Question about TBC (and a bit of rant...)

Just watched TBC last night.

I hated it at first but I've somehow grown into it. I have to see it weekly now to get the dose of mega gaps, trendy electro, and mad urban rails (that are actually filmed in my home country!)

Still, one thing really bothers me and have bothered quite a long time (even if it shouldn't really):

How come really good skiers like Mike Wilson turn so bad? I mean how they let out a part consisting of skiing low-angled pow in back seat. Same goes to T-money --> stylie jumps, followed by the skiing that looks really gaperish to me...(I guess the guy must know how to ski after all, being a former bumber and all)

I mean, the doods run straightlines on sketchy in-runs logging ~60mph speeds (even switch). It can't be that hard to make a decent turn? Or is it? Or is it a some kind of style statement towards "old school", like stating "we don't care for your 'proper' turns and shit like that..."??? Or are they serioysly trying to create something new in the skiing style (like being able to ski monkey styled big mountain runs in the future or something as crazy?). IMHO McConkey and his designs/ideas are as much "new school" as park skiing, in the way of innovatiness, flow and style.

On the other hand, in a hard contrast, all the Swedes in the flick (Olsson, Carlström, not to mention Windstedt) ski pretty comfortably in the deep, making it look easy. Kind of funny if you think the conditions in their land to the Tahoe, Alta etc.

Ok, end of rant. I just thought some of you guys might have some insight to this phenomena...knowing there are alot of photogs, big mountain skiers, industry "insiders", even pretty good tricksters (etc.) hanging here.

Discuss.

It takes balls to go strait 60 mph, not skills. (not that I have either)

I don't buy that. It takes some serious skills, especially switch. You have to have good touch and know how stand on a ski, good balance, not letting the edge "bite" etc. Especially the "transition phase" is critical...should you fuck up here, you die (basically).

Those guys are pros. They have the skills (enormous amount of that actually). I just don't buy that it's all about the balls...think about how much they ski.

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Originally Posted by Jiehkevarri

On the other hand, in a hard contrast, all the Swedes in the flick (Olsson, Carlström, not to mention Windstedt) ski pretty comfortably in the deep, making it look easy.

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Yeah, but Olsson and Windstedt has racing/bumping backgrounds way above most of the other freestylers around. Olsson skied better & harder than everyone back when he showed up in Stryn with homemade twintips like 6-7 years ago or so ago. Also don't forget that both of those guys has won the Scandi extremes ahead of the entire freeride elite, Windstedt did this like 3 times. They're as much capable freeriders as anyone. If there was more money (and groupies) in freeride I'm pretty sure those two would be all the way up there with Hugo, but freestyle it's just a different league in that regard. Last I checked not many freeriders had chosen to move to tax-shelters such as Monaco. It's a very uncommon problem among freeriders I think... Between fewer lifethreatening injuries (when jumps are build right), much more money and way more groupies I think I would be a jibber too if I knew how to land a 360.

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Yeah, but Olsson and Windstedt has racing/bumping backgrounds way above most of the other freestylers around.

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OK, I already knew that. So, the argument here is that it IS actually so HARD to make a proper turn --> you need solid freestyle/racing (and/or all-mountain background) to do that? Right? Like most (new) freestylers only ski park/jumps and thus don't even learn to turn on the edge? I wonder if they ever just go cruising. Like racers and bumbers have always done for "warm up" and just for the variety and "pure" skiing skills.

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think I would be a jibber too if I knew how to land a 360

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Heh, that makes me a jibber then...:) (but I only do those, pretty much)

Anyway, IMHO in perfect world "they" should promote more skiers just like Windstedt, Olsson, Pollard, Hjorleifsson etc. who are able to do it all. Mebbe it's the money/groupie thing, but why there is such a big gap between those two worlds? E.g. in TBC it would be super cool if those said skiers had parts consisting 50/50 of freestyle/freeride (or better yet "just skiing"...) Pretty stupid (again IMHO) that they show powder skiing of someone who could not do it well, but not include parts of e.g. Windstedt really killing it in the big mountain stuff (what he is more than cabable of, as you said)

There was an argument about this on Newschoolers, some lad released his promo video which everyone went ape over, but then someone called him out for skiing backseat the WHOLE time, even on groomers (which was true).

About 20 people came straight out with "oh, he used to be a racer stfu" then the kid in the video came out saying that it was his 'steeze' to ski backseat.

Fucking lazy if you ask me, after all the hours I spent in French ski school :p

Between comps, photo shoots, training, etc. they don't have time to ski pow really. How many times have youseen T launching off of a kicker on a sick bluebird day, storm day, whatever. They get paid to set up urban rail shoots when its dumping out. You should know better than to expect good big mtn skiing in a jib flick. Unfortunately the format of most jib flicks is getting stale so they throw in some low angle crap or a big mtn shot where someone jibs a pillow line.

Park Rats aren't so good in the ungroomed? Who Knew?

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Originally Posted by Telepath

... Between fewer lifethreatening injuries (when jumps are build right), much more money and way more groupies I think I would be a jibber too if I knew how to land a 360.

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Sweet, I can land a 360.
Now where's mah groupies bitches?:fm:

'Round here, we just call it skiing.