MEN'S World Cup 2022-2023

[4ster]

Too early to begin next season’s thread but this just popped up.

 

[S.H.]

They've got to find something better to do at Wengen for a 3rd race than a SG. It's just a terrible SG hill.

I'd rather have the Team AC (also a stupid idea, IMO) at Wengen and run a SG at Kitz, but ... I'd also rather just have a regular AC.

I am surprised that there are no parallels on the calendar.

Lake Louise isn't dead yet!

 

[4ster]

They've got to find something better to do at Wengen for a 3rd race than a SG. It's just a terrible SG hill.

^this x2

 

[James]

How long will Garmisch be on the schedule with its consistently warm temps?

 

[S.H.]

How long will Garmisch be on the schedule with its consistently warm temps?

Forever. It's Garmisch.

I am surprised they're going 2SG instead of a tech weekend.

 

[Primoz]

Forever. It's Garmisch.

I am surprised they're going 2SG instead of a tech weekend.

Not really DSV and Garmisch needed pretty good convincing skills this year already to keep Garmisch in. It was very very close to be left out, so even if it's Garmisch, it's not so sure. Not to mention that except for the name, it's not really anything so glamorous. There's no spectators at all (3 or 4000 doesn't really count as spectators), organization is anything but good etc etc. So even if city name sounds famous, it's just another race on calendar and certainly nothing compared to big things like Wengen, Kitz, Schladming or Flachau (on women side).

 

[S.H.]

Well, Lake Louise is officially not happening.

Alpine Canada | News | Lake Louise Removed from FIS Alpine World Cup Calendar for 2023-24 Season

Calgary, AB. (July 14, 2023) – Alpine Canada announced today that the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has removed Lake Louise from the upcoming season’s 2023-24 FIS Alpine World Cup calendar. The men’s speed races scheduled for November 25-26, 2023 were indicated as ‘to be...

alpinecanada.org

https://skiracing.com/lake-louise-removed-from-2023-24-world-cup-calendar/

 

[James]

So it’ll be Lake Lindsey for a long time.

 

[wolcoma]

That's really too bad as with ongoing climate change, Lake Louise usually has the most reliable snow conditions during the early ski season. If hosting the speed races have become too expensive, it would be great to have Lake Louise host tech events. It's such a beautiful region in the world for winter sports.

 

[Rudi Riet]

That's really too bad as with ongoing climate change, Lake Louise usually has the most reliable snow conditions during the early ski season. If hosting the speed races have become too expensive, it would be great to have Lake Louise host tech events. It's such a beautiful region in the world for winter sports.

Agreed but the economic factor is mostly in terms of tourism - at least that's what I get from reading between the lines of the press statements.

Hosting speed events cuts off huge parts of a mountain, especially in the early season. Some venues (e.g. Beaver Creek) are able to cope with this easily because their venue isn't a main route to the base of the resort. Not so the case with Lake Louise.

Additionally, LL isn't known for drawing huge crowds. World Cup venues often reap immediate financial benefits from hosting events due to the spectators spending money at the resort and the surrounding town. Of late the spectators at LL have numbered in the hundreds, not the thousands needed to meet fiscal goals for these events. The pandemic only worsened this situation, it seems.

It's sad to lose a venue this way, and I hope they are able to get back into the swing of things in the future. As noted above, they are one of the more dependable early season venues in terms of weather and snow/snowmaking capacity.

 

[ZionPow]

French Ski Racer Alexis Pinturault Quits Slalom Skiing - SnowBrains

French ski racer Alexis Pinturault announced on his Instagram account that he has decided to not compete in Slalom skiing in the upcoming 23/24 season. Pinturault is one of the most successful skiers of all time and is one of the rare all-rounders, who competes across the four alpine events of...

snowbrains.com

 

[Swede]

Team AC … now that is taking a really boring event to a stupid level. Will be really unfair to athletes from smaller nations and very fair to … Austria and Switzerland!

 

[dbostedo]

Team AC … now that is taking a really boring event to a stupid level. Wilm be really unfair to athletes from smaller nations and very fair to … Austria and Switzerland.

Team AC? How is that going to work? Any links?

 

[Swede]

Team AC? How is that going to work? Any links?

One athlete run SL and another speed. All well and fine BUT, WC points apparently awarded. I already know what Vlova and ASL has to say about it.

 

[Zirbl]

Speed specialists: More speed events are needed to make the Overall fair.
FIS: We haven't got room in the schedule for more speed events. How about a team AC?

Have I got that right?

 

[Swede]

Speed specialists: More speed events are needed to make the Overall fair.
FIS: We haven't got room in the schedule for more speed events. How about a team AC?

Have I got that right?

On top of that, tech athletes from smaller nations will have a handicap in their fight for the SL globe compared to their tech specialist rivals from Austria or Switzerland (or the US for that matter). Not that Michaela needs it, but Vlova, ASL, Popovic or who ever from the smaller nations wanting to fight for positions in the tech list will have less chance compared to Holdener, Shiffrin, Truppe or Liensberger ...

EDIT Just took women from the the top of my head because I'm more into them... then realised this is a men's thread but the same lunacy apply to both genders...

 

[dbostedo]

On top of that, tech athletes from smaller nations will have a handicap in their fight for the SL globe compared to their tech specialist rivals

Because of the AC? How so?

 

[Zirbl]

Actually, from what I'm seeing, according to FIS, a team combined was the athletes' idea.

https://www.eurosport.de/ski-alpin/team-kombination-soll-in-kitzbuhel-premiere-feiern-neue-disziplin-in-den-startlochern_sto9601391/story.shtml

 

[Swede]

Actually, from what I'm seeing, according to FIS, a team combined was the athletes' idea.

https://www.eurosport.de/ski-alpin/team-kombination-soll-in-kitzbuhel-premiere-feiern-neue-disziplin-in-den-startlochern_sto9601391/story.shtml

Don't know where it came from but it is a stupid idea. As a concept it might be fun, but handing out WC points will give an upper hand to athletes from the large nations that have speed and tech teams in their individual standing and ultimatelly it will give them an edge for a small globe over e.g. Vlova who don't really have a speed skier to team up with Or ASL or the Croatian girl Popovic Fine, run it. But with price money instead of WC points. It is even worse than when they awarded SL points in the parallell a few years ago.

 

[Swede]

Because of the AC? How so?

One athlete run SL another run speed. So if you are ASL, Vlova or some other skier from a nation who do not have a speed skier to pair up with, you will not be competitive for the points at stake and it is not up to you as an athlete. This will give an edge to athletes from the bigger nations who have tech and speed teams not only in the Team AC, but in the long run for your rank and ultimatelly for globes.