What do you care about more? Overall? Or single events?

[jgills88]

Off the top or my head,  there are some skiers who are amazing at one event (usually slalom or jump) and a few who are great at all three, but might not win. When watching the Pro Tour, who do you root for more?

Which would you rather have more coverage?

Edited July 2, 2023 by jgills88
Spelling

[ETskier]

Both.  Joel Poland and Dorian Lewelyn  are fun to watch. The worlds will feature some great 3-eventers this fall. The ladies too with Regina in the mix again.

[MDB1056]

I’m strictly a single event slalom guy. No interest in tricks or jump

Edited July 2, 2023 by MDB1056

[lpskier]

I grew up in the time when everyone skied overall and single eventers like KLP were unusual. I still think the overall competitors are the best skiers.
 

Look at who the best overall skiers include:

Regina (#3 in the World in overall and past overall world record holder).

Whitney until she had a child

Carl Roberge, who was a legit threat to win any pro event in slalom and jump.
 

Andy. He tricked over 4000 at the 2014 Senior Worlds.  
 

Bob LaPoint, Sammy Duvall and  Camille Duvall.   Jennifer Leachman LaPoint won the jump at Nationals her last year in girls. 
 

Joel Poland, Dorien Llewellyn (and his dad) Adam Sedlmajor. Giannina Bonnemann and Robert Hazelwood. And loads of other greats, past and present. 
 

The folks that can ski three events at an elite level are, in my opinion, the cat’s nads. 

[Kiwiskier]

As a skier and a ski dad I think overall is the best of the “4 “ events . Most skiers find as they grow that they are better suited to one or two of the events however I believe all should start out as overall skiers . 
 

[Jody_Seal]

[BraceMaker]

More likely to watch slalom events streaming live but equally likely to watch runs later of all the events.

 

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by BraceMaker

[Horton]

Overall skiing is unquestionably harder. It is literally more than three times the commitment. World overall champion especially 20 years or more ago was the big prize. The only reason why maybe it is less today is that so many fewer skiers participate. 

Unfortunately, slalom skiing is the one event that drives our sport. The purests are always going to love and defend overall, but the sport is 95% +/- slalom.

This is an interesting topic because I know that IWWF much prefers overall events over slalom events. I would propose that if you are concerned about the general health of the sport, overall would have to take a back seat to slalom. The vast majority of competitors today only care about slalom so to spend a disproportionate amount of effort on overall is spending effort not in the interest of the majority.

[ETskier]

Remember when Wayne Grimditch beat all the pro athletes from other sports in the super stars?

[Horton]

@ETskier you just dated yourself 

[ETskier]

Yep

[LK_skier]

I take my hat off to the 3 eventers - 3 times the work needed is amazing.  Undoubtedly, I love to watch Slalom first and will watch the jump finals due to the "coolness" factor of watching someone go flying.  I don't appreciate trick enough to enjoy watching it tbh.  This won't happen, but watching a 3 event only section would be kind of interesting - as in all 3 eventers slalom, then they trick and then they all jump - would be exciting to see the scores and what each skier needed to win. Having them all mixed in with single eventers takes away from their accomplishment a bit as they are often not in the mix for a podium but could be leading for overall?? 

 

[UWSkier]

If watching the webcast, slalom is the most interesting by far.

In person, jump has the biggest WOW factor to those who don't know the sport.  When the Malibu Open used to be in Milwaukee (sure wish they'd bring that back), the event that drew the most passers-by was always jump.  The simplicity of it helps.

[RAWSki]

I have to agree to disagree with @Horton  while slalom skiing is definitely the profit center for most ski companies I believe that 3-Event competition is way more compelling. And it could be made into an excellent competition for viewing (again) if there was more money paid out to male and female overall winners than to 3 different specialists.   Think of skiers like Joel Poland, Rob Hazelwood, Regina and Neily Ross ---- outstanding ambassadors and marketable. (not sure Neily jumps)

Jared Llewellyn has the basis for  this concept with the WWS International Tour.

 

 

 

[Horton]

@RAWSki Overall compelling to what end? what exactly is achieved by the fact that each of them does all three events?  Is it impressive? Hell yes. Does it have any impact on the health of the spor I don't see how.

[RAWSki]

Hmmm to determine who is the best OVERALL skier ?? (I also stated that it needed to be marketed and IF more money could be offered for overall victories I believe there would be a lot more 2-3 event skiers)

Would you say in the olympics there should be no decathlon or pentathalon because there are better individual competitors in the 10 or 5 events?

I am old guy that recalls the days of multi event skiers being the Stars and faces of the sport--- and enjoyed it much more.  I dont trick or jump but I appreciate the roots of our sport which is more than 6 balls and a lot of spray.

 

[The_MS]

3 event if 2 lakes 

Single event if only 1 lake

Down time to change up the lake sucks. 
Keep the skiers moving between lakes and show 2 events at the same time going back and forth with announcers paying to attention to each lake  

[Jody_Seal]

54 minutes ago, The_MS said:

3 event if 2 lakes 

Single event if only 1 lake

Down time to change up the lake sucks. 
Keep the skiers moving between lakes and show 2 events at the same time going back and forth with announcers paying to attention to each lake  

I and a boat driver can set our lake up to trick in about 5 min... put the three buoys back in in 5 min.....we do not have a jump... yet!

LymanLand takes about... 5 min to change over to tricks and back.. Jump course is incorporated  slalom course.. 1 lake site..Home of the Malibu open and 2023 souther regional's 

it's been my recent experience, we spend more time screwing around with sure path and it's inconsistencies, moving it from boat to boat then setting up for other then slalom..

 

in my brief stint as a tournament skier , member, judge and driver (45 years ) , I don't think that the ratio of overall skiers to single event skiers ( mostly slalom) has changed. what we have is a drastically reduced pool of membership within the sport over the last 25 years or so.  Overall was at the forefront in 80's and early 90's due to TV exposure. and as John commented it takes a lot of commitment as well as ingrained talent to be a Overall skier. 

how does one get road rash jumping?? Photo courtesy of Reggie! she was my boat judge this last weekend..

 

 

 

 

[The_MS]

I agree @Jody_Seal my comment was for prime viewing on TV. 

[Horton]

18 minutes ago, The_MS said:

prime viewing on TV. 

What decade are you living in? We all wish Hot Summer Nights was still on ESPN & gas was still a dollar a gallon but that is not the world we live in. Water skiing is never going to be big on TV no matter what we do. That and getting in the Olympics are two dreams we have wasted way too much energy on

 

[jjackkrash]

Slalom skiing is like the bench press of powerlifting.  It's certainly the most popular event.  And who doesn't want a big bench.  And it's the most fun to practice.   But all three events at a powerlifting meet are important and squat and deadlift are probably more important/impressive to those who really understand the sport.

Frankly, I think ski jumping is the most exciting of the three skiing events to watch.  I suspect tricking takes the most technical skill and practice time (coupled with gymnastics-like training) to master at the elite level than the other events.  Like others I probably enjoy slalom the most, but that does not mean we should shove jump and trick aside.  Jump and trick are events deserving of a seat at the table. 

All that said, the best skier at a three-event tourney is the overall winner, period.  And I'd prefer there were more three event tourneys than less.  

[The_MS]

I didn’t mean that either but hot summer nights was awesome. If TWBC were to format a 3 event broadcast, that would be the way to go if wanting to gain audiences share

[jgills88]

On 7/1/2023 at 11:54 PM, Kiwiskier said:

As a skier and a ski dad I think overall is the best of the “4 “ events . Most skiers find as they grow that they are better suited to one or two of the events however I believe all should start out as overall skiers . 
 

Can you expand on what your 4th event is? The college joke is slalom/trick/jump/drink, but if there's another kind of skiing that we could bring attention to, I'm all for it

[Horton]

@jgills88 overall is the fourth....

[Drago]

14 hours ago, Jody_Seal said:

it's been my recent experience, we spend more time screwing around with sure path and it's inconsistencies, moving it from boat to boat then setting up for other then slalom..

[chrislandy]

It maybe a French thing, but when I'm over there all I see is trickers. 10yr old kids trudging up and down for hours with their foot strapped in, adults 2/3 up free tricking, 6 kids at a time etc

 

I know the British team favors overall skiers over single event specialists