Will Canada ever get a chance at the Olympics again?

I've skiied on a course that's been used for World Cup. They're harder than they look on TV. And if you watched the women's downhill, they were discussing the different lines taken by the various competitors about different corners. Sure, it's a defined course. But it's not that rigidly defined. There are fast lines and slow lines, short ski lines and long ski lines.

It does seem amusing that a board full of road racers and autocrossers are discussing the validity of a defined course. You'd think we were all desert racers or something.

Keith wrote: It does seem amusing that a board full of road racers and autocrossers are discussing the validity of a defined course. You'd think we were all desert racers or something.

Maybe that's my calling?

I don't really know exactly what my issue is with the competition... it just doesn't feel RIGHT.

I'm an avid skier, despite not having done it for a couple years now. And skiing a rigidly pre-defined, sculpted, minute and a half long course just isn't what the sport is about, in my opinion.

Let them take big risks, cut through the forest, bomb straight down for all i care. Let them make more decisions.

You are at Point A. Get to Point B before anyone else. Ready? GO!

What this has ended up being is really just a weaksauce slalom with some banking and some bigger jumps.

You've got a whole mountain to work with here for Pete's Sake, why would you want to limit them to this small space?

Sure, video coverage might be a problem, but last i heard, over 60 million people were watching the olympics. You've got money, make it happen.

93celicaGT2 wrote: Maybe that's my calling? I don't really know exactly what my issue is with the competition... it just doesn't feel RIGHT. I'm an avid skier, despite not having done it for a couple years now. And skiing a rigidly pre-defined, sculpted, minute and a half long course just isn't what the sport is about, in my opinion. Let them take big risks, cut through the forest, bomb straight down for all i care. Let them make more decisions.

As a former competitive ski racer, I hardly ever ski now because I miss that rigid pre-defined course. To me, skiing without a course would be like driving in an empty parking lot and calling it autox.

I also think you suggestion of cutting through the forrest etc would probably result in more olympic fatalities.

Marty! wrote:

slantvaliant wrote:

Keith wrote: I want to see an "all natural" winter Olympics.

How about an "au naturel" Olympics. I'll pick the competitors, thank you.

Ohh, Ohh, I can help!! Here's the first one.... I present to you Julia Mancuso. I can't help I'm am such a pig sometimes......

Neither can I.

I'll see your Julia Mancuso and raise Lindsey Vonn. And for old times' sake, I submit the hottest Olympic babe to ever lace 'em up, Katerina Witt.

shadetree30 wrote: And for old times' sake, I submit the hottest Olympic babe to ever lace 'em up, Katerina Witt.

It's amazing. You take a bunch of people in their 20's who have spent their entire lives honing their bodies to excel at a sport - and they turn out to be physically attractive. Who knew?

mw wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: Maybe that's my calling? I don't really know exactly what my issue is with the competition... it just doesn't feel RIGHT. I'm an avid skier, despite not having done it for a couple years now. And skiing a rigidly pre-defined, sculpted, minute and a half long course just isn't what the sport is about, in my opinion. Let them take big risks, cut through the forest, bomb straight down for all i care. Let them make more decisions.

As a former competitive ski racer, I hardly ever ski now because I miss that rigid pre-defined course. To me, skiing without a course would be like driving in an empty parking lot and calling it autox. I also think you suggestion of cutting through the forrest etc would probably result in more olympic fatalities.

Well, yeah, the forest may be a bit excessive, but they've got these HUGE wide trails. Just fence off the forest and let 'em rip!

But that may be the difference... i never competed, and never will. To me, it's two entirely different sports. This Olympic/World Cup Alpine skiing is not relevant to what i would consider skiing.

jrw1621 wrote: I blame Canada.

I blame the fact they have bagged milk.

And it's apparent taste...

Uhmmm... what exactly does "Homo" taste like? Someone describe it, because i'm damn sure i'll never experience that particular taste in my lifetime.

Tastes like homogenized milk

What's wrong with milk in bags? Makes perfect sense. It comes out of bags in the first place.

Keith wrote: Tastes like homogenized milk What's wrong with milk in bags? Makes perfect sense. It comes out of bags in the first place.

Even here in the US, they used to give us our milk in bags in high school.

I think this was my last milk-drinking experience actually. I grew displeased after i learned that the results of "insert straw into bag" were often disastrous.

We drink wine from bags. I see nothing wrong with it, other than the possible difficulties at the grocery store.

mtn wrote: We drink wine from bags. I see nothing wrong with it, other than the possible difficulties at the grocery store.

But those bags come in boxes, don't they? With taps?

I could totally get behind milk in the same format. A chocolate milk bag in a box with a tap would be pretty sweet.

Milk in a bag with no dispenser? Annoying and terrible. If we like this, the terrorists win.

You pop the bag into the special bag holder, snip the corner off and Robert's your mother's brother. Too complex for a country that has to put screw tops on cardboard cartons, perhaps.

I can tell you from extensive experimentation that those bags are STRONG. Even a fall off a three-story building on to flagstones will not guarantee breakage. A friend and I once calculated how many bags of milk we could buy for the price of a movie ticket and the relative entertainment value of each. Thus the experimentation.

The only milk I'll drink comes from fun bags.

Keith wrote: You pop the bag into the special bag holder, snip the corner off and Robert's your mother's brother. Too complex for a country that has to put screw tops on cardboard cartons, perhaps. I can tell you from extensive experimentation that those bags are STRONG. Even a fall off a three-story building on to flagstones will not guarantee breakage. A friend and I once calculated how many bags of milk we could buy for the price of a movie ticket and the relative entertainment value of each. Thus the experimentation.

Ahhh.... so basically the bag of milk goes into it's "boxed wine" receptacle.

See, i could dig that.

Sounds like a totally different ball game than the single serving Weapons of Mass Lactation that we used to get.

We get milk in a bag here in Wisco too. Kwik Trip stores have been selling it like that for ages (OJ too). When you buy a bag you can get a free reusable pitcher that holds it. You cut a corner off of the bag and the pitcher has a slot that you slide the cut part in to "seal" it. Stays upright in the fridge and is eco-friendly (less packaging makes less garbage).

Edit: I need to learn to type faster......

Keith said: and Robert's your mother's brother

I'll bet you lost a few on that one.

93celicaGT2 wrote: Uhmmm... what exactly does "Homo" taste like? Someone describe it, because i'm damn sure i'll never experience that particular taste in my lifetime.

For the longest time Harrisburg Dairies had HOMO in big block letters across their milk cartons...

...Wonder who finally wrote the internal memo that suggested that "it might send the wrong message"?