Grand Prix-Breck

[ak_rider]

I just checked the us snowboarding website and it's now listing the breck stop of the grand prix as only having hp. does anyone know if this is a typo(hopefully) or have they decided to drop the pgs race that was scheduled? Breck's site is still saying there will be pgs.

[philfell]

No racing in any of this year Grand Prix

[dragon fly jones]

Yes the further marginalization of my people, marginalized and trivialized. Disrepected, pushed aside and forgotten about. I need a halleluha from the faithful.

See, I remember the first time I heard that term. I didn't understand what it meant way back when. And when it was explained to me that it means: not being accepted by the central part of a social group (we can extend this). Being "marginalized" means more than just belonging to a minority. If it's snowboarders, tele's or guys that love fat chicks we are in the margins. (tough to take but it's an honest assesment)

People are pushed to the margins because of/a society or groups or an individual that decides (ussa or mountain dew) to/ or refuses to acknowledge the needs, the beliefs, and the fun whatever of another like but not popular group FreeJeeks/Alpiners.

So there is your masters dissertation on alpine snowboardings marginalization.

[ak_rider]

I don't get it, wouldn't races be a good thing in an olympic year? My only racing experience in the US is with USASA, so I don't have a solid grasp on how races are normally run here, especially in olympic years. Is it normal to have so few races?

[Jim Callen]

Racing? Baugh, who cares about racing? Minus us of course.

[philfell]

Go to http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/snowboard/fiscalendar.html?cal_date=&cal_suchseason=2006&cal_oldsector=&cal_codex=&cal_suchgender=&cal_suchcategory=ALL&cal_suchplace=&cal_suchnation=USA&cal_search=Search and http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/snowboard/fiscalendar.html?cal_date=&cal_suchseason=2006&cal_oldsector=&cal_codex=&cal_suchgender=&cal_suchcategory=ALL&cal_suchplace=&cal_suchnation=CAN&cal_search=Search for a schedule of events in North America

[dragon fly jones]

There are races. They are however not featured in the Grand Prix this year.

There are more compelling - read marketable - stories to be told via the halfpipe. We all have seen Shawn White, JJ Thomas Ross Powers and Dan Kass the olympic triple threat and the friendly competition there.

Now who is going to challenge Klug? As the media sees it, a bunch of Euros with unpronounceable names and scraggly facial hair? If you were or are a media buyer which one would you promote and buy? Dollars and cents baby. Dollars and cents.

Alpine as I mentioned above is on the margins, oh they are sort of aware, but this crazy halfpipe thing is center page (stage) yowza!

[philfell]

It is really ironic that USSA stopped doing a PGS at the Grand Prix during the Olympic year. The Grand Prix series was first set-up as the sole way to qualify for the Olympics in 1998. Unfortunatly they realized the system didn't put the best riders into that Olympics (example Steve Persons won a world cup in the months before the '98 Olympics, he had a bad race at the Grand Prix and didn't go to the Olympics. When has a ski racer WON a world cup just before the Olympics and didn't get to go?)

This year the qualification for Alpine is polar oppisite. Only World Cup finishes are looked at for the Olympic spots. Read it as if you don't have a world cup spot, you can't go to the Olympics. This already cuts the field of elgible athletes considerably. And puts a huge weight on the season opening races at Copper.

[RobRidesSquaw]

I heard that boardercross was cut from the Oregon Grand Prix even though it still says it on the website. If you try to sign up they tell you that they are trying to reschedule the bx event earlier in the year, probably to have the olympic team set before January. I just found this out a few hours ago so please, if you've heard different correct me.

[philfell]

I don't have any riders doing that SBX event so I don't know for sure. If I were you I'd get a hold of Becky Woolley she is the snowboard program director for USSA and is very helpfull. Her email address is bwoolley@ussa.org

[RobRidesSquaw]

I don't have any riders doing that SBX event so I don't know for sure. If I were you I'd get a hold of Becky Woolley she is the snowboard program director for USSA and is very helpfull. Her email address is bwoolley@ussa.org
Yea, i sent her an email about 30 minutes ago, but thanks.

[philfell]

She is really good at getting back with people, she'll be in the office tomorrow and I'm sure she'll let you know the details then. If you don't hear back from her in the next few days let me know, I'm always looking for an excuse to go to her office and bother her.

[RobRidesSquaw]

It is true, they are searching for a new venue right now. Hopefully somewhere with good weather unlike last year!

[carvedog]

Unfortunatly they realized the system didn't put the best riders into that Olympics (example Steve Persons won a world cup in the months before the '98 Olympics, he had a bad race at the Grand Prix and didn't go to the Olympics. When has a ski racer WON a world cup just before the Olympics and didn't get to go?)


I think the same thing happened to Claire Cetera before SLC. She had podiumed once or twice and was regularly beating everyone except Rosey and she didn't have enough points. ????? Go figure. To me USSA/FIS/Olympics were taking a dump on themselves about the same time that AASI was. Not too intereseted in either now.

Jerry

[NMU Alpine Boarder]

I don't want to really start another thread on this subject, so I'll just ask this here. Do you think a duel between JJ Anderson and Klug could possibly save us. Would NBC give coverage to something like this? I'm sure CBC would. What about Jasey winning PGS and SBX? Does that get coverage?

[ak_rider]

I don't want to really start another thread on this subject, so I'll just ask this here. Do you think a duel between JJ Anderson and Klug could possibly save us. Would NBC give coverage to something like this? I'm sure CBC would. What about Jasey winning PGS and SBX? Does that get coverage?

I think it would only get coverage if they couldn't find any footage of snowboarders doing there flippy tricks, or skiers racing. Maybe if we put Bode on a board and raced him against klug :rolleyes:

[philfell]

Here are Clairs results leading up to the 2002 Olympics:

20-01-2002 Sestriere/Bardonecchia ITA World Cup Parallel GS DNF
19-01-2002 Sestriere/Bardonecchia ITA World Cup Giant Slalom 23 80.00
11-01-2002 Alpe d'Huez FRA World Cup Parallel GS 28 40.00
08-01-2002 Arosa SUI World Cup Parallel GS 37 14.00
04-01-2002 Mt Bachelor USA Nor-Am Cup Parallel GS 6 200.00
23-12-2001 Snowbird USA FIS Race Parallel GS 2 176.00
21-12-2001 Park City USA Nor-Am Cup Parallel GS 4 250.00
15-12-2001 Mont Ste-Anne CAN World Cup Parallel Slalom 34


She was/is a great rider and would certainly be a threat had she stuck with it, but she was behind the other U.S. women at the time. She had the FIS minimum points (120) to go, she got beat out by the other ladies fair and square. Two of the domestic qualifiers for that year were the Park City nor-am were she got 4th, the other was Bachelor where she got 6th. To say the reason that she didn't go to the Olympics because of points is untrue. I really do wish she stuck with it though, she is a great person and her presence at the events is missed.