Anybody have any info as to when LL will open their back side/powder bowls?
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Ugh, that's this weekend... for anyone who's been up during it, if you avoid the course how packed does the rest of the hill tend to be? Last weekend it was dead (Sunday), could ski right on to the lifts, but that was before this recent snowfall.
Planning to be up frequently this year, every weekend if possible. If you see someone wearing Armada outerwear riding a pair of ON3Ps, that's me.
Is it still on? The training runs were cancelled yesterday.
Training has been pushed back until 1:30 due to snow. Knowing a bunch of the SledDogs, there will not be a loose flake on the course by noon. with "everything" being open up there tomorrow, it will be a S#!t show up there!
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I have free passes this weekend at Louise. Not looking forward to fighting crowds AT ALL.......every yeti in Alberta will be out there on their new powder fatties, keeping the repair shops in town busy next week.
I'll be in the bar or beer gardens (if there is one).
IIRC, not too many go to Lake Louise for the Downhill. A few Europeans, and friends and family of the skiers. A shame.
Agreed! it is a shame, most of these guy's bust their a$$es to do it, and don't get a payday for doing it!
It is definitely a good show, if you get up close to coaches corner, better yet just below it, there are good view of these guy's doing 120 kph in the air. if you've ever had to change a tire on the side of the highway, that's what these guy and gals sound like going by, and at the same speed too!
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Not to mention given the new FIS regulations that are going in next season (read: the ridiculous bull#### that is going to completely ruin the sport) this is your last chance to see them actually approach their potential. Next year it'll be like watching gymnasts with weights attached to their ankles. Though it mostly affects GS, I spose.
Not to mention given the new FIS regulations that are going in next season (read: the ridiculous bull#### that is going to completely ruin the sport) this is your last chance to see them actually approach their potential. Next year it'll be like watching gymnasts with weights attached to their ankles. Though it mostly affects GS, I spose.
Yeah FIS has really S#!t the bed with the GS regs. Although, i could possibly have a shot at making the world cup!, just need to dust off the old Atomic 215's and dig out my stretchpants!
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Not to mention given the new FIS regulations that are going in next season (read: the ridiculous bull#### that is going to completely ruin the sport) this is your last chance to see them actually approach their potential. Next year it'll be like watching gymnasts with weights attached to their ankles. Though it mostly affects GS, I spose.
I haven't followed skiing the last couple of years, what is FIS doing?
I haven't followed skiing the last couple of years, what is FIS doing?
Changing equipment regulations so that, basically, all skiers will be forced to ride on technology from the late 1980s. That's the short version. Here's the long, brought to you by the world champion and olympic gold medalist himself:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Ligety
FIS’s tyranny has gone on long enough. It seems FIS is going out of their way to ruin the sport. FIS runs a dictatorship. They demand absolute control then try to butter their will in a fake cloak of benevolence. Athletes, SRS (Association of Ski Racing Suppliers and NGBs (national governing bodies) are completely impotent in their ability to create positive change in our sport or to stand against rules FIS imposes.
I feel like I might be beating a dead horse on this subject but it is paramount for the future on ski racing. The new rules imposed on ski regulations can’t go through in their current state. They will eventually ruin this sport. As most people already know FIS is imposing new ski regulations that turn back the clock on the evolution of this sport. Giant Slalom has been unfairly targeted. Current rules are >27 meters radius (more sidecut) and minimum length of 185cm, new rules will be >35 meters radius (straight skis from 80’s) and minimum of 195cm. (I currently race on 29-meter radius, 191cm in length skis.) FIS has put together a study that has recorded injuries from 2006-2011. A time frame for which did not allow for any correlations to build between injuries and eras in equipment. We’d need the same info dating back to the early 80’s to see any injury to equipment correlations, not the last 5 years. In FIS’S study they say 36 skiers were “severely” (out for 28 days or longer) injured in downhill, 9 in Super G, 16 in GS and 11 in slalom. They didn’t not take into account that GS is the most skied event, everyone from downhillers to slalom skiers train GS. There are probably 200 GS runs skied for a single downhill run skied and in races there are 2 runs in GS as opposed to one in downhill. Without even doing math it is obvious that the injuries per run in GS are far less then downhill. This begs the obvious question that goes unanswered; why was GS targeted?
On the World Cup it is pretty rare when the vast majority of the athletes agree on anything. The ski regulations, particularly in GS have brought together the athletes like never before 41 out of the top 50 men signed a petition against the rules and in Soelden 15 of the top 20 men in GS (Austrians didn’t come) met to discuss the rules. (It should be noted that only 2 racers have advocated for the rules; Hannes Reichelt and Benjamin Raich along with one Ski Company Amer Sports or also known as Atomic and Salomon.) In which we all opposed the imposed ski regulations and agreed that the ultimate goal was to eliminate FIS from equipment regulation. As athletes we have the greatest incentive to be safe and healthy. We all know how short our careers can be and very few of us are compensated for the risks we take. Therefore, we currently and in the future choose equipment that not only allows us the ability to be fast but to make it to the finish line safely. I have on many occasions chosen skis that were slower but had better control instead of faster and uncontrollable skis. The equipment companies are highly incentivized to keep their athletes healthy as well. They have far more invested in us then FIS and NGBs so they want to protect us as their asset. FIS has shown that they don’t value athletes, as seen in this instance in their complete disregard for our input. FIS’s study was based around 2 on snow sessions with several Europa Cup skiers. Suffice to say that is not nearly enough data to come up with such dramatic conclusions. With just those two tests and with no input from athletes or coaches they pushed the rule though so that there was no opportunity to debate the proposals. The athletes, SRS and the coaches protested and have since proposed a World Cup test where the top 15 athletes would test the new equipment on a World Cup slope but FIS denied this opportunity to evaluation their hypothesis. Proof that FIS has little confidence that their research will hold up under further testing. FIS’s only goal it seems is to look like they are being proactive safety wise though they won’t bare the brunt of the consequences when they don’t work. By making these rules they can say they tried and that may somehow elevate them of any liability.
FIS has already shown their incompetence in coming up with safer rules in the past. In 2007 they made a rule that made the skis wider which made the skis more aggressive which may have led to injuries by extending the lever arm thus putting more force on the knee. The new rules will make the sport more not less dangerous. Not only did FIS’s study say that there was no statistical difference in force between current skis and new skis but they didn’t measure the torque that will be needed to twist the ski around in a clean manner. Thus creating a larger force on one’s knee. The law of unintended consequences will kick in and most likely create more injuries. The latest generation of World Cup racers has never skied on straight skis so these new skis will be completely foreign (less controllable), making them/us get into awkward body positions and ski in a “jumpy” manner so that we can create enough force to turn them. We will also take a straighter line in which we will slide the top of the turn then hit the edge hard, creating a higher peak force (mostly centered around the bottom of the turn where force is highest already), while leaning back to get the radius needed, since the sidecut in the tip will not allow the ski to turn in a forward/centered body position. Outside of the injuries this type of skiing will create by creating a higher sheering force on the knee (commonly associated with ACL tears), it will also cause greater fatigue, which is one of the leading injury causes. The ski industry has produced many studies tracking millions of skier visits over the last 30+ years in which they have found the advent of sidecut has juristically reduced injuries (mainly to the knee). I’m more inclined to believe a study that has tracked millions of skiers over 30+ years then a study in which testing was concluded in 2 days with less then 10 athletes. Injuries happen when the athletes are taken out of their comfort zone and we will not be in our comfort zone with these skis.
