Dry slope versus Treadmill

Rew

Anyone one have an opinion on which is better for pre trip lessons? My wife has done a week a few years ago and 2 or 3 lessons on the treadmill want to get her confidence up a bit more up to speed ahead of a long weekend trip in Jan. She progressed pretty quickly on the Ski Center treadmill. Ive never been on a dry slope so iv have no way to compare my self.

Fattes

Rew; both have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of technical development and bad habits and also in terms of realism and other drawbacks! I wont identify which belongs to which but it will give you an idea and well for impartiality sake. The instructors at both are of a very high standard and a number of them will be seen at both. Ideally if she has tried the mat and is comfortable, start there for a few lessons and then up to the dry slope for a few freeski sessions or lessons.

Non varied surface, no lumps roles or terrain changes , nothing like the real thing,

Difficult to move both feet as a single unit leading to stepping and separation

Forces you to drop your hip, When skiing to create angles

No Sensations of movement, or sense of travel/velocity!

Resistance on the surface has a tendency to push people on to the back seat!

Potential Thumb injury!

corvus4906

I just booked a trip for feb so last Saturday tried a session in both the skicentre, and then on the dry slope in Wicklow.

They are both pretty far from the real thing but I think the Matt (skicentre) is definatly the safer option and is good fro the learning aspect.

I'm a pretty competent snowboarder and still managed to sprain a wrist at the weekend.
Both places are pricey tho so i'd say i wont bother with more lessons until back on snow. You can pick it back up within the first half day on snow if you've been before.

StaticAge11

For myself i've been boarding just over 2 years, this year i've been on the treadmill and the dry slope. I tend to avoid the dendex slopes in Kiltiernan due to a common tendency of hurting myself so skill progression has been kinda limited. One trip to the treadmill and it pointed out so many bad habits I had picked up, definitely I have a lot more to gain I feel on the treadmill just on perfecting the technique

duckysauce

Anyone know if the Ski Center treadmill in sandyford has closed down ???. Their website is down and cannot get through on the phone.

Fattes

duckysauce wrote: »

Anyone know if the Ski Center treadmill in sandyford has closed down ???. Their website is down and cannot get through on the phone.

Definitely still open

duckysauce

Fattes wrote: »

Definitely still open

any idea how to contact them -- have tried twitter facebook email--no response and have rang them get message about mailbox being full.

Stark

duckysauce wrote: »

any idea how to contact them -- have tried twitter facebook email--no response and have rang them get message about mailbox being full.

Website is up for me. Try again?

d2ww

I was on the phone to them last night, they open from 6pm most week days. Their times are on their home page.

Rew

Website is backup and running now

http://www.skicentre.ie/