 Poster: A snowHead
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Megamum, Fair point
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm really not one for chasing people for being sexist or racist etc as I am both, but I get the feeling that some of the grief Chemmy Alcott gets is because she's female. Graham Bell and the other one from Ski Sunday haven't exactly set the world of skiing on fire yet get paid jollies every winter to do what is frankly a bit of a joke programme. High Altitude was ok mind. I think all these reality compeitions are dire chav TV, but I think her options have been pretty limited. No breakfast wheaties companies queuing up to sign a serious competitor in a sport that is still seen as elitist and exclusive: look at the furore when Osborne when skiing last year. That could just be because he's a c ock though. Can we talk about something else now? I'm off to set up fake Facebook accounts to vote for that bloke's heliskiing trip.
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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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How much time has Chemmy had off injured in the past few years? Seems like a lot which has probably contributed to the lack of racing!
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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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| Quote: |
| I'm not even sure Chemmy would get a eurotest exemption. |
| Quote: |
| Chemmy is sadly an also ran. |
She has been ranked as high as 8th in the world (for combined WC slalom / gs).
Along with Alain Baxter she just about the only competitive skier UK has produced for 20 years.
Oh yeah.... She also happens to be a hot blonde chick 
Good on her! Cause she trains hard and has also made the most of opportunity that came her way.
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| Lethal_Hamster wrote: |
| How much time has Chemmy had off injured in the past few years? Seems like a lot which has probably contributed to the lack of racing! |
yes unfortunately too much time lost to injury but that is the risk!
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davidhammy, sorry a bit late on the thread... but what makes you think she has a "high profile"? Out of interest... what's your yardstick? I've seen her interview on Ski Sunday (makes a lot of sense), commentate on skiing on Eurosport (again makes sense and hardly high profile) and the featured on an ice skating reality TV show... have I missed anything?
p.s. Chemmy speaks very highly of you though, so that's good 
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Injury isn't something that any sportsperson goes seeking. The accident causing such things is no doubt caused by them 'pushing the envelope' of what they do. To even be contemplating a return to her sport let alone learning to ice-skate to help her recover after what happened to her puts her in the world class of any sport in terms of bravery. She deserves any shot at fame she can get IMO.
This country will always be able to produce top class footballers, cricketers, rugby players, horse riders - it's in our history, but downhill ski racing??? Hardly something the folks in the UK are ideally destined to pursue as a sport choice is it? and I think, because of that, it and the other winter sports don't get the financial backing and support that other sports enjoy. Therefore, when we have someone that succeeds in that area, they are doing so against the odds to begin with. As does any other sportsperson that goes after a minority sport in their country. Yet, despite this she has enjoyed success - competing and coming within a scant few seconds of people who were probably born with skis on their feet. So she hasn't made the top three, but look at who the number of competitors the other countries are fielding in these sports that they grow up naturally doing. Chemmy is our only entrant, you only have to look at the odds of her doing well for her country against the countless representatives from all the other countries to realise that she beats the odds and does phenomenally well for our country. We had no problem shouting 'come on Chemmy' in the middle of an all Swiss bar up a moutain one day. Far from slating her, we should be as pleased as punch to have her representing us and showing the other snowy countries that we do have someone that can compete against the best they have to offer.
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Measuring Profile by the highly scientific means of Twitter Followers
Chemmy has about 30K (I think it was only about 5K pre DOI)
Lyndsey Vonn has 122K
Ted Ligety has 13K
Mark Cavendish (top British cyclist) 250K
middling Arsenal player 500K
Andy Murray 750K
Inside Out Skiing 42 
Lady Gaga 21 Million
(Take from my Twitter list, except Lady Gaga)
no skiers are particularly high profile but I do think DOI has raised her profile amongst the general public more than her many years of skiing
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 15-03-12 23:16; edited 1 time in total
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| davidhammy wrote: |
I agree to a point but I assume that Austria, France, Italy, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland etc all have the equivalent of A Teams who compete on the world cup circuit and a B team who miss out by a whisker? If you included those guys in the B team in the world cup runnings, how would that affect the standings ? I suspect they would finish above her as their countries criteria must be much higher than GB. Would she even be on the WC circuit if she were American/Swiss? |
She would definitely have made the Canadian team for a start, she aint no Eddie the Eagle or Snow Leopard! The Olympic downhill was an incredibly tough course for the women - there were girls in tears at the start - and she finished 13th. You don't fluke a result like that on that course. She beat 2 Canadians (inc. Brydon), 2 Austrians (Mader and Fenninger), 3 Italians (Schnarf, Fanchini and Merighetti), 3 French (inc Jaquemod), both Swedes (Paerson and Lindell-Vikarby), 2 Swiss (Kamer and Styger), both Slovenians (inc. Tina Maze) and one American. That's more than okay.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I can only read half the comments thanks to a big stupid ad for dogtag, but I have had a lot of runs down the Kandehar in Les Houce. My personal opinion is that If I am going to be a superstar, it will be at fly half for Ireland, or a journeyman for most premiership football teams. At her level, a tiny mistake can drop you from gold to top 100. In the big money team sports, a mistake can be covered or rectified. Outside of team sport, are there 10 people from GB who have achieved more?
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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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If she'd had the same support as Swiss or French skiers she would have been scoring top ten places on a regular basis. I think she is around Ingrid Jacquemod's level.
She doesn't exactly seem to be coining it in either.
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| Steve Angus wrote: |
| Spyderman wrote: |
Chemmy is sadly an also ran.
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Perhaps on the World Cup circuit but at all other levels she is at the VERY top of the game. Next people will be saying that Andy Murray is an also run - "he is useless at tennis - can't win a thing".... but I bet he would kick everyones back bottom that we know and is still one of the best Tennis players in the World... Chemmy = ditto! |
Of course anyone in World Cup is at the top of their game, but she's not in the exceptional top flight that win. It's like saying that any driver in F1 is exceptional, which of course they are, but not everybody is World Champion quality.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thornyhill, In the top left corner of every ad on here is a little - sign, if you click it the ad will vanish.
Or if you pay a little towards the cost of the site no ads appear at all.
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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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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
She has been ranked as high as 8th in the world (for combined WC slalom / gs).
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8th loser, sorry, nobody even remembers who came second, let alone 8th.
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Poster: A snowHead
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She's a comely lass and a trier. But like Eddy the eagle she'll never be one of the top performers. She was born in the wrong country, end of.
Which is not to detract from her achievements, but to recognise that others, with the advantage of growing up near mountains ,will always beat her.
I still would though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| sev112 wrote: |
| Spyderman wrote: |
| BergenBergen wrote: |
| I'm sure its a career plan, Think Martin Brundle, average GP driver becomes first class commentator. TV awaits the girl. |
Brundle was a World class sports car driver gaining a World Championship as well as winning Le Mans.
Chemmy is sadly an also ran. |
What you mean is that Brundle was a "world class sports car" driver - i.e. a driver of a fast car
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Nothing average about driving a LM Racer, winning Le Mans and being Sports Car World Champion. Ever seen a car doing 240 mph down Mulsanne in the dark? Brundle raced when Le Mans was proper fast.
I've been in a car driven very, very quickly by Derek Bell, never did much in F1, but won Le Mans 5 times. Incredible driver. F1. Sports Car, Rally, all hard to compare. It's like comparing Downhill to Slalom, who can say who's a better skier.
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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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Anyone who gets a WC start has god-like ski abilities in my opinion, much like anyone who competes in F1 has astonishing driving skills. I can't even imagine their abilities and I'm genuinely in awe of them, so respecting them when they move in to a retirement career isn't too hard for me. Podium places on top of a WC start, or an F1 drive, is just like icing on the world's most impressive cake: nice, but really it's the cake that takes your breath away.
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rob@rar, They're Racers, unless they're getting the Cherry on the top, they're also rans, coming second is first loser, winning is everything.
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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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| Spyderman wrote: |
| rob@rar, They're Racers, unless they're getting the Cherry on the top, they're also rans, coming second is first loser, winning is everything. |
Yes, I agree that in the world of racing the vast majority, including Chemmy I'd guess, consider 2nd place to be the first of the losers. But I don't think the OP was talking about racing? I thought he was talking about non-sporting activities and post-competitive careers, when, for me at least, simply being good enough to compete at the highest level is enough to earn unlimited respect.
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As a person who grew up in Sweden I have even more respect for chemmy being a regular on the tour and hitting decent results. Not only very committed but knows her stuff too. Even without serious home mountains on offer.
As for DOI, fair play, everyone's got to eat.
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Well she has won the French national GS title twice and the Austrian national GS title once, all up against fellow WC racers. Think her best WC result was a 5th in the combined DH and, at the end of 09/10 season she was 8th overall in the combined discipline. At her best she would have made Austrian, Swiss or US "A" teams (not my opinion, another WC racer's). So, for someone who has been generally underfunded and who has had to travel the world as a team of one, I think she's done well and I can certainly vouch for the impact she's had on aspiring young GB racers.
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| Spyderman wrote: |
| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
She has been ranked as high as 8th in the world (for combined WC slalom / gs).
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8th loser, sorry, nobody even remembers who came second, let alone 8th. |
'Course they do, Alain Baxter, Konrad Bartelski, Bell brothers, Tim Henman, 'Enry Cooper, Scott of the Antarctic, Sue Barker, Dunkirk.
The novelty value of a Brit who isn't completely useless at skiing is worth some exposure  .
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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UK is always going to struggle to produce skiers capable of reaching the podium.
You only need to visit any small ski hill in the alps or scandinivia to see why - literally hundreds of kids hitting gates every afternoon during winter. In places like Austria or Norway ski racing is almost like religion (much like footie is over here).
The biggest hurdle for UK racers is lack of time on real snow before the age of 16/17. After that it is almost too late for them to develop into world class athletes. It no coincidence that Alain Baxter (and also Noel Baxter) grew up in Aviemore. Or that both the Bell brothers spent their teenage years racing in Scotland.
Chemmy also spent lots of time in the alps when she was younger (mainly because her parents were well off).
Though she trains exceptionally hard and skied to a top level (often just off the podium). UK has only ever produced a couple of alpine skiers, male or female, who were capable of skiing at that level ?
Anyone giving out abuse is probably just jealous she managed to ski full time ?
Fair play to her - she has a nice face for the tv and comes across well.
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Haggis_Trap, Only in alpine. The UK is very capable of producing athletes in freestyle, freeride, speed and I'm sure there's others.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Kenny wrote: |
| Spyderman wrote: |
| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
She has been ranked as high as 8th in the world (for combined WC slalom / gs).
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8th loser, sorry, nobody even remembers who came second, let alone 8th. |
'Course they do, Alain Baxter, Konrad Bartelski, Bell brothers, Tim Henman, 'Enry Cooper, Scott of the Antarctic, Sue Barker, Dunkirk.
The novelty value of a Brit who isn't completely useless at skiing is worth some exposure . |
Eddie the Eagle is so famous he's having a film made about his life. He doesn't even have blonde hair or anything.
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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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David Vine couldn't ski ...
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IMO Chemmy gets plenty of stick which is unwarranted, and we should applaud her for what she has acheived in the World Cup arena, not knock her for her acheivements. To be Top 10 in WC before her injury, and competing with Julia Mancuso, Maria Riesch, Lindsey Vonn etc when she's from non-snowy London whereas LV is from Vail......... a slight advantage eh? The same was true in other sports, eg James Toseland and Neil Hodgson, in Moto GP.............world class, just off the pace but competing at the highest level, and they get slated for not being Valentino Rossi!
Now she's going into media good for her, she's got much more credibility than the likes of Nick Fellows et al, who have never competed at that level. The fact that Chemmy was on dancing on ice is likely just to pay the bills and raise her public persona, and whilst its unlikely that she'll get back to top 10 WC racing level I hope she finds a good career in media, she talks more sense that most of the numpties that the BBC put out for winter sport, eg Claire Boulding (Olympics Kjus jacket memories etc), if she's reading this I wish her well and good luck with her summer training, it'd be great to see her in WC next season.
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You know it makes sense.
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Some say that for Sochi she should be switching to Skier Cross. Not a bad idea, it's a few notches below DH/SG/GS but an experienced powerful skier like her could medal.
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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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| Quote: |
| Only in alpine. The UK is very capable of producing athletes in freestyle, freeride, speed and I'm sure there's others. |
Yip - UK may have a better chance of podium success in the non alpine disciplines. Primarily because there is much less sponsorship money - so playing field is more level across all nations (plus it is almost impossible to make a full time 'athletic career' out of any non-alpine or olympic discipline). UK kids have done well in freestyle skiing recently because they have had opportunity to grow up skiing all year round on snow-flex slopes for the last 10 years. This gives them a chance to develop skills between the crucial ages of 10-17.
Arguably the highest achieving UK skier at the moment is actually a cross country skier...
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/613.html?sector=CC&competitorid=90931&type=result
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Fri 16-03-12 10:49; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Spyderman,
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They're Racers, unless they're getting the Cherry on the top, they're also rans, coming second is first loser, winning is everything.
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I am going to have to disagree with you here. Of course they all want to win, why else would they engage in any form of competitive sport? But they have to have an element of realism in there too, or they are going to get seriously messed up in the head, and anyone who knows a skiracer will tell you, it´s a very psychological game.
My son used to have a poster up on his wall " if you´re first you are first, if you are second you are nothing" I had to make him take it down as when he made the transition from childrens racing, where he was hugely successful here in Austria, into FIS racing, no matter how talented you are, coming around 80th each week was truly soul destroying.
You cannot and will not win every race, ski races can be lost and won by the smallest margin, 100th of a second, as rob@rar said, anyone who makes WC is not an "also ran"
It´s a long, often lonely and hard way to the top in ski racing and anyone who makes it has my undying respect.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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kooky, Of course a racer isn't going to win every race, but to be a successful racer you must think that you can win. Racing is not about being there just to take part, it's about winning. Of course Chemmy is an incredible skier, but she doesn't possess that last bit of something that makes a winner, therefore an "also ran"
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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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Now this might be a potential grenade but.....I always followed Chemmy on Twitter and I kinda get the impression that she's been seduced by the world of "celebdom"....her tweets last year was all about her rehab and who she fancied to win at up and coming races...but since Dancing on Ice appeared it's all
about what galas/movie premieres/letter opening she's attending or bland "Hi Hon" tweets to her new d-list friends (blatantly a 'look who I'm friends with' tweet)
I'm not saying of this is a bad thing, good on her....I'm just saying you all may be arguing for nothing cos I've a sneaking feeling that only skiing Chemmy will be doing in the future is recreational or bits for Ski Sunday and like.
....just a feeling.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| davidhammy wrote: |
| She seems a nice girl but I always ask myself, why does she have such a high profile? .... |
Why do you suggest that she does have a high profile?
She gets a lot of mentions on here because she is a very good skier and this is a skiing forum. There is a bit of a link there which I have highlighted
I imagine that before DOI very few non-skiers had heard of her.
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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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Spyderman,
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Racing is not about being there just to take part, it's about winning.
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maybe when they reach Europa Cup standards but ask any first year FIS racer if they think they honestly think they will win, my guess is they will just want to get their points down, and that´s not being defeatist, it´s being realist and not putting them off of what could be a very successful career by overfacing them and expecting too much. I know you have to push them hard, but there is a very fine line.
I have seen some really good racers here jack it in because of this, racers that were quite capable of getting to WC.
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has Megamum told us that she's skied with Chemmy yet?
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 16-03-12 11:57; edited 1 time in total
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It's the nature of Word Cup skiing that not all the best racers take part due to the national team aspect. This is why I don't bother watching it. If it was all done on an individual basis then whatsherface wouldn't feature. Nice tits though.
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Dr John, no she hasn´t, but thanks to your unnecessarily catty comment we all know now
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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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She has given me a semi for the last few weeks on a Sunday night, that enough in my book.
Who are we collectively to judge her achievements? Top girl in my opinion and I have not skied with her.
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kooky, hahaha, you just can't help biting can you.
Excellent, a new game....
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