Ryan Stassel/Instagram
This is one event you definitely won’t want to miss.
Ski and snowboard slopestyle sends competitors one at a time down a terrain park constructed out of snow, filled with massive jumps and metal rails. It’s only the second time this event has been showcased on a world stage, as it made its debut at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
The competitors get two qualifying runs, and two final runs to show off their best, most creative, and most athletic tricks to the judges. The highest single run score wins in the finals.
The competitors have three rail sections, and three jumps continuously linked in each run.
Unlike the other freestyle disciplines, like aerials and moguls, where conforming to a rigid expectation of what the judge’s demand puts you ahead of the pack, slopestyle skiing — in a testament to its X-Games roots — is inherently creative and forces riders to think outside-of-the-box.
Take a look at the insane course below, courtesy of US Snowboard Team member Ryan Stassel’s Instagram:
Here’s an overall image of the entire course, showing the three rail sections, and the three jump sections.
Ryan Stassel/Instagram
Look for the riders to bring their imagination and get seriously creative on the rail sections.
Ryan Stassel
Watch out for Oystein Braaten, the 22-year-old Norwegian skier, to throw down some of the most technical tricks in the rail section. Braaten’s a heavy favorite to take the gold in ski slopestyle.
For the skiers, the judges will want to see the riders spinning on, and off, the rails in both directions, and using their edges and the flex profile of their skis and boards to control their slide with style.
Ryan Stassel/Instagram
This is where skiers like Sweden’s 26-year old Henrik Harlaut — one of the most creative of the bunch — will showcase their style by choosing unique lines through the course.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
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SEE ALSO: Here are the gold-medal favorites for every single event at the Winter Olympics
