A winter Olympic sport in which riders descend snow on a single board, competing in racing, freestyle, and big-mountain disciplines.
Origin and rules
Snowboarding emerged in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, when Sherman Poppen invented the Snurfer for his children. Riders strap both feet to a single board and descend snow, performing tricks or racing through gates.
How it plays
Olympic disciplines include parallel slalom, halfpipe, slopestyle, snowboard cross, and big air. Freestyle events are judged on amplitude, difficulty, and execution. Snowboard cross sends multiple riders down a banked obstacle course at the same time.
Competition
The FIS Snowboard World Cup, the World Championships, the X Games, and the Winter Olympics headline the calendar. The United States, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, and Japan are leading nations. Snowboarding became Olympic at Nagano 1998.
Find more sports by letter
Snowboarding starts with S and ends with G. Browse other sports along the same letter.
Sports that contain a letter from "Snowboarding":