Music: {allcanada} IOC approves slopestyle for 2014 Olympics

Monday, July 4, 2011

{allcanada} IOC approves slopestyle for 2014 Olympics

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VANCOUVER -- Canadian snowboarders and skiers were thrilled to learn slopestyle is coming to the Winter Olympics.

The IOC approved the inclusion Monday of men's and women's slopestyle events in snowboarding and freestyle skiing for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

"This is wonderful news for skiers and snowboarders, and for the Canadian Olympic Team," Jean R. Dupre, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee, said in a statement.

"We are excited about these new disciplines and proud to bring these magnificent athletes to their first Olympic Winter Games."

Montreal's Kaya Turski, who earned a silver medal in slopestyle skiing earlier this year, said she couldn't wait to represent Canada in the event.

"I'm stoked to be part of a sport that represents a younger generation and that's going to be way cool to watch during the Olympics," said Turski.

American snowboard star Shaun White, who won two halfpipe gold medals at the 2010 Vancouver Games, has said he would like to add slopestyle to his schedule if approved for Sochi.

Slopestyle is the latest youth-oriented event brought into the Winter Olympics by the IOC in its bid to keep the games relevant for younger audiences. Snowboarding made its debut at the 1998 Nagano Games and, since then, snowboardcross and skicross events have been brought in.

"Slopestyle is a very popular sport," IOC president Jacques Rogge said in Durban, South Africa. "It is growing very fast. You have young, dedicated, spectacular athletes and definitely I believe that it has the same future that we had with the beginning of snowboard in '98 in Nagano."

In slopestyle, snowboarders and skiers do tricks while going down the mountain and move through "features" -- rails, big jumps and bumps.

It was the latest victory for Canadian athletes after the IOC approved women's ski jumping, men's and women's ski halfpipe, mixed relay in biathlon and team events in luge and figure skating in April for Olympic inclusion.

"I think it's very cool to see the Olympics pick up action sports," said X Games medallist T.J. Schiller of Vernon, B.C. "This is really the next generation of sport, and slopestyle is so young, it hasn't even come close to hitting its peak.

"Every year the progression just multiplies. The Olympics are a massive opportunity to show the world what we can do on skis."

Slopestyle is already a popular event at the Winter X Games, where Montreal snowboarder Sebastien Toutant won a gold medal in January and Regina's Mark McMorris took silver.

McMorris also won the inaugural FIS World Cup slopestyle event that Calgary hosted in 2010.

On the women's front, Vancouver's Spencer O'Brien won silver at the 2009 X Games and bronze in 2008.

"I have tremendous respect for the Canadian snowboard slopestyle athletes who have been out on the world pro circuit representing Canada so successfully," said Canada Snowboard interim CEO Steven Hills. "Their accomplishments bode well for our medal potential in Sochi.

"But even more than that, this development means that kids from small resorts across the country can realistically work towards an Olympic snowboard dream."