CRAZY TRICK: Snowboarder Marcus Kleveland on a Big Air run in Norway.

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Catching Big Air

Find out how physics makes the new high-flying snowboarding event at the 2018 Winter Olympics possible

February 12, 2018

By Andrew Klein

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What factors might affect how well a snowboarder pulls off a trick?

This month, you’ll get the chance to see snowboarders soar like never before at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Extreme athletes can now participate in a new event called “Big Air.” It requires riders to launch themselves down a 49 meter (160 foot)-long ramp and off a jump to perform multiple flips and spins in midair.

A panel of six judges evaluates each competitor’s performance for difficulty, execution, and whether he or she landed under control and in the designated landing area. Pulling off the sickest tricks requires snowboarders to know how to use forces, like the downward pull of gravity, to their advantage.

This month, you’ll get the chance to see snowboarders soar like never before. There’s a new event for extreme athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It’s called “Big Air.” Riders launch themselves down a 49 meter (160 foot)-long ramp and off a jump. Then they do multiple flips and spins in midair.

A panel of six judges watches each rider’s performance. They rate how hard the moves were and how well the rider carried them out. They also see if the rider landed under control and in the marked landing area. To pull off the sickest tricks, snowboarders must know how to use forces to help them. For example, they use the downward pull of gravity.

“Having a greater knowledge of physics can help a coach or athlete make more informed decisions to maximize performance,” says Brennan Metzler, a member of the American Association of Snowboard Instructors in Colorado.

Science World spoke with Metzler to find out more about the physics behind big air.

“Having a greater knowledge of physics can help a coach or athlete make more informed decisions to maximize performance,” says Brennan Metzler. He’s a member of the American Association of Snowboard Instructors in Colorado.

Science World spoke with Metzler. He explained more about the physics behind big air.

OLYMPIC BIG AIR

APPROACH PHASE

A snowboarder starts a run with an initial amount of gravitational potential energy—stored energy determined by an object’s height. The law of conservation of energy states that energy is constant and never lost. As gravity’s pull accelerates a rider down the ramp, stored potential energy turns to kinetic energy, or the energy of motion. Forces like friction—made when a snowboard rubs against the ramp—work to slow the rider and transform some energy to heat.

At the start of a run, a snowboarder has gravitational potential energy. That’s stored energy that depends on an object’s height. The law of conservation of energy states that energy is constant and never lost. Gravity pulls a rider down the ramp, faster and faster. Stored potential energy turns into kinetic energy, the energy of motion. The snowboard rubs against the ramp and forms friction. Forces like friction work to slow the rider and turn some energy to heat.

TAKEOFF PHASE

Before a rider flies off the jump, he or she has forward momentum—mass times velocity. The more momentum an object has, the more difficult it is to stop. At takeoff, athletes flex and extend different muscles to generate angular momentum, or momentum of rotation. It drives a snowboarder’s ability to flip and spin in the air. The force of drag—from air pushing against a snowboarder—reduces the athlete’s momentum during the approach and takeoff phases.

Before a rider flies off the jump, he or she has forward momentum. That’s mass times velocity. The more momentum an object has, the harder it is to stop. Athletes flex and extend different muscles at takeoff. This creates angular momentum, or momentum of rotation. It allows a snowboarder to flip and spin in the air. The force of drag comes from air pushing against a snowboarder. It lowers the rider’s momentum during the approach and takeoff.

MANEUVER PHASE

After takeoff, a snowboarder tucks in his or her legs and arms to increase the rate of the flips and spins. Pro snowboarders can perform as many as five spins and flip up to four times during only a few seconds of airtime, says Metzler.

A snowboarder tucks in his or her legs and arms after takeoff. This increases the rate of the flips and spins. Pro snowboarders can perform many tricks in only a few seconds of airtime. Metzler says they can do up to five spins and four flips.

LANDING PHASE

To land safely with good form in the designated landing zone, or “sweet spot,” a snowboarder needs to slow his or her rate of rotation. The athlete achieves this rotational deceleration by extending his or her arms and legs. When riders land, they stomp the edges of their boards into the snow, which creates a resistive force to help them further decelerate their angular momentum.

Riders want to land safely with good form. They also want to land in the marked landing zone, or “sweet spot.” To do this, they must slow their rate of rotation. They perform this rotational deceleration by extending their arms and legs. When they land, they stomp the edges of their boards into the snow. This creates a resistive force. It helps them slow their angular momentum even more.