How are you feeling about the olympics?

watch X games..

Entirely indifferent.

Its going to be exactly like Snowboarding, where you'll see us split into two factions. Contest skiers and filming skiers. The guys who want to hang, film, enjoy and overall just do things at a relaxed pace will do that. The guys who want to win, win, win will do that.

The mainstream media will oggle over whoever ends up being our Shawn White, and they won't get it. They'll pick us up every four years when they give a shit about us, and then leave us on our own the rest of the time.

I personally think its a very interesting debate though. I sit on the side of not caring a whole lot, and enjoy the more style-focused and filming-based side of the sport.

I almost think that because snowboarding has already gone through the phase we're about to enter, a large majority of the ski community is prepared for what's about to happen. It seems like a large part of NS'ers have already taken sides on the issue, and there seems to be an overwhelming support for the film/style based riders. Maybe it's because of us already represent the "underground" movement and have been around long enough to know what we enjoy more, and those that jump on the comp bandwagon will most likely be people just getting into the sport because of what they watch on TV.

I'm still very interested to see how it plays out, and curious to see how sponsors shift their dollars between comp jocks and film athletes.

Not overly stoked that slopestyle and superpipe skiing is in the Olympics. I'll still watch it though, providing it gets decent coverage on UK TV.

i vote for a member stop on newschoolers while the olympics are running!

from ass

Aren't we already there though?

I mean when you think about it, there are definitely your X-games/Dew Tour/etc... skiers and then there's your webisode guys that are way more style and creativity focused.

The split isn't necessarily a bad thing until people start hating. The whole crowd funding debate thus far has seen some extremely negative comments coming out of the film skiers camp from the likes of Logan Immlach, Andy Parry and Mike Hornbeck to name a few.

The question is why? Why do the sides care so much? They're hating on skiers trying to make their way. They've also been in this industry long enough to know that unless you're in the top 10-20% of sponsored athletes $20,000+ is not something sponsors can afford to one skier. At the end of the day, these guys are going to be doing their thing regardless of the Olympics. At least I hope they'd keep doing their thing because there's a segment of this sport that really appreciates what they do. That being said, there's a segment that really appreciates the doubles and triples being thrown at the big comps as well.

What we all do has been around for give or take 15 years now and it's innevitable that the world was going to take notice. As a community we can sit here and piss and moan all we want. When the dust settles, freeskiing will be brought into the mainstream whether we like it or not and as a community we can decide whether or not to make it positive or just stew in our own misery.

Fair point. I just dont want to see a shaun 2hite come out of it all. And thats bound to happen

seriously that meme i post got deleted? Fuck you guys can be a bunch of bitches...

skiing hipsters, literally...

Do I think the sport needs the olympics? No. Do I have a problem that some people want the olympics? No. Am I going to watch and get stoked for skiing the in Olympics? Yes.

What I don't get is the "effect" people will have on this sport in the social aspect. Basically every ski hill has some sort of park. People must have some sort of minimal understanding that some people like to ski sideways on metal.

I really don't think skiing is an underground as everyone is claiming it is and that "Sochi will be the sports coming out party" is pretty much bullshit. I read that on some Turski article in the last few days. I'm pretty sure most of the US knows what the XGames is. Yes, the sport will be more in their face than ever before but it was never not there if they really wanted to watch it.

The olympics has marquee events. The 100 meter dash, women's gymnastics, women's and pair's figure skating, swimming, beach volleyball, and the men's hockey gold medal match is always fucking huge.

Without sounding like too much of a douchebag, no one is going to live a fuck about the women's events. Example A: Did you know women's snowboard halfpipe has been in the olympics since 1998?

(Sidenote: I think the Olympics is probably the best thing to happen to women's skiing in terms of money ever. If the super informed 1% doesn't want to support them, maybe the general public will. I'm not saying this won't create rifts, if a skier become a Lolo Jones caliber star, I'd be embarressed.) But since the snowboarders in the olympics really didn't turn into those kinds of stars, I'm not worried about it. Even Shaun White, he'd still be fucking huge without the olympics.)

On the other hand, I'd say the general public cares more about the halfpipe events more than the crazy endurance nordic races but it don't see it taking the top spot away from hockey in a million years.

What ski halfpipe and ski/snowboard slope have going for it in the olympics is that it's the hot new thing. But still, it'll probably be one of those things that people care about for 1 week every four years. I haven't really thought about what that one means.

At the end of the day, I doubt anythings really going to change.

Seriously, I don't understand this Pro-X but entirely anti-Olympic approach and really don't think the two things are that entirely different.

With the XGames and the Dew Tour, Skiing is live on TV a few days a year doing next to nothing to keep it core or keep it underground with super corporate sponsors like Jeep and the Navy and everything.

How is it much different or that far of a leap from one to the other?

First place at the Xgames is what, 10 or 15k, which is not exactly small potatoes. Skiers have been able to make a living off of comps for years, it's not like this is a new possibility.

Newschoolers is going to go full retard with all the little gapers that join that claim tom wallace is their favorite skier

gapers..... gapers everywhere.....