The Ski Blog

All.I.Can movie from Sherpas Cinema now on iTunes

You may remember a few months back we Facebooked the first teaser trailer of the awesome ski movie All.I.Can. Made by the creative Sherpas Cinema the movie takes the extreme ski genre and turns it into something even more beautiful. With fantastic photography, gorgeous time lapse shooting, fantastic music and some of the best skiers in the world, there really is something for everyone.

The latest teaser features a street skiing segment with J P Auclair which takes the idea of freeride to a whole new level - even if it does make you wince a little for his bases! It's a great film and is now available to download on iTunes - take a look!

Why a Christmas Ski Holiday is a Great Idea!

Chestnuts roasting, sleigh bells, snow glistening - you'll find all those traditional Christmas trimmings and more on a ski holiday!

With only four months to go before the first of the keen skiers heads out to get a taste of the white stuff, we take a look at the first of the popular holiday weeks – Christmas – and ask Heather from Ice and Fire about spending Christmas in the Alps.

What’s it like spending Christmas in a chalet?

Having the Christmas cake made, the turkey cooked and the washing up all done for you is probably the main reason why guests return to Christmas chalet holidays year after year. There is so much work involved in organising a family Christmas at home, but in a chalet all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy yourselves.

Isn’t everything closed on Christmas day?

Everything that you’d normally use in a ski resort is open on Christmas day. Lifts, hire companies, mountain restaurants and ski schools operate as normal, albeit often with a Santa hat and a few carols!

I like to go to midnight mass - can I do that in a ski resort?

Most ski resort churches are open to visitors and are extremely welcoming but you should check with your chalet hosts before you go. Midnight mass is a popular service across France and it’s a great opportunity to sample a bit of real French life. Be prepared for a long service though – most Christmas services incorporate carols, nativity plays or sometimes even both.

What if the whole family doesn’t ski?

Christmas is a great time for non-skiers in the Alps with lots of things like Christmas markets and carol concerts as well as the skiing. Granny coming with you could be a win-win situation as she gets quality time with the kids, whilst you go up the hill!

My top tip if you’ve got non skiers would be to think carefully about what you are going to do on Christmas day before you go. If younger children are in crèche or ski school during the week, you might want to consider a family activity for Christmas day instead. You could book a husky ride or a snow shoe walk, have a snowman building competition or sledging races, or ski together as a family for the day.

What about packing all the presents?

Plan your present buying before you go as there often isn’t a great selection of shops in resort. Pick small, packable items and wrap them up before you travel so that no-one can take a sneaky peak! Once in resort pick up one or two ski themed items to bulk out the pile – sledges go down a treat especially if you can let the kids use them straight away!

Christmas falls on a weekend this year – will the travel be difficult?

No, most chalets are running an alternative schedule over the festive season. Typically you’ll arrive on the 19^th or 20^th and depart on the 26^th or 27^th.

Isn’t a Christmas ski holiday really expensive?

If you’re normally constrained to school holidays, I think that you’ll find Christmas prices a nice surprise cost wise as they usually work out as a cheaper alternative to New Year or Half Term. You get plenty included for your money too with many chalet companies like us also offering a whole selection of extras from decorated trees to complimentary champagne included in the price.

Ice and Fire are offering a £100 per person reduction on all their Christmas holidays – check out this offer at Chalet Campanules in La Plagne, Paradiski for more details.

 

My Top 3 Ski Resorts....by Steve Pangli, Powder N Shine

Our guest blog today comes from Steve Pangli, one half of Powder N Shine who run Chalet Flocon des Neiges in the Three Valleys. Steve and his partner Francesca have over twenty years ski experience between them. Here Steve gives us the lowdown on his favourite places to snowboard.

My Top 3 Ski Resorts

This is obviously not an easy choice, both because I have been to a number of ski resorts in Europe and North America, but equally, because there are of course hundreds of resorts I am yet to experience! Therefore, the views expressed are my own and unlikely to tally with anybody else’s opinion!!

That caveat out of the way, in reverse order, my three favourite ski resorts are as follows:

3. Mayrhofen, Austria

My love of music was the key to my discovering this little Austrian gem. Mayrhofen makes my list as it is the venue for one of the most fun and different events in the music festival calendar, and certainly the biggest to combine winter sports with dance music, Snowbombing. Having wanted to go to this event for years, I eventually made it happen in 2008 and it was suitably unforgettable.

Initially a music festival for those seeking electronica and dirty bass, the festival evolves annually, attracting artists from across the musical spectrum, ranging in 2010 from Doves and Editors to Cuban Brothers, 2ManyDJs and Fatboy Slim. The 2011 line-up is just as strong and fortunately I have seen Prodigy live (Glastonbury ’09), otherwise I would be considering neglecting my chalet running responsibilities and heading over in April!

Partying at the top of the world is a unique experience and many thanks to Mayrhofen for making that happen for me and thousands of others.

2. Whistler/Blackcomb, Canada

I am fortunate enough to have family not far from the resort in Vancouver, so I have ‘boarded in Whistler/Blackcomb a few times. My firefighter brother, who is also a snowboarding enthusiast (perhaps he needs to cool down in the snow after working hard in the traditionally timber-built city!) introduced me to the joys of Whistler in 2001.

For me what really differentiates the resort from European ski resorts is the incredible feeling of freedom. European resorts can be over-crowded with lengthy queues for lifts, whereas in Canada, I have hardly ever had to wait to jump on a chair. Add in the free guides that show you every explorable corner of the resort and overcrowding really becomes a thing of the past.

The other aspect of the resort that I found to be a real novelty was the evening ‘boarding. Having floodlights to illuminate the park was exceptional - and a rarity in my experience. OK, so maybe they need to provide evening entertainment as the après-ski isn’t as lively as in Europe, but with a group of friends, a nice log fire and a couple of smuggled bottles of Jägermeister, we were almost transported back across the pond!

1. Les Trois Vallées, France

Not only the largest skiable area in the world, but now also my home. Lots of people who have skied in Europe know (or think they know!) the Three Valleys, but I stumbled upon a real find, deep in the heart of the area. The small, chalet-filled hamlet of Reberty Village so allured me that I have now started a business here. Off the beaten track and ski-in/ski-out at 2000m and with access to snow more or less guaranteed throughout the season in Val Thorens, beautiful tree-lined runs in the Meribel valley and more off-piste than you can throw a piste-basher at, this truly is the crème-de-la-crème of skiing destinations.

A relaxing hot-tub to ease away the day’s exertions, canapés, delicious dinner and wine and my list of what a skiing holiday should be is complete!

The Best Ever Ski Day!

This blog was written for us by Jane Knight of La Maison Fiardiere. It is a great tale of the trials, tribulations and rewards of learning to ski!

The Best Ever Ski Day!

Not sure where the saying “Life begins at 40” comes from, but in my case it started when I was 50.

As a woman who had just reached the half century mark I was determined to have a laugh on this special day with my partner of 14yrs, and my close ski chums. Yes, I am a late developer only being introduced to skiing in the last eleven years… the time when you could get a good deal at C & A for that snazzy cheap jacket!!

Sorry, but to create the scene and put you in the picture, I have to go back to that first day of skiing in Tremblant, Canada ( 1999 ) where the temperatures were -25% degrees centigrade. As a girl who used to follow the sun, used Hawaiian Tropic just to get that lovely glow, and smell like a coconut, this was a major challenge.

John had arranged for me to have a course of one to one skiing lessons with a Canadian ski instructor; “Instructor Bob”, my big ferocious cuddly ski instructor! Not being someone who takes instructions easily, John tells me that he could hear me swearing from the other side of the mountain. Told to go right, I’d go left, told to go left I’d go right and when I was told to go straight and pick up speed that was it, I definitely wasn’t having any of that.

However slowly but surely the message started to sink in and after a few “après-ski” drinks things became a lot clearer. Bob always used to tell me after I had had a few “early après ski drinks” at lunch time during the afternoon session I was always more relaxed. No longer needing that cigarette on the way up on the chair lifts!!! (Very health and safety)

Now, I know today it’s different, and care and attention on the slopes is paramount don’t worry I do not ski that fast just remember I am not too far away from my bus pass!!

We spent the first few days playing helicopters, soaring from left to right, so I could understand what he meant about my downhill ski. No matter what exercise he gave me, poles behind my knees, touching the alternative knee to steer me into that correct line….and worst of all ski with your boot straps undone and with no poles, “Scary or what”. He knew when to push me, and when I was too tired after a full day he would give me a piggy back, and I would squeal with glee, or fear as we sped down the mountain. As the days flew by that first week now seems like a distant memory. But I can remember the incredible feeling of achievement when it all came together and I at last felt that I belonged on skis and on a mountain.

Since then I have had several trips to Canada, France and Austria…taking in the scenery, which before I never could enjoy, because I was too busy concentrating on my feet; I never appreciated the beauty and magnitude of the mountains.

I have experienced staying in self catered chalets in Canada, in St Saveur where Instructor Bob, took us to a different mountain everyday to ensure that we had the best skiing conditions. Once I was comfortable with the pitch and light in one area I was taken out of my comfort zone and given another challenge. Now I can really appreciate “A DIFFERENT MOUNTAIN EVERY DAY”.

Have stayed in resort hotels in Banff (twice in one year) where I became quite a powder hound….it would take 30 to 60 minutes to get to Lake Louise or Sunshine Village but well worth the journey; have been exhilarated, on the Olympic Ladies Downhill run at Innsbruck …. by accident, and being so thrilled went up there twice to do it again. Skied the Stubai glacier at 12,000 ft, been dragged up on my bottom at La Tour in the Chamonix valley and skied all 4 of the 3 Vallees in a day!

So where was I to go with John for my 50th….we decided France, with four of our favourite ski chums Jane & Martin, Gill and Ian,…we were off to La Tania. I have spent 50% of my skiing in “Catered Ski Chalets” and John definitely knew how to push all the buttons to make my day something to remember….a cake, flowers in the room, an upgrade on the wine…..but that was not enough, it was in the hot tub after a great days skiing, whilst still wearing my daughters beenie rastafarian hat that he proposed ….

Well, that’s still not happened yet, we are now in France, and have just completed the renovation of our 1850 farmhouse with its individually designed gorgeous bedrooms!! What an experience, I have spent the last year researching antique auctions in Surrey, and with John’s 20 years in the hospitality industry we are now ready to open our new venture into the wild world of the ski industry!! Now its finished all that’s left is to make sure it is filled with laughter and enjoyment….

TAKE A LOOK AT THE PHOTGRAPHS I HAVE PROGRESSED FROM MY C & A JACKET TO A PAIR OF FUNKY TROUSERS!!!

To learn more about Jane & John's beautiful farmhouse, La Maison Fiardiere, in the French Alps, take a look at their Chalets Direct page. It is available for both winter and summer stays. Winter holidays give you the chance to explore and ski different ski areas such as The Three Valleys, the Valmorel area, Paradiski and Megeve.

The Chalet Holiday - a peculiarly British institution

In the UK there are roughly 1.3 million people who take wintersports holidays each year and around 37% of them - a sizeable percentage - choose to stay in catered chalets. (Source: Ski Club of Great Britain)

Ask a keen French, Dutch, American, Swiss or Austrian skier about what they think of chalet holidays and you'll be met with a blank look at best, sheer incredulity at worst. Why would you want to go on holiday and share your dinner table every night with a bunch of strangers, or sit and have pre and post dinner chats with them, have breakfast with them, maybe even share a bathroom with them?

The chalet holiday is a particularly British invention - and whilst other nationalities might dip their toe in the water to test it, it remains one of those curious British exports that we do best. So just what is it that makes the chalet holiday so popular and so unique?

Personal Services:

The chalet holiday first appeared in the 60's when enterprising Brits would rent a chalet for a week or two, install the daughter of one of their business associates in the city to cook and clean, and invite their friends over. It was an extension of the shooting weekend, when the gentry would congregate at country houses to shoot wildlife and chat over dinner.

As the idea took hold and developed throughout the 70's and 80's it remained largely an upper class concept - chalet girls were often keen skiers just out of Cheltenham Ladies College or Roedean. These Camillas, Lucindas and Samanthas didn't need to be paid much more than pocket money and their ski season would arm them with important skills for later life when hosting dinner parties for their stockbroker, lawyer or banker husband.

They would happily cook, serve and pour the wine whilst charming and chatting with their guests, probably collecting a few marriage proposals as well as tips along the way.

Since those days the chalet holiday has become mainstream - your chalet host is just as likely to be called Stacey as Samantha, or even Gavin - but the idea of the charming chalet host lives on. They will make your bed, pour your wine, serve you wonderful gourmet food on a budget, and help smooth the way for you as you get your feet.

It's the personal touch - you'll be sharing your chalet with just a few other guests - so you will get to know your chalet host and he or she will be able to tell you where's best for apres-ski drinks, where to ski on the first day, how to get to the lifts, the best way to get back to the chalet - and all those little tips which might take you a couple of days to work out otherwise. 

The services offered are often extended nowadays to include ski guiding, packed lunches, English newspapers, a lift to ski lifts. In many cases you can pick and choose the level of service you want.

Food:

At the heart of the chalet experience is the food. There's no need to traipse round a supermarket buying basics or going to a cafe everytime you want a coffee. English tea is on tap.

Cooked breakfasts, afternoon tea and cakes, good homemade meals - this is what you'll find in a chalet holiday and what gets people coming back for more. 

What's not to like? Many chalet companies will take pains to get English ingredients too - mincemeat for mince pies, Marmite, bacon and more. Part of the experience is also the "mucking in" - earn points with your chalet host by stacking the plates and helping out a little.

As the chalet holiday has evolved so has the catering on offer. Chalet food can range from gourmet to hearty and wholesome. However it will always be freshly prepared. As every chalet company worth their salt knows their reputation hangs on the talents of their hosts.

Social Interaction:

Another key ingredient of a chalet holiday is the way that it throws you together with people you have never met and by the end of the week you could be ski buddies or more for life.

Whilst it's certainly not unusual for a group of friends to take their own chalet, you can always book a room in a chalet for you and your partner and see what happens. On the first evening there will be a little awkwardness as you meet your fellow guests at the dinner table for the first time. As the week pans out the awkwardness will gradually disappear. It could be replaced by much joviality as you gradually get to know your fellow guests. You're all bound together by the ski experience - so it's an easy way to open up a conversation.

Of course it's not guaranteed that your fellow guests will be the kind of people you'd invite to your home - but in a way that's also part of the charm of the chalet holiday. The pot luck - will it be life-changing, will you hate them all, or will it just be a little dull?  This is all part of the experience.

So if you have yet to try a chalet holiday we can certainly recommend it - convenient, comfortable, personal and fun!

Have you had a chalet holiday? Why not let us know your opinions or experience. Leave us a comment or contact us at info@chaletsdirect.com .

Use a different type of wood to build your chalet

Mental performance coaching for skiers

It is interesting that when reading various ski instructor and sports coaching manuals how much is written about technique and how little is written about mental state. For instance one ski manual I know of has 200 odd pages on technique, ski exercises and drills etc. and just one page on mental preparation. It is great to have a solid understanding of ski and sport technique, but what is really interesting is how little effort is focused on the mental aspect of teaching and coaching skiing or in fact any sport. This is even more interesting when you actually get out on the mountain and start teaching and coaching the public to ski. How many times do you here the classic ski instructor line ‘don’t be scared’? If skiing was just about the 200 odd pages of technique and nothing else why is your friendly ski instructor telling you not to be scared? Or how many times have you heard one of your athletes say ‘I can’t do that’? Or some other limiting decision they are choosing to vocalise, maybe to protect or prevent them from achieving their full potential.

So, now you get out your handy instructors manual and refer to the one page on mental preparation and all is solved?! Or maybe all isn’t solved?

So what is the solution?

One approached is to carry on as normal and hope everything works out fine!

There is a problem with this approach: To carry on as normal will produce the same results as nothing has changed. Your input as a coach to the coaching equations is the same, so the result will be the same, as the client or athlete in front of you is processing this same information with the same brain which will come to the same conclusion. And around you go in the same circle again, probably leading to a frustrated instructor or coach and maybe a disappointed client. Not really that successful.

Maybe a better approach would be that the instructor or coach has been trained both in ski / sports technique and mental coaching and is able to help the client facilitate real change and achieve their goals.

Keep an eye open for our blogs on ski mental performance coaching on Chalets Direct. If you are interested in building your chalet with a different type of wood and want to move your skiing to another level then maybe now book your place on an  Alpinemojo summer performance ski courses on the Saas-Fee glacier

http://www.alpinemojo.co.uk/  offers performance snow sports coaching with a difference.

A ski holiday in Courchevel, Three Valleys, France

The Courchevel valley has a reputation for attracting an upmarket, well-heeled clientele. It is certainly favoured by the very rich - Russian oligarchs, Arab sheikhs et al - and the very famous, such as the Beckhams, Roman Abramovich and guests. Yet whilst it might be the place to see and to be seen in, it's not just the designer boutiques and Michelin stars of Courchevel 1850 that make it one of the best and most famous ski resorts in the world.

As part of the extensive Three Valleys system, Courchevel can offer easy access to some of the most varied skiing you'll find anywhere. The Courchevel valley itself provides around 150km of pistes, ranging from steep black couloirs, to broad motorway cruises, to picturesque runs through the trees. Look further afield and there are endless possibilities; touring, backcountry, high altitude glaciers, snowparks, legendary bumps and off-piste pitches - however you want to experience the mountains, it's all here in the Three Valleys.

Getting back to Courchevel itself and what is it exactly that makes it such a top resort? The resort is actually a group of villages, each with a different character and with something different to offer the visitor.

Courchevel - from top to bottom:

The highest is Courchevel 1850, a glitzy conurbation with top end restaurants, a selection of exclusive hotels, glamorous nightclubs and a "millionaire's row" of private piste-side chalets. Just above is the altiport, a high altitude airport with one of the shortest and steepest runways in the world, built to receive the private jets and helicopters of 1850's jet-set.

Courchevel 1850 is the main starting point to get to the best skiing to be found in the Courchevel valley. Just two lifts will take you up to the Saulire at 2700m, from where you can drop into the neighbouring Meribel valley, or admire the fantastic panorama below you and then head off to discover Courchevel. It is testament to the good planning of the whole Courchevel valley however, that wherever you stay getting to ski is quick and painless.

Just 200 metres lower is Courchevel 1650, less pricey but with a good range of accommodation, eateries and apres ski. 1650 has it's own smaller ski area, an off-shoot of the main valley, with a few quieter, picturesque pistes. This village has a large year-round population and many businesses are open for summer trade too, when bikers, walkers, golfers and mountain lovers come to visit.

Perched on the hillside at 1550m is, well, Courchevel 1550. This village has grown in recent years and is just one lift-ride away from 1850's main intersection, skiing back down at the end of the day is simple. The village is quieter than it's higher neighbours but there are still some good bars and restaurants, and getting to the livelier nightspots is easy with the regular free bus.

At 1300m is the traditional village of Courchevel Le Praz, which still has it's quaint villagey atmosphere and friendly feel. You can find hundred year old barns and typical Savoyard houses. The main landmark of Le Praz is the Olympic ski jump, built for the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games. Despite being a traditional village, access to the ski area is again quick and easy. One lift takes you to 1850, and another route will take you up to the Col de La Loze, again another entry point into Meribel and another viewpoint for a spectacular panorama.

So much to ski!

So part of what makes Courchevel so good is the choice it has to offer. From beginner to expert there is something to flatter or challenge you in its terrain, and lots of it. You'll never get bored with the ski area.

Coupled with that is the great choice of places to stay and the type of holiday you can have. Accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets means you can splash out on something truly luxurious or keep it cheap and simple. If this has whetted your appetite take a look at our Courchevel chalets, hotels and apartments - and if you've had a holiday in Courchevel why not post up a review of the resort and let everyone know what you think!

Well Seasoned....by Melissa Love

One of the big benefits of running The Ski Blog is that we can ask some very cool and illustrious people to contribute. In the last few months we have been able to wangle posts from mountain bike guru Clive Andrews, regular ski tips from Chamonix's All Mountain Performance, and a review of K2's wildest off piste ski, the Pontoon, by Christian Shepherd and GB junior racer Sam Clissold.

Now we are pleased to announce the collaboration of writer and broadcaster Melissa Love. Melissa is a ski season veteran and rose from the ranks of chalet girl to managing the whole chalet operation for a large UK tour operator. Maybe you are still pondering whether to escape to the mountains, but weighing up the pros against the cons. In which case Melissa's advice for all aspiring chalet hosts will be sure to help you make your decision.

Melissa's post follows below:

Well Seasoned

There are three questions every chalet host gets asked.

Where did you learn to cook? Answer: Practising on the hapless guests who arrived in the first weeks of the season before Christmas, with Delia Smith in one hand and a large gin and tonic in the other.

Would you like to go out for a drink on your night off? Answer: No, Bob-the-accountant-from-Kent, there are too many hot French ski instructors to work my way through and I only have one night a week to do it.

When are you going to get a proper job? Aaah, my favourite and oft-repeated question, asked by friends and relatives, guests and simply the plain jealous, who find it hard to accept that working a season is anything more than a glorified holiday. I’d be lying if I denied there was an element of that, but as a five-winter veteran, I will happily assert that working a winter season is one of those experiences that equips you for much of what life will throw at you later on.
For the unconvinced, I hereby offer up my five reasons why being a chalet host is a job for life, not just for winter.

1. You can keep a cool head in the face of any culinary disaster.

My very first week of my very first season was Christmas – a time of high expectations at the best of times. Forgetting all about my Christmas pudding steaming merrily away on the hob, it soon boiled dry and burst into flames. A rugby-style pass of pan and pudding through the open window into a snowdrift soon extinguished it. A discreet retrieval, a liberal dousing with cheap brandy and the pudding was declared a triumph.

No subsequent kitchen mishap has, or will ever, top the horror induced by the sight of that flaming pudding.

2. You can produce a veritable banquet for a mere pittance.

Living within your means is an important life skill, and in the context of working a season, absolutely vital if you are going to be able to spend a disproportionate amount of your allotted funds on cheap wine. This is a calculation you will find invaluable at many stages of your life.

3. You can politely but firmly repel amorous advances from all-comers.

There must be something about fresh air and exercise, or maybe it’s the high altitude which makes blokes on ski holidays think they are irresistible to you. Fuelled by cheap chalet wine and the misguided belief that they have become sun-bronzed ski gods after just three days in resort, there is always a week in the season which resembles a carry-on film, with the obligatory Benny Hill-style chase around the kitchen and lots of ‘accidental meetings’ in your favourite bar or mountain pit-stop.

At home, it would probably be called stalking, but on holiday, you’re fair game and actually, you’d still really like to earn that tip at the end of the week. You quickly learn the benefit of remaining sober, flirting nicely and firmly locking your bedroom door.

4. You can turn in a creditable day’s work after only 2 hours of sleep and with the mother of all hangovers.

Now, I’m not saying this is necessarily an important or particularly attractive talent, but it’s a good one to have up your sleeve. Later in life, you can simulate the experience of sleep deprivation and bleary drunkenness by having children, when the ability to drink a lot of wine (essential) and function on very little sleep (obligatory) is once more required of you.

5. You know the meaning of real job satisfaction.

It’s true that not everyone thrives on late nights, vigorous exercise, excessive drinking and being at the beck and call of strangers, but for those who do and who are able to master the demands of a winter season, it is the beginning of a love affair. It’s not so much the Alpine atmosphere and the opportunity to date hot snowboarders that gets you, though that’s a bonus. It’s the knowledge that you have discovered what it means to truly love what you do and to do it well.

In my book, that’s worth more money than any ‘proper’ job could pay you.

Melissa Love is now married, mum of two and living in Sussex. Among other projects she is editor of the glossy Village Living - so there is life after ski seasons! If you would like to get more of Melissa's take on life take a look at her blog. Thanks Melissa!

British Ski Racer, Sam Clissold, Takes on the K2 Pontoons

There are certain times in skiing history when there have been great leaps forward in ski technology. There was the move to clip in bindings, the introduction of the carving ski and now there is a new direction of innovation, towards fat skis.

At the summit of this new direction in technology is K2, the American company, who are carving inroads into the new age of the powder ski. Sam Clissold, the 14 year old British team ski racer, recently purchased a pair of Brand new K2 Pontoons from the Blackside Store in Flaine and has had the perfect opportunity over the last two weeks to try them out in the deep powder fields of Flaine, France.

At 160mm at their tip, 130mm under foot and 110mm at the tail, these are BIG skis. They have an inverse camber meaning that, when on piste, they only have about half of the ski that actually connects with the snow. They also have no turning radius, being the wrong shape, making it quite clear that these skis were made for one purpose, and one purpose only: to enjoy the off piste.

“I can’t sink the tips,” says an exuberant Sam after our second run, “they just won’t go under”. From where I’m skiing behind him I can see what he means. Whereas I am fighting to stay afloat on a pair of “bit of everything” skis, Sam has no problem whatsoever. Throughout the day, Sam gets more and more relaxed as he becomes accustomed to how the ski works, by the end he is carving like the expert racer that he is, but the amazing thing is that he is doing so in snow that would reach up to his knees on other skis.

Sam doesn't just ski straight down through the powder; he takes the odd detour to drop off a cliff. "You can tell he's 14" says one of our wistful older companions, as we watch from below while Sam takes an interesting path down, including a 6 foot drop, two jump shaped mounds and a natural slalom of trees. “I can barely feel the landings,” exclaims Sam. I guess that must be the work of the huge surface area, but for Sam it isn’t about why it works, it’s about how it works, and I can tell from his boyish grin, that they are working well.

A couple of days later, he’s back out again shredding into a new dump of snow. We are the first to make it up to an untouched bowl and when we arrive at the bottom we take a moment to look back at what we skied. “Who ripped that up?” says one of us incredulously, pointing up to a set of striking tracks slightly to the right of where we all went. “That was Sam,” was the reply. No surprise there.

Over the next few weeks the pontoons began to make more and more frequent appearances. Anytime Sam caught even the slightest whiff of fresh snow, he would take them out, and even if the snow was wind-swept, cut up, crusty, heavy or a combination of the above, he was still skiing it with ease. In fact, he skied it with more than ease; he was skiing it with enthusiasm, still pulling tricks and just having one hell of a good time.

Today, after another morning of powder, I decided that Sam would have made up his mind about exactly what he thought of the skis, so I asked him. “What’s the verdict then?” He takes a moment to think while examining his skis and taking in the signature K2 graphics. “Overall,” he finally replies, “they are one sick pair of skis!

Loving The Sensation

Ok so you can ski. You can get down most runs, go pretty fast on the less steep runs and get through the off piste. Where do you go from here? Do you go faster? Do you look for jumps? Do you change your equipment?

The world's best skiers and snowboarders can be seen out on the mountain in all types of conditions having fun. In the off piste they are effortlessly gliding rhythmically through the powder. On hard pack they are turning with great accuracy and rhythm seemingly dancing down the mountain.

These boys and girls are out there having a great time because they have the technique and skill to enjoy the mountain. The mountain is their equivalent of a dance floor with their favourite music blasting in their ears. The more they do it the better they get, the more fun they are having, the more they are in harmony with both themselves and the mountain. They are buzzing. Nothing can quite replace the feeling.

Very rarely will you find somebody who is good at a sport who has not had good and informative direction. The more direction you get the better you will become and the more you will enjoy the sensation of the sport. This is what makes a sport so addictive. You can guarantee Andy Murray loves the feeling of hitting a smooth clean backhand down the line. Bode Miller loves the sensation he gets from carving a beautiful clean turn down a GS course, Cristiano Ronaldo must love beating five players and putting the ball in the top corner.

The common theme with all these guys is that they have great technique. There is no substitute for it. The better your technique the more fun you will have. We often see intermediate skiers straight lining an easy piste at speed. They try to go faster and faster to generate some sort of buzz. This is ultimately boring and dangerous. A good skier/snowboarder will travel down that piste carving, experimenting, changing rhythm, getting more angle, working the skis as they are designed to be used. They will be having greater fun, getting fitter and go back for more.

If you want to get that buzz and feel the rush then get some good instruction. Why try to reinvent the wheel? You only live once, do the best you can and do not miss out.