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#1
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Marcialonga Skiers Have Good Taste
Here's a summary of a survey done at last year's Marcialonga, Italy's
Worldloppet race: From http://www.worldloppet.com/news.php?id=764 : Last year 385 competitors were drawn and interviewed. 88.8% of them were men and 11.2% women, 53% Italians and 47% foreigners.88.8% of them were men and 11.2% women, 53% Italians and 47% foreigners. 95% answered to the questions and the results have given important indications to organisers. About 67% of respondents said that they liked the classic style the best, 19% said they love the free style and 14% had no particular preference for one or the other style. The most interesting result is that obtained in the 18-24 years age group where about 60% of respondents said that they prefer the classic style, a percentage that reaches 69% in the 35-50 years group and 67% in the over 50 years group. I seem to remember that when Marcialonga went to classic there was concern that numbers of participants would drop. Didn't happen. Survey doesn't specify if the respondants where addressing their preference in general or at the Marcialonga, where log jams were common prior to the switch. What if USA Birki went classic? Would skating Yankees, like skating Euros rise to the occasion and make the transition? There was a call by Maricalonga organizers for the skaters to adopt the classic technique as a new challenge. But I suspect that European skiers, especially older European skiers have an orientation to classic skiing as that's what they learned, and in North America younger skiers entered through the skating door. Gary Jacobson Rosendale, NY (If surveyed would have been one of the 67%) |
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#2
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Amen gary.
when the birkie goes classic the skating cycle will have come full circle. Back to basics, back to classic. I'll be there. Let's start lobbying. And, I'll start a vote and keep track of the results --------- HERE's ONE VOTE FOR A birkie CLASSIC RACE EVERY 3rd year. JK |
#3
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What if USA Birki went classic? Would skating Yankees, like skating Euros rise to the occasion and make the transition? ....not that I am Yankee, but, Gary, if the Birkie goes classic, you can have the whole Bob's Bear Den to yourself. |
#4
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Oh, I know what I'll do, I'll fly to Lake Placid Loppet instead.
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#5
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Gary Jacobson wrote: I seem to remember that when Marcialonga went to classic there was concern that numbers of participants would drop. Didn't happen. As I remember it from the start of this year's Marcialonga I think that there was more than 800 Norwegians starting in this years Marcialonga (although that number might have been from K=F6nig Ludwig Lauf, but I don't think so and in any case the conclusionis still that there are many skiers from the nordic countries in those races) and not really few Swedes either. I wouldn't be surprised if those numbers dropped if Marcialonga switch back to skating. At least the Swedes (someone from Norway perhaps could give his/her opinion about skating vs. classic technique in Norway). Not that I have ever seen any statistics for Swedish skiiers opinions about classic vs skating technique, but Vasaloppet have had problems for years attracting interest for races in skating technique. / Niklas |
#6
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What if USA Birki went classic? Would skating Yankees, like skating Euros rise to the occasion and make the transition? Let's leave the Birkie as is. I think that is a pretty good course to skate. That said, it might be a good classic course too. However, this one is too easy ! We already have the Noquemanon ! This is a GREAT classic course ! It is a lousy skating course ! C'mon 32 Degrees JK, ya went to school right there ! You already know all this stuff ! Exhibit A There are jillions of slow V1 climbs, if you are skating, that most of which you can stride right on up in classic without much herringboning (which is the least fun part of classic I think). As you stride up these things, clearly you can just about as fast as skating up them, because your skis aren't going sideways, they are going straight up the tracks ! Exhibit B The Marquette snow is deep & plentiful. The Noquey course is so soft for skating ! The skis tend to plow right in, even the soft tipped skaters. Friends, that is WORK. Meanwhile, the track is hard & grippy. Nice. The lane can also get micro-stalactites of ice crystals due to extremely cold conditions. Super slo-mo like sandpaper ! Again, WORK. Meanwhile, nice double set tracks. Mmmm...classic. Exhibit C It's on the ASM as a classic race, so the team skiers are doing the race classic too. For once, it doesn't feel like the minority to classic when given the option. Then ya can go to Vierlings afterwards with Telewhacker & ask him about how the skate race went. Seriously, glad to see the Noquey is on the Michigan Cup this year, but I think I will still stride it (earning about half points). |
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#8
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#9
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Gary Jacobson wrote: (...) About 67% of respondents said that they liked the classic style the best, 19% said they love the free style and 14% had no particular prefere= nce for one or the other style. Hmm, this tells us two things: (1) there are avid skaters who are willing to switch to classic if that's the only way to do a particular race (OTOH we don't know what percentage of avid skaters chose not to to it), and (2) the majority of participants in a classic race prefer the classic style (OTOH we shouldn't be surprised if the figures would be reversed in a gallup among participants in a skating race). The most interesting result is that obtained in the 18-24 years age group where about 60% of respondents said that they prefer the classic style, a percentage that reaches 69% in the 35-50 years group and 67% in the over = 50 years group. I'd be interested to learn whether the percentage of participants in the 18-24 year age group went up or down when the race went classic (or if there was any other change). I seem to remember that when Marcialonga went to classic there was concern that numbers of participants would drop. Didn't happen. It would seem that (in addition to the skiers who preferred or at least didn=B4t mind the switch) there was a big enough latent group of classic only/mainly skiers that compensated for the skating only participants who dropped out. Survey doesn't specify if the respondants where addressing their preferen= ce in general or at the Marcialonga, where log jams were common prior to the switch. Excuse my lack of imagination, but how would a switch to classic solve the problem of log jams in any marathon race and in Marcialongain particular? There was a call by Maricalonga organizers for the skaters to adopt the classic technique as a new challenge. But I suspect that European skiers, especially older European skiers have an orientation to classic skiing as that's what they learned, and in North America younger skiers entered through the skating door. I don't think there are any stats, but the general impression here is that the (relatively few) skating races draw a somewhat larger percentage of younger skiers than classic races - and that there is a small group of predominantly young (35) skiers who only do skating races. Anders |
#10
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Dell
I think the Noque is a great classic RACE but not the greatest classic COURSE. The schedulers at the Noque got it right when they had the classic skiers leave an hour before the elite male skaters. Most classic skiers have the majority (if not all) of their race to themselves. This to me is just perfect: no classic tracks that have been skied over, no worries of skaters coming up behind you, no one V1ing in the tracks ahead of you. BUT I think the course is more suited to skating. There are some great climbs on the course but for most of the time you are double poling. In 05 I skated it for the first time (after classicing in 99, 03, and 04) and was able to see so much more of the gorgeous surroundings. It may just be me but in double poling my head is not looking up nearly as much as when I skate. Also you can V2A almost all of the 2nd half of the race. I am signed up to skate it again this year and without the perfect conditions of 05 my tune may change but for now I think if you are only looking at the course, it is a better skate race. When you consider the race itself, classic may win out. As far as the Birkie goes, I would love to see it go all classic, at least for a year. But I don't ever see that happening. Too much of a risk for the Birkie organizers. Every year (since they added classic awards) I consider skiing it classic but since it is THE measuring stick for mid-west skiers, I don't want to miss that opportunity to see where I line up with the others. I skied it classic in 98 and 99 and had a great time. I think it is a really good classic course but with all the skaters, the appeal is just not there. Dave "delltodd" wrote in message oups.com... What if USA Birki went classic? Would skating Yankees, like skating Euros rise to the occasion and make the transition? Let's leave the Birkie as is. I think that is a pretty good course to skate. That said, it might be a good classic course too. However, this one is too easy ! We already have the Noquemanon ! This is a GREAT classic course ! It is a lousy skating course ! C'mon 32 Degrees JK, ya went to school right there ! You already know all this stuff ! Exhibit A There are jillions of slow V1 climbs, if you are skating, that most of which you can stride right on up in classic without much herringboning (which is the least fun part of classic I think). As you stride up these things, clearly you can just about as fast as skating up them, because your skis aren't going sideways, they are going straight up the tracks ! Exhibit B The Marquette snow is deep & plentiful. The Noquey course is so soft for skating ! The skis tend to plow right in, even the soft tipped skaters. Friends, that is WORK. Meanwhile, the track is hard & grippy. Nice. The lane can also get micro-stalactites of ice crystals due to extremely cold conditions. Super slo-mo like sandpaper ! Again, WORK. Meanwhile, nice double set tracks. Mmmm...classic. Exhibit C It's on the ASM as a classic race, so the team skiers are doing the race classic too. For once, it doesn't feel like the minority to classic when given the option. Then ya can go to Vierlings afterwards with Telewhacker & ask him about how the skate race went. Seriously, glad to see the Noquey is on the Michigan Cup this year, but I think I will still stride it (earning about half points). |
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