 Poster: A snowHead
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When interviewed by the (dull) Eurosport interviewer Bode made it clear that he doesn't approve of the mentality of those competing in the World Champs, claiming that they all ski tactically, staying safe and pushing for a result not a personal best.
This from a skier that is technically far weaker than most of the other skiers, compromising through unbelievable balance, courage and strength. His claim that Cuche skied a tactical race can only be unfounded, considering Miller got nowhere Cuche's split at any point of his inglorious run. To win by a second - when supposedly off-form - tells me that Cuche was not holding back and if there were any tactics, they were simply to win...
Anyone else bored by Miller's vanity, inconsistency and attitude??
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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 felt that he was commenting on the course more than his fellow competitors. And to be honest, I mainly agree with him that the course at Val d'Isere is not particularly good, and isn't really suitable for a World Champs. A couple of the other competitors were quite disparaging about the course as well, though they did it in a slightly more diplomatic manner.
I also agree with you, however, that he is a weak skier (compared to his peers, not us) who has only been so successful because of his exceptional athletic ability (balance, strength, agility etc) which allows him to get away with his mistakes more than most. This is probably a fair comment given that he's barely finished half the races he's entered this year.
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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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Powderhound, yes, that was a strange, sour-grapey little interview, wasn't it... It seemed to me that the competitors were adopting the tactic of skiing as fast as possible while attempting to keep to the best possible line - er, isn't that what's supposed to happen? They didn't seem to be holding back to my (admittedly untrained) eye!
Perhaps he'd like a panel of judges to award extra marks for artistic interpretation 
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| Quote: |
This from a skier that is technically far weaker than most of the other skiers, compromising through unbelievable balance, courage and strength
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Are Balance, Courage and Strength not intinsicale parts of being a modern down hill skier, and last time I checked Balance could be included in Technique?
I really dont like to hear athletes whining the conditions are the same for everyone, so just get on with it and I hate when he does it as Bode is an awsome skier he may not be as classical as the Austrians or Swiss but there are few who could ski the advertising hordings in Kitzbul and finish second
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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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skisimon, As far as the course was concerned he had a point, but it is what it is. Didn't the Daille DH WC course lose its homologation a few years back anyway for not being testing enough?
Jo225,
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Perhaps he'd like a panel of judges to award extra marks for artistic interpretation
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Then Eurosport would show it full time. Like they do figure skating!
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| Quote: |
last time I checked Balance could be included in Technique?
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Check again. In Miller's case he makes up for technical deficiency through incredible balance and agility. Look at the upper body position, weight distribution and ski positioning compared to Raich, Defago, Walchofer and others and the difference is clear. This is not to detract from his remarkable talent just to highlight that his whingeing would be more credible if he was capable of performing consistently regardless of the level of difficulty of the course. Which he isn't. He should be the world number one all the time but can't hack it technically unfortunately.
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I thought it was a shame. He sounded like a whiney child and, TBH I don't think he did himself any good. Of course the Face has to be skied tactically to a degree, but tactics are also part of the game. To suggest that those who beat him weren't trying hard enough is laughable - clearly he wasn't watching the same race I was. Of course I've never been a fan (feeling that his unusual talent is not a good example for people to follow), but I didn't spot any lack of commitment from any of the top 10 or so.
Personally though, I don't think the Face de Bellevarde is the best place for races, because it's too much survival and not enough flow - but that's just my opinion. Odd to hear Marco Buchel saying it was too icy though!
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...but, when asked about the course, Ligety (who I understand crashed out) made the very fair point that it's the World Champs and so should be testing. His only comment was that it was a bit different from what they'd had previously, so needed to be approached slightly differently.
Also, I don't remember Bode whining about the Combined they had there last year. Now remind me, who won that.....with some completely awesome skiing?
(IIRC, in that race Cuche was 2nd in the downhill section, about 1.5 secs back, but then didn't compete in the slalom section)
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Isn't one of the points of the races to work out how to ski any given course, too? Otherwise you might as well just send them all down the flying K and have done
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GrahamN, Fair point about the course, it's just that, for instance Adelboden is a really hard GS, but is lovely to watch as real GS flow is evident all the way, whereas the GS they had earlier on the Bellevarde wasn't very nice to watch at all.
Do we think Bode is getting pressure from his sponsors????
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Bear in mind that the Super G is unlike the other disciplines. The racers get a fixed period of inspection, usually enough for one detailed look and then a quick confirmation. Unlike the DH where they ski the course a minimum of 3 times before racing it. Skiers like Bode should be good enough to adapt to the conditions for each given course. Especially if, as in this case it was a very fast course, open as a DH changing into a GS-type course near the bottom due to the speed being carried. Hence so many skiers coming out of the line.
The prestige that a World Champ race carries is huge so basically Miller is whining because he could not handle the difficulty level and now, as you say easiski, he has to win something else to please his sponsors... Superfund (or not so Super any more perhaps??!)
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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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| easiski wrote: |
| Do we think Bode is getting pressure from his sponsors???? |
Probably, but more so, I guess, from himself. He's not having a good season. He's on his own, with no team members to bond with, help him out or cheer him up on a bad day. Yes, he was full of excuses today and no, he's not a pretty skier and I know you despair at his "style"  . But I feel sorry for him. He's obviously not enjoying his skiing at the moment. And previously he did. I think that's what's wrong with him.
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The object is to win, he didn't. The conditions were the same for everyone! Well done Cuche!
Anyone else find the interviewers really iritating?
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You know it makes sense.
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GreyCat, yes, because they were clearly chosen for their language ability and not their knowledge of skiing. Stupid questions on the whole.
maggi, don't feel sorry for him - not a question of style - his technique is not as solidly grounded as most of the others. He's a genius, but he can't rely on that for ever. They all crash and burn in the end! There are others who had more bad luck than him - he made a collossal mistake, and then pushed too hard to try to make up for it.
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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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| easiski wrote: |
| don't feel sorry for him - not a question of style - his technique is not as solidly grounded as most of the others. |
Wouldn't it be better to say that his technique is not as orthodox as most other racers? I'm not sure we can say that somebody who has won as much as Bode has won doesn't have solidly grounded technique.
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Poster: A snowHead
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easiski, quite right on the interviewer - asking Ligety how he found the course even though he had crashed out after less than a third. What a gem!
rob@rar, certainly unorthodox and generally technically 'interesting'! There are a couple of technique videos on youtube where he demos and to be honest you or I could do a better technical demo...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have to say I thoroughly enjoyed watching the SG  Very technically demanding course meaning that those who had inspected thoroughly and used their heads as well as immense courage and skill to work out the best route down won. Fair enough, everyone's different and obviously some of you didn't enjoy watching it but I thought it was one of the most exciting races I've seen for a while. And have to agree that Bode's whinging was a bit pathetic I thought - they all had to deal with the same conditions and I thought that Cuche actually skied one of the most attacking runs. Looking forward to the DHs!!
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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, Obviously his technique is vastly superior to 99.9% of the people on the planet, but he falls apart far too often for my liking. Skiing in the backseat may be fast but it's too risky as he proves again and again. The trouble is that because he's spectacular to watch he inspires a lot of skiers who would do much better to watch almost anyone else on the WC circuit.
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| easiski wrote: |
| , but he falls apart far too often for my liking. Skiing in the backseat may be fast but it's too risky as he proves again and again. |
That's why I love to watch him! Genius or disaster, although I certainly agree that he shouldn't be held up as a guy to emulate. Plenty of other racers for that, Raich and Ligety being favourites for me.
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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 think his comments made him sound like a poor loser and didn't make sense, surely ski racing is about tactics as well lots of other things???
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The early runners in last Saturday's Men's Downhill had an advantage because it was a warm day and the course got slower as time passed. History will record that John Kucera was the 2009 World Champion.
At the bib draw, the evening before the race, Miller said that he would like to have started at no. 4. Had he started earlier he would have finshed higher in the race. However the performance of the day I believe was that of Didier Cuche who finished 2nd with a start no of 16.
I was confused as to how the bib draw was carried out for the races. For the Men's Downhill, it appeared that the top 30 men were in the "lottery" for start numbers whereas for the Women's Downhill the top ten women were in a separate draw from the rest of the women.
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I really dont know very much about ski technique or lack of it (being mainly a snowboarder) but theres something about Bodes skiing that I find quite mesmerizing, and has renewed my interest in the sport. I think its probably to do with him throwing everything including the kitchen sink at it, man against mountain  (which is probably to make up for his not so hot technique I suppose).
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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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JDC, But they all do that every race - it just looks less tidy in his case!
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I like Bode's skiing. He's fun to watch, and let's face it, pro sports are entertainment. He's also had a big impact on gear development. Yes, his whole attitude is "unortodox" but then again, what would you expect from someone who raced at the junior WC on shaped skis at a time when no other world class racer used them? That interview was not one of his best moments, so what. Is that more importamt than being one of the most succesfull racers in history?
If young racers are using a 'style' that does not suit them, shouldn't we blame their coaches?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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sugardaddy, as any footballer will tell you, you are only as good as your last result or, in this case, your last interview. And as a role model it would seem that levelling accusations at the other racers for skiing tactically is not sporting and does not leave a good impression on his followers.
A friend that loves skiing but does not follow racing asked me the other night - 'Isn't Bode Miller the one who spends all night boozing and sh**ging groupies?' Great role model, regardless of results and technical ability. That sounds like a condemnation but isn't - if any of us could perform as well during the day and night as that we would doubtless be very pleased with ourselves - however, there comes some responsibility with greatness (q. Marcus Aurelius Maximus??)
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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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sugardaddy, Pro sports are sports - you'll be wanting John Seargent in there next! I do wonder how much Bode's 'let it all hang out' attidtude rubs off onto the ordinary skier - creating the dangerous young men we see daily on the mountain? I'm not sure it does, but food for thought.
sporting heros are not actors, musicians or TV presenters and if you don't understand the sacrifice and effort that goes into getting to the top in any sport then that's sad - all entertainers have to do is entertain!
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm now getting the most enjoyment out of watching Julien Lizeroux - same seat of the pants/on the edge approach, but with maybe a bit more conventional style. You never know quite what he's going to come up with, but it normally involves some fantastic recoveries, and great athleticism. Superb fun. More of a technical specialist rather then speedster, so not quite the all-rounder that Bode is/was.
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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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GrahamN, Agreed, Liseroux is fab!
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