Ski shows coming to a venue near you

Posted by - Craig Burton on Wed 10th October 2012

We've already had a look at the annual British Ski and Board Show at Birmingham’s NEC. If you can’t get to Birmingham but still want to have some fun meeting other snow-lovers and finding out what’s new in mountain sports, then there are several other shows around the country you can visit. If it’s time to book your next group ski holiday, then gather your friends and arrange a trip to one of these events – they’re always good fun and are guaranteed to whet your appetite for the slopes.

Running along similar lines to the Birmingham show, there is Scotland’s Outdoor, Ski and Snowboard Show in Glasgow, and the Ski and Snowboard Show at Earl’s Court in London. Then there is the Big Freeze Festival, in London’s Battersea Power Station, which provides an all-round ski and music extravaganza.
Here’s what to expect from each of these shows.

The Big Freeze: 26th and 27th October
Of all the ski shows, the Big Freeze is perhaps the most impressive, and a great place to enjoy a warm-up ski weekend before you book your next group ski holiday. Battersea Power Station provides an atmospheric backdrop close to central London, and the combination of music and skiing is a winning one.

If you want to indulge in a bit of that Alpine après-ski spirit before you get to the slopes, this is where to find it. They bring in some of the world’s best competitive skiers and boarders for the event, and you can watch them do their stuff on a huge, floodlit ski slope. Music headliners on the main stage include DJ Shadow and Public Enemy, but there are several smaller stages too, each with their own star-studded line-ups.

The Ski and Snowboard Show (Earl’s Court): 31st October to 4th November
This one follows on nicely from the Big Freeze, and offers a good opportunity to try your hand at some of the skills you saw being so expertly demonstrated there, plus a few more. The Have-a-go Airbag Kicker and Rail demo is a place to try jumps, with experts on hand to help. New skiers can head to the skills slope for a lesson, while you can try curling and ice-skating as well.

You can also wander around the many exhibitors picking up information on resorts and equipment, have a drink in one of the après-ski bars and even take the kids to see Santa Claus.

Scotland’s Outdoor, Ski and Snowboard Show: 20th and 21st October
It’s coming up soon, but there are still tickets available for this outdoor and ski weekend show in Glasgow. While there is a strong focus on skiing, the event covers a huge range of other outdoor sports too: you can try out climbing on the indoor climbing wall, and have a go on a zip-line, for example. There are exhibitors with information and kit to try, talks from inspirational adventurers, a freestyle jumps show and an après-ski bar.