I’ve been loving watching the Olympics the past few weeks. There have been so many impressive accomplishments, remarkable acts of sportsmanship, and all-around good vibes. But, none have exemplified this better than skiers and snowboarders.
The addition of X Games sports like ski and snowboard-cross, half-pipe, slopestyle, and Big Air have made for some of my favourite moments of the Olympics. It’s not just their stunning displays of aerial prowess that have me hooked – it’s the way fellow competitors truly get stoked about the success of others. Sure, they’re competing hard against each other, and everyone wants top spot, but they genuinely seem to support and applaud their opponent’s successes as well.
No better display of that was in women’s snowboarding Big Air, when a Japanese boarder tried to land a crazy triple spin. She ALMOST had it, just losing her balance after landing, but all the boarders at the bottom rushed her to congratulate her effort. Plus, the celebratory cuddle puddle after New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott won gold in slopestyle was heartwarming. We love to see it.
Then, there’s Canada’s Cassie Sharpe, the Gold Medalist in ski half-pipe from Pyeongchang, who was coming back injury and had only been on the snow competing for a couple of months before the Olympics. She really dialled in the “let’s have some fun” mentality, while churning out an impressive performance that merited a silver medal (second only to the elite Eileen Gu who absolutely CRUSHED it at these Games.) When you juxtapose this against the intensity, and somewhat emotionally-disturbing events, displayed in sports like figure skating, these athletes seemed to really be revelling in their Olympic moment. It’s almost like the Olympics can be…fun and enjoyable?!
Plus, the ski and snowboard cross has been so entertaining to watch. It’s basically real-life Mario Kart. Things can change in an instant, including when Canada’s Marielle Thompson came from way back in 4th place in the last corner to winning a surprising silver. Or, when Meryeta O’Dine claimed bronze in the team event with Eliot Grondin, despite having an Italian snowboarder land on her mid-way down the hill. I’ve absolutely loved watching this sport and all its twist-and-turns.
I’m sad that these Olympic events are over, and hope that these sports get more coverage during the Olympic off-cycle, as they are a treat to watch. Congratulations to all the athletes for putting on remarkable performances, and showing us what fierce competitors can look like.
What have been some of your favourite Olympic sports to watch?
