Should slope style get pulled?

The IOC is examining whether or not slopestyle is too risky and caused too many injuries to have it pulled from future Olympics.

http://wintergames.ap.org/article/ioc-official-slopestyle-injuries-unacceptable

Just from watching the events, I agree with was another AZ member said about the athletes scaling back there tricks since the risks for injury were so high.

I don't think it should be pulled, but some kind of standard could be set on the course build. Slopestyle has progressed to the point that the features are absolutely ridiculous. The kind of risks you have to take to compete at that level is really just asking for more injuries and death.

Personally I think the stuff people are doing to get into and be featured in ski movies is 10x more dangerous.

No. If one wants to do anything airborne or on objects, in competition.....let em'.

I don't think it's anymore dangerous than halfpipe. They just need to have regulations for the course and the competition should not be held until the athletes agree that the course is acceptable. I think the jumps should be scaled back in size so that it's less about going big and more about technical difficulty and style. That would make it much more interesting and keep the danger level down, not to mention it would help the women put on a show closer to what the men can do. More credit should be given to the difficulty of the trick attempted instead of just looking for the run to be 100% clean. Doing a nose press to board slide on a kinked rail and putting a hand down on the landing should still be scored higher than a simple 50/50 that just skims the rail and lands clean. Slower, more deliberate slides should be scored higher than high speed taps that barely require any jibbing skill.

Freestyle snowboarding and "new school" freestyle skiing on a pro level has gotten progressively more dangerous over the last 15 years. Halfpipes, jumps and features all started getting larger around the year 2000, and maxed out around 2010. Back in the 90's most halfpipes were around 12 feet, and a large table/gap jump was about 40 feet.

Here's the 2003 x-games slopestyle course:



1999 X-Games Skiing big air:



2003 Halfpipe:

Who needs slopestyle in the Olympics ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLn0cgEgQPmUdDTNVEQIO3IznkzaDcSPIH&v=Zu1qd97JZ-Y#t=272

I am thinking that sports break down into 3-categories: Sports vs. Extreme Sports vs. Exhibitions.

I think there might be some agreement that Hockey, Football, Basketball, Bowling, Golf, Ski Racing, etc. are sports. I think it is also clear that Evel Knieval jumping the Grand Canyon or the Wallendas doing a tight rope performance are in the category of exhibition.

My sense is that in more recent Olympics, the distinction between "Sports" and "Extreme Sports"; and "Extreme Sports" and "Exhibitions". is being blurred

In my opinion, the mogul events, the half-pipe, and several others events have crossed the line from "Extreme Sports" to "Exhibitions". Let's face it: A miss in the half-pipe is the equivalent of falling from a 4 story building.

In my opinion, the figure skating, especially with the triples and other complex moves have at the very least moved it from "Sports" to "Extreme Sports" considering the magnitude of damage that can be done on a fall. I am told that stress fractures have become common.

Sports change from era to era, but it seems like the safety of the athlete has not been considered.

Young athletes will respond to zealous coach without a lot of concern about the future. My sense is that any sports event with the sub-title "don't try this at home" has moved out of the world of "regular sports".

Some very good points Joshua.

I really could care less if they keep it or pull it. Personally, I'm sick of people thinking that park is all there is to snowboarding, and that's all snowboarders care about. Out at Mt. Bachelor, when the ambassador saw me on a board, he immediately began telling me about the parks. That is, until I stopped him and said that's not my cup of tea, and to show me to the steeps and glades. Even then, he assumed my skills weren't up to the task of the more difficult stuff until he had done a few runs with me. I don't blame him, 90% of the riders he comes across probably just want to know where the parks are. It's sad, in a way, because so many riders don't look to experience what the mountains really have to offer. Nature will always make terrain that is far more interesting and fun than anything a park crew can create.

I didn't even know what it was until C-Rex filled me in a few months ago. I guess that pretty much makes me indifferent. I enjoy watching some of the talented kids do their thing in the park while I'm on the lift, but it doesn't hold a personal interest to me. However, if people are into it, I would rather see it stick around.


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Is boxing still an olympic sport?

C-Rex said:

I really could care less if they keep it or pull it. Personally, I'm sick of people thinking that park is all there is to snowboarding, and that's all snowboarders care about. Out at Mt. Bachelor, when the ambassador saw me on a board, he immediately began telling me about the parks. That is, until I stopped him and said that's not my cup of tea, and to show me to the steeps and glades. Even then, he assumed my skills weren't up to the task of the more difficult stuff until he had done a few runs with me. I don't blame him, 90% of the riders he comes across probably just want to know where the parks are. It's sad, in a way, because so many riders don't look to experience what the mountains really have to offer. Nature will always make terrain that is far more interesting and fun than anything a park crew can create.

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I get it! My son started becoming a snowboarding park rat and we forced him to skiing glades, bump trails, steeps and cruisers alike. Turns out he really enjoyed those challenges - but still enjoys parks too! Problem with him - some of his friends suck so they only do the park and when they do - they don't do squat!

why? because flying tomato bailed?
throwing out the baby with the bath water...
why don't they just limit the size of the construction? IOC is so incompetent that it is not even funny.

I actually think that Park has jumped the shark in terms of the sum of the assets mountains have to put into pulling it off versus the number of people who actually use it.

Seems like a massive expense to build, upkeep, and insure, versus frankly not that many people who typically use it.

BenedictGomez said:

I actually think that Park has jumped the shark in terms of the sum of the assets mountains have to put into pulling it off versus the number of people who actually use it.

Seems like a massive expense to build, upkeep, and insure, versus frankly not that many people who typically use it.

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Lots of people use parks, most resorts build parks that the average low advanced rider can use. Nothing large or pro level that really takes alot of snow.

However, you have to be at a semi-pro (top expert) level to effectively ride a 22 ft superpipe, vs. a 12 ft pipe that most people can casually have fun in.

A 20 something friend is a snowboard instructor in Colorado. He was telling me that level 2 PSIA Snowboarding certification requires performing tricks in the half pipe. To be a level 2 snowboard instructor your expected to perform and teach extreme exhibition level skills? Level 3 snowboard instructors must have to really go big or go home.