“In the beginning everything was new and pretty much everything worked out,” said Pfeiffer, now 94. Crowds came to see rising stars invent new bold moves. “Elevator workers used to complain that nobody was getting on the elevators because everybody wanted to see freestyle skiers get on,” Pfeiffer said.
Over time, freestyle developed three different forms: aerials, where skiers perform huge twisting jumps; moguls, where they bounce on a series of small mounds; and ballet, emphasizing more complex tricks and footwork. At first, skiers would perform all three styles in a single wild ride down the mountain. In the end, each style got its own run, but competitors were expected to do all three. In the late 1970s, each form had its own specialists.
Ballet skiing, one of the freestyle categories, was the sport that gave the most commentary with its 360-degree approach to the mountain slope. Some skiers have explored their athletic side and developed various jumps and pole somersaults. “For me it was rock ‘n’ roll, go as hard as you can, do as many tricks as you can,” said Howard, who has a background in other sports.
Others saw potential for a different type of expression. Suzy ChaffeeBefore becoming the glamorous face of freestyle skiing, the artist, who participated in the 1968 Olympics as an alpine racer, introduced music to freestyle competitions. Chaffee, now 75, had studied ballet as a child. “In the back of my mind, I always dreamed of dancing down a mountain,” he said. Elegant and flexible, she became known for her graceful lines. Fuller, who has a figure skating background, also emphasized musicality and fluency in ballet runs.