Snowboarding - Centre Reviews
Posted by Guest Writer on Tue, 07 Oct 2008.
There are a few places close to Leicestershire where you can go boarding, and a few a bit further afield but reachable if you have a car.
Milton Keynes Xscape
The Milton Keynes Xscape is most well known for its 170 metre long slope which is intended for recreational skiing/boarding but there is a smaller slope that is only used for learners who cannot necessarily control their speed so they do not cause any major accidents.
For skiers, (whether learning or experienced) there are a wide range of activities. For experienced skiers, there is the main slope which you can buy an hourly pass which would cost: for adults, £18.00 (off peak time) and 21.00 in peak time. For children, £13.00 (off peak time) and £16.00 in peak time.
The prices for snowboarding are similar with the odd change of a few pence. The length of lessons ranges from one hour to all day with odd breaks in between. The lesson depends on the ability of the person, ranging from complete beginners to competent refresher courses. Recreational skiing/boarding is also available with the hourly passes that allow you to practice and improve your skills, prices ranging from approximately £20 per hour.
The main attractions of the Milton Keynes Xscape are the events for both boarders and skiers; the TSA board test where you can test out new boards before you buy them which is a regular attraction, the parkstrife event which is aimed at boarders to give them a chance to practise on the big air ramps and rails, whether they are just practising for fun or preparing to compete in competitions and the competitions that take place on the main slope such as the BUISC university competition where students from all over the country come to compete. These all make the slope an attractive place to ski/board.
A cafe and bar is also available to anyone over the age of eighteen.
Tamworth Snowdome
Tamworth Snowdome is situated in, well, Tamworth. If you’ve never been before it can get quite confusing to get to, as you have to head back on yourself to actually get in to the place. Once you’ve managed to get in the place is very clean and tidy, and they’ve only recently renovated large sections of the building. To the right of the entrance is a large Ellis Brigham/Snowboard Asylum store, which has quite a large range of stock. If you want to buy anything really expensive from there (such as boards, skis, jackets, and bindings) I’d wait until around the end of the season – March/April time. They start selling the stuff much cheaper, but don’t really have much of a restock till later in the year.
There are a wide range of activities going on at Tamworth. These include, but aren’t limited to, Tobogganing, Adrenaline Tubing, Swimming, Skiing, Snowboarding, Ice-skating, Cross-country Skiing, and a Snowmobile Track. These facilities are pretty easy to get to; if you follow the signs you’re sorted.
If you fancy learning how to ski/board there are a few options for you. You can go for 4/5 lesson over a protracted period, each costing roughly £27(for skiing) or £29 (for boarding) for 55 minutes, as an Adult. You could also try a private lesson, which are more expensive, but allow for more close-up teaching. The final option is the ‘In-A-Day’. If you have a spare weekday you can go and spend it learning how to ski/board. Unfortunately, the Boarders version is only for 17 years or older. As with the shop, things get substantially cheaper between 1st May and 30th September. The ‘Learn-To-Ski-In-A-Day’ costs a hefty £129, and it would appear they have retracted their previous reduction in price. Follow-up lessons that are for more advanced skiers go from to £99 to £69 in mentioned time bracket. The Snowmobile track looks impressive, but, again, the age boundary is 17+ for a driver. Those over the age of 10 can ride as a passenger. It’s £10 per driver, and £5 per passenger.
Where Tamworth shines is in the events it puts on. Every Tuesday and Saturday night they have a Ramps an’ Rails Night, complete with commentary. It has a great, relaxed, atmosphere, and makes you feel right at home. If you aren’t comfortable with throwing yourself in at the deep end, you can head to the Beginner’s Board Night. This is held at the same time as the Ramp nights, on one of the ‘Academy’ slopes. These are actually quite a trek, so I’d recommend getting changed into any bulky gear once you’ve got there, as it involves pounding up and down quite a few sets of stairs. Once you’ve found your way there they can set you up with a board, boots, and helmet. Advice is given on how to land some simple grabs and grinds.
It would seem that the majority of the staff either board or ski, and really know what they’re talking about. All the ones I’ve seen seem jovial enough, but they can be very harsh over who’s on the slope. They operate a ‘no-tolerance-of-beginners-not-paying-for-one-of-OUR-lessons’ policy. This essentially means that if they don’t think you’re good enough they’ll just throw you off the slope. Sad but true.
Slope-wise it is well maintained, the only gripe being the conveyor belt method of getting to the top of the slope. This is a group of conveyor belts, and means if you’re a snowboarder you’ve gotta take at least one foot out of a binding – when you’re using strap-ins you start to get annoyed with constantly having to re-tighten them each time you go up the slope. Other than that, an excellent place to go. Hope to see you there!
Sheffield Ski and Snowboard Centre
The Sheffield Ski and Snowboard Centre (the Sheffield Ski village) is a plastic matted slope (similar to carpet) which is the most used type of matting for artificial ski slopes on the UK.
Other activities available are: tobogganing on the full length (100m) toboggan run, snow tubing on the main slope and family fun days where the whole family can learn to ski or snowboard together.
Also on the site is a large adventure play ground for children, a bowling alley, a range of shops (ski and board related), the White Rock bar for the older clients and the Marmot cafe for keeping energy levels up.
There are few events that take place at Sheffield Ski village but one is the Airbag which is a big air event for anyone to take part in not just professionals!
John Nike Ski and Snowboard Centre
The JN Ski and Snowboard centre is another artificial slope where you can learn or refine your skills. There is a second smaller slope that is reserved for learners only. The centre is in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, in between Leicester and Nottingham. The slope is accessed by two pommer lifts for both skiers and boarders on the main slope and a small pommer lift for skiers and a rope tow for boarders.
Prices range from £20.00 - £30.00 for a lesson on either snow board or skis and open practice from £10.00 to £15.00. There is also a tobogganing track that is 650 metres long. There is also snow tubing facilities that are a main attraction with children and adults alike however, the matting on the slope is warn away with the tubing ruining the slope for skiers and boarders and also making using the slope slightly dangerous to use.
The alpine cafe is also available for family parties or just a relaxing drink after skiing/boarding. You can also hire your equipment at no extra charge to you if you do not have your own; this is especially useful if you are just learning.
The main feature of the centre is the parties it provides for people of all ages. These parties include a ski or snowboard session, a tobogganing session or a snow tubing session and food in the cafe afterwards. The ski centre is open almost all of the year through except bank holidays, Christmas day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Useful links:
http://www.xscape.co.uk/snow/milton-keynes/
Homepage of Milton Keynes Xscape, about an hour drive away from Leicester, and with an awesome 170 metre long slope it's well worth a visit!
Homepage of Tamworth Snowdome, one of the more well known and popular centres for boarders living in Leicestershire, with some excellent events run on Tuesday and Saturday nights.
http://www.swadlincoteskislope.co.uk/
The centre is located in the heart of England with major cities such as Birmingham and Nottingham only a 40 minute drive away. It is open throughout the year for recreational Skiing, Snowboarding and Blading with lessons available for every standard.