Source:

02-12-2009 16:55

Freestyle skiing originated in American in the 1960s. When social change and freedom of expression led to new and exciting skiing techniques. Originally a mix of alpine skiing and acrobatics, freestyle skiing developed over the decades into the present-day sport.

Free-style skiing consists of men’s and women's moguls and aerials. Mogul skiers race down a 27-degree slope over large uniform bumps called moguls (from the Austrian word “mugel”, which means “mound” or “small hill”). The length of the run is between 230 and 270m with bumps up to 1.2m high. To receive good scores, competitors must make high –quality, aggressive turns while remaining in the fall line (an imaginary line that combines the steepest pitch and most direct line, from top to bottom, of any slope). Skiers absorb the impact of the bumps by bending at the knees and hips. In the aerial competitions, athletes perform various combinations of flips and twists off snow-packed jumps as high as 4m, with takeoff angles as steep as 70 degrees. The competitor chooses the one most suitable for the planned maneuver. Both men and women compete with multiple twisting somersaults. Skiers will drop from a height equal to that of a three –or four-story building. The landing area has a 37-degree gradient and is covered in soft, churned snow to absorb the impact of the landings.

 

Editor:Liu Anqi