Snowboarding

Introduction

Snowboarding is a winter sport which is performed on snow-covered slopes on a snowboard attached to the rider’s feet. The sport was originated in 1965 when an engineer from Michigan invented a toy by fastening two skis together and named it "snurfer" (combining snow and surfer) after which it became popular and many snowboards were made in the next few years. The first world championship halfpipe competition was held at California in 1983. Snowboarding is also a part of winter Olympics since 1998 and was first featured in Winter Paralympics in 2014. The international federation of snowboarding (FIS) was founded in 1924.

Objective

To race down the course in the fastest time possible or to win the competition against one’s competitor, it depends upon the discipline in which the snowboarder is competing.

History of Snowboarding

Snowboarding was created in the United States during the 1960s as individuals the nation over started to search out new winter exercises. Throughout the following decade, different companies manufactured boards in a high number, and the game started to pick up global intrigue. Surfers and skateboarders wound up included, and by 1980, snowboarding was an across-the-nation movement.

In the late 1970s, snowboarders began to "invade" conventional ski resorts, however, faced restriction from skiers who attempted to prohibit the snowboarders from "their" mountains. By the 1990s, in any case, practically all ski resorts had acknowledged snowboarding, and the hotels have observed the snowboarders to be a brilliant wellspring of new income.

Organising new competitions was the following logical step. The United States held its first national titles in 1982 and hosted the initial World Championships in 1983. The International Snowboarding Federation (ISF) was shaped seven years after the fact, and the International Ski Federation (FIS) presented snowboarding as a FIS discipline in 1994. This helped prepare for snowboarding's incorporation in the Olympic Winter Games.

Men's and Women's snowboarding made their Olympic introductions at the Nagano Games in 1998 with giant slalom and halfpipe games. These disciplines of snowboarding demonstrated a moment achievement and came back to Salt Lake City four years after that fact with parallel giant slalom and halfpipe competitions. In Turin, the snowboard cross likewise made its introduction.

Events

Alpine Events

Alpine snowboarding uses skills and tricks similar to alpine skiing and include following three disciplines of ski racing:- 

• Slalom- In this event, snowboarders have two runs on two different courses in which they have to combine maximum speed with precise turns.
• Giant Slalom- Like in slalom, giant slalom also consists of two runs in which snowboarders usually start at 60-second intervals. 
• Parallel events- In parallel events, two snowboarders ride side by side simultaneously on two parallel courses. Each race between two riders consists of two runs with each rider going once on each course.

Freestyle Events

Big Air- In this event, the snowboarders perform tricks in the air after launching off a very long jump. The aim of the riders in this event is to attain a sizable height and distance and to secure a clean landing.

• Halfpipe- In this discipline, the snowboarders perform tricks while moving from one side of the pipe to other and in the air above the sides of the pipe. This event is performed by an individual athlete and is judged based on his/her execution and variety of tricks, pipe use, difficulty and amplitude.
• Slopestyle- In this event, the rider boards down on a course having a large number of obstacles in which he/she has to choose his/her own line of the course and is judged on his amplitude, originality and quality of tricks performed.

Snowboard Cross

In this event, four to six snowboarders race down a course against each other. The course (having banked turns and berms) makes it challenging for the riders to stay in control while maintaining maximum speed.

Participants

Men and women compete as individuals or in teams in various disciplines of snowboarding.

Equipment

Snowboarding - Bindings

The device that connects/binds a ski boot to the ski is known as a binding. It fixes the boot at the toe and heel. 

Snowboard

Snowboards are used in snowboarding events which are designed to glide over the snow. 

Snowboarding - Gloves

Gloves act as a protective covering against ice-cold weather and other external forces. 

Snowboarding - Helmet

Skiers wear a helmet with padded chin-strap that covers the head and ears and consist of a hard plastic or resin shell with inner padding to withstand several impacts and gives warmth and extra protection for the head.

Snowboarding - Goggles

Snowboarding goggles are used to protect the eyes of the skier. While snowboarding, these goggles save eyes from wind, snow, and harmful UV rays.

Snowboarding - Boots

Soft and flexible boots are worn during freestyle snowboarding. This boot slows the transmission of body movement to the board. Hard boots with the rigid shell are worn in alpine snowboarding. This boot allows for the immediate transmission of body movement to the board.

Snowboarding - Ski suit

The snowboarders are instructed to wear the suits above the innerwear. The innerwear maintains the flexibility of the body, whereas the race suit saves the body from cold. 

Playing Area

The course for each of the discipline of snowboarding has different measurements:-

Slalom

Slalom courses are around 80-180 m long and include a series of turns. The course is similar to the slalom course of alpine skiing.

Giant slalom

Giant slalom courses are 200-400 m long and at least 30 m wide (10m wide at the finish line). 

Parallel events

Parallel slalom or parallel giant slalom event courses consists of two parallel courses in which one course is set with ret gate poles and flags while the other is set with blue gate poles and flags.

Halfpipe

It is a semi-circular ditch or a ramp made up of snow and is around 8-23 feet deep.

Snowboard cross

The course for this event is quite narrow and includes banked turns, jumps, rollers, drops, berms, steep and flat sections.

Slopestyle

It is a course which includes a variety of obstacles for the snowboarders to pass through which includes rails, jumps, boxes, jibs and other terrain park features

Techniques

Frontside And Backside Techniques

• For aerial tricks, these techniques determine the direction of rotation of the spins performed. Frontside spin means rotating anticlockwise and backside spin means rotating clockwise in the air during a jump.
• For tricks performed on obstacles, frontside and backside shows the direction in which the snowboarder approaches the obstacle.

Switch-Stance And Fakie

Switch refers to a trick performed by a snowboarder while travelling backward or the opposite of his/her natural stance when no trick is being performed. The terms switch and fakie are used interchangeably in snowboarding.

Slides

It is a technique performed along the surface of obstacles like rails and funboxes. Slides can be performed in various ways by a snowboarder. The main types are 50-50, boardslide, lipslide, noseslide, bluntslide, tailslide, etc.

Officials

The Chief Of Course

Responsible for making the course ready for the competition.

The Start Referee

Responsible for the smooth operation of the beginning of the event and determines the late or false start of the snowboarders. He/she must remain at the start until the end of the event.

The Finish Referee

Responsible for controlling the finish-line operations and checks whether a snowboarder has finished the race or not.

Chief Of Finish (For Snowboard Cross Event)

Responsible for the supervision of the finish area and handle protests in the finish area.

Chief Of Slopestyle

Responsible for the preparation of the halfpipe/slopestyle courses.

The Chief Of Timing And Calculations

Responsible for coordinating with the start and finish officials about timing and calculations regarding the competitions.

Gate Judges

Responsible for supervising one or more gates on the course and observe whether the snowboarder has followed the correct passage on the course or not.  

The Chief Steward

Responsible for keeping the spectators out of the course.