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Are traditional snowsports disciplines "dead"?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
After reading another thread I thought that I would stir up a bit of controversy. It seems to me that the new wave of snowsports make for much better spectator viewing than the old school ones. For me skier/boarder/langlaufing cross is far more exciting to watch than a traditional alpine race, similarly a big air competition is far more interesting than ski jumping. The half pipe is better than the moguls, I could go on, but I think that you get my point. It certainly seems to be more interesting to the majority of the population.

If this is the case, then will we ever reach the stage where the traditional snowsports are sidelined as a minority sport, of interest to only a few people who can appreciate the technical aspects of it?

Your views please.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Kramer wrote:

If this is the case, then will we ever reach the stage where the traditional snowsports are sidelined as a minority sport, of interest to only a few people who can appreciate the technical aspects of it?


Kramer, possibly related ?


Assume for discussion traditional snowsports are merely hard to show in a way that invites mirror neuron reaction. How about a camera mounted to freely roll along a cable strung above a race course? Key here is to capture the body of the athlete along with first-person visual cues, obviously helmet-cams aren't quite it.


For a direct answer, viewer attention to traditonal snowsports has been so long under assault from figure skating and the like that it's only just snowsports get back some of their own. No one of these new formats has enough tradition or history or marketing hype behind it to actually mask traditional snowsport. For an analogy in the cycling world, what you'd need is a 'new school' event at the level of the Tour de France to eclipse the actual World Championships.
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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?
I enjoy watching ski jumping and moguls about as much as big air and halfpipe. But I find skier/boardercross better to watch than any of these, and I find traditional alpine racing quite boring. My guess is that the 'old school' competitions will stay around, but will have to share the spotlight with the newer ones.
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Quote:

and I find traditional alpine racing quite boring.


Me too and thats why ski sunday is no longer in its 'proper' spot of 6pm Sunday evening! Sad
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

How about a camera mounted to freely roll along a cable strung above a race course?
comprex,I think that's exactly what they did at Winter X Games in Aspen. They called it a Sky Cam. Gives a terrific view of the 'cross' events. You can see exactly who is in the lead, who is attacking and who-cuts-up who. And they also had extremely skilled skiing cameramen filming from the hip as people went over adjacent jumps and rails. Terrific TV. Way to go. Personally I could do without the skidoo and motorcycle events as being noisy and polluting but I must admit they are exciting to watch.
Kramer, I'm in agreement on the greater attraction of the newer events for spectators either out by the courses or on the couches. To a great extent traditional alpine events are already sidelined to short programmes at obscure times on many of the TV channels and I think it's going to get worse. The few who can appreciate the skills will need to stand around in the cold if they want to watch the events.


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 6-04-05 9:58; edited 1 time in total
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The new events are generally at vastly slower speeds (and the jumps tiny in terms of distance), otherwise they would be too dangerous. The traditional races are at the edge of what is possible on skis. But seen live they are even less satisfactory: you see a skier for about 2 seconds and have no idea who it is or how they are doing. But you do see how steep the slopes are and how fast they really go which just doesn't come over on screen.
One summer I was sitting on the grass a little below the start gate of the Hahnenkamm, looking down at the famous first jump (they land doing 80mph) and heard a couple near me wondering where the race course was that they had seen on Ski Sunday. When I pointed out that they were sitting on it they were shocked: they had no idea it was so steep or that anyone would even consider racing on a slope like that.
The Cross events are more exciting to watch because of all the dangerous overtaking and crashes. More gladiatorial than technical (though I suppose I'm being a bit unfair because all those jumps so close together must be really difficult and jockeying for position while skiing sharp bends must need great strength and presence of mind.
(I should say that moguls are a new dicipline as far as I am concerned: they have only quite recently been accepted as an Olympic event).
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Maybe we should adopt the gladiatorial aspect of these new events in other traditional winter disciplines? - After our Olympic success in the women's curling in SLC, there was a lot of debate about how to get more young people involved in the sport.

Perhaps we've hit on the solution! - CURLERCROSS.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Has anyone else here seen skater-cross or langlaufing-cross? Both take the gladatorial element even further. Absolutely amazing to watch, and very funny with it as well.
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