Freestyle Skiing

I

Introduction

Freestyle Skiing, popular modern winter sport that combines skiing with acrobatics. In competition there are three major disciplines: aerials, moguls, and acroski (formerly known as ballet). Skiers travel down a steep icy course, either negotiating artificial bumps in the ground (moguls), or taking off from small jumps to perform aerial routines of twists, turns, and somersaults. Freestyle skiing is a relatively recent development and new disciplines are being added all the time. At its outset the sport was known as “hot-dogging” and, as with surfing, it has its own unique lexicon for jumps and moves. It should not be confused with the freestyle technique used by skiers in cross-country skiing.

II

Equipment and Clothing

Skis vary in length according to the discipline. In mogul skiing, the average length is 185 cm (6 ft) for men and 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) for women. For aerials, the skis are shorter, at around 160 cm (5 ft 3 in). Skiers use ski poles for turning, imparting speed, and for balancing, and wear ski suits, goggles, boots, gloves, kneepads, and protective helmets.

III

Rules of the Sport

A

Aerials

In aerials, skiers travel a course and ski off ramps that propel them up to 20 m (60 ft) in the air. While in the air, aerialists perform multiple flips and twists before landing on a landing hill. Aerial skiing is marked by seven judges, five of whom judge on technique and two who judge the quality of the aerials. Skiers are judged on the jump takeoff (20 per cent of the overall marks), form and execution of the aerial manoeuvre (50 per cent of the marks), and landing (30 per cent). The final score also takes into account the degree of difficulty of the routine. The Winter Olympics aerial format consists of a two-jump qualification followed by a two-jump final. The combined scores from the two jumps in the qualification round determine who qualifies for the final.

B

Moguls

Competitors ski down a steep mogul field measuring 200 to 270 m (219 to 295 yd) in length, with the mogul bumps spaced approximately 3.5 m (8 ft) apart. The course has a gradient of around 30 degrees and also has two small ramps built in, from where the skiers launch themselves into the air to perform aerial manoeuvres. The mogul skier is judged on the style of the turns, the speed of covering the course, and the performance and difficulty of the aerial moves. The skier’s technique down the course forms half the score, with the aerials and the speed each adding a quarter of the overall marks to the final score. In competition there are qualifying heats leading to a final, with the skiers taking part in reverse order of qualification in the final.