Monday, February 12, 2018

Half Pipe?  Half Crazy!
So here I sit watching tonight's Olympic Coverage from the safety and warmth of my living room.  Fires blazing, yellow Lab snoring, mid evening nap looming.  Beautiful night, no doubt. 
     Tonight's events grab my full attention and make me start to wonder how deranged some of these winter athletes must really be.  Seriously, they must be nuts!
     The half pipe is on at this very moment...A young athlete is hurtling 50 feet in the air doing twists, turns and half this and a full that and I tell ya, it's amazing to watch.  But what the heck is going through her mind right now?  "Hmm, wonder what's going on at home?" , "Man, what was that Korean thing I ate last night, it was awesome!" or my favorite "I wonder if someone is insta-gramming this?".  No doubt, she can think that; she has trained her mind and muscles to perfection.  And it shows!  Me?  What would I be saying?  "Hail Mary..." or "I shouldn't drink and snow board." or perhaps the most realistic "Am I gonna Die?".
Half Pipe?  Try Half Crazy! 
     The events changes to another safe hobby; the Ski Jump.  Oh My God!  I know most of you remember the "Agony of Defeat"?  You literally couldn't pay me enough to go barreling down that massive hill, knowing there is no possible way to get off this ride before you go flying, and I mean FLYING through the air.  How in the world do these athletes get started as a child?  The only potential I have shown for the winter Olympics, no joke, was last year when I fell off our six foot ladder changing a light bulb out in the barn.  Full summersault, half twist, with a debilitating leg over the head split to end my performance.  Hadn't practiced at all!  Nope, no hot totties and congrats by a roaring fire in the Lodge like these phenomenal winter athletes, but more like four weeks of 800mg horse tranquilizers, a blue sling and a bunch of "What the Hell happened to yous".  Yea, that's more my speed!
But seriously folks, the concentration, dedication and pure personal courage these half bonkers individuals show is amazing.  And its so hard, I mean soooo hard to compare the Winter and the Summer events.  Honestly not taking anything away from the Summer crew, but how many of us would attach ourselves to a turbo charged sled for the thrill of going at amazing speeds, or maybe standing a top the glorified 1 x 6 planks to soar miles in the air, or maybe, just maybe, climb into a aerodynamically perfect tube with blades on the bottom to blow through curves higher than those on the best NASCAR tracks?  Hmmm...and Oh Yea, can't forgot to mention the thrill of being thrown through the air twirling, while your partner awaits you with open arms  going 20 MPH on ice skates?
Incredible, Just Incredible.  My hats off to these Winter Athletes that Do It because they can!

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