 Poster: A snowHead
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snowleopard, not sure you missed much. It's a double GS - there's another one today and conditions should be much better than yesterday when the course was very soft for the late starters. At least there's a bit of a frost this morning. Shame you can't make it - it's just half an hour down the road! Could have picked you up, had I known.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh - you able to drive again PG?? Great news!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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thanks for the offer pg
i am stuck in meribel most of the time, if however you are going to either the scotish gs in courchevel, the cit race in val thorens or the belgian race in val thorens i could do with a lift, there and can always get back on my own after the race provided all the right lifts are working
alright guys finished some free skiing today and have to get ready for races this weekend
i will check tonight if i have any messages from you
thanks again for the offer pg 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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snowleopard, that looks like a busy week, starting today, taking you through most of next week - sorry I can't help out as I'll be in Les Arcs today for the FIS slalom, then Meribel for those children's/junior races we talked about for tomorrow and Monday, then I may have to be back in Val d'Isère for the international children's races through to Thursday... best of luck anyway.
SteveG, yes getting active, even if movement is pretty restricted and skiing is out of the question... fortunately the Club here does most of the running about - and it's got to the stage where dads are superfluous to requirements with respect to helping her sort out her racing day (or being anywhere within sight, come to that!). I just go along to watch now - and hide if anything goes wrong. It's been a pretty good season - she came second in the local Savoie region over the whole season (by the racing equivalent of a short nose over 12 races), and currently lies 12th in the national French Fed's points tables. Starting to get a bit scary to watch though, with more and more speed events, even downhill training now. Even a GS can result in some serious damage. I was watching the FIS race at Arcs 1600 yesterday - one racer put his arm through a gate at high speed just in front of me, and I could hear the crack as it literally pulled him back and into the air. He eventually came to a halt about 100 metres further down. Two bibs later another crash at the same gate, knee ligaments this time. It's a dangerous sport...
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sat 2-04-05 6:50; edited 2 times in total
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| Quote: |
one racer put his arm through a gate at high speed just in front of me, and I could hear the crack
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 not sure i'd be ready for that.
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| PG wrote: |
| it's got to the stage where dads are superfluous to requirements with respect to helping her sort out her racing day (or being anywhere within sight, come to that!) |
Have you even been demoted from coat-carrying duty? It's a tough life being a dad...
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finished a cit race in val thorens today
the monkey on my back got me in the first run, so had to do a short but steep climb
the fiasco of a first run seemed to have fired me up for the second one, did very well
first run 1.40. something second srun 1.17. something seconds
only consolation i believe is this time i was not at the bottom of the list
will be going to chourchevel tommorrow, hope to get 2 agreesive runs in, and hope to see you pg
well thats my report for today
i am out
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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just checked the provisional results of todays race the morocan seems to have vanished of the list
but as the list says it is not yet valid for fis points
thanks pg i will need all the luck i can find and much more
may God bless my 2 runs
amen 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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i will do my best to get the results of tommorrows race to you as soon as i can
140 would make my first season wonderful
i think i will have to find a way of getting angry just before my first run 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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rob@rar.org.uk, well I've got to drive her to tomorrow's British race as it's nothing to do with the Les Arcs club so she'll have to put up with that... but the days of me doing the course inspection with her when no one else is around are long gone...
snowleopard, anger is good, but only up to a point!
Given the forecast for a clear night, it should be rock hard for the first run, the course not breaking up much for the higher start numbers, so with razor sharp edges and a bit of luck, that's when you need to get the good time in! Going by today's race in Les Arcs it gets a bit soft by late morning, so a good start number for the second run needed...
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snowleopard, PS.... tomorrow's race in Courchevel according to the calendar is the slalom, not the GS? Sure you've got the right day? The FIS site says the GS is on the 4th.
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You know it makes sense.
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| PG wrote: |
rob@rar.org.uk, well I've got to drive her to tomorrow's British race as it's nothing to do with the Les Arcs club so she'll have to put up with that... but the days of me doing the course inspection with her when no one else is around are long gone...
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Just imagine what it will be like when she's racing World Cup - will you even get a spectator's ticket
Wish her good luck from me for the British championships.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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And I've got my fingers crossed for good results from both Hanna & Kwame. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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kuwait_ian, well the bad news is that she skied under a gate just before the finish of the first run of the slalom, used her momentum to turn back up the slope, then stepped through the gate before pushing off again - she lost about four seconds. Still despite this there was some good news!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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hello amigos
finished both runs today, didnt expect the penalty to be so heavy
i just checked the fis points and after calculations, in tadays races i bettered my points by 10points
i believe i have now broken through the speed wall and i am on a slow but sure advance towards the all important 140points. the monkey is of my back at last and i just thank God
pg sorry to hear about hanna skiing under the gate, i know how missing gates affects time, but good she did not give up, thats the spirit
i will be at the bottom of the piste tommorrow since i do not have any races and have to give my swollen foot a rest, soo i will look out for you and hanna
all in all it has been a pretty good day for me
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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i will check later on tonight and reply any messages
the leopard is advancing in the ski world
meow 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| PG wrote: |
| kuwait_ian, well the bad news is that she skied under a gate just before the finish of the first run of the slalom, used her momentum to turn back up the slope, then stepped through the gate before pushing off again - she lost about four seconds. Still despite this there was some good news! |
Amazing - walking back up the hill and still coming first! Who was that presenting the cup? Pass on my congratulations to her.
Regards
Rob
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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rob@rar.org.uk, no idea.... No racers present to present cups at GB national events, just officials and, occasionally, Prince Edward 
Hesitating about whether she should do the race tomorrow - they've changed it to a Super G, and are running the best part of 300 boys and girls on the same course, boys first. Seems crazy to me. They're not resetting after the boys, and because of conditions there's no room to have two separate courses. By the time they get around to the girls it'll be very warm, and given the conditions - and the fact that most of the kids are nowhere near the standard for a Super G and won't race a correct Super G line - there could well be ruts, and in the wrong places. Late starting fast racers trying to take the proper direct line will be juddering down at best, taking off over the rut lines by some gates at worst.
No sensible seeding system - 40 second start intervals, so chances are some kids will be caught by the next racer over a full length Super G course.
_________________________________
Snowleopard's race at Courchevel today:
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/610.html?sector=AL&raceid=32381
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PG, that arrangement sounds crazy - no thought about safety whatsoever!
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so hanna today
shes got speed and definately is an up and coming race star
as for the arrangement not suprised at all, looking at some of the arrangements done during the seniors event
dont know why it could not be held in some other location like courchevel, where snow conditions on their stade seem to be far better than meribel and the piste easier for the kids
300 kids, dont they have a safety limit on numbers?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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At the race meeting last night quite a few coaches pulled some less able kids out of the race, and rightly so, so the final total was down around 200. All the same...
In the end all got down safely, although Chief of Race Jim Hewitt was having kittens right up to the final racer.
snowleopard, are you entered for the Belgian GS in Val Thorens tomorrow?
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 5-04-05 7:16; edited 2 times in total
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PG, did Hannah race in the Super G? Do they do a Super G for Childrens 1?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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See bottom of this post on snowRacers:
It was a bit dicey, so she had to take it easy - she was one of the last down through the slush, but won her Children 1 category ok.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Tue 5-07-05 6:14; edited 1 time in total
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Excellent. Clean sweep with the GS tomorrow?
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rob@rar.org.uk, now there's the rub. There's an international series in Val d'Isère, the 'Scara', this week, starting with the qualifiers tomorrow. The British Team is entered (of which Hannah is a member)... but because of the selection system fiasco, she's not been picked. As a result she has to pre-qualify tomorrow with her French club while the selected British team girls can take part in the British GS tomorrow, going straight in to the Wednesday final of the Scara through the foreign team quota system!
Shame cos she she only needed to finish in the top 20 or so girls in the British GS tomorrow to pick up the overall title. She still might, because either the girl who was second in the Slalom or the one who was second in the Super G has to win tomorrow - even without Hannah taking part - to pip her to the title (Hannah, with 200 points, has more than an 80 point lead - World Cup system - over both girls... it's 100 points for a win, 80 points for second place).
Still Snowsport GB apparently prefers to enter competitors who are several seconds slower - nearly 6 in the Super G - and that would represent maybe 50 places in a race like the Scara!
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You know it makes sense.
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British snowsport is run by idiots.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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PG. Over the course of this winter - and this thread - it's been a wonder to behold your change of thinking on the qualities of Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong and those who run British ski racing!
Don't get me wrong but I'm fascinated to know what caused you to change your mind in both cases - as far as I know the respective people are the very same as they were four months ago. On Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, who is intending to ski for Ghana at the Turin Winter Olympics, you stated:
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| It's totally ridiculous. He hasn't got a snowball's chance in hell of getting within sight of your average alpine club pre-teen come the Turin Olympics. Just another promotional stunt while so many really gifted kids can't afford the training they need...It's a colour of skin, Xscape publicity thing and businesses that rarely if ever support genuinely talented youngsters immediately jump on the bandwaggon - pure opportunism. |
PG - Are you "jumping on the bandwagon", or has something persuaded you that this is not a promotional stunt of a hopeless athlete?
On the people who run British skiing, you said [December 15] in response to a question as to whether British skiers would better benefit from Kwame's sponsorship money:
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| They certainly would, if the dinosaurs that are, essentially, in control of British competitive snow sports, were to get their act together and promote the sport properly. |
So let's have it, PG: Who are the dinosaurs? And who, in contrast, are the "very astute indeed" people running British snowsports? Or did the dinosaurs recently go into extinction?!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Before we get PG's reply, can I clarify my position on Kwame's backing.
| bigwavedave wrote: |
| Kwame is totally nonconnected to Xscape other than by the fact he trains on the slope and used to work there. |
On the basis of this from Page 1 of this thread, posts by Snow Leopard himself and other interviews and his web site, I'm now prepared to accept he is not part of an Xscape-led, publicity-seeking machine. I therefore happily retract my post on page 1 where I implied he was.
He comes across as a dedicated, self-motivated guy who may have been extremely lucky in attracting equipment and other sponsorship but he seems to have done it only by his own efforts and with the help of friends.
We should perhaps be careful about calling people idiots - not that I expect many or even any of that particular group to frequent snowHeads. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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David, I'll be interested to see PG's reply, but my read on this,
"a few of them are very astute indeed "
Was a suggestion that there could have been a little nest feathering going on when refering to the selection system in his post of; Mon Apr 04, 2005 5:37 pm.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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OT - if there was such a beast as an astute, idiotic dinosaur what would it be called ????? Shrewdassosaurus.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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kuwait_ian, unlucky.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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David Goldsmith, I am puzzled. All I can do is suggest that you read my posts once again. My views have not changed.
I doubt, as at the outset, that Kwame will achieve the 140 FIS points he requires. That is not to say that I do not wish him personally the very best of luck in his attempt to reach his target, but I still think that it will prove extremely difficult. I've now met the guy on a couple of occasions and I believe he is a sincere, motivated, all-round good guy. I really hope he proves me wrong as a result.
From the beginning I thought that an organisation, supporting the effort to get Ghana's first Winter Olympian to the pistes of Turin, stood to gain considerably from the resultant publicity. I felt that it was opportunism on the part of any sponsors that came on board, rather than a genuine belief that they were supporting a future Olympic star (in terms of performance). My scepticism remains fully intact in this respect. My original remarks were specifically aimed at those who may have seen this as a potential marketing vehicle, and certainly not Kwame himself. The last few months of considerable press exposure have done little to change my mind.
As for the dinosaurs, they survived and prospered for a very long time. Some consider that the reactionaries in numerous institutions may hinder progress, but to assume a lack of intelligence would be very foolish.
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| Quote: |
My views have not changed.
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Well, in that case do you still believe that the colour of Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong's skin is an issue - in the sense that it was just a novelty from the sponsor's perspective (?) or did you have something else in mind?
But what about the central issue - if you still believe that Kwame is incapable of securing 140 FIS points (actually your initial view was that he "hasn't got a snowball's chance in hell of getting within sight of your average alpine club pre-teen"), are you still saying that he doesn't deserve sponsorship money?
As for those who run British competitive snow sports, if you're now saying that they're not all dinosaurs (large animals with tiny brains), but a significant number are "very astute indeed" then I think it's right to ask again:
Who are the gifted ones? We need to know!
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Strange. I thought I'd answered all of your questions in my previous post. But to spell it out once again.
Yes.
No.
I didn't say that.
With ref to pre-teens in alpine clubs, to give you an example, as things stand after his first season he would still be a distance behind a considerable number of 12 year olds. Taking a recent race in Courchevel, one of Kwame's best results to date, the group A children 1 category racers (girls and boys) from the Les Arcs club would expect to finish in times between 1'10" and 1'15".
If you check your dictionary, I think you'll find that there is a figurative sense for the term 'dinosaur' - such as (OED) "something that has not adapted to changing circumstances".
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You're not willing to name those administrators of British skiing you believe to be the most astute?
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David Goldsmith, is this an attempt to bore anyone reading this thread to death? I have at no point indicated that I possess the ability to distinguish between relative levels of astuteness within the hierarchy of British skiing, other than on the broadest of levels in a passing, somewhat flippant, aside.
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