|
 |
Free skiing's freedom draws athletes
By Amy Donaldson
Deseret News sports writer
Freestyle is a little like an aging hippie.
At the end of the 2002 Winter Games and the beginning of a new century, the freestyle, barely 10 years old as an Olympic medal event, is something like a middle-aged rebel trying to conform to the establishment's regulations while hanging onto its rule-breaker image.
Two decades ago freestyle was fighting for legitimacy as the extreme and rebellious younger cousin to the traditional skiing disciplines. But everything changes, and today most everyone agrees that the new rebellion on snow — free skiing — has turned aerials and moguls into something of a stodgy sport to young athletes.
Free skiing is so outrageous and anything-goes that it makes even snowboarding look stifling, dude.
Its freedom attracts many talented athletes, including 1998 mogul gold medalist Jonny Moseley, who spent two years competing in the extreme sports. It is in free skiing that he developed his now hugely popular dinner roll, which shook up the Olympic competition and became an event all its own.
Moseley finished fourth but said he was happy he did something unique and exciting.
"Doing something new has almost been the strongest motivation for me," Moseley said before the competition. Afterward, he was asked it he'd trade the dinner roll for another medal, and he said, without hesitation, "No. I really don't think I would."
He plans to go back to the wild and woolly X Games and free skiing.
His complaint was that while the skiing (of moguls) has gotten faster and more precise, the tricks remain essentially the same as they did when he won in 1998. He says if the sport wants the best young athletes, they might have to change the scoring to reward those willing to do riskier tricks.
Younger freestyle skiers, who dominated the medals podium in these Games, believe there is room for both free skiing and freestyle.
"If you want to win, you've got to go with what the judges are scoring," he said. "It's just not my style."
And it's not just moguls that is getting labeled by some within the sport as too restrictive. One of aerials' aerials brightest stars, Matt Chojnacki, quit last winter when the FIS banned quad-flips because they said athletes couldn't land them safely. Many of the U.S. athletes were upset because it was is the trick they'd chosen to train for the 2002 Games. Chojnacki landed it in April 2001 on snow, right before the ban, and the trick will appear in a Warren Miller ski movie. He continues to perform in aerial shows.
Younger freestyle skiers, who dominated the medals podium in these Games, believe there is room for both free skiing and freestyle.
"Free skiing is great," said silver medalist Travis Mayer, 19. "The USSA has lost numbers since Jonny got involved. But I still think serious athletes will choose freestyle because of the allure of the Olympic Games."
Adds 19-year-old teammate Jeremy Bloom, "I have huge respect for the guys who do (free skiing). I think there's room for both."
U.S. Freestyle head coach Jeff Wintersteen said while he doesn't think the development and growth in extreme sports like free skiing has hurt the top level of freestyle, it could affect the growth at the lower levels of competition.
"I think (interest) may diminish some at the development level," Wintersteen said. The sport can take heart in the fact that all three of its medalists are among the youngest on the U.S. teams. One of those, Aerialist Joe Pack said he believes the Olympic Winter Park in Park City will become a mecca for the future development of aerialists. The sport will get continued exposure from summertime shows in the splash pool, one of just two in North America, and deveopment programs created by USSA and SLOC.
The 2003 World Championships in Freestyle will be held at Deer Valley, which has gained a reputation as one of the finest courses in the world. And to aid in exposure and support, the admission for the world class competiiton is free.
Aerial Eric Bergoust also admits the popularity of freestyle among young skiers has declined, but believes his sport will hang onto those who really love to fly with exposure and good development programs.
"A lot of kids are free skiing because these things are new and exciting," he said. "But (aerials) at it's core, is one of the coolest things out there."
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com
|
|
February 25, 2002
|
