PRINT MODULESection One
Don’t let your clients blow you away with ski jargon. Study the following information so that you can demonstrate you understand exactly what they are talking about!
Base building - where the ticket purchasing/information, ski/board and clothing hire/purchase, car parking facilities and first lifts operate from, at a ski area.
Pipes - similar to skateboard ramps but designed for snowboarders and skiers.
- Half-pipe - wall height 3.5 metres
- Super-pipe - wall height 6.7 metres
Terrain Park - a dedicated area on snow that has different man-made surfaces to do tricks and jumps on
Powder - fresh snow that has not been touched by human activity ie; it has not compacted. A higher level of confidence and experience is required for powder snow as due to its nature it is difficult to ski and board in.
Groomed - snow that has been compacted and smoothed and cleared of debris by snow grooming equipment.
Run - an area on the mountain that is groomed and marked so that a skier/boarder can follow a trail from top to bottom. They are all named eg; ANZAC Trail and are graded as a Beginners, Intermediate or Advanced slope. The other terms for grading are green, blue and black in that order. The other name for run is a trail.
Snow making facilities - resorts have snow machines which mean that they can turn water into snow. This allows ski areas to open earlier in the season to build on their snow base and is advantageous if at certain periods snow levels drop below desired levels.
Off-piste - a client may ask whether "off-piste" (off trails) skiing is available at a ski area. This means that a resort offers skiing off marked trails. Off-piste skiing can also be accessed by helicopter - see heli-skiing and heli-boarding.
Heli-skiing and heli-boarding - is the combination of flying by helicopter then skiing ski runs in non-resort areas that are free of crowds. The powder is deep and locations breathtaking, and comparatively low altitudes mean temperatures are relatively warm. Heli-skiing/boarding is generally for intermediate to advanced skiers although it will depend on the location that operators take skiers and boarders.
The season for heli-skiing/boarding is July through September. Please note that this is very generalised. Conditions change rapidly due to New Zealand’s variable climate. The mountains can get great powder after storms in October!
Heli-skiing is definitely worth the expense - recommend to your clients that this is an awesome experience even if it means selling their car!
Snow Cam - on field live web camera links.
Chains - Grips for car tyres in snow and icy conditions.
Magic Carpet - surface lift allowing beginners to stand on a moving conveyor belt up slope.
