Visa commercial showing Olympians remembering they want to be in the Olympics, whipping out the Visa, and arriving.
Then some figure skating dude saying in the past he didn't have money to make it to the Olympics, but now he's there.
And if Norway can sweep some XC ski race, why don't they kill it on the track, or in XC running?
Northern Hemisphere, indeed.
Beautiful Day wrote:
And if Norway can sweep some XC ski race, why don't they kill it on the track, or in XC running?
All the best athletes in Norway ski; few if any exceptions. It would pretty much be impossible to find any able bodied Norwegian kid who has NOT skied a nordic ski race; they do an amazing job of identifying and molding young talent.
A guy like Chris Solinsky is a perfect example of the kind of athlete they're looking for; huge engine, strong, athletic. They find them young, all the kids want to be ski racers because it's by far the biggest sport, so instead of focusing solely on running they're doing technique work, a ton of core/lifting, roller skiing, etc. They also run plenty but it's only with an eye to being strong in the winter. Some of the fittest athletes in the world.
My daughter was a very good figure skater. We live in NY State. Back in the late 90's/early 2000's the coaches of the best Olympic skater at the time wanted us to move to California. They said to be prepared to pay from about 40K-50K a year on ice time, lessons, travel, etc.
I'm a teacher.
She switched to running and got a college scholarship!!
I've always wondered how easy/hard it would be to make an Olympic bobsled team. Cool running jokes aside, who the fack bobsleds? There's only a handful of places you can even do it and no great athlete would choose bobsledding of all sports either so the talent pool is probably thin as hell.
I know I'll get crushed for this, but there's a curling center by us and at 65 I'm thinking about reviving the Olympic dream.
llllan wrote:
I've always wondered how easy/hard it would be to make an Olympic bobsled team. Cool running jokes aside, who the fack bobsleds? There's only a handful of places you can even do it and no great athlete would choose bobsledding of all sports either so the talent pool is probably thin as hell.
Yes, this is why great track athletes trying to make their mark on this sport always push the specialists aside.
Ray wrote:
I know I'll get crushed for this, but there's a curling center by us and at 65 I'm thinking about reviving the Olympic dream.
Go for it!
There are only a few events in the Winter Games I find interesting, and even then it's just because they are not sports I pay any attention to at all.
XC Skiing
Biathlon
some of the luge, ski jumping has a fun X Games kinda appeal. The rest of it is just all ice dancing, figure skating and judging people doing flips on skis or snowboards.
All sports that require ice time means you had to have grown up with rich parents in order to afford that. My nephew plays amateur hockey and for the cost of that, his parents could afford a really good cocaine habit.
This same can also be said for many summer Olympic sports. Just to give a couple examples: gymnastics (paying for coaching and an elite gym), cycling, equestrian, triathlon, sailing, rowing, golf, even youth soccer and swimming is expensive if you want your kid in a good program and travel teams. They also show those same type of Visa ads for the summer games.
runn wrote:
My daughter was a very good figure skater. We live in NY State. Back in the late 90's/early 2000's the coaches of the best Olympic skater at the time wanted us to move to California. They said to be prepared to pay from about 40K-50K a year on ice time, lessons, travel, etc.
I'm a teacher.
She switched to running and got a college scholarship!!
Interesting. A close friend had a couple sisters who were good skaters. Mom moved the girls to Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center. They got sponsorships to pay for everything. It was weird... the girls ended up as the breadwinners for the family through that time.
Alpine skiers tend to come from families that have a fair amount of money, or they have supreme access to facilities (e.g., manager or operator of a small ski area). Maybe Tommy Moe is one top athlete who came from a family with a more modest background.
Most Nordic skiers need years of financial backing before they can make it. It's not huge, but you need to invest at least $10-$15K a year for the better part of 8-10 years for equipment, coaching, and travel. Even to the level of getting a DI scholarship (which is no longer the preferred way to make the US ski team) will need 4-5 years of pretty good investment.And the amount they train and travel (working full time is not an option), they'll need help to cover living expenses - food, gas, housing.
Hockey is more expensive. As would any of the skating sports, except short track or long track speed skating. It would be less than Nordic but more than running.
Beautiful Day wrote:
Visa commercial showing Olympians remembering they want to be in the Olympics, whipping out the Visa, and arriving.
Then some figure skating dude saying in the past he didn't have money to make it to the Olympics, but now he's there.
And if Norway can sweep some XC ski race, why don't they kill it on the track, or in XC running?
Northern Hemisphere, indeed.
Would you prefer Olympic sports to be less costly? - rock throwing, dirt eating, cornhole, etc.
Ray wrote:
I know I'll get crushed for this, but there's a curling center by us and at 65 I'm thinking about reviving the Olympic dream.
I'm guilty of being that guy that adamantly opposes Curling being a "sport" at the Olympics yet can't stop watching it.
Also, I had dreams of going to the Olympics for skiing (GS, Super-G, Downhill) but the money ran out before my talent did.
otter wrote:
Ray wrote:
I know I'll get crushed for this, but there's a curling center by us and at 65 I'm thinking about reviving the Olympic dream.
I'm guilty of being that guy that adamantly opposes Curling being a "sport" at the Olympics yet can't stop watching it.
Beer is an integral part of that sport. What else is there to say?
John Utah wrote:
cornhole, etc.
Cornhole would really help the average American relate.
otter wrote:
Ray wrote:
I know I'll get crushed for this, but there's a curling center by us and at 65 I'm thinking about reviving the Olympic dream.
I'm guilty of being that guy that adamantly opposes Curling being a "sport" at the Olympics yet can't stop watching it.
Yeah, I don't know what it is about curling... I always thought it seemed kind of boring, yet can't stop watching it either. It's oddly soothing to veg out to.
Yeah, if you want to make it to the Olympics in any ski sport, for example, you have to practice all-day everyday and the only way you can do that is if you come from money. Plain and simple.
Karl Hungus wrote:
All sports that require ice time means you had to have grown up with rich parents in order to afford that. My nephew plays amateur hockey and for the cost of that, his parents could afford a really good cocaine habit.
That doesn't explain Tonya Harding.