Also, I believe that when a skier is going good, they aren't going to skip a weekend because they are afraid to lose the feel as a result.
This is of course a double-edged sword because they are never more than a moment away from a crash no matter how well they are skiing.
I can give you my experience with it. You never really think you're going to crash out even if you have before. It's not at all what you are thinking about especially on a practice run.
Every course is different and conditions can make them different as well.
While taking a practice run for a race you are looking for the best line down the hill. You want to limit your time in the air and set up your turns prior to gates. If you are late you will have to turn hard to make the next gate which kills your speed. And you feel that. It's a horrible feeling because it means you are cumulatively losing time for the next 20 seconds or longer. When you mess up, even though you are still going fast it feels like you are in slow motion.
In best cases we only got two practice runs and the one race in the downhill. At my level there were times they called the practice runs due to conditions which made it really difficult on race day. I remembered this happened when I was about to go and the two skiers prior to me had crashed with one that broke his leg.
So you are trying to get a good start and take your line through the course that you have previously thought out. The physicality involved holding your line is real and difficult.
The adrenaline rush was unbelievable. You are waiting to go in sub zero temperatures with nothing but a neoprene suite and underwear after shedding your outer layers and you don't feel cold at all.
The only times I got freaked out to be honest was when I finished. A lot of times you are on a straight away and you want to hold your tuck through the finish line. As soon as you finish they do not give you much runway to stop while you are going 70+ miles per hour. I always managed to but it was nerve racking. I never hear of anyone else mentioning this but it freaked me out.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
Are you guys really pulling 8 Gs? That sounds a bit unbelievable
This was a long time ago. I don't really know.
In addition to the race, they used to close a run next to the course for us to try out the skis. A lot of us didn't own them because they were wide and 130+ Cm long with 3 percent beveled edges. So, they were not something we trained on too often.
I remember my friends and I taking that run in a tuck the whole way with no turns for almost a mile. I wish I knew how fast we went because it was way faster than the race. I look back at that and think WTF! But I was an idiot 19 year old,
In addition to the race, they used to close a run next to the course for us to try out the skis. A lot of us didn't own them because they were wide and 130+ Cm long with 3 percent beveled edges. So, they were not something we trained on too often.
I remember my friends and I taking that run in a tuck the whole way with no turns for almost a mile. I wish I knew how fast we went because it was way faster than the race. I look back at that and think WTF! But I was an idiot 19 year old,
Hahaha holy fuk that’s awesome
and yeah 3.5 Gs sounds a bit more believable… a bit.
Bravest athletes in the world in my opinion. No other category of athlete literally risks life and limb as routinely as skiers in the speed events. (Climbing involves the highest levels of extreme peril but I feel like it's more of a "feat" than a true sport.)
Not to mention that it seems the majority of world-class skiers have experienced one or more nasty spills in their career, yet they don't quit. They're like, just rebuild my knees and get me into rehab as soon as possible. Truly a different breed.
Bravest athletes in the world in my opinion. No other category of athlete literally risks life and limb as routinely as skiers in the speed events. (Climbing involves the highest levels of extreme peril but I feel like it's more of a "feat" than a true sport.)
Not to mention that it seems the majority of world-class skiers have experienced one or more nasty spills in their career, yet they don't quit. They're like, just rebuild my knees and get me into rehab as soon as possible. Truly a different breed.
Bravest athletes in the world in my opinion. No other category of athlete literally risks life and limb as routinely as skiers in the speed events. (Climbing involves the highest levels of extreme peril but I feel like it's more of a "feat" than a true sport.)
Not to mention that it seems the majority of world-class skiers have experienced one or more nasty spills in their career, yet they don't quit. They're like, just rebuild my knees and get me into rehab as soon as possible. Truly a different breed.
I think the craziest event is ski jumping. My parents literally would not let me do it when I was young and couldn't find a hill for it where I was when I got older. Probably a good thing!
Bravest athletes in the world in my opinion. No other category of athlete literally risks life and limb as routinely as skiers in the speed events. (Climbing involves the highest levels of extreme peril but I feel like it's more of a "feat" than a true sport.)
Not to mention that it seems the majority of world-class skiers have experienced one or more nasty spills in their career, yet they don't quit. They're like, just rebuild my knees and get me into rehab as soon as possible. Truly a different breed.
Have you ever watched the Tour De France? There are cyclists who have literally lost their lives during the descents in the mountain stages and the crashes I remember seeing during the times when Armstring was winning looked absolutely brutal.
Bravest athletes in the world in my opinion. No other category of athlete literally risks life and limb as routinely as skiers in the speed events. (Climbing involves the highest levels of extreme peril but I feel like it's more of a "feat" than a true sport.)
Not to mention that it seems the majority of world-class skiers have experienced one or more nasty spills in their career, yet they don't quit. They're like, just rebuild my knees and get me into rehab as soon as possible. Truly a different breed.
Really? How many professional skier deaths have there been, ever? I always thought fishing was the most dangerous sport or car racing.
Many people, including drivers, crew members, officials and spectators, have been killed in crashes related to the sport of auto racing, in races, in qualifying, in practice or in private testing sessions. Deaths among racers...
Have you ever watched the Tour De France? There are cyclists who have literally lost their lives during the descents in the mountain stages and the crashes I remember seeing during the times when Armstring was winning looked absolutely brutal.
There is definitely danger at times, but usually not. Or at least usually not serious danger.
Downhill skiing is "descents in the mountain stages" the entire time.