Anti-Olympic Shirt

phissong

Member
I'm writing a paper about the Olympics addition of halfpipe and slopestyle and need some more primary sources. I remember seeing an anti-Olympic shirt somewhere on here a while ago and haven't been able to find it since. I think it was made by Moment or some other smaller company that said something along the lines of Proud sponser of zero Olympic athletes. Anybody have any idea where this would be?
 
He didnt. First paragraph he presents the point that people think all skiers will become robot competition skiers because of the Olympics. He then disproves this by saying that there will always be skiers gearing themselves towards competitions and others working on putting out sick segments.
 
the olympics for skiing (and snowboarding) are bad for a couple reasons:

1: the public perception of our activities will be just what they see once every four years.

2: the people organizing and running the olympic qualifiers and actual events arent the same people who have been perfecting the slopestyle and halfpipe course/judging/coverage forumula.

3; halfpipe skiing and snowboarding doesnt need the olympics to grow

4: the sponsors brought into skiing and snowboarding because of the olympics are there purely for exposure and care nothing about the athletes or the sports. what do tire companies do to help further the sports?

im sure there are more reason, those are the few that come to me at the moment.
 
there is actually talks about skateboarding being in the olympics but skateboarders are smart and havent allowed their sport to get bum rushed in. theres actual quotes from people talking about it saying they dont want to make the same mistakes that have been made when snowboarding was included in the olympics. also as of right now if skateboarding were to be included in the olympics it would be governed by the people who oversee the bicycle events. pretty stupid. theyre not rushing into it which snowboarders and free skiers should have done.
 
thats good then. skiing got it figured out a little better. snowboarding got screwed pretty hard. all the plans for qualifications and judging the snowboarding groups offered were shot down by the FIS.
 
All of those reasons are just awful. Stop caring about what people think of us. Just ski. If skiing happens to gain some mainstream media attention, then I'm not complaining. It hardly affects me.

Besides to be able to compete in the Olympics is a dream come true for most people. Yeah sure it might have a few minor flaws, but at the end of the day we get to watch some of our favorite athletes compete on behalf of the United States. I think that's pretty cool.
 
I only see one of those reasons presented as valid, and that's number 2.

1) This is the case for all sports. As for skiing - it already has quite a few public exposure avenues other than the Olympics like the Dew Tour, Red Bull events, etc. The Olympics will simply provide a wider forum for exposure which may in turn get a wider crowd interested in the more niche events like the ones I just mentioned.

3) No it doesn't. But why are you stating this as a bad thing? There is no implicit negative here.

4) These sponsors are already here. TJ and a number of other skiers have been sponsored by Paul Mitchell for a while. They make salon products. Someone (Olenick?) was sponsored by Snus. What the hell does tobacco have to do with skiing? Accepting a sponsorship and the conditions that come with it is an athlete's decision. By sponsoring skiers, they are putting money into the ski industry. An existing investment may encourage them to invest further if they see a return (e.g. Telus sponsoring Whistler and the Telus Ski & Snowboard festival with associated events like the big air). How is this a bad thing?
 
im basing these off how the olympics have handled snowboard events. hopefully it will be different/better with skiing.

1) the way the olympics and the coverage present snowboarding does fit in with snowboardings roots and the reason why people snowboard.

3) it is a bad thing because to me the olympics dont bring anything positive to the sports. yes they give them more exposure but it is not the kind of exposure i like to see for skiing and snowboarding.

4) there are examples of non snow sport related companies doing good things for skiing and snowboarding but they are few and far between. my biggest fear is that skiers and snowboarders are turned into nascars. companies who dont care at all about the sports will just dump money into a person so they can get some airtime with their logo. and once that person stops performing they drop them with care.
 
who gives two shits about what type of exposure we get? I'm sure the skiers don't. They get paid six figures salaries to ski with a few logos on their jacket. You're gonna cry about that? The way skiing is portrayed on television is not bad. I don't know where you keep getting the idea it is.
 
SORRY TO BREAK UP THIS DEBATE BUT I WAS BORED SO I MADE THIS AND I THINK SURFACE SHOULD PRODUCE THEM

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The shirt makes it seem like the person who is wearing it would be against the Olympics completely. Try using some type of skiing icon to signify the distaste towards skiing and the Olympics
 
could have a skier wearing a shirt with the olympic logo on it then overlay the whole red circle with lines in it thing or whatever
 
i try not to as it rarely accomplishes anything productive. rather just state opinions and discuss.
 
these are pretty bad reasons for not wanting skiing in the Olympics. if you don't like it, don't watch. it won't affect you (well maybe it will affect you, but not anyone who has money invested in the industry. speaking of which, it'll probably mean more money for you) at all. Myself and every other skier will still go out and ski just the same as we did before it was in the Olympics. There really will not be any difference. And if an athlete thinks the judging will be bogus then they don't have to go. I honestly see nothing wrong with the Olympics. if you don't like it, go out and ski like you always would instead of watching it.
 
I honestly think the majority of people who are against freeskiing in the Olympics are only against it because they're elitist and are the same people who think the shitty noob with the twin tips should stay out of his park.
 
I think people are failing to realize how competition skiing has altered events in the past. Such as regulations put on mogul skiing. People like Tanner left mogul skiing for a reason (Im not saying there was just one reason). History repeats itself. Freeskiing being in the Olympics will bring people into our sport who will instantly have power over the sport and do not care or know anything about it. Yea, its great that competitors will make more money, but the people who are handing that money out will get the power. Is that really who you want marketing our sport to the masses and making decisions on where competitive skiing goes? I highly doubt you do.
 
thats not it at all in my case. I just want the sport to br driven by the athletes in the direction they see fit. because at the end of the day they are the ones risking their lives for their dream. I dont want to see them forced into a certain mold because that is the only way they can make a living doing the thing they love.

 
I find your lack of faith disturbing. So far competitive skiing has never been better. Pro skiers are able to compete on courses that have features that many will never even get to witness let alone ride. As of now I can't really see a reason to start a free skiing revolution like we saw in the 90s
 
Candide had a word on this and is actually against the olympics, it simply doesn't meet the spirit of freeskiing. It kinda breaks the freedom, well here's the interview (in french, sorry for those who can't read french)

source:http://www.skipass.com/news/80208-interview-candide-thovex.html

-Que penses-tu de l'évolution du freestyle, et notamment les JO ?

-A la base, notre discipline est née pour s'écarter de ce qui était alpin, fédéral, sérieux. Là, il y a les JO, c'est très bien, mais est-ce que cela veut dire qu'on va devenir comme tout le monde ? Etre sérieux avec des interviews de coaches ? Quand j'entends un coach appeler ses gars "mes coureurs", je trouve que ce n'est pas l'esprit de notre discipline à la base. On est tous des athlètes, d'accord, c'est un métier. Mais être sérieux, ce n'est pas l'esprit du freestyle. Pour les générations à venir, il faut que ça reste un sport à la cool. Les JO sont positifs : faire découvrir à un plus grand public, apporter plus d'argent pour les athlètes. Je ne crains pas les JO en soi mais l'attitude que vont avoir les gars par rapport aux JO. On a tout fait pour s'écarter de cela et aujourd'hui des gens remettent cela sur la table. Si j'ai arrêté le ski de bosses, c'est parce que c'était trop sérieux.

Ce qui me dérange aussi c'est les skieurs qui se concentrent sur une discipline. A mon époque on faisait de tout. Si tu restes trop dans un park, tu stagnes. Toutes les disciplines sont complémentaires et tu es meilleur si tu fais d'autres choses à côté. Je ne suis pas d'accord sur le fait qu'il faille passer tout son temps dans le pipe pour être meilleur. Ma petite soeur, dès que je peux, je l'emmène à Balme, ce sera bénéfique pour elle. J'en bouffais du pipe, pour les XGames je me tapais un mois de pipe, après la compétition j'en étais dégouté ! On a de la chance d'avoir un sport où tu peux faire du big air, du pipe, de la peuf !

Le sport s'est vraiment professionnalisé. En dix ans, l'évolution, le succès... On en est arrivés là parce que c'est un sport à la cool, il n'y a pas de loi. Park, peuf… comme tu veux. J'aimerai le montrer dans le film, c'est un sport fun. Je ne dis pas cela parce que je deviens vieux, que je n'arrive pas à m'adapter ! C'est qu'on s'écarte de l'esprit de départ. Les écussons sur le col, ce n'est pas le sport. C'est mon avis personnel, après chacun fait ce qu'il veut.

 
-What do you think of the evolution of freestyle, including the Olympics?

-Basically, our discipline is born to deviate from what was alpine federal seriously. Here, there is the Olympics, that's fine, but does that mean we will become like everyone else? Being serious interviews with coaches? When I hear a guy call his coach "my runners," I think it is not the spirit of our discipline at the base. We are all athletes agree, it is a profession. But to be serious, this is not the spirit of freestyle. For future generations, it has to remain a sport to cool. The Olympics are positive to discover a wider audience, make more money for athletes. I do not fear the Olympics itself, but the attitude that will have the guys from the Olympics. We did everything to deviate from it and now people call it on the table. If I stopped moguls, it is because it was too serious.

What bothers me is that as skiers focus on discipline. In my time we did everything. If you stay too much in a park, you stagnated. All disciplines are complementary and you are better if you do other things besides. I do not agree that we should spend all his time in the pipe to be better. My sister as soon as I can, I took him to Balme, it will be beneficial for her. I bouffais the pipe for XGames I typed pipe a month after the competition I was disgusted! We are lucky to have a sport where you can do the big air, pipe, pow!

The sport is really professional. In ten years, the evolution, success ... We got there because it is a sport to cool, there is no law. Park, pow ... as you want. I would like to show in the film, it is a fun sport. I'm not saying this because I'm getting old, I can not fit me! This is a departure from the spirit of departure. Badges on the collar, not the sport. This is my personal opinion, after everyone does what he wants.
 
well when all is done, it's still the athletes with the final say. They have no obligations to go to a competition. I realize certain sponsors would probably be quite forceful, but they are still the ones who decide when or where they compete. But the Olympics only come around once every 4 years, and those one Olympic games no doubt means big bucks for the athletes that go, which will mean they can endure the 2 weeks of 'pain' every 4 years for a large sum of money to support them doing what they love. Imagine the purse a sponsor like Nike no doubt gives out if you win a gold..
 
The "spirit" of free skiing. Oh dear. I don't think this guy understands what he is saying. Free skiing is about doing what you want. However, it seems to me the author is stuck on a very single minded, almost rebellious view point. All this, what is happening RIGHT NOW, is our decision. The athletes decision. Our generation is in control and we're doing a damn fine job. We owe a lot of our improvements to media exposure. Free skiing would never have gotten close to what it is if there wasn't media exposure. Sure competition such as the olympics will be more serious, but that is what pushes free skiing to the impossible.

 
its not just those two weeks though. this entire season, or any season prior to an olympic year decides who is eligible to qualify for the olympics. like i said it may be different for skiing but for snowboarding if you want to compete in olympic qualifying events you must be ranked in the top 50 world wide for that discipline on a ranking system designed by the FIS. this system only counts events sanctioned by the FIS, aka no x games, no dew tour, no competitions previously seen as the epitome of professional competition. they are adding their own contests, further clogging up the season. that means this entire season, any person that wants to go to the olympics has to compete in FIS sanctioned events, hopefully accumulate enough points so that come next season they can compete in the olympic qualifying events and then go to the olympics.

I know there are some people whos dream it is to compete in and win the olympics, im not down playing their dreams at all. I just dont think the way it is happening isnt in the athletes best interest
 
Yet another awful product from Surface.

The Olympics are every athletes dream. To have that opportunity for freestyle skiing is a privilege. Do you think Tanner would have been skiing pipe at all this year if it wasn't for a shot at the Olympics? I say hell no. The possibility of a gold medal and waving your nations flag at the Olympics is a foolish thing to pass up for pride.
 
On a slightly unrelated note:

Shouldn't the "Saga" account be used for business-related activities, instead of stating personal opinions. I mean, I don't know who runs the account, but I'm just saying.
 
I disagree. Personally I'm much more inclined to buy Saga knowing that I can get into a discussion about the 'ethics' of freeskiing in the Olympics with their NS account. Love it when companies get active with their clientele in ways like this.
 
classic. go ahead and pull the surface hate card. i don't see any reason to hate on surface, they make quality products at an extremely affordable price. There is nothing wrong with the durability of their products, besides minor top sheet chippings i have had 0 problems with their products. I have owned two pairs of skis from them and am planning on buying another when i have the money. the company is great, they are always able to offer deals on skis if you cant afford them and their customer service is great too. go ahead and hate on their riders, i bet your not even close to their level of riding. I personally think what they do is sick.
 
He directly talks about his views on companies and people that are not skaters who have an influence in the sport. I think your comprehension skills are lacking.
 
I have skid with one of the judges for the Olympics for sochi and he is like as you call a freeestyle skier not a snowborder or anything wack
 
this is exactly it. we dont mean to offend anyone with our opinions but we like to get involved with our customers and be active within the ski community.
 
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