By Gordy Megroz, Outside

Snowboarders in South Korea will fly higher and perform more-complicated maneuvers than ever before, thanks in part to practice airbags. The cushy landings provided by the stuntman-style crash pads mitigate injury risk, allowing riders to master tricks they’d otherwise never dream of trying.

“The amount of progression that occurred during the 20 years when we didn’t have airbags has been matched during the four years since we started using them,” says Jack Mitrani, a former competitive rider.

Still, one of the hardest moves we’re likely to see at the 2018 Winter Games was developed the old-school way, by repeatedly bashing out attempt after attempt on cold, unforgiving snow.

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