 Poster: A snowHead
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| Sorry folks but I think Tim has a point. |
Can't see it myself. PG even added a smiley  and considering the antagonism between him and David Goldsmith here and elsewhere it seems pretty tame.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| PG wrote: |
Pretty cold here in Val, blue skies (though that's still forecast to change sometime tomorrow night I believe), cannons working away, but still pretty stony on a number of runs. The resort is really quiet though, had quite a few runs virtually on my own earlier this morning. |
No jealousy from the Newcastle snowHeads !
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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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Still some ominous forecasts for this weekend at Val d'Isère (ominous if you're a ski racer and not a tourist praying for snow, that is!). Things should be getting going again from this morning. Somehow there just wasn't the same sense of urgency yesterday with respect to preparations for the women's race. This did strike me last year as well - could it be that the women's circuit isn't taken quite so seriously? Just an impression, anyway. Let's face it, it wouldn't really be that surprising - the bulk of the organisers, coaches, course workers, FIS officials... basically everyone except for the racers themselves... are men. Does that make a difference? It shouldn't... but it might. (Women only though serving the workers with coffee and charcuterie breakfasts in the bar tent, though  )
Off to watch the training soon. If the weather does deteriorate significantly, it could be the only chance to watch the women speedsters this year at Val. A shame, because the skills and courage on show are worth supporting, and particularly because the downhill represents Chemmy's best chance of performing well. After the ups and downs of last year, disrupted by injury, she needs a good run of races coming into the Olympics to be in with a shout...
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Taken nearly a year ago at Val, December 16th 2004...
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Going back through the run in her mind, searching for those precious extra hundredths of a second...
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Coach Schwaiger with a few pointers...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| PG wrote: |
Coach Schwaiger with a few pointers... |
"Chemmy, it's really steep, so ski with your eyes closed and you'll be OK"
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I guess we'd have to look to James Brown to shed any sense on this situation:
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JAMES BROWN - IT'S A MAN'S, MAN'S, MAN'S, MAN'S WORLD
This is a man's world
This is a man's world
But it would be nothing
Nothing without a woman to care
You see man made the cars
To take us over the world
Man made the train
To carry the heavy load
Man made the electro lights
To take us out of the dark
Man made the bullet for the war
Like Noah made the ark
This is a man's man's, man's world
But it would be nothing
Nothing without a woman to care
Man thinks of our little baby girls And the baby boys
Man make them happy 'Cause man makes them toys
And aher man make everything, everything he can
You know that man makes money to buy from other man
This is a man's world
But it would be nothing, nothing
Not one little thing
Without a woman to care |
Is James Brown an FIS official? He must be, surely.
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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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PG, I'll happily concede that your two British sources take these views.
Bode Miller (placed 7th) and Hermann Maier (placed 9th) did not make comments like this and referred to the challenge of the course inducing mistakes. If a racer is pushing it to the max, any 'flatness' (which is actually a euphemism for 'smoothness' - not lack of gradient in this case) or 'ease' of the terrain will be lessened - by definition.
The other argument you've presented is that the course is for gliders - as your evidence that it's now a gliding course. Is Walchhofer - who won both the downhill and more technical slalom/downhill 'super-combination' - a gliding specialist?
His results history doesn't really suggest this.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
The other argument you've presented is that the course is for gliders - as your evidence that it's now a gliding course. Is Walchhofer - who won both the downhill and more technical slalom/downhill 'super-combination' - a gliding specialist?
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Konrad Bartelski in his Ch 4 commentary said with repect to Walchhofer "...this is a downhill that suits him ideally. It's pretty straight, pretty flat, it's a glider's course and I think you'll see this will be reflected in his time" (at which point Walchhofer had the fastest time at Split No1).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sure, split number one would be some way along the long schuss that takes in the Bellevarde 'plateau' before you kick into the meadows and woods, which are far steeper and more technical.
The vertical on the OK is concentrated into the second 2km of the course. That comparative data, which shows that the OK is steeper than the Hahnenkamm and Lauberhorn overall, is probably even more striking if you select the second half of the OK in comparison with the steepest halves of the Austrian and Swiss flagship courses.
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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 Goldsmith wrote: |
| The vertical on the OK is concentrated into the second 2km of the course. That comparative data, which shows that the OK is steeper than the Hahnenkamm and Lauberhorn overall, is probably even more striking if you select the second half of the OK in comparison with the steepest halves of the Austrian and Swiss flagship courses. |
Why is the Hahnenkamm always referred to by WC skiers and pundits alike as the toughest downhill of the year?
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Miller and Maier excel in challenging conditions, but they're the elite so barring major mistakes they will put in good to excellent performances - by normal mortals' standards - anywhere. Both are pretty aggressive skiers so may have tried to take too tight a line, going wide, and losing time they couldn't make up on a course like this. Walchhofer is a big guy, and whether he is renowned for his gliding ability or not, he has a superb low tuck and plenty of weight which is always going to be a plus on a gliders' course. He is the reigning WC downhill champion, so yes, I would guess that he can adapt to pretty well all conditions.
Yes flatness = smoothness... that's the whole point I was making from the outset. The racers and coaches used the word, hence the quote. It had nothing whatsoever to do with vertical, as you may have thought I was suggesting. My mistake for assuming that everyone knew that FIS rules stipulate minimum vertical for all races, whether downhill, super G, GS or slalom.
If you watched the race it was clear that virtually no one was in real trouble anywhere in perfect visibility, unchallenging terrain, grippy snow. 'Pushing it to the max' doesn't necessary increase speed. As any racer knows, if you are too hard on your edges you often lose time. On a course like this it's all about finding the perfect line and "la glisse", as the French coach put it.
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You know it makes sense.
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David Goldsmith, out of interest, did you know that in these relatively snow-starved days the race no longer starts from the summit? That of course eliminates that great, spectacular jump by the funival top station itself. Killy was talking about that being a real shame the other day, forgot to mention that ...
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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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The old start hut is still up there isn't it? It's quite incredible when you look up and see where they used to come out of and straightline it pushing all the way.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| FastCarver wrote: |
| The old start hut is still up there isn't it? It's quite incredible when you look up and see where they used to come out of and straightline it pushing all the way. |
Yes, the hut is still there. It's a shame that it wasn't used as it is a spectacular pitch to see the racers come down.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Practice went ahead today in deteriorating visibility and for the later starters, really powerful gusts of wind, but completed ok. Unfortunately Chemmy was badly affected. Whether tomorrow there's any chance of a race taking place, that's unclear. Snowing steadily, and the forecast is for more of the same through the weekend. Would be a shame if the women's events are cancelled two years running...
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FAQ
