On Monday, the International Olympic Committee decided to SEND IT in South Korea for the 2018 Olympics. The move, which is embodied by the addition of Snowboarding Big Air to the Olympic event docket, follows the 2014 inclusion of both skiing and snowboarding slope style and half-pipe in Sochi. According to the IOC, “The changes reflect the continued evolution of the Winter Olympic program and build on the success of recent editions of the games.” Currently, the trend towards freestyle is capturing the jib-kid market, something the IOC hopes will keep the Winter Olympic market young. A big air event in skiing has yet to be approved by the IOC.
However, Snowboarding Big Air is not the only new sight upcoming for Pyeongchang. Other inaugural events include a mass start in speed skating, mixed-doubles in curling (you’re telling me Skiing Big Air got beaten out by Mixed-Doubles Curling?), and a team alpine skiing event.
The alpine skiing event will be a mixed slalom event held on parallel courses, which planners hope will be more spectator friendly to those unfamiliar with the more traditional likes of Slalom, Giant Slalom Super-G, Downhill, and Combined.
The addition of these events bring the total number of events for the Pyeongchang Olympics to 102—a new mark for the most events ever hosted by a Winter Olympics… Way to go South Korea!