PARK CITY, Utah -- The sun peaked over Park City Mountain Resort Friday, shining a spotlight on the best slopestyle skiers in North America.
Spectators gathered at the bottom of the slopestyle course with all eyes glued to a big screen TV.
"It's just so cool to see them take the jumps, and from this angle to see how high they go, it's really pretty cool,” one spectator said.
The Visa U.S. Freeskiing Grand Prix kicked off its first day in Park City. The men and women are competing Friday and Saturday in slopestyle skiing pipelining. Andy Miller is the communications manager at Park City Mountain Resort, and he said the weekend’s events are part of a larger competition.
"This is the final two events of the Grand Prix series,” he said. “It's very crucial this year because this year Olympic qualification points are on the line."
This event is history in the making. The athletes are competing for a spot on the first ever U.S. Olympic slopestyle team.
"It's been so exciting coming into this season, just knowing the Olympics is a possibility for all of us to go to for the first time,” freestyle skier Keri Herman said. “It's been really exciting. Every event is just one step closer, and we're doing what we can to get there.”
Twenty year old Devin Logan was the first woman to lock in a spot for the woman's slopestyle team.
"I am so excited to be going to Russia to represent my country, it's such an honor,” Logan said.
Her father, Jerry Logan, attended the event.
"This is just momentous, historic and I'm beyond excited for her - I couldn't be more excited just to be here with her,” he said after his daughter earned her Olympic spot.
The final Olympic team will be announced Saturday night following a free concert at Park City Mountain Resort.
