I don’t know how, I don’t know why. A sports fanatic I’m surely not, you all know I’m obsessed by anything dance, above all ballet.
But.
There’s a but.
Because when the Olympic Games are happening, I am for sure following. I don’t know any name, I barely know anything about the discipline probably, but I’m following. On tv, or on live stream, which I’ve now discovered. Somehow, it’s impossible to turn it off. As soon as I’m home, I put on the live stream and see what’s going on. Though I know so little about all sports, it’s actually very interesting. Especially the Winter Games have a lot of sports I haven’t even heard of. Mogul skiing? Skeleton? Biathlon?
For your information – mogul skiing is skiing on a bumpy slope, including some jumps that could break your neck when your landing goes wrong. Skeleton is done on a luge, with face forward. Biathlon is cross-country skiing (I would call it ‘upwards skiing’) in combination with shooting. All of these sports throw interesting questions on how they actually became a sport, and how they became an official Olympics sport. I have to admit though, that the winter sports are a bit bonkers and unknown. But don’t get me wrong, I love it. I’m a skier myself and I adore it. Thanks to these Games I can still enjoy the skiing somehow – last week is having a sort of revival. Just like I’m still wearing my skiing jacket to get the feeling back. Because there’s nothing better than a good slope.
The downside of this all is that I’m hooked, the live stream is always on though I’m not even always watching. Maybe it’s the fear of missing out. It seems like I get nothing done because it’s the games and I have to watch, or at least, listen. I seem to be slightly obsessed while throughout the year I don’t care about these sports. How is it possible that I’m taped too my screen? I want to be where the people are; I guess I assume everyone’s following the Games and that’s why I can’t turn it off.
Another upside: it makes me a little expert in unknown sports. “He totally nailed that 360 in the half-pipe snowboarding!”
As you know, the Games have not always been like they are now. Sports have been added and deleted from the official list. Ice dancing is one of the oldest disciplines, free style skiing on of the youngest I believe. there is one sport though that you will probably not know. It used to be a Olympics sport though, as odd as it may seem. Can you guess what it is?
Try again!
No?
It’s ski ballet.
I kid you not. It seems like a joke, but there’s footage, very serious footage of this below! (Im’ sure I looked less impressive on the slope…)
Thanks to Pointe Magazine.
No Blog Intended 
NotAPunkRocker
/ February 13, 2014I trust you, but I still had to look it up. Also known as acroski, according to Wikipedia.
And here I thought ice skating commentary was the worst of the worst.
No Blog Intended
/ February 13, 2014It’s absurd, isn’t it? I would have reacted the same way. The commentary is the cherry on top to this. In all seriousness… Great!
djmatticus
/ February 13, 2014I am stunned into silence……………….
Okay, enough of that. How was that a sport?!!
No Blog Intended
/ February 13, 2014So was I! You must admit that it takes strenght and gust and very, very good knees.
But yes, it’s weird.
El Guapo
/ February 13, 2014I’ve seen that before, and the control they have of both body and gear, is amazing.
But I’ll still stick with the suicidal downhill runs they’re doing.
2 mile descent in two minutes? Wow, something that is beyond even my scale of crazy.
But the best part is watching the best athletes doing their very best.
(wow, I could win an Olympic “most use of the word best” medal for that sentence!)
No Blog Intended
/ February 13, 2014I would be so scared to damage my knees! Especially with those jumped turns.It’s amazing what they do.
As you say, that’s crazy!
That should be the tagline of the Olympics ;).
El Guapo
/ February 13, 2014“We do the more crazy things for a little gold disc then normal people would do to save their lives”
I could feel my knees exploding just watching the mogul promos. No thanks, I’ll stick with the steep and smooth.
No Blog Intended
/ February 13, 2014Very true quote… Probably!
Yeah, I’ll stick with a good red slope – adventure enough for me. But hey, if mogul makes you happy, you should do it I guess…
Michael Cargill
/ February 13, 2014I’ve been getting into the Winter Olympics as well! It helps that GB have put out their largest ever squad, meaning there’s quite a few events for me to have an interest in, but these are sports I’ve never heard of for the most part.
And I’m really drawn to the curling as well, which I used to think was a load of old guff.
Short track skating is brill and I was gutted when Elise Christie was disqualified for causing a crash…
That ski ballet is insane.
No Blog Intended
/ February 14, 2014Applause for having a large squad then! I hope you’re successful, but as I’m only watching I actually have no idea who is winning.
I’ve only seen a small part of curling so far – I hope to see some more. It’s a good sport to know something of :).
And she really caused that crash, didn’t she… Changed the entire outcome. It’s sad but it’s also kinda fair…
gingerfightback
/ February 14, 2014I love the fact that I have not got a clue about any of it!
No Blog Intended
/ February 14, 2014Hahahah, that’s another view to see it! ๐
gingerfightback
/ February 14, 2014They’ve been showing an ice hockey match on the BBC – what on earth is going on – it just seems an excuse for well padded men to clatter eachother!
No Blog Intended
/ February 14, 2014Hahaha – it is! Ice hockey is extremely brutal. If you compare it to football, where one little touch makes them roll on the floor crying… I remember going to my first ice hockey match ever and being surprised by the brutality!
gingerfightback
/ February 14, 2014Go Latvia! Never thought I would write that!
No Blog Intended
/ February 14, 2014Naaah, Czech Republic! ๐
Why Latvia? Any connection with that country? Not that I’m curious or anything.
gingerfightback
/ February 14, 2014Nope! Just like the colour
No Blog Intended
/ February 14, 2014Their helmets were cool. But I still like voting for the winner, hehe ;).
gingerfightback
/ February 14, 2014Apparently GB won the gold in 1938!
editalozovska
/ February 14, 2014Yeah, I see the coolness in that. But you know me, I am all about figure skating!
Happy Valentines Day!
Edita
http://www.pret-a-reporter.co.uk
No Blog Intended
/ February 14, 2014I remember! There have ben quite some people falling in the ice skating competition, sadly enough… It’s like your chances of falling or bigger once you’re at the Games.
The same for you! ๐
RO
/ February 14, 2014Haha I recognize this! I love watching the Olympics even though I usually have nothing to do with slope skying or ice skating. It’s just like the Word Cup in football, not everyone really cares but everyone watches because it’s just something you don’t want to miss!
At first I didn’t know what kind of sport you were talking about but I saw a picture of a ski ballety female just recently on Facebook!
No Blog Intended
/ February 15, 2014Haha, as you say! I don’t care about football until Belgium takes part in something big. And then suddenly – bam! CHeering for Belgium. I feel a but like a hypocrite, but whatever.
I only discovered thanks to Pointe Magazine on Facebook as you might have figured out :).
sophisticatedjerseygirl
/ February 17, 2014Wow… ski ballet. How would anyone get started in that? Do you learn to ski first and then dance, or does dancing lead athletes to the slopes? Either way I’m impressed, if a bit stunned. Thanks for sharing ๐
No Blog Intended
/ February 17, 2014I have no idea… I can’t imagine the first person saying ‘hey, let’s try to dance while skiing’ and then doing a turned jump.
Let’s be honest: you have to be bonkers for that :D.