McNab Snowsport’s First Women’s Performance Clinic: was it worth it?

McNab Snowsports have run dedicated snowboard clinics in Chamonix for a number of years.

The performance clinics are based on the McNab technique and each day’s teaching builds on work from the previous day. They have a reputation for excellent, technical tuition combined with a full teaching programme (five to six hours instruction per day). They also tend to be more expensive than the average snowboard camp. The clinics are male dominated (last year I was the only woman with 10 men) but this year McNabs decided to run a six day dedicated female clinic for beginners/ intermediate riders. So, could we live up to the hardcore teaching programme and was it worth the extra money?

In total there were five women. We varied in ages from 29 to 39 years old and had boarded between two and seven years. The majority of us hadn’t even stood on a snowboard until we were a ‘thirtysomething’: older than you’d probably expect. We had two instructors: Keith McIntosh and Neil McNab which enabled us to learn from different approaches, and one female trainee instructor called Sam who was shadowing Keith and Neil.

Day one was spent at Le Tour and we worked on stance and the importance of keeping our knees over our ankles. We were also videoed which is never pleasant but very necessary to see our faults. Conditions were fabulous and we even got to ride in powder which for some of us was rather a challenge: two of us learnt that our boards were too short. After spending an exhausting 20 minutes trying to get out of the powder we decided a shopping trip post après boarding was in order.

Lucy bought a brand new Ride board which she reported was “as light as a ryvita” (a new female, snowboarding, technical term has arrived!). I got an ex-rental Burton Feather and moved up from a 145cm to a 154cm board which was much easier to ride particularly in powder, and Jacky got a 154cm Salamon board moving up from a 147cm. I hadn’t really appreciated the importance of correct equipment and how much effect it can have on your technique. I was also told to get rid of my ‘Mickey Mouse’ bindings (they were rather old) – great news as more shopping when I got back home!
 
Day two was spent at Brévent learning about arcs, riding the terrain and directions and turns. We covered the science and mechanics of the board and the importance of pressure beyond the front foot. We were videoed again and once back at the hotel looked at footage from day one and two.

Day three dawned to mist and snow flurries so we were taken to Grand Montets, as topography made whiteouts less likely. However, the light was flat at times which made it hard to see the terrain – sometimes a good thing as we learnt to ride by feel. Heidi and I had problems with running the board flat (we’d caught too many edges over the years), so Keith taught us to keep even pressure between the feet and to bend our knees to absorb bumps. It really was a question of mind over matter. We were on steeper slopes and were taught how to turn our boards uphill and change the edge earlier in the turn of the arc. This meant you didn’t pick up as much speed.

We were also starting to see faults with other riders: sliding from edge to edge is something we can all do but means you’re more likely to catch an edge (ouch) and end up using more energy fighting the science of the board and the flow of the mountain (phew).

Day four was sunny and warm with clear blue skies so we headed up to Flegere. We learnt how to use the back of the board using tilt and rolling pressure around the back foot to control the board. After lunch some of the group tackled off piste again and bounced and flopped through the soft, fluffy stuff. I stuck to the piste and had good fun practicing switch but ended up being taken out by a French, female  boarder: I now have a bruise the size of a small country on my thigh!

Day five was a new day with a new teacher but on familiar terrain back at Le Tour. Neil decided a day with the girls would be a nice restful day from the ‘off piste boys’ but we surprised him with only one stop for lunch.

We practiced most of the day on a blue slope as Neil said to concentrate on technique you shouldn’t be worrying about the terrain. He taught us about A,B,C,D points of the board (see ‘Go Snowboard’ by Neil McNab and published by Dorling Kindersley Ltd), and we had to feel for the various points in the arc of a turn. Speed is controlled by the arc of the turn and the line you take. Neil also took us off piste again which was much easier on a bigger board.

That night was ‘curry night ‘so we headed into Chamonix for dinner. Most evenings we were so tired that there was little après boarding activity.

On the final day we headed through the Mont Blanc tunnel into Italy and a day on the slopes at sunny Courmayeur. Neil decided to teach us girls again and was trying to get us to develop feel. I was so tired the only feel I wanted to develop was my backside in a comfy deckchair and my hand around an alcoholic drink! It wasn’t to be as Neil adjusted my equipment to widen my stance further and change the angle of my bindings which meant I had to get on with the job in hand.

Sarah managed to feel all four points on her board and feel exactly where they came into play at all times. As Neil said it was now a question of ‘awareness, practice and acquiring a new skill’.

So what was the difference boarding and learning as a group of women? There were more toilet stops (very important); there was greater support when emotion and frustration kicked in (yes, there were tears at times); and there was less pressure to perform as there was less competitiveness and testosterone around! Heidi wanted “to be with people on the same level”, Jacky thought “girls learnt differently” and Lucy felt “technique was the number one reason for coming on this clinic.”

So what did we learn from the week? That snowboarding is a combination of science and art; you should always strive to make every turn better than your last; and make sure your equipment is correctly set up. We also learnt that goofy and regular riders should sit back to back on a chairlift to avoid clashes when getting off a chairlift; check bindings for ice before getting on a chairlift (Sam lost her board 10 foot after getting on the lift); and always wear protection (no not that sort) as bumps, bangs and bashes are an inevitable part of learning.

McNabs women’s performance clinic is not a fluffy, easy riding, luxurious holiday. It would not suit everyone particularly if you wanted a leisurely time with lots of après boarding. It is a serious study of technique and practice but with more than a few laughs along the way. If you want to elevate your skill in a short period of time and learn how to ride so you can blend science and art and flow with the mountain then this course is for you.
 
So, back to my original question: could we live up to the hardcore teaching programme and was it worth the extra money? The week was fantastic, and no it wasn’t as hardcore as I thought it might be, but riding up to six hours a day is hard unless you are fit (although the hotel where clients stay has a sauna and swimming pool which is great for tired and aching limbs). Is the extra cost for a McNabs technical clinic justified? Of course it is, not only for the excellent quality tuition, but as the advert says, because we’re women, and we’re worth it!

More information at: www.mcnabsnowsports.co.uk

Email: info@mcnabsnowsports.com if you are interested in attending a women’s performance clinic