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4 days til pow in Cervinia and Zermatt

Monday, 11. 20. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

Am off to Cervinia on Thursday night after work and plan on riding both sides of the Italian/Swiss border in Cervinia and Zermatt.
According to Snow-Forecast.com there is a load of snow on its way over the coming days. The only potential problem is the risk of lifts being closed due to strong winds.
On the [...]

Alps Avalanche Analysis

Monday, 11. 13. 2006  –  Category: Skiing, Snowboarding, Video

Looking forward to some off-piste action this season? You’d do well to read the analysis report published by Pistehors.com into the the significant rise in avalanche related deaths in France in the 2005-06 season.
The winter of 2005-2006 was the deadliest since 1970 term of French avalanche deaths. 55 people were killed in the five [...]

National Ski and Snowboard week

Monday, 11. 13. 2006  –  Category: Skiing, Snowboarding

It is National Ski and Snowboard week here in the UK. Going with the super lame slogan: Give snow a go!
Well, its cheesey, but lets give them the benefit of the doubt. It looks like there’s a load of offers and freebies up for grabs, which is what this is all about [...]

Top 10 timewasters in the snowboard off season

Friday, 11. 10. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

Reading board forums
Going to the gym to get fit for snowboarding
Planning your holidays - (13 days to go, come on!)
Blogging about snowboarding
Scouring YouTube for snowboard videos
The World Cup (whilst it lasted) and the Premiership (once it started)
Indoor snowdomes
Stocking up on gear for the season
Wax your board and sharpen the edges

Zermatt weather and webcams

Tuesday, 11. 7. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

I’ve got a snowboarding weekend in Zermatt coming up in a couple of weeks. The season has barely started so I’ve been keeping a close watch on the snow forecasts and the web cams.
I thought I’d share these with you in case anyone else is heading over, and give me easy access to the [...]

Snowboard waxing free at Snow and Rock

Thursday, 11. 2. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

Snow and Rock are offering free waxing of your snowboard or skiis this weekend and all their stores.
Wax Up Weekend runs from 3rd - 5th November.
See the Snow and Rock website for more details.

Quote of the day

Monday, 10. 30. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

It’s not your aptitude, but your attitude, that will determine your altitude!
Source: Off the Grid trailer.

Ski and board hire in the UK

Tuesday, 10. 24. 2006  –  Category: Skiing, Snowboarding

Do you often find the gear you hire at the resort is shite? Sweaty boots with dodgy laces and big heel lift? Crappy bindings that come loose? Board more flexible than a credit card and not in your preferred size?
I met a company at the Metro Ski & Snowboard Show on Sunday [...]

Electric EG.5 and EG1 goggles: what’s the difference?

Monday, 10. 23. 2006  –  Category: Skiing, Snowboarding

Click here to buy Electric EG.5 goggles - $94.95
Click here to buy Electric EG1 goggles - $79.95

I bought a pair of Electric EG1 goggles online back in February, just before my last trip as it turned out. Unfortunately the postman must have nicked them, as they never arrived.
I phoned up the website and got [...]

Snowboard tricks: butters, ollie, rails & spins

Sunday, 10. 15. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding, Video

The Extreme Sports Channel has some good videos showing you how to perform and perfect snowboarding tricks. Starting with simple butters, moving through ollies to spins and hitting rails, well worth a watch if you want to step up to the next level and impress your mates.
Can’t link directly to the snowboard videos cos [...]

Snowboard fitness: calf raises

Sunday, 10. 15. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

I’ve stepped up (boom boom) my snowboard fitness gym program, by adding in some calf raises.
Simply, standing with your heals over the edge of a step holding a couple of dumbells, and going up onto your toes.

I would imagine that this should help strengthen the calf muscles for those loooong front side turns.

Avalanche awareness course free at Snow & Rock

Sunday, 10. 8. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

Snow & Rock are to host 6 avalanche awareness courses in November, following a 120% rise in avalanche related fatalities in the Alps last season.
The sessions will be led by international mountain guides (IFMGA’s) Nigel Shepherd (Alpine Safety Advisor for the Ski Club of Great Britain) and Graham McMahon (MIC), and will be held at [...]

Getting fit for snowboarding: 50 days to go

Friday, 10. 6. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

A bit slack over the past week. Went deaf (temporarily I hope) in one ear, so didn’t fancy stumbling around in the gym not being able to hear much.
Well… the hearing still aint up to much, but I had a session with a personal trainer as part of the membership induction period, so I [...]

Getting fit for snowboarding: 58 days to go

Thursday, 09. 28. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

2nd day at the gym. Again, bike, cross trainer, bike. Bit more intensity this time. Booked a personal training session for Tuesday next week where we should work out a program geared towards snowboard fitness.

Getting fit for snowboarding: 60 days to go

Tuesday, 09. 26. 2006  –  Category: Snowboarding

I joined the gym today after telling myself for ages I’ll get super fit for snowboarding in November when I go to Cervinia/Zermatt for a long weekend.
Nothing too strenuous, just a bit of exersize bike and cross trainer. But apparently with my membership I get 5 sessions with a personal trainer to kick my [...]