it's truly awesome to watch those guys hurdle downhill at those speeds while cutting on a dime. and the occasional yard sale crash is entertaining, too.
Hermann Maier remains the best I've ever seen. [video=youtube;_5I9HxBOT14]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5I9HxBOT14[/video]
I think it's just "the scene". It's a new sport, it's marketed well, and it's gained enough of a buzz to be cool and hip while still remaining somewhat exclusive. This will change. The fact that it sucks to watch -- and I do believe that to be a fact -- will catch up with it eventually. The novelty will wear off and the sport's popularity will follow suit.
i remember watching that crash at nagano. enjoy some franz klammer, [video=youtube_share;tVMJKIx34SE]http://youtu.be/tVMJKIx34SE[/video]
Franz definitely ain't rocking parabolic skis. The difference in turning radius is more than a little significant. I could tell immediately.
I liken my skiing ability to a tennis player that is caught between playing the net or the baseline. I'm not overly conservative, nor aggressive and get caught in kind of a difficult in-between.
You're right, though, in that you really don't wanna be indecisive in skiing. You have to trust your skis. Comes with practice, and a few falls. If you ain't falling, you ain't getting any better.