Following the FIS Council meeting in Oberhofen last weekend, FIS has announced the inclusion of Freestyle Ski slopestyle in the World Ski Championship 2011 program in Deer Valley (USA). After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it is looking favorably at both Freestyle Ski Halfpipe and Freestyle Ski slopestyle for Sochi 2014, the World Championships 2011 play an important role in the final evaluation and decision-making by IOC President Jacques Rogge scheduled for Spring 2011. The inclusion is considered as an important step on the road of slopestyle becoming part of the Olympic program. Slopestyle will join its new-school cohort halfpipe, along with the more traditional Freestyle skiing events of moguls, aerials and ski cross, at Deer Valley Resort, UT in February 2011. FIS Freestyle Ski Coordinator, Joseph Fitzgerald, says "FIS is very excited that IOC is looking at new events to be added to the program. There will be both Freestyle ski halfpipe and slopestyle on the program in Deer Valley during the World Ski Championship in order for the IOC to properly evaluate these events".
With the addition of the new events, the popularity and interest amongst the youth is likely to increase even further. Mr. Fitzgerald stated that "Slopestyle is already very popular around the world and I believe it will become a leading event in terms of popularity in the Olympic Winter Games". He continued: "I hope the IOC will make a good decision and that we will see some new Freestyle events already in Sochi 2014". FIS followed the IOC's suggestion in proposing the inclusion of slopestyle for the 2014 Games.
FIS release schedules and quotas for slopestyle at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships 2011, read more here:
