Dry slopes - Milton Keynes ?

Hello,

I've just end up in the U.K. where I will stay a few
months. My university ski club organizes trips to
Milton Keynes (snowdome) as well as to some dry slopes.

I'm quite a good snowboarder, do you think that the
dry slopes will be difficult ? Is it possible to carve
on it ? Does it need some time to get used to it or
can assume to be as good as on the snow ?

Second question, I've been told that there is a half pipe
in Milton Keynes. Anyone know about it ? Can I expect
to find a well-shaped pipe ?

Thanks,
DG

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 23:01:36 GMT, "Doc G." allegedly
wrote:

I'm quite a good snowboarder, do you think that the
dry slopes will be difficult ?

Yes.

Is it possible to carve on it ?

Don't know - I never got to try.

Does it need some time to get used to it or

Oh yes.

can assume to be as good as on the snow ?

Unlikely.

Dry slopes are completely different to snow. It's kind of like riding
on very solid hard pack, but seems difficult to use the edges.
Personally I just couldn't get on with it at all, and I never went
again. I had much more fun ways of causing myself pain.

Try and tape your fingers together so they don't get caught in between
the bristles and snap. Also, any padding you care to stuff down your
pants will help.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/

Switters wrote:
Try and tape your fingers together so they don't get caught in between
the bristles and snap. Also, any padding you care to stuff down your
pants will help.
What he said. When you fall (its when, not if, I'm afraid) its best to make
it a reflex as much as poss to clench your fists and keep your hands close
to your body.

Snowflex is better than the more traditional dry slopes (it doesn't have
holes for you to break your fingers in, its softer, and it behaves a *bit*
more like real snow), but you're still not going to like it.

I don't think the 1/2 pipe is still there at Milton Keynes, by the way. But
at least there is real snow. The thing thats most likely to strike you
about that place is that its *expensive*.

On the whole, sorry to be so down about this, probably better to find
something else to do with your time and just look forward to when you can
get back to some real mountains.

Sean.

What he said.
Is mostly ********.


I'm quite a good snowboarder, do you think that the dry slopes will
be
difficult?
No. If you know how to turn the board, you won't have any problem on
plastic. It's a little weird the first time you try it, but it'll take
about one run to figure out how it works. If you can ride, it's
trivial. For beginners it's a bit harder than snow, and harder to fall
on.

Is it possible to carve on it?
Is there any other way to turn? Yes, you can carve on it. You need
sharpish edges and you need to keep them sharp.

Does it need some time to get used to it or can assume to be as good
as on the snow ?
As above.

Second question, I've been told that there is a half pipe
in Milton Keynes. Anyone know about it ? Can I expect
to find a well-shaped pipe ?
Yes. No.
It was there earlier this summer but it's gone now. Google and you'll
find some pictures of it. It wasn't hugely well-shaped as it happens,
but at least it was there.

Boarding on artificial snow or plastic is more expensive per vertical
meter than heliboarding, but it's kind of handy to keep in practice.

phil