 Poster: A snowHead
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Just played it back on Sky+. I dunno, I thought it was a BBC sports programme. I was expecting news and coverage of racing but instead was treated to a sort of Wish You Were Here / Blue Peter all rolled into one. The snowboarding stuff was fair enough, so too the coverage (although brief) of the 2nd run of the men's GS but the rest was pants - should be Light Entertainment's budget. Do we really need to see the antics of Graham Bell and Ed Leigh trying to play ice hockey or discuss locally brewed beer? (sort of "look what we can get up to with your licence money") It just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of BBC's sports coverage anymore. Meantime Channel 4 were taking the sport seriously with a really good round up of all that happened over the festive period and proper coverage of the racing. Eurosport is still v good but seem to have introduced a few commentators that are more used to doing the beach volleyball. Luckily John Clark is still there giving it some gravity and educating us.
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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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Personally i really enjoyed the program today, laughing out loud a couple of times and generally being entertained.
While the ski racing is exciting, i think the majority of recreational holiday skiers are more interested in the snow, the apres ski and the general magical atmosphere of sliding around in a winter wonderland for a week or two, than racing technique or skiing as a top level sport. I love seeing articles about freestyle skiers and ski technicians and even ski shops and clothing as i'm interested in the lifestyle as well as the sport. I would hazard a guess that as many kids now are drawn to freestyle skiing and snowboarding as conventional alpine skiing and its good to see other disciplines being catered for. My granny always passes comment on how exciting the snowboard and skier cross is and shes never skied in her life. I'm sure its impossible to find figures, but no doubt there are substantially more recreational skiers and people who like the idea of a skiing holiday and looking at lovely snowy pictures for half an hour on a sunday, than hardcore racing fans.
Look at the success Top Gear has had since they found a team of presenters with chemistry like Leigh and Bell, and began to have a bit more fun with the format as opposed to just hard reviews and tests.
I think its fresh and good to keep mixing things up and hopefully it will attract new snowsports enthusiasts who would otherwise be put off by long sections of "boring" race coverage, of which they would have no understanding 
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The BBC has really screwed this up over the last couple of years. It's clear that they're desperate to fill the slot with something snow-related. A couple of years ago more than two thirds of the show was Alain Baxter's Diary - all it did was follow him to his physio and some dull video diary.
They may as well roll over and give it all to Channel 4.
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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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I liked the style, but the content was sorely lacking. Personally I would rather do without all the guff about fashion on the piste, Ice Hockey, Extreme Skiing and Beer and have more about the racing and competition.
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| element wrote: |
While the ski racing is exciting, i think the majority of recreational holiday skiers are more interested in the snow, the apres ski and the general magical atmosphere of sliding around in a winter wonderland for a week or two, than racing technique or skiing as a top level sport. |
I watch the C4 ski race coverage on Sunday mornings but I also love seeing people mucking about in the snow with snowy mountains for a backdrop and daydreaming about being there instead of being stuck in front of the telly just watching. IMV, while Ski Sunday is broadcast as part of their 'sports' programmes, it needs to concentrate on ski (or at least snow) sports, ie competitive stuff. If it's to be a special 'wish you were here?' about snow (which I think would be great), it should be billed as light entertainment, not sports coverage.
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IFIRC Graham Bell is a registered snowHead as is Martin Bell. Hopefully they may pop in here and give us some of the background to the format change.
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Haven't we been everywhere before?
I'm really looking forward to Hahnemkann week-end when we'll be able to watch our presenters partying all night at our expense. Never know, they might squeeze in something about the men's DH.
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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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boredsurfin, no chance, he's too busy checking out the apres ski venues fotr the next prog 
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I like it. It would only be improved if there were some women in lycra.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Bode Swiller,
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I'm really looking forward to Hahnemkann week-end when we'll be able to watch our presenters partying all night at our expense
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Don't forget it's on at 1.30pm, nothing can beat a regular time slot to build up viewing figures 
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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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I love Ski Sunday!
It's the perfect antidote to the over used, over rated, under funded and unoriginal "I'm not a celebrity and i'm strictly not singing in tune-a-star" on every channel at the moment.
If you want ski racing then you can get it on Eurosport, or even CH4 (or as we did last year, go out and see it live).
I watch all of it, all weekend if i can, and then finish off with a good bit of old fashioned 'tom foolery' from Mr Bell and that snowborder guy on the BBC... whilst waxing my skis in the dining room.
Keep up the good work i say!
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I watch all of it, all weekend if i can, and then finish off with a good bit of old fashioned 'tom foolery' from Mr Bell and that snowborder guy on the BBC... whilst waxing my skis in the dining room.
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... a desperate cry for help
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm just excited about my upcoming adventure in the Alps. Got to get those edges nice and sharp!!
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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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I don't think that it should be part of Grandstand but I did enjoy it. It looks like there is a very limited budget (what other BBC programme have you seen where the commentator is standing in the grandstand with the other punters watching the big screen?) but I prefer the fun presenting style to CH4's rather formulaic posing style with no humour. I also think that CH4 pull a "fast one" by shifting the commentary a second or so, so that the commentator seems able to predict what is just about to happen.
In an ideal world, I would like the BBC presenters doing the CH4 shows!
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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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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| maggi wrote: |
Haven't we sort of been here before? |
Haven't we been everywhere before?
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Yes! Sorry if it sounded patronising. Just thought you may be interested in reading that particular thread 
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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 thought it was the best underwear show ever - it was complete and utter pants.
OK, ignore the "fashion tips" bit (which must have been a joke), but did the Beeb blow the budget on that section rather than on commentary - let's send GB out into the crowd with a bloke who has a video cam - it can be like someone's holiday video, and well let him do his commentary that way. For the second run, he can edit on his commentary afterwards from the bar/hotel room.
I hear that ITV are considering a similar tack for F1, and they are going to put Martin Brundle in the crowd at Silverstone to commentate on the race...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I still miss David Vine 
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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.
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I wasn't that impressed. I used to find the best bit of the programme was Graham Bell wizzing down the course with a videocamera. It gave you a real idea of what the course was like, and what an extreme effort it was to ski it. I also like any bits where there are tips on technique.
I really like Graham Bell's presentation, and really enjoyed it when he was covering the cycling world champs, so it isn't confined to skiing. But this new show seems to have been conceived by the people who sealed the fate of Top of the Pops! These days I tend to watch it all on Eurosport anyway.
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Well I learned that there's a technical term for my affliction. I too get 'Euro Gap'. And have the sunburn to prove it 
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| docsquid wrote: |
I wasn't that impressed. I used to find the best bit of the programme was Graham Bell wizzing down the course with a videocamera. It gave you a real idea of what the course was like, and what an extreme effort it was to ski it. I also like any bits where there are tips on technique.
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That was my favourite bit too, but instead they played ice hockey! I think they're trying to be like top gear.
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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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I always doubt the Beeb's committment to a program when you look at the schedule and its description is followed by the words "Times are subject to change".
Can you imagine the uproar if Eastenders was regularly pushed around the schedules like Ski Sunday is? Or even better if it was cancelled because the darts/snooker/ten-pin bowling had overrun?
World Cup Skiing on C4 is far superior.
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justacey, i too learnt about "Euro Gap" for the first time, i've been wondering what to call it all these years.
I don't suffer from it anymore though, i have a good' goggles to helmet' ratio going on.
In fact... can we have a Euro Gap smiley to add to our posts please... and maybe one for panda eyes too!! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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just watch it fashion tips, limited highlights, ice hockey training, the best bit was the half pipe, waste of a licence fee IMO
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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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Ski Sunday may not be hardcore racing anymore, but all the 'features' and everything, and the variety, aims to sppeal more to the general public who may watch SS as entertainment and an insight into 'our world'. If all they see is hardcore racing which they don't understand, and nothing else, they will go away thinking skiing is an impossible difficult sport for the rich and elite. Good for channel 4 with their coverage of all the various wintersports events and 'hardcore' racing. But then again good for BBC for making something interesting and accessible to the general public.
As someone who still suffers from the stereotype of being a skier (despite being not-very-well-off, if I say I go skiing most people act like I'm some posh snob, especially at college and school) it's nice to see something that can communicate to the non-skier in a light-hearted way about all aspects of skiing. And much as you may argue, fashion, local culture (beer tasting) etc etc are all parts of the ski holiday, or can be.
Just my 2 cents.
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Football pundits aren't shown having a quick game of golf and a night on the town. Tennis commentators don't do a piece to camera from the bars of Wimbledon or try their hand at lacrosse. Even snooker and darts coverage doesn't include 10 minutes of the production team boozin' at the dog track. Does Peter Allis cut into the Open Golf coverage to show us his golfing holiday video from the Algarve? No, Ski Sunday has become a poorly stitched together bunch of nonesense. From it's very conception (if I'm not mistaken, David Vine in Garmisch 1972-ish) it has been about competitive winter sports and always had a healthy audience (up to 3.5 mil for the Hahnenkamm and David Vine wasn't running around ski shops trying on gear). Now, it's more a holiday program without a regular spot. The emphasis on partying even crept into the Olympic coverage with the daily catch up on Mr Bell's nights out and in-sniggering before we were allowed to hear about the build up to the race. The stars, they should be reminded, are the elite skiers and not the pundits. There must be those at BBC Sport who want rid of it. C4 must be very happy. But gimmie Eurosport any day (now they have the timings sorted out).... provided John Clark is on the mic.
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You know it makes sense.
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Bode Swiller, yes and no... The trouble is that watching most alpine ski racing is... [ducks to avoid incoming fire] a bit boring.
Moguls, Skier Cross etc, where you can see head-to-head is great, but the whole contre la montre stuff is tedious to many of us who are not diehards, So the Beeb try and fluff it out to appeal to other snow-users. So I think I am with Miss Jules on this.
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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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Maybe it should be in two halves to satisfy the needs of all the veiwers.
One half with race coverage (from the week before if you have eurosport); and the other for fashion tips and general 'tom foolery'... a sort of Ski Funday!
People need to know about Euro Gaps!
I'll carry on watching, whatever.
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Poster: A snowHead
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CH4 Do do a good Job but they suffer from Slack scheduling particually over christmas and then thier channel four's obscure Sunday morning is really saturday thing.
Nick L, I also noticed that is it on purpose just to get Nick screaming "he's done it" as he crosses the line?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| stoatsbrother wrote: |
Bode Swiller, yes and no... The trouble is that watching most alpine ski racing is... [ducks to avoid incoming fire] a bit boring.
Moguls, Skier Cross etc, where you can see head-to-head is great, but the whole contre la montre stuff is tedious to many of us who are not diehards, So the Beeb try and fluff it out to appeal to other snow-users. So I think I am with Miss Jules on this. |
I class all that as competitive wintersport, so great, and it deserves to be on a BBC Sports program. It's the other lightweight piffle that they should drop and spend the time getting more behind the scenes.
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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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If ski sunday is looking to appeal to people that want to start skiing or boarding why not do more coverage on how they can start at home wheather it be at dry slopes, indoor snow slopes are even better the real outdoor snow resorts in scotland???? I think it could make a real boost if more people knew that they could start skiing quite close to where they live but dont know it!!!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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montylad, good point, they should maybe do a piece from a different place in Britain each week, and list all the places to ski.
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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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Why do they keep calling it Ski Sunday though if Skiing has been relegated to a bit part? Surely this new version of the program warrants a new name to go with it?
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FenlandSkier, how about Apres Ski Sunday?
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It's heading that way, thank god for C4 & Eurosport.
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its not ski racing sunday
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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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| element wrote: |
| its not ski racing sunday |
... and it's not Strictly Come Apres-Skiing either.
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It should have been presented by Judith Chalmers.
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FAQ
