There are many sports styles and freestyle is rightfully considered the most spectacular and interesting. It is used in different areas, for example, snowboarding, football, dancing and so on. Skiing also includes freestyle skiing and is included in the Olympic Games.

What is freestyle?

This term refers to performing various tricks. If the name is translated from English, then it is “free style”. Athletes not only improve their movements, but also constantly come up with new and spectacular tricks. When figuring out what freestyle is in sports, it is worth saying that it is also used in other areas of life, for example, dancing, vocals, and so on. Many people think that freestyle is an amateur sport, but in fact this is not the case, since this direction is represented in various competitions and even the Olympic Games.

Freestyle is an Olympic sport

Medals at the Olympics can be obtained for good performance in snowboarding and skiing. The first direction will be discussed further, so let’s pay attention to the second. It started its history with ski ballet and it was a mountain ski show that was used to entertain people. Freestyle as a demonstration performance was first introduced at the games in 1988. Freestyle skiing, which includes several areas:

1. Ski acrobatics. This discipline involves performing difficult jumps from a special springboard. The slope includes an acceleration section, a platform with springboards and a landing area. The performance score consists of: 20% flight, 50% form and 30% landing. Acrobatics has been in the Olympic Games since 1994.
2. Mogul. A direction in which an athlete skis down a slope with numerous hillocks and also performs ski jumps. The evaluation takes into account the following parameters: turning technique, difficulty of the jump, quality of execution and duration of the descent.
3. Ski cross. This is a ski race on a special track, which includes various obstacles in the form of jumps and steep turns. The debut of this direction occurred at the games in 2010. The competition is held in two stages: qualification (traversing the course against the clock one at a time) and finals (4 athletes participate in each race).
4. Halfpipe. In this discipline, one goes down a special slope and performs a series of tricks. Athletes began competing for medals for the first time in 2014. The complexity of the tricks, their height and technicality of execution are assessed.
5. Slopestyle. The discipline includes a series of jumps on springboards, drops and other structures. Obstacles are located throughout the route. This direction was presented at the Olympics in Sochi in 2014.

Is freestyle a sport?

If freestyle was originally invented for the sake of variety and entertainment, then over time it was officially recognized as a sport in many disciplines. Various competitions are held to determine the best in their field. The sport of freestyle can be compared to improvisation, thanks to which the athlete can show creativity, reveal potential and demonstrate abilities. It is used in different directions.

Football freestyle

This sport is based on performing various tricks with a soccer ball. This “game” involves different parts of the body. Freestyle football began to actively develop in 2003 thanks to a video filmed by Soufiane Touzani. In it he performs different tricks, one after another without stopping. Freestyle football is divided into the following disciplines:

1. Air Moves. Tricks are performed with a ball in the air. They are the most popular. Several difficult tricks performed in a row are called “combos”.
2. Upperbody. Many tricks are performed on the head, chest and shoulders, but the arms are not involved.
3. Sitting. In this discipline, tricks are performed while sitting on the ground.

Freestyle snowboard

This direction is based on performing various tricks on a special track. Athletes do them both on a flat surface and in the air. In order to do jumps, somersaults and other elements, the athlete must have serious physical training. Freestyle style involves performing tricks on special structures:

1. Halfpipe is a large U-shaped half-pipe, while in which the athlete moves from edge to edge.
2. Big air is a large springboard, from which the athlete performs various elements in the air.

Freestyle is a winter sport that requires special equipment. A snowboard must be strong and withstand heavy loads, and high rigidity of the board is also important, while it must be light. Boots must have high rigidity in order to fix the foot, and high-quality fastenings are no less important so that the load can be accurately transferred.

Freestyle dance

In dance, freestyle means improvisation and movement without established boundaries. This technique involves performing standard techniques that are complemented by artistry to create a show. The main goal of this trend is to ignite the crowd. When figuring out what freestyle in dance is, it is worth noting that improvisation is only possible when a person masters the style perfectly, otherwise it will not be possible to loosen up and move away from the framework. Freestyle is used in popular styles such as go-go and hip-hop.

Freestyle parachute

This concept is understood as one of the types of parachuting, in which various movements and rotations are performed during free fall. The main idea of ​​this direction is aesthetics and beauty of movements. Freestyle is a parachuting sport based on improvisation. It is worth noting that jumps are performed by one or several athletes. Each movement is realized solely based on the air flow. Particularly fond of freestyle are skydivers who have experience in rhythmic gymnastics and dancing.

The first competitions in this direction were held in 1990. Many people call freestyle parachuting “dancing in the air” and its beauty is assessed according to several criteria: grace, plasticity, lightness, and so on. In freestyle, special attention is paid to the athlete’s legs, so it is important to carefully select a suit that should have tight legs and wide sleeves, thanks to which the skydiver can better control his own movements.

Freestyle on motorcycles

Many people believe that freestyle motocross is the most spectacular sport, as athletes jump on motorcycles and perform various tricks in the air. Freestyle motorcycling is a sport that originated in the 90s in America. Initially, the athletes simply jumped from the ramp and only after a while began to perform tricks. In 2005, FMX was recognized as a new sport and international competitions began to be held the following year. The evaluation takes into account not only the complexity of the trick, but also the technique of execution, variety and audience reaction.

All types of competitions are divided into two groups: freestyle motocross and best trick. To engage in this sport, you need to have a motorcycle, which must weigh 90-95 kg, which is important for performing tricks. Each rider prepares a motorcycle for himself to make it as comfortable as possible. During training, athletes not only practice tricks, but also falls to minimize injuries. There are standard tricks, but at the same time, each athlete wants to come up with something of his own, more unusual and spectacular.

Freestyle swimming

There are different styles of swimming and freestyle refers to freestyle. This discipline allows the athlete to swim in any way, and the style can be changed at any time at his own discretion. The freestyle swimming style is included in the medley swimming and relay races. Today, freestyle competitions are held and records are recorded at various distances, from 50 m to 1500 m. Freestyle is an ideal sport for people who work on their body, since many muscles are stressed.

Freestyle skateboarding

One of the first skating styles that was invented with the advent of the skateboard. It does not require any additional structures, such as ramps, since all tricks are performed on a plane. Freestyle in the sport allows the use of various comfortable boards, but professionals recommend giving preference to shorter decks, 27-29 inches. To make it easier to perform tricks, it is better to choose a suspension so that the wheels do not peek out from under the board. Athletes perform various rotations, jumps, and so on.

» »

History of freestyle and discipline

A very beautiful sport, freestyle (English - freestyle), translated as free style.
The history of freestyle is still very young. He was born in the 60s of the twentieth century in Europe. At first it was just fun. Freestyle soon became popular in Japan and North America. Subsequently, it became an official sport, and was divided into three varieties.
Freestyle disciplines: ski acrobatics, moguls and acrosking (ski ballet). All three have hosted a multi-stage World Cup since 1978.

Ski acrobatics

The acrobatic stadium consists of a acceleration mountain, platforms with several different sized jumps and a steep landing slope. At competitions, athletes perform pre-declared jumps, which may consist of somersaults, spins, flips and other elements. A special sports commission evaluates the difficulty of the jumps and assigns marks for them. The most difficult jump in ski acrobatics allowed in official competitions is a triple somersault with four pirouettes. Although in 2000, at one of the commercial tournaments, Eric Bergust performed a quadruple somersault with four pirouettes.

Freestyle moguls

This competition is very similar to slalom. It differs from it in a shorter distance - 250 m - 300 m. The route here is steeper and there are hills along it rhythmically. The participant performs a descent along the track and at the end makes two jumps. Figures in this discipline are divided into single, double and triple jumps. Athletes are assessed by a commission of seven people. Marks are given for the technique and aesthetics of the descent, as well as for the time it takes to complete it. Mogul is divided into individual and parallel (paired).

Akrosking

In this discipline, athletes perform a free program, which may include flips through a stick, spins, etc. The panel of judges evaluates the figures performed by the athletes, their technique and artistry. In this discipline, participants perform on a smooth, non-steep and short slope.
The first freestyle world championship took place in 1986 in the Savoyard resort of Tignes. He created a crazy sensation among the public. Freestyle skiing was first included in the Olympic Games in 1988 in Calgary. Since then freestyle history began to become noticeably richer.

Freestyle “Free style”, translated from English means “free style”, is a relatively young type of skiing, which has gained popularity since the 1950s, and is rightfully included in the program of the Winter Olympic Games. Freestyle disciplines: ski acrobatics, mogul, ski cross, halfpipe, and the very young slopestyle. Also included are two non-Olympic disciplines - “new school skiing” and the abolished “ski ballet”. All these types of sports require incredible dexterity, courage and bravado from athletes. After all, they are accompanied by a huge risk to health and are more than traumatic.

Freestyle skiing began its history as a type of skiing in the middle of the twentieth century, since 1971, before that it was known as the “mountain show”, and was entertainment for wealthy aristocrats vacationing at ski resorts.

In 1926, the first specialized author's book about freestyle, represented only by ski ballet, with the same name, was published. The author is skier and mountaineer Dr. Fritz Ruel.

• 1975 The popularity of freestyle skiing increases so much that World Cups begin to be held.

• 1978 Freestyle is included in the Olympic skiing program.

• In 1988, the first Olympic competitions in this type of skiing took place - the venue for the XV Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Classic freestyle disciplines

• Ski acrobatics. The type of discipline speaks for itself: complex acrobatic tricks are performed on skis. For this purpose, a specially prepared, profiled, huge springboard is used, which is designed so that thousands of spectators will want to watch the participant. The entire track consists of three main parts: acceleration hills, freestyle platforms with different types, complexity and sizes of springboards for jumping, and a steep slope for landing.

At competitions, only jumps that have been announced in advance and approved by many years of practice in the sports world, such as somersaults, spins, and free jumps, are performed. Jumps are evaluated for flight, form and landing, the main criterion being difficulty.

• Mogul– a type of discipline that is closest to the real conditions of descent on unequipped mountain slopes. Mogul involves descending a dangerous hilly slope, the ledges of which are called moguls. In principle, tracks that are not very carefully maintained have their own moguls, and even entire fields. Frequently ridden by skiers, they become even more visible and steep. For competitions, moguls are prepared in advance. By the way, elements of skiing involving turning over your head are strictly prohibited in moguls - it is too dangerous.

The first in the history of freestyle and Olympic champion in moguls among men was the Frenchman Edgar Grospiron, among women - the American D. Weibrecht.

Mogul is present in both the Freestyle World Cup program and the Olympic program. Single and double mogul competitions are held. Speed, jumps (the cleanliness of their execution) and the execution of turns are assessed.

• Ski cross is a type of race on a specially prepared and equipped ski track, and there is still disagreement whether this type belongs to freestyle or alpine skiing. Skis for this discipline require special ones, with a well-defined carving geometry, which allows them to develop high speed on turns, and many models can only be handled by pros. Competitions in this discipline take place in two stages. The first is called “qualifying” and involves passing the track against the clock. From those who showed the best results, 32 participants are selected and proceed to the second stage - the final. Skiers are divided into quadrants, from each quadrant two are selected who showed the best results, until there are eight remaining, fighting for 1-8 places in the finals.

• Slopestyle- a type of freestyle in which the skier performs complex jumps and tricks using springboards, complex pyramids, railings, and counter-slopes. The fantasy of freestyle fans is unbridled. This discipline is extremely dangerous and requires excellent physical preparation of the athlete, because injuries on the track are a frequent occurrence. The beauty of slopestyle is that, while skiing on the same route, the skier can choose the obstacle to his taste.

• Halfpipe- This is a ski descent on a specially built structure for competitions in various extreme sports in the form of a concave plane. During the descent, a number of acrobatic stunts are performed. The complexity of the jumps, the height and purity of their execution are assessed. Competitions in this sport are held in two traditional stages: qualification and final. In qualifying, each skier performs two runs, the best one is counted. Based on the qualification results, six or twelve best athletes are selected who will have the opportunity to compete for first places. Included in the freestyle skiing program of the Olympic Games.

What is freestyle
FREESTYLE is an alpine skiing event that includes ski ballet, aerial (float) acrobatics and moguls. In ski ballet, the athlete descends down a gentle slope to musical accompaniment, demonstrating the elements of sliding, steps, rotations, and jumps. In aerial (ski) acrobatics, athletes perform a series of jumps and somersaults of varying difficulty from a specially profiled springboard. There are three types of springboards: large (height 3.5 m, slope 65 degrees); medium (3.2 m, 63 degrees); small (2.1 m, 55 degrees). The landing area should be covered with loose snow. Points are awarded for take-off technique, height and length of flight, shape of elements and landing. Mogul is a ski descent along a hilly track (slope 27 degrees), complicated by the mandatory implementation of two jumps.
Since 1992, the ZOI program (men and women) has included only moguls; since 1994, ski acrobatics has been included.

Freestyle history

Freestyle is a young sport. The ancestor of freestyle is ski acrobatics. In European countries it was called "freestyle", which translated from English means "free, freestyle".
It is quite difficult to name the exact date of birth of this sport. It is generally accepted that the history of freestyle in the form in which it exists now begins in 1971 - the year of the first official freestyle competitions, which were organized in New Hampshire (USA). Until then, freestyle was a purely commercial enterprise: it was a mountain show designed to entertain the vacationing public and generate income.
Freestyle includes: moguls, ski acrobatics and ski ballet.
In 1926 The first book entirely dedicated to ski ballet appeared in Germany. Its author was skier and mountaineer Dr. Fritz Ruel. In the book, he first described several complex maneuvers on skis, which, more than forty years later, formed the basis of ski ballet.
In 1966 The first school for training ski ballet specialists was founded in Colorado (USA). Its leader, the famous alpine skier and alpine skiing theorist Doug Pfeiffer, subsequently united the disparate areas of free skiing into a single sport. Ski acrobatics has long been considered a "ski circus" and was a purely commercial enterprise.
In 1911 The Moskovskie Vedomosti newspaper reported that on Sundays, jumping enthusiasts from among the members of the Moscow Ski Club gather on Vorobyovy Gory in Moscow. The most agile ones fly so far that they manage to take off their jacket in flight. The first person to perform a somersault on skis in front of a specially assembled audience was John Carleton, a member of the US Nordic all-around team at the 1924 Olympics. In our country, the first somersault on skis was performed in 1927.
Later, when alpine skiing became widespread, snow mounds - “moguls” - began to form on the ski slopes in large numbers - the result of skiers turning along the same trajectory. On these hilly slopes - "mogul parks" - skiers began to hold competitions in a special downhill. This third discipline was called "mogul".
Modern freestyle is an alpine skiing event that includes three types: moguls, ski acrobatics and ski ballet. Moguls and ski acrobatics have the status of Olympic sports.
Mogul - downhill skiing down a bumpy slope along the most precise straight line up to 250 m long with the obligatory performance of two jumps. Ski acrobatics are two jumps from a special springboard performing acrobatic elements.
Ski ballet - figure skating to music for 2-2.5 minutes on a slope up to 250 m long and 35 m wide.
In all freestyle disciplines, judges evaluate the performance and complexity of the flight, technical skill, and artistry of execution. The rules for freestyle skiing competitions were approved by the FIS in 1978, in the same year international freestyle skiing competitions were raised to the rank of the World Cup, and in 1986. By decision of the FIS Congress, the first official world championship was held in the Swiss city of Engelberg.
Freestyle came to us in the 70s, as an independent sport it took shape after 1985, and in the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Austria and the Scandinavian countries, “free style” as a direction in alpine skiing has been developing for a long time, receiving increasing recognition and gaining rapid popularity.
The first all-Union freestyle competitions took place in February 1986, in the vicinity of the village of Gorki. The first national champions in moguls were Anna Vershinina and Stanislav Sokolenko.
In 1988 an independent USSR Freestyle Federation was created. In the same year, for the first time in the USSR, international freestyle competitions, included in the official FIS calendar, were held in Dombay. The winner of three stages of the World Cup was Liza Kozhevnikova, and the first among Russian freestylers to become the world champion in all-around on the slopes of the American resort of Wayne was Sergei Shupletsov, and in ski acrobatics - Vasilisa Semenchuk.
A significant achievement for freestyle fans was the IOC decision made in 1984. on inclusion in the program of the 1988 Winter Games. freestyle skiing demonstrations in Calgary.
In September 1988 At the Seoul session of the IOC, it was decided to include freestyle as a full-fledged Olympic discipline in the program of the White Olympics-92 in Albertville. Moguls were the first to be included in the Olympic regulations. Frenchman Edgar Grospiron became the first Olympic champion in freestyle moguls in the history of freestyle, and American D. Weibrecht became the women's champion. The second step of the Olympic podium in Albertville was taken by 18-year-old Muscovite E. Kozhevnikova.
At the Winter Games in Norway (Lillehammer '94), another discipline joined mogul - acrobatic jumping.
The great popularity and intensive spread in various countries of the world of the young Olympic sport of freestyle ensured the highest skill of athletes and intense competition in the fight for Olympic medals.
In the ski acrobatics competition, Lina Chiryazova (Uzbekistan) became the Olympic champion, athletes from Russia S. Shchupletsov and E. Kozhevnikova won silver and bronze medals in moguls.
At the XY111 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano 1998. in freestyle, 4 sets of awards were awarded in moguls (men and women) and acrobatic jumps. The length of the mogul track is 250 m. During the course, the participant had to make two mandatory jumps. The rating was influenced by the difficulty of the jumps (25%), the speed of the route (25%) and the descent technique (50%).
7 springboards were built for jumping. The athlete presented two jumps of his choice, the score for which was given based on the following criteria - speed of departure from the take-off table (20%), difficulty and technical execution (50%), landing (30%).
Olympic moguls sensation Tae Satoya. The Japanese athlete made a giant leap - from 14th place in the World Cup standings to the first step of the podium in Nagano. The bright and extravagant 22-year-old American Johnny Mosley became the Olympic champion.
None of his fifteen opponents can yet perform the “helicopter” like the young American - fixing the left ski with his right hand!
Americans Eric Bergust and Nikki Stone became Olympic champions in ski acrobatics. The bronze medal went to 23-year-old Dmitry Dashinsky from Belarus.
In freestyle, the Russians managed to lose their positions. There was no worthy replacement for S. Shchupletsov, who died in a car accident, and E. Kozhevnikova, who retired from active sports, the world leaders in moguls. The Olympic program still does not include ski ballet, in which Russia holds the palm.

FREESTYLE LEGENDS

Kozhevnikova Elizaveta
(freestyle mogul)
Born December 27, 1973 in Moscow. Height - 170 cm. Weight - 59 kg. Student of RGAFK. Started playing sports in 1979. The first coach is G. Becker. In the national team since 1989, showing character
Olympics-92 in Albertville - 2nd place.
Olympics -94 in Lillehammer - 3rd place.
Three-time winner of the 1991 World Cup.
Coach - Z. Makiev.
Elizaveta Kozhevnikova has a reputation as a brave, desperate, fearless athlete.
At the age of 20 she became a medalist at two Olympics.
At the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, an 18-year-old Muscovite amazed everyone by stealing the Olympic silver from under the noses of the eminent grandesses. As if with her head into a pool, Lisa “fell into the distance.” And she stroked and caressed the mouldboards of each hillock with short skis. She walked at amazing speed, but the impression was that this ringing speed was imperceptible: a sort of reckless figure descent. What about jumping? Top class! 23.50 points.
Then Elizabeth was tormented by injuries. But at the next Olympics-94 in Lillehammer, she was suddenly replaced - in the final race, to the brave music, she raced faster than all her rivals, showing character and class. In this sport, not everything is determined by speed, but also by the rhythm of overcoming bumps, the complexity of jumps and the range of movements when performing them. This means that judging here is also subjective, as in figure skating. In Lillehammer, at least silver was “stolen” from Kozhevnikova. Lisa herself was pleased with her performance. I did everything I could, and maybe even a little more.
Unfortunately, Elizaveta retired from active sports

Freestyle means free style. The name itself and the first rules were invented by the Americans in the early 1970s.

In the mid-twentieth century, in some countries of Central Europe, skiers began to get involved in competition not only in the speed of descent on the slopes, but also in the beauty of the movements, turns and other technical elements performed, as well as rather complex acrobatic exercises.

The passion for freestyle skiing, which originated in Europe and the USA, has quickly spread throughout the skiing world. Amateur local competitions began everywhere, and when their rank increased to the level of national championships and international tournaments, the need for unified rules arose.

In 1966, freestyle first seriously declared itself as a sport, when major freestyle competitions were held in the United States in the city of Attitash, New Hampshire. Subsequently, freestyle competitions began to be held more and more often with the participation of athletes from Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Austria, the USA, Canada, France and other countries in Europe and America.

Freestyle is an alpine skiing event that includes ski ballet, aerial (ski) acrobatics and moguls.

In ski ballet, an athlete descends down a gentle slope to musical accompaniment, demonstrating elements of sliding, steps, rotations, and jumps. In aerial (ski) acrobatics, athletes perform a series of jumps and somersaults of varying difficulty from a specially profiled springboard.

Springboards come in three varieties: large (height 3.5 m, slope 65 degrees) medium (3.2 m, 63 degrees) small (2.1 m, 55 degrees). The landing area should be covered with loose snow. Points are awarded for take-off technique, height and length of flight, shape of elements and landing. Mogul is a ski descent along a hilly track (slope 27 degrees), complicated by the mandatory implementation of two jumps.

Freestyle has been included in the program of the Winter Olympic Games since 1992 (men and women) - only moguls, since 1994 ski acrobatics has been included.

Since 1975, annual competitions for the Freestyle World Cup have been held.

In 1979, the International Ski Federation (FIS) created a technical committee for freestyle skiing - and this sport is included in the program of international competitions held under the auspices of the FIS. The Freestyle Technical Committee has developed unified competition regulations.

In February 1986, the first world championship in this sport took place in France.

At the XV Winter Olympics in Calgary in 1988, unique performances in all types of freestyle were demonstrated during demonstration performances.

Freestyle came to our country in the 1970s, and as an independent sport it took shape after 1985. In 1988, the independent USSR Freestyle Federation was created. In the same year, for the first time in the USSR, in Dombay, international freestyle competitions, included in the official FIS calendar, were held. The winner of three stages of the World Cup was Liza Kozhevnikova, and the first among Russian freestyle skiers to become world champions on the slopes of the American resort of Wayne were Sergei Shchupletsov in all-around and Vasilisa Semenchuk in ski acrobatics.

The Olympic debut of Russian freestyle took place at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary (1988). Demonstration performances in acrobatics were demonstrated by Vasilisa Semenchuk and Andrey Lisitsky.

World champions in ski ballet were Elena Batalova in 1995, Oksana Kushchenko in 1997, Natalia Razumovskaya in 1999, in acrobatic jumps - Vasilisa Semenchuk in 1991.

RUSSIAN FREESTYLE FEDERATION

Created in 1992; unites sports organizations of 9 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

Federation leadership: President - Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Honored Trainer of Russia, Honored Worker of Physical Culture of the Russian Federation, Member of the Executive Committee of the ROC L.B. Kofman; vice presidents - V.V. Malovichko; Honored Master of Sports, Honored Trainer of Russia R.M. Sufiyanov; Honored Trainer of Russia L.V. Tyagachev. Secretary General - G.G. Belousov.

Representatives of the federation take an active part in the activities of the International Ski Federation (FIS): L.V. Tyagachev And L.B. Kofman- members of FIS committees.

Famous athletes: world champion (1995), World Cup winner (1996), Grand Prix winner (2000) E. Batalova; World Cup medalist (1994, 1996), world champion (1997) and world championship silver medalist (1999) O. Kushchenko; winner (2000) and bronze medalist (1999, 2001) of the World Cup stages N. Orekhova; world champion (1999) N. Razumovskaya(in 1999 in Switzerland she was proclaimed prima ballerina of the world freestyle).

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT FREESTYLE

Guinness Book of Records

The first world championship in this sport was held in Tignes, France, in 1986. A record 3 victories were achieved by Edgar Grospiron (France): in 1989, 1991 and 1995. And in 1992 he fell behind as an Olympic champion.
Connie Kiessling (Switzerland) became the overall champion in World Cup competitions (held since 1980) a record 10 times - in 1983-1992.
For men, a record 5 victories were won by Eric Labourix (France): in 1986-1988 and 1990-1991.

From the history

The Olympic debut of Russian freestyle took place at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary (1988). Demonstration performances in acrobatics were demonstrated by Vasilisa Semenchuk and Andrey Lisitsky.
At the Olympic Games in Albertville, Elizaveta Kozhevnikova took second place in moguls.
Sergei Shupletsov is a two-time world champion in moguls (1991 and 1993).
Muscovites Elena Batalova, Oksana Kushchenko and Natalya Razumovskaya became world champions in ballet in 1995, 1997 and 1999. respectively.

Freestyle experts continue to debate the nature of this ski event. Some are firmly convinced of the priority of alpine ski training, others believe that skillful body control, characteristic of gymnasts, acrobats, and divers, is at the forefront. Apparently, the truth, as always, must be sought in the middle. Our first world champion Sergei Shchupletsov comes from alpine skiing, and the first world champion among Russians, Vasilisa Semenchuk, came to freestyle from gymnastics.

The widespread development of ski acrobatics in the USA and Europe served as the basis for the creation of the International Federation, whose leaders, back in the 60s, sought to include ski acrobatics in the family of Olympic sports and the World Ski Championships program. In America, this type of skiing received a rather strange name - “hot dog”, which literally translated from English means “hot dog”. In European countries, ski acrobatics were called “freestyle” or “free, freestyle”. This name became official.

At first, freestyle consisted of two sections: ski acrobatics on the slopes and ski acrobatics on the jumps.
The first version of acrobatics involved performing various turns, somersaults, heel braking, face-to-slope descents, jumps with various turns, somersaults and other acrobatic exercises, from which various combinations were also made. Moreover, they did this both alone and in pairs, and even in groups. It is known, for example, that a ski somersault was performed simultaneously with amazing synchronicity by 8 American acrobat skiers, who were dubbed the “Flying Coyotes,” then this exercise was performed simultaneously by 18 acrobats.
The second version of acrobatics is on a springboard. It included the performance by one person, as well as synchronously by two or three skiers, after lifting off the jumping table and before landing, a bent-over somersault, a double somersault, a split, a yaw and other exercises, including a triple somersault, a Moebius strip - a loop with simultaneous rotation of the body.
Modern Olympic freestyle is a Nordic combined event, in which, along with acrobatic jumps, there is mogul - descent along a bumpy slope. In all freestyle disciplines, judges evaluate the performance and complexity of the flight, technical skill, and artistry of execution.

Olympic Games

A significant achievement for fans of this sport was the decision of the International Olympic Committee, taken in February 1984, to include freestyle skiing demonstrations in the program of the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. The debut of freestyle in the program of the highest sports forum took place at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville. Moguls were the first to be included in the Olympic regulations. At the Olympic tournament in Lillehammer (1994), another discipline joined it - acrobatic jumps. All that's left is ski ballet.

From the history of Russian sports

Despite the high sports rating, freestyle in Russia continues to remain exotic, which, as you know, translated from Greek means alien, foreign. Only after the XVII Olympic Games did he speak Russian. 20-year-old Muscovite Elizaveta Kozhevnikova distinguished herself by being awarded a bronze medal on Lillehammer's 223 m long hilly track with a vertical drop of 98 m. True, many experts are inclined to argue that her brilliant and error-free performance, with the fastest (29.0 seconds) of all female mogulists completing the course, was quite worthy of a medal of the highest standard.

With all the artistry, expressiveness, and entertainment, freestyle is quite unpretentious. You can practice it not only in the mountains, but also on sites located on not very steep slopes of just over 200 meters in length. Therefore, the first fans of freestyle in our country appeared not in the Caucasus or Tien Shan mountains, but in Moscow, where the first special base in our country for this sport was built in Krylatskoye. Then such bases were equipped in Leningrad and other regions of the country.

At the end of the 70s, the first sections of freestyle lovers began to work. The eighties were a period of its rapid development. In 1986, the first all-Union freestyle competitions were held. Then, in Chimgan near Tashkent, the country's first champions in acrobatics - Vasilisa Semenchuk and in moguls - Anna Vershinina and Stanislav Sokolenke were determined.

At first, the hobbies of enthusiasts were directed in a single direction by the freestyle technical committee of the All-Union Ski Federation. Its members included representatives of the sports community and specialists in related disciplines - acrobatics, alpine skiing. In 1988, the independent USSR Freestyle Federation was created under the chairmanship of Alexander Ivanitsky. Its successor in 1993 was the Russian Freestyle Federation, headed by President Vladimir Maslachenko; in 1994, the federation was headed by Lev Kofman.

Our freestylers entered the international arena at the end of the eighties and immediately took their first encouraging steps: they took pride of place in the 1988-1989 European Cup. and won one of the stages of the 1989 World Cup. The next year, our federation hosted participants in one of the stages of the World Cup.

In 1991, our athletes made a name for themselves on the world stage. Having grown up not far from Krylatsky, and first introduced to alpine skiing by her older brother, Liza Kozhevnikova, under the guidance of coach Zauri Makiev, became the winner of three stages of the World Cup, Lina Cheryazova became a silver medalist. At one of the stages of the European Cup of the same year, another student 3. Makieva - Marina Cherkasova won, the silver medal went to Andrei Ivanov. The greatest success fell to the world champion in acrobatics Vasilisa Semenchuk and Mikhail Vasiliev’s student, 20-year-old army man from Chusovoy Sergei Shchupletsov, who became the first Russian freestyler world champion in all-around on the slopes of the American resort of Wayne. Sergei repeated his golden double a year later in Altenmarkt, Austria. Ballet as one of the varieties of freestyle has died completely, and acrobatics is slowly but surely withering away. The games in Salt Lake City should become a fateful stage in this sense for snow magicians.

From a logical point of view, freestyle is not much younger than alpine skiing and could have arisen at the dawn of the twentieth century. At the very least, arguing with the fact that even then many wanted to do something more on skis than a banal descent from a mountain is quite stupid. Well, the name itself and the first rules were invented by the Americans in the early 70s. In America at this time, showing off your skiing skills was high fashion. Photographs and film footage of beautiful and brave young people turning somersaults on skis or deftly overcoming holes and bumps could be seen everywhere.

Nobody thought about what ski acrobatics, ballet and moguls had in common. Some performed dance steps on their skis, some looked for the most uneven slopes in the mountains in order to amaze others with the technique of passing this route, and some soared on their skis with their arms outstretched wide. "Freestyle" is a free style, which means everything is allowed. In other words, everything that did not look like a regular ski descent was classified as freestyle, although perhaps it would have been more correct not to do this. However, the International Ski Union had a different opinion on this matter. At the very least, FIS could not allow such a massive movement to develop spontaneously, and the three ski disciplines were united into one family and admitted to the Union in 1977. As for the ticket to the big life, each type of freestyle received it separately.

The paradox of the last 25 years can be called the untimely death of ski ballet. Back in 1992, ballet was at the Olympics as a demonstration event, and the year before last it was excluded from the freestyle cup program and actually died. For us, this circumstance was very sad, since it was in this discipline that the Russians had very strong positions. Alas! According to the figurative expression of the senior coach of the acrobatic group of the Russian national team, Andrei Grebennikov, the Americans “closed” the ballet, because they understood that they had nothing to catch in it. Acrobatics was luckier, particularly in the USSR. In the 70s, skiing was one of our popular sports, although perhaps not the most popular. But in terms of intellectual level he was considered one of the most significant. Skiing was good form, an activity for intellectuals. It was this that gave impetus to the birth of freestyle in our country.

Senior coach of the Russian national acrobatics team Andrei Grebennikov recalls:

It all started with photographs from foreign magazines. We saw beautiful footage of high jumps and pirouettes that Europeans and Americans did on alpine skis. The first such photographs date back to 1936, when the first daredevils tried to do a somersault or simply make a beautiful jump. As for us, the first somersault was performed at the very beginning of the 70s by an amateur, a colonel of the Ministry of Defense. He was not a skier (I don’t even remember his last name), but he did this trick on Vorobyovy Gory for his friends. Well, the first double somersault was done by your humble servant. At that time there were about eight of us enthusiasts who were experimenting with alpine skiing. In 1977, in the village of Gorki, Dmitrovsky district, a snow springboard was made on the slope, on which I did a double somersault. Actually, it could be called a springboard rather conditionally - a kind of throwing surface was built at the end of the acceleration.

Ski acrobatics, or freestyle, is considered a difficult sport that not everyone will decide to do. the site learned how boys and girls are taught to take off beautifully and land confidently.

What is freestyle?

This is a skiing sport that combines downhill skiing with acrobatic stunts. The first freestyle competitions took place in 1966. Before that, it was just entertainment for the public: athletes, participants in the so-called ski ballet, staged performances on the slopes for a fee.

Since 1988, freestyle skiing has been included in the Winter Olympics program. Today there are several varieties of it :

• ski acrobatics (ski jumping with acrobatic tricks);
• mogul (descent down a bumpy slope with jumps);
• ski cross (a race on a ski slope with steep turns and jumps);
• slopestyle (descent along the track with acrobatic jumps on springboards).
• half-pipe (skiing down a specially equipped slope that looks like half a pipe).

There are many stars in Belarusian freestyle: Dmitry Dashchinsky (bronze medalist of the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano), Alexey Grishin (2010 Olympic champion in Vancouver, bronze medalist of the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City), Anton Kushnir (2014 Olympic champion in Sochi in ski acrobatics), Alla Tsuper (2014 Olympic champion in Sochi in ski acrobatics).

Alexey Grishin

Although this is not a complete list of our athletes who are worth being proud of. And while new guys are coming to the SDYUSHOR in freestyle and acrobatic sports, freestyle has a future in Belarus.

By the way, how to get there? Let's ask coach Tatyana Zenko, who trains little ski acrobats in the capital's freestyle section.

Who is hired as a freestyler?

Boys and girls are invited to freestyle classes from the age of 7. Although Tatyana Aleksandrovna notes that you can start earlier.

“The selection of children takes place in August-September. We take those who pass by height, weight, and also check coordination, flexibility, and strength. We gladly accept children from gymnastics, where they are accepted from the age of 5-6 years. They already have good stretching and can perform simple elements, such as somersaults. Therefore, it will be easier to train with us, and an extra year of gymnastic training will not harm future athletes.”

Freestyle is also suitable for children who have previously practiced acrobatics or diving. They can change sports even at the age of 9, since their training program is in many ways similar to the training of freestyle skiers.

“If mom and dad are two meters tall, then the child is not for us”

Tatyana Aleksandrovna points out that physical data is important for freestyle training. It is better for lightweight guys of average height, agile, with good joint flexibility and coordination to perform complex jumps.

“If mom and dad are tall - about 2 meters, then their child will not qualify for the freestyle section,” notes the coach.

But you shouldn’t be upset, because in volleyball and basketball, tall height will be a noticeable advantage!

It is also important that the young freestyler has good vision (up to “one”) and no serious illnesses. In other words, guys with excellent health go to this sport.

They don’t put on skis right away

Seven-year-olds work out in the gym for the first time. At first they have 3 training sessions per week, 1.5 hours each. The training program includes gymnastics, choreography, acrobatic elements, trampolining and strength exercises. All this helps boys and girls develop coordination and learn to understand their body.

“Somersaults, cartwheels, headstands, handstands, shoulder stands, bridges, trampoline jumps,” lists Tatyana Aleksandrovna.

This is the “base” from which the training of “flying skiers” begins. The exercises become more difficult gradually; in the first stages, it is important to achieve precision in their execution, the trainer notes.

From 10-11 years old, the number of training sessions increases to 4-5 per week. At this age, children start skiing for the first time.

“At this moment, many people realize that freestyle is great and completely fall in love with this sport.”

Training from the center of Minsk is transferred to Solnechnaya Dolina, a ski center in the capital's Kurasovshchina district. There, children first ski from small slopes, learning the varieties of ski slopes. Gradually gaining height, they master low springboards - “bumps”. Therefore, the coach emphasizes, they are then not afraid to perform difficult tricks in the air, which cannot be said about parents, who are often scared off by this moment in freestyle.

At the age of 12-13, young athletes begin to practice ski jumps. To begin with, get into the water. In the swimming pool of the Freestyle center, future conquerors of snow-capped peaks are taught to swim and dive from a 10-meter high tower. After mastering the water element, the guys are ready for more difficult jumps on the snow.

When do the first medals appear?

Freestylers go to their first competitions at the age of 7-8. These are mainly competitions in which they demonstrate their acrobatic skills. They take place in the hall - on an acrobatic track or on a trampoline.

From the age of 13, children who have passed the primary selection begin training camps, during which they practice ski training. Then there is a chance to get into the junior, and then into the adult national team of Belarus.

Freestyle is not very popular in our country because of parental fears - athletes fly too high in competitions, and even somersault in the air.

“Yes, it is a difficult sport. But the technique for performing each movement takes years to perfect. For children, this happens very gradually; moreover, each child moves to a new stage after mastering the previous one. Therefore, the guys are not afraid of heights; on the contrary, they strive to add more complex elements and combinations,” says Tatyana Aleksandrovna.

Even if a sports school student is not going to the Olympics in the future, freestyle will teach him a lot - to swim well, jump high, ski, and move beautifully. Let's add to this a stubborn character - and we have a man who can achieve any heights.