Monday, January 30, 2017 METRO 27 Travel | Culture | Adventure Escape It’s quite a steep learning curve RACEY, keep your knees together!’ bellows Rico, Tracey Davies attempts my French ski instructor. to master monoski in the ‘T My legs collapse within seconds and I land world’s best ski resort sideways like a drunken penguin. As a first attempt at monoskiing, the afternoon doesn’t bode well. Like neon ski suits and fur snoods, monoskiing is the latest throwback from the 1980s to arrive on the slopes this season. The sport was invented in the 1950s by a creative chap called Dennis Retro: A room in the Fahrenheit Seven hotel Phillips on the USPacific Northwest after he adapted a waterski with a pair of old-school bear-trap bindings. It was a precursor to snowboarding but instead of standing sideways with feet astride the board, your feet are together on a single fat ski facing forward. The ski poles (apparently) help with balance and steering. After a brief flirtation with popularity in the 1980s, the sport retreated into the shadows of snowboarding but it has gained a small but dedicated following in recent years and now has its own festival, the Mondial de Post-ski tipples: Warm up in the hotel bar Monoski, which takes place in Le Pleynet on March 10-12 inflatable cape to help skiers earring and bright turquoise ski steep learning curve with monoskiing (monoski-france.com). fly down the slopes; and gear is the epitome of the 1980s ski but unlike boarding, where you To see if I can master the my nemesis, monoskiing. instructor. He glides over and pulls spend the first few days on your bum, style, I’m in Val Thorens in the I’m staying at Fahrenheit me upright – no mean feat good skiers can generally master it French Alps, recently named Seven, a new slope-side thanks to my six foot in a morning. best ski resort in the World Ski 107-room hotel with a frame. Following his GETTING However, I’m no Chemmy Alcott Awards for the third year running. retro 1970s vibe. It pitches tracks, I use my poles THERE on two skis, let alone one. ‘A little The resort sits at 2,300m, makingit itself as a playground for local to drag myself towards speed makes it easier to do the turns,’ the highest in Europe. and international snow lovers, but the lip of the piste. Doubles from says Rico, twisting his snake hips. Along with Courchevel and Alpine dining: can it help with my salopettes Having both feet strapped ‘And once you get the hang of it, it’s The view from £200 per night, Méribel, it makes up the legendary that won’t fasten? It turns out it together on the ski feels fahrenheit like perfect parallel skiing.’ Trois Vallées – 600km of linked pistes Fahrenheit can. The hotel’s ski boutique unnatural and, despite the seven.com. Return With Rico’s encouragement, forming the largest ski area in the Seven’s rents out top-label ski gear poles, it’s tricky to keep to Geneva from I finally manage to stand up for world. Renowned for its fantastic terrace from£7aday,whichsaves my balance. As soon as a £112, swiss.com. more than five seconds and slowly, skiing, awesome après and top-notch me from mooning on the boarder whizzes past, I’m Monoski lessons ungracefully ski down the first slope. hotels, chalets and restaurants, Val slopes from my funny Winner: Tracey thrown off kilter, poles at École Ski Cool Speed really is the key to this, so start from £42 per Thorens is also the place to try the little monoski. manages to flailing and I crumple if I were braver, I like to think I’d be more niche activities such as the Rico, with his into the snow again. hour, ski-cool.com swinging my hips like Ricky Martin Valthorens.com Tyrolienne, a 1,300m-long tanned face, stay upright Rico explains down the slopes of Val Thorens. zip wire; wingjump, an single gold that there’s a Maybe next year..