By Giulia Segreti
LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 6 (Reuters) – The Olympic Big Air jump has become an unlikely protagonist in Livigno’s narrow valley, an imposing scaffolded structure rising above the town’s rooftops and drawing both praise and surprise from snowboarders and freeskiers.
Athletes have welcomed the scale and build quality of the jump, although many were taken aback by its size as well as the decision to use a purpose‑built metal structure in the heart of the valley rather than setting it on the mountain.
The 55-metre jump towers above the Mottolino ski area, on the eastern side of Livigno, a high‑altitude resort town not far from the Swiss border, becoming the dominant feature of the Olympic snowpark, visible from every corner of the valley.
“It was my first time doing a scaffolding jump… definitely a very different experience than being on a mountain,” U.S. snowboarder Jess Perlmutter said.
Others said their initial hesitation disappeared once they tested it. American rider Hahna Norman said she had braced for the worst after seeing the photos online but found the in‑run built “so well” and the transitions smooth, adding that the jump was “big enough to do some pretty crazy tricks”.
Norway’s Mons Roisland, the big air silver medallist in Beijing, said riders had been very curious to see the venue but left their first sessions there “super happy”.
STRANGE, STUFFY RIDE UP
Some of the athletes said the unusual configuration may enhance competition. Canadian freeskier Evan McEachran said the wider, smoother in‑run compared with typical city Big Airs, combined with a full snow landing, allowed riders “to go a lot bigger” while keeping transitions more natural.
“Once you’re up there, you don’t notice (it’s scaffolded),” he said.
On the downside, many riders and skiers said they found the elevator ride to the top of the jump odd and stuffy.
“It’s kind of weird, like you don’t snowboard (to the top), and you go up an elevator and just drop in. It’s a little strange”, U.S. snowboarder Sean FitzSimons.
Anna Karrer was not a fan of the tight lift space. “I don’t like to be stuffed in with other people… If I had to choose going down with the elevator or hitting the jump. I’d way rather hit the jump.”
SPECTACULAR
The location and structure of the jump were decided by the Milano Cortina 2026 (MiCo) organising committee.
The mountain lacked the right slope, so scaffolding had to be built anyway to meet the technical requirements, and this also meant there could be more distance between the race courses, MiCo Valtellina cluster manager Davide Cerato told Reuters.
Mottolino CEO Marco Rocca said that there would not have been space near the runs for the other freestyle disciplines. “Even so, I think it’s spectacular for the public.”
A spokesperson for the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) said the venue’s profile was closely modelled on the one for the Beijing 2022 Games, a high, permanent, curved steel structure built within a former steel mill.
When the sport made its Olympic debut, in 2018 in Pyeongchang, the jump was a 49-metre temporary ramp.
Cerato added that the Livigno jump’s north-facing exposure, away from the sun, also allowed for the landing to be preserved, ensuring greater safety for the athletes.
“The advantage of such a structure is undoubtedly its spectacular appearance,” he added.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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