Freestyle skiing first appeared at the Olympics when moguls, ski ballet and aerials appeared as demonstration sports at the 1988 games in Calgary. At the 1992 Olympics, the moguls event gained medal status followed by aerials in 1994, ski cross in 2010, and slopestyle and halfpipe in 2014. The 2022 Olympics features three new events: big air, and mixed team aerials.
And for you hardcore ski ballet fans out there, sorry but it’s still not included in the Olympics (which makes it the final refuge of skiing’s last true renegades!).
Halfpipe skiing
In this event, skiers zig-zag down a snow halfpipe with steep, 6.7-meter (22 feet) high walls and boost tricks off the banks on either side. Five judges evaluate the tricks on amplitude, difficulty, variety, execution and progression and then award a score ranging from 1 – 100 based on overall impression of the run. The score for each competitor’s run is an average of the five judges’ scores. The final of the event is super exciting because the skiers are judged on the best of three runs.
Anyone can win up until the last run!
- 2018 Women’s Olympic halfpipe gold: Cassie Sharp (CAN)
- 2018 Men’s Olympic halfpipe gold: David Wise (USA)
Big air skiing (new event!)
While big air ski events have been wildly popular at the X-Games and other venues for many years, 2022 will be the first year it will be held at the Olympics. Skiers in the big air event straight line a steep ramp to get enough speed to launch off a massive jump and throw a combination of difficult aerial maneuvers. Judges look for amplitude, difficulty, execution of the trick and a smooth landing. As in halfpipe, the finalists’ best of three runs are used to determine the medal winners.
Slopestyle skiing
Competitors in this event ski down a slope with ramps, handrails and jumps and do tricks on, around and over them before going off a final big air jump at the bottom. Five or six judges (FIS rules allow either) score a competitor’s run from 1 – 100 based on overall impression with tricks evaluated on difficulty, amplitude, execution, variety and progression. A final score is given based on overall impression of the run. In the finals, the athletes are judged on the best of three runs which prolongs the excitement all the way through the last competitor’s final run.
- 2018 Women’s Olympic slopestyle gold: Sarah Höfflin (SUI)
- 2018 Men’s Olympic slopestyle gold: Øystein Bråten (NOR)
Ski cross
In ski cross, four racers compete head-to-head on a course featuring banked turns, rollers and jumps of various shapes and sizes. Ski cross is the only Olympic freestyle ski event that is judged solely by the clock. The skier with the fastest time wins! Racers start with a solo qualification run which determines their placement within the initial heats of four racers each. In each heat, the two riders with the best times advance to the next round up until the “big final” round where the medalists are determined. Intentional interference with another competitor is cause for disqualification although unavoidable contact is to be expected.
- 2018 Women’s Olympic ski cross gold: Kelsey Serwa (CAN)
- 2018 Men’s Olympic ski cross gold: Brady Leman (CAN)
Moguls
The moguls event consists of a timed run down a mogul field with two jumps thrown in. Two sets of judges sit on the judging panel: 1) five judges who evaluate an athlete’s turns through the mogul field, and 2) two judges who determine a score for air. Competitors can receive a maximum of 100 points with their time and scores weighted:
- Turns: 60% (skiing in the fall line, carving, absorption/extension, upper body)
- Air: 20% (quality, air, fluidity)
- Speed: 20% (competitor’s time compared to pace time)
30 skiers compete in a qualification round with the top 10 advancing directly to the finals. The remaining 20 compete in another run with the top 10 also advancing to the finals. The 20 finalists each take a run and the top 12 competitors advance to the Final Round 2 from which the top six advance to the Super Final. The scores from the Super Final determine the final ranking including gold, silver and bronze medalists.
- 2018 Women’s Olympic moguls gold: Perrine Laffont (FRA)
- 2018 Men’s Olympic moguls gold: Mikaël Kingsbury (CAN)
Aerials
In this event, skiers perform a combination of flips and spins off jumps that are up to 4-meters high. Competitors scores are derived by adding scores for air, form and landing (maximum 30 points total) and then multiplying by the degree of difficulty (maximum 5.0). The highest and lowest of the five judges’ scores are discarded, and the remaining three scores are added together. The maximum possible score is 150 (30 x 5).
Five judges evaluate air, form and landing based on:
- Form: 50% (balance, mechanics, stability)
- Landing: 30% (balance, stability, control)
- Air: 20% (50% technical takeoff, 50% height and distance)
25 competitors complete run one with the top six advancing straight to the finals. The 19 skiers who are left complete another run with their best score from both rounds used to determine six more finalists. The 12 finalists complete a run with the top nine advancing to Final Round 2. The athletes with the top six scores from that round advance to the Super Final. In the Super Final, athletes complete do two more jumps and the competitor with the highest combined score wins.
- 2018 Women’s Olympic aerials gold: Hanna Huskova (BLR)
- 2018 Men’s Olympic aerials gold: Oleksandr Abramenko (UKR)
Mixed team aerials (new event!)
To get the basics of this event, check the Aerials section above. The difference is that in the mixed team event, each team is made up of three skiers with a minimum of one skier of each gender. The three skiers’ scores are combined for a total score which determine the top four teams that advance directly to the Super Final.
After reading through all this, one of the most common questions people have is: “Aerials and Big Air sound very similar. What’s the difference?
Big air vs aerials – what’s the difference?
The big air skiing and aerials events sound very similar however there are some key differences. Big air skiing has roots in big air snowboarding. Competitors will approach the ramp loose, low and relaxed and will wind up their upper body to generate as much spin as possible as they leave the lip of the jump. In the air, difficulty of the trick is the primary factor but there is also a heavy emphasis on style with big air skiers looking loose, relaxed and fluid.
Aerial skiing on the other hand, might be most closely compared to gymnastics and perhaps diving. Aerial skiers leave the lip of the ramp upright, straight and stiff. In the air, the primary judging criteria is on technical difficulty with a heavy emphasis on precision and control. On the ramp and in the air, aerial skier’s movements look more mechanical, almost robotic.
So there you have it: just enough to get you up to speed going into the 5-ring circus. All you need now are your home country’s flag and the customary slope-side cowbell. Let the games begin!
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