Bread and Thread by LaurenW

Bread and Thread                     LaurenW

March 22, 2010

Exordium:

    In a child-filled home in Kentucky, a well-used oaken bed resides alongside two other beds. Well-used, yes, but one could hardly tell that this evenly-stained rest-giver is ten or so years older than its more wobbly and dented counterparts. Under the bed are some drawers, drawers that do not fall past that which was meant to hold them up, drawers which do not need to be pushed with squeals of rebellion to their proper place, and drawers which are not ruined when loaded with plenty. The house contains more than twenty drawer-laden pieces of furniture, but only three of them have the same level of quality as this bed. All four have this in common: they were made by my Grampa, Loren Sebring, a master craftsman

    Let us now move to the evergreen trees of Washington, where, at the end of a tree-crowded driveway, there stands a fifty-year old house. Light streams in through its many windows with joy. Beaming through the windows, these rays meet –and jump away from— a gleaming tree-grained floor. This floor was installed—and this house was built—by my Grampa. From this house, we go a little down the road, past a handful of subdivisions filled with mass-produced houses, until we reach a knot of trees covering a driveway’s entrance. Taking this road, we reach a large clearing, surrounding a small house fit into the hillside. This also, simple but strong, is the work of my Grampa. Traveling on from there, we come to a gray-roofed house accompanied by a metal carport. Like the others, this house is not fancy, but it is sturdy, functional, and suited to the life of its resident.

  Forty years ago, one could have walked through the woods from this house to our final destination, but now a road takes us around a large congregation of houses and past a bit of sylvan land, till we reach, by this road and that road, Grammy and Grampa’s house. Behind the house, which sits on a five acre lot, is what many call “Grampa’s forest”. Though small in acreage, the undergrowth of ferns, berry bushes and stinging nettles, makes these grounds ideal for exploring; two generations of children have delighted in finding and dubbing parts of the land. In this forest the morning and evening light shines down “upon the shattered boughs and mossy trunks of the trees”(Scott 4). Eclipsed by most county parks in size, this small tract has certain qualities and bounties which the much-enjoyed parks do not share. In this wood there is a place for the birds, for the trilliums, and for the pillaring cedars. There is even a place in the woods for the skunk cabbage and the badger, the big leaf maple and the blackberries.

  Sharing the same lot of land, the wood and the house have much in common. Although not made by as good a craftsman as the One who first formed the forest, the house is very well-planned and constructed. Let us enter into the red-sided, ranch style house, and discover for ourselves.

 The building is “a little house well-filled”, which, as Benjamin Franklin stated, is one of the great riches. To one’s left are cabinets, beyond them, covered with the usual cabinets and more, is the kitchen. If one was to look to one’s right, their eyes would sweep past the large cabinets covering the water heater and the bird seed, and rest upon the laundry room. There are more cabinets here. In fact, almost every room in the house has the same style of honey-colored cabinet, flush and trim, because when my Grampa built this house, he used his space with care. Crowning them all, my Grammy would say, is the long cabinet from which her ironing board squeaks. Simply put, the space is used well with well-made work.

   It is debatable whether or not machine made furniture and houses made from standard blueprints are able or ever will be able to compete with work such as my Grampa’s in quality. However, not all hand work is of quality similar to my Grampa’s. Generally, though, handcrafted work is more expensive than the work of a machine, because of the greater number of man-hours put into the work. This means that the question of handmade products over machine-made products is not necessarily a case of quality versus quantity. A beginning cook may spend a longer time in the kitchen preparing a certain dish than an experienced chef, but it is more likely that the chef’s finished product will have a greater quality than the beginner’s. As one learns a handcraft, one become more adept at the craft, and produces works of greater quality, prepared with less time expense. When one can buy a fully prepared meal at the grocery store or restaurant, and can obtain clothes at a great many stores, why would one want to expend time to make one’s own? If one wants to have some hand in preparing a meal, with very little time or experience, one may buy a mix from the grocery store. “Just add water”, these packets proudly proclaim. In our world today, food and clothing is readily acquirable. Is it worth one’s while to use their own hands to produce such basic things? Or is it enough that such things can be found at the nearest store?

   Thesis:

  Although no longer necessary in developed countries for the basics of life, it is still worthwhile for one to make clothes and prepare meals with one’s own hands.

Divisio:

  One has a greater sphere of usefulness than otherwise when one is skilled in clothes-making and cooking. Also, a person who can create clothes from yarn or fabric and who can prepare a wholesome meal from basic ingredients does not have to depend on the whim of the current market. Furthermore, when done with one’s own hands, there is a certain beauty in the tangible workings of cloth and thread, of yeast and bread, and of other such interactions involved in the clothing and feeding of mankind.

Confirmatio:

  Even in today’s world of ready-to-wear clothes and ready-to-eat food, one can be more useful to themselves and others when one is skilled in clothes-making and preparing meals. This may be easily demonstrated. In American society it is customary that people exchange money for clothing. If, however, one can skillfully make clothes from fabric, one is able to gain clothing from monetary and non-monetary sources. Although it may be simple enough to buy a delicious meal from an elegant restaurant, one skilled in cooking has the option of producing --with one’s own hands—a greater panoply of dishes (or even meals) with the same amount of money.

  For the Christian there are still other reasons to consider preparing meals and making clothes as a worthwhile way to expand one’s usefulness. In a letter to a pastor in Crete, Paul wrote that Christians “must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives”(Titus3:14). This same apostle tells the Thessalonians to “make it [their] ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind [their] own business, and to work with [their]hands”(1Thessalonians4:11). Echoed elsewhere in Paul’s epistles, there are two reasons given for such an injunction: so that their “daily life may win the respect of outsiders, and so that [they] will not be dependant on anybody”(1Thessalonians 4:12). These two reasons are the pillars of Christian work ethic, and here seem closely tied with work of one’s hands.

  The question, however, readily arises as to whether or not the Industrial Revolution and it’s descendants have replaced working with one’s hands with other ways of meaningful employment. In some ways, probably so--the art of writing beautifully still has value for some things, but has certainly been derailed as an efficient way of book-production. But there are other ways in which it has not, and likely never will. Although the phrase “Just like Mama’s” may bring laughs from the many can-fed and TV-trayed families of today, there are many who can attest that home-made food is indeed the best. There exist in almost any town a plethora of stores from which one may buy clothes and food, but if people can gain clothes and food from basic materials, and not only from money, they become all the more useful.

  In many ways, this usefulness means saving money. This benefit, however, depends on the one who carries out the work. If, for example, one scorches the fillet mignon, no money was saved. On the other hand, with a dozen or so dollars one might buy a few yards of good quality fabric, buttons, and thread. Also, unless they have a very great amount of experience, a pattern will be needed. With some experience and a careful hand, one may produce from these materials a dress shirt worth triple the cost of the mere materials. Likewise, one could make a fine loaf of bread from some of the simplest—and least expensive ingredients. Because of the productivity gained when one fashions a garment or puts together a meal, such things are worth some time.

   Another reason one may find it worthwhile to create clothes from yarn or fabric and to prepare a wholesome meal from basic ingredients is the independence it give from the whims of the current market. On the bag for every store-bought loaf of bread, on the label of every marketed can of soup, and on the side of every box of brand-name cereal, there is a list. This list, often headed by the word “ingredients”, gives the names of all within the wrappings, that which may soon be eaten by some hungry buyer. Often, much of the list is made up of additives, “substances not normally consumed as foods but added to food either intentionally or by accident”(Whitney and Rolfes). Incidental additives are not put on the label. In the US, the additives on the label have been reviewed by the FDA and are allowed because it seems that their benefits (such as spoilage prevention) outweigh the risks involved. Although such additives are not necessarily dangerous, they lose their necessity when one makes one’s own food. Compare the process (from farm to factory, from factory to vehicle, from vehicle to grocery store or restaurant, and from these to one’s plate) involved in bringing a store-bought loaf to the table with that of a homemade loaf. After the loaf has been baked it is often eaten within the day, or at most within a week. Adding preservatives to this would be like giving cod liver oil to a well person: there is no need. Furthermore, as Ellie Whitney and Sharon Rolfes posit in their textbook,

FDA inspectors cannot keep pace with the increasing number of imported foods; they inspect fewer than 2 percent of the almost 3 million shipments of fruits, vegetables, and seafood coming into more than 300 ports in the United States each year.(661)

It has become a common sight in homes and stores to see a label on food claiming, “made in China”. Sometimes a company can certify that this particular food made in China (or any other country) is safe, and sometimes they cannot. With the recent safety scandals of the Chinese government, people can be wary of their products, for who knows what incidental additives could be put into the innocent-looking apple juice? But one can be rather sure of a meal if one has made it carefully oneself (especially if one is sure of the origin of the ingredients). If one uses her hands to make a meal, unhealthy and questionable additives and processes can be avoided—in fact, it would be difficult to find ways of using them.

   Doing work with one’s hands is also a worthwhile way to be independent of the clothing market. In a letter to a friend, Paul said that he wanted “women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety”(1Timothy 3:9). The popular fashion of present-day America is hardly ever modest, for the market seems to be driven by people’s appetite for sin. One may find modest clothes, but all too often one will have to spend hours searching for these elusive garments, using as much time searching for clothes as it might take to make them. When discovered, the garment, though modest, may be very ugly, and of use only to fill the rag bag. Many times a modest and beautiful garment can be found, but it often takes much time and even more money. Although it is not impossible to find such clothes at inexpensive prices, it is difficult. “One of the most obvious and least expensive methods is to learn to sew”(Davis). Finding suitable woven fabric is a cinch in comparison to this, although in most places knits are fewer. Why search fruitlessly for a special cut flower, when one can grow the perennial plant from seedlings at home? There is time and effort involved, but there is also a more lasting effect in making one’s own clothes.  It seems worth the time and effort to make one’s own clothes, especially when one considers the experience that is gained, a greater ability to make clothes. What a worthwhile way to be independent from the whims of the market!

 Furthermore, this independence allows and often inspires creativity. The scissor-snipped pieces may not always fit together just as the pattern says they should, but with a small and careful seam, an added trim or some other contrivance of a seamstress, it may be remedied. A plain crocheting pattern can be made lovely with a deft addition of color. Useful in many ways, the yarn or fabric leftovers from a project may be used for many things, from an everyday quilt to a welcoming pair of baby socks. In cooking, one may add this spice to give one effect, that spice to give another. The independence for creativity is one thing which makes clothes-making and meal-creation worthwhile.

   Last but definitely not least, there is a certain beauty in the tangible interactions involved in the clothing and feeding of mankind that make it worthwhile to take part in them with one’s own hands. Adding yeast to dough, one discovers the process which Jesus speaks of several times, at one time in connection with the growth of the kingdom of heaven, at another time in connection with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. What is there about this small, living fungus that may be wondered at? The answer is well-known, but amazing if one thinks of it: “a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough”(Galatians 5:9). When knitting with wool, one might realize that the yarn one is using was once on the back of a hirsute sheep, perhaps in China, perhaps Australia, perhaps even in India. After being sheered from the sheep, this hair was cleaned, carded, and spun into yarn. Now, underneath one’s fingers, it is being made into a purse perhaps, or a pair of socks, the method of its workings determining the final work. Having been woven of thread, fabric and individual threads are melded together to form a garment. Most white woven shirts were once bits of a cotton plant surrounding the seed. Linen, quondam stem of a flax plant, did not come to be part of one’s summer fabric until it had gone through a long process of harvesting, breaking, retting, heckling, and spinning. Then, the flax became linen.

“In [American colonial] days, every farmer and his sons raised wool and flax; his wife and daughters spun them into thread and yarn, knit then into stockings and mittens, or wove them into linen and cloth, and then made them into clothing”.(Earle 165)

Today, these processes are rarely done by one person, but the processes are nevertheless there. Such processes are behind the food brought to one’s table, the chairs in which one sits, and the napkins which one uses.  It is amazing what God, the One who clothes the lilies of the field, would enable the men that he has made to do. Perhaps the beauty of God’s workmanship is most clearly shown to us when we work with the Creator’s work. When one

If this is the case, the handworks of clothes-making and meal-preparing are certainly worthwhile.  

Confutatio:

  But what credence does this essay have, if as the oft-used adage states, “it’s the thought that counts”? If such is the truth, there is little basis for one to suppose that it is worthwhile to make one’s own clothes and meals.  This saying and the mindset that often accompanies it has been absorbed into both the Christian culture and the secular world. Often used to console someone who may have become “like clouds and wind without rain” in the act of gift-giving, this adage is treated as if it is but common sense (Proverbs 25:14). In Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters, the same sentiment is eloquently expressed by the irksome Mrs. Gibson: “thought is spiritual, while action is merely material”(Gaskell 307). Although this saying may seem a kindness in its forbearance towards another, the sentiment it conveys is unbiblical and mistaken. In his only preserved letter, James the Just asks the Hebrew Christians what good there is if one tells his brother to “ “go in peace, be warm and well fed” but does nothing about his physical needs”(James 2:15). The thought doesn’t count here! Truly, if we consider how God has shown His love towards us –in the dappled things of this world, in the spotless things in the next, and in sempiternal life through Christ Jesus—we may, indeed must, see the falsity of such a saying. “What would we make of a theologian who said the gift of Christ did not really matter, what mattered was the thought behind it?”(Wilson 32). We are saved –truly saved—through the actual death, actual burial, and actual resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not the thought that counts. We must desist from such a solecism.  

 Another argument which might threaten to negate the thesis of this essay is one

concerning priorities. “There are better things to do”, one may say.  Yes, there are better things to do, but in many of those better things—such as serving God—handwork may be included. Think of Dorcas, “who was always doing good and helping the poor”, remembered after her death for “the robes and other clothing that [she] had made”(Acts 36, 39). Think of Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla, who made tents while they spread the gospel of life. One’s life is full of multiple choices, and for many purposes, making clothing and preparing meals is a good answer. While another reads, the family talks, or one is driven down the road, one may knit or crochet. Sometimes, with a simple pattern, one may watch television at the same time she does handwork. It is not often that one will have to sit down and do only the knitting or the crocheting. There are times, of course, when such multi-tasking is detrimental to one or both of the activities, and is better ceased. But the point is this: the handwork advocated in this essay is worthwhile (that is, worth time); some things are more worthwhile, but then, many things are less.

  Another circumstance that seems to weigh against this essay is the degenerate lives of some who have embraced handwork. Eric Sloane the early Americana enthusiast, John Seymour the “father of self-sufficiency, and John Ruskin a painter and writer of the English Arts and Crafts movement  all lived, in major ways, very strange lives. Eric Sloane was married five times, and Seymour and Ruskin had strange relations with their wives and others. In proclaiming an idyllic life to be obtained through handwork’s beauties, their lives were overgrown with unbiblical ideas.  People may look to these men, see where their philosophies lead them, and, in fleeing from their philosophies, mark handwork as sensual and base. Herein lies an important distinction. It is sinful to worship handwork, and there is a great punishment for those who “worship and serve created things rather than the Creator”(Romans 1:25). To enjoy handwork however, and to be thankful for it as a gift from God is another case entirely. Taking handwork as a secondary gift from God (for it is much better to have one’s sins forgiven than to carve a bench of pine), we may find handwork worthwhile.

Conclusio:

   For many reasons, it is worthwhile to work with one’s hands to create clothes and meals. There is a usefulness gained by these skills which may help oneself and others, often by saving money. Independence from the market is another proof of worthiness, giving one the ability to creatively produce modest clothes and healthy foods. Also, the beauty in our God-given world is wonderful to see from this angle. These are all reasons that it is worthwhile to strive after such skills. For, in fact, the two general skills here advocated are not the only ones to which this essay’s reasoning might apply. Woodworking and gardening are two other activities of handwork to which this reasoning can be applied. But what must one do? Ultimately, every activity should be examined by one important criterion. Not whether it is enjoyable, or productive, or even beautiful, for although those are facets of this criterion, they are not the whole picture. It is not only the activity itself that must be examined—as it was in this essay—but also the way in which the activity is done by the person doing it. Paul told the Corinthians that, in issues of diet, whether they ate or drank, “or whatever” they did, they should “do it all for the glory of God”(1Corinthians 10:31). Writing to the Ephesians, the same Paul also said that they should be “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”(Ephesians 5:20).One should examine all parts of one’s life. Does this text message glorify God? Can one thank the Lord for the video game? Is this activity the right way of honoring God now? If we do not give thanks for that which God gives us to do, we are not doing it as we should. Let us, then, occupy ourselves with worthwhile things, doing them with praise in our hearts toward God.

Works Cited

Davis, Tonya. “Dressing Little Girls”. Ladies Against Feminism. Stanley Sherman. Web. 2010.

Earle, Alice. Home Life in the Colonial Days. Williamston Massachusetts: Corner House, 1975.Print.

Gaskell, Elizabeth. Wives and Daughters. New York New York: Penguin Group, 2001. Print.

Scott, Walter. Ivanhoe. New York: Tor, 2000. Print

The New International Version Bible. Michigan: Zondervan, 2001. Print.

Whitney, Ellie, and Sharon Rolfes. Understanding Nutrition. Belmont California: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005. Print.

Wilson, Douglas. My Life for Yours. Moscow Idaho: Canon Press, 2004. Print.

Snowboarding in the Olympics, Josh T

Advanced Essay

April 2010

The Winter Olympics and Snowboarding: A Good or Bad Relationship?

Exordium

  The origin of the Olympic Games lies in ancient Greek culture. It started as an ancient track and field competition and has now become the largest world sporting event, with every major international sport represented. As different disciplines were added to the Olympics, it was separated into the Summer Games and the Winter Games, alternating games every two years. Ever since the split, more and more events have been added as time has gone on. In the 1998 Nagano games, a young, controversial sport was added to the Winter Olympic line-up. That sport was snowboarding.

For its entire existence, snowboarding has been the center of much controversy in the snow-sports world, particularly among the alpine ski crowd. In 1998 it was introduced in the Nagano Japan games with two events, the halfpipe and the parallel giant slalom. The addition of the sport to the Olympic games only added fuel to the debate. There were outbursts from both the skiing community and the smaller snowboarding community. Many of the members of the international skiing community were outraged that such a loose, rebellious activity had earned the honor of becoming an Olympic discipline. 

The main issue of dispute in the snowboarding camp was the issue of jurisdiction. “Prior to the 1998 Games, many snowboarders became upset when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the jurisdiction of the event to the International Skiing Federation (FIS) instead of the International Snowboarding Federation (ISF).”¹ Many of the world’s professional snowboarders cried foul at this apparent misplacement of authority. The general feeling was that the control over the administration and judging of the Olympic and the World Cup Olympic qualifiers should be entrusted to those who knew how the sport works. Most snowboarders felt that the FIS would not do a good job representing the sport. There was and is still controversy even among the snowboarding community about whether or not the Olympics should be boycotted due to the jurisdiction of the FIS. Among those who ardently opposed the control of the FIS in 1998 was the Norwegian freerider Terje Haakonsen. Regarded as the greatest snowboarder in the world at the time of the Nagano Olympics, Haakonsen proudly proclaimed “Snowboarding is not a discipline of skiing”² and swore off of competing in the Olympics forever.

Despite the struggle over the sport’s involvement in the Games, it has grown increasingly popular with each successive Olympics. To date it has only been included in four Games, the most recent having just ended this season. Now it is one of the most viewed Winter Olympic sports, halfpipe being the most popular event. “In 2010, the sport sits behind only figure skating as the most watched event at the Games.”³ The halfpipe course alone has doubled in height since the Nagano Games. The skill level of the competitors has shot through the roof. In this year’s games “His [Shaun White’s] Double McTwist 1260 was watched by more than 30 million viewers.”⁴ According to weather.com, “5.5 million people participate in snowboarding.”⁵ Because of the international appeal of the Olympics, over five times the amount of people that actually participate in snowboarding watched the Olympic men’s halfpipe final in 2010. Snowboarding is nearing the point of worldwide recognition along with skiing. “24% of the snow sports population are snowboarders.”⁶ With all of the recognition snowboarding is receiving from the Olympics, one cannot help but stop and wonder how well the FIS is representing the sport.

Because the Olympics provides the main picture of snowboarding to the general public, the growth and expansion of the sport is greatly influenced by what aspects are televised to the audience. For most people who are not involved in the snow sports world, the Olympics are their sole source for information on snowboarding. People will be influenced to engage in the sport of snowboarding based on what they see of it. The two main factors that influence this decision are the apparent accessibility and enjoyment. If one sees snowboarding as not accessible for any reason such as difficulty, finances, travel etc., they will be unlikely to participate in the sport. If one sees the sport as not enjoyable, dangerous, physically demanding, they will often be less likely to engage because they have no desire to do so. So the question becomes, is the Olympics really good for snowboarding? 

Narratio

The answer is no. The representation of the sport of snowboarding in the Olympics has a negative effect on the general industry of snowboarding.

Divisio

Most of the reasons for this lie in the nature of the events themselves. For the most part, the three events included in the Olympics do not present the picture of true snowboarding. The most popular event, halfpipe, is judged on difficulty and execution of aerial maneuvers, it is not judged on the on-snow riding abilities of the competitors. The least popular event, parallel giant slalom, is a downhill slalom race in which the competitors slalom through gates on an icy course. Parallel GS  is a relatively unpopular event and the competitors employ equipment and techniques that are very different from normal snowboarding. The newest event, boardercross, involves competitors racing down a course filled with turns, jumps, drops and rollers. Four people are run side by side. This four-man competition turns the event into a dangerous, wild event where the best man does not necessarily win, due to the high amount of random crashes that do occur, this competition casts the sport in an unattractive and inaccessible light. These factors combined cause the public to see a warped view of snowboarding and not get a true picture of how accessible and enjoyable the sport really is.

Confirmatio

The sport of snowboarding is under the control of the FIS in the venues of the Winter Olympic Games and the World Cup snowboarding events. In the Olympics, snowboarding is represented in three disciplines. Compared to the eight disciplines allotted to the traditional downhill discipline of skiing, snowboarding does not get very much competitive action compared to skiing. Nonetheless, snowboarding has risen quickly in audience popularity and is now among the top Winter Olympic sports. But the three disciplines represented in the Games do not supply a well rounded picture of true snowboarding. Admittedly, no single snowboarding event can demand the epitome of exceptional overall riding from its competitors. That is why specialized events exist, to cover the broad spectrum of a complex sport. But the three events included in the Olympics are for the most part either highly specific as per the particular skills required to be proficient, or they present a picture that is unattractive to spectators and tend to discourage people from getting into the sport.

The events included in the Olympics do not provide an accurate representation of true snowboarding. Consider the halfpipe event. The FIS official definition of the halfpipe is simply, “The Halfpipe is a channel constructed in the snow.”⁷ The competitors ride from side to side along the halfpipe, catching air and performing tricks all the way to the bottom. While it is undoubtedly true that the riders must have skill in order to compete in the halfpipe, the rider does not necessarily need excellent riding technique as the judging is based solely on the aerial maneuvers and landings. In essence, the rider only has to have enough skill to ride from one side of the halfpipe to the other, lift off and then land correctly. It is does not follow a linear downhill path as typical snowboarding most often does. Instead, the riders follow a back and forth path across the pipe, using the same feature to jump and then land multiple times. A professional halfpipe rider does not have to focus on having exceptional on-snow skills except those necessary for clean landings, and perfect landings do not necessarily correspond to great overall riding skills. Instead, the skill set required to ride halfpipe proficiently are freestyle techniques that are very difficult to obtain by the average snowboarder. As a result, the people influenced by the halfpipe to take up snowboarding are quickly disappointed when they realize they will not be able to emulate their heroes’ impressive arrays of tricks. Case in point, a young snowboard instructor was teaching a snowboard lesson the day after the men’s halfpipe finals of the 2010 Vancouver Games. Three of the group sat down in frustration twenty minutes into the lesson. “Shaun White made it look so easy last night,” they said. The halfpipe event may look attractive to those wanting to get into the sport, but many are discouraged upon actually trying the sport. In addition, halfpipes are quite rarely found in ski areas open to the public. People getting into the sport who want to ride halfpipe are usually disappointed. Halfpipe has become popular among Olympic fans and there is talk of adding the same event for alpine skiing, which is already a prominent World Cup and X Games event. But the popularity encouraged in the spectators is that merely of a spectator, very little emphasis is placed on encouraging participation in the sport. Admittedly, the halfpipe is a very popular event and has no doubt contributed greatly to the awareness of the sport, but it has done little if any good for the industry.

“Two snowboard events were introduced at the Nagano 1998 Winter Games — halfpipe and individual giant slalom. Parallel giant slalom replaced individual giant slalom at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games”⁸ The discipline of parallel giant slalom, abbreviated PGS, involves two alpine slalom racers racing head to head on icy side by side courses. “A parallel is a competition where two competitors ride simultaneously side by side down two parallel courses. The setting of the courses, the configuration of the terrain and the preparation of the snow are to be as identical as possible.”⁹ PGS racers use equipment completely different than standard snowboarding gear. The boards they use are long, narrow, stiff and only have a single forward facing shovel. The binding setup places the bindings very close together and angled forward at extremely sharp angles to the lateral axis of the board. The boots used are alpine boots that are nearly the same as downhill ski boots. Not only do the boots resemble ski boots, but the whole gamut of alpine snowboarding resembles skiing, from the race suits they wear to the techniques they use. The event begins with timed qualifying heats to separate the finalists from the field. The finals feature two riders racing head-to-head through slalom gates on nearly identical side-by-side racing courses. In 1998 the event only consisted of racers racing on a similar course but instead of racing head-to-head, they raced alone against the clock. This style of snowboarding is largely dominated by Europeans and is quite unpopular overall compared to the other disciplines. The techniques used by alpine snowboarders resemble skiing more than snowboarding. Because the binding angles are closer to parallel with the length of the board than perpendicular, the alpine turning method employs more side to side foot movement, rather than the toe to heel style of standard freeride and freestyle. Also, due to the very narrow stance, alpine riders usually use their upper body to steer their snowboard more than a regular rider. These factors all make alpine riding an impractical sport for anyone other than a professional athlete. Alpine riding has become more and more unpopular with time and the ratio of alpine riders to average riders is very low. Due to PGS’s lack of publicity and low appeal level, its Olympic exposure is not beneficial to the general industry of snowboarding.

In 2006, a third discipline was added to the Olympic snowboarding lineup. This event bridged the gap between the intense high speeds of PGS and the awe-inspiring big air of the halfpipe. This event was boardercross “The newest Olympic sport of boardercross was introduced in Torino in 2006. Four riders descend simultaneously through the banked turns, rollers and jumps - the first one across the line wins!”¹⁰ An Olympic boardercross competition starts in a similar way as PGS in that “timed runs are used to qualify competitors for the finals.”¹¹ The racers compete on a course filled with turns, jumps and drops. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals are done with four people on the course at once. The element of other riders in such a narrow amount of space creates an environment filled with crash after crash. Boardercross is more of a pure snowboarding sport in the sense that the skills and equipment use by the riders are the most like that of well-rounded snowboarding. While the halfpipe judges focus solely on the aerial maneuvers, a champion boardercross racer must be equally proficient and comfortable in the air as well as on the ground. The typical boardercross course offers a challenging mixture of elements that require a full set of skills to overcome successfully. Boardercross has become very popular among fans of the Olympics, most likely because of the excitement generated by the danger factor. It has become so prominent that after its first year it influenced the inclusion of its  two-planked alpine counterpart, skiercross, as an Olympic alpine event. But despite boardercross’s newfound popularity and its contribution to the recognition of snowboarding, it does not have a significant effect of influencing people to join the sport, most likely due to the the pure messiness of this event. Mid-air collisions are a staple of the race and although no overt interference between competitors is tolerated, more than a few elbows are thrown during the race. This makes for a great spectator sport, like football or boxing is for many people, but gives the impression of an unnecessarily risky, adversarial activity that is unappealing to the average person. In short, the event of boardercross covers a broad range of riding skills, but discourages participation in snowboarding.

Confutatio

Some would dispute the claim that the Olympics is bad for snowboarding by asserting that it has helped propel it into the public’s eye. It is undoubtedly true that without the Olympics, snowboarding would be as well known today as it is. But that does not necessarily mean the sport has prospered because of its international exposure. As stated before, it has been encouraged as a spectator sport. It is through the idea of exhibition sports that the Olympics thrives. Without the element of a captive audience, the Olympics would be nothing like what it is today. With the Wall Street Journal reporting, “A lavish opening ceremony in Vancouver reported to have cost nearly $40 million.”¹² It is only because of the mass public appeal that the games can afford to be such a big event. It is no secret how snowboarding is highly popular among fans of the Games. This is illustrated  in the opening and closing ceremonies. In the opening ceremonies, a video was played of a snowboarder riding through the Canadian mountains, the video ended and the snowboarder suddenly flew through the enormous Olympic rings and landed inside the stadium. The closing ceremonies featured a crowd of people carrying snowboard-shaped props. Just a two examples of how snowboarding has risen in the ranks of the Olympic disciplines. 

It is definite that the sport has risen quickly in popularity in the last fifteen years. But do the Olympics deserve credit for the prosperity of the sport? Perhaps they do. Although snowboarding is popular with the general public during the Olympics, that time accounts for only a couple of weeks every four years. All of the hype coming from the general public about each sport all but dies away only a few weeks after the closing ceremonies. The same people who were wildly cheering for their country’s representatives give little thought to most of the sports in the four years between each Games. That is exactly the kind of participation the Olympics encourages. The concern is not about athlete participation, there are always athletes willing to compete. The IOC’s main concern is with fostering spectatorship. The website for the Vancouver Olympics states clearly “The Olympic Winter Games could not happen without Olympic sponsors.”¹³ A simple principle, without the viewers, no sponsors are willing to buy advertising space. Therefore the more the Games focus on wooing the general viewing audience instead of concentrating on providing world-class competition, the more sponsorship money they receive. Coca-cola, Acer, GE, Mcdonalds, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa are all official Olympic sponsors. 3M, General Mills, Coors, Nike, and SleepCountry¹⁴ are just a few of the official suppliers of the Games. Without these companies providing financial support, the IOC could not afford to build the extravagant venues or put on multi-million dollar ceremonies. The attention that could be given to promoting healthy sportsmanship is detracted from by the show business focus that sustains the lavish occasion. Nevertheless, the Olympics still are the premier overall sporting competition in the world.

Conclusio

So what efforts can the FIS and the IOC make to ensure both healthy competition and the promotion of snowboarding? Look at what has been done with alpine skiing. It has the most variety of events of any current Winter Olympic sport and is the major artery of life for the Winter Games. Arguably, the Olympics could go on without perhaps curling or the biathalon, but the Olympics would just not be the same without skiing. Snowboarding has the potential to become as great of an Olympic sport as skiing with numerous opportunities for increasing the variety of events. Adding new events would also help the industry of snowboarding because it would widen he public’s perspective on the sport, helping them to realize that snowboarding has something for everyone.

The FIS also has jurisdiction over the World Cup snowboarding events. In addition to the three events included in the Olympics, the World Cup also features big air competitions, slopestyle competitions and various alpine events including giant slalom, slalom, and parallel slalom, which is the smaller cousin of the Olympic alpine event. There have been rumors related to the possible inclusion of new snowboarding events in the Olympics, the latest of which being the possibility of the inclusion of the slopestyle event. Slopestyle, like halfpipe is a freestyle event in which the competitors use a run filled with various features, typically jumps and rails, to perform a wide variety of tricks that are judged based on creativity, difficulty and execution. Slopesyle differs from halpipe in that it is a linear event, the competitors follow a more or less direct line down the slope. Also the inclusion of a variety of styles of jumps and rails requires a wider skill set to be employed during the competition than that of halfpipe. The best thing the Olympics can do for the industry of snowboarding is to work to include new events in order to show that snowboarding is accessible and enjoyable by a much wider group of people.

Works Cited

1. “History of Olympic Snowboarding." ABC-of-Snowboarding . Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

2. "Olympic Guide." Transworld Snowboarding 10 Mar. 2009: 78. Print.

3. Sullivan, James. "Snowboarding grows quickly as an Olympic sport." USA Today 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

4. Mauro, Chris. "Shaun White is the gold standard of Olympic champions to Marketeers." GrindTV 3 Mar. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

5. “Facts About Snowboarding." Weather.com . Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

6. "Facts About Snowboarding." Weather.com . Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

7. "INTERNATIONAL SNOWBOARD COMPETITION RULES." FIS International Ski Federation Oct. 2008: 94. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

8. "About the Sport." Vancouver2010 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

9. "INTERNATIONAL SNOWBOARD COMPETITION RULES." FIC International Ski Federation 2008: 85. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

10. "Olympic Guide." Transworld Snowboarding 10 Mar. 2009: 80. Print

11.  “INTERNATIONAL SNOWBOARD COMPETITION RULES." FIC International Ski Federation 2008: 110. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

12. Staff, WSJ. "Winter Olympics 2010: Opening Ceremonies Over the Years." The Wall Street Journal Feb. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

13. "Sponsors and Partners." Vancouver2010 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

14. "Vancouver 2010 Sponsors." Vancouver2010 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.

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