Freestyle skiing started with a small cult following who participated in moguls and aerial jumps back in the 1960s. Since then it’s developed into one of the most popular and fastest-growing segments of the
sport. The first evidence of modern day ‘terrain parks’ started in the 1990s, shortly after which Salomon produced the first pair of twin-tipped skis.
Over the last twenty years the sport has developed at a rapid pace, and freestyle skiers have been pushing the limits to an almost ridiculous display. Here’s a list of 6 freestyle skiers who are leading the pack.
Torin Yater-Wallace
At the ripe age of 17, Torin is considered to be one of the best up-and-coming freestyle skiers on the planet. Not only was Torin the third youngest person to ever compete in a Winter X Games, but he already has two bronze, one silver and a gold medal in four different Winter X Games events in the United States and Europe. In 2012, at the US Slopestyle Competition, Torin became the first person ever to land a switch 1080 during competition.
Simon Dumont
Simon is 26, and from Maine. He’s one of the few dominating the sport. So far, he’s won eight medals in the Winter X Games, most of them in the Superpipe event. He currently holds the wold quarter-pipe record for performing a cork 900 while sailing 35.5 feet high (wooden telephone poles are 30 feet). He’s best known for his superman double front flips and is regularly seen soaring 20 feet high out of the walls of half pipes all over the world.
Jon Olsson
Jon is a 30-year old free skiing legend from Sweden. While he’s definitely at the older end of the sport, he still dominates competitions. Olsson started off as a ski racer, but at age 16 switched out his race skis for some twin tips and never looked back. He’s won countless Winter X Games medals in a variety of different competitions and even hosted his own big air events. One of his most well known contributions to free skiing is his variations of double flips.
Bobby Brown
Brown, a Colorado free style skier, was credited as the first person to ever land a Triple Cork 1440 and a Switch Double Misty 1440. He has 6 gold medals in Winter X Games events and 2 silver medals under his belt so far. He first gained major fame in the freestyle skiing world when he received a perfect score at the Winter X Games for the big air event, in addition to another medal.
T.J. Schiller
Schiller is the head skier of the Canadian freestyle ski team. He’s the third person of all time to have landed a 1620 rotation during a competition (this is ridiculous by the way). He’s considered to be one of the most stylish skiers of the sport and his signature switch 1080 mute grabs are incomparable. He was also the first skier ever to land a double cork 1620 during the Winter X Games.
Tom Wallisch
Tom grew up in Pennsylvania, but moved to Utah in pursuit of higher education. The bigger mountains out west helped him develop into probably the most popular freestyle skier today. He lives among the legends of Seth Morrison and the late Shane McConkey in taking the honor of receiving back to back Powder Reader Poll awards, which are considered to be one of the most coveted awards of the sport. He won gold in the 2012 Slopestyle competition of the Winter X Games and participates in a number of extreme ski movies.