A Boston Blickbild Exclusive
Lindsey Vonn stated in an Austrian TV interview that she would not know what to do with herself if she could not race. We at the Blickbild are not professional career counsellors, but we decided to do a good deed and help a damsel in distress. One of our intrepid reporters convened a group in a town hall style format to help Lindsey figure out her future. OK, the offer of free ice cream, chocolate, cinema tickets, and Amazon gift cards also helped us get people. Let's not forget how we got the teenage boys--we showed them a photo of Lindsey in a bikini and told them that they could see her in person. Nothing is too low for us! Lindsey appeared with her dog Lucy in this unique town hall forum. Let's find out what she has to say.
BB: Lindsey, there will eventually come a time when you will have to stop racing. Have you thought about that time and what you will do?
Vonn: I just don't know what I would do without being able to race. Ski racing is my whole life. Maybe there is a senior circuit where I could race when I am older. Or I will just stay in the World Cup until I am 80.
BB: Why not become a trainer? You would be on skis and passing on your knowledge and wisdom about racing to the next generation of ski racers. That could be very rewarding to see one of your pupils have a successful career.
Vonn: Oh hell no! What if one of my students breaks my records? That would be devastating! My records are my legacy and nobody should ever be able to break them.
BB: What about becoming a writer? Your first book was a success and there could be many more in your future.
Vonn: That was a lot of work to write my book. My sister Laura is still mad at me because I didn't choose her to ghost write my book.
BB: What about being a dog trainer or kennel owner? You have three dogs, so you have experience handling them.
Vonn: I don't know. That seems like hard work. I had a hard enough time training Lucy on where to pee.
BB: What about being a dog trainer or kennel owner? You have three dogs, so you have experience handling them.
Vonn: I don't know. That seems like hard work. I had a hard enough time training Lucy on where to pee.
BB: I may lose my reputation for intrepidness here, but I give up. It's time to ask our audience to provide suggestions.
At this moment, Lucy starts barking furiously.
Vonn: Lucy! Stop that barking now! Bad dog!
While Lindsey is trying to stop Lucy's barking, an audience member speaks up.
Audience Member 1: I am a dog trainer and also a canine-to-English interpreter. Lucy is telling us something. Let's listen for a moment.
Everyone is silent while Lucy barks for another minute, then stops.
BB: Okay Dr. Doolittle, tell us what Lucy just said.
AM1: This is strange...a squared plus b squared equals c squared...that is the Pythagorean Theorem.
Vonn: The what?
AM1: Now she is saying minus b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4 a c over 2a. That is the Quadratic Formula.
BB: Wow, it seems like Lucy is a very intelligent dog.
Vonn: Of course Lucy is very smart. She is my dog!
Lucy (speaking through AM1 as an interpreter): Thank you. I know that Lindsey likes to make excuses for when she does not win races, but she had a valid one last weekend in Zauchensee when she said that the snow was different between training and the actual race. It was. Because of the weather over the course of the day, the snow's coefficient of friction changed. Her service man did not take that into account when waxing her skis and that is why she did not win.
Audience Member 2: I thought it was because the snow during the race was a different shade of white than the snow in the training run.
Lucy: It sounds like someone needs to go back to school to learn some basic physics. Next question.
Audience Member 3: Lucy, I can tell that Lindsey loves you very much.
Vonn: I really do. Lucy is the best dog ever!
Audience Member 3: Why doesn't Lindsey put you into her speed suit when she races so you can be with her all the time?
Vonn: That would not be legal and I would be disqualified.
Lucy: That is technically incorrect. There is nothing in the FIS's Big Book of Rules which specifically prohibits racers from putting animals inside their speed suits. But having me in Lindsey's racing suit would change her center of mass and affect her skiing.
BB: Come on, Lucy. Did you really read the Big Book of Rules?
Lucy: Of course I have. When Lindsey is racing, I need to do something to occupy my time. Hanging out with the service men can be rather boring. I do a lot of reading. In fact, I just finished reading War and Peace in the original Russian.
Audience Member 4: Lucy, is it true that space aliens can compete in FIS-sanctioned races?
Lucy: Again, there is nothing in the Big Book of Rules mentioning beings from other planets. So the answer would be yes.
Audience Member 5: Lucy, what is the capital of ancient Assyria?
Lucy: It would be the capital of modern-day Syria--Damascus.
Audience Member 5: What is the velocity of a laden swallow?
Lucy: An African or European swallow?
Audience Member 5: Oh I don't know. I thought they were all the same.
Lucy: You need to learn about swallows. They most certainly are not all the same. Next question.
Audience Member 6: You are a real genius about physics and FIS rules. So why did it take you so long to learn the proper places to weewee?
BB: That is a very good question. Lucy?
Lucy: I am helping Lindsey generate publicity for the sport of ski racing. Every time I pee in the wrong place, it puts Lindsey, and therefore ski racing, in the news. Lindsey thrives on being in the limelight, and I help to keep her there.
Vonn: Lucy! You just peed on me! Bad dog! Look what you did! I'll have to throw away these pants.
Lucy: You made me wear that awful sweater for one of your press conferences. I was so embarrassed to be seen by other dogs in that thing. What were you thinking? Now I have my revenge for that sweater. I hope that Leo or Bear chewed it up so I'll never have to wear it again.
Vonn: I will have to leave you home with Leo and Bear and find another dog to replace you for peeing on me.
Lucy: I'm surprised I lasted this long with you. Leo and Bear were thrown over for younger models rather quickly. I knew my time would be coming.
BB: Whoa! Let's not get into a fight here. Lindsey, I can see why you don't want to become a dog trainer. It takes a special person to be one and you are obviously not it. Well, it looks like we are out of time. Lindsey and Lucy, I want to thank you for this interview and I also want to thank the people who came to our little town hall meeting.
Vonn: Wasn't the purpose of this town hall meeting to help me figure out what to do with my life? You certainly failed because I still don't know what I would do except race some more.
BB: We did not fail because our readers got to know you and Lucy a little better. But everyone is ready to go home and so am I. We are done here. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview.
The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: Our reporters are smarter than dogs.
The Boston Blickbild is on Facebook. If you enjoy our unique perspective on World Cup Alpine skiing, please follow us on Facebook. We are also on Twitter as bostonblickbild.
BB: Okay Dr. Doolittle, tell us what Lucy just said.
AM1: This is strange...a squared plus b squared equals c squared...that is the Pythagorean Theorem.
Vonn: The what?
AM1: Now she is saying minus b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4 a c over 2a. That is the Quadratic Formula.
BB: Wow, it seems like Lucy is a very intelligent dog.
Vonn: Of course Lucy is very smart. She is my dog!
Lucy (speaking through AM1 as an interpreter): Thank you. I know that Lindsey likes to make excuses for when she does not win races, but she had a valid one last weekend in Zauchensee when she said that the snow was different between training and the actual race. It was. Because of the weather over the course of the day, the snow's coefficient of friction changed. Her service man did not take that into account when waxing her skis and that is why she did not win.
Audience Member 2: I thought it was because the snow during the race was a different shade of white than the snow in the training run.
Lucy: It sounds like someone needs to go back to school to learn some basic physics. Next question.
Audience Member 3: Lucy, I can tell that Lindsey loves you very much.
Vonn: I really do. Lucy is the best dog ever!
Audience Member 3: Why doesn't Lindsey put you into her speed suit when she races so you can be with her all the time?
Vonn: That would not be legal and I would be disqualified.
Lucy: That is technically incorrect. There is nothing in the FIS's Big Book of Rules which specifically prohibits racers from putting animals inside their speed suits. But having me in Lindsey's racing suit would change her center of mass and affect her skiing.
BB: Come on, Lucy. Did you really read the Big Book of Rules?
Lucy: Of course I have. When Lindsey is racing, I need to do something to occupy my time. Hanging out with the service men can be rather boring. I do a lot of reading. In fact, I just finished reading War and Peace in the original Russian.
Audience Member 4: Lucy, is it true that space aliens can compete in FIS-sanctioned races?
Lucy: Again, there is nothing in the Big Book of Rules mentioning beings from other planets. So the answer would be yes.
Audience Member 5: Lucy, what is the capital of ancient Assyria?
Lucy: It would be the capital of modern-day Syria--Damascus.
Audience Member 5: What is the velocity of a laden swallow?
Lucy: An African or European swallow?
Audience Member 5: Oh I don't know. I thought they were all the same.
Lucy: You need to learn about swallows. They most certainly are not all the same. Next question.
Audience Member 6: You are a real genius about physics and FIS rules. So why did it take you so long to learn the proper places to weewee?
BB: That is a very good question. Lucy?
Lucy: I am helping Lindsey generate publicity for the sport of ski racing. Every time I pee in the wrong place, it puts Lindsey, and therefore ski racing, in the news. Lindsey thrives on being in the limelight, and I help to keep her there.
Vonn: Lucy! You just peed on me! Bad dog! Look what you did! I'll have to throw away these pants.
Lucy: You made me wear that awful sweater for one of your press conferences. I was so embarrassed to be seen by other dogs in that thing. What were you thinking? Now I have my revenge for that sweater. I hope that Leo or Bear chewed it up so I'll never have to wear it again.
Vonn: I will have to leave you home with Leo and Bear and find another dog to replace you for peeing on me.
Lucy: I'm surprised I lasted this long with you. Leo and Bear were thrown over for younger models rather quickly. I knew my time would be coming.
BB: Whoa! Let's not get into a fight here. Lindsey, I can see why you don't want to become a dog trainer. It takes a special person to be one and you are obviously not it. Well, it looks like we are out of time. Lindsey and Lucy, I want to thank you for this interview and I also want to thank the people who came to our little town hall meeting.
Vonn: Wasn't the purpose of this town hall meeting to help me figure out what to do with my life? You certainly failed because I still don't know what I would do except race some more.
BB: We did not fail because our readers got to know you and Lucy a little better. But everyone is ready to go home and so am I. We are done here. And that concludes another Boston Blickbild exclusive interview.
The Boston Blickbild. Our motto is: Our reporters are smarter than dogs.
The Boston Blickbild is on Facebook. If you enjoy our unique perspective on World Cup Alpine skiing, please follow us on Facebook. We are also on Twitter as bostonblickbild.
