A Boston Blickbild Exclusive
It seems like FIS rules are being violated this season more often than some people bathe. First Germany's Stefan Luitz used supplemental oxygen in Beaver Creek. The FIS is talking about stripping Luitz of his win because of it. Magnus Walch of Austria was disqualified for taking 5 seconds too long for a second run course inspection in Alta Badia and also suspended for two races. What is happening here? Has Alpine ski racing suddenly become a big free-for-all? One of our intrepid reporters was dispatched to FIS headquarters in Switzerland to investigate. He spoke with Charles "Poindexter" Baxter, a special rules consultant to the FIS. Let's find out what he has to say.
BB: Mr. Baxter, tell our readers how you became a special rules consultant for the FIS.
Baxter: Call me Poindexter. From a very young age, I had a special talent for memorisation. At age 2 I memorised the alphabet. But my parents got tired of me saying it and told me to say it backward, which I easily memorised. From first grade on, I memorised my school textbooks within a week. When I was 8 years old, I memorised the whole Bible for fun.
BB: Would that be the King James or New International version?
Baxter: Both. I graduated from high school when I was 10. For a short time I was in the high school drama club and we performed Our Town for the school and our parents. Because of my talent for memorisation, I was the person who stood in the wings and cued the actors. On opening night Chelsea Hoffman totally forgot her lines and did not listen to my cue. I ran onstage, pushed Chelsea off the stage, then proceeded to recite the whole rest of the play. After my performance, I was banned from the drama club.
BB: From reading your biography, you got a Bachelor's degree at age 13 and PhD at 16. How did you get from your Stateside university to Switzerland?
Baxter: After memorising the Bible, I also memorised the Koran, War and Peace, and the number Pi to 37,000 places, all while earning my degrees. But nobody would hire a scrawny 16-year-old with a PhD, even one with a memory like mine, so I looked for a bigger challenge. I decided to memorise the entire FIS Big Book of Rules. I thought that would be the ultimate test of my memory and lead to a job.
BB: How many pages are in the Big Book of Rules?
Baxter: 2,733 single-spaced pages.
BB: Wow! That is a lot of pages and rules to memorise. Did you write to the FIS telling them of your intention to memorise the Big Book of Rules?
Baxter: No. I am from a small town in Nebraska. Our local newspaper wrote a story about my feat of memorising the whole Big Book of Rules and somehow the Swiss media picked it up. I was interviewed over the phone by a representative of the FIS, who quizzed me about trivial FIS rules. He was so impressed that I was hired on the spot as a special rules consultant. I moved to Switzerland two weeks later and started my job. Any time there is a dispute about rules, I am the first one called.
BB: So you were the one who was consulted about Stefan Luitz and his supplemental oxygen?
Baxter: Yes. When Romain Velez and Adam Zampa found the oxygen tank and wanted to check the rules, I was called in as the final authority.
BB: I see. Now the whole world knows that ski racers are not allowed to use supplemental oxygen. But what about other gases, like helium? Are they covered in the Big Book of Rules?
Baxter: Why would a ski racer want to inhale helium before a race?
BB: Athletes have some crazy pre-competition rituals. Maybe a ski racer likes to talk in a squeaky voice to calm his pre-race nerves. Or he wants to sing in a silly voice while racing because that helps him concentrate.
Baxter: That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Where do you come up with these questions?
BB: Let me explain the Boston Blickbild interview rules. The reporter, that would be me, asks the questions and the person being interviewed, which would be you, answers them. I'm sure that's easier for you to memorise than the first 16,152 digits of Pi. But I will answer your question. We at the Blickbild specialise in the absurd. If you want to answer normal questions, go back your little town in Nebraska and talk to their newspaper reporters.
Baxter: Oxygen is the only gas covered in the rules.
BB: So theoretically a ski racer can legally inhale helium before a race?
Baxter: Yes.
BB: So if Stefan Luitz had inhaled helium instead of oxygen before his second run in Beaver Creek, there would be no talk of stripping him of his win?
Baxter: Correct.
BB: I have another situation for you. Imagine that Aksel Lund Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud are in a hotel elevator together. Aksel had one too many helpings of beans and cabbage at dinner and lets loose with a huge expulsion of flatulence. Kjetil can't help but to breathe in Aksel's gas because they are in an enclosed space. How is fart gas handled in the Big Book of Rules? Would Kjetil be disqualified or barred from racing because he breathed in his teammate's noxious fart fumes?
Baxter: As I said before, oxygen is the only gas covered in the Big Book of Rules. Kjetil would be punished in other ways by breathing in Aksel's intestinal gas; but he could race without any sanction or disqualification.
BB: It doesn't matter if Aksel's fart was silent but deadly, a squeaky tooter, or a sonic boomer?
Baxter: No! I don't think that anyone ever asked me questions like this before.
BB: I have another situation for you. Imagine that Aksel Lund Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud are in a hotel elevator together. Aksel had one too many helpings of beans and cabbage at dinner and lets loose with a huge expulsion of flatulence. Kjetil can't help but to breathe in Aksel's gas because they are in an enclosed space. How is fart gas handled in the Big Book of Rules? Would Kjetil be disqualified or barred from racing because he breathed in his teammate's noxious fart fumes?
Baxter: As I said before, oxygen is the only gas covered in the Big Book of Rules. Kjetil would be punished in other ways by breathing in Aksel's intestinal gas; but he could race without any sanction or disqualification.
BB: It doesn't matter if Aksel's fart was silent but deadly, a squeaky tooter, or a sonic boomer?
Baxter: No! I don't think that anyone ever asked me questions like this before.
BB: That's because we ask the questions that nobody else dares to ask. Maybe being subjected to a fellow racer's windies should be in the rule book. If oxygen is bad, but flatulence is good, maybe Stefan Luitz should have been in an enclosed space with a farting teammate in Beaver Creek instead of breathing oxygen. Let's move on to Magnus Walch and his disqualification in Alta Badia and suspension for going over his course inspection time by 5 seconds. Don't you think that is a bit over the top?
Baxter: No. Course inspections are precisely timed down to the second. If we let one racer go 5 seconds over, the next one will want to take 6 seconds longer than the prescribed time and it could lead to chaos. Every racer is assigned a monitor who times his or her course inspection. We use accurate Swiss timing.
BB: The Canadians were the ones who reported Herr Walch for taking those extra 5 seconds. Is there a rule about tattling on other countries' ski racers?
Baxter: No. Others are encouraged to come forward and report any violations.
BB: I see. Suppose a racer decides that he does not need to use his full course inspection time. Is he punished for taking too little time?
Baxter: There is nothing in the rules about that.
BB: I get it. Going over your time is bad but taking less than the prescribed time is okay. Now let's say that Marcel Hirscher decides to end his course inspection 10 seconds early. Can he give his 10 extra seconds to a teammate?
Baxter: No.
BB: But in the US Congress, if a member does not use all of his or her prescribed speaking time, he or she can give that time to a colleague. The net time used stays the same, but different people can use different amounts depending on their needs as long as it does not go over the total allowable minutes.
Baxter: This is ski racing, not the US Congress. So no, Marcel Hirscher cannot give his unused time to a teammate. Each racer has his or her individual allowable course inspection time, and no more.
BB: I am going to ask you about more rules violations. A few seasons ago, Tina Weirather was disqualified for wearing her arm guards over her racing suit sleeves instead of under them. Does it really matter where a racer wears her arm guards, as long as she has them?
Baxter: Yes. Everything must be worn in the proper place. The FIS has special stealth technology to detect where a racer's arm guards are.
BB: Why do you need special stealth technology for that? I can use my eyes to see if a racer's arm guards are over or under her sleeves.
Baxter: The human eye is amazing. But sometimes it is not perfect, thus the stealth technology. If the human eye was perfect, people would not need glasses.
BB: Fair enough. I know that the FIS is also strict about showing up precisely on time for bib draws.
Baxter: That's right. An athlete must be exactly on time, not even one second late, to the bib draw. Otherwise, the racers will think that they can show up whenever they want to get their bibs.
BB: Wait a minute! If a racer is one second late to the bib draw, he is penalised?
Baxter: Oh yes! He will start with bib 46, just like Bode Miller did a few years ago because he was late to the bib draw.
BB: What if the racer's watch or clock in his hotel room is not perfectly in synch with the official FIS clock? I can see being punished for being one minute late, but one second is a bit much.
Baxter: It's a good thing that you don't work for the FIS. It is the racer's responsibility to ensure that his watch or the clock on his phone is synched up with the official FIS clock. The racers are all adults and should know to do this. If they can't get to the bib draw exactly on time, maybe they need to find a different job. Races are measured in hundredths of a second, so one second really is a long time.
BB: I assume that if a racer shows up 5 seconds early to the bib draw, he cannot give that time to a teammate who arrives 5 seconds late. Am I correct?
Baxter: Yes.
BB: I am sensing a pattern here. On to another topic. Everyone knows that women can't compete in men's races and vice versa. But what would happen if a woman put on a fake beard and competed in a men's race? For example, Lindsey Vonn is as tall as most men. If she put on a fake beard and called herself Larry von Kildowski, could she compete in a men's race?
Baxter: Only if she had a racing license under that name.
BB: You mean if Lindsey had only glued on a fake beard and taken out a racing license with a man's name, she could have competed in men's races?
Baxter: It's not quite that simple.
BB: Is there anything in the Big Book of Rules which requires that men's beards be checked to ensure that they are not fake?
Baxter: No.
BB: Since men's beards are not checked to see if they are real, could a woman with a fake beard technically sneak into a men's race?
Baxter: I suppose so, but that has never come up before.
BB: It looks like the Big Book of Rules needs some revision and you will have to memorise it all over again. One more thing. As we stated before, women are not allowed to compete in men's races. But are they allowed to use the men's public toilets?
Baxter: Why would a woman want to use a public men's toilet?
BB: It looks like someone forgot the rule about who is supposed to ask the questions. Maybe your memory is not so incredible after all. A lot of athletes in different sports have to pee before a competition. It's called pre-race nerves. Let's suppose that a female ski racer needs to use the toilet. There is a long line for the women's toilets but no line for the men's. If she waits in the women's line, she would be late reporting to the start area and disqualified for being tardy. So she uses the men's toilets. Is that okay according to the Big Book of Rules?
Baxter: There is nothing in the Big Book of Rules which prohibits women from using a men's toilet.
BB: So a female racer can use men's toilets, but she cannot compete in a men's race?
Baxter: That is correct.
BB: It looks like Lindsey can save her money by not buying a fake beard. She can use the men's toilets without one. Well, it looks like we are out of time. Poindexter, I want to thank you for this interview. It was very interesting to learn exactly what is covered and what is not in the Big Book of Rules. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview.
The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: Our reporters ask the questions and the people being interviewed answer them. Is that really so hard to understand?
The Boston Blickbild is on Facebook. If you enjoy our unique perspective on World Cup Alpine skiing, follow us on Facebook. We are also on Twitter as bostonblickbild.
Baxter: No.
BB: But in the US Congress, if a member does not use all of his or her prescribed speaking time, he or she can give that time to a colleague. The net time used stays the same, but different people can use different amounts depending on their needs as long as it does not go over the total allowable minutes.
Baxter: This is ski racing, not the US Congress. So no, Marcel Hirscher cannot give his unused time to a teammate. Each racer has his or her individual allowable course inspection time, and no more.
BB: I am going to ask you about more rules violations. A few seasons ago, Tina Weirather was disqualified for wearing her arm guards over her racing suit sleeves instead of under them. Does it really matter where a racer wears her arm guards, as long as she has them?
Baxter: Yes. Everything must be worn in the proper place. The FIS has special stealth technology to detect where a racer's arm guards are.
BB: Why do you need special stealth technology for that? I can use my eyes to see if a racer's arm guards are over or under her sleeves.
Baxter: The human eye is amazing. But sometimes it is not perfect, thus the stealth technology. If the human eye was perfect, people would not need glasses.
BB: Fair enough. I know that the FIS is also strict about showing up precisely on time for bib draws.
Baxter: That's right. An athlete must be exactly on time, not even one second late, to the bib draw. Otherwise, the racers will think that they can show up whenever they want to get their bibs.
BB: Wait a minute! If a racer is one second late to the bib draw, he is penalised?
Baxter: Oh yes! He will start with bib 46, just like Bode Miller did a few years ago because he was late to the bib draw.
BB: What if the racer's watch or clock in his hotel room is not perfectly in synch with the official FIS clock? I can see being punished for being one minute late, but one second is a bit much.
Baxter: It's a good thing that you don't work for the FIS. It is the racer's responsibility to ensure that his watch or the clock on his phone is synched up with the official FIS clock. The racers are all adults and should know to do this. If they can't get to the bib draw exactly on time, maybe they need to find a different job. Races are measured in hundredths of a second, so one second really is a long time.
BB: I assume that if a racer shows up 5 seconds early to the bib draw, he cannot give that time to a teammate who arrives 5 seconds late. Am I correct?
Baxter: Yes.
BB: I am sensing a pattern here. On to another topic. Everyone knows that women can't compete in men's races and vice versa. But what would happen if a woman put on a fake beard and competed in a men's race? For example, Lindsey Vonn is as tall as most men. If she put on a fake beard and called herself Larry von Kildowski, could she compete in a men's race?
Baxter: Only if she had a racing license under that name.
BB: You mean if Lindsey had only glued on a fake beard and taken out a racing license with a man's name, she could have competed in men's races?
Baxter: It's not quite that simple.
BB: Is there anything in the Big Book of Rules which requires that men's beards be checked to ensure that they are not fake?
Baxter: No.
BB: Since men's beards are not checked to see if they are real, could a woman with a fake beard technically sneak into a men's race?
Baxter: I suppose so, but that has never come up before.
BB: It looks like the Big Book of Rules needs some revision and you will have to memorise it all over again. One more thing. As we stated before, women are not allowed to compete in men's races. But are they allowed to use the men's public toilets?
Baxter: Why would a woman want to use a public men's toilet?
BB: It looks like someone forgot the rule about who is supposed to ask the questions. Maybe your memory is not so incredible after all. A lot of athletes in different sports have to pee before a competition. It's called pre-race nerves. Let's suppose that a female ski racer needs to use the toilet. There is a long line for the women's toilets but no line for the men's. If she waits in the women's line, she would be late reporting to the start area and disqualified for being tardy. So she uses the men's toilets. Is that okay according to the Big Book of Rules?
Baxter: There is nothing in the Big Book of Rules which prohibits women from using a men's toilet.
BB: So a female racer can use men's toilets, but she cannot compete in a men's race?
Baxter: That is correct.
BB: It looks like Lindsey can save her money by not buying a fake beard. She can use the men's toilets without one. Well, it looks like we are out of time. Poindexter, I want to thank you for this interview. It was very interesting to learn exactly what is covered and what is not in the Big Book of Rules. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview.
The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: Our reporters ask the questions and the people being interviewed answer them. Is that really so hard to understand?
The Boston Blickbild is on Facebook. If you enjoy our unique perspective on World Cup Alpine skiing, follow us on Facebook. We are also on Twitter as bostonblickbild.
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