Rap to rev up, soul to calm down: Freestyle skiers pick their soundtracks at the Winter Olympics

LIVIGNO, Italy — Standing atop a makeshift 15-story tower, moments before hurtling down a nauseatingly steep slope for the big air jump at the Winter Olympics, freestyle skier Evan McEachran still needed that little extra burst of adrenaline.

So it's time to crank up the tunes.

Earphones snug inside his crash helmet, McEachran got revved up listening to some rap while mentally going through the routine of acrobatic twists and turns he was about to perform while flying through the frosty night air in the Italian Alps.

''Tonight I had a little bit of hardcore rap music going to get motivated and to push me,'' the Canadian skier said after Sunday's qualifying session for the men's big air final.

''You can hear the crowd erupting," he said. "But I needed all the help I could get just to be fired up and try to send it off the jump.''

In the big air event, skiers gain momentum sliding down a huge ramp before they jump and perform complex tricks. Judges score the flips and spins, including pretzel-like shapes with skis splayed or crossed, before the skiers pull up at the last split second and slam skis-first into the landing area, kicking up a spray of snow.

And for some skiers like McEachran, a pair of earphones connected to a smart phone is as indispensable as his skis, poles and helmet.

''If I'm feeling like I'm a little low on energy, I'll put on some high-tempo music," he said. "That fires me up and gives me a little jolt."

McEachran is among the not-insignificant number of freestyle skiers and snowboarders who brought tunes to Livigno, the host of the Winter Olympic action sports.

And within that special group of music-loving daredevils, each has their own reason for applying a soundtrack to their death-defying jumps.

Swiss skier Nils Rhyner joined McEachran in needing some extra oomph.

His music of choice? The totally non-relaxing Swiss hard core punk, ''The Dog's Revenge.''

For McEachran, the musical choice varies with the event he is competing in.

While big air's all-or-nothing, Hail Mary-style jump demands to be accompanied by some do-or-die track, he goes for something soothing when doing his slopestyle routine.

Slopestyle, whereby skiers perform a series of tricks over a course of rails and jumps, requires a sense of flow, and for that, McEachran often turns to some smooth Frank Ocean soul, or perhaps just some good old country.

''If I'm feel a little overwhelmed then it's the calm stuff you know,'' he said. ''Happy vibes.''

Athletes chilling out, grooving with huge headphones before competing has become a common sight across sports, from basketball to soccer and even swimming. But actually keeping the party going once the action starts is another thing.

Matej Svancer of Austria, who finished Sunday's qualifying with the second-best time, said he likes good music as much as the next freestyle skier, but he thinks listening to music hurts his ability to orient his body while doing tricks.

''Because if you got the earplugs in there, it's like a sense that you're shutting down because you can't feel the speed anymore,'' he said. ''You're shutting down the balance as well. So you can't orient that well in the air.''

Defending big air gold medalist Birk Ruud used to listen to music while competing earlier in his career, but the 25-year-old said that over time he felt it was just a distraction from what he realized was the only way to do deal with the pressure of the moment.

''When I compete, I want to stay present and aware and hear whatever the noise or hear all my surroundings," Ruud said after qualifying second. "And you will do your best when you are fully, like, present.''

Still, for some skiers, music helps ground them, especially when the seconds count down until their turn to launch themselves down the big air ramp.

And in any case, he said, once you make the leap, you only register the sound of silence — even if the music is still blaring.

''As soon as I'm going into the in-run,'' Ragettli said, ''the music is gone."

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