 Poster: A snowHead
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Are today's ski slopes still cool?
Again a US bias to this article, but the fact is that the likes of the X Games and freestyle events draw far more spectators and appeal considerably more to TV sports viewers. It's true too that even on a good day you'll find barely more than a thousand or so spectators on the slopes at a World Cup alpine event in Europe. Explosive and thrilling it may be to the more knowledgeable, but the younger generation gets rapidly bored with what appears to be a sterile race against the clock and seeks at least as many spills as thrills. This is provided by the likes of boarder/skier cross and other freestyle disciplines.
What is skier or border cross? An adrenalin-fuelled knockout competition, with 4 racers lined up at the start and only one goal in mind; to get to the bottom before the rest, at all costs. They take on a steep and technical course consisting of raised quarter pipe banked turns, slalom turns, whoops, jumps, rollers, moguls, tabletops and sometimes a water jump to negotiate along the way. Collisions and wipeouts are commonplace. The first two move through to the next round and ever ‘fiercer’ competition. As a spectator sport it is gripping, the ultimate head-to-head competition on snow.
The question is whether the sport’s authorities are allowing the new freestyle craze its deserved slot in mainstream alpine competition. As with many sports’ governing bodies the traditionalists in charge of alpine racing have been compared to the dinosaurs that resisted change for so long in the likes of cricket and rugby. Purists may shudder, but the younger generations are the future of the sport we love and they deserve a say in the direction it takes. And like it or not, money is the ultimate decision-maker, and while many national alpine bodies are under funded or bankrupt (eg the French), sponsors are pouring money into the so-called ‘fringe’ freestyle events, even at children’s competitions.
A case in point; at Orcières Merlette each year the ‘Ski Games’ takes place during April. Sponsored by Rossignol and Sun Valley among others, this skier cross event for 8 to 12 year-olds attracts spectators galore and competitors from several European nations, whereas the standard children’s slalom and GS races are attended by parents and perhaps a few curious passers-by. While the winner of a slalom will receive a cheap tin cup, and if he/she’s lucky perhaps an unsaleable item from a local ski shop, first prize at the Ski Games was a £1000 Scott mountain bike, second and third sharing top of the range skis, boots, and a huge wide-screen TV. A sign of things to come?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Here's a link to what's happening in the good old UK on this topic.
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| “Xscape is passionate about encouraging the popularity of snow sports across the UK. |
What with nude statues and half pipes I really don't know what Triflejar Square is coming to. 
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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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I'm sure that lots of people would rather do it than watch it! .... but for a sport with such a huge following, its TV profile is rather pathetic - and not just in the UK, in the Alpine states it's little better. Given the financial predicament of many national associations, the poor sponsorship levels, it just seems sensible to pander a little to popularity and raise the profile of the 'fringe' events such as skier/boarder X, parallels... great fun to watch.
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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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easiski, Sky digital, moi?! That would be illegal!  You're right, I'd forgotten about C4, but it would be good to see the competitive side of the sport shown at times when people who wouldn't otherwise go out of there way to watch it might switch on. Shouldn't think the advertising revenue/income from TV rights will be too substantial for programmes shown at that unearthly hour!
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Anyone with sattelite should try the extreme sports channel, it's full of stuff like skier cross, boarder cross and loads of extreme skiing and boarding videos.
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and for those who may not have seen it in the "other place", don't forget the whacky world of extreme ironing 
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It's ironing Jim but not as we know it
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I don't think any of us should fear for the health of the sport (or the "coolness"!), just because TV ratings are low. To be honest I've always thought ski racing on TV was crap as far as spectator sports go. The same applies to other sports such as motor racing - you just end up watching for the crashes. Of course in the flesh both sports are much better, because you get a much better and more genuine impression of the speed/fear/adrenalin involved. One thing I've noticed in 20+ yrs of skiing with lots of different people is an almost universal disinterest in watching ski racing on TV!
On the other hand I would agree strongly with the recommendation to check out some of the Sky Digital channels. Extreme (422) and Adventure One (560) have much more interesting stuff, including ski mountaineering expeditions, freeride/extreme (or whatever they call it nowadays) ski & snowboard competitions etc.
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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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Hi PG, (and best wishes to Hannah and Timothy). I wonder if some sensible change is going on in skiing. The classic downhill competition bears little relationship to "proper" skiing: single skiers belting down an iced slope in technicolour stretch body-suits while a clock ticks.
Professional runners run on the same track I run on, swimmers in the same pool, and they race against other athletes.
I understand the original ski races such as the Kandahar involved all competitors setting off together. So PG, bring on the Traditionalists and return ski racing to its roots.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Plake,
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| One thing I've noticed in 20+ yrs of skiing with lots of different people is an almost universal disinterest in watching ski racing on TV! |
I think that about sums it up - and really all I was trying to say was that the powers-that-be should give far greater prominence to head-to-head racing, and less to the classic timed runs which as quite a few have suggested, makes pretty boring TV. It's not the sport itself as a leisure interest that will suffer from lack of TV exposure and money, just the competitive side which is already extremely underfunded.
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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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| Plake wrote: |
One thing I've noticed in 20+ yrs of skiing with lots of different people is an almost universal disinterest in watching ski racing on TV!
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I guess that I'm out of step on this topic, then as I really enjoy watching ski racing of all types. I guess the interest in the classic style of ski racing is in admiring the technique of the racers and seeing how even minute errors can make a substantial difference to the final time. For those like myself, Eurosport really comes into its own as it has a lot of coverage of ski racing throughout the season.
Having said that, the variety provided by the coverage of other types of snowsports is great and I'll quite happily watch most snowsports.
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| Dr Che wrote: |
| I guess the interest in the classic style of ski racing is in admiring the technique of the racers and seeing how even minute errors can make a substantial difference to the final time. |
I think that's the problem for me - I just don't detect these minute errors. If I watched the top 20 or even 50 skiers in a downhill without any split times or clocks, I very much doubt I'd be able to say who'd had a good run, who'd made tiny errors, who was fastest etc.
With head-to-head races, who is winning and losing is pretty obvious!
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You know it makes sense.
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I personally look at the Skier cross type of competitions as refreshing.
After all, who hasn't played that kind of game with friends, in his youth?
I did, and I enourmously enjoyed the thrill it was giving.
I certainly wish that the sports chanells would cover more of these events.
As it is, a brief end of season summary is not enough...
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www.spiagames.com
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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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Just to add more coal to the fire, I personally find big air competitions quite boring on TV, as well as the half-pipe. Seeing them live is brilliant, but it just doesn't translate to the small screen.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I must be in a minority then. I love watching the four skiing disciplines. I'm by no means a decent skier but after watching for a couple of seasons its easy to spot who's fast or not, and where the mistakes are made. To really get into watching any sport you have to understand the various personalities involved. Thats when it gets interesting.
As for watching sports for crashes and spills, well, that says more about the viewer, than it does the sport.
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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've never been wild on watching any sport that relies on subjective judging rather than an objective result. Another reason why Skier cross is so much fun...
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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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Bizarrely, though I never seek it out, if I catch the biathalon on TV I find myself getting into it and watching it to the end. yet I neither cross country ski, nor shoot.
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markP, When I said "boring TV", I meant for the majority - most understandably can't spot the subtleties that make all the difference between winning and losing, although errors in racing line are more obvious. I find it thrilling myself - and trailing around behind racers of all ages on the morning before a race you soon discover just how much preparation is involved - both mental and physical. Over a morning conditions and weather play a significant role, plus the draw, memorising the course during the inspection, lengthy waits - sometimes an hour or much more - at the top of the course, in all weathers. Which wax to use? Frantic last minute changes if the humidity alters significantly... A proper warm-up. And then suddenly the moment arrives when you've got to get everything absolutely spot on in a 60 second or so blast down the hill, no room for error, 100% concentration, going flat-out, skiing right to the limit - or you lose.
When you realise how many risks they take, and the speed they are travelling, it's scary stuff.
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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, I just don't see why we have to 'dumb down everything to appeal to the lowest common denominator. If people don't think a sport is enjoyable to watch then they shoudn't watch it. I'm tired of sports being ruined for the real fans just to bring in armchair punters. My favourite sport F1 being a supreme case in point.
Racing against a clock is sport in its purest form IMHO.
DavidS, There's nothing subjective about about downhill skiing. You must be thinking of Ice Dancing.
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I realise that - I was reacting to Kramer's boredom with big air competitions...
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I thikn DavidS is thinking about Big Air, Half pipe and Ballet (if it is still practicised) not to mention moguls.
I like the four traditional disciplines, as well as ski cross. All of which have objective parameters to proclaim a winer. In all five cases the fastest.
As for the nordic disciplines, I dol ike to watch both cross country and biathlon.
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I agree with DavidS, subjectivity is not a good thing.
Persoally though, I enjoy watching the skiing and can *sometimes* tell when someone's made an error that will cost them time. NOt always.
Doesn;t mean I can ski any better though.
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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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DavidS, Aerobatics has never been my thing either. For prize-givings down in Sauze (the French one) they often wheel out Olympic gold medallist (Calgary), multi-European 'ballet' champion Christine Rossi... but to be frank, although I'm sure she was very clever at aerobatics, the Alpine eventers are not at all impressed. However if Carole Merle turns up (also from Le Sauze), that's an entirely different affair....
markP, Parallel and skier X racing I wouldn't call dumbing down, just another facet of the sport - speed, skill, fitness still required - plus tactics as well. The trouble is that alpine ski racing exists on a shoestring - there's no money in it. For it to prosper in the future it needs a little more forward-thinking. Was it wrong to introduce the one day game in cricket? Street-racing in distance running? Sports need to evolve to survive, there'a a lot of competition out there for limited resources.
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Apologies David. I missread your post.
I should add that I haven't really come accross a sport I wouldn't watch for a couple of hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Europsports to blame.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yep, Eurosport is tooo bad for people's fitness status. But it's a great channel
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FAQ
