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Gap beetween Pros and Ams getting smaller

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DedicatedPicturs
Posts: 358 - Karma: 2,515
Is there anyone on here that feels like me, that the gap between the pros (jon, andreas, sammy, simon, pk and more) and the amateurs is now close to not existing?
For exemple, you now have 14 year old kids throwing double cork 1080's: https://newschoolers.com/web/content/videos/id/243625/
Feb 7 2009 6:25AM
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marc_sncl
Posts: 612 - Karma: 16
holy shit. i've been feeling the same way, especially when talking about rail skills. there are so many kids that can jib better than the pros and barely have sponsors. on the other hand jibbing is not as much of a big deal for the public than big airs and stuff like this is
Feb 7 2009 6:53AM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,883
even in contests, guys who are "ams" are competing in X and Dew Tour. Phil Cassabon, who is still considered an am won 5th at X.
Feb 7 2009 7:39AM
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Reggaemuffin
Posts: 155 - Karma: 12
think about it... Freestyle hasn;t been around that long so the current pros have not gotten to experience the kind of freestyle experience that all these young lil kids are getting. They can simply do it longer and progress past the pros
Feb 7 2009 7:45AM
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quebecfreestyler
Posts: 13040 - Karma: 1,419
he gets paid to ski, he's not an am.
Feb 7 2009 7:52AM
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sklermang
Posts: 2981 - Karma: 1,954
yeah i was thinking the same thing but about films just look at the pro movies vs. am movies
Feb 7 2009 9:08AM
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DedicatedPicturs
Posts: 358 - Karma: 2,515
Yeah cuz I'm feeling that in for example X, you could have had a completly different, but just as sick (or even sicker), startlist... There where sooo many sick guys not competing! Chug, twall, hh, thomas dolplads (he has the dub cork now aswell), ole mustad (norwegian with tons of steeze, has the worlds cleanest sw 14)...
Feb 7 2009 10:19AM
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DGiurk
Posts: 786 - Karma: 194
hell ya i know kids that are doing switch sixes on to rails and are smooth as hell,  and i see kids in that park that should be pro but arent all the time
Feb 7 2009 10:52AM
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*rkp*
Posts: 8198 - Karma: 257
don't forget that being pro is all about you being marketable. there's that entire other factor that needs to be addressed.
Feb 7 2009 10:53AM
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Mstchief
Posts: 751 - Karma: 524
i think its partly due to the limited size of our sport. There are just not enough sponsorship dollars to go round, so you have this massive build up of underground am talent and no way for these kids to get the exposure they need to go pro. It seems the only real way to "make it" is the contest rout but there is only so many spots available and you have to consistently win, so alot of kids get over looked. But thats the great thing about NS is it allows kids to get noticed who other wise wouldn't T-wall anyone.
Feb 7 2009 11:30AM
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DedicatedPicturs
Posts: 358 - Karma: 2,515
Yeah, that may be it, but why aren't they pro's then? If they are better than the pros?
Feb 7 2009 11:58AM
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dex.
Posts: 2973 - Karma: 62
because they're already icons in the sport
Feb 7 2009 12:01PM
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Irotate360
Posts: 6836 - Karma: 22
wow. did anyone see that video??? that shit is impressive
Feb 7 2009 12:12PM
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BEARS.
Posts: 5380 - Karma: 696
+1 and that was a very nice post
Feb 7 2009 12:16PM
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patrickstar
Posts: 486 - Karma: 20

yes yes it is

Feb 7 2009 1:35PM
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Afeld
Posts: 3516 - Karma: 85
it kinda seems like most of the ams are more rounded out than the pros.
For example: Jon Olson only in  big air, while people like Witt Foster and others do every thing from backcountry to urban
Feb 7 2009 5:29PM
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punkrock32
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 21
This, I believe is part of it.  Pro's are very marketable in winning big comps, the focus (until this year, as rails are becoming more important) has been largely based on jumping. in comps  The difference between a lot of pros and ams lies in their jumping abilities.  There are a ton of skiers that can keep up or are better than pros at urban and rails in general, but not a lot of them can jump as well or consistantly land runs under pressure.
Feb 7 2009 5:53PM
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Sashquach
Posts: 105 - Karma: 112
what about style you dink
anyone can do any trick
its about makin it look stee
Feb 7 2009 6:00PM
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Bab.
Posts: 766 - Karma: 22
kids liek the 14 year old one landing double cork10s are very talented and all, but doing a big trick on a single jump is not the same as doing 3 in  a row and hittin 3 more rails in a lap. thats why its not every one that can compete in slope or in halfpipe.
Feb 7 2009 6:16PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
the main difference is that pros can throw down consistently, under intense pressure.
Feb 7 2009 6:18PM
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PhilboydStudge
Posts: 3431 - Karma: 206
yes. a good example that i can think of of that, cause i am from montana, is collin collins. last year, he was so sick, but i'm pretty sure he didn't have any sponsors. who's gonna sponsor a guy who throws down, but skis in montana and doesn't do any comps or film? then he made a good edit, got some good sponsors, ended up at windells, and got some great exposure. no one would have bothered sponsoring him before he got some exposure, even though he is sick.
Feb 7 2009 6:25PM
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Alex_G
Posts: 11902 - Karma: 1,019
yes collin SLAYS it
Feb 7 2009 6:42PM
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TheQuailman
Posts: 7382 - Karma: 147

there are some kids that are really good, but you pretty much need a ton of difficult tricks, spinning both ways, switch, with sick style.  And you need to be able to do the tricks on huge jumps with little practice on each jump

plus no injuries, marketability, and enough time to ski

Feb 7 2009 7:03PM
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PhilboydStudge
Posts: 3431 - Karma: 206
jea collin has been absolutely killing it at big sky for a while, its great to see that some people are recognizing that. no pros ever come from montana, and collin and tim mcchesney are finally getting some recognition
Feb 7 2009 7:12PM
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punkrock32
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 21
Exactly.  Its easy to lap the park and have good days, as well as film a shot 10 times until you get it just right.  Its a lot more difficult when you have only two runs in a comp, and there is the pressure to land a tough run perfectly.
Feb 9 2009 5:58PM
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Yung_Gnarley
Posts: 9092 - Karma: 3,022
i agree with cedric. If you get paid to ski, you're not pro. That's what i think
Feb 9 2009 6:06PM
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CHARLES.BRONSON
Posts: 3123 - Karma: 229
I blame tom wallisch !

ever since he dropped his promo 2 years ago, everyones been trying to become tom wallisch. He stepped it up and opened eyes.
Feb 9 2009 7:30PM
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