Get ready for post-Covid skiing

9th November 2021, by Abi Butcher

Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell (above) has launched an app called Perfect Turns

If you’re going skiing this winter and worried about how rusty your skills will be — or that your fitness isn’t what it was — after a winter without the mountains, there are plenty of ways to brush up on a few tools before leaving the UK.

This autumn there are a number of talks, demonstrations and webinars going on to help anyone and everyone, whatever their level, get ready for skiing before they leave the UK.

Here Where to Ski & Snowboard gives a little low-down on what’s available to help you get mind, body and skillset ready for skiing after a year off.

Perfect Turns from Graham Bell
The Ski Sunday presenter and former Olympic skier Graham Bell has launched a ski-specific fitness and virtual coaching app to suit all skiing abilities and fitness levels, with the specific intention of helping people get their absolute best from their holiday. Together with BASI instructor Sam Lynch, Graham’s app offers an initial face-to-face consultation to assess levels followed up with specially tailored workouts, advice on ski equipment, nutrition and mindset along with ski tips and technique advice.

Download and get cracking before your holiday — and while you’re away you can upload skiing videos for Graham Bell (above) to analyse and give you personalised advice and drills.
Cost: From £12.50 per month
perfectturns.co.uk

Snoworks Ski Courses
A series of 12 ski skills webinars running twice a week until 28 November. The sessions are presented by Phil Smith, director of Snoworks, a ski coach with 40 years’ experience of teaching skiers right up to elite athlete level.

Phil (pictured above) says: “In this series of webinars I will help skiers free their minds of ‘closed skill methodology’ if necessary and move into the mind-set of all-mountain skiers that can cope with everything the mountain throws at us with ease, excitement and with a smile on our faces. Whatever your level.”
The webinars are broadcast live every Wednesday and Sunday evening at 1830 and last 45 minutes. Although they started on 20 October, anyone who signs up can go back and watch the recorded sessions at a later stage.
Cost: £90 for 12 webinar sessions.
More information: snoworks.co.uk/blog/ski-webinars

Get in shape with some rollerskiing
Work on your fitness and pick up some cross-country ski skills with a few rollerskiing sessions. Rollerski.co.uk offer a range of courses and drop-in sessions across London and British Nordic have a whole list of clubs around the UK offering rollerskiing and cross-country skiing (when it snows!). Find out more at britishnordic.org

Avalanche and off-piste skills talks
Henry’s Avalanche Talk (HAT) is running a UK-wide tour of avalanche and off-piste snow safety in association with ORTOVOX and Ellis Brigham (pictured below). There are two talks, ‘Essentials’ and ‘In-Depth’ starting in Covent Garden tonight, Tuesday 9 November and finishing in Glasgow on 25 November.

HAT founder Henry Schniewind said: “For anyone new to off-piste skiing or ski touring, which is becoming so popular, coming to one of the Essentials talks is a great starting point, and we know many experienced skiers come back year after year to hear this talk again too. The new academy event will be a fun, but informative weekend where participants can really get a deeper understanding of avalanche snow and safety techniques and also train with transceivers.” 
Cost: £17.50 per talk
More information: henrysavalanchetalk.com/hat-academy

Avalanche Academy Weekend
This weekend (13-14 November) there is a two-day training academy in Ledbury, Herefordshire, costing £295 for the full days including lunch but excluding travel and accommodation.
There are also some HAT virtual webinar events throughout December and in early January, starting at 1800 on select dates.
More information: henrysavalanchetalk.com/hat-academy

Transceiver training in the UK
Also from HAT is a series of avalanche transceiver training sessions, in London, Manchester, Dorset and Ilkley that started this week in London and finish on 2 January in Sandbanks, Dorset. Get out there and practise your search skills — essential for any off-piste skiing this winter (and any time!).
Cost: £65
More information: henrysavalanchetalk.com

 

 

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• ski
• avalanche
• off-piste
• ski coaching
• ski fitness
• ski training
• skills

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