Where in Europe can I get good lessons on alpine riding...

[Plato]

I have two weeks of vacation to use before Christmas. I intend to go to Europe to finally learn how to ride hard-boot style. I road for two seasons regular soft-boot with the last 1/2 of the last season with hardboots. Since I was riding with a freestyle technique on an alpine board I naturally sucked!

My question is, where can I go to really learn and practice the deal? At least to get enough that I can work on locally here in the States?

Thanks in advance,

-Plato

[nils]

Only place where you'll find this is in austria or germany. There is a carving schools somewhere in austria that is quite famous now... i'll try to find the link but you might want to try google

Nils

[vkrouverk]

I know, that pureboarding is making courses:
http://www.pureboarding.com/en/
then events/teaching. Kaunertal camp might be suitable: Dec. 12-14.2003
http://www.pureboarding.com/en/events/kauni.php4

Other school, offering carving lessons, is blue-tomato's snowboard school:
http://www.snowboardschule.net/
this web site seems to be only in German, English site is here:
http://web278.businessbox2.server-home. ... dschule_e/
Lessons/Alpine menu shows, what they can offer.

[audacium]

A good place to find hardbooters should be Soelden in Austria. I think there is a renowned school in Obersoelden, but let me check that out.

Grettings, Eduard.

[Plato]

So far, the Blue Tomato school looks like it fits the bill. The way I am scheming on things, is that snowboarding in Europe is way cheaper then in the Rockies, and they feed you in Europe as well! So my idea is to book one of those all-inclusive trips but AT a place where I can also take lessons. The Blue Tomato school is cool because I can take 5 days of lessons at a pretty reasonable cost. It shouldn't take too much effort to coordinate this.

Still, I will continue to look at those other two places and narrow my search on Google.

Thanks guys!

-Plato

[Hans]

Hello, Plato
If you want to be sure of good snow in this period of the year, you have to go for the mountains which have a glacier. So for example the Kaunertal glacier or the Kaprun glacier (www.ripstar.at is a snowboardschool which have apartments and are dedicated to carving). Last year we had the luck of enough snow in november and december, also in lower places like Schladming were you can find the guys of Blue Tomato. I've been three times in this area now. The pistes are broad enough to carve and the lift system is very modern, no liftqeues at all and the lifts are most comfortable highspeed chairlift(6 persons). The pistes are mostly red and black (I believe they call it diamond and double diamond in the USA if I remembered it well of a trip four years ago to Beavercreek and Aspen). They have snowcanons untill the lowest of the pistes at 700 metres. Look for more area information of this area at www.planai.at or www.hauser-kaibling.at. (very professional internetsites). People in this area are helpfull and very kind. The livingcosts and eating in this area are almost the cheapest of whole Austria. The quality of the area and service is excellent. If you want to have some apresski I advice you to go to Schladming. I've also good experiences with alpine/carve lessons in St. Anton am Arlberg (Austria). Very good certainty of snow, high prices, good apartments and hotels, very good apresski and international orientated (nice swedish girls). Carve lessons you can book with two very professional local ski-and snowboardschools. Other places the carve well in France are Val d'Isere and Tignes which is one area. Snowcertainty is high, it's the place to be, it's to see and be seen, but prices are also high. I've no experience with Switzerland, I've been only in Verbier. Nice place, good snow but old, slow liftsystems (5 years ago may be it changed).

Conclusion: So it depends on what you want, the higher the mountains the more euros you spend. That's mostly the way it is in Europe. The cheapest area in Austria with good snowboarding is Salzburgerland (Haus am Ennstal, Schladming, Rohrmoos and so on). France in general is expensive but snowcertainty is high because of the high altitude in comparison to Austria (use of snowcanons for snowcertainty). If you want more background information with tips of places to stay and to eat, please mail me.

Cheers and greetings, Hans, welcome in Europe.