History

Freestyle skiing combines skiing and acrobatics. It also has been heavily influenced by snowboarding and skateboarding styles and techniques. The modern freestyle skiing events are aerials, moguls, ski cross, slopestyle, half-pipe, and Big Air. Somersaults and other skiing tricks were exhibited before 1914 and became popular meet additions in the early 1920s. One of the first freestyle events was acro, also known as ballet, which was invented in the early 1930s in Europe. Utilizing moves from figure skating and gymnastics, the acro skier performed a 90-second routine set to music in which jumps, pole flips, and spins were executed while skiing on a gently sloping hill. Stunts performed in the air (now called aerials) were developed in the 1950s, especially by Olympic gold medalist Stein Eriksen. Freestyle skiing flourished on American slopes beginning in the 1950s and ’60s as “hot dog” skiers performed increasingly daring moves. Popular moves that originated in the United States in the 1970s include the daffy (one ski extended forward, the other backward) and the spread eagle (each leg extended out to either side). Widespread popularity established freestyle skiing as a serious sport in the last decades of the 20th century.

The two oldest freestyle skiing events are aerials and moguls. In aerials, skiers build up speed on the inrun (approach ramp), which leads to a table that has ramps of various sizes. After launching into the air, contestants execute flips and somersaults, often reaching heights of 12.2 to 15.2 meters (40 to 50 feet) above the snow. Finally, the skiers land on a hill with an incline of 36°–38° and a length of 25–30 meters (82–100 feet). Based on the degree of difficulty, the routine is scored on form and technique (50 percent), takeoff and height (20 percent), and landing (30 percent). In moguls, which arose soon after aerials, skiers navigate the large bumps, called moguls, that form on many ski slopes. Competing on a steep (26°–35°), 200- to 270-meter (660- to 890-foot) course, skiers are scored on speed (20 percent), turn techniques (60 percent), and two mandatory jumps (20 percent).

Newer freestyle skiing events include ski cross, slopestyle, half-pipe, and Big Air. Inspired by a snowboarding event of the same name, ski cross involves skiers racing each other down a winding course that has ramps and other features. Competitions begin with a qualifying round and then proceed to elimination rounds, in which four skiers compete at the same time and jostle for position. In slopestyle, athletes ski down a course laden with jumps and rails, off of which they do tricks. Competitors are judged and receive a score up to 100, based on a set of criteria that includes execution, difficulty, and variety. In half-pipe, which was also borrowed from snowboarding, skiers perform several tricks while traveling down and up either side of a curved slope with steep walls. The Big Air features skiers performing a spectacular trick combination after launching off a large ramp.

After an appearance at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary as a demonstration sport, freestyle skiing was approved for Olympic competition. Mogul skiing debuted at the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France, and aerial events were added to the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Ski half-pipe and slopestyle were added to the schedule for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Big Air was added to the Olympic program in 2022 at the Beijing Winter Games.