Johannesburg - At this time of year, there are a whole bunch of South Africans taking to their skis (the snow kind) and preparing to hit the slopes in Europe and the US.
As skiing grows in popularity as a family travel option, people are learning the techniques here in Joburg before they venture out.
Lew Campbell, who runs the Ski Deck operation in Randburg, says its is not only first-time skiers ans snowboarders who come for lessons, it is also experienced people who want to brush up on their skills.
“It’s about making the most of the limited time you will have at the skiing destination,” he says.
“If you have to start from scratch and learn to ski at the resort, that will take a few precious days out of your holiday. But if you’ve been on our course of six lessons, you’ll be able to start on the slopes much sooner, rather than spending time on the learning slopes.”
Campbell, a Kiwi who relocated to South Africa many years ago, has decades of skiing experience, having instructed at, and run operations at some of the top ski resorts in Europe. He also worked for the Springbok Ski Club, which operated from Craighall in Joburg, for 25 years before taking over the operation in 2004 and moving it to the Ski Centre in Ferndale.
“Skiing holidays are not cheap, although they offer an experience you won’t get elsewhere. But, if you’re not trained and prepared, you aren’t going to enjoy it.”
The Ski Deck has a number of special simulators to help make the learning process simpler and more effective. Beginners are able to hold on to a bar, which is critical to achieving the sense of balance necessary on the slopes – and which is something which does not come naturally. The bar also enables beginners to master the correct skiing stance. As Campbell says, once this has been mastered, then the rest gets progressively easier.
Unlike a class at a ski resort, where one instructor has a number of pupils and is often quite a distance away, the instructors at The Ski Deck are within arm’s reach and able to provide instant feedback.
Also, because of the way the simulators are run and designed, there is no stop-start, no having to go back up a slope and begin again.
Campbell says in one lesson on The Ski Deck’s slope, a learner or even an experienced skier can cover far more ground in terms of kilometres and time than could be done on an actual snow slope.
For those skiers who are more advanced and those who want to practise their techniques and improve their repertoire on the slopes, The Ski Deck has a unique, computer-linked simulator called the SkyTec Power Carver.
“It was designed by engineers who were both experienced skiers and part of the Russian space programme so the technology is cutting edge,”says Campbell.
A whole range of ski runs is programmed into the computer and those using the machine have the virtual reality experience of carving their way down championship slopes without the danger, although they have to have their wits about them on the machine, too.
Campbell, who is also involved in running South Africa’s own ski resort at Tiffindell in the Eastern Cape, says a ski holiday can be a great way for a family or group to have fun together.
“Mom and Dad and the children can all ski or snowboard and the shared fun and exhilaration is the perfect way to bond and enjoy one of the most perfect holidays a family can ever have.”
l see www.ski.co.za
www.snow.co.za
Saturday Star