51 replies to this topic

[HeadFirst]

During the long winter break (summer in Oz???), it is a challenge for some to find a suitable way to pass the time. When I am not out skiing, or hiking, I will be watching ski racing, the end of the NFL season and perhaps the odd luge or skeleton event. As a bonus this year, I have the last half of the F1 season on my HD for review. What are you watching/doing this off-season?

[Afterburner]

The off-season gets shorter with each passing year, now that F1 goes all the way to the end of November. The Rolex 24 is in January, so really December is really the only month without a major race (well, and February, if you don’t watch NASCAR). So there’s not much need to fill that space, for me; it’s basically the ‘winter break’.

[midgrid]

The F1 season reviews from 1981 to 2002 are being released on DVD for the first time* shortly, so that's a good way to kill some time for anyone who hasn't watched them before.

 

*Excluding the two bonus review discs released with the F1 2001 and F1 2002 PS2 games for the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

[MikeV1987]

A lot of sim racing.

[cpbell]

I'll be following the England cricket team in the West Indies, and the rugby union team in the 6 Nations.

[AustinF1]

Watching a little Hoops & Hockey, college football, getting ready for the NFL playoffs, & planning a ski/snowboard trip& an Indy trip, and getting ready for Baseball season & 2019 F1 & IndyCar.

Edited by AustinF1, 04 December 2018 - 09:20.

[HeadFirst]

Watching a little Hoops & Hockey, & planning a ski/snowboard trip& an Indy trip, and getting ready for Baseball season & 2019 F1 & IndyCar.

 

Where are you planning to ski/snowboard? If I have been there, I may have tips on nightlife, condos etc.

[jonpollak]

I'm doing things I don't get to do while on the road during the racing season.

Like taking the kids to the movies and Christmas shopping and generally help out around the house and at the Reigate Homeless Shelter for Wayward Stock Brokers

 

Why even today I had my anual doctors appointment....

Which was hysterical, as my new doctor is from Islamabad and learned English from videos of British comedians.

And what a card she is too... I told her my little niggles and she immediately said..

"Yep..You have Meningitis" (with a wry smile on her face)

I laughed and said  "I'm from California, we got shots for that as children"

"Oh California huh" she quipped.. "You realise your people are the enemy"

"Nah..Not me, I've assimilated into this society and culture completely."

"How depressing for you" she said.

 

I told her my wife was contemplating wasting yet MORE of my money on Private Medical care.

 

Dr Tabassum Siddiqui slapped down this leaflet below.

 

I am in love with my Doctor.

 

Jp

[Vielleicht]

Formula E starts in less than two weeks so.... that.

Edited by Vielleicht, 03 December 2018 - 18:50.

[eibyyz]

I can't stand US Pro football (A Chilean friend of mine calls it Armoured American Wankball) so I've been catching up on movies I've missed.  Saw Ocean's 12 and 13 yesterday.

[Nonesuch]

There's the Netherlands' only night-time Endurance race at Zandvoort in early January, with Daytona 24 in the same month.

 

I'm sure there'll be an Autosport Livery Competition in February, which is always good fun.

 

I'll give Formula E another chance, because... why not. I doubt it'll be much more interesting to me than previous seasons, but that's no reason to not at least have a look.

 

And there's plenty of proper winter sports in between: speed skating is already up to its third World Cup event this coming weekend. Now there's a sport where the seasoned viewer can tell exactly who is doing well, and why. Good stuff.

[PiperPa42]

I an working. When not working I am watching Formula or taking photos of aircraft. That’s about it.

[f1paul]

I like my winter sports as much as my motorsport. 

[steferrari]

Watching: Juve. 

Doing: I live in Italy but, as always, I will spend Christmas & New Year holidays in London because a big part of my family lives there.

[monolulu]

Watching National Hunt Racing. Catching up on the Beyond the Grid podcasts & plan what race to go to next season!

[messy]

Formula E, eating chocolate, watching Harry Potter films and sitting on the toilet reading the Autosport season reviews and 2018 Top 50. As usual. Then pretty soon after that we have the Monte Carlo Rally, Daytona 24 Hours and Daytona 500 and it's all off again.

[balage06]

Working my arse off, watching Formula E and Toyota Racing Series, and when I have a little spare time, sim racing

[SonGoku]

I think I am going to give Formula E another try again. And if Liberty gets his wish we won't have a lot of time to fill in the future with 30 F1 races.

[Dolph]

Watching Formula E, Daytona 24 hours, following the Dakar.

 

As a project I plan to view the 2000 and 2001 CART seasons - the last great seasons of CART before Penske exited. I never got a chance to see those seasons.

[pdac]

Going down the pub

[RECKLESS]

NHL

[absinthedude]

I'll probably watch a few of my vast collection of recorded F1 races (sssh...don't tell Liberty). And re-watch the latest series of Doctor Who. 

[Sparky68]

Off season, what's one of those   

[Frood]

As per usual, following the World Cup skiing during the off-season. Lines up very nicely with the F1 season - last race is on the same day as the Australian Grand Prix! Might possibly head out to Andorra for the finals too.

Other than that, dreaming about racing. Doing some sim racing. Busy time for the stage acting too; it’s panto season after all.

[Disgrace]

Nothing. I am cryogenically frozen between racing events.

[Reddington]

Off season, what's one of those   

 

Isn't that the time where you guys in MK are most busy?

[AustinF1]

Where are you planning to ski/snowboard? If I have been there, I may have tips on nightlife, condos etc.

Probably New Mexico or Southern Colorado. The Southwest is supposed to be cooler and wetter than normal this winter, and it's looking pretty good so far. Angel Fire in New Mexico has already had more than half the amount of snow they had all last season. That's a fairly easy drive for us ... about 11-12 hours. Or who knows, we might try to get back to Tahoe for the first time in years, so our boys can see it. We haven't really decided yet. I've also wanted to go to Utah for a long time, or Jackson Hole.

[BuddyHolly]

I am watching my F1 races, I used to record them all on tape (back before they showed the full races even, just got highlights on 'World of Sport' the following saturday)

I did transfer them from VHS to DVD and then to usb external drives (I currently have 8.4tb of F1 races, films and documentaries ..yes I'm sad, I'll admit it)

 

So having just watched the full 1991 F1 season, today I plan to watch 'The Quick and the Dead' and after that I'm either going to start on the 1992 season or 'The team: A season with McLaren'.

 

oh and inbetween I'll be watching some youtube videos on one of my heroes 'Fred Dibnah'.

[Sparky68]

Isn't that the time where you guys in MK are most busy?

Yup pretty much.

[Albaforever]

I will be following my beloved Heart of Midlothian Football Club (Hearts) home and away.    

Edited by Albaforever, 04 December 2018 - 15:42.

[Spillage]

It's time to turn my focus to Derby County for a few months. Supporting Ferrari and supporting Derby are basically the same thing anyway - always threatening to do really well, always disappointing just when success seems certain. It's fun!

[Sterzo]

Formula E, obviously, and might plunge into my bookshelves. It annoys me that I can't remember why the wonderfully-named Hautvast retired his Clement-Bayard from the 1908 Grand Prix.

[cpbell]

Formula E, obviously, and might plunge into my bookshelves. It annoys me that I can't remember why the wonderfully-named Hautvast retired his Clement-Bayard from the 1908 Grand Prix.

There speaks a true denizen of TNF!

[Cliff]

Watch And go to Ajax games.

[TomNokoe]

Spending Christmas away from my own family for the first time ever. It's an Away Day this year.

Watching the fallen giants, Nottingham Forest, battle back to where they belong.

And on the racing side... there's a sim racer online who I really enjoy watching. Obligatory shill: https://youtu.be/IgB7clQ1wN8

[dweller23]

Gonna rewatch some full seasons on F1TV. Wait... I forgot F1TV stopped uploading old races in favor of short highlights.

[BalanceUT]

Formula E, EPL, Early work on my sabbatical project. 

[PayasYouRace]

I'll be giving my F1 2018 career mode a good run.

 

 

The F1 season reviews from 1981 to 2002 are being released on DVD for the first time* shortly, so that's a good way to kill some time for anyone who hasn't watched them before.

 

*Excluding the two bonus review discs released with the F1 2001 and F1 2002 PS2 games for the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

 

That's something I'll look out for then. There are a couple of seasons I'd like to have.

[AlexPrime]

check the racing from series I missed in the summer

[HeadFirst]

Probably New Mexico or Southern Colorado. The Southwest is supposed to be cooler and wetter than normal this winter, and it's looking pretty good so far. Angel Fire in New Mexico has already had more than half the amount of snow they had all last season. That's a fairly easy drive for us ... about 11-12 hours. Or who knows, we might try to get back to Tahoe for the first time in years, so our boys can see it. We haven't really decided yet. I've also wanted to go to Utah for a long time, or Jackson Hole.

 

Sounds exciting. I've only been to the resorts just west of Denver (Keystone, Beaver Creek, Vail), so not much help. My more travelled friends say Utah has the best snow, but I have to admit New Mexico sounds very interesting. I've moved from Iowa to the southern BC resort called Kimberley, so that's where I'll be.

[AustinF1]

Sounds exciting. I've only been to the resorts just west of Denver (Keystone, Beaver Creek, Vail), so not much help. My more travelled friends say Utah has the best snow, but I have to admit New Mexico sounds very interesting. I've moved from Iowa to the southern BC resort called Kimberley, so that's where I'll be.

Yeah I've always heard the same about Utah, & still haven't made it there. Maybe it's time...

 

Been to Keystone & Beaver. That's the trip when we finally took a couple days from skiing to start learning to snowboard. Liked both resorts, esp Beaver, but damn if those Vail resorts aren't driving prices up everywhere they buy resorts (Tahoe, Utah, Whistler, Vermont, even Australia). Crazy prices for lift tickets, charging (a lot) for parking, etc. They've bought up already-good resorts, put a 'high end', 'premium' tag on them, added restaurants, shops, high-end vacation properties, etc and then raised prices dramatically. Good examples are Northstar and Kirkwood, previously my Tahoe favorites.

 

New Mexico is hit and miss. There can be great snow, or it can be pretty dry with not much new snow, so we don't usually plan ahead for our trips there. I've seen it, though, where the snow was amazing, and was the best in the U.S. at the time, with many cars in the parking lot from Colorado & all over the western half of the country, & even from Canada & Mexico. Wolf Creek in southern Colorado, near NM, is another place I wanna check out. It's situated in a place that somehow gets massive annual snowfall numbers, the most snow in Colorado and even in the U.S. iirc, and before the rest, every year. It doesn't get too crowded because it's far from all the major cites, kinda in the middle of nowhere and not easy to get to, even for a ski resort.

Edited by AustinF1, 05 December 2018 - 17:56.

[fzaza]

I am watching my F1 races, I used to record them all on tape (back before they showed the full races even, just got highlights on 'World of Sport' the following saturday)

I did transfer them from VHS to DVD and then to usb external drives (I currently have 8.4tb of F1 races, films and documentaries ..yes I'm sad, I'll admit it)

 

So having just watched the full 1991 F1 season, today I plan to watch 'The Quick and the Dead' and after that I'm either going to start on the 1992 season or 'The team: A season with McLaren'.

 

oh and inbetween I'll be watching some youtube videos on one of my heroes 'Fred Dibnah'.

 

Just watched the Whole week end of Belgium 1996...

 

Villeneuve and Hill dominating all the free practices, having a stunning QLF session, and then in the Race..

Williams were so bad in strategy and Schumacher was always there to take the wins with a car that had the equivalent of 2018's Renault..

 

Great race 

[Eff One 2002]

Working, family commitments and a bit of gaming in between. Basically no different to the routine during the season.

[RacingGreen]

I'm going to watch the Formula E season opener. I stopped watching FE because of silly rules like fan boost and the car swaps annoyed me but as it's a new season with new drivers and new rules so I'll give it another chance. 

[jonpollak]

We keep trying don’t we?
Jp

[Sterzo]

It's so hard to fill the time without racing. Last night I felt forced to eat Gateau de Crabe avec Sauce Bloody Mary, followed by Casserole de Venaison a la Bourguignonne, Legumes Oublies (I've forgotten what those are), with wine of course, all in the company of a beautiful woman, in the charming town of Reigate. Can't wait for the new season to start, with David Coultard explaining a smoking tyre is caused by under rotation.

[jonpollak]

Wait a minute.... Reigate?
LaBarbe ?

you didn’t PM me?

Mon Dieu !!!

[Fatgadget]

During the long winter break (summer in Oz???), it is a challenge for some to find a suitable way to pass the time. When I am not out skiing, or hiking, I will be watching ski racing, the end of the NFL season and perhaps the odd luge or skeleton event. As a bonus this year, I have the last half of the F1 season on my HD for review. What are you watching/doing this off-season?

Not at all.

 

Me and my buddy (Who is not interested in F1)  are building a Locost 7.... on a £250 budget!

[Branislav]

FE starts this Saturday. Then in January Dakar, WRC, ROC, 24h Daytona (Alonso driving). In February starts Nascar and F1 testing. Then in March full power.

[Collombin]

So if so many of you discerning people watch ski racing during the offseason, why are the skiing threads in the Paddock Club always so dead?

To be honest if there was a decent English speaking alpine ski racing forum, I doubt I would bother much with motorsport forums at all!