Ski ballet is the magnificently weird Olympic sport that deserved better

Warning: you’re about to miss a sport you never knew existed.

What is ski ballet, you ask? For the most part, it’s probably what you’re imagining: a choreographed freestyle ski program full of jumps, spins, and other stunts. Yes, it was set to music. Yes, the athletes wore enormous sleeves. Yes, it was the manifestation of all my personal dreams.

And yet… it was not fated to last. Ski ballet was featured as a “demonstration sport” at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, but it didn’t resonate particularly well with audiences. After another disappointing appearance at the 1992 Games, it faded into Olympics history. In 2000, it was discontinued entirely. Read more…

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