Dale Begg-Smith

[Adirondack Jack]

Hey my Aussie brethren! I'm sitting here in upstate NY, it's snowing like a bitch, it's colder than a witches tit out with wind chills to boot, and I'm watching your boy Begg-Smith compete in the freestyle How the hell did you score one of the best in the world, and a Vancouver native besides! Where hell does he train? Is he a stand up guy? Does he ride? Do you care? I'm seriously interested in the inside scoop.
Meanwhile....back at Vancouver our boys are crashin' and burnin' like it's their job! :rockon:

 

[Kazza]

Go Aussie Go..... :cheer::aus::cheer::aus:


We do get snow in Australia - we have great ski resorts - Thredbo, Perisher, Mt Buller - in summer they become excellent downhill mountain bike resorts... - just like Whistler (my dream is to go there during the summer for mountain biking).

As for training, I expect Dale travels to the Northern Hemisphere - europe etc or maybe even Canada.

He is #1 in the world, I think.

Again, GO Aussie Go..... :cheer::aus::cheer::aus:

 

[Kazza]

Damn, just heard he got silver.

He was hoping to the the first "Aussie" to win back to back golds at a winter olympics.

Congrats anyway Dale - you've done us proud.....

 

[Adirondack Jack]

That's very cool, Kaaza. Thanks for the info. I should have guessed/known you get snow. I'm just intrigued that there are 35+- winter Olympians from down under. I assume there must be a great deal of national pride that goes along with that. Cheers and good luck!

 

[Wolfman]

That's very cool, Kaaza. Thanks for the info. I should have guessed/known you get snow. I'm just intrigued that there are 35+- winter Olympians from down under. I assume there must be a great deal of national pride that goes along with that. Cheers and good luck!

To be quite honest....Winter Olympics style sports get very little, if any media exposure in Australia, other than when the Winter Olympics are on!

Kirsty Marshall has probably been the exception....her feats on the Ski Jump have gotten a fair bit of exposure over the years....

But with the advent of Pay TV...and much more far reaching televising of winter snow sports these days...we are slightly more aware of our nations skiers, etc...than we used to be...

:rockon:

 

[Kazza]

To be quite honest....Winter Olympics style sports get very little, if any media exposure in Australia, other than when the Winter Olympics are on!

Kirsty Marshall has probably been the exception....her feats on the Ski Jump have gotten a fair bit of exposure over the years....

But with the advent of Pay TV...and much more far reaching televising of winter snow sports these days...we are slightly more aware of our nations skiers, etc...than we used to be...

:rockon:

Don't forget Alissa Camplin, Jacqui Cooper and of course, our "everyone else fell over" gold medalist, Stephen Bradbury....

 

[Kriswithak]

I may be just a bit strange, but....

I've never really found the Olympics interesting personally, not that I don't appreciate people dedicating their lives to a sport (despite it being my opinion that the Olympics where never about that kind of obsession but thats another arguement altogether). They also aren't even doing anything exciting enough that it requires a motor!
What they do is commendable, and they get to call themselves the 'best' which is always a dubious statement when there are so many individuals in the world who never get the opportunity to compete, despite being very talented. Especially true now where sports people are tailored, not really found.
But all that aside I'm not into hero worship, and I think that the guy who works the 12 hour days in a community job is contributing just as much or possibly more to our society. It just seems that everyone is happy to jump up and down for someone on TV for doing something with no real life uses (often), while all the people who could do with a bit of publicity and support get ignored.

So my biggest excitement during the Olympics (either of them) is finding a channel not crammed full of reruns, or watching a quality DVD.

So to answer your question.... never heard of him, don't really care, and I think its stupid people born in other countries can compete for a different country to that of their of origin in the Olympics.

And uhhhh.... go aussie? :aus:
:ban:

 

[Kazza]

I may be just a bit strange, but....

I've never really found the Olympics interesting personally, not that I don't appreciate people dedicating their lives to a sport (despite it being my opinion that the Olympics where never about that kind of obsession but thats another arguement altogether). They also aren't even doing anything exciting enough that it requires a motor!
What they do is commendable, and they get to call themselves the 'best' which is always a dubious statement when there are so many individuals in the world who never get the opportunity to compete, despite being very talented. Especially true now where sports people are tailored, not really found.
But all that aside I'm not into hero worship, and I think that the guy who works the 12 hour days in a community job is contributing just as much or possibly more to our society. It just seems that everyone is happy to jump up and down for someone on TV for doing something with no real life uses (often), while all the people who could do with a bit of publicity and support get ignored.

So my biggest excitement during the Olympics (either of them) is finding a channel not crammed full of reruns, or watching a quality DVD.

So to answer your question.... never heard of him, don't really care, and I think its stupid people born in other countries can compete for a different country to that of their of origin in the Olympics.

And uhhhh.... go aussie? :aus:
:ban:

Kinda agree with you, but not totally.

I wasn't born in Australia, I was born in Wales. Whilst I always have immense pride for my heritage and shed a tear when I hear my national anthem, I am very proud to live in Australia, and would fight for this country (ok, bit melodramatic, but you get what I'm saying).

I feel pride on Australia Day, pride on Anzac Day and pride on St David's Day (patron saint of Wales). You can be loyal to both your homeland, and your home! :rockon:

 

[Kriswithak]

Ohhh I definately agree with you there, I just feel bad when some small country has all its awesome sports people competing elsewhere because the pay and facilities is better.

Thats not melodramatic either, I get your point exactly, its not the mixed loyalties that troubles me, it just seems everything is about money these days