Shiffrin

[Danno]

! We jinxed her! More pull-ups for Shiffrin and all will be good!

If only she was a natural athlete, she could have made up that time.

[alias_rice]

If only she was a natural athlete, she could have made up that time.

I don't know if that was the issue. Looked to me like her boot canting was at least 1.25 degrees off.

[GhostofSeasonsPast]

Yeah, pull ups are not a proxy for "natural athlete". Moreover, you have no idea what type of workout she'd been through before that pull up. I mean, if she had been blasting arm workouts and that was the end of the day, or maybe that was the end of her third set of pull ups? You're an uninteresting troll. Go make some dolphin turns.

This may be a teachable moment. This wasn't a case of someone who blasted their arms or after 10 sets couldn't do more.

It's a case of a world-class skier who couldn't do one. Who then undertook a focused effort to change that.

[From_the_NEK]

EDIT: and not saying strength can't be a component of athleticism, but the idea that it's required is just plain wrong. I know plenty of strong people that are extremely un-athletic and have some of the shittiest hand-eye coordination I've ever seen.

My decathlon coach in college referred to people who are super good at one thing as "splinter athletes". These were people who were naturally very gifted to perform at a high level in one particular sport. As an example, have you ever watched a football player try to play volleyball? Typically their coordination goes all to hell and they look ridiculous. Often high end splinter athletes rely solely on their athleticism to climb through the ranks. If they had a better mental game and/or work ethic they could be dominant in their sport.

However, "Core Athletes" had it all put together and could perform well above average in any sport they tried. They may not be world class but they were very adaptable (both physically and mentally). IMHO many hockey players and skiers fall into this group along with decathletes. I've seen many BMA'ers come down into East Burke village and play in our summer v-ball league. Often, after just a couple of weeks they become very competent players.

I see Mikaela as a core athlete that had the distinct advantage of being raised from a early age within an excellent environment focused on a very specialized sport. Her combination of high level athleticism, physical awareness, mental stability, and work ethic are something that is very rare. She has put it all together to the point that she is dominating the game. Very Tom Brady-esque.

Anyway...
Congrats to Shiffrin on another slalom win and another GS podium. Her overall point total continues to grow into a dominating lead.

[TahoeJ]

I've seen plenty of core athletes who couldn't hit a curve ball to save their lives. Or, look at Charles Barkley's golf swing, for example.

You can't excel in any major sport at a high level, skiing or otherwise, without at least a base-line of decent natural athleticism.

[STLHD]

This may be a teachable moment. This wasn't a case of someone who blasted their arms or after 10 sets couldn't do more.

It's a case of a world-class skier who couldn't do one. Who then undertook a focused effort to change that.

The smug is strong with you. Jesus. Strict pups are one of the least athletic moves out there.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

More specifically, if you asked the coaches at, say, Burke who their best performers have been in terms of weight room performance, agility, explosiveness, etc., Shiffrin won't have been their best natural athlete. They have had others who were better on all of those measures. Just as you can see from the vid downthread that a simple frontflip on a trampoline didn't come naturally to her. Just as a simple pullup didn't come naturally to her. Not a single unassisted pullup without a lot of focused effort. But, Shiffrin was and is a huge standout in terms of focus, work ethic, and coachability.

One of my best friends was her coach at Burke. I'll ask him

Also, I've never met a racer with good air awareness. It's not part of their curriculum.

[GhostofSeasonsPast]

The smug is strong with you. Jesus. Strict pups are one of the least athletic moves out there.

Maybe her strength coaches didn't know what they were doing when they helped her work on them?

[goldengatestinx]

Or maybe you have that backwards. You’re talking about pull-ups and athleticism which demonstrates a complete misunderstanding.

EDIT: and not saying strength can't be a component of athleticism, but the idea that it's required is just plain wrong. I know plenty of strong people that are extremely un-athletic and have some of the shittiest hand-eye coordination I've ever seen.

Lindsey can do pullups while painted.

[STLHD]

Maybe her strength coaches didn't know what they were doing when they helped her work on them?

That’s not be point. Saying someone doesn’t have the strength to do a pull up and saying someone isn’t naturally athletic are two different things. Obviously strength is an important component to ski racing. But natural strength isn’t the single or even best indicator of athleticism.

[uglymoney]

Speaking for myself I've always been relatively good at the angulation and rythym that snow ski turns and slalom skiing require in comparison to average people. Other stuff doesn't come as easy. I know people who are awesome trick barefooters that do things I only dream of doing and never will but I can wake cross circles around them without even trying.

Also I have no air sense if I go inverted and am a horrible golfer.

Shiffrin has a quiet upper body. She makes awesome turns. It looks to me like the music she says she hears. Do they teach music in psia?



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[My Pet Powder Goat]

Maybe her strength coaches didn't know what they were doing when they helped her work on them?

Thinking weight room workouts = "natural athleticism" is retarded, Josh Matta.

Anyway...
Congrats to Shiffrin on another slalom win and another GS podium. Her overall point total continues to grow into a dominating lead.

Pfffft, is she even sub 100 FIS points?

[irul&ublo]

She finished third in today's GS. .08 off the winning time.

She obviously needs PSIA coaching. She should work on her dolphin turns.

[Danno]

This may be a teachable moment. This wasn't a case of someone who blasted their arms or after 10 sets couldn't do more.

It's a case of a world-class skier who couldn't do one. Who then undertook a focused effort to change that.

How do you know that? I didn't see anything in that video that said "this is my first attempt at a pull up". Teach me, sensei.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Guys, I'd listen to him, He has a name tag!


PS. You're dipping your inside shoulder too much. (Or maybe they just tilted the camera to make it look flatter than it is?)

[GhostofSeasonsPast]

...to prevent any undue confusion, I am not him.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Sure, sure... Whatever you say, sparky.


Just so happens, that you appear the day after Josh Matta was run out of here for lying about his FIS racing career

[STLHD]

Look at that smile though. He’s just having fun out there!

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Look at that smile though. He’s just having fun out there!

That's a wind trap. He was about to break the PSIAA speed limit of 25mph, that slows him down.


Eta: ghostofJoshMattapast, my buddy at Burke, says you're a fucking moron. That nobody is racing WC without a shit-ton of Natural athleticism. Shiffrin won the U16 world champs by about 4 seconds.

[nyskirat]

Shiffren would not be were she is now if Vonn had not set the standard - Lead the way to what is possible

Eh.

Shiffrin was doing her thing with her parents long before Vonn set the standard for American women. She has basically been training her entire life for WC racing.

I think Vonn helped bring more awareness to the US for what the American women are doing overseas and increase the interest at the youth level. Hopefully in another 5-10 years we'll see some of it pay off, likewise in another 15-20 with Shiffrin.

Regardless, we're experiencing a rather seamless transition from one generation to the next on the women's side of the WC for the USST. Men's not so much. Future doesn't look too bright, but my friend seems to think River Radamus could be the next thing for the men.

BTW, I think we need to give Rebensburg some props for killing the GS circuit this year.

And anyone who says Shiffrin isn't a natural athlete is a moron. She's fucking athletic as hell. She may not be a Bode Miller or Jeremy Bloom, but given her work ethic and sense of balance, she'd be successful at it.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTa7a2agEWj/

Check out this little 10yr old slaying the SL. That was basically Shiffrin while Lindsey Kildow was throwing a temper tantrum on the side of the course after a DNF.

That kid is going to be something!

[From_the_NEK]

I've seen plenty of core athletes who couldn't hit a curve ball to save their lives. Or, look at Charles Barkley's golf swing, for example.

You can't excel in any major sport at a high level, skiing or otherwise, without at least a base-line of decent natural athleticism.

I didn't say that core athletes don't struggle with a few things. But they typically possesses enough coordination (both hand-eye and overall physical) that they can figure out how to at least make contact with a curve ball after some practice and their golf swing doesn't look like they are getting electrocuted.

Inverted aerial awareness is something very few people excel at. And then it takes a lot of practice to avoid landing on your head <30% of the time. That is something I've always struggled with as well. It was the major factor that kept me from being a better pole vaulter. I think it was something to do with a self preservation instinct that is hard to overcome.

[-Devin-]

Saying someone is not a great natural athlete is subjective.

Winning championships and smashing the competition is an objective measure of being a great athlete. So basically end of discussion

[-Devin-]

Just looked up athleticism and this is the video that showed up

https://www.facebook.com/LovelandSki...6253304745768/

[GhostofSeasonsPast]

Sure, sure... Whatever you say, sparky.


Just so happens, that you appear the day after Josh Matta was run out of here for lying about his FIS racing career

You may have problems counting. :-)