There are three kinds of skiing events at the Winter Olympics. Alpine skiing consists of the traditional events in which skiers race downhill. Freestyle skiing is the newest discipline, with athletes spinning and flipping in the halfpipe or over moguls.
That leaves the Nordic events, defined as ones in which athletes’ heels are not affixed to their skis. The two main Nordic events are quite different: cross-country skiing, which requires endurance, and ski jumping, the daredevil event that rewards courage, aerodynamic form and a slight body.
So why not take these two events and combine them?