A snowboarder shows off some mid-air spins during the preliminaries of the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup, at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on Nov. 25. Big air snowboarding will make its debut as an Olympic event at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
This past weekend, the prequel to the upcoming PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games took off with flying colors.
The FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup, doubling as the first Olympic test event of the 2016-2017 season, was held on Nov. 25 and 26 amid buzz and excitement in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province. Overseen by the International Ski Federation (FIS), the competition took place at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Center, with 95 athletes representing 23 different countries.
Big air snowboarding is an extreme version of slopestyle snowboarding. Boarders perform complex tricks in mid-air after launching off very large jumps. The sport has been gaining a following among young sports fans, and will be making its official Olympic debut in 2018 in Pyeongchang.
Canada’s Mark McMorris, a bronze medalist in slopestyle snowboarding at the Sochi 2014 Olympics, claimed his first World Cup victory in the men’s big air with a total score of 184.75 points. “As far as the jump goes, I think it will be much different in 2018, but it has been good for me to see Pyeongchang and to get the lay of the land,” said McMorris following his win.
In the women’s competition, Austria’s Anna Gasser took home the gold after pulling off a perfect cab double cork 900, or a double under flip jump. Gasser, who came in the lead with 180.75 points, was 23.75 points ahead of Jula Marino from the U.S., who won silver at the event.
An athlete races down the slope toward a jump during the preliminaries of the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup held at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Center in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on Nov. 25.
Overall, both the athletes and the organizers came away with positive impressions of Pyeongchang’s facilities.
“The snow conditions are pretty amazing right now. It’s just a bit windy which can make it difficult to get your distance sometimes, but generally it’s been super fun,” said Switzerland’s Jonas Boesiger. Athletes also commented on the good quality of the snow. “I had no idea the slopes were made with snow reserves. The experience has been great,” said Karly Shorr, a competitor from the U.S.
FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis said, “There were some minor setbacks, but they are areas that can definitely be improved upon in the coming months. The event organization for the first test event has been very promising.”
Test events for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games will continue through April 2017, covering 24 different events.
Up next is the four-day International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track Speed Skating World Cup at the Gangneung Ice Arena starting on Dec. 16.
More information about the test events can be found at the website below:
www.hellopyeongchang.com
By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: The Organizing Committee of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games
hlee10@korea.kr
