Freestyle land

The love affair between Tignes and freestyle has lasted a long time. Here’s a look back at some of the highlights that have marked and continue to shape the history of Tignes.

1986 : World Freestyle Ski Championships

That year, Tignes hosted the very 1^st World Freestyle Ski Championships! The event not only showcased a range of disciplines that until then had been little-known to the general public, it also marked the beginning of the official recognition of freestyle skiing as an international discipline under the aegis of the FIS (Fédération Internationale de Ski). On the programme for this first edition were 3 disciplines:

• Moguls
• Freestyle jumping
• Ballet (a discipline that has now disappeared)

These championships contributed to the inclusion of freestyle skiing in the Olympic Games, with its first appearance as an official event at the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games.

1992 : The Albertville Olympic Games

6 years after its pioneering role in organising the first Freestyle World Championships, Tignes was chosen as the official venue for the discipline’s events. On the programme, as in 1986:

• Moguls: won by young Frenchman Edgar Grospiron (aged 22 at the time of the event), followed by another Frenchman, Olivier Allamand. This victory in Tignes, in its first official appearance as an Olympic event, raised the profile of the discipline enormously.
• Acrobatic jumping: a demonstration event at the 1992 Olympic Games; this event was adopted as an official Olympic event at the following Games in 1994.
• Ballet: this discipline made its only appearance as a demonstration event at the Olympic Games, but was not continued at subsequent Olympiads.

From 2005 to 2009, Tignes launched its own event: The Tignes Airwaves

Organised to showcase extreme sports, the Tignes Airwaves saw Tignes bring together skicross-boardercross, big air, halfpipe, slopestyle, mountain bike on snow, freeride and motocross freestyle events in the same place and at the same time. In the same vein as the Winter X Games, which remain the benchmark for freestyle events.

For 4 years, this event has been a benchmark in the world of freestyle winter sports, combining competition and spectacle to put on an impressive show.

From 2010 to 2013: Winter X Games Europe in Tignes

Tignes was the first European resort to host the emblematic Winter X Games event, and for 4 years it was a mecca for freestyle in France, Europe and the rest of the world. The programme for this event includes a unique atmosphere, top-level competitions and an exceptional setting! The best athletes compete in slopestyle, halfpipe and big air.

After 4 exceptional editions, the Winter X Games in Tignes will have marked a turning point in the popularisation of extreme winter sports in Europe and left a memorable mark on the history of winter sports.

From 2012 to 2017: FIS Halfpipe World Cup Finals

Held in Tignes, the FIS Halfpipe World Cup Finals continue to establish Tignes as a top freestyle resort in the eyes of the world. On the programme, the best riders of the moment battle it out in an electric atmosphere on the halfpipe, which has become an essential part of the sport.

Since 2022: the Tignes Mountain Shaker Festival

In 2022, Tignes launched its new flagship event: the Tignes Mountain Shaker. This event brings together a number of highlights, including freeride, indoor skateboarding at Tignespace and, above all, freestyle world cup stages: slopestyle skiing and snowboarding and big air skiing on courses specially designed for the occasion. Tignes is regularly chosen as the last stopover of the freeskiing season for one or more events, and has the honour of awarding the coveted Crystal Globes to the most successful athletes.

Tignes has long been recognised as a key resort on the international circuit for its ability to organise, host, shaper and host such events, bringing together numerous athletes and thousands of spectators at each edition.