A Snow and ski forum. SkiBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » SkiBanter forum » Skiing Newsgroups » Nordic Skiing
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Has USA Declined Internationally Since Trying to Outsmart Everyonewith Technique?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old February 22nd 10, 01:49 PM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
Jon[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 50
Default Has USA Declined Internationally Since Trying to Outsmart Everyonewith Technique?

This topic is sort of an outgrowth of a comment I saw somewhere from a
Scandanavian that the US spends too much time on technique (implying
they're ignoring the basics). And certainly the most striking thing
about US Skiing in the past few years have been dogmatic (and
ungrounded?) statements about new "right ways" to ski...

And while I don't follow World Cup racing that much, to quote Len
Johnson: "This is pathetic. What has happened to the US X-C ski
program? We have a lot of skiers, but with few exceptions we are
getting nowhere internationally."

Is an obsession with "new skate," "new double pole," etc. a
contributor?
Ads
  #2  
Old February 22nd 10, 08:25 PM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 572
Default Has USA Declined Internationally Since Trying to OutsmartEveryone with Technique?

I think that was a comment from some years ago, during the time the
'new skate' marketing campaign and debate was hot. Don't want to reopen
a can of worms here except to say, yes, the old hands (many former USST
coaches) and a few newer ones did not appreciate either the so-called
"new skate" or the appt of Pete Vordenberg as coach, and by all
indications still don't. Whatever one's view, unless something improves
substantially in the next week, I wouldn't be surprised if some
personnel changes were not too far down the road.

Len Johnson comments about the burden Kris Freeman, the only U.S.
distance skier of quality, carries as a diabetic. I would go beyond
that to note how unfair it's been that the entire burden of U.S.
distance skiing has rested on the shoulders of one person. It's a
situation that Kris has handled with determination and the greatest of
grace.

Gene


On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:49:04 -0800 (PST)
Jon wrote:

This topic is sort of an outgrowth of a comment I saw somewhere from a
Scandanavian that the US spends too much time on technique (implying
they're ignoring the basics). And certainly the most striking thing
about US Skiing in the past few years have been dogmatic (and
ungrounded?) statements about new "right ways" to ski...

And while I don't follow World Cup racing that much, to quote Len
Johnson: "This is pathetic. What has happened to the US X-C ski
program? We have a lot of skiers, but with few exceptions we are
getting nowhere internationally."

Is an obsession with "new skate," "new double pole," etc. a
contributor?

  #3  
Old February 23rd 10, 02:29 AM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
Jon[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 50
Default Has USA Declined Internationally Since Trying to OutsmartEveryone with Technique?

On Feb 22, 3:25*pm, wrote:
Len Johnson comments about the burden Kris Freeman, the only U.S.
distance skier of quality, carries as a diabetic. *I would go beyond
that to note how unfair it's been that the entire burden of U.S.
distance skiing has rested on the shoulders of one person. *It's a
situation that Kris has handled with determination and the greatest of
grace. *

Gene


That's an interesting point--it's easy to forget the team aspect of
the sport at that level, but I can imagine it playing a big part, and
requiring that much more mental toughness.

The dealing with diabetes thing is unfathamable to me. My brother is
Type I diabetic and he occasionally crashes just from poor discipline
eating--imagine the discipline necessary to maintain homeostasis when
you're absorbing hard workouts as well...

Speaking of Len Johnson--he also said a few days ago: "Yesterday a
Canadian reporter wrote that the only medal that counted at the
Olympics was Hockey. ..With the Olympics in Canada the pressure on the
Canadian Team is going to be so intense, that as favorites, they might
loose."
  #4  
Old February 23rd 10, 02:54 PM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
Jon[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 50
Default Has USA Declined Internationally Since Trying to OutsmartEveryone with Technique?

Latest (bad US news) from the Len the Insider:

" According to Zach, the blood sugar problem that Kris encountered in
the 30K can require several weeks for recovery. If that's the case, we
might not see Kris in the relay or the 50K. Too bad as Kris has been
our best X-C distance skier in over 20 years. In November and December
Kris skied with the best on the World Cup, twice finishing in the top
ten. Without Kris, US chances at doing anything in the relay, or the
50K, are very slim."
  #5  
Old February 23rd 10, 08:16 PM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
Douglas
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10
Default Has USA Declined Internationally Since Trying to OutsmartEveryone with Technique?

On Feb 23, 9:54*am, Jon wrote:
Latest (bad US news) from the Len the Insider:

" According to Zach, the blood sugar problem that Kris encountered in
the 30K can require several weeks for recovery. If that's the case, we
might not see Kris in the relay or the 50K. Too bad as Kris has been
our best X-C distance skier in over 20 years. In November and December
Kris skied with the best on the World Cup, twice finishing in the top
ten. Without Kris, US chances at doing anything in the relay, or the
50K, are very slim."


The US has had and does have excellent skiers capable of International
success. The best in 20 years hmmm. John Bauer's 12th in Salt Lake
2002 and Carl Swenson's 4th in the 50 Freestyle at the Worlds isn't to
shabby either. Our biggest pool of endurance talent seems to be in
cycling or swimming. Perhaps more accessible sports for young
Americans.
  #6  
Old February 24th 10, 07:10 PM
Jan Gerrit Klok Jan Gerrit Klok is offline
Member
 
First recorded activity by SkiBanter: Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 88
Send a message via MSN to Jan Gerrit Klok Send a message via Yahoo to Jan Gerrit Klok
Default

Culture is everything. Status of the athletes.

See Belgium, cyclo-cross racing. 9 million citizen, and hard to beat. Czech Republic is picking it up nicely of late.

Norway, what, 4 million or so? Skiing is bloody serious sports there. See what it brings them, for capita-per-medal.

Netherlands, 17 million, likes to watch skating on TV. Really, we barely get 2 weeks of natural ice on average over the country. Try to ask a random passer by for the name of ONE skating club. I know none, but somehow the culture gets some serious athletes into the sport.
Mountainbiking, we had the first male Olympic gold winner. No mountains, but a damn strong racing scene. Being lapped by the Olympic champ, or even swapping leads with him in races, can seriously get things straight in a young man's mind, I can guarantee you. How many Americans can say they have skied with Kris Freeman, or even having seen him on live TV? I bet more Belgians watch the CX world live than Americans watch the Olympic XC events, in accumulated.

We can care about XC skiing, but if not enough others in the country do, you don't get the culture. To get XC into US culture, 100 million+ will need to consider taking a day off to watch the races live, or get up early to catch a Euro world cup. If a skier is alone in his/her village, it's damn hard to get good.

Do we NEED to have our nation competing for gold in the nerddy sport of our choice? Yes, I dream of a Dutch biathlon relay team. It won't happen for the next 4-5 years probably, let alone any medal chances. But I feel that longing. Longing to be proud, for someone you can nationally relate to, in the sport you can relate to.
The big public will not catch on until a big race is won, preferably with great human background story (Lance Armstrong).

If Kris should win gold, with his diabetes, he might well light that fuse... He knows this I'm sure, and it's too much prssure for one pair of shoulders to take. Or, one much be a megalomaniac (sp).
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
SKI TECHNIQUE Adam Gale Nordic Skiing 1 October 27th 05 02:06 PM
New ski technique! --The Running DP [email protected] Nordic Skiing 10 March 14th 05 04:35 PM
New Technique sjjohnston Alpine Skiing 31 June 20th 04 07:42 PM
Analysing ski technique Griss Nordic Skiing 8 February 8th 04 05:25 PM
Effect of CAT ski on technique? J999w Nordic Skiing 4 November 13th 03 03:08 AM


All times are GMT. The time now is 08:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 SkiBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.