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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Feb 10, 2014 - 04:17pm PT
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What a great downhill course!
Those skiers all rocked, Bode finishing in the top 10 is nothing to be ashamed of. They were hitting those jumps at 80+ mph!! Bad ass The original X-game.
America’s best change for a Nordic medal starts tonight with Kikkan; a whole group of Anchorage Nordic skiers in the Olympics. Warm temps could make things interesting.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Feb 10, 2014 - 08:45pm PT
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Haaa Dr. F, I bet you'd be pissing yer pants going off one of those jumps on a Snowboard.
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PolishClimber
Trad climber
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Feb 10, 2014 - 09:01pm PT
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Did you even watch slope-style? To downplay the skill involved in these events... You really must be trolling...
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Feb 10, 2014 - 09:19pm PT
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I agree with Dr F, seeing snowboarding in the Olympics is like seeing Putin at a gay rights rally- Just doesn't make sense :-)
It was way cooler when everyone hated us(wait everyone still does? Why is it in the Olympics then?). Seeing snowboarders decked out in Adidas sucking corporate dick makes me puke in my mouth a bit, it was never supposed to be a "sport". When I started snowboarding 20+ years ago we were treated like total misfits & discriminated against pretty hard, funny how times change.
Still much more entertaining to watch than most events that wouldn't even exist without the Olympics to keep them around. Nobody does GS for fun, billions snowboard for fun.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Feb 10, 2014 - 09:28pm PT
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Damn Bruce your right, except climbing's not in the Olympics- yet.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Feb 10, 2014 - 10:05pm PT
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Bruce. I don't know what it (climbing) used to be since I've only been lucky enough to "officially" partake for the last 8 or 9 years, but usually I just go outside & walk up to a rock or mountain & start climbing until I'm at the top sometimes with a friend or sometimes by myself. Sometimes with lots of gear & sometimes with none. If I want to not see another person for days while climbing I can go somewhere there is no one. If I want to see a bunch of people I go somewhere there is lots of people. Seems to me it's all in the eye of the beholder with climbing. I guess it could be a sport if you wanted to get that out of it too.
What did it used to be like?
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
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Feb 10, 2014 - 10:08pm PT
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It would be fun as hell to rip the DH course ,telemarking on some 194cm totally piste ski's.
Just because.
Edit;Ryan I do not think that has changed.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Feb 10, 2014 - 10:18pm PT
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Men's Moguls. YESSSS!!!!
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Banks
Trad climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Feb 10, 2014 - 10:49pm PT
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It was way cooler when everyone hated us(wait everyone still does? Why is it in the Olympics then?). Seeing snowboarders decked out in Adidas sucking corporate dick makes me puke in my mouth a bit, it was never supposed to be a "sport". When I started snowboarding 20+ years ago we were treated like total misfits & discriminated against pretty hard, funny how times change.
I've never understood this attidtude. Whether its your favorite punk band that "sold out" to a major record label or your favorite "sport" that has gone mainstream, who cares? One should be happy that these athletes are able to showcase their tremendous skill and athleticism and who knows, they might just inspire kids to get off their butts and try it for themselves. And what is so wrong about getting paid good money to do it? I doubt any of you would turn down a chance at getting six or seven figures for doing something that you love.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Feb 10, 2014 - 10:59pm PT
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Sort of Bruce, the main dif is that these companies now have an infinite pool of disposable heroes ready to throw themselves down a flight of stairs or off a 150' jump for a pink & purple polka dot jacket that couldn't keep you dry in California in August. Climbing definitely has it's underpaid poster boys but it's a much smaller pool to pull from since the technical ability & skills required to climb & snowboard at a high level is a very stark contrast. There is tens of thousands of kids who could have stepped in & competed in that slopestyle event at the same caliber we saw. I actually overheard one of the kids at work the other day saying how easy a switch double backflip was! No sh#t, these guys are doing 20 of them casually before going to work with zero sponsorship.
When I watched the slopestyle, impressive as it was. It reminded me of a bunch of robot gymnasts all hurling themselves in more or less the same manner off the exact same obstacles. Impressive? Yes. Homogenized for the masses? Definitely.
Edit- banks, sorry but there's not some huge amount of people getting paid six or seven figures a year to shred, your dreaming if you think that's the case. There's probably a few but the kool aid has been watered down too much & too many people are doing it. Read my post here- disposable heroes. Companies can just toss these kids once they blow their knees and get a new keener. It's still cool sure but you probably think green day is still cool too.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Feb 10, 2014 - 11:04pm PT
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Tonight I watched the men's speed skating where two guys would race against each other. I'm not sure if "men's speed skating" was the technical name for the event, but holy crap, what a finish! The Netherlands won Gold, Silver and Bronze, and the team included of a set of twins!
First, the one twin kicked ass and got the top place. Then, his brother bested the time by like a second, if even. So,it's two brothers in first and second place.
Then, another teammate races and beats them BOTH.
BUT..... the time was redone due to the photo finish, and the twin actually won. They were showing his face as he waited for the time, and the look-when he saw he wasn't first... Then, the time was adjusted, and his face at the new time- a look of increduality as if thinking "Am I insane? Did I see the numbers wrong?" Then, he comprehends...wow!
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Ward Trotter
Trad climber
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Feb 10, 2014 - 11:10pm PT
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When I watched the slopestyle, impressive as it was. It reminded me of a bunch of robot gymnasts all hurling themselves in more or less the same manner off the exact same obstacles. Impressive? Yes. Homogenized for the masses? Definitely.
What an absolutely dead-on moronic statement.
No one wants to hear your stupid appraisal of snowboarding, or any other sport.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Feb 10, 2014 - 11:19pm PT
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Thanks Ward.
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Banks
Trad climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Feb 10, 2014 - 11:22pm PT
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RyanD-You may have thought it was robotic, but I would say that you are in the minority. All I know is that my nephews and their friends loved it and can't stop talking about it. And that's the whole point isn't it? Its pretty selfish to want a sport to fit into some ideal that you want.
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Ward Trotter
Trad climber
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Feb 10, 2014 - 11:35pm PT
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Ward is an expert in Downhill and all things snowboarding.
Oh no Ward is far from that.
But he is an unqualified expert at detecting bullsh#t.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Feb 10, 2014 - 11:52pm PT
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I thought Ward was an expert in everything about everything? I mean didn't he start snowboarding when it was invented & then spend the entire evolution of it living in Whistler riding 100+ days a year for over a decade? Well maybe that doesn't make him an expert but I guess it means he knows way more about it than anyone here.
And Banks you just proved my point. It's entertaining to your nephews and nieces and friends- aka the masses. Don't get me wrong it's impressive, but that's the whole idea of putting something in the old limp dicks if u ask me. It's also probably the reason certain Olympic events like freestyle ski jumping & wrestling have gotten the chop. They aren't flashy & impressive. As well I don't want snowboarding or the Olympics to fit into my ideal, just pointing out how it has changed & what it has become.
Anyways Bruce, this whole snowboarding chat with a bunch of green circle 2 plankers from the lower 48 who probably couldn't ride a t bar is all just a distraction until Hockey starts.
Any of you yanks want to wager on Sundays US vs Russia game? I'll take the Rusty's, loser has to post on the selfie thread a selfie with makeup or face paint saying go canada. I'll post one saying go USA if the commies lose, which they won't.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Feb 11, 2014 - 03:47am PT
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Bruce, that's a pretty rowdy scenario there! Yikes! Hopefully you were charging them $800 a bed!
And Banks & Ward, Im just goofing a bit here so lets all not take this too seriously. Hopefully we can all enjoy some friendly competitiveness, sh#t talking & gambling since we are so nice & internationally set up for it on supertopo. That's what I always thought the true spirit of the Olympics was. Anyone want to bet on women's hockey, or men's curling? Loser has to write a trip report!
Edit-
I like this though.
I heard the Dragons Den guy Brett something going on about the obsession with medals on the radio. He was right on. He figures wec should be celebrating the effort, like all the competitors not just the medal winners. The fact is that some wipe out or bobble a run is just such a stupid measure of all their effort. As if thats ever going to happen but the thing is the odds of success in that racket is so low, the risks so high and the success is where it all leads after anyway, even if its managing a Wendy's properly you know?
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steve shea
climber
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Feb 11, 2014 - 11:21am PT
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BK is right on with the ski town seasonal rental scene. I'm living the dream right now and have a stack eviction notices all ready to go. Teton Gravity Research being here in the Hole attracts every wannabe meat hucker from every facet of going DH that you can imagine. Come on down! Be a star.
Snowboarding in the Olympics is OK. The games have become a political and economic junk show. You know the path of least resistance to the cash register. Even the IOC bent over for Putin. Why else would the most expensive games ever be staged in that god forsaken hell hole. NBC gave a billion usd to televise view worthy events for two weeks! You do not think they do not have some say in what gets done do you? IOC. Then there are the athletes and the corporate sponsorship. I love the goggle adjusting during the interviews for perfect logo positioning.
As far as athleticism goes it all there in pretty much every discipline. As far as fitness goes no way. Think of the summer games. the most respected athlete used to be the winner of the decathlon. No argument there. I think for the winter games it is hockey players, nordic combined athletes, nordic skiathlon athletes and for sure alpine ski racing. Especially those participating in all events. SL an DH are as different as baseball and football. No repetition there.
Maybe if they held a snowboard biathlon I'd watch. But then the athletes would be complaining about skooch leg all the time. You know having to skooch uphill from time to time. Slope style, ho hum. You see one, you've seen them all. Circus acts with a board on. Like diving. Same church different pew. Give me half pipe, at least I can sit through that show.
And congrats to the Canadian bump skiers and beautiful Julia Mancuso. Bronze in Alpine Super Combined!
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