February 16, 2002
CBC Online

Freestyle Skiing Essentials-Aerials

Canadian world champion Veronika Bauer taking off at the top of the kicker. Photo: Freestyle Canada

It's easy to understand why aerials - even more than the other freestyle skiing discipline, moguls -- once seemed to be the sole domain of thrill-seekers and daredevils. After all, the point is to ski down a steep pitch, launch yourself more than 15 metres into the air, spin, flip and twist around, drop back to earth, land gracefully on your skis and glide away. But, freestyle skiing is no longer just for rebels. Since its debut as an official Olympic sport at Albertville 10 years ago, it has grown by leaps and bounds in both popularity and credibility.

Circus on snow
Still, a lot of freestyle skiing's appeal lies in the surge in extreme sports, and that association is enhanced by the carnival-like atmosphere that surrounds competitions, where music blasts from loud-speakers and camaraderie amongst competitors abounds.

"There's a flamboyance about it," says Anna Fraser-Sproule, who competed in the aerials event at the 1988 Games in Calgary, where it was introduced as a demonstration sport.

Aerialists are as much performers as they are athletes, and they egg each other on to reach for greater heights and perform more dazzling tricks.

"They're the type of people who are drawn to gymnastics…maybe the circus," jokes Fraser-Sproule.

But she's quick to downplay the sport's reputation for danger.

"I guess you're a daredevil to certain extent, but you can't be a huge risk-taker because you get hurt."

The basics
Aerialists judged on their takeoff form, the height and length of their jumps, the jump's execution and landing.

The competition starts with a two-jump elimination round. The top 12 move onto the final, which also consists of two jumps -- two different jumps must be performed in each round. The highest combined score from the two jumps wins.

A jump begins by building up speed as they travel down the in-run of the takeoff slope. As aerialists approach the "kicker" -- the ramp that launches them into the air -- they bend their knees to help adjust from skiing downhill to uphill. Going up the ramp, they keep their bodies straight and perfectly perpendicular to the ramp.

As they're about to takeoff, they lift both arms above their head and begin to lean backwards, which will send them into a somersault. Their arms act as both rudders and propellers to control the direction and speed of their twists.

Headwinds and tailwinds

The takeoff slope is pitched at about 23 degrees, and although it's about 50m long, aerialists will begin their descent at different points, depending on the ideal speed they need to reach to perform certain tricks. Correct in-run speed is crucial, and aerialists develop an instinctive feel for their speed as they approach the ramp. They also learn how to adjust to factors that could affect that speed, such as fresh snow or wind.

"They have timing guns on the in-run, and you know exactly at what speed you need to be going to hit a good triple (somersault), which is 62 km/h," says Fraser-Sproule. "If you're coming in, and all of a sudden you drop to 58 km/h (because of headwinds), that could be nightmare material. Or if you get a tailwind, and you're hitting the kicker at 66 km/h, you're flying way past your triple because you've got more height."

Because of the potential dangers caused by weather, officials are careful to monitor conditions and will limit the degree of difficulty of tricks that can be performed in certain conditions.

The kickers can be as high as four metres and can have takeoff angles as steep as 70 degrees. Competitors can choose between kickers, depending on what's appropriate for their planned tricks. The kickers are made out of snow and are carefully sculpted by the aerialists themselves.

The landing slope is more steeply pitched than the takeoff slope -- around 37 degrees -- and is covered with wood chips so that skiers can more accurately judge the distance to the ground.

Twisting and turning: The jumps
Before a skier can perform a certain trick in competition, they must be certified by performing it first into a swimming pool. On competition day, they must also inform officials what tricks they intend to perform.

At the Olympics, the top men's aerialists will be performing variations on what's known as the quad, which is three backward somersaults with four twists. Three somersaults are currently the maximum allowed in competition, although some performers have practiced tricks with four somersaults or five twists in anticipation of the day that they'll be approved for competition.

On the women's side, gold-medal favourite Jacqui Cooper of Australia has pushed the envelope on the degree of difficulty, performing a triple twisting triple: three twists and three flips. Most of the women, though, will be opting for two flips and three twists. (Please see freestyle glossary for descriptions of a full list of jumps.)

Making the grade: The judging

Each jump is scored by a total of seven judges who grade three basic components: air, form and landing to a maximum score of 30.0. The score is then multiplied by the trick's pre-determined degree of difficulty. Air makes up 20 per cent of the total mark and is based on the takeoff and jump's height and distance. Form comprises 50 per cent of the total and is based on how well the trick is executed. The landing makes up the final 30 per cent and is based on how smoothly it is done -- marks are deducted when skiers lose their balance, falls or touch the ground with their backs.

Deidra Dionne, one of Canada's rising aerials stars, using her arms to generate twists. Photo: Freestyle Canada

Five judges cover air and form, giving each competitor a maximum of seven points. The highest and lowest marks are thrown out, giving the aerialist a score out of 21.0. Two judges evaluate the landing, each giving it a maximum of 3.0 points. Their two scores are averaged and then multiplied by three, for a maximum of 9.0 points.

The gear
Aerialists' skis are relatively short and light, making them easier to control during the tricks. The tips and tails are more flexible than regular skis, but aerialists wear regular alpine ski boots.

All competitors have to wear a helmet. But unlike their alpine kin, they tend to wear warm, loose-fitting clothing in competition.

The training pool
Aerialists don't just need snow to practice. In fact, they spend their summers jumping off plastic ramps and into specially built freestyle pools. It's in the pool that they practice new jumps without having to worry about injuring themselves on less-forgiving ground.

Aerialists also spend time on trampolines to create new moves and perfect their form.

Such dryland -- and wetland -- training techniques help explain how Australia can produce one of the world's top aerials teams.

reprinted with permission

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