( CNN ) -- Welcome to the new cool . The dreadlocks . The headphones . The beats . The fist-bumping . Forget pumped up , chiseled athletes focused on nothing more than winning . If snowboarders were the Olympics ' introduction to a younger , hipper , `` slacker '' generation of competitors , the next wave of adrenaline junkies has taken it back to the new old school . `` It 's like playing , '' Jamie Anderson said after winning gold in inaugural women 's slopestyle snowboarding event in Sochi . `` We 're pretty much snowboarding on a playground up there . '' Slopestyle , which also has a ski discipline , is one of 12 new categories at 2014 Winter Games -- eight of which have their origins in extreme sports . It 's part of the International Olympic Committee 's bid to attract younger audiences , a mission shared by its broadcast and advertising partners . Short-track speed skating was added in 1992 , and snowboarding came six years later . But forget the idea of 10,000 hours of repetitive practice -- as Anderson says , these new sports are all about playing . All playgrounds have their own vocabulary , and expressions like `` stoked , '' `` corked '' and `` stalefish '' are rapidly becoming part of the sporting lexicon . As is the idea of fun , which the winner of the men 's slopestyle skiing event , Anderson 's fellow American Joss Christensen , was keen to reference . `` I did n't try to put any more pressure on myself , I just tried to ski a normal contest and just do my best and have fun with it . I thought it worked out , '' said the 22-year-old in trademark understatement . His comments underplayed the reality that the U.S. team annihilated the competition , claiming all three men 's medals to end Canada 's monopoly of freestyle golds at these Games . Christensen had never won a major competition , and only qualified for the Olympics two weeks ago . `` I am shocked , '' he conceded . `` I am stoked to be up here with my friends . America , we did it . '' With Gus Kenworthy and Nick Goepper winning silver and bronze , it was a historic moment -- the U.S. had previously achieved such a clean sweep of medals on just two occasions : the 2002 men 's halfpipe snowboard competition , and the 1956 men 's individual figure skating singles . But there was a serious undertone for Christensen , who has been mourning the loss of his father last year . `` I hope I made my father proud , '' he said . `` Through all the injuries I 've had , he 's always supported me and never said stop . I hope he 's looking down and smiling . Did it for him . '' As part of the slopestyle `` playground '' there is a `` kiss and cry '' area , where the competitors wait to see their results . Not that there was any signs of tears at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on Thursday . All the competitors look relaxed as if they were hanging out with their friends on the slopes of their backyard ski resort -- which is not so far-fetched , given they train together and meet at events several times a month . The glory and seriousness of the Olympics seems something of a culture shock to these new Olympians . Their main event , the X Games , is all about showing off new tricks in fairly relaxed , showbiz atmosphere . And it 's not just spectators and television viewers who have been impressed by their performances . `` It looks very spectacular , '' IOC president Thomas Bach told reporters after Christensen 's win . `` I just met the three medalists and they are cool guys . '' `` They found it ( the competition ) cool and now they wait for the party . When you win you have the party . '' Perhaps the Winter Olympics ' new breed is best encapsulated by Henrik Harlaut . The 22-year-old Swede might not have made it up on the podium , but he definitely garnered plenty of attention with his very , very low-cut pants -- which , by the end of his run , revealed much of his colorful underwear . Along with the incredible tricks , style is a big part of these competitions . `` I do n't think skiing with my ski pants so low is an issue , '' Harlaut insisted . `` I have been skiing like this for 10 years now . It is my style and has been for a while . I feel really comfortable . '' Not everyone has been impressed by the tricks and a more relaxed of sporting competition . `` I think the president of the IOC should be Johnny Knoxville , because basically , this stuff is just 'Jackass ' stuff that they invented and called Olympic sports , '' commentator Bob Costas said on NBC said before the Games began , referring to the comedic daredevil who was known for crashing into things . That 's not a view shared by the U.S. Olympic Committee , which has specifically targeted invested in these new sports , primarily because they deliver medals for America . `` We 've been able to really customize and drill down where we can have the greatest impact , '' Alan Ashley , the USOC 's chief of sport performance , told the Washington Post . `` I 'd like to try to get as many athletes as possible opportunities to become Olympians , then become successful Olympians as well . '' So behind the cool exterior , there is some bottom-line accounting going on .
12 of the Eight new events at Games have their origins in extreme sports . Incredible tricks , style and a relaxed atmosphere are a big part of these competitions . But the seriousness of the the Sochi Olympics seems a culture shock to these new the U.S. Olympic Committee .