World Championships this week

[yyzcanuck]

Yesterday's WC in Nendaz Switzerland

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Result Level Points

1 8 1394181 SCHOCH Simon 1978 SUI 5 1000.00

2 4 1237235 BOZZETTO Mathieu 1973 FRA 5 800.00

3 12 7100122 MORISON Matthew 1987 CAN 4 600.00

more details here

[wavechaser]

The US team got beat down...Klug's 14th the best of any finish. I support those guys in full and they are doing well considering the training and support system we have here. I wish the USASA would take heed - since they are the main "feeder" organization for alpine riders in the US, and attempt to raise the level of their organization across the board when it comes to alpine events - and that the USA in general would support USSA financially. I heard a Canadian rider say last week that if they get a top 16 finish in WC level competition then they qualify for government financial support (true Dave?). I can't stand it when the US public or media complains about things like Bode's 5th place at Torino, or worse, Lindsey's SILVER, and calls it a "failure", while we as a country do nothing to help financially. I heard a national radio news guy last week reporting on Bode's win at Wengen say "good news - considering Bode's last few years have been CHECKERED"...huh? The WC Overall title was "checkered"??? And I don't want to bash USASA, good people on the whole who are doing there best with very little - and some phenomenal and dedicated coaches - but it could be a LOT better (on the alpine side) just by improving the management/business aspects of things...getting more out of the infrastructure we already have without even spending more or requiring more money. I have said this elsewhere but I would LOVE to see two "Assistant Directors" to the head USASA Director - one for alpine, and one for freestyle...both with good business and organizational skills...the two things are just too different for one person to be charged with running both efficiently. Now whether two people with those qualifications can afford to spend the required effort at the probable pay level is another story, I know, and brings us back to the government support issue. Some people say the sport (especially alpine) is too "fringe" for that to happen, but I know other sports that aren't even on the radar which get funding (synchronized swimming?).

That's my rant for the day!! And don't get me wrong, I love everything about our sport, which is why I'm so passionate about it and want to see it grow. Our WC teamers and coaches are amazing athletes and people to do what they have done with the resources available here in the US, and I wish them the BEST!!

[neil sunday]

wavechaser-

if the assistant director position ever comes available, I will be applying. I would like to see USASA support the alpine side of the coin more as well...

and not to refuel the fire... but i can't let it go... the USSA has told us how they feel about Alpine Snowboarding by the decisons on the FIS PGS at Lake Placid. Kinda gives "The Race to the Cup" Series name a slap in the face...

the US Snowboard Team needs some sort of endowment program or private funding.... maybe if i seel more concrete countertops they could all ride for ZENCEMENT by NEIL SUNDAY!!!!

[wavechaser]

wavechaser-

if the assistant director position ever comes available, I will be applying. I would like to see USASA support the alpine side of the coin more as well...

Sounds great! When I have to pay $180 for four races in one day and it is a COMPLETE fiasco, like at our USASA alpine events last Saturday, something is wrong. The director there is trying, and has a good heart, but needs training on running alpine events badly, and if they have to pay a run-down place like the mountain we were at that much for ONE day of racing (50 riders x $180...do the math), and the courses are a joke and unsafe (finish corral about 40 feet long), and the reg. people cant even tell me what discipline will be run first, and SL coures inspection isn't even allowed at all, then there is something seriously wrong with the picture...and it's not all her fault. Understand that her TS was in a car accident a few days before, but there was time to replace him somehow, and the event was scheduled MONTHS in advance. At another race earlier this year, I asked at reg. which discipline was first, and was told "I don't know, why?" - then I said it was becasue I need to know which board to bring up to the start, and they said somewhat condescendingly "oh...you're one of those special people who has a different board for everything" - not acceptable.

and not to refuel the fire... but i can't let it go... the USSA has told us how they feel about Alpine Snowboarding by the decisons on the FIS PGS at Lake Placid. Kinda gives "The Race to the Cup" Series name a slap in the face...

What happened there? I don't know about it.

the US Snowboard Team needs some sort of endowment program or private funding.... maybe if i seel more concrete countertops they could all ride for ZENCEMENT by NEIL SUNDAY!!!!

That's one of my points - thet really could use a "business" mind in there somewhere. There are plenty of un-tapped resources for funding! And if directors are collecting $7000+ for one day of racing, then there should be a central accounting office where that money is submitted and then doled out to the host area, the series, and wherever else it needs to go - all with a paper trail - or else we are just shooting in the dark financially. I have heard the excuse that the events in that series are so expensive because they are raising money for a scholarship fund for riders, but I feel that is the wrong way to go about it. Don't make the riders pay for other riders to compete, as well as themselves...and at those prices, no wonder they can't afford it! I don't mind paying Scott Palmer's SVSS series $50 per single race plus an SVSS member fee - because I know the events are goinmg to be extremely professionally run, there are nice touches like overall medals in addition to the groups, and the riders that come out of that series are some of the best and most dedicated to the sport.

[yyzcanuck]

I heard a Canadian rider say last week that if they get a top 16 finish in WC level competition then they qualify for government financial support (true Dave?).

Sorry, I don't know if that's true or not. I do know that Matt and his family pay for most of the expenses that he incurs. Government funding with regard to sport in Canada is woefully under-funded, especially with regard to snowboarding.

[wavechaser]

Sorry, I don't know if that's true or not. I do know that Matt and his family pay for most of the expenses that he incurs. Government funding with regard to sport in Canada is woefully under-funded, especially with regard to snowboarding.

Under-funded is one step above non-funded though...go Matt!

[philfell]

Neil I hear you about the Lake Placid World Cup, but there is much to the story than simply USSA not want to support alpine. FIS re-did the contracts on the resorts obligations when hosting an event and bottom line is that under the new agreements Lake Placid couldn't afford to host three events, so they had to nix one. The World Cup in South America got cancelled altogether (HP, SBX, and PGS) becasue of this same reason.

When a place host a WC they need to provide housing and food for 50 Swiss francs per day per athlete, coach, trainer, team support staff. So just simply feeding and housing everyone is a huge chunck of coin. Add in now the resort has to pay a large portion of the prize money and hosting a WC dosen't sound like a good idea to the marketing people.

Good job in Nendez, Matt. That hill is a tough SL hill and you truely have to be on your game there to do well. On a side note for the US, in qualifiers Klug did have the second fasest time on the first run, but made a huge mistake on the second run to put him in the bottom of the bracket going into finals.

[wavechaser]

Neil I hear you about the Lake Placid World Cup, but there is much to the story than simply USSA not want to support alpine. FIS re-did the contracts on the resorts obligations when hosting an event and bottom line is that under the new agreements Lake Placid couldn't afford to host three events, so they had to nix one. The World Cup in South America got cancelled altogether (HP, SBX, and PGS) becasue of this same reason.

When a place host a WC they need to provide housing and food for 50 Swiss francs per day per athlete, coach, trainer, team support staff. So just simply feeding and housing everyone is a huge chunck of coin. Add in now the resort has to pay a large portion of the prize money and hosting a WC dosen't sound like a good idea to the marketing people.

Good job in Nendez, Matt. That hill is a tough SL hill and you truely have to be on your game there to do well. On a side note for the US, in qualifiers Klug did have the second fasest time on the first run, but made a huge mistake on the second run to put him in the bottom of the bracket going into finals.

Phil - I'm obviously not going to compete much in USSA/FIS events, but I care about the sport a lot - and having been involved in competitive sports of one sort or another my entire life, I'm wondering if there are any ideas floating around on how to make the hosting of WC events more attractive to resorts. It does seem a real business mind, someone with a combo of marketing and business management experience, would really be able to at least makes some well-informed suggestions to help organize and improve the financial end of things for contestants, staff/coaches, event organizers and event hosts. My experiences in Windsurfing, sailing, skateboard, ski, kayak and snowboard competition has been that we all are SO passionate about our sports that we spend most of our time DOING them and as a result, most of us are not the best at business and organizational management skills - but still end up in positions hwere we are required to make those kind of decisions for everybody. I know you can't change USSA/FIS overnight, and there are MANY good people doing yeoman's work there, but I'm just thinking "out loud" here...hoping to stir up more thoughts and discussion on these ideas.

Klug amazes me...he's the "Energizer Bunny" of US snowboarding...just keeps going and going and going...