Bode Miller: Skiing Drunk 'Not Easy'

[highpeaksdrifter]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060105/ap_on_sp_ot/ski_miller_skiing_drunk

 

[riverc0il]

ski racing's bad boy strikes again! as long as he is only doing this while racing in a closed course and can only kill himself, more power to him. i hope he doesn't put other people's lives at risk though in a public forum. even on a race course, he still could take someone else out if he crashes. it is amazing to think what this kid could have done if he really wanted to go after it like most other folks on the curcuit do. seems he really doesn't care much about racing.

 

[kbroderick]

Sounds like Bode being Bode.

I don't think he "goes after it" any less than any other guy on the circuit, and not falling in line with authorities is nothing new for him (I haven't read his book yet, but I'm rather curious as to what he says about CVA versus some of the stuff I heard from guys who were there at the same time). Getting to where he is takes a lot of talent on the hill and a lot of ability to line up the stuff in your mind with what your body is trying to do; I think that Bode being Bode is part of how he copes with that reality and all the crap that goes with it. On a less controversial note, consider his use of K2 Fours at Junior Olympics a while back; he won one or two events on a ski aimed at the intermediate market, and that was one of the catalysts for wide availability of large-sidecut race skis (World Cup GS skis and maybe a model here or there had significant sidecut even before that time, but most of the major US players, at least, were still selling minimal-sidecut GS skis to most racers). Bode will find a way to get where he's going, but it may not be the way anyone else would get there.

 

[NYDrew]

Skiing needs people like Bode. The world needs more people like Bode. He is good at racing, he like to race but he doesn't miss out on life because of racing. The world would be happier if everyone figured that out with respect to their own lives.

 

[kingslug]

Bode is the best thing to happen to US skiing in 20 years. The fact that he is so different is what puts him on top. The Austrians can't figure him out. Good. How long he survives is another matter. He was rated as one of the best in shape atheletes around though. We finaly have a respectable team.

 

[SkiDork]

Torino. Turin. 2006 This will be the year of Bode.

 

[Marc]

So is what he said the headline, or the fact that it was him that said it? :dunce:

 

[frozencorn]

Well....he is right.

Can't wait to see the "uproar" this might cause.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I don’t know, I’ve always liked Bodie, I love to ski and like to drink. When the most famous and probably the best ski racer in the world comes out and basically says I ski drunk when I want to and if anybody doesn’t like it too bad, to me that ain’t cool. There’s thousands of young Bodie want-to-bes out there rippin it up all over the mountain, endangering themselves and those in their path. They don’t need their idol coming out with his ski drunk take that may encourage them to do the same.

To me skiing drunk is no better then driving drunk.

 

[bvibert]

I don’t know, I’ve always liked Bodie, I love to ski and like to drink. When the most famous and probably the best ski racer in the world comes out and basically says I ski drunk when I want to and if anybody doesn’t like it too bad, to me that ain’t cool. There’s thousands of young Bodie want-to-bes out there rippin it up all over the mountain, endangering themselves and those in their path. They don’t need their idol coming out with his ski drunk take that may encourage them to do the same.

To me skiing drunk is no better then driving drunk.

Well said. Thats all we need is a mountain full of drunks guys trying to ski as fast as they can... :roll:

 

[ga2ski]

Well said. Thats all we need is a mountain full of drunks guys trying to ski as fast as they can... :roll:

Sounds like Monday night racing at Pat's, but not for the AZ team.

 

[RuffusCorncobb]

I wonder

I wonder if Bretton Woods is still glad they have him for a poster boy? I suppose they should have already known that he would be likely to say and do things that may be embarasing to some of his sponsors.

 

[smootharc]

He'd better glitter like Gold...

Torino. Turin. 2006 This will be the year of Bode.

....in Turin or this quote will come back to bite him.

"Bad Boy" but #1 in world.....everybody loves ya. "Bad Boy" but one who comes up short.....with quotes like that one....well, people can turn on you.....

Fast forward 20 years and someone who looks kinda like him is sitting alone on a barstool in a dive on the access road of a third-rate ski resort telling anyone who will listen "I coulda been somebody....I coulda been a contender....". Okay, okay....my imagination runs wild, but....

Very few lucky and gifted ones get to fly where eagles soar....and it's a shame to see the ones who don't quite understand or appreciate the preciousness and frailty of the view from the top of the world. Now I'm not saying Bode is one of those who don't get it....

That being said he's a big boy, can make his choices as he sees fit, and this poster wishes him the best. But somehow that quote made me feel somewhat sad for him.

Mickey Mantle was an all-time great of baseball who lived his entire career and adult live as an untreated alcoholic. Not many folks mention how much better he could have been....a few sports writers touched upon it here and there near the end and just after he died. Sad.

 

[ctenidae]

Skiing drunk probably isn't the best thing to do, and certainly hurts your times, but he didn't say he would ski drunk again, he just didn't say he wouldn't. If he came out and said he wouldn't ever do it again, but then did, I'd lose respect for him. However, he's just being honest- not willing to rule anything out.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

So is what he said the headline, or the fact that it was him that said it? :dunce:

Are you kiddin me? It's the fact he said it. If you or I came out and said we're in favor of gay-pegan-naked wedding ceremonies no one would care, but if Pres. Bush says it, well that might raise a few eye brows. He’s Bodie Freakin Miller. That name carries some weight in the ski world.

 

[Phildozer]

I have friends that like to ski "rasta-style" if you know what I mean. They love it.

I don't think I could ski under the influence of anything.

 

[Marc]

So is what he said the headline, or the fact that it was him that said it? :dunce:

Are you kiddin me? It's the fact he said it. If you or I came out and said we're in favor of gay-pegan-naked wedding ceremonies no one would care, but if Pres. Bush says it, well that might raise a few eye brows. He’s Bodie Freakin Miller. That name carries some weight in the ski world.

J, O, K, E

JOKE, JOKE, JOKE



I'm going to have another beer...

 

[JimG.]

Bode is like any other healthy mid-20 year old guy. I thought and sounded off (sometimes sounded really stupid) at that age too.

I don't think he is endorsing drinking and skiing...that's the media talking. His comments about steriods were similarly twisted...he said they should be legal because the testing procedures are a joke and alot of athletes use them anyway.

I like Bode and I'm not a great fan of traditional ski racing disciplines. He's got some chile pepper in his blood. I like to see athletes display their opinions...he's not afraid to display a public image that's honest and open. And if some knucklehead thinks he is endorsing drinking and skiing, well that's just dumb.

Wouldn't it suck if ski racers were like NASCAR drivers? All public image?

 

[ctenidae]

Ski racers could never be like NASCAR- they have to turn right occasionaly.

 

[Greg]

I don�t know, I�ve always liked Bodie, I love to ski and like to drink. When the most famous and probably the best ski racer in the world comes out and basically says I ski drunk when I want to and if anybody doesn�t like it too bad, to me that ain�t cool. There�s thousands of young Bodie want-to-bes out there rippin it up all over the mountain, endangering themselves and those in their path. They don�t need their idol coming out with his ski drunk take that may encourage them to do the same.

To me skiing drunk is no better then driving drunk.

I have to agree here. I think his comments were pretty lame, for no other reason than those kids that look up to him may be influenced negatively. With his fame should come a little bit of responsibility as an inherent role model. It seems to me his willingness to publicly make such statements is irresponsible and a bit selfish, as it seems like he'd rather maintain the 'bad boy' persona than act like an adult and a role model for kids. I'm not that far beyond 28 years old and I certainly know better. Perhaps your perspective changes as a parent...