Ski

In less than two days, Bode Miller has a chance to change everything. The terrible press, the hate mail, and all the questions both from strangers and the one's he asks himself. Any athlete will tell you they really just want one thing: a chance to win. Bode qualified for the World Championships at the very last moment, limping to the finish nine seconds behind the leader in the final event leading up to the races in Are, Sweden. Maybe he'd have been named to the slalom team anyway, since a country can enter four racers, but this way he earned it. What are Bode's odds of winning? Most experts would say he has no chance. He hasn't been on the podium since the '04-'05 season (and then just once)...he's barely finished a slalom race in the last two years. He's 0-9 for nine since the Turin Olympic debacle, when it comes to big races. Slalom racing doesn't take guts. Historically, slalom racers were looked down upon by the real men of downhill. Slalom racers were slick and often very famous in Europe. But they weren't the crazy legendary racers that inspired young children to follow in their footsteps. But it will take guts for Bode to win this slalom. Not because of the pitch or the ruts or the hairpin turns, but because racing itself is an internal battle. Bode is probably the biggest head-case of all, right now, and ski racing is 90% mental. There is a lifetime of preparation for a skier that is pushing through the wand at a World Chamionship race. A racer must believe he or she is going to win. A racer must know it. And Bode couldn't be more lost. First Grade Teacher challenged me to just go ahead and admit that I hate Bode. But that's impossible. There is a respect, if not a certain reverance, for I have for anyone that puts themself behind that start wand. Doug, Mike, 'Mom, 'Dude, Jeff, Metzy...the list is long. I remember when Adam first started racing and he'd he be firing off a thousand question about how much pressure to put on each ski through a turn...I used to try and answer him, then add that he should enjoy this journey. But he never heard that part of it. He's 20 years from hearing that. And Doug's amazing frustration at a NASTAR course...a man that flies down Jackson Hole diamonds can have his skiing sole challenged by 15 plastic gates on a what would be a bunny run at places he's practically lived. Ski racing makes you feel alive and can tear you apart. The greatest days of my life have been watching my oldest checking the scoreboard at 'Montage' and realizing she'd won a USSA event; having my youngest stand at the finish line and tell me she wanted to "do that a thousand more times"; and, a night making a ski movie with my wife on one of our first dates. The worst days are also ski race related...except for when my dog was run over when I was 12. So we take this journey of learning. The addictive properties are likely common: the starter's voice saying, "Racer ready....three...two...one...go!" Maybe it's the feeling of speed. But whatever, it's adrenalin related. And it's all about the fine line we ride across the edge of failure. One tiny second has ruined Doug's night...a half second has almost made me quit skiing. I sit here at home, less than three hours away from the start of my race league. Others are headed to NASTAR. Bode is probably off being Bode. A long time ago, I used to watch the Robert Redford movie "Downhill Racer" the night before races. I believe it was made in 1969, or so, and the ski footage is so incredibly out-dated. But the European venues are remarkably unchanged. And the fear and challenges are also the same. At my daughter's races, I used to find her somewhere around the start area and, almost with superstition, quote a line from the movie in which the head coach tells Redford to "Uncork one." Redford had been so wreckless, that he crashed out of most races---he took every chance, without enough preparation, and ended up being demoted from the World Cup squad. But he worked hard in the off season and found his focus. The significance of his coach telling him that was that Redford's character had earned the right to now take the chances and go for it. The moment had come. So that's my advice to my friends for tonight and for this weekend. It's also my advice to Bode: Uncork one.

Yeah, you're right.

I was going to head over this afternoon for a few quick runs, but called first...the 1-800-GOT-SNOW line just kept ringing, so I didn't go. Then I heard that 81 was closed...

I shot pics of his first ever chicken house burning to the ground in 1984...it was no longer being used since the town had grown around it up in the north end, but a lot of people cried. Frank was a legend and everything he owned was golden. He once tried to tip me after a press conference---I couldn't accept it, but I always thought of him as a good guy after that.

How do you know "it happens"? 31 tracks didn't beat him...you have no f*cking clue what you're talking about. It's stating the obvious that he got tangled in a gate, but you can't look at a couple of photos from a gate in a PA Cup race and judge a racer's overall line. How do you know what happened above that gate? How do you know he wasn't too high and making a correction? How do you know he wasn't just trying to snap that gate to get back to where he wanted to be? That would be my guess. If 'Dude had his inside hand in a better spot, he would have picked up his line. A race run is often a series of corrections. Someone like 'Dude will almost always have times that are consistant even when he makes errors, because he makes changes as he goes. If 'Dude fell out of the start house, he'd probably cut the second and third gates and have a similar split to what he would have had anyway. Racers that reach 'Dude's level have a clock built into them---making a mistake turns them up a notch and often is a good thing. Some racers work better that way. And if you were paying attention to racing's evolution over the last decade, you'd recall the difference in lines taken. Today's racers are tremendously lower and straighter into the gates. Go find a video of an early Michael Von Grunigen (the most amazingly graceful GS skier EVER), then compare it to Hermann Maier's low and straight brutal style. Von Grunigen retired in part because the high line just wasn't competitive any longer. So, yeah, I'd suggest you study some FIS races...

I have to say that is really funny...I've never seen a minus score. You must have pissed off Dranow.

Pffftt...you're a lightweight...I had two small heart attacks, blacked out, saw God, then finished up in 90 minutes. What the f*ck is with that six inches of ice between the powder?

Well, I don't feel especially bad to fail your integrity test.

I sort of feel like a dick for posting this, but, uh...13" and still snowing...we had almost nothing at daybreak...

Why not? This is a ski/ride message board...and this is the Racing Forum. Are you his freaking mother? BTW, Miller says he LOVES being the bad guy. He LOVES all the hate that's been thrown his way. He says he's thriving on it. He HATED being the favorite and having such high expectations held for him. I'm surprised you didn't know that. And don't you think there's something the USST didn't tell us? How bad did it really have to get for them to shut down the drinking and partying like they did? All of the US athletes were holding out signing the 'no boozing' contract...but then came together and agreed pretty quickly. The "A" Team wasn't being threatened, since the "B" Team talent is far bellow them. The US would never just pull the plug, so the "A" Team had some power in their numbers. Maybe it's just something simple, like Miller's piss showing a .20 BAC right after a Turin race...

Fair enough...Miller was just the final swizzle stick.

Ha, that's true. Reminds me of a satire on My Space Portrait Style Photography that I recently saw on TV. Rob, I'm all for paying your dues to create a portfolio, but there's just so much usery and exploitation out there. There needs to be an end game. My first job was as a paid intern at the Salisbury Daily Times, in Salisbury, MD. I was paid $3.50 per photo...that's not a typo. But within a year of graduation, I was named the Chief Photographer and was bringing home a wopping $275/week. I used to run into so many burning buildings that one of the firemen gave me his old turnout coat...but I knew that if I kept at it, they would have to hire me full time. On the other hand, I also know people that work in PR departments that took college classes in which they were taught how to get free photography for their events. Yes, colleges teach how to scam young photographers, with NO compensation. And, just for the record, a lot of pro photogs choose to keep their portfolios private--including URL's--because they want to protect their images. I've posted some of my work on this site, but would never even consider sharing my website except with editors. Ha, you aren't by any chance from Montana?

Posted on: Dec 2 2006, 12:18 PM And the Bode arguement is tired and old. My 6 yr old's favorite racer is Nicole Hosp ~~~~~~ I root for Nicole Hosp because Ty thinks she's a "really nice person". But do you know the definition of a fair weather fan? Obviously not, since Hosp Hosp WON at Kranjska Gora, and was on the podium at Semmering and Cortina d'Ampezzo---not to mention two World Championship medals in Are. You see, a fair weather fan is someone that ONLY shoots their mouth off when their favorite athelete is doing well. Okay? Got it? Hosp is currently the #1 ranked GS racer in the world and 4th Overall, right between Mancuso and Kildow. But, sadly, here's the real bottom line: nobody cares about Miller, so why would I waste time posting about a skinny Austrian chick on this MB?

Don't subscribe to the whole video analysis "fad"? Crap, you got me.

And if you were interested in informing 1st Grade, you might mention that the only time you can look at a photo and judge the proper line from tracks/ruts is somewhere in the mid-FIS range on up.

That's just uncalled-for. (My Doug impersonation)

0-9 now. He finished 15th in today's GS. But since you love racing so much, I imagine you watched every turn. If he wins the slalom will you be back rooting for him? I just thought it was a little interesting to point out that you people disappear when Bode is in crash mode. Total fair weather fans. Ligety, btw, missed the podium by just .07 seconds...

Not to argue with you, Free, but... Aside from the dozens of USSTer interviews I've seen, here are a few quotes: From MSNBC Sports: U.S. ski team spokesman Tom Kelly conceded that the publicity surrounding Bode's famous late-night carousing, particularly at the Turin Olympics, was the genesis of the crackdown. Miller, the 2005 overall World Cup champion, arrived in Turin as the great American hope but left Italy without a medal. He awarded himself a gold for his Winter Games performance, however.

Firstly, it has been my job to look out for young photogs/interns and I was just trying to get a point across to someone that may or may not have an understanding of how kids have been getting ripped off for their hard work. It seems that on every level you go, there's some person or company that has an event and makes an offer to throw some freebie stuff their way in exchange for total use of their work. Read the first post and you won't see what swag they are offering, yet the guy is ready to close the deal if you could prove your worthiness. I hate to see kids risk their expensive gear and simply give away their work. In the end, most situations like this end up with the kid screwed out of almost everything. If the swag was worth so much, why the f*ck not just budget a few hundred bucks? Is there a DJ? Are they paying him? Is there any security? Are there lights? Is the cleanup crew being paid in swag? It sounds like bitching, but that's how most people looking for free work want you to think. The guy's second post was 100% fine. I'm not trying to beat him up over this. I don't have any investment in whether he hires a professional, or not. He could hand out disposable cameras for all I care. But if you are going to set requirements, then expect non-compensated work, it should be done as an internship, where the kid works with a professional photographer. Otherwise, you're just ripping him/her off. It's legal (as long as both are fully reporting the swag as payment and compensation), but it's just unethical. I don't expect anyone other than a couple of people on this MB to give a crap about my point---it sure sounds like a fine deal. But just consider it the equivalent of me snowplowing over the lip of your 60ft booter... Rob: Ben Birk? Pfffttt..not one image that 500 other photogs haven't already shot. Let me put it to you like this: he is Levittown. Do you know what that means? And I wonder how long he'd last in a war zone, trying to find a skateboarder or wakeboarder? Not long, I'd guess...

Nyman beat him in the SG and was three spots back in the SC...Mancuso absolutely blew the GS on Monday, winning the first run, but blaming fatigue on a crappy second run. My girl, Hosp, won...the US girls have blown away the men's results. BTW, the entire US team wants to lynch Miller for the restrictions put on everyone this year. No more sleeping on private buses or drinking/partying with coaches.

Bode is 0-3 so far at the World Championships...it's the eve of the men's GS and I'm sorta wondering how drunk he at this moment. Where have all the Bode fans been? No mention of how they were still rooting for him during his 24th, 6th, and 7th places. Talk about hopping on (and then off the Bode Bandwagon)... So, Bode's 0-8 in his last big races. Anyone think he'll step it up for GS or SL? Or have you guys just given up on Bode?

Ha, I'm waiting for a guarantee from a certified lift mechanic before I risk Long Haul... Sno will have 1/10th the crowds of other PA areas this coming weekend. Lower Fast Track and Lower Runaway will be good places to avoid people, since bunny skiers/riders will make the cut back over to the Iron Horse and better skiers/riders don't like the hassle of multiple lifts or the Long Haul. Again, though, that's the problem with Sno as is it: we need a blue square top to bottom run. One of the new trails they cut next season will have to allow intermediate skiers access to the Phoebe Snow lift. Heck, you can now buy tickets at the top of the Phoebe, then ski down to blues/greens, but then you have to take the bus back up. They'll fix that...we have to deal with it all the time, since I really don't like my 6 yr old on the NF diamonds. Two or three school buses on Sunday...other PA areas would typical have 20+ buses. It's still the quiet before next year's storm.

So the person taking pics just happened to get your problem gate? It would have been a great shot of you clipping that gate, if you didn't get your arm hooked. Bummer, 'Dude. But at least you know you didn't imagine it. Top 10 at Elk Top 5 at Sno!!!

Definitely Mod of the Week material...

Just to be clear, you're original post would get hammered on a photo-related MB. Kids build their portfolios when they shoot their friends away from comps...what you're looking for is a CHEAP way to get pics that you should pay for. My advice is to step up and actually pay for pics...like you pay other professionals. Photogs don't generally build portfolios when they are at comps that assign you spots to shoot from...sure, you'll get some kids to do it---and be sure to remind them that they still have to report and pay taxes on all the freebies. Your post that I just quoted is a much better way of putting it...but asking to see someone's portfolio, then not paying for their services would be a really crappy thing to do.