Training Highlights

What is Mogul and Aerial Skiing?

Originally, freestyle skiing consisted of an everything-in-one competition. Skiers took one run that included ballet, moguls and even an aerial maneuver. It was a “free” style of skiing, apart from the traditional alpine or Nordic events. Today, freestyle is divided into two parts – aerials and moguls. Following the 1999-2000 season, acro, or ballet (one of the original events), was dropped from the World Cup.

In aerials, skiers are launched 50 feet or more into the air off a kicker. While in the air, the athlete will perform twists and somersaults before landing on a steep, snowy slope below the jumps. Skiers may not attempt inverted aerials (where their feet go above their head) until they are certified by coaches after hours of performing maneuvers into a pool during the off-season. They may not attempt double maneuvers until they are 16 and triples until they turn 18 years of age. Skiers must show during the summer that they can do an inverted aerial into water which, when aerated properly to produce countless bubbles in the landing area, can be much more forgiving than a snowy landing hill. When they complete the jump repeatedly into water, they are cleared to perform inverted aerials on snow.

A new rule this season creates a “red light, green light” situation. An aerialist must begin skiing toward the kicker within 15 seconds of when the green light goes on. Moguls is the pulsating bam-bam-aerial-bam-bam event, with skiers charging through a field of snowy bumps with two mandatory airs, or jumps, included in the run. Skiers are rated by judges at the bottom of the course on two things – their technique and how well they perform their two obligatory mid-course jumps. There is also a factor for their speed down the run. “Moguls puts everything in one package,” said Jonny Moseley, the ’98 Olympic and World Cup moguls champion. “Your run has the excitement of speeding down the hill, the freedom of aerials and the skill in the bumps – just a rush all the way.”

Skiers also compete in dual moguls. This is a head-to-head competition in which the hill is divided into two narrower courses: a red course and a blue course. Competitors ski against each other side by side, head to head. The judges evaluate turns, air and speed.

Most athletes start as combined skiers, learning the fundamentals in all conditions, then they start specializing later. “I think it’s vital we keep kids in combined because it gives them such a good base in skiing,” said U.S. moguls coach Don St. Pierre. “Jonny [Moseley] is known for his moguls, but the aerials coaches would love to have him, too.”