Olympic Freestyle Skiing Venue

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Freestyle Venue

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN - OFFICIAL FREESTYLE SKIING & SNOWBOARD VENUE FOR THE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES

 Skiing Competition Events at Cypress Mountain:

• Aerials Men
• Aerial Women
• Moguls Men
• Moguls Women
• Skier Cross Men
• Skier Cross Women

Freestyle Skiing
There has always been the element of freedom in skiing – the freedom to choose what line to take down the slope, the freedom to decide whether to go off a jump or not.The 1960s were a time of evolution, as young people looked for different forms of expression. This pursuit of expression also found it's way into winter sports. Freestyle skiing began in that decade that saw advancements in modern ski equipment and freedom of expression lead to new and exciting skiing techniques. Originally a mix of alpine skiing and acrobatics, the first freestyle skiing competition was held in Attitash, New Hampshire, in 1966.

A relative newcomer to the Olympic Winter Games, freestyle moguls became an Olympic event at the Albertville 1992 Winter Games. Freestyle aerials were added for the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer. The newest Olympic Winter Games event, Freestyle Ski Cross, will make its debut in Vancouver in 2010.

How It Works

There are three Olympic freestyle Skiing Events for both men and women.

Aerials
Strategically, competitors determine their inrun location based on the type of jump performed, their own freesyle technique and the current environmental conditions. Correct inrun speed is critical to successful aerial performances and athletes can choose two of many different jumps that combine back flips and twists with differing degrees of difficulty.

Athletes are judged on the quality of take-off, height gained, form and body positon, and how they maintain balance upon landing. All competitors complete two jumps in a qualification round. The 16 aerialists with the highest total scores from the qualification round move on to the final round. In the final round, competitors complete two more jumps in reverse order from the qualification results. The aerialists with the highest combined score from the two final jumps wins.

Judging
Competitors must perform two different jumps consisting of single or multiple somersalts nwith or without twists. Each jump must vary by one somersault or one twist. Points are awarded for take-off (20% of score), form in the air (50% of score) and landing (30% of score). Score of both jumps are added together for a final mark.

Competitor format
Competitions are either:
a) A two-jump qualification round with a two-jump final for the best 12 women and men;
or
b) A one-jump qualification round with a one-jump final for the best 12 women and men;
or
c) A one-jump qualification round with a two-jump final for the best 12 women and men;

Lingo
• DD: Degree of difficulty.
• In-Run: Slope leading into kicker – 55m long and 23 degrees steep.
• Full In: Full twist on first flip of double or triple somersault.
• Full Out: Full twist on last flip of double somersault. 
• Layout: Body extends as straight as possible. Often called a "Lay"
• Pike: Body bends at waist, legs stay straight, and hands reach forward to toes; the standard diving position. 
• Pull: Grabbing your knees into a tuck position. 
• Rudy: Flip with 1 1/2 twists.
• Single: One flip. (Double: Two Flips; Triple: Three Flips)
• Stretch: Making body as "long" as possible because the jumper is carrying too much speed or is too high in the air off the kicker. 
• Tuck: Knees tuck in front of body to a 90 degree angle.

Moguls
Athletes choose which of the three to four different lines they will ski down on the mogul course. After the start signal, they ski slope and over a series of offset large bumps (moguls) as high as 1.2 metres, spaced between three to four metres apart. There are two sets of 'Air Bumps', one near the top of the course, the other near the bottom, where the skiers are required to perform to perform two different jumps of their own choice.

The goal is to ski down the course as fast possible while performing the two jumps without technical errors or loss of balance. Different mogul jumps include the 360- to 1080- degree spins, loops (side flips), off axis jumps, back and front flips, and flips with twists. The jumps can incorporate different grabs or holds of the legs or skies. Skiers need to keep their upper bodies facing straight down the hill while their lower body and skies are constantly turning. Maintaining snow contact with the skies is an important element.

All competitions participate in a qualification round. The top 20 skiers from the round move into the final with the start list in reverse order of the qualification results. The five "turn" judges award points based on the quality of the skiers' turns, making deductions for technical mistakes. The two "air" judges determine what jump was performed, how high they are off the jump, and the jumps quality. Each run is timed and compared to a pace-time set for the course, with the fast skiers being awarded more points. The skier with the highest score in the final round wins.

Lingo
• Back Scatcher: Skiers scratch their backs with parallel tails of their skis. Kneed bend under torso (ski tips drop under body), and hips lean forward with a countermotion of the shoulders (as if feet are trying to sctach the back)
• Daffy: Splits – legs are widely spread, one in front, one behind. Front ski tip up, back ski tip down, with skis parallel. 
• Iron Cross: Ski tips cross as skier remains upright. Tips drop, but heels are kicked to either side. 
• Spread Eagle/Spread: Starting position for making Snow Angels: arms extended and legs split, usually 90 degrees or more to the side. 
• Twister: Skies twist 90 degrees to one side of the body, while hands and arms may counter the twisting skies – with core of body remaining upright and facing down the hill. 
• 360: Upright aerial spin of 360° often called a helicopter or chopper. (720 = Double Helicopter [when viewed from the side]) 
• Mute Grab: 360 with an Iron Cross Back Scratcher in the middle (often referred to as a "Heli-Mute"). 
• Off Axis : A true flip is one that turns around the horizontal (zero degree) axis. A true spin is one that turns around the vertical (90 degree) axis. An Off-Axis spin or flip is one that deviates from these norms. 
• D Spin: A back flip with an Off-Axis full twist. 
• Back Full: A back flip with a full twist both true to the "normal" axes. 
• Lincoln Loop: Old school brought into new school – a sideways flip. 
• Grab: Any part of the ski or binding that is grabbed by the hand – there is Tail, Mute, Japan and Toxic grabs in addition to a whole mess of others, all of which adds "flavor" to the tricks. 
• Rodeo: Backwards initiated off axis flip. 
• Flat Spin: Another off axis trick where the skier looks like they are spinning like a horizontal wheel. 
• Misty: Forward initiated off axis flip. 
• Cork 720: Two rotations as is spinning in a frontal wheel. 
• Switch: Taking off a jump backwards. 
• Fakie: Landing backwards.  

Ski Cross
Although new to Olympic sport competition, Ski Cross has existed as a sport since early alpine ski competitions. The "mass start" appeal of Ski Cross, also seen in Snowboard Cross, sets the stage for fast and exciting competition.

Not restricted by formal structures and formats, Ski Cross is part of the FIS Freestyle discipline with the bulk of competitors originating from alpine skiing.

The Ski Cross course, designed to test skiers' skills, incorporates turns in a variety of types and sizes, flat sections and traverses, as well as rolls, banks and ridges similar to those found in Snowboard Cross events. Physical endurance and strength play a key role in Ski Cross, as athletes ski 4 to 5 runs of 60 seconds or more. 

A timed qualification run is used to seed the skiers into different heats of four skiers each. At the sound of the starting device, the athlete begins to race down the course. The start and first sections before the first turn are critical parts of the course as passing can easily occur during these sections. Other passing areas are designated on the course, and interference with other skiers can lead to athlete's disqualification.

Each race is limited to 4 starters. The top half of the finishing field then moves on to the next round, in a series of quarter, semi and final rounds.

During each heat, the first two competitors across the finish line advance to the next heat, while the last two competitors get ranked based on their qualification times. The "big final" round determines 1st to 4th place, while the "small final" determines 5th to 8th place.