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Ski Lessons in Houston?



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 17th 03, 04:37 AM
Christopher Mooney
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?

I will be making a trip from my little town in Northwest Arkansas to
the big old city of Houston, Texas at Thanksgiving this year, and
seeing as how the family has planned our very first ski trip in March,
I am interested in getting hooked up with some begginer's lessons.
What I was wanting to know was whether anyone knew of places in
Houston that offer the "giant moving belt" classes that I have heard
offered in places larger than my hometown?

Thanks in advance!

Chris Mooney (who can't wait to see how many nicknames get plonked
from my second post ever - first post was a real eye-opener)
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  #2  
Old November 17th 03, 02:47 PM
Walt
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?

Christopher Mooney wrote:

I will be making a trip from my little town in Northwest Arkansas to
the big old city of Houston, Texas at Thanksgiving this year, and
seeing as how the family has planned our very first ski trip in March,
I am interested in getting hooked up with some begginer's lessons.
What I was wanting to know was whether anyone knew of places in
Houston that offer the "giant moving belt" classes that I have heard
offered in places larger than my hometown?


I don't know that these conveyor-belt training thnigies will teach you
anything useful. I imagine it's like learning to ride a bicycle by going
to the gym and using one of those stationary exercise bicycles. It
might tone up some muscles, but you'll still fall over the first time
you get on a real bike.

Real snow an a real hill is the only way to learn to ski. It's OK if
the snow is made from snow guns and the hill is small, but the only way
to learn how to do it is to actually do it. Simulations won't cut it.

There's a small hill near Kansas City about three hours from your town.
Go there for a weekend and take some lessons.

--
//-Walt
//
// The Volkl Conspiracy
  #3  
Old November 17th 03, 03:39 PM
mark
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?


"Christopher Mooney" wrote ...
I will be making a trip from my little town in Northwest Arkansas to
the big old city of Houston, Texas at Thanksgiving this year, and
seeing as how the family has planned our very first ski trip in March,
I am interested in getting hooked up with some begginer's lessons.
What I was wanting to know was whether anyone knew of places in
Houston that offer the "giant moving belt" classes that I have heard
offered in places larger than my hometown?

Thanks in advance!

Chris Mooney (who can't wait to see how many nicknames get plonked
from my second post ever - first post was a real eye-opener)


During my stint as a ski instructor I encountered a lot of people who had
used various artificial ski slopes for their first skiing experience. Very
few (if any) of them seemed to have any significant advantage over the
people who had their first skiing experience on real snow.
--
mark


  #4  
Old November 17th 03, 03:43 PM
nafod40
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?

mark wrote:
During my stint as a ski instructor I encountered a lot of people who had
used various artificial ski slopes for their first skiing experience. Very
few (if any) of them seemed to have any significant advantage over the
people who had their first skiing experience on real snow.


Any advantage to having roller bladed prior? Particularly if they can
carve on blades, I'd think there might be some advantage.

  #5  
Old November 17th 03, 03:54 PM
Walt
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?

mark wrote:


During my stint as a ski instructor I encountered a lot of people who had
used various artificial ski slopes for their first skiing experience. Very
few (if any) of them seemed to have any significant advantage over the
people who had their first skiing experience on real snow.


But were they any better than someone who has never skied at all?

I think that's the relevant question - is an artificial slope any help
at all for someone who's never been on skis before? Or is it just a
waste of time and money?

I don't think anybody's arguing that an artificial slope is a *better*
way to learn.

--
//-Walt
//
// The Volkl Conspiracy
  #6  
Old November 17th 03, 04:31 PM
bdubya
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?

On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 10:43:46 -0500, nafod40
wrote:

mark wrote:
During my stint as a ski instructor I encountered a lot of people who had
used various artificial ski slopes for their first skiing experience. Very
few (if any) of them seemed to have any significant advantage over the
people who had their first skiing experience on real snow.


Any advantage to having roller bladed prior? Particularly if they can
carve on blades, I'd think there might be some advantage.


In my totally subjective opinion, yes. Blading's about all I have to
keep me in (more or less) ski shape over the summer. After a long
hard skate, I hurt in a lot of the same places. And there are a lot
of dynamic similarities, with elements like weight transfer from foot
to foot, and with having to stay centered fore-and-aft (if you get
into the back seat on blades, you pay an immediate and emphatic
penalty). I think particularly if they can "carve", there is a
considerable advantage.

bw
  #7  
Old November 17th 03, 09:17 PM
Chris Devidal
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Posts: n/a
Default Ski Lessons in Houston?


"Christopher Mooney" wrote in message
...
I will be making a trip from my little town in Northwest Arkansas to
the big old city of Houston, Texas at Thanksgiving this year, and
seeing as how the family has planned our very first ski trip in March,
I am interested in getting hooked up with some begginer's lessons.
What I was wanting to know was whether anyone knew of places in
Houston that offer the "giant moving belt" classes that I have heard
offered in places larger than my hometown?

Thanks in advance!

Chris Mooney (who can't wait to see how many nicknames get plonked
from my second post ever - first post was a real eye-opener)


If you had posted two weeks ago, The Chronicle held "Snowfest" in Austin,
Dallas, and Houston. Amazingly enough, they brought in giant scaffolding
metal slopes, and covered them with snow to offer real conditions beginner's
lessons inside convention centers. Plus they were playing the new Warren
Miller movie too,

Sorry this came too late,

Chris


  #8  
Old November 18th 03, 06:57 AM
mark
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?


"nafod40" wrote

Any advantage to having roller bladed prior? Particularly if they can
carve on blades, I'd think there might be some advantage.


Big, big advantage, IME. First time skiers with roller blading and ice
skating experience caught on very quickly.
--
mark


  #9  
Old November 18th 03, 06:57 AM
mark
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?


"Walt" wrote
But were they any better than someone who has never skied at all?


Almost never.

I think that's the relevant question - is an artificial slope any help
at all for someone who's never been on skis before? Or is it just a
waste of time and money?


General consensus of the people who used artificial slopes was that they
didn't do much good.
--
mark


  #10  
Old November 18th 03, 12:25 PM
MoonMan
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Default Ski Lessons in Houston?

In ink.net, mark
typed:
"Walt" wrote
But were they any better than someone who has never skied at all?


Almost never.

I think that's the relevant question - is an artificial slope any
help at all for someone who's never been on skis before? Or is it
just a waste of time and money?


General consensus of the people who used artificial slopes was that
they didn't do much good.


I've taught on an artificial slope for over seven years, the advantage of
learning on an artificial slope (in england where we have no real mountains)
is that you don't waste your holiday on snow on the nursery slopes, as you
can already turn and stop, you avoid the real beginners class. In my
experience talking to people on thier return from thier first holiday this
is a great advantage. Also of course we teach people up to race standards
(mainly children) I have been on training camps with racers who have never
been on snow before and it takes them all of half an hour to adjust to the
new surface.


--
Chris *:-)

Downhill Good, Uphill BAD!

www.suffolkvikings.org.uk


 




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