Winter Olympics
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Fucking FIS have wrecked another snow sport.
Ski and board cross used to be on tracks about half the width with more competitors. It was awesome rollerball type stuff to watch and a fun event.
It is now dominated by failed downhillers rather than freeskiers. The track is wide and fast and whoever gets in front leads the procession. A bit like why F1 motor racing is such a yawn to watch.
It was always feared that putting freeski events like slope style and pipe in the Olympics would change the feel around them too. Making them more a prescribed technical event rather than one where style was rewarded alongside execution.
Apparently the aerials used to be quite freeform and once the FIS starting prescribing hard rules for the Olympics they became the colourless exhibition of twisting and flipping we see now. -
wait, what? two medals? in one games? jesus
Actually, someone can probably tell me. I know why the Aussies aren't that great, they have snow-covered hills here. But we have actual, real mountains, and facilities and shit. Why aren't we better at the winter olympics?
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wait, what? two medals? in one games? jesus
Actually, someone can probably tell me. I know why the Aussies aren't that great, they have snow-covered hills here. But we have actual, real mountains, and facilities and shit. Why aren't we better at the winter olympics?
@mariner4life Cash money.
That young kiwi Nico bloke was awesome - 16 years old - talking smack to the camera "suns out guns out" and then slays it on his runs.
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wait, what? two medals? in one games? jesus
Actually, someone can probably tell me. I know why the Aussies aren't that great, they have snow-covered hills here. But we have actual, real mountains, and facilities and shit. Why aren't we better at the winter olympics?
@mariner4life said in Winter Olympics:
wait, what? two medals? in one games? jesus
Actually, someone can probably tell me. I know why the Aussies aren't that great, they have snow-covered hills here. But we have actual, real mountains, and facilities and shit. Why aren't we better at the winter olympics?
Because relatively speaking, we don't. Having a few ski resorts and and some slushy snow is nothing compared to what other have. Loads of north america / europe are covered in snow for 5 months a year. Loads of frozen lakes for natural ice rinks, and people using snow/ski equpment just to get to school. Not quite the same as being ferried up the Remarkables in Daddy's range rover a few weekends a year.
@crucial said in Winter Olympics:
@rocky-rockbottom said in Winter Olympics:
The whole saga has been hilarious to watch in the U.K. from the perspective of watching the TV presenters crash and burn as well.
They hyped her up big time, set her up as the likely golden girl of the games. Whenever disaster came the story changed a little. First crash out wasn't her fault (even though she was penalised), second one also wasn't her fault until they went quiet on the replay then talked about her potential injury instead. Third time she was the hero, fighting pain to secure a spot in the final, yet she was double penalised, yellow carded and disqualified.Yeah, you are correct. They just cannot stop going on about her. I watched a few hours yesterday and I saw at least 40 minutes of discussion panels about her. I saw a BBC pundit has still labelled her as her athlete of the games - it's quite unbelievable.
To be fair though, outside the BBC they have faced a LOT of criticism from a lot of corners about it. And rightly so.
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@mariner4life said in Winter Olympics:
wait, what? two medals? in one games? jesus
Actually, someone can probably tell me. I know why the Aussies aren't that great, they have snow-covered hills here. But we have actual, real mountains, and facilities and shit. Why aren't we better at the winter olympics?
Because relatively speaking, we don't. Having a few ski resorts and and some slushy snow is nothing compared to what other have. Loads of north america / europe are covered in snow for 5 months a year. Loads of frozen lakes for natural ice rinks, and people using snow/ski equpment just to get to school. Not quite the same as being ferried up the Remarkables in Daddy's range rover a few weekends a year.
@crucial said in Winter Olympics:
@rocky-rockbottom said in Winter Olympics:
The whole saga has been hilarious to watch in the U.K. from the perspective of watching the TV presenters crash and burn as well.
They hyped her up big time, set her up as the likely golden girl of the games. Whenever disaster came the story changed a little. First crash out wasn't her fault (even though she was penalised), second one also wasn't her fault until they went quiet on the replay then talked about her potential injury instead. Third time she was the hero, fighting pain to secure a spot in the final, yet she was double penalised, yellow carded and disqualified.Yeah, you are correct. They just cannot stop going on about her. I watched a few hours yesterday and I saw at least 40 minutes of discussion panels about her. I saw a BBC pundit has still labelled her as her athlete of the games - it's quite unbelievable.
To be fair though, outside the BBC they have faced a LOT of criticism from a lot of corners about it. And rightly so.
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics:
@mariner4life said in Winter Olympics:
wait, what? two medals? in one games? jesus
Actually, someone can probably tell me. I know why the Aussies aren't that great, they have snow-covered hills here. But we have actual, real mountains, and facilities and shit. Why aren't we better at the winter olympics?
Because relatively speaking, we don't. Having a few ski resorts and and some slushy snow is nothing compared to what other have. Loads of north america / europe are covered in snow for 5 months a year. Loads of frozen lakes for natural ice rinks, and people using snow/ski equpment just to get to school. Not quite the same as being ferried up the Remarkables in Daddy's range rover a few weekends a year.
You can rule out most of the sports straight away due to facilities. Ski Jump, Nordic, luge, bob etc
We have, however, done a fantastic job of investing in and playing to our strengths in areas where we do have the facilities.
We have ice rinks and just need more participation for better internal competition to get stronger.
Big wraps to Cardrona. It was the success of local kids the Wells brothers in international comps (with massive sacrifices from the family to fund themselves for a long time) that encouraged Cardrona to invest in their park and pipe facilities. Most competition half pipes are constructed by kiwis now.
For quite a number of years now it is the local kids emulating and encouraged by the Wells kids and their mates from overseas that has raised the game. I’m sure I would have seen Nico ski a number of times at Cardrona when little. One of the groms practicing endlessly in the park like many others. For them it is awesome getting to watch and learn alongside the elite on their home ground. James Woods for example spends about 5 or 6 months a year living in NZ now as he has the facilities easily available.
The investment in youth has already paid off with two medals and a third would be phenomenal -
