Freestyle Skiing
The newest of the Olympic skiing events, freestyle has only been in the Olympics since 1992. The addition, however, has brought a whole new dynamic and level of entertainment to the games. This sport became popular in the 1960's and was originally considered showboating. But with its growth came the development of its main disciplines: aerials, moguls and ski ballet. Today the sport also includes the styles of ski cross, half-pipe and slopestyle.
If you are looking to witness theatrical displays of grace and athleticism this winter, this would definitely be the category to watch.
Ski Jumping
Impressive in both uniqueness and elements of danger, this event dazzles the crowd with skiers launching themselves off massive jumps and then rocketing toward their landing. Prominent since the 1924 Olympics, this sport now has two styles: large and normal hill. Large hill is a bigger jump, at 125 meters, and normal hill has a 95-meter jump. Participants try to land as far as possible down the hill, but points are also awarded by judges based on style. This sport is done individually and as a team.
With so many options in the different categories of Olympic skiing, it's sometimes difficult to decide which events to invest the most time in watching. But, as you can tell, with such diversity in speed, technicality and theatrics, there's no shortage of entertainment during the upcoming Winter Olympics.
More: Ski Etiquette: What Not to Do on the Mountain
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