Shiffrin

**~mikey b** · 01-03-2018, 12:38 AM

Your mom is my coach

**Dexter Rutecki** · 01-03-2018, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by ~mikey b

Your mom is my coach

Well played, Mikey. That is what we are all here for.

**nyskirat** · 01-03-2018, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by philippeR

Edit :
Since this thread is off the tracks : I'm always amazed to see how few women are involved in the organization and coaching side of women ski racing. I don't think there's a single female in the briefing room, for the bib draw in Zagreb...

It's not as bad at the collegiate levels in the US. Williams and Bates both have women as their head coach.

According to my friend on a college ski team, the female Williams head coach is the highest paid ski coach in the NCAA (somehow).

There are quite a few assistant/graduate assistant coaches who are female as well (UNH, BC, MIDD, UAA, and UU).

It's getting better at the FIS level too. When I was still racing FIS (6 years ago was my last race), there were maybe 2-3 female coaches that I saw on a consistent basis (indicating a high level program). Now? It's easily double that, and I only see a few collegiate races a year.

I think the biggest hindrance, like in a lot of physical/outdoorsy lines of work is the whole pregnancy "issue". It isn't easy to travel as much as international coaches do when one wants to start a family. Being absent on a circuit like the WC isn't really acceptable for some athletes and nations, regardless of the reason.

A certain US coach who has been sick/injured this year is getting a lot of pressure from a certain athlete's mother to either step down or face removal. So far it hasn't happened.

**philippeR** · 01-03-2018, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki

I actually thought the SL would be much worse. He actually didn't look much worse than when you see some DH specialists in a combined getting crushed by the SL specialists. And I think Gavaggio beat some WC skiers in at least one X Games skiercross years ago. Pretty instructive to see him down to Mikaela by about 12 seconds.

I think he beat Nobis (and Shane) in 1999. So there's that ! (There's no results history page on the XGames website. WTF)

Originally Posted by nyskirat

It's not as bad at the collegiate levels in the US. Williams and Bates both have women as their head coach.

According to my friend on a college ski team, the female Williams head coach is the highest paid ski coach in the NCAA (somehow).

There are quite a few assistant/graduate assistant coaches who are female as well (UNH, BC, MIDD, UAA, and UU).

It's getting better at the FIS level too. When I was still racing FIS (6 years ago was my last race), there were maybe 2-3 female coaches that I saw on a consistent basis (indicating a high level program). Now? It's easily double that, and I only see a few collegiate races a year.

I think the biggest hindrance, like in a lot of physical/outdoorsy lines of work is the whole pregnancy "issue". It isn't easy to travel as much as international coaches do when one wants to start a family. Being absent on a circuit like the WC isn't really acceptable for some athletes and nations, regardless of the reason.

A certain US coach who has been sick/injured this year is getting a lot of pressure from a certain athlete's mother to either step down or face removal. So far it hasn't happened.

Interesting. I guess for a female coach to break through, she would have to coach a future star (à la Vonn or Schiffrin) from a
grass roots level to the WC. Or to be her / his mom...

**nyskirat** · 01-03-2018, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by philippeR

I think he beat Nobis (and Shane) in 1999. So there's that ! (There's no results history page on the XGames website. WTF)

Interesting. I guess for a female coach to break through, she would have to coach a future star (à la Vonn or Schiffrin) from a
grass roots level to the WC. Or to be her / his mom...

Yep.

Second run for Zagreb is today at 10 am EST.

Shiffrin leads after 1

**montanaskier** · 01-03-2018, 08:34 AM

She leads by 1.44 I think....

**From_the_NEK** · 01-03-2018, 10:01 AM

I don't know what happened between Charter-Spectrum and NBC Sports but all of the sudden my cable provider isn't listed as an option on the NBCSp site. Therefore I am unable to watch

.
I am following the Live Timing via FIS online. It really looks like the later running skiers are struggling. Is the snow soft and getting badly rutted?

**plugboots** · 01-03-2018, 10:03 AM

I’m watching the Olympic Channel right now.
It’s not so much rutted as it’s just wet and slow feeling.

Edit to add: 6 to go and snowing hard.

Double poling to finish: 1:59 ahead.

**From_the_NEK** · 01-03-2018, 10:26 AM

And another win in the books (by 1.59 sec). Looks like she CRUSHED the last section of the course after bleeding time in the first two intervals.
But is she elite?

**Danno** · 01-03-2018, 10:28 AM

Yes!!!

Found it on youtube (just googled "watch ladies slalom" and got a live link), it had a slight delay from the updating on the FIS site. She looked like she was slowing down a bit, and was going to coast to victory because of such a hudge initial margin, but somehow managed to find a shit ton on time, over a half second, on the bottom of the course to widen her margin!

**Danno** · 01-03-2018, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by From_the_NEK

And another win in the books (by 1.59 sec). Looks like she CRUSHED the last section of the course after bleeding time in the first two intervals.
But is she elite?

a natural athlete would have won by at least 2 seconds.

**From_the_NEK** · 01-03-2018, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Danno

a natural athlete would have won by at least 2 seconds.

A natural athlete with no throttle control would have tried to win by 2 seconds but would have DNF'd

. However, Mikaela (the complete package) Shiffrin, knows that she just needed to take care of business and finish without any major mistakes. Her 75% on run #2 was still good enough to improve her margin by an additional .18 seconds.

**neufox47** · 01-03-2018, 04:20 PM

Her second run was amazing. Dumping wet snow, the course was quickly deteriorating and getting rutted with soft snow piles. She picked her spots to be conservative was aggressive when possible and secured the win.

SB · 01-03-2018, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by ~mikey b

Your mom is my coach

sig worthy

SB · 01-03-2018, 06:43 PM

https://snowbrains.com/104118-2/

**Dexter Rutecki** · 01-03-2018, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by nyskirat

It's not as bad at the collegiate levels in the US. Williams and Bates both have women as their head coach.

According to my friend on a college ski team, the female Williams head coach is the highest paid ski coach in the NCAA (somehow).

There are quite a few assistant/graduate assistant coaches who are female as well (UNH, BC, MIDD, UAA, and UU).

It's getting better at the FIS level too. When I was still racing FIS (6 years ago was my last race), there were maybe 2-3 female coaches that I saw on a consistent basis (indicating a high level program). Now? It's easily double that, and I only see a few collegiate races a year.

I think the biggest hindrance, like in a lot of physical/outdoorsy lines of work is the whole pregnancy "issue". It isn't easy to travel as much as international coaches do when one wants to start a family. Being absent on a circuit like the WC isn't really acceptable for some athletes and nations, regardless of the reason.

A certain US coach who has been sick/injured this year is getting a lot of pressure from a certain athlete's mother to either step down or face removal. So far it hasn't happened.

Heh, my guess is that that certain athlete's mother gets her way soon. Would that ultimately be Tiger Shaw's call?

FWIW, here in Southern VT there are a (small) handful of female coaches, and I think it is the same in Central and Northern. I could be wrong, but I can't think of any female head coaches in VT.

For several years our program has actively sought a female coach (we have never had one), but we just haven't had a real taker. On a certain level I feel like maybe most women are too sane to coach ski racing. Sometimes I am barely deranged enough to do it.

**Eastern Sierra Skier** · 01-03-2018, 09:19 PM

Highlights of the first run and then Mikaela's second run, which took place under the lights and was dumping snow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=LCwQBfc8kVw

She got a nice compliment from Bode who told a reporter, "She's the best I've ever seen." High praise indeed.
http://unofficialnetworks.com/2018/0...ive-ever-seen/

**tone capone** · 01-03-2018, 10:37 PM

She's a magnificent and superior force of nature that's for sure. I just hope she can keep her focus and discipline amidst all the praise and hype, but something tells me that will come naturally to her as well.

**2FUNKY** · 01-03-2018, 10:40 PM

Awesome how she was poling between gates for speed.

**summit** · 01-04-2018, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by goldenboy

Yeah, I was just going to post this: https://www.skimag.com/uncategorized...ars-in-jamaica The skiers always crushed the other athletes.

Bloom could have gone the NFL route if he committed to that track instead. Instead he skied, and now is winning Superstars and is the greeting voice on the Denver airport train.

Originally Posted by k2skier112

Great funny short interview

**nyskirat** · 01-04-2018, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki

Heh, my guess is that that certain athlete's mother gets her way soon. Would that ultimately be Tiger Shaw's call?

FWIW, here in Southern VT there are a (small) handful of female coaches, and I think it is the same in Central and Northern. I could be wrong, but I can't think of any female head coaches in VT.

For several years our program has actively sought a female coach (we have never had one), but we just haven't had a real taker. On a certain level I feel like maybe most women are too sane to coach ski racing. Sometimes I am barely deranged enough to do it.

It's possible, especially if we see a disappointment at the Olympics (i.e. no gold for whatever reason). It is ultimately Tiger's call, but when said athlete is a bonafide star, one imagines that that camp has a lot of sway with those matters.

I've definitely seen more female coaches in VT than any other state but I think with the current generation (i.e. millennials) slowly reaching the age where skiing becomes expensive, coaching is a good way to offset the costs. I know of at least 3 girls who have gone back to coach, even if it's at the younger age groups.

Back to racing, men are racing today. LEt's see if we get a shocker. I really want to see Dave Ryder pull off something spectacular.

**Mofro261** · 01-04-2018, 08:48 AM

Ryding is 2.1 back after run 1 so if he makes that up it'll definitely be spectacular.

**jackstraw** · 01-04-2018, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by nyskirat

It's possible, especially if we see a disappointment at the Olympics (i.e. no gold for whatever reason).

What I hate about the olympics is that people who have no clue about skiing make the olympics the be-all end-all of the athlete. I’ve had arguments with people about Bode when he didn’t do great in the olympics and tried to explain the “World Cup!” to them...ahh...but it was a futile argument on my part. I’m preaching to the choir here, but so much come into play with ski racing that is not in their control. And obviously speed events can vary tremendously from one venue to the next.

**montanaskier** · 01-04-2018, 09:27 AM

Olympics are a crap shoot. One race for gold. Literally anything could happen in that one race and you don’t medal.

**I've seen black diamonds!** · 01-04-2018, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by jackstraw

What I hate about the olympics is that people who have no clue about skiing make the olympics the be-all end-all of the athlete. I’ve had arguments with people about Bode when he didn’t do great in the olympics and tried to explain the “World Cup!” to them...ahh...but it was a futile argument on my part. I’m preaching to the choir here, but so much come into play with ski racing that is not in their control. And obviously speed events can vary tremendously from one venue to the next.

See Bill Johnson: only had a few podiums in his career. And he managed to win Olympic gold.