Freeski big air finally made its long-awaited Olympic debut in 2022 and didn't disappoint. With skiers now landing tricks that have rotations as high as 2340 degrees, an event with a long history of producing some of the sport's most progressive moments could have more excitement in store for Milan Cortina 2026.

Read on to learn nearly everything there is to know about freeski big air, including the unique competition format, judging criteria, and top tricks that might be seen at Livigno Snow Park.

What to know about other disciplines: Halfpipe | Slopestyle | Moguls/Dual Moguls | Aerials | Ski Cross

What is the schedule for freeski big air at the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Freeski big air competition will take place on the following days at the Milan Cortina Games:

• Saturday, Feb. 14 (Day 8): Women’s qualifying
• Sunday, Feb. 15 (Day 9): Men’s qualifying
• Monday, Feb. 16 (Day 10): Women’s final
• Tuesday, Feb. 17 (Day 11): Men’s final

What are the quota limits for men’s and women’s freeski big air at the Olympics?

There are 30 quota spots each for men and women. Slopestyle and big air are treated as one event for qualification purposes, and athletes who qualify for Milan Cortina 2026 are eligible to compete in both disciplines.

What are the rules for freeski big air at the Olympics?

Each competitor drops into the ramp and executes one single trick while in the air. A panel of judges assess the trick and assign a score to it.

For any rounds that utilize a “best two out of three runs” format, the scores from each competitor's two best runs are added together to get the final results, but athletes must perform different tricks (based on either rotation or direction) during those two runs. This particular rule is explained in more detail below.

What are the Olympic big air course specifications?

According to FIS specifications, the drop-in ramp for the big air course must be at least 30 meters (98.4 feet) long, the jump must have a takeoff angle of at least 25 degrees, and the distance from takeoff to landing must be at least 15 meters (32.8 feet). However, the actual course specs can vary, and details for the Milan Cortina course are not yet available.

At the 2022 Beijing Games, the Big Air Shougang course was 525 feet long in totality, and the drop-in point was situated 155 feet above the ground at the venue.

What is the competition format for freeski big air at the Olympics?

There are two rounds of competition at the Milan Cortina Games: the qualifying round and the final.

How does the qualifying round work, and how many skiers advance to the final?

The qualifying round consists of three runs. Each skier’s top two scores from different tricks are added together to get their total score.

The top 12 skiers from the qualification round advance to the final. If the organizers choose to divide the qualification field into separate heats, then a certain number of skiers from each heat advance to the final, but the total number of skiers advancing to the final would still be 12.

Scores from the qualifying round do not carry over to the final.

How does the freeski big air final work?

The final consists of three runs. Each skier’s top two scores from different tricks are added together to get their total score.

How are combined scores calculated in freeski big air contests?

In any round of competition that uses a “best two out of three” format, each skier’s top two scores from different tricks are added together to get their total score.

So, what counts as a “different trick?” This is determined by the direction that the skier spins when initiating a trick, and there are two different formats that a contest can use:

• Clockwise vs. counterclockwise: Simply put, the skier must spin one of their tricks in a clockwise direction, and the other in a counterclockwise direction
• Two of four directions: There are four different directions that a skier can spin: left, right, switch left and switch right. In this format, skiers can spin their two tricks in any of those directions as long as they are different from each other. Whether the rotation is clockwise or counterclockwise is irrelevant.

If a skier performs the same rotation more than once, then only the highest score is counted.

How is the start order determined for the freeski big air final?

The start order for Run 1 and Run 2 is the inverse of the results from the qualification round, so the athlete with the lowest score in qualifying goes first and the athlete with the best score goes last.

For Run 3, the order changes and is the inverse of the current standings, so the athlete in 12th place goes first and the athlete with the lead goes last.

How many judges score each big air run at the Olympics?

Each big air run is scored by a team of at least six judges. After dropping the highest and lowest scores, the remaining scores are averaged together for each run.

How does Olympic freeski big air scoring and judging work?

All judges score the runs based on overall impression, with each judge giving a score ranging from 0-100. In giving their marks, judges consider several different criteria, including:

• Difficulty: The technical difficulty of tricks is assessed. Generally speaking, tricks with more rotations and/or more inverts are considered more technically difficult and will be rewarded as such. But there are other ways skiers can increase the difficulty of a particular trick. For example, an athlete may decide to take off or land switch when executing a trick, or they may do a more challenging grab to differentiate themselves from other skiers in the field.
• Execution: Control should be maintained throughout the whole trick from takeoff to landing. Grabs should be held properly and for as long as possible.
• Amplitude: In big air, amplitude is not just about how "big" the athlete goes, but also landing the trick in the decided "sweet spot." To have too much or too little amplitude can be dangerous and is taken into account by the judges.
• Landing: Skiers must land with full control, with the trick already completed (no reverts, no hand drags)
• Progression: Skiers are rewarded for introducing new tricks or doing tricks that few other skiers can do. Creativity and innovation also can be factored in.

What are some of the most difficult tricks in freeski big air?

At X Games Aspen 2025, Miro Tabanelli became the first skier to land a 2340 (six and a half rotations) in a big air contest.

In 2023, Megan Oldham became the first woman to land a triple cork.

What are the differences between big air skiing and aerials?

Aerials is considered a more traditional freestyle skiing event, while big air is a new-school discipline that falls under freeskiing. There is no crossover between the two disciplines.

Aerials is more regimented, as skiers must choose from a list of allowed maneuvers, each of which has a degree of difficulty assigned to it, ahead of time. Within each flip, the skier does a pre-determined number of twists, and the number of twists done during each flip can vary throughout the course of one jump.

Big air, on the other hand, gives skiers the freedom to do whatever they want. In fact, athletes are encouraged to try tricks that have never been done before or to put their own unique spin on existing tricks. The trick freedom in big air skiing includes the ability to take off or land backward (known as switch), something that is not allowed in aerials.

Big air skiers are expected to grab their skis during a trick, and making their tricks look as stylish as possible can improve their scores. Aerial skiers, however, try to remain straight at all times and use their arms to help control their rotation and maintain form.

Furthermore, the ramps in aerials launch the skier straight up into the air, while the jumps in big air allow skiers to cover longer, horizontal distances.

As a result of all this, the tricks executed in aerials and big air are nothing alike. The events also have different competition formats and different rules for judging and scoring.

Learn about the other events on the freestyle skiing program for the 2026 Winter Olympics.