Mikaël Kingsbury calls for changes to moguls rules

Olympian and world champion moguls skiier Mikäel Kingsbury dominated his sport this season.

On the World Cup tour, he won 8 golds and earned a fourth consecutive Crystal Globe for overall champion. 

But if he had it his way, he'd push himself even more.

"They call our sport free-style skiing, there's (the word) free in the middle, so I think we should be free to do the tricks that we want," Kingsbury said.

Under current International Ski Federation (FIS) rules, Kingsbury says he feels restricted because he's not allowed to perform certain tricks.

Rule 6204.4.1 in the FIS judging handbook says only single inverted flips are allowed. Double flips are not allowed.

"The FIS are putting sticks into our wheels," Kingsbury said

"They don't want us to do doubles yet... I've done it in training, I know it's possible, It's just I cannot try it on a competition course."

Kingsbury said it puts his sport as at disadvantage when trying to attract fans because other athletes ski disciplines are free to try any trick they can dream up.

"It's like that in slopestyle and half pipe and they say that for us it's too dangerous because we don't have the same amount of time in the air."

Rules unlikely to change

Marc Durand, a spokesperson for the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, said he understands Kingsbury's frustration but he doesn't think the rules will change any time soon.

And he said since Kingsbury is one few athletes the world who can complete a double flip, he's in the minority when it comes to calling for change.

"Many other athletes and coaches don't want (double flips to be allowed). They feel it will make too much of a difference between the best and the rest," Durand said.

Past generations of moguls skiers were even more restricted than Kingsbury's.

In 1994, when Canadian Jean-Luc Brassard won gold at the Olympics in Lillehammer, athletes weren't allowed do any flips or jumps tricks where their head would rotate below their waist.

The FIS changed the rules to allow single flips after the 2002-03 season.

The moguls Canadian championships take place this Saturday and Sunday at Val Saint-Côme.