Just a year removed from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the top freestyle skiers in the world roll into Park City, UT Feb. 2 for the International Ski Federation's 2011 World Freestyle Ski Championships. The 14th Freestyle World Championship will take place at Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort from Feb. 2-5 and feature men's and women's aerials, moguls, skicross, halfpipe and slopestyle events.
Deer Valley and Park City Mountain Resort will split this year's events with host Deer Valley holding the moguls, dual moguls, aerials and skicross and Park City conducting the halfpipe and the newly added slopestyle. Both are considered premier venues for world competition: Deer Valley is consistently ranked among the top sites on the FIS tour year after year and Park City is one of the best freeskiing resorts in the world. The two resorts are currently in full preparation mode for the upcoming World Championships.
"Planning for six events is no easy chore. Deer Valley and Park City leave no stone unturned," said Freestyle Program Director Todd Schirman. "The sites are being prepared and the schedule is amazing."
Festivities kick off Feb. 2 with an opening ceremony and concert featuring recording artist Julian Marley, famous reggae artist Bob Marley's son, in downtown Park City. Street dances and fireworks also highlight in-town festivities during the Championships as Park City embraces the return of high-level international competition to the area.
Also representing the U.S. is 2005 World Champion and 2010 Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT). Kearney comes into this year's World Championships leading the overall World Cup standings, and will be looking to add another title to an already stellar season. Moguls and aerials teams will be coming in hot after the Nature Valley World Freestyle Cup in Lake Placid, NY from Jan. 21-23.
Other athletes to watch include skicross competitor John Teller (Mammoth Lakes, CA), who wrote himself into history books earlier this year with the first ever skicross World Cup win by an American. He hopes to continue his success with gold at World Champs.
The high-flying Jen Hudak (Salt Lake City, UT) spearhead a group of strong U.S. halfpipe competitors in search of their first victory for the U.S. at World Championships since the event's inception in 2009.
Both slopestyle and halfpipe are under consideration for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
"It is very important to show how well halfpipe and slopestyle can be run and that these sports have amazing talent and depth," said Freeskiing Director Jeremy Forster. "We are hopeful Worlds will give these events the momentum they need to become Olympic sports."
The FIS World Ski Championship action starts Wed., Feb. 2 with women's moguls.
2011 World Freestyle Ski Championships Schedule Park City, UT Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort
Wed., Feb. 2 - Men's and women's moguls at Deer Valley Resort Thurs., Feb. 3 - Men's and women's slopestyle at Park City Mountain Resort Fri., Feb. 4 - Men's and women's skicross and aerials at Deer Valley Resort Sat., Feb. 5 - Men's and women's halfpipe at Park City Mountain Resort and dual moguls at Deer Valley Resort
