The International Olympic committee announced Monday evening that slopestyle skiing and snowboarding would make their Olympic debut at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Snowboarding parallel slalom was also added, while the proposed alpine team event was not.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association played a key role in working together with the International Ski Federation on slopestyle, including support in producing the debut World Championship last February at Park City and Deer Valley. The announcement was made following an IOC Executive Board meeting in Durban, South Africa.

“I am so stoked that slopestyle will be included in the next Olympic Games. Slopestyle is such a progressive event and has become much more popular over the last few years. Nothing thrills me more than to see the sport that I love so much recognized on the world’s stage,” Jaime Anderson of South Lake Tahoe said in a statement.

Anderson, whose home resort is Sierra-at-Tahoe, could add some more medal to her arsenal now that her sport is part of the Olympics. She has medaled sixed times in the X Games – three of them gold; and in 2010 and 2011 was named the Dew Tour Athlete of the Year.

Bill Marolt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, said in a statement, “The IOC’s decision to add slopestyle to the Olympics recognizes the millions of youth who are already participating in the sport in terrain parks around the world. It will have a very positive impact on the sport including our U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing programs.”

Officials had added halfpipe skiing to the 2014 Games at a meeting in April.

“It’s gratifying to see the modernism shown by the IOC in bringing in so many new events to better showcase the excitement of skiing and snowboarding as action sports to the world,” Marolt said.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report