FAQS
If you have any questions on any discipline then please use our contact form.
Membership Renewal & Registration
Q. How do I register to be a member of Snowsport England?
You can register online by clicking here, You just need to go through the process online and then post the documents into the office and they will complete your registration
Q. How do I renew my Snowsport England membership?
You can renew online by clicking here. You can complete the process on line and you will recieve an email from the office confirming your registration.
Q. Can I still pay by cheque?
A. Yes you can still pay by cheque but this is not our prefered option as it is not as efficient to process. You will need to fill out a paper form and post it to the office with your check for the correct amount. The office will then process your renewal.
Q. Do I have to renew online?
A. We are trying to get everyone to renew on line as this helps Snowsport England to be more efficient. We are happy to take calls and help if anyone has any problems. If you are unable to renew on line there is a paper version that can be completed an posted in.
CRB Questions
Q. What is a CRB Disclosure?
A CRB Disclosure is a document that contains information held by police and government department that can be used by employers and voluntary organisations to make recruitment decisions. This offers Snowsport and all those involved in the sport the means to check the background of applicants to ensure that they do not have a history that would make them unsuitable for posts.
CRB Disclosure will provide details of a person's criminal record including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer. It will also contain details from lists held by the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills.
Q. How do I apply for a Disclosure?
A. Snowsport England outsources the CRB Disclosures to a registered body. Disclosure Forms can be obtained from Snowsport England's CRB office (please note this is not based at SportPark, Loughborough) on crb@snowsportengland.org.uk or
Once you have received your form follow the instructions, showing your identification to your club representative and then returning the completed form to the Snowsport England.
CRB Service for SSE
Dover District Volunteering Centre
26 Victoria Road
Deal, Kent, CT14 7BJ
01304 367898 (0900-1300 hours)
Q. What sort of Disclosure do I need?
A. Only Enhanced Disclosures are conducted. An Enhanced Disclosure includes an additional check against local Police Forces. Local police records may contain additional information that might be relevant to the position sought.
Q. What information will I be required to show and include on my Disclosure form?
A. In completing the form you are required to include:
- Your full name, and any other name that you may have been known by
- Details of addresses you have lived at
- Your date and place of birth
- Your national insurance number
- In addition you will be required to provide personal identification documents including items such as your passport and/or driving licence
The identification will be seen by your club representative and returned to you. The club representative will then acknowledge on your Disclosure form that they have seen your identification and send the form back to Snowsport England for processing.
Q. Who will receive my Disclosure?
A. You (the applicant) will receive your Disclosure form in the post once the check has been completed. The turn around time for CRB Disclosures to be returned is around is 6-8 weeks although some can be shorter as well as considerably longer.
A copy of your CRB Disclosures will also be returned to Snowsport England's Lead Child Protection Officer. The Club will NOT receive a copy of your Disclosure although they are advised to ask to see your completed Disclosure.
Q. Can I challenge the information on my Disclosure?
A. Yes, if you think that any information on your Disclosure is incorrect please contact the CRB Dispute Line on 08709090778. You should also contact Snowsport England Lead Child Protection Officer to inform them which aspect of your Disclosure you are disputing.
Q. How long will my Disclosure be valid?
A. Disclosure is only valid on the day that it is issued. However if you remain employed, or in a permanent role with the same club or organisation, then you may not need to undergo another CRB check for 3 years. If, however, you move role club, or organisation you may well be required to complete another CRB Disclosure. Snowsport England normally requires its staff/volunteers/officials to agree to undergo an enhanced disclosure every three years.
Q. I already have an Enhanced check from another organisation. Do I need to complete another Check?
A. The risks are that someone produces a Disclosure with no convictions of any relevance even though they are still a risk to children, because additional information will not be shown. Snowsport England is also aware that some bodies have not completed identity checks in line with recommendations and that there is also the possibility of falsified Disclosures.
Most organisations, including sports bodies and social services departments in local authorities, will only accept their own Disclosure because of the risks described above.
Snowsport England recognises that some people already have Disclosures but since March 1st 2005, following advice from the Home Office and the Criminal Records Bureau, Snowsport England will no longer accept Disclosures from any organisation other than Snowsport England.
Q. What colour pen should I use?
You must use a black biro only. Other black pens (eg. felt pens) will be rejected by CRB.
For more information on CRB checks:
Criminal Records Bureau
PO Box 110
Liverpool L3 6ZZ
Helpline: 0870 9090811
Alpine - all information can be found here, but here are some FAQs.
Q. Are the SSE and Race Entry System updated as to which clubs racers are based at?
A. The Interfuse database which the office use is updated when people ask for changes to be made. The race entry system is downloaded from the interfuse system by Peter Heath at regular intervals, as this is not automated. Also some competitions will take the club membership from the last seeding list which is only produced at certain point during the season. This is so people can’t just change clubs for different competitions.
Q. How does seeding work?
See here for more information.
Q. What is the difference between Alpine Ski Committee and the Race Organisers Technical Panel?
ASC is the key committee and ROTP is the panel below it. ASC can and does delegate duties to ROTP to carry out.
Q: What are the age categories this season?
For all Rules and Regulations, please see here.
Nordic Skiing
Q. What is Nordic skiing?
A. The original form of skiing - a means of travelling on snow through varied terrain. You glide and move uphill, downhill and along the flat.
Q. Are there different forms of Nordic skiing?
A. Yes, the term covers:
-
cross-country which comprises:
- track racing including biathlon (skiing and shooting)
- track touring
- off-track touring including mountain touring
- Telemarking
- Nordic downhill
- Ski jumping
Q. What are the main differences between Nordic and Alpine skiing?
A. Equipment:
Nordic skiing generally uses thinner, lighter skis. Boots are also lighter and less rigid. They are just attached to the ski at the toe, which allows the heel to lift (unlike alpine where they are attached at toe and heel).
Cross-country track racing uses the thinnest, lightest equipment. For touring it tends to be wider and heavier, while for telemarking and Nordic downhill it is more like alpine equipment.
Terrain
There's more to Nordic skiing than gliding downhill! Skiing cross-country also involves skiing along the flat and uphill, without using a lift or tow to get up slopes!
Telemarking and Nordic downhill rely more on mechanical assistance but many Nordic downhillers climb hills unaided to explore the backcountry.
Q. What techniques are involved?
A. Cross-country skiing techniques are:
- classic where the skis move parallel
- skating which uses a motion similar to ice skating
You can classic ski in almost all terrain, whereas skating requires a hard surface or prepared track.
Nordic downhill and telemarking use all the same techniques as alpine skiing, from the snowplough through to parallel turns, but the telemark turn is unique to Nordic and can only be done on Nordic equipment.
Q. So is Nordic skiing physically demanding?
A. It can be, if that's what you want from the sport. At the top end, track racing is considered to be one of the most physically demanding sports, and telemark racing is similar to alpine racing.
At the lower end, cross-country touring can be as easy as a jog or walk along a forest track, while Nordic downhill and telemarking (especially if using lifts) are similar to alpine skiing. Of course there are all levels in-between.
Q. Where does Nordic skiing take place?
If you have your own equipment you can ski cross-country wherever there is snow. Nordic downhill and telemarking tend to use the same places as alpine skiing.
There are resorts in most of the traditional snow areas (the Alps, the Nordic countries, North America, Central and Eastern Europe, Japan and even Australia/New Zealand and South America). Some resorts specialise in downhill skiing and are fully suitable for Nordic downhill and telemarking. Others combine downhill and cross-country while some concentrate on cross-country.
When you look for a resort, consider what you want to do - the facilities claimed for cross-country in primarily downhill resorts are rarely as good as those in more specialised areas.
Q. Where can I practice Nordic skiing away from ski resorts?
A. Nordic is both a snow and dry-land sport. Cross-country skiers train and practice on roller skis (similar to long roller skates with a wheel at each end) on paved surfaces. There are also several tunnels (abroad) which contain man-made snow all year long.
Telemarkers and Nordic downhillers use artificial ski slopes and indoor man-made snow slopes of which there are several in the UK. Indoor snow slopes can be difficult for cross-country skiing because of the thinness of the equipment, but more expert skiers can use them.
Q. What about winter skiing in the UK?
A. Depending on the weather, you can ski in Scotland and the north of England (and even occasionally as far south as Brighton) but this is becoming rarer. Open countryside and parks are usually where people make their own tracks.
Two areas, Huntly and Aviemore in Scotland, regularly prepare tracks for racing and touring.
Touring, mountain touring, telemarking and Nordic downhill can take place wherever there is snow deep enough to ski on, as long as you don't need lifts!
Q. What about summer skiing?
A. You can practice cross-country on roller skis wherever there is a suitable and safe paved area (e.g. a park or cycle track). You can also buy special roller skis for skiing on harder-packed dirt tracks. Snowsport England (SSE) and local SSE clubs run roller ski training courses throughout the year - see www.ssenordic.org.uk.
Telemarking and Nordic downhill can be practiced on indoor man-made snow slopes or on artificial downhill slopes.
Q. Where do I get equipment?
A. Hiring equipment is the best option for your first ski holiday (and investing in lessons is also recommended). Joining a ski club enables you to tap into other members' knowledge and experience before you purchase your own equipment. There are a few suppliers of equipment in the UK - you'll find links to most of them on www.ssenordic.org.uk.
Q. What do I wear?
A. Layers of flexible, breathable clothing are best. Cross-country can be warm work, especially when you ski uphill, yet cold in exposed locations. Follow the three-layer principle used in walking or running - a thermal base layer, a mid layer and an outer wind or waterproof shell.
For telemarking and Nordic downhill, clothing is often similar to alpine, although this may be too warm if you plan to climb a lot of hills.
Q. What are the costs involved?
A. Unfortunately this is almost impossible to answer! It depends on what you want to do. A weekend training course, including equipment hire but excluding accommodation and food, costs roughly £100.
If you progress and wish to buy your own equipment, a complete set of boots, bindings, skis and poles will cost approximately £200-£400. You need to add in the cost of getting to and staying in a ski resort, which can be anything from £300 to £1500 per week depending on location and date.
Roller skis and bindings cost £100-£200, and you can use these with the same cross-country boots that you wear on snow.
Q. How do I find out more?
A. See Snowsport England's Nordic websites:
www.ssenordic.org.uk and the various pages of this website.
You'll find more information about the different branches of Nordic skiing, equipment, courses and trips, training and photos. You can also contact us through these sites for specific advice.
During the winter, extensive coverage of biathlon and cross-country track racing is shown on Eurosport, sometimes also late at night on Channel 4.
Q. How do I get involved?
A. Join a local Nordic club and/or attend SSE or local club training events (find your nearest club and details of events via www.ssenordic.org.uk or in our 'find a club' section). Every April SSE runs a training week on snow in Norway. Events cater for all skiers from complete beginner through to expert and are an excellent introduction to the sport.
If you're a downhill skier, try telemarking or Nordic downhill. If you run, cycle, swim or canoe, then cross-country is a fun way to cross train that delivers excellent fitness benefits.
Commercial travel companies offer skiing trips to a wide range of different destinations. In the London area, the Rollerski.co runs commercial roller ski courses. Links to all of these can be found on the SSE Nordic websites.
Get Into Snowsports
Q. I am completely new to snowsport, where do I start?
A.Find out where your local slope is by clicking here. Many slopes offer great deals for lessons, so enquire about how you can get started.
Q. None of my friends ski or snowboard but I want to get involved, is this possible?
A.Of course! Clubs in England are very socialable and welcoming. They offer a number of sessions including coaching for different abilities and snow holidays that cater for the individuals as well as groups. It won't be long before you are a part of the team atmosphere!
Slopes offer sessions that are a great way to meet friends too from beginners to women's only sessions, sometimes including coffee or lunch!
Find out where you nearest club is by clicking here.
Q. Will I have to remortgage my house to start snowsports?
No. Skiing or boarding is a hobby, one where you get fit and it is cheaper than a lot of gym memberships. Many slopes offer incentives and offers to keep you going back, such as buy 1 get 1 free or 20% off. Enquire at your nearest slope for details.
I don't own any equipment. Can I still take part?
A.Yes, definitely! Many slopes in England have rental facilities of skis, boards, boots and poles so you don't have to lug your own kit there but it's best to check if your local one does or not before you head there. Even though you may only be on the snow for an hour or so at a time it is still important to stay warm. Kit doesn't have to be expensive, think about wearing ski pants or waterproof trousers, ski gloves, a jumper, fleece or ski jacket and even a hat! Kit doesntK k
If you get more into the sport, you may wish to purchase your own kit which may be more comfortable but again it does not have to break the bank!
Q. I have booked a snow holiday, but have never tried snowsports before. Am I destined to remain in the bar?
No. Lessons are available at many slopes for reasons such as this. They cater for beginners to improvers and advanced and can get you feeling more confident on the snow within a few hours.
When abroad, you can get lessons too but if you can link turns prior to going, you're going to have more fun! And, if after all your efforts, you want to have a nice warm drink at the end of it, go ahead!
Q. Do I need insurance?
We highly recommend you take out insurance when going on a snow holiday. Snowsport England have their own travel insurance for just that purpose.
Snowsport England Travel Insurance
Schools
Q. How do we set up running a schools race?
Read the guidelines for more information:
Keeping Skiing on the School Radar
