Skipimp, the issue here is not the current state of competitive freestyle. I agree that with the involvement of FIS, rules were put in place, and people weren't allowed to huck themselves off any old jump. But keep in mind that it was also the athletes who wanted the structure because they wanted some form of organized competition without the concerns of insurance liability and to have a fair way of assessing everyone's performance. That said, you will find people all over the place still ripping bumps FOR THE FUN OF IT, not giving a damn about the competitive side of it all. Like I said in an above posting, some people like to compete to see who's the best, and others just like to ski for fun. To each his or her own...
As such, it is ignorant on your part to suggest new school freestyle will just merrily go down the path of moguls and become 'stifled'. Times have changed. Athletes and coaches recognize the mess FIS has made. FIS recognizes the mess it has made. That is all changing. On top of all that, snowboarding has charted a course ahead of us, making new school freestyle's succesful integration into the Olympics a virtual 'fait accompli'.
Furthermore, I think it is even more ignorant to label freestyle moguls as lame. Never have potential improvements that are on the horizon been more exciting. Off-axis tricks were approved for this past season, and inverts are likely to be seen on World Cup in the near future. Duals may be seeing some course changes, much like what you witness at the annual St-Sauveur Pepsi Challenge (one of the sickest skiing events on earth). On top of all that, mogul skiing itself is an excellent sport to get into, as it gives skiers the tools to not only rip the whole mountain, but also the park. It's a very unique form of skiing, and can be credited with producing virtually ALL of the pros everyone on this site looks up to (Cusson, Dorion, Auclair, Douglas, Szocs, Tanner Hall, Raps, Thovex, Rex Thomas, Moseley, Dave Crichton, Jon Reedy, Andy Woods, etc., the list goes on forever).
Skunkjib: I wouldn't worry about skier pipe being a problem. There are four full years before 2006 (only two before Athens), and the issue of venue is a non-issue since snowboarders already have the pipe in place!
And as for skiing needing more prize money to be allowed to have pipe in the Olympics, I don't think that has much to do with anything. Do you see the IOC saying to skeleton they must have big prize money events before they admitted that sport in Salt Lake? Prize money is not the yardstick for Olympic status.
