What is the 'BEST' Winter Olympic event?

What event 'defines' the Winter Olympics for you?

Personally, I discount any event that has any judging aspect. I rule them out. Out, I say.

I only enjoy events that are a vs. scenario, or best time....longest distance....

MEASURABLE! not subjective.

So... to me, the Downhill Skiing = Winter Olympics.

I'll hold off on the poll for the moment until the little people have spoken.

the biathalon is cool, and may be my favorite, but I'm having fun watching women's downhill.

I'm a big fan of downhill skiing too, especially the ski-cross even though that event is just asking to maim someone.

Costumes+judges=fail

I like all the skiing, speed skating, sled/luge/skeleton...

Downhill.

I disagree. races are boring. Racing the clock is the worst. Who cares about numbers? I care about impact and emotion and skill and beauty. The only winter olympic sport that means anything to me is the ice skating. That's what I watch year after year and remember.

BTW, my boss and I had a similar conversation, and his answer was that he frankly watched the sports that were dangerous--the ski jumps, luge, etc., because of the vicarious thrill, the danger factor, and the suspense. And then later that same day was when the luge competitor died.

:(

your Boss killed the luger!?

bad karma, man!

I put a maloik on the on the Swedish Downhill Skier.....then she crashed on that last jump.


I was just kidding!

Having been a competitive shooter, of course the Biathlon is on my list. All snowboarding events kick serious behind. When drinking some fine lager, Curling is the sport I most enjoy. And then Ski Jumping, Speed Skating, & Short Track just amaze me. Heck, I really like them all. If I had to pick, Snowboard Cross the best, with Figure Skating at the bottom.

your fault!

Figure skating and Hockey. But they're practically business to watch ;) Snowboard races have their moments. I'm sure the rest is pretty fun too, I just don't have time to watch.

I keep getting on the treadmill in time to watch some form of XC skiing, it's awsome. I bumped up my speeds...

I went to the gym on Sunday -not one TV was tuned to the Olymics. One was set on the weather channel FFS. Lots of wrinklies there.

Snowboard half-pipe.
It is beautiful and spectacular even when they don't crash.
Sod the judges, I don't care who wins.

Ski-jumping, only because of Eddie the Eagle.

The half pipe is entertaining, but the whim of the judges carries too much weight. I think it's no better than figure skating. I don't know the names of all these events but the snowboard race with 4 people on the track at a time is a hoot to watch.

I was watching the qualifying short track speed skating relay last night, and it looked like a mosh pit with all these people crowding on the ice tagging each other.

Polar bear wrestling.



Oh, that's not an event yet? Pity.

glatt;635556 wrote:

The half pipe is entertaining, but the whim of the judges carries too much weight. I think it's no better than figure skating. I don't know the names of all these events but the snowboard race with 4 people on the track at a time is a hoot to watch.

I was watching the qualifying short track speed skating relay last night, and it looked like a mosh pit with all these people crowding on the ice tagging each other.

snow cross, i think....or board cross when it's snowboarders. and Yeah, way cool. I have yet to see one live.....when is it on next?

winter olympics? no thanks. While I respect their dedication and athleticism I have no interest in any of those sports.

polling open

FYI, it's a multiple choice poll.

too late.

ok...I FUCKED IT UP.

biathalon is there twice..... just use the cross country skiing part for that box.

I think the biathlon is the coolest because it is rooted in the spirit of the Olympic games. Plus there's guns. And it's extremely measurable; either you hit the target in the very very center or you don't.

This would also be an excellent event:
Rescuing the infant king.

Skiing: I followed the Claudine Longet Invitational closely.

Jessica Antlerdance: That's right, Tom. But Helmut injured his ankle last month, and that's bound to affect his performance here today.

Tom Tryman: He caught an edge there, but he seems to be okay, he's in good shape.. actually, I think he's a little..

[ a shot rings out, as Helmut falls into the snow ]

Tom Tryman: Uh-oh! He seems to have been accidentally shot by Claudine Longet! Yes.. and I'm afraid Helmut Kindle is out of this race!

Jessica Antlerdance: Yes, it's a shame, but that's all part of the exciting world of professional skiing, Tom.

I HATE the commentators more this year than I usually do. I don't know if I'm just more hostile in my old age...or if they are being extra annoying

Shawnee123;635731 wrote:

Skiing: I followed the Claudine Longet Invitational closely.

It looks like she might have changed her sport to Luge...:eek:

the snow cross , the short track skaters Both should be able to have Spiked Elbow pads !!!
Blood on the snow !!!!

All the down hill skiing looks like fun , though I would die a Horrible death trying to do them .

Biathlon is Verry cool , but where is the Summer equivalent ?
Marathon with Firearms I say !!

Oh and the Luge and Skeleton look like a Blast !!
Except the Double Luge , that Just looks Ghay !!!

YEAH...the ambiguously gay duo prolly do that sport

lumberjim;635733 wrote:

I HATE the commentators more this year than I usually do. I don't know if I'm just more hostile in my old age...or if they are being extra annoying

they are more annoying. watch with the sound off.

zippyt;635739 wrote:

Biathlon is Verry cool , but where is the Summer equivalent ?
Marathon with Firearms I say !!

I watched the winner cross the finish line with a couple of guys chasing him. Idiots, why are you chasing him? You've got a rifle for god's sake, why wear yourself out? :haha:

I like watching opening ceremonies, biathalon, curling, bobsled ... I guess events that I think I could manage.

I also like figure skating. If you've done it, you have to watch it. It's one of those things, I guess.

wolf;635979 wrote:

I like watching opening ceremonies, biathalon, curling, bobsled ... I guess events that I think I could manage.

I also like figure skating. If you've done it, you have to watch it. It's one of those things, I guess.

You are such a female!:)

there isn't a summer equivalent of running and shooting? I thought there was . . .

I voted for the ones I prefer to watch. Skiing, snowboard 1/2 pipe ... But to define the Olympics I think the skating has to be at the top. I'm just not a fan of it though.

[youtube]WM3hmR8vZxk&feature=related[/youtube]

:beer: That was great!

(although, its prolly in the wrong thread)

wolf;635979 wrote:

I like watching opening ceremonies, biathalon, curling, bobsled ... I guess events that I think I could manage.

Just fyi, the philly curling club is having an open house this saturday. 65 Plank Ave in Paoli.

Children 18 years of age and younger will require parental/guardian permission before access to the ice. Due to the expected high traffic and interest in curling this year due to the Olympics, we will not be able to accommodate children under the age of 10 years old to try out curling on the ice during the open house. They are welcome at the club and can see the ice. We apologi[COLOR=Red]s[/COLOR]e for this inconvenience.

[COLOR=Red]->[/COLOR]tip off that the club is run by a brit ex pat

jinx;636582 wrote:

Just fyi, the philly curling club is having an open house this saturday. 65 Plank Ave in Paoli.

Very cool - no pun intended - I think we might give that a go.

xoxoxoBruce;635977 wrote:

I watched the winner cross the finish line with a couple of guys chasing him. Idiots, why are you chasing him? You've got a rifle for god's sake, why wear yourself out? :haha:

That is the funniest thing I have read in a while. What a beaut! Unfortunately they are limited in the number of clips and cartridges they carry, so at the end they are out. Unless they pulled a Barney Fife and had one extra in a shirt pocket. Classic! Reminds me of The Long Walk by Richard Bachman a.k.a.Stephen King. Only short story I have ready more than once.

I think downhill skating could be cool.....

skating down the bobsled track?

that'd work. A frozen river/waterfall might be even more fun......

Skeleton is very nearly that anyway.

I picked Ice Hockey but im curious why ICE is included...... Is there any other type of hockey besides ice??

I love Hockey!!

Field Hockey is a thing Lil' G played in High School.

[YOUTUBE]FC635rC_1Us[/YOUTUBE]
i would die caus i cant skate but younger me would love this

Playing games on ice with a knife on each foot? Nope.

zippyt;1043372 wrote:

[YOUTUBE]FC635rC_1Us[/YOUTUBE]
i would die caus i cant skate but younger me would love this

I love this. I can't imagine how busted up I'd get but younger me, all in.

Dude111;1043356 wrote:

I picked Ice Hockey but im curious why ICE is included...... Is there any other type of hockey besides ice??

I love Hockey!!

This board is international and in other parts of the world Hockey is not played on ice unless ice is specified.

Thank you Monster,I knew that but I wasnt aware of any other type of Hockey game anywhere :)

Not even tonsil hockey??

I was watching the Men's Downhill from Wesson(?) yesterday. I never noticed the bull-fighting vibe before. Every guy was rying to see how close he could get to the horns without getting caught. That was intense.

Horns? Is that the gate markers? Here's the winner.

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That's Super G, almost as exciting/dangerous as Downhill.

[YOUTUBE]BhZ27VCd9tI[/YOUTUBE]

Beat Feuz for the win at Wengen not Wesson.

Watch for the second jump. It's a blind jump to an off camber turn. That thing was eating up racers all day. Beat crushes it.

Super G, Downhill, they're all nuts. :lol:

Griff;1045029 wrote:

Watch for the second jump. It's a blind jump to an off camber turn. That thing was eating up racers all day. Beat crushes it.

he unjumps it. null push off he stays tucked until he's completely airborne, then he uncurls, extending his body completely ready to soak up the imminent landing. meanwhile he swings his lower legs into plane with the coming landing point, touching down tails first but in plane not favoring either edge and longitudinally with the fall line. super, duper smooth.

Isn't that how the jumpers do it on the big 120 meter jumps?

Naked ski jump

xoxoxoBruce;1045056 wrote:

Isn't that how the jumpers do it on the big 120 meter jumps?

landings, yes, takeoffs, no.

in the straight ahead ski jumps, 120 meter, etc, the downslope and the ramp and the landing area are all on the same level left to right, unlike the one in the video from Griff. for the ski jump (for distance), the take off is aaaalmost the same, coiled up on the approach, but just before the point of takeoff, the ski jumper explodes upward, *jumping* to increase their altitude and to get into optimum flight position. That flight posture is dramatically different from what you see in the downhill skier.