Freestyle Skiing
Freestyle skiing is a sport started in the 1930s in which Norwegian skiers begin combining acrobatics with cross country skiing. Despite the fact that this sport had not yet become competitive, expositions were regularly featured in the United States. Many described the performance as being freestyle.
The sport begin to evolve during the 1960s with the free form style, and with this style, the sport had few rules and could be dangerous. The sport begin to be recognized by the 1970s, and new regulations begin to be passed which required athletes to be certified, and only certain techniques could be performed. After these regulations were set in place, the World Cup competition was held for the first time in 1980. The World Championships were held in 1986 in France.
By 1988 the sport had been introduced at the Calgary Games. By 2006 the sport had split into two primary part, Moguls and tricks. A spin-off of freestyle skiing has been created which is called Newschool skiing. Athletes in freestyle skiing make ski jumps over high slopes and can get as high as 65 feet in the air. Once the athlete is airborne, they can perform multiple flips, twists, and turns. Skilled athletes can perform as many as six flips through the air. Quad jumps are quite popular, but are not legal in official competitions.
Like ice skating, freestyle skiing is judged by a panel of judges. Athletes are judged on their jump takeoffs, their form while in the air, and their landing. The level of difficulty and performance of flips while in the air is factored into the score given by the judges. Most skiers train for this sport during the summer months by jumping off of water ramps into large pools.
The platform is covered with a slick substance which allows the skier to slide down towards the ramp. Skiers also train on trampolines and diving boards. Mogul skiers move down moguls taking in air twice. Moguls are large bumps in a slope which are created when skiers slice through the snow on their way down the slope. Moguls are often intentionally built for freestyle skiing competitions.
Once the mogul is created, it will grow naturally and skiers will enhance it as they move down the slope. Moguls can be seen in most ski resorts. Pistes are left unattended and this allows moguls to develop. While freestyle skiers enjoy moguls, snowboarders are not fond of them.
Freestyle skiing is often much more dangerous than other winter sports. Athletes execute twists and flips in the air that can be risky if not done properly. It is easy to be seriously injured or killed if techniques aren't performed correctly. Because of this, many aerial moves which are performed in the amateur games such as Quad jumps are not allowed in legal competitions. Like many winter sports, freestyle skiing has its origins in Northern Europe, particularly Norway.
Newschool skiing is a form of freestyle skiing which has become popular in recent years. Many practitioners of newschool skiing feel that mogul and aerial skiing do not accurately portray a true freestyle sport. These skiers often practice in terrain parks, and many mountain courses have been built which cater to these skiers. Newschool skiers often catch air in a half-pipe. They use special skis called twintips which differ from traditional skis used by mogul skiers.
Newschool skiers are also known for using snowboarding slopes to ski rather than the slopes used by mogul skiers. When snowboarding slopes begin to be used for the purpose of skiing, this is when the sport newschool skiing started. This form of skiing is often likened to snowboarding, and it has a different set of rules which set it apart from traditional skiing.
Newschool skiing is often performed in urban communities, and this is considered to be one of the most dangerous forms of skiing. Stairs and handrails are often used, and some skiers get in trouble with authorities who consider skiing in urban communities to be a form of vandalism. An east versus west rivalry exists, and a rivalry has also been seen between newschool skiers and snowboarders.
One of the most impressive things about freestyle skiing is that a culture and language has developed around the sport. Much of this culture can be seen on websites, and large communities of freestyle skiers exist. Freestyle skiing is one of the few sports which has evolved since its creation by Norwegian skiers 40 years ago. It is an exciting sport to watch, and has continued to grow in popularity in the US.
It is expected that this sport will become more popular around the world. It has had many variations such as newschool skiing, ski boarding, and snowboarding. While each variation of this sport has its own unique attributes, each is unique in its own way. Each style caters to different people.
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