This thread has just gone from embarrasing sad.
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Musical chair game 2016 or Teh offseason prophecy
- Thread starter Mo(n)arch
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I don't know what all those words mean but they're not spelled like dh mountainbiking.
Every single one of those sports except SX was in their infancy when that happened. The competition and what it took to succeed in each really wasn't anywhere near the level of most professional sports. Certainly not now. That will never, ever happen again. Palmer was/is a badass for sure but timing had a lot to do with successes across all those disciplines.
Every single one of those sports except SX was in their infancy when that happened. The competition and what it took to succeed in each really wasn't anywhere near the level of most professional sports. Certainly not now. That will never, ever happen again. Palmer was/is a badass for sure but timing had a lot to do with successes across all those disciplines.
In all fairness, Palmer did beat World Cup ski racers (Crist bros, nobis) and legends of freeride (Shane, Davenport, kaj) on his 2000 skier x win
Palmer also won pro snowboard half pipe contests while drunk. The fact that he's still alive and employed makes him a piiiiiiimp
What do you mean by timing? Are you referring to other top guys being injured during his winning season?
Of course timing matters, timing always matters, had Peaty been born a bit later, he wouldn't have Nico to deal with, had Tomac been born later, maybe we'd have never heard Gwin. But Bryceland won a championship against real competition, with the exception of Stevie Smith, who's ankles are made of glass, he beat every current DH rider squarely. You can argue that other guys were off their game, but the times say otherwise. Come to think of it, there are a lot of interesting, exciting guys racing and winning DH at the moment, and a good half dozen or so recently retired.
I can't take anything away from Palmer, but the time period in which he competed is an important detail. Early champions of all sports have an advantage, especially if they're creative, there are no set "rules" yet, so they can meld the sport to fit their style, and dominate as a result. Palmer is a character, and polar opposite of Gwin, but in the context of downhill mountain biking, all that character hurt him, a ton.
And that was awesome.
But it kind of was still a sport that was just as new to all of them. Skiercross/boardercross weren't exactly in the 1960 winter olympics...which was my point.
And at times all those guys beat him too. He just made it a priority with that obsessive focus to maintain consistency. In later years once those sports were a little more established, he was getting spanked on the regular, even when organizers would make exceptions for him letting him into finals when he qualified outside of them (remember that?) I'm not saying he's not a badass athlete. But notice he didn't WIN any sx races. His biggest successes were in new sports that he jumped on hard.....including dh.
So to say that someone like bryceland 'isn't as interesting' just because he's not dominating.....what......razor scootering? doesn't seem like a fair comparison to me.
I guess I have kind of a different perspective literally living in the same place as palmer. But almost everyone I know around here is very into skiing/snowboarding, very into mountainbiking, and very into moto. About the only other thing palmer would have been into for competition based on the surroundings is rock climbing. But he has class so he knows that shit is boring
. But hey it was neat finding out about his drug overdoses in the local paper at least.But he was part of 'generic mountain town lifestyle' which includes all that stuff, when they were all coming into existence as competitive endeavors. He was already part of the culture where these sports were coming from. So yeah.....he was already pretty good at them. I think that title everyone gave him of 'godfather of extreme sports' is pretty apt for that reason. The new ones though. Not something like skateboarding or moto obviously.
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#godpalmer
Yeah the timing of that one makes him a much better mountainbiker.
Achieving something palmer never did in a FAR FAR more competitive era.
Haha, no totally agree.
My point was that he was a snowboarder who used to ski and did beat all those cats at the biggest race of the year for the (alebeit new) event.
Nobody is comparing him to Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson, who were really good at mature and widely developed sports, or even Shaun White...
Haha......I was just thinking about Jackson and Sanders.
I was just responding to the idea that palmer is a more interesting mountain biker because of all the things he did that weren't mountain biking. I totally understand that FWIW. But it doesn't mean that everyone racing these days is boring and making the sport uninteresting. Like I said, I don't think it's possible for anyone to ever do what palmer did again.
Bryceland is more interesting to me because when that guy is hauling ass, you can tell he's having fun, not trying to exorcise daddy demons. And again......anyone who waves genitalia at gee atherton rules. And that fact alone negates Gary's idea that everyone in dh just so so god awful boring. Shit, throw eddie masters in there too. It's a tough sport now. I'm a little bummed that party boys with loads of natural talent can't show up hung over and spank the field too. But that's just how things develop. We've gotten some pretty good bikes out of that development and that's a hell of a lot more relevant to me than having some 'hero' in the sport. That shit is for 15 year olds to obsess over.
Damn, I think I'm even the one that started this whole mess by talking about how boring gwinn is
I was just responding to the idea that palmer is a more interesting mountain biker because of all the things he did that weren't mountain biking. I totally understand that FWIW. But it doesn't mean that everyone racing these days is boring and making the sport uninteresting. Like I said, I don't think it's possible for anyone to ever do what palmer did again.
Bryceland is more interesting to me because when that guy is hauling ass, you can tell he's having fun, not trying to exorcise daddy demons. And again......anyone who waves genitalia at gee atherton rules. And that fact alone negates Gary's idea that everyone in dh just so so god awful boring. Shit, throw eddie masters in there too. It's a tough sport now. I'm a little bummed that party boys with loads of natural talent can't show up hung over and spank the field too. But that's just how things develop. We've gotten some pretty good bikes out of that development and that's a hell of a lot more relevant to me than having some 'hero' in the sport. That shit is for 15 year olds to obsess over.
Damn, I think I'm even the one that started this whole mess by talking about how boring gwinn is
Damn, I must live in some type of Time-Dilation Vortex or some shit. I seem to be, know and hang with a bunch of very old 15 year olds. That be including quite a few of the dirtbags who frequent this hell-hole.
I nominate 'woo for king of the 15 year olds - he always be all over this shit.
I nominate 'woo for king of the 15 year olds - he always be all over this shit.
I just walked on two feet for the first time in two months yesterday. My brain is such mush right now, the neighborhood 15 year olds are calling me a whiny moron. I have to admit, they kind of have a point.
No idea what a night out on the booze in the US is like but somebody whapping their genitalia out is pretty much a given over here...
Ps. I didn't say Palmer was the most interesting... As you say.. the era of hedonism and decadence is long gone in DH... Palmer in my opinion is just the last guy to have joined before the party ended.
Josh is a nice guy... He raced our (Scottish) national Series from the age of about 14. Back then he was a really skilled rider, super keen, a good laugh and friendly with it and from what I see hasn't really changed all that much. I'm not saying he's boring at all. far from it... but 10 years managed under Peaty etc's watchful eye as apprentice WC racer to become WC champ just isn't exactly the wildest or most colourful story to me. Sorry I'm a tough audience.
Ps. I didn't say Palmer was the most interesting... As you say.. the era of hedonism and decadence is long gone in DH... Palmer in my opinion is just the last guy to have joined before the party ended.
Josh is a nice guy... He raced our (Scottish) national Series from the age of about 14. Back then he was a really skilled rider, super keen, a good laugh and friendly with it and from what I see hasn't really changed all that much. I'm not saying he's boring at all. far from it... but 10 years managed under Peaty etc's watchful eye as apprentice WC racer to become WC champ just isn't exactly the wildest or most colourful story to me. Sorry I'm a tough audience.
The US is a free country therefore the punishment for such a frivolous act is a few years in the slammer + a lifelong status of a sex offender.
man those were the days
we should start a DH league where that manner of drunken debauchery is a mandatory part of the scoring system
Between the Kiwi's, Aussies and the occasional Brit you lot would never get a foot on the podium.
Casey Brown from Bergamont to Trek.
http://dirtmountainbike.com/racing-events/women-movers-shakers-downhill-racer-team-changes.html#CoRttfDCE3MzyRt1.97
http://dirtmountainbike.com/racing-events/women-movers-shakers-downhill-racer-team-changes.html#CoRttfDCE3MzyRt1.97
Skiing and snowboarding even in the 1990's-early 2000's was alot more competitive than DH biking will ever be. Supercross in that era was also. I love WC DH as much as anyone else, but you just cannot compare the talent pool/ level of competition, to skiing, snowboarding, or supercross, even in that era. Night and day.
britain would fare better if their last call wasn't 9pmBetween the Kiwi's, Aussies and the occasional Brit you lot would never get a foot on the podium.
I'm so confused
so, does this mean Casey will be racing with Rachel? Is it the same "Trek Factory Racing" team? http://www.pinkbike.com/news/atherton-trek-racing-2015.html ("The outfit's name will be Trek Factory Racing")
If so, that would be pretty cool. I think Casey is one fast lady, and that group of riders will help her reel in the "loose riding" and become a more consistent podium threat... imho. I'd like to see more Casey on the podium. Good on her.
the question i have is: will she even be racing WC DH at all? they only reference enduro and a select few "gravity events" but no mention of racing WC DH. bummer, i too find her of the non-boring variety of rider.
Don't worry it's ok to have "those" feelings towards enduro.
You don't have to be DH if you don't feel that way.
It's ok, we won't judge you (much)
Come out of the Enduro closet kickstand.
now I am even more confused
CLEARLY HE'S BEEN TRAINING WITH GWIN AND THEY'VE BEEN MAXIMIZING THEIR CHAINLESS DESIGNS FOR HIM:
"A heavy hitter for the YT Team, Mikey finished in second place this weekend in Pro Men and had a podium in the Open Chainless race as well."
"A heavy hitter for the YT Team, Mikey finished in second place this weekend in Pro Men and had a podium in the Open Chainless race as well."
