Back to the Olympics Newsfeed

When Ballet Skiing Pushed at the Porous Boundary Between Art and Sport

“We brought music to the mountains”: The rebel freestyle form born in the ’70s had a brief Olympic moment. Now it’s experiencing a renaissance online.

The flying skier: A 1977 poster shows Genia Fuller competing in Japan.Credit...Genia Fuller, via Vintage Ski World

Recently, the official Olympics YouTube account posted a video both beautiful and strange. Skiers in flamboyant jumpsuits perform choreographed routines to music — flipping over their poles, gliding through complex spins, accenting transitions with jazzy flourishes of their arms. “HOW was this an Olympic sport?