LETTERS
Not everyone loves the camera so much.
THIS JUST IN…
… NBC buys exclusive rights to ban live Olympic coverage! In a stunning move
,NBC is leading to the world to a better Olympic experience. NBC will show view-
ers the true essence of its broadcasting prowess by focusing on truly tremen-
dous moments such as: polar bear awareness, pairs pre-competition hamstring
stretching, two-month-old re-runs of cross country ski races, infomercials, and
dog trots. The modern Olympic viewer is no longer interested in viewing such
mundane events as the downhill. This is a bygone caveman exploit best left to the
history books. With the Winter Olympics occurring at a blistering four-year pace,
viewers have grown tired of the never ending tedium of live event coverage.
“Was that a sixth downhiller on the television? Where are my bears? I have been
watching for 12 minutes and no bears at all, this Olympic coverage is horrible.”
NBC, we (those who love competition, snow and ice, the agony of defeat, and the
ecstasy of triumph) are your viewers for two weeks of every four years. You have
206 other weeks to provide the awe-inspiring reality and sitcom experience your
“true American” viewer so desperately demands. Please, for two weeks give us
sport (we’ll watch it twice)!
Truly,
Brett Fischer
US Ski Team ‘98-’03
Denver, Colo.
AN “F” FOR NBC
For a college student such as myself and any other U.S. resident without a per-
sonal cable account, it has been near impossible to access footage of non-ameri-
can athletes in events such as ski racing. As much as I love watching Lindsey
Vonn dominate the downhill, I also enjoy watching the other countries and bask
in the glory that is their technique and ability within their respective sport. Where
is NBC’s respect for the other sports, competitors, and countries? Where I do
understand the NBC is an American network, the Olympics have always been
about celebrating athletic achievement of all countries, not just our own. NBC
has turned the Olympics into a frustrating experience for me and fellow winter
sport enthusiasts.
Joshua Saxe
University of Vermont
College of Education and Social Service ’ 11
A CRYSTAL BALL OF FUTURE OLYMPIANS?
On February 13, 14 & 15, I was the USA National Technical Delegate (TD) at the
Cherry Tree Charge at Crystal Mountain. It was GS on the 13th & 14th, and SG
on the 15. The GS athletes were J6, J5, and J4 ages. The SG was for J4s only
according to ACR and FIS children’s rules — in the old days it was called a DH.
The athletes were on Pacific Northwest teams such as Crystal Mountain Alpine
Club (CMAC), White Pass Ski Club (WPSC), Cooper Spur Race Team (CSRT),
Multnomah Athletic Club (MAC), Meadows Mountain Alpine Club (MMAC), Stevens
Pass Alpine Club (SPAC), and Team Alpental Snoqualmie (TAS).
Why was this race that has been held for the past 40 years a look into the
future?
It’s a crystal ball because a whole bunch of winners have become U.S. Ski Team
members, Olympians, and Olympic medalists. Past charge winners you might
recognize are Phil & Steve Mahre, Debbie Armstrong, Bill Johnson, Alan Lauba,
Stacy “Pickle” MacEwan, Evan Weiss, Ronnie Johnson, Libby Ludlow, Billy Taylor,
Courtney Hammond, Courtney Saario, Scott McCartney and Vanessa Berther.
Yipa Moe-Lange was selected for the 2010 Denmark Olympic Team.
This year the men to watch for the future are Braydon Hall, Henry Baldwin
and Montana Kurahara; the women are Alexandria Oseland, Jordan Harrison and
Phoebe Rogers. Braydon Hall’s average miles per hour on the 250-meter-vertical
drop, 1099-meter linear, 21-direction-changes course set by Alan Lauba was
45.977 mph.
Dean “Deanski” Tonkin
USSA National Technical Delegate
Seattle
Send letters to stuff@skiracing.com, or by fax at 847-241-8580. Please include full name and hometown. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.
