FIS Chat With Contest Director Roby Moresi On The Olympic Debut Of Snowboard Big Air

Snowboard Big Air will celebrate its much-anticipated Olympic debut at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games. FIS Newsflash caught up with Roby Moresi, FIS Contest Director for Park & Pipe, to get his latest insights.

What can we expect from the Olympic debut of Snowboard Big Air in PyeongChang?

Big Air is an event that has been around for many years and has great capacity to bring a lot of people together to enjoy a sport connected to an entertaining
and fun event.

PyeongChang 2018 is definitely a great opportunity for Snowboarding and the competitors themselves who will have the chance to showcase their skills just as they did when slopestyle was added in the last edition of the Games in Sochi 2014.

There will be space for a lot of action and style connected to a fun environment and I am sure that the athletes will do their best to make the Snowboard big air a great show.

What is the latest news from the Olympic venue?

At the moment everything is proceeding in a good way and the test event last year was a great moment to gauge the needs and help the Organising Committee to fine tune the set-up so that the show next February will be amazing.

Tell us five things every spectator should know about Snowboard Big Air.

Big Air as been around for more than 20 years and went from a simple gathering of friends to a huge and entertaining event.
Most of the Big Air events are held in some of the most well-known cities of the world.
The progression of tricks has been incredible in the last five to ten years and we might see a number of new tricks at the Olympics.
Landing, or as the riders would say, “stomping” a trick and landing perfectly after all the action in the air, even for those who do not know the sport, gives everybody a great feeling and a certain level of adrenaline….it’s cool.
The finals consist of three runs with the best two different tricks being added to give the final score. Why? Because we are looking for variety and creativity so that everybody can see something different and the competitors can put an extra personal touch to the tricks.

Three weeks ago, you staged the first ever FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup in Beijing. What was your impression and how do things look for the 2022 Olympics there?

The Chinese culture has shown that the dedication and energy the Organisers put into everything is incredible.

The event in Beijing was the first FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup there. It was connected to a very well established Organiser, Air and Style, that with Beijing Sports Bureau has staged an event for a number of years. This year’s FIS World Cup has certainly shown how interested and passionate the Chinese are and the potential for the upcoming 2022 Olympics is great. There are some great ideas and projects already under discussion for the next editions of FIS World Cups and the Olympics.

The FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup has already travelled to Milan (ITA), Beijing and Moenchengladbach (GER) this winter and will hold its season final in Quebec (CAN). What is the added attraction of city events?

You can really bring the sport to the people and fans and connect a huge fan base, not only to those connected to the sport, but to the culture of such cities. Besides, the events are taking place in very accessible and well-located venues which allows the Organisers to add many other activities, such as concerts, that fit with the nature of this youth culture and dynamic tribe.

What’s your vision for Snowboard Big Air?

Snowboard Big Air is a great way to showcase and share a mountain sport with many people who wouldn’t have the chance to see it live otherwise. Hopefully, this keeps people and kids engaged with outdoor, healthy and fun lifestyles connected to sports and perhaps inspires them to take up snow sports.

Watch this video to find out more about the evolution of Snowboarding at the Olympics.

https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/evolution-of-snowboarding/