 Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar.org.uk, Next time I'm doing 130 kph I'll get my youngest to hang out the window and tell me what he thinks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| rob@rar.org.uk, Next time I'm doing 130 kph I'll get my youngest to hang out the window and tell me what he thinks. |
Make sure you hang on to his feet!
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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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rob@rar.org.uk, yes, one chap died on his way to the start gate whilst carrying his speed skis on his shoulder. He slipped and slid down hill hitting his head on some rocks, dying of head injuries. According to Simone a similar accident occured in Canada resulting in the withdrawal of speed skiing from the Olympic games. 2 competitors have died so far but neither accidents occured on the track. Simone was particularly aggrieved as the decision to exclude speed skiing an the olympic games robbed him of the oppertunity to participate in the games and as it appears an olympic gold medal!
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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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oops, excuse the spelling 
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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="PP"]rob@rar.org.uk, yes, one chap died on his way to the start gate whilst carrying his speed skis on his shoulder. He slipped and slid down hill hitting his head on some rocks, dying of head injuries. According to Simone a similar accident occured in Canada resulting in the withdrawal of speed skiing from the Olympic games. 2 competitors have died so far but neither accidents occured on the track.
That sounds like a really freak accident. Although as I mentioned earlier there are some tricky bumps to negotiate to get to the start, it is not a place where you would expect a fall to be life threatening.
Speed skiing has never been an official Olympic event. In Les Arcs in 1992 it was a so called "demonstration event". Demonstration events which also happen in the summer Olympics, are events which usually the host nation includes to try and get them officially adopted in the future. In the case of speed skiing that is hardly practical as there are only a few venues in the world, about three I think, that have an appropriate speed sking course.
As the 1992 Olympics were held throughout the Tarentaise area over about ten resorts, it just gave the locals the chance to include speed skiing because Les Arcs was already one of the established venues.
In 1992 the one fatality happened on the fourth and final day of the event, when one of the competitors was warming up on piste - yes on piste - before the pistes were opened to the public. He apparently went over a brow and straight into a piste basher - another freak accident. I never did hear the outcome of the inquiry.
The event itself was relatively accident free. I think one competitor was helicoptered to hospital but that I think was more of a precaution than anything else.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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richjp, there's been a number of lengthy threads on this topic, including one on the Italian who died here last year. We've just had a memorial for Marco in Les Arcs.
The thread describes how it happened, and the fact that a number of kids from the Les Arcs ski club actually witnessed it from the Varet. Horrific.
Here is the original thread
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PG - thank you for the link.
The factor I had not considered relating to the accident was the fact that his speed skiing suit meant that once he fell he accelerated very quickly. That makes a fall on the initial traverse to get to the course, far more potentially dangerous than it would be for a decent recreational skier in normal ski wear.
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Some of the classic speed skiing courses (including ones where world records have been set) don't seem to be used any more.
The course near the Plateau Rosa above Cervinia and Zermatt had crevasse problems, I think.
Silverton in Colorado hasn't been used for quite a while.
Portillo in Chile, which has been Les Arcs' main rival over the years, doesn't seem to be staging speed events at the moment.
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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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Nae nae and thrice nae!!!  The "cushion of air" stuff is complete NONSENSE!!! It was a theory that was expounded repeatedly around the late 80's-early 90's but is utter garbage. The skis and skier, at high speed, are often skimming over the surface but they are NOT floating on a cushion of air. Everything does not "go quiet" either. There has been soooooo much nonsense spoken about speed skiing: tunnel vision, spiritual experience etc...but it really is just skiing...only FASTER than most people. There is no mystery...it's just great fun, easy to do...but deceptively tricky to be good at!!
I've been trying to ignore speed skiing for the last year because of Achilles tendon reconstructive surgery last summer...but am now preparing for next season. It was frustrating as hell to have been absent for the World Record race...but hopefully there'll be an opportunity next year.
Gladly answer any speed ski related questions anyone has...might be easier to start another thread.
And oh yes...the sky diving thing: The record for a sky diver is Mach 1; see link below: http://www.failuremag.com/arch_science_cheryl_stearns.html
...speed skiers are faster than free-falling sky-divers only when sky-divers are trying to go as slow as they can!
Great to see so much interest in speed skiing on here...and THANK YOU Peter for storing all my stuff last summer!!!
Cheers,
Nigel Brockton
[quote="richjp"]
| Mike Lawrie wrote: |
He explained a few things about speed skiing, then went on to say that at about 160 KPH the skis do indeed lift off the snow and you are floating on a cushion of air and the great sensation about it was, that after clattering down the mountain all of a sudden everything goes quiet! Image that - that must be one helluva buzz.
"How do you manage to steer?" I asked.
"With your head". He replied. |
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DrBullet, welcome to snowHeads - great first post! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Yes! Top banana! I've offered to help kit him out if he wants to make the transition to full-KL kit. He's after the production WR first though...good on him! A couple of seasons of production will stand him in great stead if he wants to go on to do full-KL. I was texting Tom while the race was unfolding...knowing that I wasn't going to make it.
Great to have someone younger coming through...anyone else fancy it???!!!
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| DrBullet wrote: |
| It's much less scary than it looks ... |
You're going to have to work a bit harder to persuade me!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Had a go at the flying K way back in 1987. In those days it cost 30ff a go and all they provided was a helmet and a disclaim form. I don't know about these days, but at that time the flying k had 3 starting stages; Novice, Intermediate, Advanced. As PG mentioned earlier, us mere tourists weren't given the option to start from the advanced block. But the race Marshal took one look at me and started me from the novice block and advised me to just point my ski tips down and don't look up until you reach the bottom. I managed to clock up 117.647kph on a pair of 85 cm Blizzard skis, wearing Nordica Pump Action ski boots and a one piece Rodeo Ski Suit. It was a fantastic experience and there is a very generous run-off at the bottom of the run. On completion you are given a certificate recording your time. Which I have attempted to upload it on to this post - but to no avail. Any advice, anyone? But I have to admit, the most scariest part was having to negotiate a wicked Black Run to reach the flying K.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Stephen Neal wrote: |
| I managed to clock up 117.647kph on a pair of 85 cm Blizzard skis, |
85cm or 185cm? If you got to 118kph on a pair of blades I'd say that's some acheivement! 
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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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rob@rar.org.uk, well spotted I mean't 185cm..
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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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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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| DrBullet wrote: |
| Tell him to give me a bell...we're always looking for new recruits! |
I really should try to get the Les Arcs Ski Club to give it a go more often when the run is open. Can't understand why they rarely bother. It's a couple of years now since they sent down the then 11/12 year old "Children 1" group on their GS skis from the intermediate start, and they loved it.
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FAQ
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Brave chap that I am,I didnt straight line it till I was at least 1/2 way down,and that was fast enough!No1 son,apparantly,put in a couple of turns and then went.Asked him afterwards,"how was it"?......"Very fast,but I couldn't see a thing!".He picked up so much vibration that his eyeballs rattled and he couldnt focus until he slowed on the run out 
