. It
seems to me that the problem with snow in Scotland, is that they get
very cold weather (-21C for one race) and they get lots of snow, but
those two don't coincide. Then they get warm westerly gales which mean
lots of rain - and all the snow vanishes.

I think only Huntly cuts tracks regularly. They have an active XC club
and a rollerski track. Most of the Junior squad come from there but so
far they have not progressed at senior level, maybe because of lack of
funding.

Most of the Nordic racers in Britain are Bi-athletes in the forces,
because they do get a bit of financial support. However, they mostly
don't start on Nordic skis until they are 17 or 18 so have a lot of
catching up to do. Michael Dixon (the Eurosport commentator) is a Scot
and has been the best in recent years - 12th in one Olympics and I
think he won a world cup race too. Which is not bad for some one who
didn't put on skis until he was 18 and only started shooting when the
funding for the XC team was stopped.

AFAIK most of the Nordic skiing in Scotland is now on- and off- piste
telemarking. The senior XC racing side has gone very quiet. If there
is anybody out there, we would love to hear from you!

Alex