Understanding Olympic Snowboard Big Air: Rules and Scoring Explained

The Olympic Snowboard Big Air event, making its debut in PyeongChang 2018, has quickly established itself as a thrilling addition to the Winter Olympic Games. Scheduled for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, this event showcases athletes executing high-flying tricks in a competition that emphasizes both technical skill and creativity. With a unique format and stringent judging criteria, Big Air requires competitors to push the limits of their abilities while adhering to specific rules and guidelines.

**Event Overview and Schedule** The Big Air competition comprises both men’s and women’s events, each featuring a quota of 30 spots for athletes. The competition will unfold over several days, with men’s qualifications starting on February 5, 2026, and culminating with finals on February 7. Women’s qualifications will take place on February 8, followed by the finals on February 9. This dual male-female structure underscores the increasing inclusivity and popularity of snowboarding as a sport.

**Competition Format** According to the International Ski Federation (FIS), the competition format includes a qualifying round followed by finals. In the qualifying round, competitors perform three runs, with their top two scores from different tricks combined to determine their total score. The 12 highest-scoring athletes from this round advance to the finals, where they again perform three runs, with the same scoring conditions applying.

**Judging Criteria and Scoring** A panel of at least six judges evaluates each run, focusing on overall impression, technical difficulty, execution, amplitude, landing, and progression. Each judge scores independently on a scale from 1 to 100. After discarding the highest and lowest scores, the average of the remaining scores determines the athlete's final score. This complex scoring system is designed to reward creativity and technical skill, ensuring that only the most impressive performances receive top marks.

**Tricks and Techniques** The Big Air event has been characterized by increasingly complex tricks. Notably, at the X Games Aspen 2025, Hiroto Ogiwara became the first snowboarder to successfully land a 2340, a trick involving six and a half rotations. On the women's side, the triple cork has emerged as a benchmark for difficulty. Riders are required to exhibit not only mastery of these difficult maneuvers but also variety; athletes must perform different tricks in their two best runs to maximize their scores.

**Course Specifications** The big air course must adhere to FIS specifications, which dictate a minimum drop-in ramp length of 30 meters and a takeoff angle of at least 25 degrees. The distance from takeoff to landing should be at least 15 meters, although actual course details for the Milan Cortina venue have yet to be released. For reference, the Big Air Shougang course at the Beijing 2022 Games measured 525 feet in total length and featured a drop-in point 155 feet above the ground.

**Historical Context** Since its introduction, Big Air has evolved into a platform for groundbreaking trick innovation and athletic prowess. The event's unique format differentiates it from slopestyle competitions, where athletes must navigate multiple obstacles in a single run. In contrast, Big Air allows riders to focus on landing one impressive trick at a time, promoting both specialization and versatility among competitors.

**Future Outlook** As the sport continues to gain traction globally, the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics promise to showcase the pinnacle of snowboarding talent. The combination of technical skill, creativity, and the thrill of competition is expected to draw significant viewership and enthusiasm, further solidifying Big Air's status within the Olympic framework. As athletes prepare for this prestigious event, the boundaries of what is possible in snowboarding will undoubtedly be tested, offering fans a spectacle of innovation and athletic excellence.

In conclusion, the Olympic Snowboard Big Air event stands as a testament to the evolution of winter sports, highlighting the blend of artistry and athleticism that defines modern snowboarding. The anticipation surrounding the 2026 Games will not only focus on the competition itself but also on the future developments and trends that will shape the sport in the years to come.