Favorite Non Skating Events @ The Olys?

[Tonichelle]

I love the downhill skiing, and snowboard cross...

also enjoy bobsleigh and luge events

skelleton scares me (why name a sport that's already deadly after bones? lol)

[reynycpr]

Looking forward to the Luge, Bobsleigh, Skeleton, Ski Jump, and Freestyle Skiing (Aerials) events.

[yelyoh]

Short track skating. Bobsled. Luge. And the circular snowboard race on that hilly, curvy course.

[Tonichelle]

And the circular snowboard race on that hilly, curvy course.

that would be snowboardcross

[ARipp42014]

Easy... hockey!

But I'll watch alpine skiing, speed skating, and snowboarding as well.

[yelyoh]

that would be snowboardcross

Ah thanks. Anyway, I think it's exciting and Americans do well lol.

[Sk8n Mama]

I love the aerials and the moguls.

[beep_beep]

Whaaat!
No curling fans??

[figuristka]

Iam mostly just a figure skating fan but will watch a few other thing if they are on. Ski jumping and luge has already started http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/olympics/

[merrywidow]

Speed skating, cross country skiing, luge, biathalon, ski jumping.

[Wicked]

I will watch any sport that is Olympic. I love the ski jumping and skiing.

[Tigger]

Whaaat!
No curling fans??

Reporting for Duty!! *salutes*



Actually, I'm more than a figure skating fan and also follow an awful lot of the other sports quite closely too.

Like Curling (GO CHERYL AND KEVIN!!!), Alpine Skiing (GO MANNY AND THE REST OF THE COWBOYS AND SPEED QUEENS!!!), Freestyle Skiing (GO JENNIFER AND STEVE!!!), Bobslelgh (GO PIERRE AND HELEN!!!), Speed Skating (GO CLARA, CINDY, KRISTINA AND THE REST OF THE TEAM!!!!), Short Track Speed Skating (GO QUEBEC SPEED DEMONS!!!), Skelton (GO JEFF AND MELISSA!!!) and Hockey (GO SYDNEY AND THE BOYS AND HAILEY AND THE GIRLS!!!)...

Do I need to go on?

[Justafan]

Alpine skiing
Short Track Speed Skating
500, 1000 & 1500m speed skating
Snowboarding
Freestyle skiing
Ski Jumping

[Alex]

Curling
Ski Jumping
Biathlon
Nordic Combined
Alpine Skiing

[Olympia]

I am always pleasantly surprised to realize that I love watching most of the events. These sports that few of us pay attention to for four years turn out to be by turns exciting and charming. A lot of the appeal is seeing people who have worked for years to perfect their talents and their technique, finally having a turn on the world stage. We skating lovers tend to think of skating as a neglected sport (in the States, at any rate--compared to football and auto racing and pro wrestling). But these other sports are even more obscure, and yet they have athletes and devoted followers who stand in the cold for hours to watch and cheer people on. There's a real nobility in these athletes, who pursue excellence while working at often humble day jobs. Except for some stars like snowboarder Shaun White, many of them barely manage a mortgage. Yet they persevere.

A large part of the events' appeal is the voice-over by knowledgeable commentators such as the guys who covered the Women's Mogul skiing last night. These folks take into account that they're talking to an audience of mostly newcomers, and they're clear yet excited about the proceedings. They point out things like which competitor is showing good form (in the moguls, it's a relatively still upper body). The American commentators tend to talk a lot, but since everything they say is new, I'm fascinated.

And it's wonderful to see the delighted faces of the athletes who do well. Whether they're from my country or not doesn't generally seem to matter to me. By the time I see what they have to go through to reach the finish line, I'm on their side!

So far, I seem to prefer the airborne or gliding sports, like the slightly longer short track (1500 m, I think--the very short track just looks like human crash dummies), ski jumping, half pipe snowboard, and crosscountry skiing. This kind of leaves out curling, but I love that such a sport exists. A sport with brooms that isn't Quidditch! Who'd have thought?