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Racers = sick jibbers?

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ben-jamm-in
Posts: 344 - Karma: 174

So I've had this argument several times with my racer friends, and it's that racers can easily be better jibbers/park riders than most dedicated free skiers.  Then they take it to the next level, and claim that we spend way too much time on dumb little jibs and shit, and that they could own you on the rest of the mtn any time.  They claim that if D. Rhalves wanted to ski park, he would absolutely have no competition.  This makes me laugh, because whenever I see any racers in the park, all I ever see them do is steezless T'd out sevens and then glance over at you like "what!"  Then there's Jon who has dominated some World Cup Races, and whenever that's brought up, the racers are like, "well he's one of a kind."  Not to bash racers too hard, i mean if that's what you're into then cool, but there's just no respect.  

Now I know that many free skiers started out as racers or freestylers, and decided it wasn't for them, but what do you guys think?  Do all racers have the right to claim superiority?

Aug 27 2008 11:12PM
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skiingonskis
Posts: 2076 - Karma: 262
oh and one more thing, any sport takes skill, otherwise anyone could be good at it.  like a random college kid could "try" a sw 10, but he would each shit before he even got to the jump. and good thread flem.
Aug 28 2008 8:04PM
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Jballz
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 79
im not talking down free riders.
Aug 29 2008 12:47AM
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80*s4eva
Posts: 423 - Karma: 43
I guess you're right if you consider "jibbing" to only be ability to do a cork 9 and a pretzel.  I was taking everything into consideration including BC booters and halfpipe as well.  Having race training makes you a better skier no matter what kind of skiing you do.  This thread is stupid... pretty pissed I wasted my time on this.
Aug 29 2008 8:30AM
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Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10887 - Karma: 2,165
that's just pure arrogance on tanner's part. he'll make it to the bottom will he? let's see him go with 220 downhill skis on the downhill in kitzbuhl. we'll see if he makes it to the bottom.
Aug 29 2008 8:40AM
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80*s4eva
Posts: 423 - Karma: 43
yeah if tanner tried to tuck a real downhill he might die.  If a racer tried to catch a lot of air in a pipe they might get hurt decking out or hitting the bottom from 10-20 ft. but not as bad as a 75mph+ crash.
Aug 29 2008 11:15AM
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MadSteezin
Posts: 4572 - Karma: 936
I'm an ex-racer, and I'm pretty sure I could stomp most of the kids on here anywhere else on the mountain. Such as a big mountain line or just a groomer. Some of these park rats don't have much of a platform besides the fact that they can ski the park... But saying they could own any of use freeskiers in the park is a bunch of bullshit. I'd love to see Daron Rhaolves ski in the park, he'd be all tense and absolutely no steez at all.
Aug 29 2008 2:40PM
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fricino13
Posts: 268 - Karma: 14
yeah, do wallride in 107km/h is super sick...


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XW4Ja-XF9Ow&NR=1
Aug 29 2008 3:15PM
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cool.
Posts: 3457 - Karma: 1,724
oh yeah, to the dude who started this thread, jon started out racing, he didnt just pick it last couple of years, he was pretty sick at racing then he started freeskiing, not the other way around
Aug 29 2008 3:22PM
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ben-jamm-in
Posts: 344 - Karma: 174
I know this ^.  and like i've already said, much of Jon's tallent in both freeride and racing can be attributed to his early racing, however the point i'm trying to make with Jon is that you don't become a lazy, deteriorating skier from changing from racing to freeride.  and what i have experienced with racers is extreme cockiness with what they are skiing, and then that rubs off on other racers who don't have any right whatsoever to be cocky, and basically starts a downward spiral.
Aug 29 2008 4:03PM
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neon1peace
Posts: 998 - Karma: -1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq0MdK18X1o

Bode = sick jibber
Aug 30 2008 10:40PM
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GuerillaInDaMist
Posts: 546 - Karma: 47
one thing that racing gives u are balls because DH is some scary shit. in those DH they get as much air maybe more than any pro has gotten because there going at least 70 into some gnarly run. racers might not have good steeze but put them in Back country and they will rip it up.
Aug 30 2008 10:52PM
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Squirrel_Murphy
Posts: 2195 - Karma: 1,165

agree

Aug 30 2008 11:48PM
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Scott~
Posts: 2551 - Karma: 49
Who cares? Not sure if its just me but id like to keep the mountain as free from arrogance as possible. Its fine if youre joking around, but looking down on someone when they are having just as much fun as you whether they be falling halfway down their run or not is just a fuckin joke. Remember this whole idea where skiing is supposed to be a super chill sport? Yeah lets try to keep it that way. Racing jibbing moguling (its a word now bitches) or whatever, its all cool.

Oh, but snowbladers are excluded, fuck them~
Aug 31 2008 1:32AM
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Oaks
Posts: 157 - Karma: 15
What I think a lot of people are forgetting is that skiing is always evolving and changing. If we were to revisit this issue 10 or 20 years from now, we'll look at racers as totally old school and whack or maybe we'll look at park and pipe is totally "non-legit"

We're at a super unique period right now because we're witnessing the tail end of a transformation between racers into park and pipe riders. I hate the use freeskiers because it's fucking bullshit and doesn't describe shit. We got out park and pipe guys, big mountain, on-piste biatches, and racers and everything in between. But back to my point., the transformation we have here is that most of us started racing then switched over, and compared to those who didn't race and switched over, we, the racers, are more fundamentally sound skiers. With that being said, fundamentals can be the foundation to solid skiing but there is also an additional ability to perform that's needed. This foundation of skill allows one to attain that ability much faster than those without the racing background.

This isn't to say that racers are better park and pipe, big mountain or whatever skiers. But this does say that a person with a ski racing background has an advantage to becoming a better overall skier. With time though, we'll notice that each niche of skiing will excel with skiers who have only mastered that type of skiing. The park rats, are always gonna be best in the park, the on-piste guys will always lay a nice carve and the big mountain fellas are gonna have some ski lines, but the racers are gonna have most crossover ability of them all. What's happening now, also, is that racing is dying breed and until the racer community realizes that racing is expensive and you gotta pay to play, it's gonna be a rude awakening for them all when their kids turn in the slaloms for a pair of twin tips.

I myself grew up racing and now stick with park and pipe and big mountain.
Aug 31 2008 3:39AM
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MadSteezin
Posts: 4572 - Karma: 936
Not more "athletically" just we carve the shit out of the hill and actually leave two edge marks embedded into the snow.
Aug 31 2008 3:51AM
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Scott~
Posts: 2551 - Karma: 49
Oh and a response to the racing makes you a better skier argument...
  I would agree that racing works out the right muscles and gives your skiing that all important aggressive aspect, but in the end I think much of the improvement is just because they are well... skiing, alot. Racers are always up there lapping and training and hill time will translate over to some degree in most anything~
Aug 31 2008 4:01AM
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gregor
Posts: 1069 - Karma: 83
As a racer-turned-freeskier myself I think that having a racing background means half of the battle of freestyle skiing is already won as being a good skier to start with will help with progression in the park.
Aug 31 2008 2:02PM
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messplay
Posts: 4483 - Karma: 1,065
my point exactly.
Aug 31 2008 2:31PM
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AMG.
Posts: 867 - Karma: 21
yea i was gonna say, thats fucking embarassing for anyone who looses to jon. im not saying hes bad but, racing for anyone on the world cup circuit is life, thats all they do is train and race. so for a guy who mainly does freestyle to come and beat these people after training for like a month is just sad haha.

and yea racing helps the skiing fundamentals, but the only way to be good at either park or racing is practice. unless someone has some serious natural talent, they cant come in and dominate a race or the park without having practice in either of the respective disciplines.
Aug 31 2008 6:10PM
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J-Evs
Posts: 6387 - Karma: 1,615
ok so when i was a kid i raced and to tell the truth i was a pretty nasty racer and won most of my gs and slalom events and then i took some years off and just rode the park and all around mountain cuz i kinda got sick of the gates, and it did make a difference, i am much better at carving and keeping a good edge and being more stabile, obvisiously you dont need an edge in teh park and half that stuff but when you take to other parts of the mountain and you see ur friends skiing like shit and cant hold an edge for their life you can tell it makes a difference
Sep 2 2008 11:26AM
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dave_m
Posts: 76 - Karma: 16
you're so wise baxter.

Also, Jon was a Sweedish national team racer and I believe national GS champion and made the podium at several other national events.
Sep 2 2008 11:39AM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
Click for larger image
Sep 2 2008 12:10PM
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Jballz
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 79
here is all the fis racing info on jon olsson check the link
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/613.html?sector=AL&listid=&competitorid=45086&type=result&bt=next&limit=100&bt=prev&rec_start=0http://http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/613.html?sector=AL&listid=&competitorid=45086&type=result&bt=next&limit=100&bt=prev&rec_start=0
Sep 2 2008 12:53PM
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MC_POUTINE
Posts: 1380 - Karma: 115
andy mahre races well also. and yes racers are biiiiitches
Sep 2 2008 2:44PM
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Dbouch
Posts: 1059 - Karma: 13
I seriously LOLed at the thread name for like 15 minutes.

Thats my contribution to this.
Sep 2 2008 3:08PM
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morocco_mole
Posts: 635 - Karma: 17
i just saw rahlves in enjoy, he did big mountain only. he didnt do any park
Sep 2 2008 7:01PM
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Jballz
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 79
where do you ski morocco_mole
Sep 2 2008 7:11PM
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*DwC*
Posts: 1112 - Karma: 28
ha ha
Sep 2 2008 7:11PM
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skiingonskis
Posts: 2076 - Karma: 262
perfect
Sep 2 2008 7:30PM
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gregor
Posts: 1069 - Karma: 83
I love this photo!
Sep 19 2008 8:04PM
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GreenStezz
Posts: 3570 - Karma: 720
its sad to say but yes i started as a racer.  when i was in high school i joined the ski team just so i could ski diferent resorts.  BUT my grades suckd balls so every time we went to race another school i wasent able to race but they gave me a lift ticket every time, so when my buddys were racing i was skiing park...... and look at me now bitches.......................................................................................
Sep 19 2008 8:09PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
i'm a racer and it helps big mountain, i'm kinda brute at park because i've put no time into it but i can slay big mtn lines and racing helps develop the balls to go that fast and trust your skis that much
Sep 19 2008 8:22PM
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juliana.
Posts: 751 - Karma: 12
i feel like racers are so used to going fast and facing alot of challenges that when their in their park they really dont care what their about to hit next. they may be able to hit a jump but i dont see them putting any style into it i only see them trying to hit it as fast as they can and the most i see are terrible and just awkward looking
Sep 19 2008 8:39PM
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BEARS.
Posts: 5380 - Karma: 696
tanner put it splendidly.
"put me at the top of a race course and ill make it down. maybe a little slower than the racers but id get down. put a racer at the top of a pipe, they wont even start."
Sep 19 2008 8:49PM
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neon1peace
Posts: 998 - Karma: -1
hahahaha the snowblader thing was funny

But true to everything else- do what you love and dont hate others for doing what they love
Sep 19 2008 8:58PM
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T-Time
Posts: 231 - Karma: 11
Wow are we seriously arguing about this? This is a skiing website. All skiers whether they be racer, freestyler, mogulist, aerialist or just freeskier are all out on the slopes every day for the same purpose, for fun. Saying racing is stupid would be like saying skiing is stupid. On top of it all the different styles of skiing have similar and different asspects to them so there is no way to truly tell what style of skiing will make you the best.
Enough hating
Sep 19 2008 10:45PM
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gh0s7_r1d3r
Posts: 160 - Karma: 19
I used to race and now I ride park the only thing it helped me with is being really comfortable on my skis but most racers are suffering from enlarged egos... I used to ditch training to go ride a fresh cut pipe
Sep 19 2008 11:55PM
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E.Durtschi
Posts: 250 - Karma: 203
This subject has no real answer but i can say this, it racing definatley helped me to look better whilst skiing and it gave me more confidence to hit bigger jumps because i'm used to the speed, and if you throw away the egos and whatnot racers have more confidence, commitement and stability in any kind of skiing that they choose to participate in whether it be in a race course, the park or the powder, or groomers! Love to Ski no matter what!
Sep 20 2008 12:42AM
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PopsicleStand
Posts: 6890 - Karma: 147
as much as i love you terrible generic answer
Sep 20 2008 12:50AM
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McTwist83
Posts: 282 - Karma: 11

I personally don't care if racers can kick my ass in the park. more power to them if they can I guess

Sep 20 2008 4:54AM
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