Ok, so how to know if you've worked in too many snow retail jobs and for too long?
You create something of a mysterious moonlighting persona; completely gratuitous and self-serving under the guise of a benevolent snowsports social service ideology; aspiring to educate the climatically and geographically challenged towards reaching the dizzy ethereal heights of snowchic status in the mountains.. and in the meantime you derive great pleasure from writing exaggeratedly about it on your blog long after everyone else has stopped reading.
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I'm meant to be updating my travel blog.. and since Japan in February a lot has happened relevant to a nomadic globe-trotting blog-writing existence that i almost don't know where to start. So i haven't. Is it ironic that now that i find myself unemployed on the other side of the world having visited scotland, england, france, portugal, spain, italy. twice. croatia, montenegro and now back to england.. with more material and time on my hands than ever before that i have nothing to say? irony aside, with the entry below i've fallen back on familiar territory. snow. and in the midst of a european summer i haven't seen a lot of it lately, quite the contrary infact. But in something of a surprise twist to this story, my new full time, albeit unpaid, means of employment has become as my own amateur destination wedding planner extra-ordinnaire. This is completely unchartered territory. As background, after 'courting' for more years than i have fingers on hands to count dating back to the dim dark ages of the early 'naughties', mike and i have decided to plan something of a comparatively "shotgun" wedding in a place we've never been and where we don't speak the language. madness? no, Chamonix. In France.
My winter wonderland wedding dream may just come true yet......
In the process of generating a guest website to turn this dream into an actuality, is has been my priority and habit to get distracted on random tangents like "how my guests won't embarrass me on the slopes" which is how this entry manifested below... and after reconciling the idea that my 10 years of retail experience and life's passion was probably not going to be an incentive for people to pay for premium content and despite my mention of #oakley and #icebreaker that Google-ads might still reject my application for trailing income... i choose unreservedly and philanthropically to publish my personalised intellectual property snow-phesis(?) here.
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Snowsport Intelligence #101
Sarah's 10 point plan (and not-so-quick-guide) to getting you started
So i admit the first time i went skiing back in Falls Creek during high school i may or may not have ignored all weather and weatherproofing advice and decided to wear a beige retro coat i found at an op shop. It looked warm. Had some rad red piping racing stripes.. and those puffy shoulders were nothing i couldn't rectify without some needle and thread for a more streamlined look. What could go wrong?!!
So as i sat there shivering on the chair lift with the plus zero degree rain rather than snow drizzling and soaking into my jacket and skin below... the fluff lining erupting from each shoulder like an injured stuffed toy with a bad patchwork job....boy did i have a lot to learn about technological advancements in the world of performance fabric and waterproof membranes!!
This has become something of a passion of mine, moonlighting for way too many years after hours in, shall we say, an anonymous but now defunct semi-salubrious snow retail establishment of Adelaide... which, incidentally, is about as far from fluffy powdery snow as you can get, so clientel ignorance is expected.. but not encouraged, and never fails to amuse and still disgruntle...picture me often trying to mask my horror when establishing someone's intention to save a few bucks and wear their jeans skiing. Yes. Jeans.
I had been known to expout the virtues of millimetres of water per milligram of membrane and the wonders of moisture vapour transmission (MVP).. er breathability long before this to the coyote fur wearing haute couture clad wives and mistresses of Colorado and British Columbia's elite.. but it was on Adelaide's sole high street where i would hone my skills... and not always to a captive or converted audience; it's true that skiing and riding is certainly not an affordable or convenient past time (particularly when you live in Australia) but hopefully one that pays it's dividends time and again once you get hooked!
ok where was i?
Not to be confused with anything too scientific, number one rule; a matching outfit and accessories is of utmost importance.
But there are a few other practical lessons to learn to ensure you are snowsports ready for the northern hemisphere....
EQUIPMENT
1. All equipment you can hire when you arrive at most major ski resorts. It might be a bit more extensive not to mention cheaper in the biggest neighbouring town or down the hill rather than on the mountain itself. Factor in the convenience of returns at the end of your stay as well as the benefit of on-mountain maintenance or demo shops should you wish to get a feel for a few different styles of ski or board or think you are liable to break or lose a piece of equipment along the way! And when I say equipment I'm talking about ski boots, skis and poles or snowboard boots and a snowboard with bindings attached. As well as a helmet. There is no point buying these things outright on your first attempt as you are better of getting a feel for what equipment you like and trying a few different sizes or styles of skis and boards from the entry level, intermediate through to advanced demo range. These can vary greatly and may be designed for just cruising, turning, staying afloat in deep powder, stability at high speeds or with added flexibility for freestyle tricks or whatever suits your ability or aspirations!
HELMET
2. A helmet is a must for beginners to prevent concussion, headache or sudden death* from hitting the ground or colliding with other people or a tree! You are probably a bit more at risk of direct impact with the ground if you are learning to snowboard rather than ski often absorbing the impact with your behind as well as wrists, knees and the back of your head if you catch an edge. A helmet also keeps your noggin' nice and warm and makes a good weather proof unit with your goggles fitting nicely underneath. Unfortunately it can mean you don't get to show off your vast wardrobe of fashionable chunky knit beanies so you have to save this for the apres bars..
*scare tactic intentional
GOGGLES
3. Do not wear sunglasses. Ok if it is a gorgeous blue sky day, the sun is out and you are just crusing around slowly.. and only if you are a (lame) skiier is it ever forgivable(!) then you might prefer to wear sunglasses over goggles. The reality is, apart form some UV tint, sunglasses offer no protection from snow, fog or otherwise, will be detrimental to your vision in any low light conditions and are liable to fall off and break the moment you have a stack.
4. Borrow or buy some goggles before you go. Goggles start from about AU$50 for a basic pair which will give you a good seal to prevent fogging, protect your eyes and enhance visibility in all light conditions. A good all around lens is an amber/orange lens or yellow for low light/cloudy/snow/blizzard conditions. Darker lenses or those with a opaque metallic tint are best in bright sunlight but you may struggle in the morning or late afternoon or in bad weather to make out the differences in the terrain.
Some goggles have a bit of an iridium tint which looks cool and can also reduce glare from the snow below and sun above, therefore improve clarity. You will pay quite a bit more for a polarised lens which is not really an essential but optional. A pair of goggles upward of $100-$250 will likely be a moulded spherical lens which is optically correct minimising any refraction of light or distortion or image so you are less likely to hit that passing object/tree/person or misjudge that cliff drop. Quality and durability of foam and materials will also increase so you might want to think about making an investement in a good pair if you think you will be using them again.
Over the glasses goggles are commercially available and often have cut outs in the foam for a glasses frame and more room under the lens to fit your lenses. I've never had much luck selling a pair of OTG goggles that don't fog up and personally i think it is often better to wear contact lenses and get a proper fitting pair of regualr goggles making sure there is no gap by the nose bridge which is the best way to avoid fogging up.
Shop around but know that you can never go wrong with a pair of Oakleys... and no they are not endorsing this blog. i wish ;) but think about it- a range of goggles from someone who specialises in eyewear (Carrera, Oakley etc) is going to have a lot more technology go into it than a surf brand generally speaking..
Quick tip;
Putting your goggles on your head or over your beanie will cause them to fog up as your perspiration evaporates from your head.
NEVER wipe the inside of your goggle lens. It is treated with an anti fog mechanism which can be easily scratched. Use a glasses cloth or the soft bag they come in to wipe the outside only and dab at the inside or put them in the inside of your jacket to defrost if you have a "yard sale" and they end up 100m down the hill and full of snow ;)
GLOVES
5. The other thing you can't hire on the hill is gloves and you want to make sure you invest in a good pair before you go. Cold, wet hands is the worst and will guarantee your early exit to the bar to warm them up over some mulled wine..., Gloves are not generally rated as far as how waterproof or breathable they are so you can be a bit guided by price. An entry level pair for $20 will be like putting your hand in a plastic bag all day and your hands will get cold not only as the snow soaks through but also as your skin perspires and the moisture has nowhere to go. A $50 pair is a better option and you can look out for things like reinforced finger tips for durability and a longer sinched cuff to keep the snow out.
Snowboarders will be putting their hands on the ground more often to push up and get going so waterproofing and damage-proofing is key. Look out for information about water resistant coatings like "Entrant" as an indicator of better weatherproofing to help the water bead off the fabric, with a Gore-Tex swing tag being the gold standard. A good pair of gloves with gore-tex membrane will set you back upward of AU$100.
SOCKS AND THERMALS
6. For a week in the snow you will need at least two pairs of good quality socks and thermals (crew neck long sleeve top and 3/4 or long pants) keeping in mind you can dry them out in the drying room overnight. Quality natural fibres like merino or alpaca wool have natural moisture wicking properties which will create a breathable base layer close to your skin and be the most important foundation for staying warm, dry and comfortable throughout the day. They also have natural antimicrobial properties which mean your thermals don't stink and you can wear them day after day unlike the cheaper polyester counterparts. These items should fit snug and tight without too much bulk. Icebreaker is a top notch seller of these items for AU$100 + but a couple of cheaper polypropolene items can do the job.
You might then want to have a looser-fitting mid-layer like a thin polyester fleece or a thin long sleeve non cotton performance fabric not dissimilar to a cycling jersey or athletic gear. Some people (mike) do wear cotton tees or a hoodie underneath their jacket.. if you are a cool cucumber whose not planning on sweating or exerting too much eg you aren't learning and having to climb back up off your a*se all day or you're not a pro whose hiking up the summit then this might suffice. N.B ongoing bone of contension there... ;)
JACKET AND PANTS
7. A good waterproof weatherproof jacket you can re-use over and again even in australia's climate for watching winter footy games for example. The trick with buying a jacket is that it doesn't have to be bulky to be warm. The key is in how you layer up underneath. That said, this may influence the style of jacket you choose from just a thin "shell" for more versatility and less warmth or a jacket with extra lining or even a zip out layer so you don't have to wear so many layers underneath.
Outerwear is rated to a universal scale of how waterproof and breathable it is. Waterproofing is measured by the amount of water, in mm, which can be suspended above the fabric before water seeps through. Breathability or the Moisture Vapour Transmission rate is measured by the rate at which water vapuor passes through, in grams of water vapour per square meter of fabric per 24 hour period (g/m2/d), often abbreviated to just "g". Typical mid-range fabrics tend to have values of 5,000 mm of water resistance and 5,000 g of breathability; the best materials have 20,000 mm and 20,000 g. in millimetres of water per mg of fabric. Gore-tex is supposed to supercede this scale but could be viewed in a range of 30-50,000.
In snow-speak a good jacket could be said to be "10/10". Entry level might be "5/5" and a really good jacket will be "20/20" in essence you want the breathability to reflect the waterproofing. A disparity like 10/5 can mean that the jacket's waterproofing is a feature of a silicone or polyurethane coating which blocks the moisture vapour from transmitting back through and you will end up clammy and uncomfortable once you start exerting yourself and building up a sweat.
Quick tip;
Don't be surprised if the American and international brands (Burton, Rossignol, Spyder, Quiksilver) don't offer as much waterproofing per price point as the Australian surf counterparts (Roxy, Billabong, Rip Curl, Surfanic..) The snow in the northern hemisphere is often a lot dryer and the mountains higher where sub zero temperatures mean companies don't have to cater for an Australian market where lower altitude and higher temperatures translate to rain and drizzle at the top and wet snow and slush on the ground at the base of the hill..
A good jacket will set you back around AU$500 plus with an entry level range available from about AU$200.
Pants can be compared by the same measures. Waterproofing is important for sitting on the snow or chairlift where moisture can push through the membrance- so Entrant or an extra water propellant property can be a bonus if spending a lot of time on your behind! Warmth and breathability may not be as essential as when talking about your core but still take it into account as well as looking for ventilation zips, pockets and a powder cuff to sinch over the boots and stop snow getting in. Pants can cost as little as AU$100-$200 upward.
Quick tip;
A jacket may have a good waterproof rating but are all of the seams and zips sealed? water can still seep into the fabric particularly in styles like puffy down jackets with lots of seams and not a lot of reinforcement (remember the wounded soft toy shoulders?). You can often tell this information by looking at the label or feeling for a hard tape behind the seams which may appear just on the downpour areas or be "fully seam sealed"
Other things to look for include a "powder skirt" around the waist to stop the snow riding up your back when you sit or fall, as well as pit zips for breathability and pockets for passes, lipbalm and coins all those on-hill essentials.
ACCESSORIES
8. Throw in a microfleece neckwarmer to keep your chin and nose warm on the cold chairlifts and you're almost ready to go! A neckwarmer is a tube of material which won't have the hassle of getting caught on the lift or dragging in the snow like a bulky scarfe.
9. Rubber soled shoes are a must for trudging around the village and avoiding the dreaded ice tumbles. Insulated boots with a sealed tongue are the best to stop water seeping into lace up shoes.
And then there are beanies, ear bands, earmuffs, bandanas, audio tune-up helmets... the options are endless.. but sadly luggage allowance and budgets are not and have been my snow holiday arch nemesis for a long time ;)
FINALLY
10. If it really is your first time on a ski hill, i've said it before and i'll say it again; have lessons!!
Lessons really are the best way to have a consistent objective approach under the guidance of a trained professional where you can learn the foundations in the morning and be shown to areas of the hill that suit your ability. You'll also be working and progressing with a group of people at a similar level rather than getting left behind. Lessons might go for 1-2 hours in the morning and then you are free to practise and explore more with your friends in the afternoon. It sounds a bit patronising but there is nothing worse than feeling totally out of your depth to zap your confidence and put you back at square one. And let's be honest we all like hearing stories of your dreamy european instructor with a cool accent ;)
If you only have a couple of days, (as much as i hate to say it) trying skiing rather than snowboarding will allow you to see more of the mountain, keep up with your mates, and likely stay on your feet a bit more. Give it a good week, as a skiier you should be honing those turns and developing speed after only a few days. If you have dodgey knees, you might like the locked in security of a snowboard to minimise those twisting injuries where one ski goes one way and the other ski goes the other.. Snowboarding can take a bit longer from the get-go and you'll spend a few frustrated days with sore knees, wrists and butt from the impact with the ground. Yes you will fall over so get used to it. But once you get the hang of using your edges and master the falling leaf, linking the heel and toe side turns will be the next step. We just have to hope for lot's of fresh fluffy powder to buoy your spirits and soften the landing!!
I hope this has been a helpful tutorial. I would love to hear how you got on on your first snow adventure. If you have any other questions just ask!
(and let's be honest, this bridezilla would rather not be embarrassed by amateur un-matching non-waterproof low-tech non-performance generating seasonally-inappropriate get-ups lest your sorry sopping selves be making headway on apres drinks without me at 10am ;)
xoxo
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