Gary Jacobson wrote:

I agree with you. I was eating granola when typing. I didn't know that you
were talking about racing at the level where 10ths of seconds count, or at
least felt like they did. I guess I now take racing with a more relaxed
attitude than I once did, so I my views about this are not valid if applied
to the the best performers in a race.

It's equally valid to care about the rules no matter what your placing, is
Dell's point, I think. And he's totally right.

Furthermore, I suspect that quite a few people care about moving up from 60th
to 50th or 200th to 150th or whatever and small or large time differences all
matter to them.

Furthermore furthermore there are probably very often friendly rivalries at
every level of racing in a given field or pack of skiers. Those who regularly
do it, or who even just enter one race WITH SOMEONE ELSE, maybe someone they
know, would want the game to be fair. If I'm finishing at 100th place and am
getting my act together compared to my pal who got 90th place and I'm set to
beat him in a classic race and look back to see him gaining back on me by
using skate technique I might be peeved.

Placings and times are all, of course, relative (as is speed) and immaterial
to the subject.

--

Jeff Potter
****
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