Do you think "park" skiers are actually good skiers?

Question

I think some are. But many are very technically unsound, and ski ugly.

Answer 1

I tend to agree that "park" skiers are not that great outside the park. However I won't go so far as to say they are bad skiers. In fact, the park is an area where I've never been good, let alone excelled. So who am I to say these guys are bad skiers? They do stuff I can't do.

On the other hand, I don't see them ripping up a good line through the moguls, hitting gates on a timed course, or telemarking....but those are different styles.

Does the fact a skier can do a 360, hit a rail, and pull a grab as he gets off the rail BUT NOT run a GS course make him a bad skier?....no.

I think eventually the IOC will have an "Alpine Combined" event where skiers will have to excell in different syles, similar to the Nordic Combined. That would settle the score a bit and those who win would have to be good at traditional alpine events as well as freestyle events.

Answer 2

What defines a "good skier"

To me, a good skier would be someone who hits the 50 foot table in the park, or does a 270 on to a rail.  

My answer is yes, i think "park skiers" are frickin sick

Answer 3

ya in colorado at least you normally learn how to ski b4 park

and to do what most park skiers do you need to be very sound thats what i belive at least

Answer 4

some are great skiers, transitioning from park to powder effortlessly. I don't think Sarah Burke, however, is all that great. She looks like a fish out of water when not in the park. Ingrid Backstrom, however, does both wonderfully.

Answer 5

dude park skiiers are the **** they have so much steez if you can gap a cheese wedge and 540 how much more style do you need

Answer 6

Yup, in total agreement.  A lot of core park rats are bad skiers outside of the park, and it's the same with 'boarders.  Put them on a double-black and watch them flail (or falling-leaf) down.  Carving?  What's that?  Icy conditions?  Let's hit the bar, bro/brah...

Honestly, I don't really even call gaps, rails, etc. skiing.  It's like calling pulling jumps/wheelies/stoppies "cycling".  It's not cycling/riding, rather cycling/riding TRICKS.  This is not to say there isn't a huge amount of expertise involved.  There surely is.  But I don't think the word "skiing" really covers what they do.  If you want to expand the word's definition to include park tricks, you still can't say that those only-good-in-the-park skiers are good skiers, as that would ignore everything else that has been known forever as skiing, such as being able to deal with different snow and mountain conditions with speed, grace and technical merit.  It would also be a huge disservice to truly good park/carve/big-mountain/tree-skiers/huck... who are good everywhere to elevate the only-good-in-the-park rats to equal status.

Well, to be fair, park-only skiers use center-mounted noodles (for buttering), so their equipment limits their competence anywhere else.

Maybe we should use "jib/jump" to be clear.  A lot of park rats are great jib/jumpers, but sucky skiers.  Hitting a 50ft table with a 540 and a grab makes you a great jumper, not necessarily so much a great skier.  Conversely, there are a lot of great skiers who are sucky jib/jumpers, like all the WC racers.