Slopestyle snowboarding, skiing to debut at 2014 Olympics

For the world's top snowboarders, the announcement Monday that slopestyle competitions will be added to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, represented a welcome but long-overdue measure of acceptance.

For freeskiers, who three months ago learned that halfpipe skiing would debut at the same Olympics, the inclusion of slopestyle served to further underscore how popular their non-traditional, non-racing disciplines have become during the past few years.

Together, these edgier new-school athletes seem to be taking over the Winter Games.

"I'm thrilled that the IOC is embracing freeskiing in such a big way," said Simon Dumont, a dominant U.S. halfpipe specialist. "It's been incredible to watch the sport evolve so rapidly; it really shows how far we've come in such a short time."

The International Olympic Committee agreed during meetings in South Africa to approve men's and women's slopestyle as medal sports for snowboarding and skiing. Also added were men's and women's snowboard parallel special slalom.

The addition of slopestyle -- which entails negotiating a downhill course with jumps, rails and other terrain park features -- is a clear indication that the IOC is striving to ensure that the Olympics remain relevant among younger generations.

Said Bill Marolt, CEO of the United States Ski and Snowboard Assn.: "The IOC's decision to add slopestyle to the Olympics recognizes the millions of youth who are already participating in the sport in terrain parks around the world. It will have a very positive impact on the sport, including our U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing programs."

It also will make the Winter Olympics look more like the Winter X Games. The IOC reluctantly added snowboarding events -- halfpipe and giant slalom -- in 1998. The Winter Games now include skiing and snowboarding halfpipe; skiing and snowboarding slopestyle, skier-cross and boarder-cross. All six are longtime X Games mainstays.

Snowboarders, including mega-star Shaun White, had hoped slopestyle would be approved for the 2006 Vancouver Olympics. That was when the sport was beginning to peak for snowboarders, just as the freeskiing revolution had begun to gain momentum.

Scotty Lago, who like White is expected to strive to make the U.S. Olympic team in halfpipe and slopestyle, said the timing of slopestyle's addition is still very good.

"I think it's only going to help snowboarding, in a big way," said Lago, 23, a veteran X Games competitor. "For the kid who has never been snowboarding before, slopestyle could appeal to him more than halfpipe would, so I think it's just going to help the sport get more people out there."

One kid is already a budding star on the freeskiing scene, hoping for multiple appearances in the Olympics. At 15, Torin Yater-Wallace last January became the youngest competitor on the 2011 Winter X Games roster.

He said of the IOC's decision: "Slopestyle getting into the Olympics is a super cool opportunity for the sport. I was already excited about halfpipe, but this brings our sport full circle into the mainstream media and the biggest sporting event in the world."

-- Images show Tyler Flanigan (top) and Bobby Brown competing in slopestyle events at the Winter X Games. Credit: Peter Morning / ESPN Images