Downhill Snow Skiing

Many people do not realize there are different types and techniques of downhill snow skiing. The first type of skiing, rock skiing, is at the beginning of winter when the ski resorts have enough snow to ski. Many people have a fondness for the second type of skiing, powder skiing, these skiing days are right after a snow storm. Groomed skiing, the third type of skiing, is for those skiers that love speed, and for beginning skiers. Spring skiing is the last type of skiing; this is the skiing in the spring. There are many types of skiing, and they are all thrilling.

Rock skiing is at the beginning of the year. On the slopes, in the rock skiing season, there are many rocks; this is how rock skiing earned its name. These rocks are bad for skis because the rocks scratch the skis, slow skis down, and sometimes they even break the skis. Lots of people do not like skiing during rock season because of the damage to their skis, especially if they have new skis. Rocks make it so that the snow is not very good. In rock skiing, there is not enough snow to cover the rocks. There is usually only about three feet of snow. Even with the small amount of snow, many people are excited to go because most people have not skied in about eight months. After rock skiing, comes the desired powder snow.

Powder days are the most desired over all other types of snow. Powder skiing is most longed for because it is most challenging. Challenging things are usually more amusing because they are not simple. Challenges make things more exciting; for example, repelling off a cliff, water skiing, a game of soccer against an equal opponent, and running a race are all exciting challenges. My brother Daniel said, “Powder is fun, but it is very challenging to keep my balance.” On powder, snow skiers need a different ski technique. Skiers need to lean back so the tips of their skis do not become swallowed by the powder. Powder also increases risk. One major risk is avalanches. Some skiers trigger avalanches and are killed. With equipment now available, skiers are able to find some other skiers that become trapped in avalanches. In the middle of a ski season if it is not a powder day, then runs are groomed.

Groomed runs are for beginners and for racers. Groomed runs are usually easier than runs that have not been groomed, like black diamonds, or double black diamonds. Groomed runs are especially good for those skiers that are learning, but are also amusing for those that love to reach high speeds. My brother David said, “I love to stay on the groomed hills because then I can go as fast as lightning.” My brother David is a beginner that likes to race down the hill against his other brothers, so groomed trails are perfect for him. Groomed trails are usually clear from any trees or rocks, and are safe for all skiers to go on. When skiers ski on groomed hills, they lean forward in their boot; this is a little different than skiing in powder. This helps the skier accelerate and go faster. After the good winter months are over, and then spring skiing starts.

Spring skiing is the last month of skiing. In spring skiing, there are some major risks. Because it is so hot in the spring skiing months, many skiers do not wear coats. If skiers do not wear a shirt, they could easily hurt themselves and earn themselves some road rash. Spring skiing brings other risks besides road rash. In the morning the snow is just fine for a few hours. After lunch, in the shadows, there is always ice, and everywhere else the snow is melting. The switch of the two surfaces can cause some major skiing accidents. Spring skiing requires a different technique. This technique is to go slower. Once the conditions are bad, skiers can become injured pretty easily. Going slow is just common sense. Spring skiing is unlike the other types of downhill snow skiing, spring skiing is the only type of downhill skiing that is in warm weather.

All types of downhill snow skiing are exhilarating. Rock skiing is amusing because rock skiing is the first time skiers ski in about eight months. Powder skiing is entertaining because powder skiing is challenging. Groomed skiing is exciting because groomed skiing is speedy. Spring skiing is recreative because spring skiing is the last time to ski before the season ends. All of these types of skiing are invigorating.

Super G vs Downhill

The super g and downhill are very similar, but there are some big differences. In a super g race there are not as many gates as in the downhill. This makes it so they are able to go faster. In the downhill they spread water out to make the snow icy. In these events it is almost like skiing on a sheet of ice. Skies are longer so they are more stable. I really enjoy watching these events because I am a skier. I know how hard it is to ski that fast and to turn that fast without losing speed. My dad use to ski race, he really enjoys watching these ski races. I guess his excitement to watch the races has rubbed onto my brothers and me. We all like to watch these events. It is fun to go skiing and to try out the moves of some of the Olympic athletes. Super g and the downhill start some excitement to go skiing more. I love to watch the super g and the downhill.

Short Track Vs. Speed Skating

Short track is my favorite Olympic sport because the race can change in a split second. Apolo Ohno is one of the athletes that races short track. In a lot of races he waits in last place, then when the time comes he just skates around everybody. Apolo has a lot of experience because he has race so long. Apolo has race against some of the other country’s Olympic coaches. Short track is different from speed skating because the skaters are on the ice at the same time. Lots of time this person that wins is the only person still standing. If one person looses their balance then it is just a domino effect backwards into the wall. In short track athletes wear helmets because they are in more of a danger to crash then in speed skating. The athletes in short track are often shorter, than in speed skating. This allows the athletes to be able to move around better. In speed skating they want long legs because long legs help an athlete acquire more speed. In speed skating only two people perform at once. In short track 4-6 people are skating at the same time. In speed skating they receive one chance to earn the best time. In short track two people qualify out of every race until they have the final people. In short track more people fall down then in speed skating. Short track is more exciting to watch then speed skating because each race is different. Short track is the best Olympic sport!

Keep Moving Forward

An athlete is running very fast and is about to make a new world record for a marathon. This athlete is five feet from crossing the finish line when he trips and becomes unconscious and falls into a coma. When this athlete wakes up he finds out he did not win, but decides to keep trying. Lots of athletes have faced defeat, but those that keep going will continue to be better and may actually win.

Snow cross is one of the Olympic events. In this event snow boarders race to finish first while fighting the other athletes. These races are very unpredictable because anything can happen. The athlete that starts in last may end up in first by the end of the race, or the person in first may take off and the other athletes may not have a chance. These athletes train four years sometimes to just face plant it right on the first hill. One example of this is Lindsey Jacobellis. Four years ago she was on her way to win a gold medal. She made it to the finals. Lindsey got in head of everybody and was going to win, but on the last jump something went wrong. Lindsey fell and she got passed. Lindsey Jacobellis still earned the silver medal, but this proves that if one little thing goes wrong then the gold medal can vanish before an athletes eyes. This year on one of the first races Lindsey Jacobellis lost control and got disqualified. There are other athletes that have too lost with the slightest movement. Many athletes also lost by crashing in the women’s downhill.

On the women’s downhill a few days ago many athletes were falling. The women that raced in the downhill only received one practice run. They practiced before it was icy, and because of this many athletes crashed. Most of the athletes that fell, fell on the last jump. These athletes would catch more than expected air and landed wrong. Some of the athletes prepared for the crash and new what to do. Other athletes were thrown around and it looked pretty painful. There were also some athletes that crashed in other places. One of these athletes was pulling out, lost balance, and crashed even before the first gate. It is sad that these athletes train so hard for four years, and crash so they do not even get a chance. Many snowboarders also crashed and lost their dreams.

Many of the athletes were falling on the half pipe this year. The snowboarding half pipe is about 20 ft tall this year. Many athletes landed one jump slightly wrong and got marked down a ton for it. Shaun White four years ago took a pretty hard fall by hitting his head on the side of the half pipe. Shaun White did not give up. He did another run and earned the gold medal. In the past four years Shaun White has become better even so that this year he earned a 48.3. He received a 96%, which is an A. Shaun has created new tricks one consisting of two flips and three and a half rotations. Shaun White is amazing, and anybody else can be if they set their minds to it.

Ski Jumping

One of the events in the Winter Olympics is ski jumping. The athletes have very long skies to make them more arrow dynamic in the air. They also have special binding to let them flex closer to their skies. The athletes also have a little wider skies to help them catch the wind. When ski jumpers jump at the Olympics they jump more than a football field. These athletes probably feel like they are a bird flying over everything. When athletes ski jump they only have the opportunity to go off the jump two or three times. If these athletes messed up on their landing they would most likely die. The gold medalist for today is Switzerland's Simon Amman. He also won the gold medal in the Olympics for 2002, but did not come close to placing in Italy four years ago. It was not much of a competition for him today when he finished far above the others. Many other athletes did well, but they did not have a perfect jump like Simon Amman. Ski jumping was a sport that was very fun to watch. Ski jumping looks very fun because it looks like athletes are flying with nothing to stop them.

Great Expectations

Today I was forced to stay home from skiing to read the Great Expectations. (Myself, not my parents forced me. ) This is a very good book, but when I try to read it fast it is not very much fun. I love skiing it is a bummer I had to stay home today to read. The Great Expectations is a weird book about a person named Pip. In the beginning of the book on Christmas Eve he is threatened by a convict to bring him some food and a file. The convict says if he does not he will rip out Pip’s heart and liver. Pip lives with Joe and Mrs. Joe. Mrs. Joe often beats Pip. Pip robs his house on Christmas day. He takes a ton of food including a pork pie, and Brandy. Pip mistakes filling up the Bottle with tar water instead of normal water. He takes the food to the convict, and he gobbles it down until pip mentions that there is another convict on the loose. The convict took all the food and was off. Pip has had many exciting adventures in this book so far. Things never happen the way pip expects them to. Mrs. Joe is always on Joe’s case and Joe is always defending Joe. This book is a very good book, but not a fast reader.

Fatal Accident

I am very excited to watch the winter Olympics this year. The Olympics bring all the countries together for peace and athletes compete. Many of these athletes train four years to show themselves once. Sometimes athletes become injured and can not even show themselves once. This year an athlete from Georgia died finishing the last turn on a practice run for the luge. This track is a very hard track because so many people are falling on the track. The athlete that was ranked to win a gold medal fell and so did many others expected to finish good. Because of the fatal accident from the athlete from Georgia, Quebec modified the last turn on the track to prevent more fatal accidents. Nodar Kumaritashvili died from flying over the edge and smacked into a concret pole. They closed the track and will reopen after they are sure there is nothing wrong with the track. In the opening cerimony millions of people took a moment of silence for Nodar Kumaritashvili. Nodar Kumaritashvili became an Olympian because he wanted to see what it felt like. The last fatal accident was about 50 years ago. I sure hope that there are no more fatal accidents in olympics, especially this year.

Junior High School Sports

Bang! The runners are off, jumping hurdles fighting for the finish. Track is one of the sports that we now have in junior high, but there are many sports that we do not have including: soccer, football, lacrosse, baseball, cross-country, and many others. Acquiring these sports may cost money, but these sports could help students with weight loss, school involvement, and developing a better work ethic. There should be more school sports in junior high.

Expenses! New sports will cost money for coaching, transportation, and equipment. These expenses are important especially with the economy currently so low. The national debt increases every second because spending exceeds taxes. Taxes are already high. Instead, donations and sponsors could pay for the expenses of these new sports. There are sports like baseball and soccer that equipment is already available from gym class in school. These sports would only need money for transportation and coaching. Sports like cross-country do not need additional equipment because the junior high schools have the equipment from track. Thus donations and sponsors could cover the additional expenses. Expenses are considered a problem in the United States, but obesity is considered a huge problem in the United States.

Obesity is a problem in the United States. A survey in 2005-2006, by National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, estimated that 72.9 percent of adults older than twenty are overweight. This estimate means that almost 3 out of 4 United States adults are overweight. These adults should be exercising because “Experts agree that regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to prevent obesity. It is also important for people who are overweight or obese to incorporate exercise into their daily activity.” Exercise could help students of our county have fewer problems with obesity. If these same students create a habit in junior high, then these habits may follow into adulthood. When I was young, my mom would ask me to make my bed; over time, I have created a habit to make my bed. Many students in our county could create a habit to exercise daily. Adding more sports in junior high could involve many students.

Many students will be involved by adding more sports in junior high. Current school sports in my junior high involve many students. Track is one of the sports that involve many students. About 100 students are on my junior high track team every year. Many students like to be involved. Other students do not participate in track because they do not like to run. By offering more sports in junior high, more students will be involved in a sport they like. When students are more involved, they do not get into trouble. For example, when a baby is playing with his rattle, he is not chewing on an electric cord, or falling down the stairs. The rattle keeps him busy so that he does not chew on the electric cord, or fall down the stairs. By offering more junior high school sports, students are less likely to participate in events that will hurt them or events that are against the law. Also, by involving more students in sports, fewer students will care about the high school boundaries until high school. Ninth grade students often try to play high school sports. Some of these ninth graders are not in the boundary of the high school they desire to attend. These students could be involved in these new junior high sports. By involving more students, then these students will also develop a better work ethic.

New sports in junior high may help students develop a better work ethic. When students work on their sport they often work to achieve goals. Many Olympic athletes worked to achieve their goals, such as Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. Sports can teach more athletes in junior high to set goals. Many teams set goals, for example: a soccer team may have a goal to take State, a football team may have a goal to be undefeated, or a baseball team may have a goal to win a certain game. Also, by participating in sports students are taught to use teamwork. A football team cannot win if the quarterback is a ball hog. By learning to work with other students, the athlete is able to work with other people. Also, students that participate in sports often need to work long hours and work in uncomfortable conditions. For example, on a boiling hot sunny day, it is not always easy to run. But by participating in sports, students learn to do hard things. This will help the students later in life because they have already learned to do hard things. New sports in junior high will be superb because it will help students develop a better work ethic.

We need more school sports in junior high. Donations and sponsors can cover expenses. Less people in our junior highs will have problems with being overweight. School sports will involve more students. Sports will help more students develop a better work ethic. We can hop the hurdle of expenses, run the meters of obesity problems, hop the hurdle of involving more students, run the meter of developing a better work ethic and we can finish first when we obtain more sports in junior high.