TOP 10: Best Winter Olympic TV Events

NBC just finished up a very well presented Winter Olympics, from Sochi, Russia. Along with the old school, traditional events like Figure Skating and Bobsled, new event were added like Snowboard, Slope Style, Freeskiing Half-pipe, Mixed relays and team Luge.


I must have watched 40 - 50 hours of the Olympics, during it's 18 days of coverage. What I came away with is a new list of favorite events, most of them new. Most of them do not involve judges giving style points.

10) TEAM LUGE RELAY:
This is one of a few individual events they Olympics have taken and created a team aspect to it. The Luge Relay has three separate sleds going down, Single Man, Single Woman and Double Men. When the first sled reached the bottom and touches the "button", the second sled can then leave from the top and head down. Once it finished and touches the "button," the last sled heads down after them. A nice change to what can be a dry sport.

9) SNOWBOARD HALF-PIPE:
Watching the really good snowboarders to the tricks they do is just amazing. I do prefer only watching the men's event of the sport as the women just can't do the tricks the guys do

8) FREESTYLE SKIING SLOPESTYLE:
The event is a run down the hill while doing tricks. The runs starts off with rails, pipes and other obstacles. The majority of the run features huge ramps, or jumps, to do aerial acrobatics/tricks. These jumps can put a skier in the air for 80 to 100 feet down the hill. I love the openness of this event and the freedom to do the tricks. This is one of the few "judged" events I enjoy.

7) ALPINE SKIING SUPER-G:
The old school skiing down the hill as fast as you can. The balance of speed and controll are always pushed to the limit. I particularly like the Sochi, RA Men's course as the final hill the skiers took had them in the air, looking at the lake near the bottom of the hill. A great course, as a spectator, to watch this sport.

6) SNOWBOARD PARALLEL SLALOM:
I love the head-to-head racing events and this is a fun event to watch. Like the alpine skiers, the snowboarders must turn through gates (flags) as they race down hill. Two skiers race head-to-head, for two races, one on each side of the course. The quickest snowboarder advances to the next round.

5) SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING:
The sport that made Apolo Ohno a household name. Speed Skater race around a track within the size of a hockey rink. This is also another head-to-head race event. Watching the controlled chaos of the relay events, with five teams, four skater each, running at once, is amazing.

4) FREESTYLE SKIING CROSS:
Four skiers race down a ski course, filled with curves, jumps, mogules and more. Top two of each heat advance to the next round. There is always wild happenings with each race. Those running behind, take chances and that can lead to crashes, or spectacular passes. Again, making the event a head-to-head race is the best way to determine the best.

3) SNOWBOARD SLOPESTYLE:
Very much like the Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle event, in fact, they use the same course. But what makes this event better than the skiing event is the freedom a snowboarder has to create tricks, with the smaller, more controllable equipment. The tricks they can do while 40 feet in the air, traveling 80-10 feet downhill is just simply amazing. It rivals what you see a gymnast or high diver perform in their respective sports.

2) CURLING:
My former #1 winter Olympic sport. This odd, slow paced, perfect for drinking a beer while playing, just captures you to watch. We have been watching this event every year that it has been in the Olympics and are hooked. How to play? Easiest way to explain is that you want your stone closer to the middle of the circle (at the other end) than you opponents. The more you have closer to that middle, before their closest stone, give you more points.

1) SNOWBOARD CROSS:
Very similar to freestyle skiing cross, but with the snowboard, you have six racers at a time. At time, it can be like watching a NASCAR race, with three wide in the turn.  The snowboard make the race quicker and the skiers more able to control what they want to do. The snowboard is a superior sport to the freestyle skiing, when they run the same type of events.