In a time trial or qualification round, every competitor skis down the course, which is built to encompass both naturally occurring terrain and artificial features like jumps, rollers or banks.

The idea for a multi-racer single run with obstacles seems to have been borne at Alyeska Ski Resort in Alaska (USA) during the late 1970s.

[4] Interest waned in the early 1980s due to athletes graduating high school and leaving for college, while other racers concentrated on USSA and FIS sanctioned events.

A similar idea originated with Jim "Too Tall" Essick, one of the founders of Recreational Sports Marketing (RSM), in the late 1980s.

However, due to the nature of the event, collisions as a result of skiers showing off, drafting, blocking or passing their opponents are not uncommon and often yield falls and injuries among multiple athletes.

In the 2014 Winter Olympics France's Men swept the podium while in the women's event, Canadians Marielle Thompson and Kelsey Serwa finished first and second respectively.

The Ski Cross competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, took place at the Genting Snow Park from February 17 to 19, 2022.

Marielle Thompson of Canada secured the silver, and Daniela Maier, continuing her strong form, won the bronze.

The women's event featured a long list of competitors, with the top three athletes outperforming the rest of the field on the technical course.

[7] The 2022 Games marked a milestone for Ski Cross, with intense competition and close finishes defining both the men's and women's events.

[9] In 2016, the sport made a return to the Aspen Winter X Games, where Canadians Kelsey Serwa and Brady Leman won gold in their respective Skier X (ski cross) events.