... I've read a few articles recently that mentioned how Ski Racing and the FIS are missing a trick by not using a lot of new tecnology.
With the advent of Go Pro and Contour type cameras...would it not be a good idea to have these placed about the racer? To give different views for the audiance? Heart Rate monitors, microphones, actual live speeds? What about placing a camera inside a few of the actual gates...like you get in the stumps at Cricket?
Lots of motorsports do this... F1, Speedway, Moto X and GP etc. All these sports are now more entertaining to watch.
Surely they should be thinking along these lines?
Any thoughts?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
spud, They all ready are, a micro camera attached to the Goggle strap has all ready been tested and will probably be introduced in time for the Word Champs in February.
There is also plans to introduce more city dual races,in cities with more FIS WC Points on the table for the races.
THat and SKI CROSS Lots of Ski Cross!!
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?
Cross Country is exciting enough without gimmicks I feel!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Cynic, you really think so? I was racing xc for 20 years or so (even though just EC and not WC), yet I don't see it interesting to watch. Maybe some sprint races in city, but that's about it, and even these are lately getting too long to be really interesting. On the other hand, I still think xc is best sport ever for doing it for fun, so don't get me wrong with this. But I really don't see xc as interesting sport. I guess I'm wrong with this, since based on data I have, it's way ahead of alpine skiing when it comes to spectators, and TV audience (yeah I was really surprised when I heard that on end of last winter).
After all it is free
After all it is free
more watched than Apine?
That's because it runs for ages so is constantly on continental Eurosport which, when you go on holiday is the only channel you can watch without understanding the native language.... that and hours and hours of ski jumping!
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.
Cynic wrote:
Cross Country is exciting enough without gimmicks I feel!
I wouldn't call them 'Gimmicks'...just another way to view the racing from different perspectives.
Each to their own of course.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I do agree that all though my heart is with alpine skiing which I love to do, I really do enjoy watching Biathlon and XC skiing but don't really enjoy doing it. The Alpine race can be over 15 mins after the program starts, Eurosport scheduling taken in to account. But Biathlon lasts and changes and has more permutations and variations. I still enjoy both, but given a choice of only one it would be Biathlon. Moving Eurosport on to freeview or youview as well as sky would help of course, but the nature of Alpine is individuals against the clock and only against each other on the leaderboard, that can't change to much. The added camera's will add to the drama and perspective, but I fear will not do a Bernie Eccelston on Alpine skiing. So for the moment at least Skinny skiing wins.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
spud, we (German and Austrian TV) are seeing the courses from lots of angles when they play the pre-race run down. They are using several cameras now instead of the one big one that they had before. The camera that looks backwards is boot mounted I think and gives a much better idea of the speeds and angles than the front facing ones.
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.
I enjoy watching pretty much any skiing discipline when I get the chance, but the two that I find more enjoyable than the others to watch are the biathlon (xc plus rifles) and ski cross.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I much prefer watching xc and biathlon to alpine, much more of a race particularly the mass starts and sprints, but even the time trials can be good with the fastest starting last and seeing if they are up or down at the time points.Probably helps that I ski and race (at a low level) xc summer and winter.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Samerberg Sue wrote:
spud, we (German and Austrian TV) are seeing the courses from lots of angles when they play the pre-race run down. They are using several cameras now instead of the one big one that they had before. The camera that looks backwards is boot mounted I think and gives a much better idea of the speeds and angles than the front facing ones.
Yes...we get an 'on board' camera angle too with the pre race run down. Can't remember which ex racer did the last one, but they almost cocked up on one of the gates...which would have been amusing had he not made it.
I read on FB, that FIS have banned racers from using any camera during races too. Can imagine Mancuso using it...she loves posting up footage of herself from different angles skiing. A helmet mount looking back at herself was most unusual...
I much prefer watching xc and biathlon to alpine, much more of a race particularly the mass starts and sprints, but even the time trials can be good with the fastest starting last and seeing if they are up or down at the time points.Probably helps that I ski and race (at a low level) xc summer and winter.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
dulcamara wrote:
more watched than Apine?
Yup, way bigger TV audience (percentage of all people watching TV at that moment), and also way bigger number of spectators on site. Biathlon is from outer space anyway when it comes to this. I have no current info about this, but few years back, biathlon was third sport in general in Germany, right after Formula 1 and football. Not to mention, they fill Schalke's Veltins arena every single year (40.000+ spectators) for race, which doesn't count for anything. It's just promo race and there's 40.000 people watching it live on spot (plus god knows how many millions infront of TV).
As far as TV audience goes, first is biathlon of course, then it's ski jumping, then xc skiing, and then far far back is alpine skiing.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
And as I wrote... I can actually watch alpine skiing... well if I have chance to go out and do something, I rather do that, then stay in to watch skiing, but still. On other side, watching xc or even biathlon is boring for me. When it comes to doing it, I much rather go xc skiing then alpine skiing For me, there's nothing nicer then going out and you are all alone on xc tracks on cold sunny day. This beats alpine skiing any day for me. But that's just me
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?
For watchability I'd be a rebel and put Skicross first. Same with mountainbiking, 4X is far more viewer/TV friendly action than XC or DH. Then any of the mass start sprint races (both on planks or on wheels).
Be interesting to see what they come up with camera wise, since it needs to be transmitted live for quite a significant TV audience.
Be interesting to see what they come up with camera wise, since it needs to be transmitted live for quite a significant TV audience.
and there is one of the problems with Apline events - The likes of F1 have invested significant amounts of money in making it a live show and is aided by the fact that the teams have a lot of the telemetry info from the teams to augment the video feeds. They also have a limited number of entrants for the big event making the logistics slightly easier (if not all of the technicalities). I am not sure Apline skiing has that amount of money to throw at it, but happy for someone to tell me differently.
Whilst I would love to see some live feeds and data overlays I think for Apline events this lends itself better to non-live broadcasts where they could edit and overlay info to give comparisons and other view points during the race. I guess they also have to consider the competitive advantage a later race may get from assessing the on-course conditions a live feed would give. I know they almost certainly have spotters most of the way down the course feeding back to the team but video for instant analysis would add to this information.
This is probably the reason that most (but not all and motorsports is the biggest exceptions AFAIK) don't allow the use of POV cameras during races.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 13-11-12 12:07; edited 1 time in total
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Rocki wrote:
The Alpine race can be over 15 mins after the program starts,
Well, if you only show a few selected competitors. More like an hour and a half (or so) for a full downhill.
This is probably the reason that most (but not all and motorsports is the biggest exceptions AFAIK) don't allow the use of POV cameras during races.
Some sort of video analysis can be done with current tv transmission (racers actually have TV screens up in racer's lounge next to start house (where this house exists for example GAP, Kitzbuhel...). Analysis can be much better done from current tv transmission, especially when you get HD (or better) feed, then from POV cameras, which normally don't show anything, except nice angles for spectators.
But main thing, at least in my opinion, are TV rights. You pay, and you pay A LOT, to be able to have video on races (on course, in finish area...). Racers of course won't pay anything for this, so having their own cameras, their own feed etc. might bring paying TV stations (and because of this also FIS) into very bad corner, especially with current state of social networks. With banning racers having cameras, you also get rid of competitions TV stations could be facing this way. And no matter what someone might think, this is actually good thing... for FIS AND also for racers themself.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
snowball, Not a very well constructed sentence I agree, but what I meant was that the podium positions are decided pretty early on once the race starts, not always, I know, but the rest of the race is normally academic once the first 15 or so racers have gone, which I believe was one of the reasons why the second run was reversed, so that the race was was not finished until the final racer was down, among many other reasons. A bit more difficult in DH and Super g. Although i must admit it was fantastic to see us represented on Sunday in the second run, Well done DR.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Talking about TV coverage and xc skiing, this weekend is the opening weekend of the season in Europe with racing starting in earnest this Friday (16th November 2012) in both Sweden and Norway. British skiers will be in action at Bruksvallarna, Sweden and Beitostolen, Norway, skiing alongside teams from every skiing nation in the warm-ups to the first World Cup race the following weekend. Both races are major sporting events in Scandinavia and all three days of racing in Beitostolen will be shown live on Norwegian television (accessible to some UK viewers on broadband). This year for the first time Eurosport will be showing the races from Bruksvallarna on Saturday and Sunday.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
For me, there's nothing nicer then going out and you are all alone on xc tracks on cold sunny day. This beats alpine skiing any day for me. But that's just me 
