Snowboarding is more than what you see on TV. It’s more than just a board down a snowy slope where the boarder hopes not to fall flat on his or her face. The fact is that snowboarding is very involved, and a much bigger gamble once you get into the competitive ranks. For that there are many different ways that boarders test their skill and their experience against their peers. The first is the halfpipe. This is a semi-circular ditch or ramp built purposely for the event that is anywhere from 8 feet to 22 feet. The boarders will perform tricks on the half pipe and go from one side of the pipe to the other and do tricks above air. Control and balance are key to mastering the event; it is an exhibition in being able to perform tricks while doing those tricks with a modicum of style and pizzazz.
Those of you not familiar with the half pipe might be familiar with the boardercross. This is where more than one boarder rides down a course that closely resembles a motorcycle motocross track which has a series of obstacles and jumps for the racers to test their skill. Judging this competition is easy considering that all contestants use the same terrain and they will often use the same jumps and the same time which ends up resulting in an accidental collision. Usually the best two riders from each round move on until the final round when the riders then compete for the top spot. If a rider wins the final round, he or she will win the race. These races are about speed, skill, and agility. It is becoming one of the fastest growing events in the snowboarding sport.
What’s interesting to note is that there are over eight ways to race competitively in the snowboard world which is more than most sports that have been around twice as long.