daveyladboy, +1. I thought it was a very good show. Really enoyed it. I watched Eurosport to get the detailed race coverage, but enjoyed dseeing it again in highlight format on the BBC. There must be loads more tales to tell like the St Bernard piece. I wish they would bring back high altitude to tell those tales. Good work Beeb.
Cheers
Smag
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I got hooked on watching ski racing from when Ski Sunday used to have proper race coverage with David Vine!! I rarely watch it now as their race coverage is just so poor compared to Eurosport/Eurosportplayer. At least this week they did give a mention and show about 6 secs of TJ's Downhill run yesterday. Did not mention or show anything of the Super Combined today at Cham where he came 33rd or the post race interview he did with Graham Bell. Waste of time/money doing it if they don't use it.
The programme is neither one thing or the other. Easy way, just show the racing on the red button and have a holiday/interest programme on BBC2.
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?
Plugboy, David Vine, how long ago was that. Brings back some vague childhood memories from before I ever strapped a plank to my feet. It is a pity Brits get barely a mention, most of the time if you only watched ski sunday you wouldn't even know any competed at all.
Watched it, enjoyed it but got kind of bored by the end of the race footage. Seen one run seen them all!! Unless someone bails of course, that's always interesting... I'd like more interest stuff personally...
I think race on red button as Plugboy says then short highlights on TV would be good. And maybe some free skiing if it's not too much
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
RobW wrote:
davidthornton wrote:
Ski racing has not been given the chance to build up a TV audience in the U.K. What do we get each winter? At best less than 10 x 45min programmes- total 7.5hrs!!
You need to expand your horizon way beyond the Beeb.
For example, yesterday morning you had a choice of three different ski racing programs (at the same time!!). Eurosport was showing the ladies downhill from Garmish, Eurosport 2 was showing the mens downhill from Les Houches/Chamonix, and the other Eurosport (news?) was the telemark combined from somewhere else.
You only real complaint is that the BBC aren't catering for your wants: but other providers are available.
I do not accept that the BBC has the right to tell me/us to go away and pay for another "Provider", when the BBC has already been paid by the Licence payer and the taxpayer to make Ski Sunday a successful product running over decades.
The Old-fashioned idea of Tele-Vision is a simple one. Make it like the audience is at the venue by means of vision at a distance.
The trendy Beeb programme makers think this means shoving a constantly rabbiting fat head in front of a camera. Then, most BBC programmes set in the outdoors seem to be impossible for them to make without the cliche'ed helo shots that show off the steadi-cam kit.
With today's digital technology, it should be simple and inexpensive to make pictures ubiquitous. They shouldn't need studio-time or much editing.
They should have much more simple, live feed available on Red Button.
I thought Cuche put it magnificently when he likened the Hahnenkamm to a love affair. Even the soft-skilled arts educated Beeb bods have never matched this level of poetry. If they can't make a sports programme "pay", can't they get an audience for a love story?
smagsmith, I agree, best programme of the otherwise very disappointing series
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I rather enjoyed the section on the Grand St. Bernard monastery. Especially how different the place is in winter compared to summer (drove up there Sept 2010).
After all it is free
After all it is free
robapplegate, David Vine He was the Governer and He loved Val Disere, Last year when I went to Tignes every time I saw the sign for Val Disere. I thought of David Vine introducing ski sunday.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
But I hated Ed Leigh's piece from Alta the previous week - it was repetitive and whingey and pointless.
I rate Graham much more than Ed. And yes, they both have dream jobs...
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Was the bit in the monastary the first time Ed Leigh has been seen without a hat on? Don't ever recall seeing him without one...
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Speed climbing the Eiger? Very interesting. What relevance was this to skiing sport?
Nothing on Innsbruck youth games.
This week the skj coverage was well worth watching.
It makes you realise how tough it is as Cuche turns down 1million dollars to race another season.
good on the ex army sitski racer. Great skiing from him.
Getting blown up was apparently the best thing that ever happened to him.
Why don't we have more young racers? It would be better and cheaper to miss out the explosion.
Come on Britain. Compete!
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.
SkiPresto wrote:
What relevance was this to skiing sport?
Does it matter? Anything interesting and up a mountain is good for me.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I thought that fast climbing thing was interesting, and I would like to see you do that with no ropes
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I thought this week was pretty good.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Alans deep bath, I did too.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I thought the downhill course looked terrifying.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Frosty the Snowman, +1. Probably as terrifying as trying to scale the North Face of the Eiger or being pushed down an icy run in a sit ski
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?
SkiPresto wrote:
Speed climbing the Eiger? Very interesting. What relevance was this to skiing sport?
Handy skill to have if the lift breaks down or the lines are too long?
Remarkable stuff though.
Last nights show was close to my heart. Pete Dunning was the guy interviewed in the Sit Ski, he learnt to ski following his accident at Battle Back in Bavaria, a scheme to help rehabilitate injured soldiers using sport and adventure training. Every March Battl Back takes 20 injured Servicemen to Bavaria and teaches them to ski and mountain skills. I'm proud to say that I'm part of the Battle Back Ski Instructor Team.....its a rewarding and humbling experience.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
thepirate, good work fella. There were more than the average around PDS in Jan. One in particular caught my attention. I was on a stopped lift above a piste watching a sit skier with ESF bloke behind him. Obviously learning, the sit skier kept toppling over, at least 4 times in around 30 meters. Each time they got back up (sometimes with help, sometimes not) and carried on down. The determination shown was tremendous and humbling, made me think of how sorry for myself I was when I did my ACL and puts everything back into perspective.
Am I right in thinking that tremendous upper body strength is required to use the mini-ski stick thingies? (apologies for appalling lack of correct terminology)
I thought yesterday's was pretty good - the Uli Stock piece did't fill the full slot, and was pretty pretty even if you'd seen it before and the Pete Dunning piece was very interesting and if anything could have been expanded to show how much training was involved.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Dr John wrote:
thepirate, good work fella. There were more than the average around PDS in Jan. One in particular caught my attention. I was on a stopped lift above a piste watching a sit skier with ESF bloke behind him. Obviously learning, the sit skier kept toppling over, at least 4 times in around 30 meters. Each time they got back up (sometimes with help, sometimes not) and carried on down. The determination shown was tremendous and humbling, made me think of how sorry for myself I was when I did my ACL and puts everything back into perspective.
Am I right in thinking that tremendous upper body strength is required to use the mini-ski stick thingies? (apologies for appalling lack of correct terminology)
mini ski stick thingys = outriggers
they don't need a great amount of strength, this is assessed when you first meet the individual, along with any other injuries that they may also have sustained, brain damage, poor eye sight, use of colostemy (spelling) bags etc.
To run the courses we take 1 Adaptive instructor per student + helpers, Rehab Instructors and Physio's.
The idea behind adaptive skiing is to give the the individual as much independancy as possible. For instance, if a guy has only lost one leg he will '3 track' ie ski on one ski with two long outriggers.
We have several guys that have lost 3 limbs (both legs and one arm), you normally need a hand to grip the outrigger, However in the past we have managed to adapt an outrigger to fit/secure onto the guys left arm stump which allowed him to ski independantly in a mono ski. Once mastered the individuals can move around the mountain just like able bodied people without assistance (chair lifts and T-Bars), giving them the freedom that a wheel chair or prosphetic legs don't on level ground.
If personnel don't have the required strength then they will use a Bi Ski which can be controlled by the individual using head/upper body movements but secured to a guide/instructor using leashes at the rear for safety.
Once the guys have been through Battle Back, and if they are good enough they move onto the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team.....the CSDST trains with the British Disabled Ski Team and is a great breeding ground for new upcoming talent.........watch this space in the 2014 Winter Olympics.....we will have a very strong Paraolympic Team.
After all it is free
After all it is free
to add.
During recent Operations in Afghan, 42 Commando, 45 personnel sustained life changing injuries.....they lost 7..... inevitably we will see some of the injured guys out in Bavaria in March.
Last year one of my students had lost both his legs in October 2010.......4 1/2 Months later in March 11 we had him carving up the red runs, doing 360 spins and small jumps in a mono sit ski.......the change it made to his mental state of mind in just 10 days was amazing.
I'm not blowing smoke up my ar$e here, this is real life and happening right now, its a big team event and I'm just proud to be a small part of it, I was really pleased to see it highlighted on Ski Sunday......i you missed it......go watch it now on iplayer:-)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
thepirate, I don't think there would be many who would feel you were "blowing smoke up your ar$e" without some justification. Good on you. Seriously.
thepirate wrote:
watch this space in the 2014 Winter Olympics.....we will have a very strong Paraolympic Team.
Both incredibly uplifting and sad at the same time.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
thepirate, blow away my friend.
Are you proficient on a sit ski? Do you have to be to teach it?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
thepirate, Well done for all your work, it was well covered in Ski Sunday - and best of luck to Pete Dunning and all the rest of the guys who attend Battle Back and get stuck into winter sport via the Sit Ski's. These guys are brilliant athletes and their PMA is a credit to them. Total respect to them.
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.
thepirate, congrats for you and the team, you're doing great work.
It's a bit OT but saw this the other day, may interest some - Josh Dueck landing first ever backflip in a sitski on snow.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
thepirate, brilliant.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I can get around the mountain on a sit ski (Mono Ski) you do it as part of the BASI 2 Adaptive. And if we get a free day and have spare equipment we'll go out and practice.....its good fun!
Josh Dueck's achievements have been truly amazing, he has also achieved Silver in the 2012 Olympics and takes his Mono Free Skiing in the back country!! the dude rocks!!
I'll see if I can dig out some Battle Back Pics from 2010.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Richard_Sideways, awesome!!
thepirate, great work!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Snow Warrior Adaptive 2010 (Battle Back)
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
thepirate, though ive seen loads of folks on sit skis Ive not seen anyone get on the chair lifts with one - interesting and inspirational stuff
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?
I've just caught up on this episode on iPlayer, and the vaguely racist comedy-East-European-accented cold-do-you-see-what-I-did-there-war (cold as in snow!) punning intro was atrocious. Tabloidy balls.
When the downhill run is staged in Austria, it doesn't get introduced as 'ze birssplass ov Hittler' in a Herr Flick/Dr Strangelove voice does it?
Although the man with no legs was quite good I suppose.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
paulio wrote:
Although the man with no legs was quite good I suppose.
Actually, no it wasn't. He was, of course. I mean the 'piece'.
Lots of lingering tear-jerking grainy slo-mo war footage, in lieu of of what could have been an altogether more interesting snowsports story, followed by a patronising 'what a great guy!' from the presenters. Yuck.
Yeah, the Russia intro was absolutely cringeworthy, I'd be surprised if they haven't had complaints. Narrow minded and cliched at best and bordering on racist at worst. Don't they have an editor?!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
When I was doing my ASSI back about 1988 we had a guy called Mike Hammond come over to introduce us to the possibilities of teaching folk with disabilities to ski. He was a real inspiration & taught with or without his prosthesis depending on his clients. While the recent increased media visibility due to our military casualties is to be welcomed, lets not forget Mike and co have been providing opportunities like this for over 20 years on a miniscule budget. I wonder where he is now?
Hammond was championing disabled skiing (and water skiing) as far back as the 70s.
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.
cardweg, Bode Swiller, I was thinking of Mike Hammond as well during that piece. He did some courses for us in the late 70s at Gloucester as well as racing in the Summer League. Great guy and an amazing skier with or without his "leg".
Bode Swiller, is that link correct? - it puts up an Error when I click on it.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Samerberg Sue, Bode Swiller, I've edited Bode's post to remove the fullstop that was causing the URL to break
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
..... inevitably we will see some of the injured guys out in Bavaria in March.
