Yes, Lindsey Vonn is out with an injury. Yes, Bob Costas is pompous. And yes, Vladimir Putin is a tyrant. But none of that will stop the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia next month from being a highly entertaining spectacle. Here are three big reasons why.

1. Slopestyle. Never mind the hype around NBC’s Bob Costas braying like a jackass about how slopestyle is not a real sport. Anyone who has been paying attention in the mountains over the past 15 years knows that slopestyle is AWESOME. These are some of the most daring, creative, agile athletes you will ever see on snow. Slopestyle makes its Olympic debut this year in both skiing and snowboarding, and it is going to be a huge hit. An added bonus for Mount Hood fans is that so many of the world’s top slopestyle athletes coach and train on Mount Hood, including gold medal favorite Nick Goepper of Windells Academy and snowboarding genius Scotty Lago.

2. Women’s Ski Jumping. Finally, the powers that be are allowing women to compete in ski jumping in the Olympics! Soon it will become obvious why. Talk about huge air! These women soar 400 to 500 feet before sticking the landing. They aren’t throwing tricks while they are up there, but the sheer courage and power required for this sport are all amazing. Don’t believe me? Try it sometime. Check out this article in the New York Times Magazine profiling Sarah Hendrickson and her Olympic teammates as they prepare for Sochi.

3. Freedom of Expression. Russia’s tyrannical leader Vladimir Putin seems determined to choke the fun and spirit out of the games with his crackdowns on political dissent and his decrees banning “propoganda” about “nontraditional sexual relations.” He is about to learn that it is much harder to muzzle the world than to intimidate your own population. Especially when it comes to free-spirited athletes and artists who have no intention of playing by his rules. Who will be the first competitor to flaunt Putin’s decrees for the cameras? I look forward to finding out.

Last modified: January 10, 2014