The World’s Most Ridiculous Forgotten Olympic Sport
February 12, 2014
Chris Cole / Getty Images Sport
Sochi is well underway and we’re spending our nights alternating between yelling emphatically at the TV and then weeping when this P&G commercial comes on. It’s an exciting time. But although we all love a good triple Axel and a solid bobsled run, doesn’t it feel like there’s something missing?
That’s because there is.
Not so long ago, there was a legit Olympic sport called ski ballet (also known as “acroski”).
It was a featured demonstration sport in the 1988 and 1992 winter olympics. And it was ruled by such stars as Suzy Chaffee, a.k.a. “Suzy Chapstick,” a former Ford model who dominated the sport in the ’70s and subsequently became a Chapstick spokesperson.
Chris Cole / Getty Images Sport
Tragically, ski ballet never quite took off, and it was slashed from the Olympic agenda after 1992. As far as I’m concerned, there’s been a gaping hole in the Olympic lineup ever since. Perhaps this wrong will be righted someday, but for now, we have to rely on our memories and a few precious YouTube videos to keep the magic alive.
Just one more reason why we should all return to the ’80s as soon as possible.
