SNOWBOARDING

The purely American, radical sport of snowboarding moves to the mainstream when it makes its Olympic debut in Nagano, much to the dismay of many rebel shredders. Boarders will be competing in giant slalom and halfpipe.

People to Watch

Sondra Van Ert, a 32-year-old from Ketchum, Idaho, is living proof that the sport is not just for MTV-watching teeny-boppers. Van Ert is a former ski racer who converted to snowboarding in 1990 and last year won the world giant slalom title.

Maneuvers to Watch

No-Grab: Twisting or arching while soaring upward.

Spin Maneuvers: Spinning 360 or 450 or even 720.

Inverted Air Maneuver: No hands used when board is inverted.

Invert: Handstands and other maneuvers where the head is lower than the board.

Equipment

Halfpipe or Freestyle Snowboard: is wider and shorter than slalom board. Both ends are same width and shaped so boarder can ride backward of forward.

Freestyle Boot: Halfpipe boot is made of soft plastic, nylon and leather for flexibility rather than speed.

Slalom boot has rigid plastic exterior for support and tilt forward for better control and precision when carving turns.

Snowboard Courses

Competitors ride back and forth on a course shaped like a cylinder cut into the snow, performing jumps, twists, spins, and other aerial maneuvers above the halfpipe’s rim. Eight to 10 moves or “hits” are made per run.

Competitors are judged on basic maneuvers, aerial rotation, height, landing and technical merit.

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Half-Pipe: Kanbayashi Snowboard Park, Yamanouchi:

Length: 394 feet

Width: 49 feet

Wall height: 11 feet

Avg. gradient: 18 degrees

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Giant Slalom

Mt. Yakebital, Yamanouch

Start elevation: 6.430 ft.

Length: 3,073 ft.

Vertical drop: 950 feet

No. of gates: 40-50

Finish elevation: 5,479 ft.

Similar to alpine ski slalom, boarders carve turns around gates in a race against the clock.

Snowboarding Schedule

Feb. 8: Men’s giant slalom

Feb. 9: Women’s giant slalom

Feb. 12: Men’s and women’s halfpipe elimination; Men’s and women’s halfpipe final.