Congratulations to Nick, well deserved.
But, man. There's just something I don't really care for about the kid. It's getting pretty difficult to find fault in his skiing, though.
He used to look so damn effortful. Even with 450's on, he did such an exaggerated, aerialist style prewind and his arms would go over his head and he'd suck everything in pencil style, and it frankly looked hucked and awful. Well, he's figured it out, and he doesn't really do that shit anymore. He used to set his dub 12's like an aerialist where he had that really mechanical, deliberate arm set, and he had no carve whatsoever. He'd come in dead straight every time which made it look really robotic. When you contrast that with someone like Jossi who looks like a skier who happens to be a ninja in the air vs. Nick who looks like a gymnast/trampolinist who happens to ski pretty well, Goepper always came up short.
Well, he's coming around, and his style is developing and I'd say his comfort level and all around feel is starting to catch up to his athleticism and technical ability.
A note on snowboarding slope:
Give me a fucking break. Mark McMorris 2nd run outscoring Parrot's 1st was a goddamn joke. Really....a double wildcat? Mark's jibs were dope, really tech, big, and smooth, but I just don't see how you can score him so highly when he's basically doing a setup trick before his triple. Parrot did 2 consecutive triples, and landed both bolts on the first go. I was really surprised. Plus, McMorris seems like such a spoiled, entitled brat. Obviously no love lost between him and Max. Did you see the cutaway to Mark after Max's run? Mark and his fucking handlers had the most transparent look of hatred on their faces. Mark was doing the most half-assed golf clap.
