What Pro slalom acievement is equivalent to acievements in other Pro Sports?

[alex38]

For example; what would 1@43 36mph be equal to in baseball? A perfect game? 3 Home runs by same player in one game? Those would be my guesses, but someone must have the statistical ability to calculate what it would really equal. Taking into account length of time the sport has existed, the amount of players and compare to pro slalom.

 

My off the cuff guesses would be for 1@43 36mph is equal too

Baseball: a perfect game, maybe 3 or 4 homeruns in one game by 1 guy

Football: would have to be some crazy yardage statistic

 

The sad news is: this is not my worst idea for a post.

The good news is: I am trying to see if I can be banned without using a swearword.

 

[Horton]

Shit

[Rpc29]

I've always had good luck comparing skiing line lengths to mile times so my non skiing friends understand how good someone is and how rare running 41 off is.

 

For example

28 off = 9 minute mile

32 off = 8 minute mile

35 off = 7 minute mile

38 off = 6 minute mile

39 off = 5 minute mile

41 off = 4 minute mile

 

[MattP]

@Rpc29‌ I see you logic but I can run close to 5 min miles when I want to, though I hate running. Does that mean I should be knocking on the door of 39off?

[6balls]

@mattP no it means you are one hell of a runner...in relatively rare running air, so to speak.

[Rpc29]

@MattP‌ think about it this way, not that many people have run under a 4 minute mile, not many people have run 41. A few more have run under a 5 minute mile, quite a few more have run 39. I feel like most people who have never seen a slalom course or a ski lake can understand that concept.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@rcp29 good theory, but at the high end of all sports there is an exponential increase in difficulty. Seems like 38 is routine these days and what are there 30 or so who can run 39 and a handful who have ever run 41. I would put it more like:

 

38 off = 4:30 mile

39 off = 4:00 mile

41 off = 3:55 mile

2@43 = 3:50 mile

[Horton]

I like the idea but the scales need work

[Edbrazil]

 

I would tend to equate the first 38off with the first 4-minute mile. Both of these records took

longer than expected to happen. Men skiers were running into 38 in 1973 when Kris Lapoint

won with 1 @ 38 for a US record. Later on, the SL records were adopted by the IWSF, starting

in 1975 with a 4 @ 38 by Kris. Looked then like 38 was going to fall any day. But, it wasn't

until 1980 that brother Bob ran it in a Record event (Berkeley, CA 1980).

 

There was an even longer wait for the 4-minute mile. Dad was in college (class of '30), when

the record was around 4:10. He thought he remembered something like a 4:04 at an indoor

track at Dartmouth. Likely not official, since the wooden track had banked turns, and it

took maybe 8 laps to make one mile. Anyway, in 1945, Gunder Hagg of SWE ran a time

of 4:01.4. It wasn't until 1954, when Roger Bannister bested it with a 3:59.4, 9 years later.

 

Similarity is that there were long waits in both cases, when the record seemed imminent.

[Stevie Boy]

The problem here is, when a good skier, runs 38 off, from the bank it looks slow and easy, sit in the boat, and it looks manic, really hard to compare with another sport, not only do you have to be fit, there is eye hand co-ordination, timing, water/weather conditions, I know one of the reasons stated, why water skiing did not get into the Olympics, was because you cannot produce, the same boat path, or same conditions for each competitor, there were too many variables.

Lets face it, anybody can Hit, Kick,Throw, or Run with a Ball.

[BCM]

Comparing waterskiing to "ball" sports incorporates too many outside variables (i.e. teammates, opponent, etc.). Comparison to something like a mile makes sense. There are variables such as weather, track, etc. but very few involve another person directly impacting your "score".

 

As a runner (and a 36mph skier) I think it should be the following:

22 - 7:00

28 - 5:40

32 - 4:50

35 - 4:20

38 - 4:00 (I like the description by @Edbrazil)

39 - 3:55

41 - 3:50

 

My reasoning: Someone who is decent shape bud doesn't run could take running seriously for say 6 months and run a sub 7, while someone who knows how to get up on a single ski could probably run 15-22 after 6 months of hard work. A good athlete can get to 28 or 5:40 pretty easily. Running sub 5 minutes takes lots of work and some talent, as does 32. Sub 4:20 is really fast for a highschool runner and not terrible for a collegiate runner, it may get them a podium at state/regionals, just like running 35 might (think B3, M1). I revert to the above logic on 38 and 4:00.

 

Someone who has time and isn't skiing later today (i.e. not me...) could pull numbers from AWSA and USATF and come up with a comparison based upon proportion of athletes to complete a given time/pass...

[ToddF]

4:20 38 off

4:00 39 off

3:50 41 off

3:43 2@43

 

This is a more accurate mile comparison

 

[wtrskior]

I dont like running as a comparison because I don't think the sports are at very similar. More like High jump, or even hurdles IMO.

[ToddF]

@‌wtrskior I agree

 

pole vault comparison

 

These are compared to 36 mph marks only

 

17' 38 off

17'6" 2@39

18' 4@39

18'6" 1@41

19' 3@41

19'6" 6@41

19'8" 1@43

20' 2@43

 

There could be an inch or two swing or a bouy on a couple of these

 

I am excluding Bubka in this list, because he could have easily vaulted 20'9" or higher but didn't because he was paid for records not height.

 

otherwise comparatively speaking only Bubka would have ran 4 or 5 @ 43 maybe a full pass.

 

[6balls]

I think it's degree of excellence and rarity being compared...and that for it that comparison is fair and understandable for the non-skiing public.

 

Running is not similar in other ways, nor is my other passion weight lifting. The thing about lifting is that enormous effort WILL be rewarded granted you know how to apply said effort which is not rocket science...just not widely known for some reason.

 

Similar for running...I'm a horrible runner (was doing stairclimbers etc) and ran three 7 minute miles with my brother in law when I was in college--holy crap I hurt the next day. Having said that if I simply train on running...I will get good at it...as will a bunch of other non-athletes.

 

Skiing...different. Some don't "have it" and no matter the effort have a much lower ceiling. Some of us "have some of it" and the ceiling is higher, and then there are the truly gifted. No amount of effort is going to put me in their class.

 

I do like the running analogy for explanation to the general public, though.

 

In MN, people all assume I show ski. I tell 'em show skiers are great but it's not what I do. They have a theme, costumes, and are judged on theatrics as well as the skiing...kinda like olympic figure skating. We are more like olympic speed skating. They all "get it" at that point.

[klindy]

@MattP‌ it doesn't mean you should be knocking at the door of 39. It may mean you missed your calling.... :smiley:

[MattP]

@klindy‌ Naw I hate running therefore I row. I think I still have some untapped potential when it comes to skiing.