Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby B.Mulligan » Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:54 am

I'm sad to see the new girl is out for the season, but The old girl is still the best girl. There's just something unapolgetically awesome about the WC speed events, they are the purest and truest 'race'. and they remind me of many afternoons as a kid at the local bump and the raw joy of besting your buds to the bottom of the hill, or at least trying to.

I get why the technical side of the WC is the primary focus around here, but damn, we're getting to watch a pretty special talent nearing the twilight of a special career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0747ZG4KhQ
DH

and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQsQfEMt5e0
SG
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby B.Mulligan » Mon Jan 25, 2016 12:13 pm

She's actually getting even hotter. What a historically impressive weekend at Cortina!
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby jbotti » Mon Jan 25, 2016 1:43 pm

I think that many on this site look to WC Racing to see PMTS technique on display (or not at times and with certain racers) and like to watch the way it translates. This is always best seen and noticed in the technical events where weight and gliding have virtually no impact on the race outcome. It seems reasonably certain that Vonn will leave the sport as the greatest ski racer of all time (measured by WC victories) as its hard to see her not getting another 12-13 from here to pass Stenmark, barring a major injury. But as much as I enjoy watching her ski (her skis track better than anyone's by a wide margin) this year with Fenninger down and Maze on leave its downright boring. Gut has been a challenger and has certainly won her share this year, but when Lindsey skis reasonably close to mistake free (in speed events) its really not that close and the races lack both excitement and drama at times. I still watch them and enjoy them, but compare the women's speed events to yesterdays slalom at Kitz where 30% of the second run racers didn't finish and we are talking a whole different ball game.

I think the FIS should be strongly criticized for the Men's downhill course and for having them race in those conditions. When 3 guys end up in the nets because of the same bump, its clear that bump shouldn't have been there (and 2 are down for the season one of which was leading the overall!). They have an obligation to protect the racers and this was the second week in a row where they failed (sending guys in zero vis fog the week before at Wengen was another terrible decision but luckily no one crashed and got hurt.

Having said all that, they make it really intense for the men and whether it is the craziness of the Kitz downhill on a surface that is hardly groomed and solid ice or the slalom where 40% of the best racers in the world can't finish, they certainly create some serious excitement.
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby B.Mulligan » Thu Jan 28, 2016 8:58 am

All good points. The need to keep your star attractions healthy is a legitimate concern for sure. It's the same reason the NFL continually tweaks the rules to protect quarterbacks, whole season are lost when star players get injured. And not just in terms of wins and losses, but also in terms of national viewership. Losing Svindal at Kitz was a heartbreaker.

None the less, after traveling a long road to greatness, it's really shocking and surprising to see the big blonde still killing it after all of these years. Let's hope she stays healthy.
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby B.Mulligan » Tue Feb 09, 2016 6:50 am

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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby krazzy legs » Sun Feb 14, 2016 10:35 pm

She might be one of the fastest women skiers out there but I m not sure one of the best. A lot of very good skiers value not getting hurt over skiing @ dangerous speeds of down hill racing which eliminates a lot of competition. The majority of skiers I think prefer a slower tighter turnery safer line.
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby h.harb » Sat Feb 20, 2016 12:15 pm

There is no doubt Vonn is one of the if not the best "Speed Skiers" of all time. And what she did to come back after her knee and ankle injury is miraculous. That said, it doesn't make her the best skier of all time. From a "maker of perfect arcs" point of view , Schild, Fenninger and Shiffrin are superior and better skiers. In fact, Fenninger can beat Vonn in downhill/Super G, and still win GS hands down.
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby blackthorn » Sat Feb 20, 2016 9:52 pm

I can't find any video of her recent fall and binding release, but an image I have found suggests it was the right ski. I took a bet with myself that it would be her right ski.

Well done for the recent 2nd place in the downhill. I am eagerly awaiting tomorrow's super-G.
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby h.harb » Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:40 am

Check my Facebook page both are there!
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby blackthorn » Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:13 pm

Thanks Harald. I note your facebook comments re her maybe not committing to her outside ski, which is what I had been wondering. ( I don't like facebook though. I do however look from time to time - don't like orange Porsches either.)
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby h.harb » Sun Feb 21, 2016 5:03 pm

Blackthorne: First, it's not a "maybe" not "commitment", it's a total not commitment. Second, it doesn't matter whether you like Facebook or not. Third, that's not an orange Porsche, it a 73 RS!
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby ComprexX » Sun Feb 21, 2016 6:17 pm

Lindsey has won world cup races in all 5 events- 67 wins, 126 podiums and 20 World cup globes. Oh yeah, Olympic Gold and World Championship Gold, too.
No one else even comes close to that.

Tough crowd here-sheesh.
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby blackthorn » Sun Feb 21, 2016 7:47 pm

Harald

first - I agree. An old professor of mine had a saying -" it's like carving a roast - you don't have to be right, but you do have to be definite." of course when one knows what one is talking about the two frequently coincide.

second - Indeed

third - I had a 1956 VW beetle once. ( and later a VW combi, toured europe for two seasons skiing at as many places as we could )

:)
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby h.harb » Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:17 pm

ComprexX, so what!!!!!!! She did it all from speed events. Speed skiers are not the best skiers in the world. Period! Sure, Franz Klammer was a sensational downhiller, but he is definitely not the best skier in the world. I have skied with him many time. I can name hundreds of skiers who never raced, who ski better than Franz Klammer. Sure, downhillers can be heroes at a point in time, but that doesn't make them "Purely great skiers"'. Great downhill racers yes, great downhill speed racers even more accurate.

Stenmark never earned a single world cup point or victory, in Downhill, Super G or the combined. Yet he still holds the records, I've skied with Stenmark in his prime. "He is a great skier."

We have 10 amateur skiers in our ski camps, who ski better than Franz Klammer. Max501 is a better skier than Franz Klammer. The point I'm making is Speed Skiing isn't dependent on great skiing, it's a totally different event and if you have never stood in the start of a world cup downhill course, and the next day raced a slalom, (a completely different skill set) you can't possible understand.
I've done both.
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Re: Vonn is, Dare I say, EN FUEGO!

Postby B.Mulligan » Mon Feb 22, 2016 2:41 pm

Lindsey has won won a SL and GS WC race, right? Like I said, I get the focus on the short turners. I just thought this awesome season by an aging, post injury superstar was worth celebrating.

Everyone has their favorite athletes and spectator sports. There's something pretty awesome about a DH race, it is in every sense of the word a pure race. And, someone whose dominated it for as long, and as thoroughly as Vonn is pretty great. People can all quibble about the greatest in any sport and its always up for discussion, in fact tghose are the fun and spirited discussions that fuel radio stations and tv shows and forums . But it begs all credulity to deny someone with this level of long term success isn't great, even if she's not the greatest.
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