World Cup vs FWT

The top ski racers are in a league of their own in terms of actual skiing ability most FWT guys couldnt touch a racers times however knowing guys like Marco Sullivan and Daron Rahlves I can confirm that they can shred big mountain lines and go fucking huge so I think theey could be competitive but honestly who knows

I guess the gap in prize money alone makes racing more competitive by default.

There are a lot more layers of ski racing than freeride comps. The top ski racers are breed from their entire lives to be ski racers and the majority of the people who devote their young life to racing never come close to world cup. Sure it is not nearly as competitive as football or hockey, but there is a lot more competition than FWT. This is mainly because ski racing has been around forever. In Austria and other European countries ski racing is bigger than anything else. FWT is very young, maybe someday it will get there

not even a close compare. I ski big mtn and never got into racing... but imo there's 1000 skiers that could win a FWT comp if the entry process wasn't so fucking difficult. And plenty of ex racers grow out of their tights and get fat skis and realize the mountain has more options than whacking flags all day

The guy who tunes your skis and rides 150 days a year hucking cliffs and throwing tricks could be right up there with the FWT roster. Most dudes who ski 100+ days at alta/bird, whistler, squaw, jhmr ect or sledski in BC and AK could hold their own and throw down at a FWT event. For every single FWT competitor there's 20 other as-good or better skiers who just don't have the time or money or effort to travel around the world to win qualifier points.

In a different comparison, I foresee more park skiers getting into big mountain as the FWT gains media popularity and sponsor money. It's cool to see guys like Taylor seaton entering 4* comps and tricking off everything while most guys are just trying to hit some airs and stay on our feet. Lots of hardware and softgoods companies are supporting young athletes in fun amateur freeride comps all over the US. There's like 10 times as many FWQ comps scheduled this year compared to 10 years ago. Most mountains have freeride programs for the best ski skool kids to graduate into, and now some colleges and even high schools have travel teams that go to regional comps. It's a growing sport and super accessible compared to a rich kid sport like ski racing.

Not an expert but I'm pretty sure most top freeriders still wouldn't stand a chance placing in a downhill or even slalom race. Banked slalom and town downhill style local races are a blast. Ok end rant

JohnJonszThe guy who tunes your skis and rides 150 days a year hucking cliffs and throwing tricks could be right up there with the FWT roster. Most dudes who ski 100+ days at alta/bird, whistler, squaw, jhmr ect or sledski in BC and AK could hold their own and throw down at a FWT event. For every single FWT competitor there's 20 other as-good or better skiers who just don't have the time or money or effort to travel around the world to win qualifier points.

Pretty spot on-- the world of ski racing is insanely more competitive than big mtn (for now).

id rather watch fwt, ski racing is boring as hell

Having skied both disciplines and knowing several people on the world cup circuit ski racing is a much more dynamic intense training program which breeds the best all around skiers. Just about every guy in the fwt started racing before skiing all mountain.

csdavidson18Having skied both disciplines and knowing several people on the world cup circuit ski racing is a much more dynamic intense training program which breeds the best all around skiers. Just about every guy in the fwt started racing before skiing all mountain.

This. It makes more sense to get the technique from racing, THEN go to FWT contests. If you have the skills honed in racing you can branch out into other disciplines. If you don't start out racing you really can't get into it later. The bump skiers are similar.

Having said that, the top big mountain guys are among the best in the world as pure skiers. Anyone who thinks Bode or one of those guys could just enter an FWT contest and win easily, or produce an top level AK segment, is wrong. It would take him some time. Rahlves is actually a great example, he became one of the best big mountain skiers ever, but he had to work at it. Same with Jeremy Nobis. Those guys had the technical skills for sure, but it took time to hone it to big mountain. Also, both Rahlves and Nobis were guys who skied big mountain on their own before getting filmed. Racing will give you technique which can be applied to big mountain, but you have to actually apply it. I think Rahlves is actually a candidate for being the best skier who ever lived given his success on the race course and the fact that he became an INCREDIBLE big mountain skier.

Anyone who does not think that racing makes you an incredible skier knows nothing about skiing.

Most of the best big mountain skiers had a background in racing or moguls. There is a reason for that.

Bump skiing, like racing, does not get enough credit here. Jonny Moseley is one of the best skiers ever, maybe the best. What modern mogul skiers do is incredible. To do an off-axis 720 in a bump line and ski the bumps perfectly is mind blowing.


With all that being said, I don't know that Bode Miller would be a better big mountain skier than Shane McConkey was. However, I think Bode could ski big mountain and compete more easily than Shane could race, and McConkey was a racer. In fact, McConkey's background in racing and moguls is probably part of the reason he became a candidate for the GOAT.

Remember one more thing: Racing requires some bulk to generate the momentum to get good times. Some smaller guys might have the technical skills to win a race but are not big enough. Some of these guys can become incredible big mountain skiers in technical terrain. Candide was a bump skier, and he is incredible in big mountain. Had he started out as a racer I think he would have developed the SKILLS to be great, but might not have had the bulk to get winning times.

You can go from racing to other disciplines, but you really can't get into racing if you don't start young. It is too competitive and the difference between winning and finishing in the middle of the pack is too small. You really have to completely devote yourself to it.

Give the racers some respect.

Ted Ligety is another racer who can ski big mountain. I saw a Warren Miller movie on cable this summer, I forget which one as I usually don't watch his movies, but Ligety throws down hard in AK.

Travis Ganong kills it at Squaw.

dan4060Ted Ligety is another racer who can ski big mountain. I saw a Warren Miller movie on cable this summer, I forget which one as I usually don't watch his movies, but Ligety throws down hard in AK.

Travis Ganong kills it at Squaw.

I'm pretty sure the movie is Wintervention, I wasn't a fan of the segment. It was actually pretty cool, but after seeing the stuff tgr and msp athletes do, it wasn't that impressive.