Women's Downhill
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Chit Chat
Forum Discription: Non Boating Related Discussions
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9213
Printed Date: 06 Jul 2025 at 9:54am
Topic: Women's Downhill
Posted By: jP
Subject: Women's Downhill
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2010 at 12:54pm
Did anyone happen to see that event? I mean, I'm not a huge Olympics buff (read on to find out why  ), but I watched the event last night and it was bad ass!
I'd post a Youtube clip, or even a link to some clip, but when I search online this sentence usually pops up:
"This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by International Olympic Committee."
-this is why I hate the Olympics. Like they aren't making enough money on all of this that they have to strictly control every little pixel of media related to it...
Ok-rant is out of the way.
There were three really hardcore crashes on that course. Vonn and Mancuso pulled out some impressive skiing to get those medalls. Talk about some strong women! (everyone who competed)
Shaun White wasn't shabby in the Half pipe either- after he sewed up his gold on his first run he busted off some 1200 degree Double Mctwist or some crazy sh*t Big Mac with extra cheese and special sauce or whatever its called. Somebody needs to get him in a playboat!!! ------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |
Replies:
Posted By: RemAcct2
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2010 at 12:58pm
|
There was an article that said Shaun White went sea kayaking with coach and entourage prior to the event to relax...
------------- |
Posted By: chipmaney
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2010 at 2:10pm
|
if bet he can throw ends in a sea kayak...
------------- sitting all alone on a mountain by a river that has no end |
Posted By: septimus prime
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2010 at 2:44pm
|
I did watch that sh*t. those crashes were insane. especially that final jump before the finish line. That one french chick crashed 10 feet from the starting gate.
------------- Jon Shell Bee |
Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2010 at 12:03pm
|
Yeah and Anja Pearson (might have botched her name-but just off the top o my head) crashed after spanning about 195' of air-- that's a horizontal Palousse Falls!!
(sorry- my Narrow,Canyon-Shaped mind is always bringing it back to paddling!  )------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |
Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2010 at 12:11pm
|
Another thing I think is interesting about these Olymic events:
Look at the skiing events, and just watch them from a layman's perspective, and compare the women's performance with the men's.
Now consider the Halfpipe events for both genders...
It may just be me, but I think I see a dicernable difference between the gender gaps of the two events. Here's what i mean:
The skiing events seem to have a much more subtle comparative difference between the performance of the two genders. That is to say the women may be a hair slower than the men (and I never even really compared times or anything-I'm just watching.), but generally speaking their runs are comparatively fast and hard core like the Men's are.
In the Halfpipe competition on the other hand, there is a very blatent gap in performance between the two genders: The men boost HUGE air and complex articulate tricks, and then you watch the women and it's just lackluster by comparison. That said I'll be the first to point out that I can barely even do a 360 in a halfpipe, so those girls rip way harder than me. But I think it's interesting to compare the two events and the performance gaps between genders. Then I gotta wonder exactly why that is... ------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |
Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2010 at 1:24pm
| Interesting comments JP... I noticed the same thing in terms of the gender difference in the half pipe. Not sure if this is it, but seems like trying those 'new' tricks can be costly- read land on head, and so guys have more incentive to 'go for it' cause someone else is doing it, whereas the gals just don't have anyone going for it, hence the lack of incentive to push the envelope. Or something like that.... It's been great fun to watch! |
Posted By: ThrowYaMittsUp
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2010 at 1:47pm
|
I think you nailed it Mike. The progression in snowboarding recently has been ridiculous, and I think that when the progression slows, which it inevitably will, the girls and the majority of the mens field will have a chance to catch up to the leaders of the pack. I don't think that there is any physical reason why the girls seem to be so far behind. There is also the simple fact the Sean White drops in with more speed than anyone else so he goes bigger than anyone else. Watch his second qualifiing run (or any of his runs). I am pretty sure that he is the only Olympian that goes all the way to the top of the pipe before he drops in (he actually pops a little air of the knuckle and into the pipe). No other competitor does this, and it is one of the reasons that he is on the top. ------------- "Call on God, but row away from the rocks." ~H.S. Thompson |
Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2010 at 5:02pm
|
yeah, Sean White is a pretty ridiculously good - guess golden good. And to watch him master those hyper technical moves over and over is just amazing.
Anyone know that kids history/story. He's not from what some would call 'silver spoon' family stuff. Definitely worked his way through the ranks.
I think he makes something like 11 million a year now in sponsor funds. Must be nice....
|
Posted By: dblanchard
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2010 at 11:55pm
|
I can only speak of the men and women I know/have seen personally, but there is probably a weight distribution disparity at play here.
Even the most fit women will carry a larger portion of their weight at, and below, the hip level. While this helps you fight Gs in the slalom, and certainly may help you launch out of the pipe a little better, it doesn't help with rotational force, which is what these latest moves require. An object in motion tends to stay in motion along the same path.... I think that there are women able to do these moves, but their approaches to them will differ. They will have to focus their rotation on the ground and count on being able to throw their torsos around as much in the air. Carving deeper at the lip to get more twist will cost more speed and momentum. I well could be wrong, that's how I see it. |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2010 at 8:58am
|
That was a very smooth way of letting everyone know you prefer big chested ladies... nice D nice. And Mike your theory was just proved wrong, after all apparently Duane is watching... 
|
Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 26 Feb 2010 at 7:23pm
|
interesting take , Duane. That never occured to me, so I'm doubly glad I raised the question. Maybe snowboarding in a halfpipe is still just a really young sport, in its adolecence, and Like Brian said, ove time the performance gap we're discussing wil;l narrow a bit. ------------- 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋 |