Section 3: Playing Area
3.1 Moguls Course
- Length: 220–270 m (722–886 ft).
- Width: Minimum 18 m (59 ft). The course is carved into natural or machine-built mogul bumps approximately 1.2 m (4 ft) apart trough-to-trough.
- Gradient: 26–32 degrees. A consistent pitch ensures uniform bump formation.
- Air bumps (kickers): Two air bumps positioned on the upper and lower thirds of the course, with the top air bump's takeoff placed at 15% of the course length and the bottom air bump's takeoff at 20% of the course length from the finish line. Per the Mogul Air Bump Criteria (ICR Art. 4204.3): jump height 50–70 cm, takeoff angle 26°–35°, landing zone gradient greater than 26°, air bump width 130–150 cm, maximum distance from the end of the last bump to the takeoff 5.0–6.0 m, and from the airbump takeoff to the end of the landing 15.0 m (top bump) to 18.0 m (bottom bump).
- Control gates: Nine (9) control gates, defined by flags maximum 0.75 m wide by 1.20 m high, are set on the course at equally spaced intervals, with track width (not including the flags) measuring 8–12 m (ICR Art. 4204.4).
- Timing: An electronic timing system records the athlete's run time from start wand to finish wand, with hand timing mandatory as a backup at all times (ICR Art. 4204.6).
3.2 Aerials Site
- Kickers: Three snow-built jump ramps with table heights of 2.0 m (6.6 ft), 3.2 m (10.5 ft), and 3.8 m (12.5 ft). The 3.8 m kicker is used for triple somersault dives.
- In-run: A steep, groomed in-run track approximately 60–70 m (197–230 ft) long, allowing athletes to reach takeoff speeds of 55–65 km/h (34–40 mph).
- Landing hill: Approximately 38-degree pitch, covered with soft, groomed snow. The knoll (steepest section) must begin immediately after the kicker lip to match the athlete's trajectory.
- Water ramp: Used in summer training. Athletes land in an aerated pool after jumping from artificial kickers. The pool is typically 15 m (49 ft) long, 10 m (33 ft) wide, and 3.5 m (11.5 ft) deep.
3.3 Halfpipe
- Length: Minimum 150 m (492 ft).
- Width: 19–22 m (62–72 ft) from lip to lip.
- Wall height: 6.0–7.0 m (19.7–23.0 ft), commonly referred to as a "22-foot superpipe" (measured as the vertical height of the transition wall).
- Gradient: 17.5–18.5 degrees along the pipe's longitudinal axis.
3.4 Slopestyle Course
- Length: Minimum 400 m (1,312 ft).
- Width: Minimum 30 m (98 ft).
- Features: 6–9 features arranged in sections — typically a jib section (rails, boxes, wall rides) followed by a jump section (2–3 progressively larger jumps with gap distances of 10–25 m / 33–82 ft).
3.5 Ski Cross Course
- Length: 800–1,200 m (2,625–3,937 ft).
- Vertical drop: 130–250 m (427–820 ft).
- Features: Banked turns (berms), rollers, step-ups, step-downs, and tabletop jumps. Course design must allow 4 athletes to race side-by-side at all points.
- Gates (redesigned for 2026/27): A Ski Cross gate consists of one stubby flex pole (turning pole: 55 cm length above the hinge, 30–35 mm diameter) and one rigid long pole (outside pole: 110 cm length, 27–32 mm diameter, non-splintering material), connected by a triangular gate flag of wind-permeable material (base length 110 cm, long-side height 70 cm, short-side height 35 cm) that must release immediately if hooked by a ski or hand (ICR Art. 7203). Missing a gate results in disqualification.