• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Olympics _ Big Air

Zermatt

Active member
Joined
Mar 13, 2016
Messages
683
Points
43
Location
Connecticut
It's horrible! They went bigger in the slopestyle.

Btw, this replaces parallel slalom for snowboarding.
 

Vaughn

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
146
Points
18
This is boring in the same way as aerials are for me.

Slope style / snowboard cross > parallel > half pipe > big air.
 

Vaughn

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
146
Points
18
They built that enormous ramp in Fenway a year or two ago I didn't get the draw of that either.
 

Zermatt

Active member
Joined
Mar 13, 2016
Messages
683
Points
43
Location
Connecticut
This is boring in the same way as aerials are for me.

Slope style / snowboard cross > parallel > half pipe > big air.

Aerials are on the short list for elimination from the Olympics. . So unwatchable.

For big air I guess this is just qualifying. I'll cut them a break on that.
 

Vaughn

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
146
Points
18
Aerials are on the short list for elimination from the Olympics. . So unwatchable.

For big air I guess this is just qualifying. I'll cut them a break on that.

Aerials feel like a sport that evolved to an end point where a maximum level has been hit and it's just a question of who executes it the best now. I suppose that's true for most sports but somehow it's less compelling than most.
 

Zermatt

Active member
Joined
Mar 13, 2016
Messages
683
Points
43
Location
Connecticut
I bet most of the aerial skiers don't know how to actually ski. Mostly just acrobats.
 

chuckstah

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 22, 2013
Messages
1,565
Points
83
I bet most of the aerial skiers don't know how to actually ski. Mostly just acrobats.

I knew and skied with Nikki Stone who won the gold in aerials in 1998. She could certainly ski, but nothing special. She came from a gymnastics background.
 

AdironRider

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
3,500
Points
63
I'll take that bet...

I think it depends on which countries athletes we are talking about. I'm pretty confident the US and most Europeans could ski proficiently, but the Chinese competitors probably just barely. Just on the nature of how they train in that culture.
 

BenedictGomez

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
12,174
Points
113
Location
Wasatch Back
That Big Air thing is just terrible. Hopefully that gets cut.

Agreed that of all the new'ish snow sports, Skier/Boarder cross is the most entertaining. It's like short track speed skating in that total chaos often ensues.
 

ironhippy

Member
Joined
May 16, 2014
Messages
408
Points
18
Location
NB Canda
I find all the judged events hard to watch, but maybe I'll get more into it as I get older.

I'd rather see competition than some authority deciding who is best.
 

Domeskier

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
2,274
Points
63
Location
New York
Agreed that of all the new'ish snow sports, Skier/Boarder cross is the most entertaining. It's like short track speed skating in that total chaos often ensues.

How long before some enterprising skier/boarder crosser drops the saggy pants and oversized parkas for one of those race monkey suits and leaves the rest of the pack behind to trip over each others' headphone cords?
 

BenedictGomez

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
12,174
Points
113
Location
Wasatch Back
How long before some enterprising skier/boarder crosser drops the saggy pants and oversized parkas for one of those race monkey suits and leaves the rest of the pack behind to trip over each others' headphone cords?

They're not hitting downhill or Super G speeds, so drag wouldn't be as much an issue, but I do agree that in a sport where a few feet (or sometimes inches) can be important, it is somewhat surprising that they're still wearing "bloaty" clothing.

How does one even get into this is my question? I saw a track set-up at Smuggs two weeks ago, and a Jay Peak this past week, but in general I imagine the number of people worldwide dedicated to this sport must be quite small.
 

ThinkSnow

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
735
Points
16
Location
Bad Liver Valley
I'd like to suggest a new Olympic sport of Snowboard Jumping. Like Ski Jumping, but on a snowboard-- for distance alone. Same jumps used as for ski jumping, but with a track specifically set for a snowboard, so there's no room for slowing down on the decent.
 

BenedictGomez

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
12,174
Points
113
Location
Wasatch Back
I really hadn't collectively thought about it until this thread, but it really is getting somewhat farcical with these "sports". I think the IOC may have jumped-the-shark with this Big Air thing. I dont see how it's appreciably any different than one large slopestyle hit.

They may as well make snowmobile racing an Olympic sport, it's far more credible than Big Air, IMO.
 
Top