Big air skiers, snowboarders take flight

Big air skiers and snowboarders kick off the inaugural FIS Super Series this week in Milan, with events in Moenchengladbach, Germany in December and Quebec City in February rounding out the competition.

This year, big airskiers will compete for a crystal World Cup globe for the first time while snowboarders ramp up for their sport'sOlympic debut in 2018 in Pyeongchang.

The skiing competition goesFridayat 1 p.m. ET. It will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca, and featured on CBC TV'sRoad to the Olympic Gamesshow Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The snowboard event will be streamed liveSaturday at 1 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca.

• WATCH LIVE STREAM: Big air in Milan

Here are some athletes to watch in both events.

Skiing

Sweden's Henrik Harlaut is instantly recognizable in the air (note the dreadlocks) and frequently seen on the podium. The 25-year-old owns three X Games big air gold medals and won this year'sfirst World Cup stop in Chile in September.

American Bobby Brown looks to bring his X Games success to the World Cup circuit. The 25-year old owns two gold and three silver medals in big air (as well as a slopestyle gold) and was a member of the U.S.freeski team at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Nineteen-year-old Fabian Boesch is one of the rising stars on the circuit. The Swiss skier already owns an X Games big air gold from 2016 and competed in slopestyle at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Another Swedish skiing product, Emma Dahlstromwon her country's national championship in April as well as her first World Cup event in September. The 24-year-old placed second at last year's big air event at Fenway Park in Boston.

Giulia Tannowon last season's big air event at theEuropa Cup in her native Switzerland. The 18-year-old is poised for a strong season after earning silver at the first World Cup event of the season.

Snowboarding

Max Parrot is eyeing a spot on theOlympic podium in Pyeongchang. The22-year-old from Bromont, Que., won the two World Cup big air events last season and recently executed a potentially game-changingdouble.

Veteran Seppe Smits has competed in big air on the World Cup circuit since 2008. The 25-year-old Belgian has won two World Cup golds in his career, and four additional podium finishes.

Mark McMorris makes his return to competition Saturday after breaking his femur in February. Before the injury, the 22-year-old Regina native claimed two gold and two silver medals in big air at the X Games as well as a slopestyle bronze at the SochiWinter Games.

A slopestyle gold medallist in Sochi, American Jamie Anderson has successfully added big air to her repertoire. The 26-year-old won the big air World Cup event in Quebec last season.

Canada's Jenna Blasman already has an Olympic appearance under her belt after competing in the slopestyle event at the 2014 Winter Games. The 23-year-old from Kitchener, Ont., finished second at the big air event in Boston last season.