Big Air
The big air (also straight jump ) is a common term in snowboard freestyle and freestyle skiing for jumping over a kicker (ski jump) . International competitions have been held there since 1994. Big Air has been part of the Snowboard World Championships since 2003 , and in 2018 the competition was held for the first time at the Olympic Winter Games .
history
The origin of Big Air goes back to 1993/1994. At the end of 1993 Andrew Hourmont had the idea to shoot a video with Martin Freinademetz in Innsbruck . Freinademetz was supposed to jump over a hill in the city, which would certainly provide good pictures. The city of Innsbruck refused to do so in the city center by means of a notice . You could go to the Bergiselschanze . Then Hourmont planned an event. He went to the Gsiesertal, where a halfpipe event was taking place and asked some participants like Shaun Palmer or Terje Haakonsen whether they would like to take part. On January 17, 1994, the Air & Style Contest took place for the first time on Bergisel .
As part of the Olympic snowboard competitions, the Big Air was first used at the XXIII. 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang , South Korea . In the women's race, the Austrian Anna Gasser won the gold medal on February 22nd, and in the men's race two days later, the Canadian Sébastien Toutant triumphed .
description
The Big Air is deployed via a single large jump ramp. The driver approaches the hill with a run-up and then tries to perform a trick in the air , which should be followed by a safe landing.
The Big Air is particularly spectacular due to the altitude and can be carried out on a relatively low snow cover.
In a variation which is big air below the landing zone by additional obstacles such as quarter pipes , rails , boxes and corner jumps extended to the participants to give the opportunity to upgrade a bad jump by adding points.
In order to be able to use kicker on flatter terrain, the "tow-in" has become established: The driver is pulled to the jump by a snowmobile with a rope at high speed, he lets go shortly before and then performs his trick ( see also Tow-in surfing ).
In the event of a failed landing, high forces act that can result in serious injuries.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Michael Eder: The great jump of the snowboard artists , FAZ.net from February 23, 2018
- ↑ Gasser wins Premiere Gold in Big Air (February 22, 2018)
- ↑ Canadians wins Big Air Gold (February 24, 2018)