A Steep Slope

I got off a conference call a few hours ago that involved World Cup overall skiing champion Lindsey Vonn.

Part of the interview centered on Europe’s obsession with the sport, while only a modest number of Americans follow it, except on Olympic years.

This conversation happens periodically, but ends the same. Skiing still hasn’t captured many American sports fans. When Phil Mahre was winning World Cup titles, there was talk that the sport had finally arrived in the U.S. Same with Picabo Street and Bode Miller. Now it’s Vonn.

One theory is that there are simply too many other sports to contend. Baseball, football, basketball, golf, soccer, tennis, etc. are all played on a high level. How many big-time sports are there in Austria?

In the U.S. there are numerous pro and major college sports to compete for the entertainment dollar.

Which gets us back to skiing.

Interest will rise in the next year, due to the Olympics. Then viewers will go back to their football games.

Should Americans care what goes on in skiing?