The face of freeskiing

H

holla@cha_boy

Member
Lately I've been wondering why snowboard superpipe became so popular when it entered into the Olympics and freeskiing was no where near it. I remember my teachers at school who knew nothing about snowboarding and how everyone was talking about it. But then I remembered how those people were in love with Shaun White and he became the face of snowboarding for the Olympics.

So here's my theory, maybe it didn't take off the same because there's no real face to freeskiing. We do not have that one person who everyone loves and is the clear favorite at every event. Today just about all the competitors in a final have a real shot at winning.

It seems like lately Henrick is starting to take that position for skiers but not really for the general public. I personally think that Torin or Goepper could become the face of freeskiing in the future. Both are so young and have tons of talent already

But it brings up another question, does freeskiing need a face of the sport at all?
 
No, I don't think skiing needs a 'face' of the sport, and if it somehow got one I doubt it would be a free spirit like Henrik, probably it would be Bobby Brown or someone along those lines
 
There's so many different unique styles that skiers bring to the table, that there can't be just one face to our sport.
 
freeskiing doesn't need a face I believe. It would be wrong to sum up a sport with so many different personal styles, creative elements that separates it from all other sports with a face of just one person. Isnt right to me
 
with that mindset, it shouldn't be in snowboarding either... yet it is haha.
 
In the USA, it's Nick Goepper because he made it onto Letterman, and Dave even asked him back.

But, Nick said the railing destroys the skis and "that's why we get lots of skis ..thanks to the sponsors."

That's not going to sit too well with a lot folks either.
 
I think that's the nice thing about skiing, not having this one stereotype.

Evwrytime I see snowboarders they all look the same, act the same and share the same shitmouth attitude. Same with skaters, same clothes, same style, same shitface artitude. I like how freeskiing isn't defined by one man. Skiers just ski like they always have skied.
 
Had TWall made Olympics it would probably be him. NS already loves him and in the public eye he's a super down to earth dude who made it from pennsylvania.
 
I'd say one of the mistakes here is assuming that Shaun White is the internal face of snowboarding as well as the external. I'd be somewhat suspect that the super core street dudes don't think that Shaun is the be-all end-all ambassador? Anyone know snowboarding well enough to tell me if I'm right or wrong?

That will be how it is for us. The rest of the world will grab onto the media darling with the great story (and who medals) and we'll internally still have our heros.

 
Wallisch is hands down the face of park skiing for people who ski park. Whoever wins gold will be the face of park skiing for people who don't ski park. Simple as that.
 
Well, the same could be said about skiers and their stupid clothing and their shitface attitude. Clearly you don't know enough about those sports or enough boarders and skaters to see that they aren't all the same and don't all have a shitty mentality. No sport is defined by one man but unfortunately to the general public ,who knows nothing of it (like you in the case of skating and snowboarding) there are stereotypes and they tend to see faces who "define" the sport in their heads.
 
THall and Dumont were the faces back in the day, but they never really peaked like The Tomato did.
 
It's inevitable with freeskiing being put in the olympics.

However, its not like we have not had people in roles like that in the past. I.E. Tanner is/was a household name for those who knew about the X Games. More than anything because he was a decorated athlete that competed in both events he could be seen as the "face" of the sport to the public.

I think that the olympics will just pick that person dependent on what happens at the games this year. If Geopper or Torin end up winning either comp they could take on that role, however we don't really have a dual genre competitor in the games. (Maybe another country does?)

It could be up for grabs, I geuss we will find out who when the media spin's it to the public.
 
Obviously die hard skiers will have their own personal favorites. example Jossi will always be one of my favorites but he'll never be that popular unless you know freeskiing. Someone like Shaun White is for the general public. It's what get's kids into the sport and gets people to talk about the sport to make it more popular
 
It should be Wallisch... Not only was he well respected in the community, he was also being portrayed outside the community but now not anymore.
 
I think it goes something like this maybe…..

Goepper = White

Sage C = Jeremy Jones

Candide = Travis Rice or Terje or something

THall = whoever shreds to death and says lots of stupid shit

 
Ok I am gonna get a lot of downvotes for this opinion but here I go.

So everyone talks about Shaun White as if he is a disgrace. Whiiich he kinda is, he now acts as if he is above everyone and is a total tool. That being said, asides fron the fact that he is a douche, if you had the chance to be the "pop star" tony hawk, tiger woods, or michael phelps type character you wouldn't? That is where the real money is, sure your sports core community will probably hate you for selling out, but a million more little kids will go out and buy your jacket. Sadly that's where the money is in this situation. For example, the stept crew kills it so fucking hard, but there stuff really only apeals to someone who can respect it, skiers. But Abe Kiselvitz (no hate, he seems chill) puts out a fruity gopro edit with someone doing a backflip and that is what will become a selling point for gopro and mammoth and whoever. Abe makes the money not stept. Kinda fucked. Sorry for randomly ranting about shit
 
Its hard because Stept is more like a core skateboarding company that just put stuff out.

The kind of stuff that gets you and me hyped on the sport, this is a niche market. Not large enough for the public to be aware of but big enough in the industry to get noticed/build a fan base (like us here)

Also it is most likely seen by the public as a criminal act. Vandalism, Destruction of Property, Tresspassing... These are real laws that get broken when you go out an do urban.

Im sure many a protective parents treat urban skiing like its some kind of hard drug. In that way urban skiing is kind of like opening a weed dispensary, its a recreational activity that is seen as legitimate by some but other see it as a sketchy crime syndicate because of the image(stereotypes) that are built around it.

Anyways, they would just be far to "edgy" for the public to ever be the face of freeskiing. A squeaky clean olympic halfpipe or slopestyle rider is much more marketable (another reason I would like Henrik to win slope)

For us however, Stept really is a/the face or urban progression.

 
Exactly. Guys like stept apeal to a small core market, guys like shaun white apeal to a wide variety of people. More money in shaun white
 
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