Slopestyle skiing is a ski competition event that involves skiers going down the same freestyle run at different times. The course is full of different terrain and obstacles, and the winner is decided by the judges who hand out the highest score.
I’m Christine, the founder of this blog and a lifelong skier. I love everything about the sport and getting out in the snow as much as possible. I also enjoy watching any skiing event I can and have done some research to come up with the information in this article.
This post will explain what slopestyle skiing is. I’ll walk you through the rules of this event, how it is set up, and what type of skiing is involved. I’ll also provide you with some other related information to help you understand slopestyle skiing better.
Let’s get after it.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- Slopestyle skiing is a freestyle event that involves skiers performing tricks and maneuvers on various features like jumps and rails.
- Slopestyle is now an Olympic event, but it was once only seen in the X-games and at other skiing competitions.
- This is an individual event that involves skiers taking turns going down the same course at different times. The athletes can choose which features they want to hit and which tricks they want to perform.
What is Slopestyle Skiing?
Slopestyle skiing is a competitive event that includes various freestyle and terrain park features. Skiers go down the slopestyle course one at a time and can choose which features they want to hit, making it a pretty creative event.
Slopestyle has its roots in freestyle skiing and is an offshoot of the new school of skiing that pays tribute to other sports like skateboarding and snowboarding. Slopestyle snowboarding is virtually identical to slopestyle skiing.
The event involves skiers navigating a slopestyle course and getting a score from a panel of judges. The judges rank each run based on various factors, including amplitude, originality, and how well the tricks are performed.
Amplitude relates to how big a skier goes on the features – like how high they go off of jumps or how long they ride a rail. Originality relates to how creative the skier is when they are navigating the slopestyle course. And the final factor is how cleanly executed all the tricks are.
A Look at Slopestyle Olympics
Slopestyle skiing has only been an Olympic event since 2014. The event was popular in other competitions throughout the early 2000s, but it didn’t get more widespread recognition and acceptance until it became a part of the Olympics.
Many of the freestyle events in the Olympics are fan favorites, and this includes slopestyle skiing. The courses are often packed full of spectators who are looking to watch some of the best skiers in the world go huge!
The Olympic version of the event is essentially the same as other versions of slopestyle in previous competitions. The difference is that the winners get Olympic medals, which is a huge achievement for any skier.
Freestyle vs Slopestyle Skiing
Slopestyle skiing falls into the freestyle category of the sport, which also includes other events and competitions like moguls, half-pipe, and big air. Freestyle skiing involves invents where skiers hit jumps and perform other maneuvers that aren’t typical for races.
There are elements of other freestyle events within slopestyle skiing. The same tricks are performed in slopestyle that you will see in the half-pipe or big air competitions, it’s just a slightly different version of it.
Slopestyle is the only event that has rails, which makes it pretty unique with that freestyle element considered. But other features, such as jumps, can be seen in the big air and Skier-X competitions.
FAQs
Here are a few quick answers to some of the most commonly asked questions relating to slopestyle skiing.
Is slopestyle a ski or snowboard?
Slopestyle is both a ski and snowboard event. There are professional slopestyle events for both of the major snowsports, and you’ll see them at the Olympics and Winter X Games. The courses for both are nearly identical.
What is big air vs slopestyle?
The main difference between the big air and slopestyle events is that big air only features one jump, where skiers or snowboarders attempt their best trick. Slopestyle has multiple features where athletes can attempt many different maneuvers.
When did slopestyle skiing start?
The first slopestyle competitions began in the late 1990s, with official competitions taking place in 1997. But slopestyle skiing didn’t become an official Olympic event until the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
Final Thoughts
Slopestyle skiing is a pretty awesome version of freestyle skiing, and it’s a really exciting event to watch if you ever get the chance. I like it because the athletes are allowed quite a bit of creativity, which leads to new tricks being attempted all the time.
If you are a freestyle skier or love the terrain park, then slopestyle will probably be one of your favorite events. It’s basically a judged run in the terrain park, and it’s truly amazing to watch some of the best skiers in the world hit tricks and stomp landings.
Have you ever watched a slopestyle skiing event? Was it at the Olympics or another competition? Let me know in the comments below.
