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But can you do an Iron Cross, pulling your skis behind you and crossing them mid-air?
(c) 2011 U.S. Ski Team
Be prepared to pick your jaw up off of the floor a whole lot.
Because there’s really no other way to say it: Ski and board events are just plain cool.
“They are putting it all on the line so it should be really exciting.”
2014 MCT
That said, here are the five new competitions you won’t want to miss.
(Next page.)
This is the first time the 22-foot-high, 700-foot-long course is open for skiers, too.
2014 MCT
These skiers perform similar tricks to halfpipe snowboarders, but tend to get more height.
The best run counts.
“Ski slopestyle brings elements of the resort terrain park to the Olympics,” says Sawabini.
“The buzz of the Olympics will be the triple cork in the Slopestyle events.”
The 1,900-foot course is made with 1.5 million cubic feet of snow and offers 450 feet of vertical drop.
Wait, there’s more.
It’s filled with three rail features and three jumps.
They’ll all compete in best-of-two-run qualifiers, and the top men and women advance to the finals.
Pay attention to AmericansNick Goepper,Bobby Brown,Jos ChristensenandGus Kenworthy, Sawabini suggests.
The scoring works like this: Each athlete starts with 60 distance points.
Each athlete has 20 possible style points.
The women, includingSarah Hendrickson, will compete on February 11.
Snowboarding:Next page.
Things like triple corks, backside rodeos and stalefishyeah, those will be the norm.
This is the bread and butter of snowboarding.
“It was getting more and more difficult for the FIS organization to deny the magnitude of slopestyle.”
Gold will go to the rider with the best combo of style, amplitude and technical difficulty.
Keep eyes on Americans Jessika Jenson and Jamie Anderson.
Lago says you’ll want to see AmericansSage KotsenburgandChas Guldemond.
Snowboard Parallel Slalom
This competition is all about speed.
The knockout format will include 16 rounds of one-on-one racing.
Each round consists of two runs, with each competitor racing each side of the course.
The loser of the first round starts the second round with the time disadvantage from the first.
The first rider to cross the finish line in the second round wins.
The men and women face off on February 19 and 20th.
Especially with the trick-heavy slopestyle courses.
“Riders are pushing their limits,” Lago says.
But these competitors are experiencedand have done some serious prep.
“No one just tries a double backflip without first learning a single backflip,” Sawabini explains.
“All of these athletes have learned through progression.”
Some athletes will wear a back brace or a mouth guard.
Get more in our February issue!
Photo Credit: Page 1: 2011 U.S.
Ski Team; Page 2: Tom Kelly/U.S.
Ski Team; Page: U.S.
