American skicross Olympian Daron Rahlves explains what the skicross is about:

"Almost like a cabbie in New York trying to race through traffic and not crash. That's kind of what we're trying to do out there."

Skicross is making its Olympic debut [in Vancouver], added after the wildly successful debut of snowboardcross at the 2006 Turin Games. Athletes compete in groups of four, racing through an obstacle course of sorts down the mountain, navigating a series of turns and jumps as they go. The fastest one down the mountain wins.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/18/AR2010021804122.html