Ski Ballet Retains Its Olympic Games Charm All These Years Later (VIDEO)
WATCH: The One Sport Missing From This Year's Olympic Games
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The 2014 Sochi Olympic Games are in full swing, but even with all the great competitions going on, we can't help but mourn the lost art of ski ballet.
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From the late 1960s to 2000, ballet fell under the umbrella of freestyle skiing, along with moguls and aerials. Ski ballerinas dazzled judges with graceful routines consisting of flips, rolls, twirls, jumps and spins. While these skiers’ exaggerated moves and outlandish ’80s outfits will leave you in hysterics, you’ve got to admit there is some serious skill behind their theatrics.
The sport had its 15 minutes of Olympic fame when it was a demonstration sport at the 1988 and 1992 Winter Games. Sadly, ski ballet’s popularity has gone downhill in recent years, which really is a shame. Because if there’s one thing we like to see more of, it’s neon-clad ski dancers and their fancy mountainside maneuvers.
Prior to 1968, European countries such as Germany and Austria dominated the ski slopes. Enter Canada's Nancy Greene. The B.C. skier took home two of the three medals Canada won at the Grenoble Games: a gold in giant slalom and silver at slalom.
Photo: CP Files
Catriona Le May Doan - Salt Lake City, 2002
Following Catriona Le May Doan's gold medal win in the 500-metre speed skating competition at the 1998 Nagano Games, the pressure was on for the Saskatoon native to defend her title in Salt Lake City. She did not falter. Le May Doan took home gold in Utah and became the first Canadian Olympian to defend her Olympic title.
Photo: AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye
Beckie Scott - Salt Lake City, 2002
Canada's only medalist in cross-country skiing, Alberta's Beckie Scott leapt from a 45th-place finish in 1998 to a bronze in 2002 in the 5 kilometre pursuit. But then things took a weird turn when silver and gold medalists, Larissa Lazutina and Olga Danilova, both tested positive for steroids. The IOC annulled their medals and Scott went on to win silver and then the gold. To date, she is the only Olympian to win all three medals for the same event.
Photo: Luca Bruno/AP file photo
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Barbara Ann Scott - St. Moritz, 1948
Canada's first and only winner of an individual gold medal in figure skating, Barbara Ann Scott's win at the 1948 St. Moritz Olympics marked Canada's arrival on the figure-skating world stage. Scott quickly became known as "Canada's Sweetheart" for her uplifting win, inspiring generations of Canadian skaters.WATCH: Video of her performance
Women’s Hockey - Salt Lake City, 2002
Canada's women's hockey team narrowly lost to the U.S. at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and that defeat seemed to haunt the Canadians for years. Salt Lake City would mean revenge for the hungry Canadian squad. The gold-medal game proved difficult and tested the Canadian team. The Canadians had 13 penalties called on them and played long stretches of the game on the penalty kill. In the end, they hung on for a 3-2 win and earned gold on American soil.
Photo: AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian
Alex Bilodeau - Vancouver, 2010
Before Vancouver, Canadian Olympians had the odd distinction of not winning gold on home soil, despite playing host to two Games. So when Alexandre Bilodeau nailed his final run in themen's moguls, he won Canada's first gold of the 2010 Games, triggering a wave of cheers that could be heard across the country. WATCH: Bilodeau's gold medal run
Photo: Mark Ralston/Getty Images
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Cindy Klassen - Turin, 2006
One of Canada's greatest Winter Olympians, Cindy Klassen took home a record five medals at the 2006 Turin Games. She helped Canada nab a silver in the speed skating team pursuit and was edged out of a second gold medal in the 1000 metre by 0.04 of a second. Klassen currently has six Olympic medals to her name, could she add to her collection in Russia?
Photo: Jean-Pierre Clatot/AFP/Getty Images
Men's Hockey - Vancouver, 2010
It might just be the greatest hockey moment in Canadian history. Canada didn't medal at Turin, but four years later playing before a home crowd, expectations for Team Canada were high. It came down to a match against the Americans. The Olympic final in Vancouver was the single most-watched event in Canadian history, more than 16.6 million Canucks—more than half the country— tuned in sometime during the game, and what a finish. Crosby streaking toward the net, a pass from Iginla and then like that, the golden goal.WATCH: Highlights from the 2010 gold medal game
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