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Front Page NY Times article about freeskiing

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Eljefe5
Posts: 63 - Karma: 91
Front page article on the NY Times website right now about freeskiing in the olympics. Contrasts the two sports by interviewing David Wise. Interesting read but kinda shows how this sport has become a winter gymnastics. The quote that kinda sums it up:

"The top men in slopestyle are likely to perform twisting triple flips, while their halfpipe counterparts will try to win with multiple doubles in their routines."


Who knows, maybe Shawn Johnson's daughter will be competing in slopestyle in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Jan 24 2014 3:05AM
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Jeebus.
Posts: 4904 - Karma: 5,822
of course they have to mention shawn white….
Jan 24 2014 3:12AM
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jordangaebel
Posts: 365 - Karma: 92
Thats pretty tight to see something like this on a big webpage
Jan 24 2014 3:36AM
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joris.blanc
Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584
This article was actually pretty good and accurate knowing that it is for a general public.
And yes, freeskiing, at least Olympic freesking is kinda like winter gymnastics.
Jan 24 2014 5:50AM
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,084
for us it wont really matter. but all these "extreme sports" look goofy at the olympics. i would rather keep it at the xgames.

in 10 years or more, people will look at freeskiing like aerials. there is no way around that imo. can you name one sport you think is cool @ the olympics? yeah i thought so.

kids in 10 years want to do something else, not train for the olympics in a tight-ass training schedule in their local FIS-freeski club.

ive been on this train since 2002 or so, and there were so many cool things happening in this sport. all that freedom of expression. the olympics are most definitely not one of those things.
Jan 24 2014 6:03AM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7489 - Karma: 11,551
Hockey.

Downhill races. Super-G races.

Luge, bobsled, and skeleton can be fun to watch for a short time.

IMO summer offers a lot more "cool" sports to watch, but thats just the nature of not needing cold/snow.
Jan 24 2014 8:34AM
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bfulmer
Posts: 3053 - Karma: 1,975
BOBSLED
Jan 24 2014 8:36AM
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,084
there is a difference between a "cool" sport that is attracting teenagers and a sport that is fun to watch while its on during the olympics.


obviously, there are some interesting sports, i just think that the olympic label instantly classifies a sport as having all these FIS type of structures with comps and clubs and whatnot, whereas i dont envision skiing that way.

films and individually having fun are more important i think.
Jan 24 2014 8:42AM
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Nacho+
Posts: 3748 - Karma: 7,791
pretty good article. They literally mention Shean Wheat's name more than Wise's
Jan 24 2014 8:49AM
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.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7489 - Karma: 11,551
True. I assumed when you meant cool you inferred fun to watch.

I guess having come from a racing background I have never had an issue with the whole FIS/regulating body idea. Is it incompetent at times? Yes but what governing body isnt?

Fortunately, not every club requires people to race. FIS does not permeate all types of racing (USCSA, Beer League, etc), and I can see that not every freeskier will want to be part of a club that has all these strict rules. I dont see the downfall of things like R2R, Dumont Cup, etc. There will always be an area for films and individually having fun.

I am one of the few on this forum who believes the Olympic exposure will benefit freestyle skiing. No longer will it be shunned aside by racers and general skiers as an arena that has no future, rather, parents and sponsors will come to embrace it like other "mainstream" events like X-Games, World Cup racing, and athletes may actually make a decent living. This potential influx of money could bring in more films (who doesnt love that?), better advertising for athletes, better parks, and even possibly healthcare for athletes.

This does not mean that the freeskiing everyone here knows and loves will be overrun by corporate America. The skiers like 4bi9, Inspired, B&E guys will always be on the scene. Will they change their acts? I doubt it. The skiers like Dumont, Carlson, Wallisch, and TYW will be the ones to attractive the sponsors because of their clean appearance and ability to be a role model. Look at the USST. Bode is still Bode. I rarely, if ever, see him in mainstream media. After his whole debacle showing up hung over to the last Olympics, I doubt any non-skier parent wants their kid to be like Bode. Rather, Ted Ligety is the face of the USST because he is a better role model.

TL;DR

There will always be a place for the freeskiing we have now. It has been shown in racing and many other sports.There is an arena for those who enjoy less competition in sports.
Jan 24 2014 9:09AM
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GANKI
Posts: 76 - Karma: 264
i guess crossing your poles is the new crowd pleasing pose

fuck poles hit moles
Jan 24 2014 9:14AM
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motionmovement
Posts: 108 - Karma: 59
There's a huge contradiction when Wise says the poles are useless, Jankowski says their used for speed (probably not referring to half pipe but that's the way it's presented in the article), and then the writer saying that skiers cross their poles (implied as if its a trick).

Anyway, from someone outside the sport, its not a bad article. Picking up on the backwards thing, the speed/height, number of tricks, and crossing of skis are good comparisons.

I've thought this for a while, but freeskiiing has been steadily growing and now once its shown in the Olympics, the sport is going to explode. It's already so sickening that pro skiers train year round, go to the gym, have coaches, and learn all their tricks into water or airbags. Not to mention that there's schools and coaches for amateurs. But the sport blowing up is also good, it means better parks even at shitty mountains and more money to fund things like traveling circus.

Also, we can deny it, but there's something inherently cool about skiing and its mostly related to aesthetics that has drawn us to the sport in some way or another and so much of freeskiing is about proving this to others. So, deny it all you want, but it's going to feel great when people see how much cooler freeskiing is than snowboarding.




Jan 24 2014 4:55PM
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