TOP FIVE FRIDAYS: DECEMBER 20, 2019
#1: FIS World Cup Ski Racing Recap: a Down Week For Both Circuits
You know what doesn't get talked about enough? Shiffrin's sportsmanship. Here she is with the two athletes that bester her in last weekend's Super G: Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone, both of Italy. Image: Mikaela Shiffrin on Facebook
Well, it’s like they say, “you can’t win them all.” Such was the case for both the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Alpine ski teams as they experienced what we suspect may come to be the least successful week of the season. That said, at least in Shiffrin’s case, the lackluster results are easily explained. Last weekend in St. Moritz, Shiffrin had the opportunity to race in a Super G and a Parallel Slalom. If you know Shiffrin, then you’re likely aware that slalom events are her speciality, while speed events are an area in which she’s currently striving for improvement. Keeping that in mind, Shiffrrin started the week strong with a 3rd place finish in a Super G race. Encouraged by the result and with an eye towards improving her speed results while managing her workload over the course of the season, she opted out of the Parallel Slalom race on Sunday in order to focus on a Giant Slalom race on Tuesday in Courchevel. While the intention and thought process made sense, unfortunately Shiffrin’s performance on Tuesday left much to be desired as she finished 17th (and +1.65 seconds off first place) in what was a considerably close race. Still, this isn’t Shiffrin’s first World Tour, and the fact that she took this risk this early in the season speaks to both her drive to be the best athlete she can possibly be, as well as the lead she’d already built in the overall standings. After missing a race this week and finishing in 17th in another, she still manages to lead the pack by 165 points. For reference, the gap between 2nd and 3rd is 70 points. Looking ahead, Shiffrin will aim to get back on track via a trio of events being host in Val d'Isere this week: a Downhill, Alpine Combined, and Super G race. As for the men, they’ll also have a chance to get regain the glory of last week as they take on a Downhill and Super G race in Val Gardena / Groeden.
#2: FIS Big Air Skiing Competition Coming to Atlanta This Weekend:
In other competition news this week, we’re excited to remind you that a Big Air event is coming to Sun Trust Stadium in Atlanta, GA this weekend! Those of you who’ve kept up with us during the offseason may recall when we first shared the news back in September. For those who keep their ski news seasonal, here’s the gist: This weekend, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team, the FIS World Cup Freestyle circuit, and the Atlanta Braves are joining forces to put on a Big Air competition in the heart of Georgia. Readers in the New England region might remember a similar scenario playing out at Fenway Park in Boston back in 2016 when the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team put on a Big Air event, although not on the FIS level. Considering how well received that event was, anticipation is quite high for this weekend’s iteration, for a number of reasons. First on that list is the location. Opting to host the event in a region not known for its snowfall, odds are high that this weekend’s event will expose a new market to the thrills of freestyle skiing and snowboarding. Additionally, by teaming up with FIS, the event is set to host the most talented freestyle skiers in the world, ensuring that those in attendance will be privy to a show unlike anything they’ve seen before. Speaking of spectating, it’s also worth noting that live broadcasts and replays of both the ski and snowboard events will be available via NBC. For more information on when and where to watch, click here. To learn more details regarding the competition itself, check out the preview from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team.
#3: Vail Resorts Announces Third Round of Layoffs:
Full disclosure: this image might feel a bit misleading as the layoffs pertain to corporate roles on finance teams, not ski instructors. That said, you have no idea how difficult it is to find an image that says, "Numbers person at a Vail Resort." Image: Vail Employment Website
Next up this week is a complicated news piece that demands coverage, but will likely be hard for many to form a conclusive opinion on. This week, Vail announced its third round of corporate layoffs this year. At first read, that seems to suggest that Vail’s success story has finally run its course, and the the corporation finds itself on the verge of implosion, right? Well, that’s not exactly the case. Now that the company has grown to own 37 resorts across the world, it’s fair to say that their upper management is both scattered and, unfortunately, redundant. In other words, each of the ski resorts that Vail has acquired over the years has come with its own corporate teams. As a result, Vail has essentially inherited 37 unique upper management teams, scattered across the world. This week’s news addresses that situation as Vail has announced layoffs for numerous finance teams in an effort to centralize its operations. While employees who were laid off aren’t guaranteed a new job, they have all been invited to apply for a similar position at their corporate headquarters in Broomfield, CO. While that’s a decent gesture, it’s safe to assume that not all those who lost their jobs this week are eager to pack up and move to Colorado.
As it turns out, this story is a great example of why we attempt to stress the notion that very few stories are ever black and white, and that more often than not, both sides have legitimate arguments in their defense. In this case, it’s obviously a massive bummer for employees who have been let go as a result of consolidation. There’s no denying that. Working a nice job at a ski resort, only to have it taken from you due to corporate moves flat out sucks. But, on the contrary, imagine being at the helm of a large company such as Vail, and trying to coordinate financial reports from 37 different teams at 37 different resorts? That also, flat out sucks. In this case, it’s even harder than usual to form an opinion about who might be right, and who might be wrong. Instead, this story simply falls into the, “that’s the way she goes,” category of life. For more on this, check in with the Aspen Times.
#4: Climate Change Could Wreck Havoc on North American Ski Industry by 2050:
More disclosure: this image was posted on the Stowe Facebook on June 24th, 2013. Still, what better represents climate change than a melting micro-snowman surrounded by grass?
Finally, we hate to do it, but unfortunately we have to round things out with a hint of doom and gloom. This week, we caught wind of a new study making its rounds on the internet that suggests the ski industry in Quebec, Ontario, and Northeastern United States could be in some seriously troubled waters by 2050. In an international collaboration between the University of Waterloo, the University of Innsbruck in Austria and Sport University in Beijing, scientists examined the environmental trajectory of 171 ski ares within the aforementioned regions, and determined that only 66 would be economically viable in a “high emissions” scenario. Attentive readers likely picked up on two variables begging for more explanation in that last sentence: “economically viable,” and “high emissions.” In the study, researchers considered a 100 day season to be economically viable, with consideration towards the ability to operate during the holiday season. While the recaps we’ve read haven’t provided figures regarding what constitutes “high emissions”, we do know that the “low emission” standard being considered is the successful adherence to the Paris Agreement. In that scenario, if humanity is able to stick together and meet its low emissions goal, the reduction in the region’s ski season would only be about 12-13 percent in the same time frame.
So what does that all mean? Unfortunately, it’s further confirmation of the same troubling trend that kicked off the whole consolidation race. With climate change already causing disruption to weather patterns, and the expectation that things likely won’t improve any time soon, the future of New England and Southeastern Canadian ski resorts is murky. The only silver lining we can offer on this one is that skiers are collectively known as a resourceful, driven bunch, and if there’s a way to keep the ski alive, we will. For more on this study, check out this writeup from Phys.org, or Yahoo! Canada.
#4.5: Bonus Highlight: December is Nordica Months in SkiEssentials.com's 2020 Ski Happy Contest!
