Winter Olympic Sports

Snowboarding

History

Gold Medal There are a few countries that claim to have invented the snowboard. Some say it began in Eastern Europe over 150 years ago, and others say it was invented in America about 115 years ago. The most widely accepted place of creation is in America.

Gold Medal Many people have said that they invented the snowboard, but the first person to patent the first snowboard was Vern Wicklun in 1917. When he was 13 years old, he made a snowboard out of wood around his house. He called it the “Bunker” and made it out of solid white oak, and in 1939 he patented it. At the time, it did not sell very well.

Gold Medal In 1965, Sherman Poppen redesigned the “Bunker” and made the “Snurfer.” It was made of maple wood and had a string attached to the front to help with steering and balance. He patented his board in 1966, and he sold millions of them.

Gold Medal The modern snowboard was invented in the late 1970s by Jake Burton Carpenter, who coined the term “snowboard.” Carpenter made his boards out of laminate maple wood, but today, they are made with a combination of fiberglass, wood, steel, and plastic.

Gold Medal By the 1980s, snowboarding had taken off as a fun sport, but skiers were getting upset at the ski resorts where these snowboarders were riding. They claimed that snowboarders were putting skiers in danger with the way they rode down the slopes, and snowboarding was rude, didn’t follow the rules, and didn’t fit the style of the resorts.

Gold Medal In the 1990s, snowboarding was widely accepted, and athletes used a snow halfpipe to perform aerial tricks and jumps.

Equipment Used

Silver Medal Snowboard, boots, helmet, binding (it holds the boot to the snowboard), and goggles.

Rules

Bronze Medal Each event has its own rules. See below.

11 events in this category

Men and Women’s Slopestyle: In this event, snowboarders go down the track over ramps, on the edges of raised platforms, rails, and hills, to perform jumps, flips, and other tricks and will be judged and scored based on their skills. Snowboarders have two runs to get their best time, and the snowboarder with the highest score will advance to the final. In the last event, snowboarders will have three runs, and the athlete with the top score wins. The course is about 488 m (1,600 ft) long. (Added to the Sochi (Russia) Winter Olympics in 2014)

(2022 Beijing gold medal winner (New Zealand) Zoi Sadowski-Synnott)
Men and Women’s Parallel Giant Slalom: Two snowboarders race against the clock (not each other) down a track while also going through poles or “gates,” but on this course, the poles or “gates” are more spread out. Snowboarders must make their way around each “gate,” alternating around each one. They can reach speeds of 70 kph (43 mph). There are two lanes, one red and one blue, and each athlete will have two runs, one on each course. The athlete’s scores from each run are combined, and the snowboarders with the fastest scores will advance to the final round. During the last run, the athlete with the highest score or the two snowboarders racing can choose which lane to race on. The racer with the fastest time wins. (Added to the Nagano (Japan) Winter Olympics in 1998)

(2010 Vancouver gold medal winner (Netherlands) Nicolien Sauerbreij)
Women and Men’s Snowboard Cross: In this event, athletes race against each other (6 snowboarders at a time) down the track and must go over large hills and tight turns. The top two snowboarders who cross the finish line first will advance to the next round. The final round will be when only four athletes are left, and whoever is the fastest wins. Snowboarders can reach speeds of about 97 kph (60 mph) and will race a length of about 1.2 km (.80 mi). (Added to the Turin (Italy) Winter Olympics in 2006)

(2006 Turin gold medal winner (Switzerland) Tanja Frieden )
Women and Men’s Halfpipe: In this event, athletes snowboard down a halfpipe structure (U-shaped walls) to propel themselves into the air to perform tricks. Snowboarders score points on their run’s skill, difficulty, and style. Each athlete will have two runs to get their best time and advance to the next round. During the final match, athletes will get to snowboard three times with their best score counting. The snowboarder with the highest score wins. The track is about 183 m (600 ft) long, with an average jump height of 3.3-6.7 m (11-22 ft). (Added to the Nagano (Japan) Winter Olympics in 1998)

(2018 PyeongChang gold medal winner (USA) Shaun White)
Women and Men’s Big Air: In this event, snowboarders go down a steep hill and launch themselves off a ramp to perform flips, twists, and jumps. Each snowboarder only gets to jump one time to get their best score. Athletes have two runs to get their best score to advance to the final. Snowboarders will have three runs down the hill during their last run to get their best score, combining their top two scores. The athlete with the highest score wins. Athletes can reach heights of 47 m (155 ft) above the ground after leaving the ramp. (Added to the Pyeongchang (South Korea) Winter Olympics in 2018)

(2018 PyeongChang gold medal winner (Canada) Sebastien Toutant)
Mixed Team Snowboard Cross: In this event, teams are made of 1 man and one woman. The men race first, and then the women race next. They must race against each other down the track and must go over large hills and tight turns. The top two snowboarding teams who cross the finish line with the fastest combined score will advance to the next round. The final round will be when only four teams are left, and whoever has the quickest combined score wins. Snowboarders can reach speeds of about 97 kph (60 mph) and will race a length of about 1.2 km (.80 mi). (Added to the Beijing (China) Winter Olympics in 2022)

(2022 Beijing gold medal winners (USA )Lindsey Jacobellis & Nick Baumgartner)