Hey, shred kids. Looks like the quad corkers will get the chance to go for the gold when the Five Ring Circus (aka Olympics Winter Games) drop next in 2018 in PyeongChang, Korea.
The inclusion of big air is another step from the IOC in appealing to a more youth-oriented audience. The hugely successful slopestyle events at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi provided a great platform to launch big air as an additional medal opportunity for American athletes. Big air was introduced at the 2003 FIS Snowboarding World Championships and was included on the World Cup tour in 2015. U.S. Snowboarding’s Ty Walker (Stowe, VT) won the first ever women’s World Cup this past season in Istanbul, Turkey.
We can’t wait to watch 16 guys (and girls) do the same trick over and over and over until one of them does it with a few less mistakes than the others. For the official word from the USSA follow the jump.LAUSANNE, Switzerland (June 8, 2015) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved big air snowboarding for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association had been among nations lobbying for inclusion of big air.
The inclusion of big air is another step from the IOC in appealing to a more youth-oriented audience. The hugely successful slopestyle events at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi provided a great platform to launch big air as an additional medal opportunity for American athletes. Big air was introduced at the 2003 FIS Snowboarding World Championships and was included on the World Cup tour in 2015. U.S. Snowboarding’s Ty Walker (Stowe, VT) won the first ever women’s World Cup this past season in Istanbul, Turkey.
“Having big air in the Olympics is super exciting for me,” stated Walker, a 2014 slopestyle Olympian. “I’ve always felt that the strongest point of my riding has been jumping. It’s great that there is an event that highlights the jumps specifically, and I’m looking forward to potentially competing in big air and slopestyle in 2018. I loved the energy that surrounded the big air World Cup in Turkey and I know it’s going to be even bigger and better in PyeongChang.”
FIS will continue to ensure future judging criteria and formats allows for expression and creativity in both big air and slopestyle.
“The inclusion of big air is another positive step from the IOC to incorporate more events that are more appealing to a younger audience in the Olympic schedule,” said USSA Snowboarding Program Director Jeremy Forster. “The ability to host big air events on the hill or in stadiums make it exciting and engaging for a variety of audiences.”
