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Philpug

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There are a couple of unwritten rules in sports: never bet with a golfer you have just met who has a 1-iron in his bag; never steal third base with an eight-run lead; never play pool with someone whose first name is a city or state; and, most important, never say “short skis suck” to some old guy on 140cm skis whose nickname is “The Puppet” or “Shake and Bake.” These old guys will indeed school you and send you hanging your head in shame because they can throw down, spin, flip, and maneuver their bodies in ways that will make the raddest park rat or mogul skier nod with approval and say to their coaches, “Teach me how to do that.” Yes, we heard that request with our own ears.

Where did we hear it? Well, Tricia and I just spent another week with the members of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame at this year's induction ceremonies, held at Squaw Valley in beautiful Lake Tahoe. This was Pugski.com's third year at the event, and the first year that we were able to sponsor it through advertising and behind-the-scenes support. We could not be more proud to be associated with the organization; every year is more humbling than the last.

The Hall is in the process of reinventing its induction ceremonies through new events like SNOWx, an open forum for bringing different views to the event through a format similar to TEDx. For the first time, the inductees were presented during a press conference in front of a panel of media participants. We also enjoyed a new on-snow ballet exhibition for the athletes under the guidance of Genia Fuller Crews, World Champion freestyler and Hall of Fame member; this demonstration was held with the hope of bringing the discipline back into organized competition.

Other than Olympic medalist Jonny Moseley, the members, inductees, and former competitors that participated in the ballet demonstration were well into their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Not only were they great skiers in their competition days, but those who are still healthy are still great skiers; to see the sparkle in their eyes during the exhibition was truly a blessing.

Will ballet come back? Can ballet come back? Will it ever be cool again? (Was it ever cool?) Sadly, I have to answer probably “no” to every one of those questions, which is a shame. Ballet takes not only skill and imagination, but also something different than what is needed to hit rails, a 30-foot tabletop, or even a huge cliff. What ballet does not need is a park or a big mountain; it can be done at pretty much any ski area, from a 200-foot hill in the Midwest to the biggest baddest mountain in the Rockies. So, here is my call-out to everyone: just do it, grab some short skis (even some rentals) and start playing around in the beginners area and see if you have what it takes to ski like the old guys, the ones who invented freestyle skiing and ballet.

Additionally, I would like to extend a special "Thank you" to our friends at Freeride Media and Bob Legasa, here are some great videos...

Jonny Moseley:


Dan Herby (Squirrel Murphy's stunt double from Hot Dog:The Movie):


As Freeride gets more videos up, we will add them to this thread.

Here is our Facebook LIVE feed from the event:


Here is Bob Legasa giving "Airborne Eddie" Ferguson getting his own special @Shotzski...

 

Karen_skier2.0

AKA - RX2SKI
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Johnstown, CO
Thanks for covering the event! Nice to see some familiar faces out there!

I think the next one should be in Utah at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in Utah!
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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Thanks for covering the event! Nice to see some familiar faces out there!

I think the next one should be in Utah at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in Utah!
With the Hall of Fame ceremonies being in Utah next year, I think we will be doing it again.
 

James

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Wow Mosely is really good with the pole stands and flips. Spins too. Needs work on his overall flow. Plus he'd lose points in a rodeo for losing a hat. But impressive job.
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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Here are some more pictures...

Jonny Moseley
30715164_10214419634783658_1852881022142985093_n.jpg

Dan Herby
30712002_1975269842505780_4239245103266267136_o.jpg

Me with Alan Schoenberger
30072985_10157355025907306_773642265803637575_o.jpg


Name to come
30712413_1975268529172578_1280107782732775424_o.jpg
 
Last edited:

James

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IMG_5058.JPG

Is Suzy wearing '70's Scott boots?
What is the gear Mosely is using?
Like 52inch poles?

Btw, if we could teach @SBrown to ski ballet, she could be a stand in for Suzy.
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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View attachment 44192
Is Suzy wearing '70's Scott boots?
What is the gear Mosely is using?
Like 52inch poles?

Btw, if we could teach @SBrown to ski ballet, she could be a stand in for Suzy.
Yes, good catch on Suzie's boots...not only Scott boots but early generation NON DIN versions. From last year at Stowe...
IMG_0652.JPG


Mosele is using Hart Ballet and Fischer boots.
The poles are more like 56-60"
 

James

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Yes, good catch on Suzie's boots...not only Scott boots but early generation NON DIN versions. From last year at Stowe...
View attachment 44195

Mosele is using Hart Ballet and Fischer boots.
The poles are more like 56-60"
Scary boots! I bet mountaineering hiking boots have more lateral support.
 

Karen_skier2.0

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Wow Mosely is really good with the pole stands and flips. Spins too. Needs work on his overall flow. Plus he'd lose points in a rodeo for losing a hat. But impressive job.

Jonny Moseley was not just a mogul skier. He was a top-ranked combined skier on the World Cup. In ballet, Jonny consistently placed 5-8 in his final years (1995-1996) and was generally ranked 3rd among the Americans. At that point, only a handful of athletes were competing in the combined after ballet failed to gain full medal status after the 1992 Olympics. Combined skiers essentially had to qualify in each event to compete in the combined on World Cup. Sergei Shupletsov (2nd moguls in Lillehammer) and Trace Worthington (multiple time WC Aerial Champion and 2x Olympian) both skied combined even though they are more well known for their success in moguls and aerials, respectively.
 

James

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Jonny Moseley was not just a mogul skier. He was a top-ranked combined skier on the World Cup. In ballet, Jonny consistently placed 5-8 in his final years (1995-1996) and was generally ranked 3rd among the Americans. At that point, only a handful of athletes were competing in the combined after ballet failed to gain full medal status after the 1992 Olympics. Combined skiers essentially had to qualify in each event to compete in the combined on World Cup. Sergei Shupletsov (2nd moguls in Lillehammer) and Trace Worthington (multiple time WC Aerial Champion and 2x Olympian) both skied combined even though they are more well known for their success in moguls and aerials, respectively.
So the "Combined" was aerials and moguls and ballet? And aerials as in the huge kicker jumps with the small skis? How long did this go on?
 

Willy

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So the "Combined" was aerials and moguls and ballet? And aerials as in the huge kicker jumps with the small skis? How long did this go on?

Ballet was renamed Acro for awhile then ended competitively in 2000. Having it not be accepted into the Olympics was the beginning of the end.
 

Karen_skier2.0

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So the "Combined" was aerials and moguls and ballet? And aerials as in the huge kicker jumps with the small skis? How long did this go on?

Yes, the combined included all 3 events from the 80s until 2000. The aerials are the 12 and 14 foot jumps and the athletes generally skied on 160s. I'll have to find video of JM doing a bFFF--three flips with three twists.

I found it

 

James

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Yes, the combined included all 3 events from the 80s until 2000. The aerials are the 12 and 14 foot jumps and the athletes generally skied on 160s.
Whoa! Rip van Winkle. Totally missed it.
Mosely is something!
And how about Mary Carillo as announcer? Never heard that.
 

Tricia

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Freeride Media is putting more videos up.
What say you - Shall we put them in a new post or add them to the OP....or both?
*here for now.
Bob Howard in his solo Ski Ballet
Bob Howard and Suzy Chaffee showing their pairs dancing
 

Tricia

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I should've come down for this, it looked like a ton of fun. Bob was tempting me but, oh no, Damn job....
You should have been here!
 

Willy

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Here is a great clip put together by Bob Howard, pioneer of ballet and multiple WC winner. This from when he performed as part of the Volvo Ski Show with a number of great former freestylers. This is the same show that Dan Herby, Bob Legasa, and a host of other guys were involved with. Great stuff!

 

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