An era is defined as an age, a period, or a phase that marks a movement in time that possesses a character and influence that is all its own. With this in mind it is notable to mention that every era has a specific moment or event that closes it, thus setting the stage for the next generation to begin their era anew. So it is with our sport. From Hot Dogging to Freestyle Skiing to Freeskiing.
Freeskiing has come a long way since its humble beginning. With its debut in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games alongside Freestyle Skiing - it has proved to the world that it is here to stay.
The origins of Freeskiing era are well known and documented. The Newschool movement began in 1996 with the dissatisfaction and subsequent rebellion from the restrictive rules of FIS Freestyle Skiing. Such pioneers as Mike Douglas, JP Auclair, JF Cusson, and Shane Szocs paved the way for a tsunami wave of innovation in the sport of skiing. For those who are in tune with the movement - the rest is history.
What is not well-known is the event that closed the chapter of the previous era. This was the era of the old school format of the three events of Freestyle Skiing that composed the Combined (Ski-Ballet,Moguls,Aerials). This era unofficially came to a close on Bastille Day - July 14, 1995. The old school passed the torch with the tragic death of a champion Freestyle skier in the French Alps. His name was Sergei Shupletsov.
Rewind ten years to 1985. Freestyle Skiing has at long last had shed their so-called unsavory reputation from the Hot Dog Era and was seen as a “legitimate sport” on track towards Olympic acceptance with the guidance of FIS and the IOC. New nations were interested in the sport with this change. At the time, the Soviet Union was not recognized for their prowess in International skiing competition. However, they had a fierce reputation for being highly competitive in gymnastics and were known to be incredibly medal hungry, as achievement in sport was a convenient form of stage for the politicians and the power struggle of the Cold War. With gymnastics highly prevalent in the genetic make-up of Freestyle Skiing - the Soviets were seen at the time to be a threat to the domination of the Canadian, European, and U.S. competitors. Rumors of their formation of a team were confirmed when a squad of Russian Freestyle skiers led their foray into the competitive world with participation in smaller North American competitions. They were met with a combination of graciousness and uneasiness - as everyone suspected that the Russians would be a force in the future of the sport. The promise of this threat came into bloom with one skier in particular.
Sergei Shupletsov grew up near the Ural Mountains in Chusovoy, a small city in the Perm Krai region of Russia - the former Soviet Union. In 1985, he had eight years of ski experience in alpine skiing behind him when he was introduced to Freestyle Skiing at the age of fifteen.
Fast forward five years to 1990. Perseverance and talent has landed Shupletsov a berth on his National team. Within a month of his debut, he has clutched his first World Cup victory in La Plagne, France as the winner of the coveted Combined event. Shupletsov continued to improve, gaining numerous medals in moguls, top ten performances in the ski-ballet, and respectable finishes in aerials. He won the 1991 Combined World Championship title in Lake Placid, USA and the 1993 Combined World Championship title in Altenmarkt. Austria. However, he is most well known for winning a silver Olympic medal in the 1994 Lillehammer mogul event.
In the 1995 season Shupletsov made the decision to specialize in moguls. At the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championships held in La Clusaz, France - a crowd of a thousand frenzied fans gathered to cheer on their hero, Edgar Grospiron. Sergei was unable clinch a gold medal in a controversial finals where the fans threw chickens onto the mogul field. This was the only tarnish mark on what was a season of pure magic. Sergei managed to rack up six wins (five of these were in-a-row) and three silver medals in the twelve world cup events - handily taking the overall World Cup Mogul Grand Prix title for that year.
Coming off a stellar season with a bright future ahead of him, Shupletsov married a fellow Freestyle skier, Ingrid Goy - a member of the French Freestyle Ski Team in May of 1995. They settled in La Clusaz and prepared for the 1996 season with eagerness.
On their national holiday - Bastille Day- Sergei was out riding his motorcycle around town. He was known for driving his motorcycle at high speeds and his good fortune failed him when he collided with a car not far from his home in a hit-and run tragedy. Sergei Shupletsov died at the scene of the accident - his speedometer was stalled at 180km/hr.
Freestyle was never the same after his passing. The Combined competition - formerly the chief event of Freestyle Skiing had ceased to matter. The three events that composed the Combined began to splinter rapidly from their previous sense of unity and community. Interest in Freestyle diverted to snowboarding on the television and on the slopes.
Sergei’s life and death are grossly understated. He symbolized both the underdog and the complete Freestyle Skier. Many consider him to be the best skier of the era. Shupletsov lost his life before he truly peaked during the cusp between the waning of Oldschool Freestyle Skiing and Newschool Freeskiing. His influence was strong, but could have been so much more had he lived to see Y2K and beyond.
Recently, Shupletsov gained some notoriety when Russian mogul skier Alexander Smyshlyaev won the bronze medal in Sochi. There has been a 20 year medal drought for the Russian team since Sergei’s silver medal. It was fitting that the Russians were able to gain a medal in the sport on their home turf - in the Olympic Games that blends both Freestyle and Freeskiing. If “Shupe” were still around - you can bet that he’d be mighty proud.
Check out this footage of Sergei at the 1994 Lake Placid World Cup at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8PRz7o14mo
To learn more about the bond between the old and newschool go to:http://www.hotdogmanifesto.com
