Snowboarding

I

Introduction

Snowboarding, a winter sport in which competitors travel down snow-covered gradients, courses, or channels with their feet strapped to a board, akin to surfing or skateboarding. The sport of snowboarding involves several disciplines in which competitors can exhibit pure speed or artistic and gymnastic style. As with the other modern winter sport of freestyle skiing, there is a varied and colourful lexicon to describe all the moves. Snowboarding is divided into alpine and freestyle events. In the former grouping are the giant slalom, parallel giant slalom, and snowboard cross, and in the latter the half-pipe and big air.

II

Equipment and Clothing

Snowboards are made of fibreglass and vary in size according to the particular discipline. For example, slalom boards are longer than freestyle boards used for half-pipe and big air. Slalom or alpine boards are used in the speed events. They measure 145 to 175 cm (57 to 69 in) long and 18 to 20 cm (7 to 8 in) wide. They are more rigid than freestyle boards. They are shaped with a distinctively rounded nose and square tail. The boarder uses binding to attach his or her boots to the board. Freestyle boards are slightly shorter, measuring 134 to 158 cm (53 to 62 in) in length, and wider at around 24 cm (9½ in). They are flexible and have a rounded nose and tail so that the rider can change direction on the board and travel either forwards or backwards during a run. The snowboarder is attached to the board with bindings.

A snowboarder wears a protective helmet and ski goggles, ski suit, and gloves. Different boots are worn for each of the disciplines from more rigid ones in alpine events to more flexible ones for the half-pipe, say, when manoeuvrability is paramount.

III

Rules of the Sport

A

Parallel Giant Slalom

The parallel giant slalom is a head-to-head race over a course that descends between 120 and 250 m (131 to 273 yd). The snowboarders follow a line of coloured gates much like those in alpine skiing. In competition, qualifying heats and round-by-round eliminations lead to the finals. At the Winter Olympics the parallel giant slalom has replaced the giant slalom that was first run in 1998.

B

Half-Pipe

The half-pipe is a semi-cylindrical channel carved out of the ice measuring in the region of 120 to 130 m (131 to 142) long. The sides of the channel are between about 3.5 m and 5.5 m (11y and 18 ft) high. Snowboarders perform acrobatic aerial tricks as they move down the gradient of the channel, including tricks performed over the lip of the pipe. Competitors are judged on aerials (they can fly up to 8 m (26 ft) above the lip of the half-pipe), tricks on the lip of the half-pipe, hand plants, rotations, spins, and flips. The competitors with the highest points total progress to a final with two runs. A music track accompanies each performance.