 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hmm tough one. I'm going to say less dangerous today, as the runs are better pisted, equipment is better and athletes probably more finely tuned. We also understand the implications and how to alleviate injuries a lot better now.
Btw really good video, although almost got caught at work 
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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 would say less dangerous.
We have still had advances in equipment we have better understanding of the forces and dynamics involved in high speed crashes/impacts on the human body. The courses besides being better marked ( all that bloomin blue gunk guiding the racers, and across landing areas for the jumps) have more affective crash protection not just for the racer but for the spectators. Better medical understanding and response times when accidents do happen.
This is not to detract from what is still one of the most dangerous sports, travelling at speeds around 70mph down a mountain in a skin tight suit will never be safe.
On the flip side though if you consider skier cross that could be seen as more dangerous. You have 4 skiers or boarders vying for the same space on a course, with jumps bigger than when this form of racing first started, higher speeds with the competitors more closely matched.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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i reckon the same, i think they were going a bit slower back then due to the piste conditions, ski design and not so much skiing on their edges as just holding on, skidding turns etc.
Now there is much more protection with multiple nets and better helmets and course design but they are going a lot faster and really are skiing at the boundary of what's possible at times so crashes can be big.
There was probably some cross over point when shaped skis arrived along with piste injection and grooming that safety didn't quite keep up with
Great video though, thanks for sharing
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There was probably some cross over point when shaped skis arrived
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FIS men's downhill skis have to have a minimum radius of 50 metres. That doesn't sound very shaped to me 
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@geeo, I have to say that that first video looks way more dangerous than anything done today. I can't imagine that it was less dangerous then than now.
Much like Formula 1 where in the 50s it was a reasonable expectation for fatalities in a race.
Look at the film, precious few safety nets, etc.
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The Hannenkhamm record is currently 1,51.6 (set in 1997). The record set in 1982 and lasting 10 years was 1/57.2. That is a whole 6 seconds or about a 5% increase in speed. In that time safety barriers, equipment, preparation etc have probably improved more than 5%
For comparison the 1951 record was 2,57 the first ever under 3 minutes.
So I reckon Klammer and co (I saw him at Wengen around 1980, that was real skiing on the limit!!!) were at the crossover between increased speed to nearly modern levels and minimal added safety.
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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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@Col the Yeti, I'm pretty sure there's been some 'landscaping' (  ) of the slope (and course changes) in the meantime too, so quite hard to compare accurately.
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Kitzbuehel is pretty much like it was. If something, then it's easier to ski today then 30 years ago, and not because better equipment, but because of better prepared track, so times should only be much faster today not slower. Course setting for DH races is almost identical through the years. There might be very small variations, but if you look video from 1970s and today, it's pretty much same course. So yes, skiing is much much less dangerous today then it was.
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