Last updated at 13:23, Friday, 13 April 2012

SKIING is one of the world's most popular winter sports. LEE PROCTER hit the slopes at Manchester's Chill Factore to discover what he's been missing out on.

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FRUSTRATED friends have told me in the past that I’m one of those annoying people who is good at all sports.

And while my skills on the golf course may admittedly leave a little to be desired, I do, without wanting to sound big-headed, seem to have been gifted a natural ability to play and take part in sports, whether old or new, to a decent level.

Twice during my university years I tried and failed to master the basic skills involved and was left licking my dry ski slope wounds.

Now a bit older and wiser (the latter is debatable), and with a 2012/13 winter trip to either the Alps or Pyrenees high on my holiday wish-list, I decided to give the sport another go in the hope it will be case of third time lucky.

With girlfriend and fellow skiing novice, Emma Preston, equally keen to hit the slopes for real, we took part in our first ski taster lesson at the Chill Factore in Manchester.

Looming beside the M60 motorway and the Trafford Centre, the building is an impressive-looking construction, towering high enough to leave you in no doubt as to the fun that is to be had within.

Nervously arriving well in advance of our 50-minute lesson, we found the staff both friendly and understanding to our complete lack of ski etiquette know-how.

The night before we had spent hours debating what kit we might need and, as you do, packed enough for a trek to the North Pole.

We had, of course, wasted our time because on arrival we found that full trouser and jacket combinations could be rented very cheaply (£5 for the pair or £3 for an individual item) and that the only thing you were required to buy – had you come without any – was a decent pair of gloves (£4).

Having been fully kitted out, ski booted up and checked over by the relevant pros, it was time to head onto the snow.

Stepping into the freezing arena filled with a wide range of slopes, our young instructor can not have missed the longing in my eyes as I gazed up to the top of Chill Factore’s 180m/15 degree main slope.

More experienced skiers and snowboarders made it look easy as they sped down the real-snow structure – which is equivalent to a difficult blue run or an easy red run in the Alps.

Unfortunately for those of us trying out skiing for the first time, there were more important things to be learning – not least how to put our skis on!

But all members of our group – about eight of us in total – were soon clipped in and edging our way sideways to about a third of the way up a beginner’s slope.

As we did, our instructor made sure each and every one of us – from the 10-year-old boy who embarrassingly showed us all up to the group of mature women – feel at ease with what we were learning.

Somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, Emma and I soon found ourselves getting into the swing of things, as we were taught to glide down the slope.

Our first step was simply to get to the bottom without falling over, but we soon moved onto a few trickier variations on the same theme, including balancing on one ski, touching our heads, shoulders, knees and toes before reaching the bottom, and even going down backwards!

Myself and Emma grew in confidence and the basics of the snow plough – the technique used to come to a stop on the slope – were mastered quickly.

We were both surprised and disappointed when we realised how quickly our 50-minute session had flown by.

Having both been well-bitten by the skiing bug, and with that planned 2012/13 trip now featuring even more prominently on our wish-list, I have no doubt we will be returning to the Chill Factore.

Our next step will most likely be to take some of the centre’s beginner lessons which, at just under two hours, provide more time on the slope.

Overall, the ski taster session proved perfect in helping us decide whether skiing was something we really wanted to pursue, and in shaking those first-time fears in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

As well as skiing and snowboarding, the Chill Factore offers an array of other fun activities, including tubing, luge, sledging, airboarding and the chance to be rolled down the slope at speeds of 30mph inside a snow sphere known as Avalanche.

The centre also houses an array of outdoor clothing and ski shops, plus plenty of places to grab a coffee or a bite to eat.

First published at 13:09, Friday, 13 April 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk