Find Chalets Olympic Guide - Freestyle Skiing

13th January 2010

A youngish sport - the International Ski Federation (FIS) approved freestyle skiing as a discipline in 1979 and held the first World Cup series the following year.

Find Chalets Olympic Guide - Freestyle Skiing

Although it wasn't until 1986 that a World Championship consisting of mogul, aerial, and ballet competition was held in Tignes, France.

Freestyle skiing was a demonstration event at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary in 1988. Mogul skiing was added to the official games at Albertville in 1992 and Aerial competition was sanctioned at the Lillehammer Games in 1994.

Freestyle Skiing Competitions Events (Men and Women)

Mogul competition consists of a ski run down a steep course seeded heavily with bumps and two jumps. The Olympic format is a one-run elimination round, followed by a one-run final of 16 - 20 women and 16 - 20 men. In the finals, competitors ski in the reverse order of their finish in the qualification round. The skier with the highest score in the final round wins.

Mogul scoring is based on Turns (50% of score), Air (25% of score), and Speed (25% of score). Certain judges only score turns, while other judges score only the two Air jumps. Speed is electronically certified. The skier's final score is determined by adding the average of the two Air jump scores to the total of Turns and the Speed score.

Aerial skiing competition consists of a two-jump qualification round followed by a two-jump final. Combining the two jump qualifying scores establishes the 12 men and women who advance to the medal two jump round. Only scores in the medal round count toward the final standing.

Aerial scoring is based on Air (20% of score), Form (50% of score), and Landing (30% of score). Certain judges only look at and score Air and Form. Other judges are assigned to look at and score the Landings.

The skier's final score is determined by adding the Landing number to the Air and Form total and multiplying that number by a predetermined Degree of Difficulty (DD) assigned to the skier's aerial plan.

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