As I see it the Big Air contest in skiing is dead. There is no room for improvement. Almost every Big Air contest this year came down to a switch off axis trick done to 7,9 or 10. As I see it there is not much room for improvement on this unless a new format of judging is put in place or the jumps are made significantly larger in order to adapt to larger tricks, which would just result in more injured skiers.
The problem with the judging in Big Air contests is the fact that switch tricks are judged so much higher than regular tricks. Regular tricks are almost non-existent in Big Air comps these days unless they are done unnatural. Unnatural tricks shouldn’t be scored higher than natural tricks though because a good skier should be able to do tricks both ways. Switch tricks have been the only winners in major contests for the past 3 years. It seems that almost every year when Tanner Hall picks up a new switch trick, he wins with it except this past year. More and more riders are catching up thus making the contests almost the same. In the end it almost always comes down to Tanner, Jon and some other pro all throwing the same trick (with some slight variations). This season, when people other than Tanner won a lot of the major big airs, created a problem. No new tricks were introduced from last season, it was the same switch tricks done allover again. Don’t get me wrong, the tricks being done are amazing, I just think that after 3 years people are getting bored of the same switch cork 7,9 and 10s.
What skiing needs to do is either change the format of judging in Big Air so that style is judged FAR higher than technicality of trick or simply drop Big Air contests at the professional level. Slope style contests are the answer. Slope style showcases the true abilities of the skiers, not just a one hit wonder. In my mind Big Air should be out. I say keep some Big Air comps for show but don’t base skiing on Big Air comps.
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Founder of the 'lets help Sam loose some weight so he can possibly get a girl' Club.
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