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My view on Freesking being in the 2014 OLYMPIC's (RANT)

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Dan-Man
Posts: 7488 - Karma: 3,622
PISSED.


So it has come down to this.  Free skiing half-pipe will be featured in the 2014 Olympics. 

Honestly.  I saw this coming, and am pretty pissed at myself for not standing up and speaking my opinion.  

First of, to me skiing is not a sport and shouldn’t be treated as one.  The free online dictionary defines a sport as, “Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.”  That doesn’t really sound like the skiing I know.  To me Skiing is complete freedom. NO RULES, CUSTOMS, and most importantly NO REQUIREMENT TO COMPETE.  Skiing is a lifestyle, a FUCKING RAD underground lifestyle I don’t want made mainstream

Next lets look back to 1998 or whenever Snowboarding made its debut in the Olympics.  What has happened to Snowboarding since?  Well for those of you that aren’t 16 year olds skier cholo’s, and can remember before this shit was cool.  You probably remember the, well I don’t want to say persecution, but the dis-respect toward skiing.  Mostly entirely fueled from the Snowboarding community.  At the time they were the cool cats on the mountain.  I remember nearly every kid at school that skied quitting to be a “Boarder BRO”.  It’s funny to look at what has become of snowboarding, It seems like the big time pipe jocks are almost household names, known by the Average 300 pound American that can also list of the cast of the jersey shore.  FUCK THAT.  I don’t want that for SKIING! 

Ok, so the Olympics has accepted Snowboarding as a, “sport” (ughh)  for 13 years now correct?  If they are going to accept us now, why didn’t they do it 13 years ago?  Answer, because skiing wasn’t cool to the general public, but dudes on snowboards in stunt ditches was?  WTF?   If they didn’t want us then, we don’t want them now.  They don’t believe in our cause, never will, and are only using us to make a buck.  Look at the other “sports” associated with the Olympics such as curling, figure skating, mogul/race skiing.  How can you compare free skiing to those?  Skiing is un-deniably BAD ASS to the core, and more fucking rock N roll than any of you will probably ever realize.

So, that is my opinion on Free Skiing in the Olympics, I wish I would have had the courage and knowledge to say this when it could have mattered. 

Think about it before you hate.
Jun 21 2011 5:41PM
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T.MARTIN
Posts: 1333 - Karma: 62
DON'T READ THIS, CAUSE:


Jun 21 2011 5:43PM
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fruitstick
Posts: 594 - Karma: 1,034
There you go

I was about to say somthing similar he did it nicer though  +k
Jun 21 2011 5:49PM
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Jibberino
Posts: 2089 - Karma: 1,346
I get where you're coming from, but you present it so extremely poorly that the real argument is all but indecipherable.
Jun 21 2011 5:56PM
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eheath
Posts: 61662 - Karma: 123,643
You're really saying that snowboarding DOESN'T have a good underground, unrestricted scene? Snowboarders still make the best movies/edits and still have super sick people who don't compete that throw down super hard.

You think skiing isn't a sport? Just because YOU don't compete? I used to do mogul/big air contests when i was in highschool and i LOVED that shit, some people like contests and some dont, just because YOU don't like competing doesn't mean its not really important to others. There are tons of skiers where competing is somewhat their skiing lifestyle and you know how stoked they are that they now have a chance to be olympic athletes? They're fucking stoked.

I have a buddy (dylan ferguson) who is a olympic level aerialist, won nationals this year and STILL has such a fun time skiing and shit every day with homies at PC. You can have fun and ski with friends and not compete AND you can also have that serious side if you're into it. Just keep skiing and having fun, let people compete, let people fullfil the ultimate dream. Just because your dream isn't to be an olympic athlete doesn't mean the olympics suck.

All thats gonna happen is comp skiers will stay comp skiers and video skiers will stay video skiers, they're already pretty split up. Skiing isn't gonna become ski racing or any bullshit like that, like you said snowboard halfpipe has been an olympic sport for 13 years and all snowboarding has done is progress and become sicker and sicker every year.


All of you fucking kids need to fucking bitching, skiing will not be effected by this olympic stuff, so chill the fuck out. Skiing isn't gonna become mainstream skiing isn't going to sell out, snowboarding is still good after 13 years, im sure skiing is going to follow in their footsteps (as we always have) and still be good 12 years from now.
Jun 21 2011 6:00PM
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adamlukowski
Posts: 3676 - Karma: 311
Amen, and Op if you did open your mouth and had said something earlier, it wouldn't make a difference
Jun 21 2011 6:11PM
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steezysteeze
Posts: 1739 - Karma: 1,012
I really don't want slope in. I dunno, just doesn't seem like olympic material to me. I mean that's my favorite part of skiing but I don't really wanna see it as an olympic event.
Jun 21 2011 6:11PM
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jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
nothing has really happened to snowboarding since there. like heath said they still make the sickest movies, the sickest edits and in my experience there are a lot less douchey kids on snowboards than on skis.

Jun 21 2011 6:13PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,751
This. All that needs to be said. Skiing being in the Olympics will not force you to alter the way you approach skiing in any way. Honestly, all this little rant smacks of is the lame "I don't want my core little secretive underground hobby to become popular" sentiment that has been around skiing for years and indie bands for longer than that.
Jun 21 2011 6:15PM
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Ski.Ballet
Posts: 2860 - Karma: 200
Where is this coming from?? Like one person's ridiculous (any unoriginal) opinion would have made any difference... Skiing in the Olympics is gonna be dope, skiing as a whole will have more money, and it's still gonna be fun. Chill.
Jun 21 2011 6:28PM
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jca
Posts: 4172 - Karma: 6,310
no one's making you compete. the beauty of skiing is that you can do whatever the fuck you want and have fun.
Jun 21 2011 6:34PM
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bardissono
Posts: 443 - Karma: 213
Okay, so skiing will come out of the underground and be more popular , more well known, more people will share our passion. I don't see whats so bad about that. The freeskiing with no limits or rules will still go on, this is NOT the end of our sport as we know it.
Jun 21 2011 6:52PM
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Zimmerman
Posts: 6992 - Karma: 1,021
wise words from eheath
Jun 21 2011 7:23PM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
Somebody is a bitch.


I'm not exactly enthused that ski pipe is in the Olympics, but despite all my disliking, I really don't give a shit. The one thing I don't like about the Olympics is the unnecessary rigidity. Notice how Olympic pipes are narrow as fuck? Short (both in the length and walls)? They worry so damn much about numbers that they don't just evolve with the evolving sport. There is a reason why events like X Games and, recently, Dew Tour have thrived.
Jun 21 2011 7:32PM
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send_it
Posts: 234 - Karma: 69
Look its gonna happen skiing is gonna go main stream. But NS the largest ski community aka largest ski group will be looked upon like idols. People are gonna see our style and either respect it or move on.
Jun 21 2011 7:33PM
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Baskilla
Posts: 409 - Karma: 202
DAN MAN SPEAKS THE TRUTH... OBVIOUSLY THE ATHLETES WANT MORE COVERAGE BUT MOST OF THE ONES THAT WILL GO TO THE OLYMPICS CANT EVEN DO REAL SKIING SO THEY ARNET ACTUALLY PROGRESSING SKIING WORTH SHIT... JUST USING AND ABUSING IT FOR THE SAME REASON THAT THE OLYMPICS ARE USING AND ABUSING IT... MONEY


I PROMISE TO NEVER LET THIS THREAD DIE
Jun 21 2011 8:26PM
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eheath
Posts: 61662 - Karma: 123,643
Poor excuse of trying to troll, you suck.
Jun 21 2011 8:28PM
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1337
Posts: 31061 - Karma: 29,351
eheath: slaying threads since '04
Jun 21 2011 8:31PM
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Inline.
Posts: 4424 - Karma: 432
hey look! what's that over there? oh yeah, SNOWBOARDING. still exists doesn't it? still a "free" sport.
Jun 21 2011 8:32PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
Fact is, no matter how much some people may "sell out", there's always going to be people doing it for just for fun. It's not going to change anything.

I'm going to watch the olympics, I'm stoked TNF is keeping our athletes warm. I'm still going to ski for myself without any rules and I'm still going to do it in Saga Outerwear. It's all good.
Jun 21 2011 10:31PM
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.peter
Posts: 1222 - Karma: 63
who cares... lame snowboarders are still cooler than 90% of skiers, and at the least we'll get a shit ton of money flooded into skiing as a result of it... what we all do is the evolution of something that's been going on for (not to sound like a dick but) thousands of years... so deal with it an enjoy the fact that olympic pipe might allow you to get that job in "the industry" you always wanted.
Jun 21 2011 10:41PM
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cbeebzthasteeze
Posts: 1862 - Karma: 85
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Jun 21 2011 10:42PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
cant say i dont agree, but do you have to be such a fucking hipster about it?

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Jun 21 2011 10:45PM
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-GL-
Posts: 1696 - Karma: 37
i totally see where your coming from and think you have great points, but i do think the olympics will give some exposure to the sport and could majorly profit the sport we all love. Say some little 12 year old kid who wouldnt really be normally exposed to freeskiing sees it on the olympics and picks up the sport and comes to love it like we all do isnt that a good thing? I mean if we really love this sport we want it to expand in a postive direction and have a lot of people love it like we do. Of course some douchebags and assholes are going to be thrown in there but i think if we really love this sport enough we can overlook that and view more exposure as a postive thing

sorry if that made absolutly no sense i suck at explaining things and tend to have stupid thoughts. Also i dont mean to offend anyone its just my personal opinon
Jun 21 2011 10:45PM
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fratskier69
Posts: 1868 - Karma: 1,271
ALL I GOT IS FUCK THE OLYMPICS

Jun 21 2011 11:07PM
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Baskilla
Posts: 409 - Karma: 202
FUCK YOU YOU FAT PIECE OF SHIT... I AM ACTUALLY COMPETING TO GET IN THE OLYMPICS AS WELL BUT I AM ALSO A REAL FUCKING SKIER AND SKIING IS MY LIFE... ALL I WANT TO DO WITH SKIING IS SKI EVERY MUTHAFUCKING DAY TIL I DIE AND A WAY TO GAURENTEE THAT IS BY WINNING A BIG COMP SO I CAN GET GOGGLES, SKIS, BINDINGS AND PASSES TIL I AM NO LONGER ON THIS EARTH... TELL ME THAT ALL OTHER PIPE SKERS OUT THERE WANT TO DO THAT AND YOU ARE TRIPPIN... YOU YOURSELF AS A MATTER OF FACT HAVE NEVER EVEN DONE ANYTHING IN THE PIPE ON YOUR SKIS YET YOU SOMEHOW CAN TELL EVERYBODY ELSE ABOUT THE WAY OTHER PEOPLE SHOULD SKI AND THINK ABOUT SKIING... SKIING IS FREE AND DUE TO PEOPLE LIKE DAN-MAN, CR JOHNSON, B&E, SHANE, TANNER, DUNCAN ADAMS, B-PAUL, JF, SAMMY, MALONE, B DEVINE, SPRIGGS AND MANY MANY MANY OTHER INSPIRING RIDERS WILL KEEP IT THAT WAY TILL THEY DAY THEY DIE!!!



Jun 21 2011 11:11PM
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Tittsviller
Posts: 121 - Karma: 23
Yah free Skiing is a awesome, rad, hardcore lifestyle. But theres a huge competition side to it as well. Therefore making it a "sport".
The publicity can only turn out good. think about it what bad could happen. I dont think anyone in the world will look at someone doing a dub in a superpipe and think "thats gay".
Skiing will always be underground too. As long as us and NS is around there will always be an underground feel to it regardless of how popular the pro's may get.
The industry side to skiing will also prosper from the olympics
real stupid thread haha
Jun 21 2011 11:38PM
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eheath
Posts: 61662 - Karma: 123,643
Real skiing on real mountains?


I dont understand either of your posts now. I was saying will always have an underground/video/edit/non competitive side, just like snowboarding does.
Jun 21 2011 11:39PM
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BlakeG
Posts: 1450 - Karma: 1,030
truth^
Jun 21 2011 11:39PM
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tall_pants
Posts: 663 - Karma: 446
I agree completely. Skiing is based on style not rules.
Jun 21 2011 11:40PM
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Saintlysteeze
Posts: 704 - Karma: 67
I live in maryland, and in my school I am one of the very few that actually ski, and one of 2 that actually jib and hit park for real. So in the school now people love talking about how they are good at snowboarding b/c they think they are cool, even though they really suck. And after this half-pipe thing, kids will transition to skiing and brag about how good they are even though they suck. Basically it will piss me off. And also spin to win should stop.. guys like casabon should be winning because skiing is about style, and not about how fast you can spin, like if you can do a dub 1260 japan grab (unless you land it like wallisch, cause its just afterbang heaven)
Jun 22 2011 12:07AM
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jca
Posts: 4172 - Karma: 6,310
skiing is based on fun. (for me)
some people have fun stomping the shit out of a stylie trick, some people have fun competing and traveling with a bunch of good people, some people have fun shredding mellow pow, some people have fun shredding gnarly "fall you die" lines.

i have fun doing it all.

Jun 22 2011 12:37AM
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turducken
Posts: 749 - Karma: 601
Thank you for expressing your opinion as you think this is what all skiers think.

Your self righteous bullshit was mildly entertaning. 6/10 at best.

(I know the grammar in that first sentence is terrible, but I'm retarded)
Jun 22 2011 12:49AM
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ski@jaypeak2
Posts: 2805 - Karma: 470
Comp skiing is foolish and comp skiers are jocks. Hit the gym brah!
Jun 22 2011 3:58PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
The truth is that 99% of skiers will not hit chad's gap, boost 25 feet out of a superpipe, stomp doubles and shred pow for a living. The people that do those things are a small, marginalized group that I consider disconnected from what skiing is to most people.

Don't get so butthurt about competition skiing, because in the end it doesn't matter what pros do, it doesn't matter if skiing is in the olympics.... Most of the people on this site will go out and ski next season, without any regard for the olympics.

I know that next year when the local resorts open I'll have my boots, skis, and poles, and I will go to the mountain. I will reluctantly pay the price for an obscenely expensive lift ticket because I know it will pay off. I will not try to emulate Mike Hornbeck or Tanner Hall, I will not be training for the olympics, and I will have a fucking awesome day after that first ride up the chair. And I bet 99% of the people on this site are exactly like me. We're going out because we do it for fun. And we are the people that decide what skiing is.

Real skiing occurs in half baked pow, minus 30 weather, and flat light, or when you finally find that pow stash after spending the last 3 hours looking for it, or when you take a run through the park, doing tricks that would never stand up in a video segment, but for some reason still feel so good. No manicured race courses, no heli lifts to the top of spectacular peaks, no superhuman achievements... Just you and the mountain. And THAT is what I ski for. And that is also why I don't give a flying fuck about the olympics.
Jun 22 2011 4:18PM
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nellyyy
Posts: 1676 - Karma: 3,269
I've never agreed so wholeheartedly with anything eheath's posted.

People opposing olympic participation, consider this question that has already been posed and avoided so many times:

How will skiing's olympic participation directly affect you? Will it suddenly make you intense and competitive with your skiing? Will you no longer have fun skiing? Will it change your style? Will you perceive skiing differently?
Jun 22 2011 4:21PM
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cbeebzthasteeze
Posts: 1862 - Karma: 85
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Jun 22 2011 4:23PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
made me chuckle.

i dont think comp skiing is bad. i go in 1 or 2 a season, theyre not serious and based on fun.

but pros who train all year round and live off of comps, are jocks.
Jun 22 2011 4:24PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
I would like to point out that some people view the people on the top of the game as some sort of person who is skiing for different reasons than the rest of us. Maybe that's not what you meant, or maybe that's what you actually think. Maybe that's true for some of them...

BUT, I've never personally met any professional skier on any level who doesn't ski because they love it. I know they all love competing, and pushing themselves to learn dubs... But they love it for the same reasons as you and I like to conquer a new rail, or spin a three over a larger jump / hit a bigger cliff than we ever have before.

In that way, I consider them just as connected with skiing as you or I. They do it because they love it. Even people that get heat for it, like Simon - for sure loves the same sport for the same reasons you and I do. Which is awesome.

Everyone who puts on the matching team USA North Face jacket and clicks into their skis at the top of the halfpipe loves what they are doing. They aren't disconnected from what skiing is to most people, because they pushed through what skiing is to most people to be standing at the top of that halfpipe.


Haters can whine all they want about halfpipe skiing in the Olympics. Fact of the matter is, skiing is awesome, freeskiing will always be freeskiing, and as soon as those guys take off their Jerseys there won't be any rules anymore. Until they put on another jersey for the next contest. Which is exactly how they like it.
Jun 23 2011 4:19AM
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Balzberg
Posts: 538 - Karma: 470
your bi-winning with everything you just said!
Jun 23 2011 7:20AM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7495 - Karma: 11,554
Best response to this yet.

Real skiing isnt about the "perfect blue sky after a massive dump day", or the epic pow day. Its about skiing with your friends, having a good time, and enjoying the freedom. The Olympics will never ever change this.
Jun 23 2011 2:43PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
Maybe for you. But for me, skiing IS FOR SURE about the "perfect blue ski after a massive dump day" AS WELL AS skiing with my friends, having a good time, and enjoying the freedom

If none of my friends want to wake up early to hit first chair on the bluebird deep day (it happens sometimes, as hard as it may be to believe) then FUCK 'EM ALL! I'm headed to the mountains to shred solo till they show up.

The point is that everyone enjoys different things about skiing, which is what's great about it. Just because people enjoy competing, throwing dubs in the BC or risking their lives to slide the gnarliest urban feature doesn't mean they are just paid stuntmen. They love skiing too, for the same reasons.

I enjoy going out and shooting people doing crazy shit I would never do, not just so that I can sell photos, but so that I can hang out with my friends. Them breaking themselves off and me taking pictures of it is just one more way to "enjoy the freedom" with your friends.
Jun 23 2011 4:02PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
Ironic that the guy who talks about how free skiing is, doesnt want to let other people take the sport the direction they feel like taking it.
Jun 23 2011 4:12PM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
The olympics have no chance of making the current state of professional skiing any worse than the aerials show that skiing has become in the last 3-4 years.

I've always been more interested in "real skiers skiing real mountains" as Tanner put it.
Jun 23 2011 4:16PM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7495 - Karma: 11,554
You just said what I wanted to say and made me look like an idiot. Respect.
Jun 23 2011 4:16PM
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Schoening
Posts: 14332 - Karma: 1,268
Personally I'm stoked pipe will be in the olympics and that people are really starting to appreciate the sport

I'm just not a fan of judged sports being in the olympics whether it's skiing or not. I do like judged sports don't get me wrong, though just not sure olympics is the right place for them.
Jun 23 2011 4:29PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,751
I'm with you on this one. The scoring is too arbitrary and complicated, and as we've seen in the past, the order on the podium isn't always indicative of the level of skiing that went down. However, it's another showcase for a group of athletes that deserve to be recognized on an international, prime-time stage. At the end of the day, as a fan, I'm less concerned with the results, and more interested in the skiing itself.

I don't know who it was (it's been quoted a few times) but whoever it was, they essentially summed up my stance. TWoods was dead on as well.
Jun 23 2011 6:20PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
Haha, I didn't mean to make you look like an idiot! I promise.
Jun 23 2011 6:54PM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7495 - Karma: 11,554
Regardless of what you meant to do, you elaborated on what I wanted to say quite well.

Thank you.
Jun 23 2011 8:29PM
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.ZT.
Posts: 5679 - Karma: 2,792
skiing having more coverage is good listen to what the pros are saying and the majority of ns.
Jul 8 2011 3:40PM
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shredsox
Posts: 66 - Karma: 14
Yes slope/pipe skiing will get way more exposure, and a flood of money for a handfull of athletes every four years.

What kind of exposure though? Will the course and judging continue to evolve with the athletes? Will already successfull events that have helped and supported skiing get to where it is be allowed into the qualifying systems of FIS?

Probably not!

FIS will create their own events that will compete with established events, and these events will probably only be good during olympic years. Coaches and teams will instruct their athletes to avoid most non FIS events to avoid injury. The people who have helped take skiing slope to the level it's at will be ignored by people who really only want the money/exposure/ratings that come with bringing our sport into the olympics.

And if there are more injuries like Kevin Pearce's in 2014 the IOC/FIS will respond to media pressure by establishing trick and course specifications just like the ones that dulled mogul skiing. (remember how the luge course was shortened after the tragic death of the georgian luger)


Jul 8 2011 4:36PM
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