It's supposed to be hard.

Glad to hear Russia decided to separate the wimps from the heroes.

Ha... Good one...

says it's too dangerous and that's your comment?

Russia also wants to separate Gay people from society, do you cheer that as well?

What a moronic comment. Sounds like someone that doesn't allow their children or immediate family members to cry in their presence.

"Just rub some dirt on it and shut up" or something like that.

There is a big difference between hard and suicidal. Would you have left the 2010 luge run as it was?

Slopestyle is two trips down the hill. It really shouldn't award medals to the few who managed to make it back from the hospital in time for the second run.

White is being wise IMO.

Julie

One of the top contenders in that discipline is already out after suffering a broken collarbone in a practice run. Others have also suffered injuries on the course including White. Numerous athletes have said the course is dangerous.

somehow I think they might know a wee bit more than you.

Wow.

Why aren't you in the Olympics?

and too many infantry combat tours.

I wasn't aware that I was supposed to compare dangerous snowboard courses to war zones.

Last edited Wed Feb 5, 2014, 05:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Which I say like you do...cool story bro!

I was an Airborne and Ranger qualified infantry officer.

Hope it helps!

A redacted copy of my DD214?

Photos I took while deployed?

A copy of my Airborne and Ranger graduation certificates (redacted)?

Just let me know - I'll be happy to post.

Just curious - do you think there are no infantry combat vets posting on DU? Interesting.

Oh! I see an American won a gold medal in the slopestyle. Amazing that he survived. LOL.

to the question of whether the slope is an acceptable risk. You tried to bolster your opinion with personal deeds of derring-do, but it still have zero relevance. It was just to pat yourself on the back (if true).

so, really, Russia is just keeping it real. If the course doesn't kill, maim or paralyze you, it isn't worth doing.

No sport is worth getting permanently injured over.

I defer to these athletes when it comes to making decisions about what is safe for them. It can be argued whether snowboarding is a sport, it cannot be argued the participants are wimps.

I participated in sports until my mid-30's, so your statement would be untrue. I still believe no sport is worth an injury that will last a lifetime. For example, football players and brain damage, soccer players and brain damage, snowboarders and paraplegia. You get my point. I agree with Shaun White's decision and I think Tabasco is off-base with his comment.

The Olympics came from Greece (the word "olympics" comes from the word "Olympia" the town in which the athletic competitions ("games&quot were originally held the purpose of which was to honor the Greek gods - particularly, Zeus - as well as to attempt to spread the corresponding religious beliefs though the Olympics of ancient Greece could be quite political. Athletes were the representatives of city-states within Greece as at the time Greece was a conglomeration of separate kingdoms rather than a single country, and no representative was allowed to participate without being able to prove they were in fact of Greek ancestry. Typical events were running and jumping competitions as well as feats of strength and wrestling, however, events of religious significance as well as artistic competitions were also part of the games. They were held every four years (called an "olympiad" which was an actual measure of time in ancient Greece).

Greece didn't have gladiators as the gladiator spectator blood sport was a Roman custom that made certain slaves into fighters called gladiators for the amusement of the people both commoners and the nobility (remember Spartacus?). Some people even those of the nobility became gladiators for the fame and possibility of great and relatively quick fortune giving up all human rights and becoming slaves in order to do so.

The Olympic games in Greece were halted when Christian Rome conquered and ruled Greece since Rome wanted to assert the new Christian religion upon the conquered peoples, therefore, a friendly competition the purpose of which was to honor the Greek gods and spread those religious beliefs besides the promotion of peace and friendliness between Mediterranean kingdoms was certainly counter-productive to Christian Rome.

So no, gladiators have nothing at all to do with the original Olympics of ancient Greece, nor did they involve any events that would permanently injure or kill the athlete representatives though there was more than likely a few unfortunate accidents that occurred here and there throughout the span of time. However, compared to the relatively tame athletic competitions of the Olympics of ancient Greece, at present competitions are FAR FAR more dangerous and likely to cause injury or even death. Further since the principle object of the original Olympics of ancient Greece was to promote peace and friendliness between Mediterranean factions there would not have been any games that even resembled anything threatening such as fighting and certainly would not have involved any events the could be in any possible way a blood sport... sword fighting or any other vicious or war-like events when gladiator fighting was ONLY for the purpose of entertainment for the watchers of a blood sport where competitors were MEANT to fight and even kill each other would in no way have occurred. In fact, the purpose of the Roman gladiator blood sport and the entire intention of the Olympics of ancient Greece are in fact polar opposites.

The continued tradition of the Olympics in more modern times was also begun for the purpose of the promotion of peace and friendliness toward other countries even those at war as just like in ancient Greece, there is and was an Olympic "truce" - in ancient times so that the representatives participating could safely travel to the games as well as their safety be ensured while participating and traveling back home which is also the same tradition adopted for the Olympic games of the more modern era... and why the massacre of the Israeli athletes at the games was viewed with more than horror (because of it happening during the games and to Olympics athletes) and how frowned upon it was for the USA to boycott the Olympics as well as the subsequent boycott of the USSR in retaliation as it went against the purpose of the continued Olympic tradition in more modern times.

blowhard 'masculinity' that is wrecking everything, especially when the comments are coming from the cheap seats.

PLEASE!

That is why snoopers asked so nicely.

and kindness. Never for piling on the second there is a chance to do so, our snooper2.

I guess those that cheer on others that glory in misery and "toughness" are going to encourage some more folks to drink at the trough of suffering.

"wimpishness"

run, run, run, run away.

I think the goal for spectators should be to see someone win, not crash.

So many of the athletes have been injured and have expressed concerns about the course.

challenging =/= pointlessly dangerous

Congrats on keeping the thread alive, too.

Applause for Shaun White to be the first to say NO.

I bet the other snowboarders thought the same, but were too afraid of looking cowardly.

Good for him. I hope none of the other competitors get hurt. I have no interest in the sport. Neither do I want to here about an athlete getting seriously injured.

First words: "Hey y'all, watch this!"

Shaun White craves excitement and danger; if he says this course is too dangerous to go on, that means he thinks someone will get killed on it.

He does things that even other snowboarders think are nuts. If he says it isn't safe, it isn't safe.

and has won medals every year in the X games. He, and most of the snowboarders are pretty much certifiable. If they say it isn't safe, it is NOT safe. One of the best slopestyle boarders in the world broke his collar bone on the course, White jammed his wrist, and a Finnish boarder was taken off of it in a stretcher with a concussion.

They've reworked the course twice, and it is still "Like jumping off a building and landing with bad traction." That's poor course design, not athletes "whining". How many people have to get hurt - and remember, these are the best of the best - before it is recognized that the Sochi IOC messed up on course design.

recent National Geographic piece/interview

http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2014/kevin-pearce/

Thursday night, one day before the actual opening ceremonies.

If he loses it, a few broken bones would be a gift. Then again, us plankers have always been a tougher breed. And even then, I'll admit the downhillers are a special kind of crazy...they finally broke 100mph last year. Wearing nothing but a speedsuit and bicycle helmet. With some snow fences between them and the trees.

And poor Shaun's worried about his collarbones!

bode said today that the downhill course is so dangerous it could kill someone

10 of the 55 starters for today's practice run didn't make it down the run. miller said that marco sullivan narrowly avoided being killed. two racers are out with injuries.

On the one hand, I was being somewhat facetious - I do still follow skiing pretty closely and know this course is getting really bad reviews, but on the other, still quite serious hand, even "safe" courses like Kitzbuhel and Lauberhorn are still perfectly lethal. Comes with the territory.

If Shaun White says a course is too dangerous I believe and do respect him, but there are different expectations of risk, different levels of "dangerous", between sports.

If anybody has pushed the edge in his events, it's Shaun White.

If he decided he wanted to be prudent and concentrate on one event, that's his right. There is no rule stating that you must compete in every event you qualified for. It happens all the time. This gets over-the-top attention because he is one of the few Americans left in Sochi that anybody has a clue about.

Those mooks need to show a little respect. They don't have to bow to him, but calling him scared is not a good move. They might want to remember that if it wasn't for White, X-Game sports would not be as accepted as they are. Others also contributed to their growth, but White was an essential part of it.

BTW Bode Miller said that the downhill course was one that somebody could be killed on. He ought to know.

I was there when he won the silver during the 2002 Olympics in Utah.





TYY

He'll either win or get hurt trying to.

I saw the fellow interviewed. It wasn't because the bourse was too dangerous, it was too dangerous to his previously injured ankle and he didn't want to injure himself and prevent a threepeat on another event. A feat they said may never be repeated EVER. I have also been delirious with the flu this week and may be recalling something completely different.