Snowboard competition modalities

Are you adventurous? Do you like snowboard? Would you like to follow the official competitions of this snow sport? And practice them? For this, you first have to know the disciplines and their scoring system. To regulate these issues, in Spain we have an equivalent to the ISF (International Snowboard Federation), the Royal Spanish Winter Sports Federation, which provides some modification.

The Spanish ISF manages the organization of snowboard competitions and regulates the scoring system, which is the same as the international one. But in Spain we go a little further and add two disciplines in which we have our own national ranking: Big Jump and Freeride.





The competitions that have a world ranking are:

• Duel

Direct combat for victory in a 1 on 1 duel, a race against the clock in which the two opponents will slide parallel to each other through a circuit of between 20 and 35 doors.

The track on which this test is carried out has a slope of between 80 and 150 meters, and is as uniform as possible so that the two identical routes can be marked. To form the doors, sticks with ball joints and triangular flags are placed at the base, separated between 7 and 12 meters.

There are 2 qualifying rounds and a final round that is measured by the K.O. system. Women compete ahead of men and, as established by the international system, the first classified in the World Ranking lead the event. In the first round of the classification, the even numbers start on the right side of the track, if we look at the route from the start to the finish line, and the odd numbers start on the left.

• Carving

It is the fastest snowboard competition, and winning a few seconds is essential for the competitors. The competition takes place on a track with a slope of between 150 and 300 meters, where wide turns and the occasional jump will be carried out. The slope of the track will be the one that determines the number of doors that are going to be placed. These gates are made up of a short pole with a ball joint and a normal slalom pole, which are joined by a large triangular flag.

The competition system is 2 rounds: 1 qualifying round and 1 final round. To the final round the first 12 women and the first 24 men enter. The final score will be the sum of the times of the two races.

As in the previous case, carving changed its name, which was initially "giant slalom", to differentiate itself from ski and other snow sports.

• Halfpipe

Style in which you compete to do the most pirouets in the air, perform the highest jump or demonstrate the best style. This modality, coming from skateboarding, takes place on a flat track between 50 and 110 meters long, and a width of between 12 and 18 meters. On the sides of the track, vertical walls between 2 and 3.5 meters high, which the athletes will have to reach from one side to the other to execute their maneuvers and demonstrate their skill.

According to ISF rules, 2 rounds are held for women and another 2 rounds for men and, from these 4 rounds, the 8 best women and the 16 best men will advance to the final. Finally, the sum of the judges' scores will determine the winner, evaluating speed, amplitude, balance and precision in landing.

• Snowboard Cross

The most recent discipline of snowboarding. 4 runners compete, both alpine and freestyle, which They slide along a track full of very varied obstacles. Double and triple jumps, turns, bumps or plateaus are just some of the elements that guarantee a spectacle for everyone.

The competition begins with a qualification round where riders go down individually. From here, everyone's times will be taken, and the best will compete in groups of 4 by 4, in a final round governed by the K.O. system.





In Spain, in addition to the previous snowboarding disciplines, we have our own ranking in two others:

• Big Jump: this modality is very successful among runners and its development consists of jumping from a trampoline between 2.5 and 4 meters high. The jumps achieved through this platform can exceed 20 meters in length and 4 meters in height. This modality is quite a spectacle that increases even more if possible if the event is held on the night.

• Freeride Events: participating in one of these races through the National Federation, you are automatically registered in the ISF. The maximum participation for these races is 40 runners. These races are promotional and take place on terrain outside the ski slopes, where natural obstacles are taken advantage of. as elements of competition. The security measures in this modality are maximum. The scoring in this case is also the responsibility of the judges.

Live all the excitement of snowboarding, now that you know all the details about these competitions, follow them live, on TV or even participate in them. But if you opt for the latter, remember train to practice snowboarding well to avoid injuries . Discover a new passion with snow competitions.