Chloe McCarthy ’18, Feature/Opinion Editor
Watching the Winter Olympics this year made me realize one thing: these sports are intense. Luge, I’m looking at you. So I decided to survey some SLHS students to see what extreme winter sport (well, some are more extreme than others… *cough cough* curling) in which they wish they had natural Olympic-level ability.
Freshman Cassidy Lynn
“I would want to be a downhill skier. I’ve enjoyed skiing at Mt. Brighton and Boyne in the past, and I would want to join the ski team someday,” Lynn said. “I also think skiing is one of the safer Winter Olympic sports. It’s not as crazy as ski jumping, for example.” Although skiing looks quite dangerous, the risk of serious injury is actually relatively low: an average of two injuries per 1,000 ski trips were reported for the 2014 season. So, if you are a thrill seeker, but not fully committed to a high risk level, skiing may actually be the sport for you. Who would have thought?
Sophomore Emerson Ramey
“Ice skating. It would be so much fun to do tricks and skate in a circle really fast in one spot,” Ramey said. Most figure skaters either specialize in either singles or partner skating, so if one wants to be an Olympic skater, he or she would have to make a tough decision. “I would definitely want to do single skating. That way I won’t have to worry about someone else messing up. Also, I would want to make sure I pick a more popular, upbeat song with words because the classical music can be a bit boring.” While the judges may favor a more traditional approach, spicing it up every once in awhile can never hurt, right?
Junior Matt Blackwell
“Although it looks pretty dangerous, I would go with bobsled. Ever since seeing that movie about the Jamaican bobsled team, I’ve always thought it seemed fun,” Blackwell said. Bobsled is assembled with a team of either two or four members barreling down the track at speeds up to 83 miles per hour. “My dream bobsled team would consist of my friend Lucas Gomori because he is really tall, Tom Cruise because he can do anything, and Martin Luther King Jr. because he would provide a lot of insight,” Blackwell said. If you are looking for an electrifying sport to participate in with a group of your best pals and idols, bobsled may be just what you are looking for.
Senior Griffin Klevering
“Oh, I would definitely be a snowboarder. Snowboarders get all the babes.” When asked why he thinks snowboarders (apparently) attract so many ladies, Klevering said, “Have you seen Shaun White? That man is a god. A big part of it is the hair blowing so effortlessly through the wind. I’d have to grow my hair out again, so I can reach that maximum level of cool. I’m thinking early ’70s mullet with some subtle curls at the ends.” And as far as the more, well, technical side of snowboarding goes, Klevering said, “My signature trick would be to do as many front flips as I can in the air and then land directly on my head.” Watch out, Team USA: Griffin Klevering is going to snag that Gold Medal, and, if he is lucky, maybe a lady friend, too.
Senior Dana Reynolds
“Curling. Without a doubt. Curling gets a lot of hate, but I find it very calming, and it just makes me happy. I like that there isn’t a lot of strategy– it’s just bowling on ice,” Reynolds said. Thankfully, Reynolds is very realistic about the place she thinks she would earn if she competed in curling at the Winter Olympics. “I would earn right above first. Platinum medal.” Confidence is key, ladies and gentlemen.
Sure, a big part of watching the Olympics is rooting for Team USA and cheering on your favorite Olympians. But an equally fun part of watching the games is imagining yourself playing them, no matter how ridiculously far-fetched it is. Alas, never say never. Someone half-joking about playing an Olympic sport today could end up in the next winter games. Well, in theory, at least.
Lyon Life 