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Freeskier article, wondering what some people thought. - Page 4

post #91 of 102
1/12/06 at 3:19pm
I had an interesting experience the other day that may explain why racing is more marketable. I was watching a freestyle/park competition on TV with my wife ( a virtual non-skier, maybe 4 times a year) and after about 20 minutes of it she said, "this is really boring, when are they going to show the fast stuff."

I guess the element of danger in downhill being broken limbs, as opposed to some kid crushing his nuts on a rail, is much more exciting to non-skiers, and more marketable.
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post #92 of 102
1/12/06 at 3:51pm
My wife is also an occasional skier, and will sit and watch WC races with me. She actually seems to enjoy it and can pick out the better skiers, tell who's going fast and she knows most of their names. The same thing has happened with bike racing, from all the races they show on OLN, and I watch twice.
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post #93 of 102
1/12/06 at 9:08pm
This takes me back to the 92 Olympics, when Edgar Grospiron (who then went on to win moguls gold the next week) voluntarily foreran the Mens DH course (Face de Bellevarde, Val d'Isere). And he did it properly, ie. he wore a DH suit, he was tucking, and not throwing in extra turns. In doing this, he won more respect from us downhillers towards freestylers than infinite column-inches of trash-talk could ever have achieved.
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post #94 of 102
1/13/06 at 6:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by freeskinow
Tanner doesn't brag about his drinking.
No, Tanner only gets arrested for punching bar owners that kick him out of their establishments becuase he was under age. He only opens his mouth and dumb stuff comes out. Quite the role model himself, eh? Don't bother defending the indefensible.
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post #95 of 102
1/13/06 at 6:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Bell
This takes me back to the 92 Olympics, when Edgar Grospiron (who then went on to win moguls gold the next week) voluntarily foreran the Mens DH course (Face de Bellevarde, Val d'Isere). And he did it properly, ie. he wore a DH suit, he was tucking, and not throwing in extra turns. In doing this, he won more respect from us downhillers towards freestylers than infinite column-inches of trash-talk could ever have achieved.
Nostalgic fan mode On/

Ed - gar, Ed - gar, Ed - gar, Ed - gar ... !

/off

I was there, both for the DH and the moguls, but didn't remember that cool story !
Grospiron was a great PR for freestyle : Enthousiast, energetic, articulate, funny. He didn't trash-talk, but did he knew how to ski... (and I guess he still do...)
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post #96 of 102
1/13/06 at 8:57am
Im not going to read all of this crap, but rember, Tanner was on the US devlopmental team, and was training full time with the US freestyle team, when he chose to leave to pursue his freeskiing carrer.

Truth being told, Tanner can out ski everyone one posting on this forum, so to knock his athletic ablity is atrocious. Those that make there living from freesking are in general in just as good of shape as those that race. They are all profesional athletes, that are in top physical condition, and that posses more skills than 99% of the general skier population.

I can apreciate Tanner's frustrations with the sport, as there is way more money currently involved in racing, while the freesking sector is by far selling hte most skis and generating the most income for the sport. Not only do freeskiers have to be top notch atheletes they have to manage them selves, something the US team and most racers dont need to do. Think about it have you ever tried to manage multiple film shoots with photo shoots, all while making sure your able to complete all of your sponsorship obligations, and then have to compete on top of that?


I think this argument could be resolved quite easily by calling the house hold of Steve and Andy Mahre.
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post #97 of 102
1/13/06 at 9:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtbakerskier
...

I can apreciate Tanner's frustrations with the sport, as there is way more money currently involved in racing, while the freesking sector is by far selling hte most skis and generating the most income for the sport. Not only do freeskiers have to be top notch atheletes they have to manage them selves, something the US team and most racers dont need to do.

...
Cry me a river, Grant.

If Tanner takes a rational look at the sport of skiing and concludes that racing offers better financial rewards than freestyling (or freeskiing or whatever you prefer to call it), what in the world prevents him from changing disciplines?

My answer to that question would be that he doesn't have the talent to ski at the World Cup racing level, but that's just me.

Tanner's got a pretty sweet deal going but he doesn't appear to be smart enough to know it. He gets to travel around the world, hang out with his bros, ride helicopters in exotic places, and ski stuff that the rest of us mortals can only dream about.
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post #98 of 102
1/13/06 at 9:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Peters
My answer to that question would be that he doesn't have the talent to ski at the World Cup racing level, but that's just me.
agreed.

Grant, why is someone your age going so far backward in logic and maturity to defend the indefensible rantings of a spoiled TBM hill rat?
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post #99 of 102
1/13/06 at 9:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Peters
Cry me a river, Grant.

If Tanner takes a rational look at the sport of skiing and concludes that racing offers better financial rewards than freestyling (or freeskiing or whatever you prefer to call it), what in the world prevents him from changing disciplines?

My answer to that question would be that he doesn't have the talent to ski at the World Cup racing level, but that's just me.

Tanner's got a pretty sweet deal going but he doesn't appear to be smart enough to know it. He gets to travel around the world, hang out with his bros, ride helicopters in exotic places, and ski stuff that the rest of us mortals can only dream about.
I'm prety confident that Tanner could compete in world cup if he had chosen that path, however he chose to do something that he loves even if the pay is less. Tanner knows very well what his position is in the industry, and he has always seemed to be quite apreciative of it everytime that I have seen him.

A large part of being a profesional skier is attitude and personality, as well as passion and skill. Tanner has just as much of it as Bode or anyone else on the US team. Bode does not have the skills to air massive gaps, etc, but that doesnt mean that he isnt a great skier, just as Tanner hasnt honed is racing skills to the level of Bode doesnt meen that he isnt as a great of a skier either.

Personally I dont think anyone on this board is capable of commiting on Tanner's or Bode's skill level as no-one on this board skis to that level, and unless you are skiing on that level you couldnt possibly imagine all of what is invoved to stay at that level year in and year out.


It also says something about where the sport is going when more racers are leaving racing to pursue careers in freeskiing than there are freeskiers choosing to leave that for the regimented and stale rutine of racing.

If you dont like Tanner attitude fine, whatever but dont knock his ablility or passion.
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post #100 of 102
1/13/06 at 9:53am
it's the attitude that got him into trouble, and I find it hard to believe that he could be at Rahlves', Rocca's, Miller's, Aamodt's level. very hard.

why are so many leaving racing for freeskiing?

money, notoriety, money, notoriety. and women. dumb groupie women who think big air is cooler and tougher and more sex-worthy than being ridiculously fast and precise and controlled, which a dumb groupie chick can't fathom. but who cares what she can fathom when she's eager to strap on the bib and kneepads, eh?

what you're arguing, Grant, is akin to saying that the most mundane rock star is a greater musician -- from a MUSIC perspective -- than a great jazz musician.

and I'm not buying that sales pitch.
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post #101 of 102
1/13/06 at 10:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtbakerskier
...

Personally I dont think anyone on this board is capable of commiting on Tanner's or Bode's skill level as no-one on this board skis to that level, and unless you are skiing on that level you couldnt possibly imagine all of what is invoved to stay at that level year in and year out.

...
You're wrong on this. It's entirely legitimate for someone with a moderate amount of skill in any endeavor to be able to appreciate those people who have the highest skill levels. A logical extension of your argument would be that Bode, Tanner, and all the others could never benefit from coaching because there is no coach on the planet who is as skilled.

I've personally watched a lot of top-level freeskiers over the past twenty years and I've also watched many top-level racers. I'm completely capable of observing and comparing skill levels even though I'll never achieve that level myself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mtbakerskier
...

It also says something about where the sport is going when more racers are leaving racing to pursue careers in freeskiing than there are freeskiers choosing to leave that for the regimented and stale rutine of racing.

...
Could you name a few besides Nobis (and that was many years ago)?

I know perfectly well that many top freeskiers have club and maybe even lower-level FIS racing experience in their background, but can you name a TRULY promising Ski-Team-caliber prospect who dropped out of organized racing and took up freeskiing in the last few years? I pay quite a bit of attention to the ski racing scene and I can't think of any.

Just in my opinion, the mere fact that you call ski racing "stale" tells me that you really don't know very much about ski racing. And yet, oddly enough, you feel completely qualified to comment on it while none of us are qualified to comment on Tanner.

Seems like a bit of a contradiction.
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post #102 of 102
1/13/06 at 10:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtbakerskier
Im not going to read all of this crap, but rember, Tanner was on the US devlopmental team, and was training full time with the US freestyle team, when he chose to leave to pursue his freeskiing carrer.

Truth being told, Tanner can out ski everyone one posting on this forum, so to knock his athletic ablity is atrocious. Those that make there living from freesking are in general in just as good of shape as those that race.
I like Tanner, I think he's got amazing balance and is a great athlete and if he fits some people's definition of a "freeskier" so be it.

However, as evidenced by his Yearbook segment, his big mountain skiing is very far from the level of people like Mark Abma, Hugo Harrison, Ingrid Backstrom, and the other usual suspects.

btw - didn't Tanner break both feet last year coming down short on a gap? Is he back?

Ingrid>Tanner
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