big air
noun
1
: great height achieved on a jump by a snowboarder, skateboarder, skier, etc.
He spent much of his boyhood in Minneapolis catching big air on trampolines.—Rich Cooper
… they would get up and go in search of more big air, dumping themselves off ten-foot drops, only to wind up buried in the powder …—Tim Sohn
BMX racing is all about being smooth and staying low on the jumps, not big air or tricks …—Bicycling
2
: a competitive event (such as snowboarding, freestyle skiing, skateboarding, or motocross) in which a usually single trick is performed from a jump in which great height is achieved
She also won big air and claimed silver in slopestyle …—Rachel Axon
Big air is just one jump. … It's just doing the biggest tricks you possibly can.—Valentino Guseli, quoted in The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
—often used before another nouna big air competition
In big air snowboarding, competitors launch themselves off a steep, ski-jump-style ramp and do one big trick while sailing high through the air.—Justin Peters
Cite this Entry
“Big air.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/big%20air. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.
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