Big air is a high-injury-risk sports discipline where the competitor rides a vehicle, such as a motocross motorcycle, a skateboard, a snowboard, or a pair of skis, down a hill or ramp and performs aerial tricks after launching off very large jumps. In most versions, there is one large jump and therefore only one opportunity to perform a trick. It is an extreme version of slopestyle. Competitors perform complex tricks in the air, aiming to attain sizable height and distance as well, all while making every effort to secure a clean landing. Many competitions also require the rider to do a specific trick to win the major prize. The term was coined by French-Canadians because of their love for the extreme nature of the event.
Skiing and snowboarding
[edit]Since 2004, Big Air Skiing has been featured in the FIS Snowboard World Championships.
In 2018, Big Air became the newest snowboarding event introduced in the Olympic Games.[1]
In the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, the ski Big Air event was held for the first time in Olympic history.[2] The dedicated venue was Big Air Shougang.
Other sports
[edit]Big air BMX and skateboarding have featured events at ESPN's annual multi-sport X Games.[3][4]
References
[edit]- ^ "What Is Big Air? It's the Olympics' Newest Snowboard Event". Retrieved 2018-08-24.
- ^ "Thrilling freestyle skiing big air event makes big debut at Beijing Olympics". Retrieved 2022-02-11.
- ^ McGrath, Ben (2014-07-14). "Big Air". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
- ^ Bruton, Michelle. "X Games Legends Break Down Their Biggest Moments From 25 Extreme Years". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
