To make watching the Milan-Cortina Olympics even more enjoyable, be sure to learn the basics of snowboarding and big air, including the characteristics of the sport, highlights, and rules
■What is Snowboarding Big Air? What's so exciting about it?
A split-second decision decides everything in an aerial battle
Snowboard Big Air is a discipline that was introduced at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics (2018). Competitors jump from a giant jump and perform tricks in the air. Judges score the difficulty and perfection of the tricks, as well as the style, grabs, and landings in the air. It's not just about jumping high, but jumping high opens up a whole new world of trick possibilities. Scoring also relies on not only the number of rotations, but also how well the competitors enter the kicker (jump ramp), what axis they rotate around, and how well and firmly they perform the grab
The course specifications set by the FIS (World Ski Federation) for international competitions are a minimum of 30m in length for the drop-in ramp that serves as the approach, a minimum kicker height of 2m, a minimum take-off angle of 25°, and a minimum distance of 15m from take-off to landing. The air that is released from there has a horizontal flight distance of about 20-30m, and in larger venues it can exceed 30m, with a hang time of about 3 seconds
In Big Air, two of the three tricks must be in different directions and with different rotational axes, and the rider's repertoire is also a major factor in the competition. What makes it even more difficult is that it is easily affected by external factors. Even slight changes in wind, temperature, or snow quality can greatly change the feeling in the air. However, the essence of snowboard Big Air competitions may lie in judging "how far you want to push yourself." The higher the rotation and more difficult the trick, the higher the score you can aim for, but failure means you lose. It could also be said that certainty and competitive spirit are the deciding factors in the competition
The key points to watch are not only the number of rotations, but also the "height," "comfort," and "landing." The more effortless a jump is in the air, the more complete it is. It can also be seen from the perspective of gymnastics, where the athlete is required to land perfectly while performing highly difficult techniques
In recent years, the number of rotations and difficulty of men's big air tricks have increased rapidly, and the evolution shows no signs of stopping. At the Winter X Games in January 2025, Japan's Daito Hagiwara surprised the world by winning the world's first super jump, a 2340 (six and a half rotations). Just like in halfpipe, Japanese riders are currently leading the world's top competition in big air as well
Check out the video to see it in action!
Points of interest unique to the Milan-Cortina Olympics
At the Milan Olympics, the high altitude conditions in Cortina, Italy's mountainous region, will determine the quality of the jumps. The difference in judgment required for each jump will determine the outcome. Unlike the previous Beijing Olympics, which was held in stable conditions in an urban area, the weather and snow conditions are difficult to predict
At the time of the Beijing Olympics (2022), the 1800 was considered a difficult move, but at the Milan Olympics, even that is becoming the standard for breaking through. Will we see a spectacular parade of tricks from the skaters who make it to the finals, and further evolution of their tricks? It will be very interesting to watch
■ Snowboard Big Air Competition Format and Judging Method
From the preliminaries to the finals, it will be contested in this way.
〈Qualifying〉Everyone skates three times, and the highest score of each skater is used to determine the ranking, with the top eight skaters advancing to the finals
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〈Final〉Everyone who passed the qualifying round skates three times, and the highest score of each skater is used to determine the final ranking.
The order of the qualifying rounds is decided by lottery, with 12 competitors advancing to the finals in two heats. There are two qualifying rounds, but three chances in the finals. The highest score is used, so many competitors aim for big moves from the start. The finals are run in order from the lowest qualifying rankings
*The match format and ranking format may change depending on the weather on the day.
Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Snowboard Big Air Competition Schedule
| Date and time | Event | Broadcast schedule |
|---|---|---|
| 2/5 (Thu) | Men's Snowboard Big Air Qualifiers [Japan time] 2/6 (Fri) 03:30 | ー |
| 2/7 (Sat) | Men's Snowboard Big Air Final [Japan time] 2/8 (Sun) 03:30 | February 8th (Sun) 03:25-04:35 NHK Educational TV |
| 2/8 (Sun) | Women's Snowboard Big Air Qualifiers [Japan time] February 9th (Mon) 03:30 | ー |
| 2/9 (Monday) | Women's Snowboard Big Air Finals [Japan time] 2/10 (Tue) 03:30 | February 10th (Tue) 03:25-04:35 NHK Educational TV |
■ Japanese athletes scheduled to compete in Snowboard Big Air at the Milan-Cortina Olympics
[Men]
| name | Date of birth | Birthplace *Confirmation required! | Affiliation | Achievements that meet SAJ's Olympic Games recommendation criteria | |
| Kira Kimura | @kimura_kira | June 30, 2004 | Tokyo | Murasaki Sports | '25 X Games Aspen BA winner '24/25 W-CUP Klagenfurt BA winner |
| Hasegawa Taiga | @hasegawataiga1023 | October 23, 2005 | Kanagawa Prefecture | STANCER | '24/25 Youth Olympics SS winner '24/25 W-CUP Copper Mountain SS 3rd place |
| Ryoma Kimata | @ryomakimata | July 24, 2007 | Kyoto Prefecture | YAMAZEN | 24/25 W-CUP Baku BA 2nd place 24/25 W-CUP SS Finals multiple times |
| Hiroto Ogiwara | @hiroto_ogiwara | July 19, 2005 | Ibaraki Prefecture | Sendai University | '24/25 W-CUP Copper Mountain SS 3rd place '24/25 W-CUP Steamboat 1st place |
[Women]
| name | Date of birth | Birthplace *Confirmation required! | Affiliation | A record that meets SAJ's Olympic dispatch recommendation criteria | |
| Murase Kokomo | @cocomonsan | November 7, 2004 | Gifu Prefecture | TOKIO Inkarami Snowboard Club | '24/25 W-CUP Cardrona SS/Chur BA winner |
| Reira Iwabuchi | @leila_iwabuchi | December 14, 2001 | Tokyo | Burton | '22 Beijing Olympics BA 3rd place '24/25 W-CUP Klagenfurt BA 2nd place '25 X Games Aspen BA 2nd place |
| Mari Fukada | @mari54ff | January 1, 2007 | Kyoto Prefecture | YAMAZEN | '24/25 W-CUP Cool BA Winner '24/25 W-CUP Beijing BA 2nd Place |
| Momo Suzuki | @momo__suzuki | October 29, 2007 | Fukushima Prefecture | Kirara Quest Snowboard Club | '24/25 W-CUP Klagenfurt BA 3rd place '24/25 W-CUP Aspen BA 3rd place |