Front Page Challenge

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For 38 years, Canadians played along as panelists guessed the challenger behind a front-page headline. Slotted in to replace The Denny Vaughan Show in the summer of 1957, Front Page Challenge proved so popular it stayed. After guessing the challenger – and the news story they fronted – the four panelists interviewed the challenger. Over time the challenge period got shorter and chats with challengers like Eleanor Roosevelt, Indira Gandhi and Rick Hansen grew longer. Announcer Bernard Cowan worked with longtime host Fred Davis and regular panelists Gordon Sinclair, Pierre Berton, Toby Robins, Betty Kennedy, Allan Fotheringham and Jack Webster.

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Freestyle skiing goes Olympic

Broadcast Date: Jan. 8, 1994

When freestyle skiers flip and fly through the air, how do they keep their skis on? This is what panellist Pierre Berton wants to know. Today's guest on Front Page Challenge is Philippe LaRoche, a Canadian aerial freestyle ski champ who is getting set to compete in the 1994 Winter Olympics. This is the first time aerial freestyle skiing has been an official Olympic event (it was a demonstration sport at the previous Olympics), and as we see in this clip, LaRoche hopes to become one of the first Olympic medallists in the daring sport.

Freestyle skiing goes Olympic

• Philippe LaRoche did indeed win a medal at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games — he captured silver in the men's aerial freestyle skiing event.

• There are now three categories of freestyle skiing at the Olympics: moguls, aerials and ski cross. Moguls and aerials first appeared as demonstration sports at the Winter Olympics in Calgary in 1988. Moguls were made an official medal sport in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, while aerials were made an official event two years later at the Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Ski cross became an Olympic sport for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

• Freestyle skiing first began to be take off as a popular winter sport in the 1960s and 70s. At that time, it was often referred to as "hot dogging." (For more, please see the CBC Digital Archives clip 'Hot dog' skiers let it all hang out). In Canada, it began to take shape as an organized sport when the Canadian Freestyle Skiers Association (CFSA) was founded in 1974.

• By the 1990s, freestyle had gained more respect as a serious, disciplined sport. But it hadn't completely shed its image as a risky hobby for fun-loving, reckless young folks. A 1994 Globe and Mail article about the sport described "the rock and roll world of freestyle, where the air is filled with throbbing music, flying bodies and cries of 'Air!' from the cool, young, rich kids who watch it through designer shades at resorts around the world."

Freestyle skiing goes Olympic

Medium: Television

Program: Front Page Challenge

Broadcast Date: Jan. 8, 1994

Guest(s): Philippe Laroche

Host: Fred Davis
Panellist: Allan Fotheringham, Betty Kennedy, Jack Webster, Pierre Berton

Duration: 8:31

Last updated:
Nov. 25, 2009

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41 results available . 1 . 2 . 3 > »

Media	Title and date	Description
Television 8:31	Jan. 8, 1994 Freestyle skiing goes Olympic	With aerial freestyle skiing now officially an Olympic event in 1994, the Front Page Challenge crew learns more about the daring winter sport.
Television 10:38	Nov. 14, 1992 Making hockey history	Manon Rheaume becomes the first woman to play in the National Hockey League.
Television 6:03	Nov. 28, 1991 'The Secret World of Og', 30 years later	Patsy Berton, Pierre's daughter and the illustrator of his beloved children's book, is the mystery guest on Front Page Challenge.
Television 8:17	Oct. 17, 1991 Joyce Milgaard takes the case to Brian Mulroney	The prime minister approaches David Milgaard's mother at a candlelight vigil to discuss David's case.
Television 10:23	Feb. 8, 1991 Canada's first female fighter pilots cleared for takeoff	Major Deanna Brasseur discusses her career in the Canadian air force, including her historic 1989 graduation from the CF-18 training program.
Television 5:06	June 20, 1989 'A guy who liked to drink'	Front Page Challenge discusses Sir John A. Macdonald's legendary drinking habits.
Television 4:27	Dec. 14, 1988 Paul Martin Sr. discusses Paul Martin Jr.	As Paul Martin Jr. enters politics, Paul Martin Sr. offers advice drawn from 50 years of experience.
Television 11:01	Nov. 2, 1988 Sailing the Northwest Passage by catamaran	Canada's Jeffrey MacInnis and Mike Beedell are the first to navigate the Northwest Passage "by wind power alone."
Television 11:30	Oct. 12, 1988 Frank McKenna on Front Page Challenge	Frank McKenna talks to the Front Page Challenge crew about the realities of running a government with no Official Opposition.
Television 10:00	May 13, 1988 Voice of the Liberals	Sharon Carstairs leads her party from the political wilderness to an incredible 20 seats in the 1988 election.
Television 9:52	Dec. 18, 1987 Newsmaker Rick Hansen	The Man In Motion tries to stump the panel on Front Page Challenge.
Television 7:55	May 30, 1987 The risks of heli-skiing	A National Research Council avalanche expert tells the Front Page Challenge panel about an avalanche that killed seven expert skiers.
Television 5:39	May 19, 1984 First pacemaker implanted in human	A Swedish man benefits from a lifesaving device originally developed by Canadian John Hopps.
Television 9:25	March 20, 1983 Video kids strike it rich	Two Canadian arcade tycoons appear on Front Page Challenge to discuss their success.
Television 7:12	Nov. 21, 1982 1984 Los Angeles: Alex Baumann	Swimmer Alex Baumann faces the pressure of being Canada's best Olympic hope.

41 results available . 1 . 2 . 3 > »

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