womens big air
Women’s Big Air – Quick Scoop
Women’s big air is one of the standout freestyle skiing and snowboarding events heading into the 2026 Winter Games, with a stacked field and rapidly progressing tricks that are rewriting what’s possible in the air.What is women’s big air?
Women’s big air is a freestyle event where riders launch off a massive jump and are judged on a single major **trick** each run: difficulty, execution, amplitude, and style all count.In most elite formats (X Games, Olympics), athletes get several runs, and either their best score or the aggregate of their top two jumps decides the final ranking.
- The jump is typically 60–75 feet (around 18–23 m) from lip to landing. [9][7]
- Judges look for big rotations (e.g., 1440s, 1620s), clean grabs, and controlled landings. [3][7]
- Risk–reward is huge: the gnarliest trick only pays off if it’s stomped clean. [3][7]
2026 Winter Olympics context
The women’s ski big air at the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is scheduled for qualification on 14 February and the final on 16 February at Livigno Snow Park in Valtellina, Italy.Thirty athletes are slated to compete, with twelve advancing from a three-run qualification to the final, where the best two of three jumps count for medals.
- Venue: Livigno Snow Park, purpose-built Olympic big air structure. [5][1]
- Format: Two-round event; three jumps in qualifying, three in the final; top two final scores added for the total. [1]
- Field size: Around 30 qualified athletes, including most of the world top 10. [1]
Key names and storylines
The current narrative in women’s big air is all about a handful of riders pushing trick difficulty while veterans fight to keep pace.- Kokomo Murase (Japan): Reigning big air world champion and fresh X Games big air winner, first woman to land a backside triple cork 1620 in competition and the first to land two triple corks in one event. [3]
- Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (New Zealand): Consistent podium threat with a reputation for stomping under pressure in slopestyle and big air. [3]
- Mia Brookes (Great Britain): Young phenom known for high-technical rail and jump skills, increasingly central to big air medal talk. [3]
- Mari Fukada (Japan): Rising powerhouse often mentioned in the same breath as Murase, Zoi, and Brookes for 2026. [3]
- Anna Gasser (Austria): Two-time reigning Olympic big air gold medalist returning from off-season injury and trying to catch up to the new triple-cork era. [3]
- Flora Tabanelli (Italy): Home favorite and reigning world champion in women’s ski big air, top seed for the Olympic event. [1]
- Anni Karava & Megan Oldham: Recent world medalists adding depth and drama to the ski big air field. [1]
Example storyline
Imagine an Olympic final where Murase drops in with a triple cork 1620, Zoi responds with a massive 1440 with perfect grab and landing, and Gasser leans on experience with ultra-clean doubles; judges then have to weigh historic difficulty against flawless execution and style.Recent events and progression
Women’s big air has escalated quickly since its Olympic debut, with each season raising the technical bar.- Past Olympics: At the 2022 Winter Olympics women’s ski big air appeared on the program, with riders landing high-rotation spins and marking the event’s debut. [6][10]
- X Games factor: X Games women’s big air contests, especially in Aspen, have become a proving ground for new tricks and formats like 20–25 minute jam sessions where the best attempt wins. [4][7][9]
- Triple cork era: Murase’s triple corks have reset expectations of what a winning run looks like heading into 2026. [3]
How it’s typically judged
Most major women’s big air competitions use a scoring system that rewards both risk and refinement.- Difficulty: More rotations, off-axis corks, and complex grabs = higher base potential. [7][3]
- Execution: Clean takeoff, stable body position, no sketchy hand drags, and solid landings. [9][4][7]
- Amplitude: How far and high the athlete flies off the jump. [7][9]
- Style and originality: Unique grab variations, tweaks, and smooth flow that make the trick stand out. [9][7]
- Variety (when multiple jumps count): Doing different tricks rather than repeating the same spin both ways or with different grabs. [7][1]
Big air everywhere: ski, snowboard, kite
Although the spotlight this winter is on ski and snowboard, “women’s big air” also pops up in kiteboarding competitions, where riders launch off waves or kickers and throw high-powered aerial moves under a kite.These kite big air events share the same DNA: one huge, technical, and stylish trick can decide everything.
Trending context & forums
On sports and ski/snowboard forums, the buzz around women’s big air leans heavily on:- Whether triple corks should become “required” to win, or if style-focused, slightly easier tricks should still beat sketchy high-difficulty jumps. [10][3]
- If veterans like Gasser can hold off the new wave of riders landing tricks that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. [10][3]
- How the Livigno Olympic structure and Italian conditions might favor certain riding styles or countries. [1][3]
Mini FAQ
- Is women’s big air new to the Olympics? Women’s ski big air debuted at the 2022 Winter Olympics and returns at Milano–Cortina 2026. [5][6]
- How many jumps do they get in the 2026 Olympic final? Three, with the best two scores combined for the final result. [1]
- Who is the rider to watch right now? Kokomo Murase is the headline name thanks to her groundbreaking triple corks and recent big air wins. [3]
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.