Winter Olympic Games - snowboarding. History of snowboarding What is snowboarding in sports

Snowboarding can rightfully be considered one of the most popular and dynamically developing. Literally from English snowboarding translates as snow board. Today it is difficult to find a person who has never heard of him.

Snowboarding is one of the most spectacular sports

Snowboarding is becoming a favorite winter pastime for those who love active recreation. This is drive, adrenaline and a sea of ​​positive emotions for active people. However, this is only for winter lovers active rest possible only in winter time. Experienced extreme sports enthusiasts and athletes consider it possible to use this type of sports equipment in any season. This can be regular snow or artificial snow cover. In addition, some types of snowboarding involve riding on railings or other special figures. Thus, it is more correct to say that snowboarding is movement in space using a snowboard.

Modern trends in snowboarding

In total, there are several main areas: high-speed sports disciplines, freestyle, freeride, jibbing.

Sports disciplines

Among the sports disciplines, slalom and snowboard cross should be highlighted.

• Slalom is a downhill race mountain track, which includes ascents, descents, and sections of the route of different widths.

Depending on the length of the route and turns, the following are distinguished:

• traditional slalom (the course is the shortest, but at the same time false, winding, with steep turns, on which riders must demonstrate all their riding technique and skill);
• - the route is longer (up to 1 km), but less winding and difficult;
• super giant is the fastest of the tracks, where riders accelerate to 100 km/h.
• snowboard cross is a downhill race along a long (up to 2 km) and wide (up to 30 m) track, on which up to 6 athletes compete simultaneously. The track has turns. On it, athletes must show not only speed. They must correctly overcome various obstacles, perform jumps and turns.

Freestyle

The current direction in snowboarding can be considered acrobatic. On the descent, the athlete demonstrates: these are various jumps, rotations, somersaults, etc. Here everything is done, rather, not on the speed of passing, but on the skill and level of complexity of performing a particular technique.

In freestyle, the following subspecies are distinguished:

1. Halfpipe - skiing downhill in the form of a deep channel of hard snow. Outwardly, it resembles a longitudinally cut pipe. The height of the edges of the gutter is from 3 to 4 m, the length is 100 m, the angle of inclination is 15–20 degrees. The rider rides from one edge of the chute to the other, flies out along the radius, while performing different kinds tricks, and lands from the second edge of the chute. It looks very similar to skateboarding or roller skating on a ramp.
2. Big air is an accelerating jump from a springboard. Marks at competitions are given for the complexity of the jump, amplitude, and clarity of the tricks. The cleanliness and clarity of the landing is also taken into account.
3. Slopestyle - skiing on a route with parallel figures.

Freeride

This direction involves skiing on undeveloped mountain slopes and peaks, on virgin snow. This is the most risky and extreme view snowboarding. Skiing on undeveloped slopes requires unprecedented skill, precise calculation and, of course, courage. Competitions in this type are also held, but not all athletes are invited here. Here the route chosen by the rider, descent technique, confidence on the route, falls or lack thereof, etc. are assessed.

Jibbing

This type involves riding in snowboarding parks using special figures. These can be slats, railings or any other shapes.

History of the origin and development of snowboarding

For the first time, riding a board, somewhat similar to a snowboard, was mentioned at the beginning of the 19th century. D. Berchet made the first board from an ordinary piece of plywood back in 1929. However, the official history of snowboarding began only a little more than half a century ago. The founder is considered to be surfer S. Poppen. It was he who came up with a new activity. He connected both skis together, and tied a rope in front to control them and hold the skier. Poppen called his sports equipment “snurf” and in 1965 received an author’s certificate for it. He soon transferred the patent to a company that was engaged in the manufacture of sporting goods and equipment. At the end of the current decade, there was already a well-established production of snurfs and even the first competitions were held.

In the early 70s, a board more similar to the modern one appeared. The improvement was carried out by T. Sims, D. Burton, C. Barfoot. They created a high heel counter and a rounded back at the board. The edging was changed to metal.

By the end of the 70s, the popularity of this sport began to increase, many companies producing snowboarding boards appeared, and they began to be advertised on television. However, popularization did not occur as easily as expected. At that time there were no special tracks for snowboarding, but ski slopes riders were simply not allowed. According to one version, it was then that one of the branches in the direction of snowboarding was born - freeride, since athletes had to ride not on a well-equipped mountain slope, but on virgin soil.

The situation changed by the mid-80s. On some ski slopes, due to the increasing demand for this sport, riders began not only to be allowed on the slopes, but also to conduct special courses for those who want to learn how to ride a board. The first printed snowboarding guides appeared. The first championships in Europe also began to be held, and in the late 80s the World Cup was held.

Over the next decade, snowboarding as a sport developed very dynamically, and new riding styles began to appear. The number of people wishing to go down the mountain slope on a board grew every year. If before this the main winter fun There was skiing, which was preferred, as a rule, only by select and older people, but by the end of the 90s it began to be slowly replaced by more youthful and democratic snowboarding. By the end of the 90s, snowboarding received Olympic status. For the first time in 1999, snowboarding competitions took place at the Winter Olympics in Nagano. Not all of the previously listed snowboarding disciplines were included in their program. Initially, in 1999, the program included four areas: women's and men's halfpipe and parallel giant slalom. A little later, snowboard cross competitions for men and women were also included.

From that time to the present day, snowboarding has been constantly and dynamically developing. In just over half a century it has become the most popular look sports in winter. Today, snowboarding is chosen by almost a quarter of the world's inhabitants, with every sixth of them aged between 7 and 11 years.

Why do many people prefer this sport?

Snowboarding is one of the most exciting and driving sports. On the one hand, the descent itself is breathtaking, on the other hand, from the beauty of the surrounding nature, because snowboarding trails are always located in very picturesque places. Those who once tried it very rarely leave this activity. After all, it takes very little time for you to start descending on the board. A few sessions and you're already down the slope. In addition, a significant role is played by the wide selection and availability of equipment, the presence of different styles of skating, the opportunity to improve indefinitely, participation in various kinds of competitions and much more. This is a great way to exercise, because this sport requires the use of almost every muscle in your body.

Snowboarding is a great way to relax both body and soul. The audience is not important here, the most important thing here is the understanding that you did it, you were able to do it.

Story

The invention of the snowboard dates back to the early 1960s. Sherman Poppen from the city Muskegon*, Michigan, invented and manufactured for his daughter in 1965 a modern version of a snowboard, called a snurfer (snurfer is a word made up of two others - snow (“snow”) and surf — “surf”). He glued two skis into one. In its design, the snurfer was very close to a skateboard, only without wheels. The snurfer did not have fastenings, and in order to stay on the board, the rider had to hold on to a rope tied to the nose. The instructions for use also recommended using non-slip shoes for skating. Already in 1966, the production of the snurfer began as a children's toy.

Over the following years, the popularity of this sport grew. People like Dimitri Milovich, Jake Burton (founder of Burton Snowboards), Tom Sim (founder of Sims Snowboards) and Mike Olson (founder of Mervin Manufacturing) made major contributions to the improvement of equipment. A surfer from the east coast of the United States, Dimitri Mikhailovich, founded the Winterstick snowboard company in 1972, which within 3 years was mentioned in Newsweek magazine. Winterstick boards inherit design principles from surfing and skiing.

In 1979, the first ever World Snurfing Championship was held near Grand Rapid, Michigan. Jake Burton also took part in these competitions and improved the snurfer by adding leg mounts. This improvement caused protest from other participants, since its projectile was different from the original one. However, Paul Graves, the best spinning player of that time, together with other athletes, persuaded the organizers to allow him to compete. As a result, a separate competition was created, in which Burton won, being the only participant. This championship is now considered to be the first snowboarding competition in history as an independent discipline.

In 1982, the first US national slalom competition was held in Saida X (near Woodstock, Vermont). In 1983, the first World Halfpipe Championship was held in Soda Springs, California. It was organized by Tom Sims and Mike Chantry, a local snowboard instructor.

The growing popularity of snowboarding led to its official recognition as a winter sport: in 1985, the first World Cup was held at the Austrian ski resort of Zurs. A year earlier, for development general rules competitions and the organization of their holding, the International Snowboard Association (ISA) was created. In the mid-1990s, the IOC recognized the International Ski Federation (FIS) as the official governing body of snowboarding. That's why everyone is big international competitions snowboarding since the mid-1990s began to be held under the auspices and according to the rules of the International Federation skiing.

Currently, snowboarding as a sport has firmly gained its place. All types of top-level competitions are held in snowboarding: Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cup, X-Games, US Open and others. These competitions are broadcast on television all over the world. Many ski resorts create special snowboard parks - structures made of snow for stunt snowboarding (and skiing).

At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, snowboarding became an official Olympic event. Frenchwoman Karine Ruby was the first to win gold Olympic medal in women's snowboarding, and Canadian Ross Rebagliati was the first to win an Olympic gold medal for men's snowboarding.

There has been animosity between skiers and snowboarders for years. For several years, snowboarders had to pass a skills test before they were allowed on the lift. It was believed that an unskilled snowboarder would wipe the snow off the mountain. In 1985, only seven percent of ski areas in the United States and Europe allowed snowboarding. As equipment and skills improved, snowboarding became increasingly popular. In 1990, most major ski areas already had separate slopes for snowboarders. Currently, approximately 97% of all ski areas in North America and Europe allow snowboarding, and more than half have ski jumps. In 2004, the number of snowboarders was 6.6 million (25% of whom were women). In the 2009-2010 season, there were 8.2 million snowboarders in the United States and Canada. Compared to the previous season, the increase was 10%, representing more than 30% of all winter sports participants.

Sports disciplines

Officially recognized disciplines

There are the following sports disciplines of snowboarding, in which competitions are held: high level(Olympic Games, World Championships, Snowboard World Cup):

Unrecognized disciplines

On this moment Competitions in jibbing and snowboarding in specially equipped parks have also become widespread, but the discipline is not yet included either in the FIS list or in the list of recognized sports of the Russian Federation and, as a result, does not have uniform rules and evaluation criteria.

Snowboard destinations

Hard snowboard

Safety and precautions

Like many others winter views sport, snowboarding is associated with health risks.

Two thirds of injuries occur top part body and a third on the lower, which distinguishes snowboarding from alpine skiing, where two thirds of injuries occur in bottom part bodies. The most commonly injured part of the body is the wrists - approximately 40% of all snowboarding injuries are to the wrists and 24% of all snowboarding injuries are wrist fractures. Every year, approximately 100,000 wrist fractures occur among snowboarders worldwide. Therefore, the use of wrist guards (either built into the gloves or separately) is highly recommended. Most often, they are mandatory in groups for beginners and their use reduces wrist injuries by half. It is also very important for snowboarders to learn how to fall correctly, without using straight arms to stop the fall (pushing off the slope), since a wrist bent at 90 degrees increases the likelihood of a fracture. Another way to prevent wrist injury is to exercise it.

Unlike ski bindings, almost all snowboard bindings are designed to not come loose if dropped. Fixed foot position reduces the number of injuries, for example, the percentage of knee injuries on a snowboard is 15%, as opposed to 45% on skis. Ligament injuries are typical for the knee; fractures are rare. Tibia fractures are also rare, accounting for about 20% of foot and ankle injuries. Fracture of the talus is less common than in other sports and accounts for approximately 2% of snowboarding injuries. To protect the knees, special protection is used, which can also be combined with shin protection (which protects the shin, for example, when falling on a sharp corner of a table while skating). [ ]

Video

The complexity and specificity of snowboarding is reflected in the difficulties of making quality films about it. There are specialized film companies working in this direction:

• Absinthe Films
• Brain Farm
• Isseven
• Mack Dawg Productions
• Pirate Movie Production
• StereoTactic (Russia)

Films about snowboarding

see also

Notes

1. History of snowboarding (Russian). Federation of Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding of Russia. Retrieved August 21, 2014.

Snowboarding is a great sport for people of all ages. But there is one “but”. Snowboarding - quite dangerous sport. Therefore, to engage in this activity, you need excellent health, the absence of traumatic brain injuries, joint problems and recent fractures. The cardiovascular system should also be in order.
If everything is in order with your health, then snowboarding is an excellent opportunity to relax, recharge your batteries, train your muscles, and also develop a sense of balance and coordination.
There are several types of snowboards. which in turn have subvarieties: slalom, jibbing, big air and halfpipe.

Slalom

Slalom is a high-speed type of snowboarding. The athlete reaches speeds on the slope of up to 100 km/h. There are several varieties: parallel slalom, super giant, giant slalom. Slalom in snowboarding is similar to skiing. You need the ability to overcome the required number of milestones that are placed along the route in a minimum of time.
The athlete’s equipment must be appropriate: streamlined overalls, protective guards on the arms and legs, hard boots.

Jibbing

Today the most fashionable direction of snowboarding. Jibbing is riding on artificial structures made of pipes. They are called rails. The athlete slides along them, performing various tricks, and all this at a decent speed. For jibbing you don't need to have
specially built devices are at hand, quite a variety of city buildings: benches, railings, stairs. Due to the simplicity of the conditions and entertainment, this type of snowboarding is very popular among young people.

Big air

This type of competition requires a springboard specially made for this type of snowboard and a landing area. The athlete's jump should be impressive and least dangerous. Big Air is a technical freestyle category.

Halfpipe

This is a competition of snowboarders in a special half-pipe made of dense snow. The height of the highpipe is 3 m and the length is 80. It is built on steep slopes. The athlete accelerates from one wall, flies along a radius, performs a trick, fits into the same radius, drives back and performs the next trick on the opposite side. All tricks are based on different rotations and somersaults in different directions. The highpipe is also a technical freestyle.

When an athlete's skill reaches a certain level, there is a desire to show that you are the best in any discipline. Different types snowboarding is clear proof of this.

Story

The first modern resemblance to a snowboard was a snurfer (snurfer is a word made up of two others - snow (“snow”) and surf — “surf”), invented and made by Sherman Poppen for his daughter in 1965 in Muskegon, Michigan. He glued two skis into one. Already in next year The production of the snurfer was started as a children's toy. In design, it was very close to a skateboard deck, only without wheels. The snurfer did not have fastenings, and in order to stay on the projectile, the skater had to hold on to a rope tied to the nose; In addition, the instructions recommended using non-slip shoes for skating. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, the sport grew in popularity, with a number of prominent enthusiasts such as Dimitri Milovich, Jake Burton (founder of Burton Snowboards), Tom Sims (founder of Sims Snowboards) and Mike Olson (founder of Mervin). Manufacturing) made a great contribution to the improvement of equipment, which determined modern look snowboard.

Dimitri Milovich, a surfer from the East Coast of the United States, inspired by riding down a mountain on a coffee tray, founded the Winterstick snowboard company in 1972, which within 3 years received a mention in Newsweek magazine. Winterstick boards inherit design principles from surf and ski boards. In the spring of 1976, two skateboarders from Wales, John Roberts and Pete Matthews, made a plywood board with bindings for skating. ski slope With artificial turf at his school camp in Ogmore-by-Sea, Wales, UK. However, further development was hampered by the fact that Matthews was seriously injured while skiing and access to the slope was closed. The projectile invented by John and Pete was much shorter than modern snowboards; the sliding part of the board was rounded on all sides, which impaired its maneuverability.

In 1979, the first ever World Snurfing Championship was held near Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jake Burton also took part in these competitions and improved the snurf by adding leg mounts. Many protested against Jake's participation due to the fact that his equipment was different from the original, but Paul Graves, the best of the snurfers of the time, along with other riders, asked for permission to perform. As a result, a separate competition was created, in which Burton won, being the only participant. This championship is now considered to be the first snowboarding competition in history as an independent discipline.

In 1982, the first US national slalom competition was held in Suicide Six (near Woodstock, Vermont).

In 1983, the first World Halfpipe Championship was held in Soda Springs, California. It was organized by Tom Sims and Mike Chantry, a local snowboard instructor.

The growing popularity of snowboarding led to its official recognition as a sport: in 1985, the first World Cup was held at the Austrian ski resort of Zurs. A year earlier, the International Snowboard Association (ISA) was created to develop general rules for competitions and organize their conduct. Modern top-level snowboarding competitions such as the Olympic Games, X-Games, US Open and others are broadcast on television around the world; many ski resorts create parks - special snow structures for trick snowboarding (and skiing). Snowboarding has developed even in countries where there is almost no snowfall, such as Australia.

The first snowboards did not have good handling, which led to their use being banned in many ski resorts of the time. For this reason long years There was mutual hostility between skiers and snowboarders. By 1985, only 7% of resorts in the United States allowed snowboarders on their slopes, about the same in Europe. Along with the improvement of equipment and skating techniques, this figure increased. By 1990, most major resorts had a separate snowboarding slope. Today, approximately 97% of resorts North America and Europe allow snowboarding, and about half of them build parks and half-pipes.

The highest number of snowboarders - about 6.6 million - was recorded in 2004. By 2008, this number had dropped to 5.1 million due to low snow winters and the so-called “return of skis,” a process particularly characteristic of Europe. Average age snowboarders from 18 to 24 years old; women make up about 25% of the total.

Snowboarding equipment

Types of boards

A modern snowboard is a high-tech product, a fusion of technologies and based on modern composite materials, and therefore lightweight and durable. Typically, the internal structure of a snowboard is " sandwich", that is, a multilayer structure made of carbon fiber, fiberglass and wood, or the so-called. " cap"(It is possible to find a hybrid structure). Sliding surface made mainly of polyethylene with special additives to reduce friction. The top of the snowboard has a protective coating and pattern. There are three main (not counting intermediate and exotic) types of snowboards:

• Hard (Alpine). Directional, long and narrow boards with an unpronounced nose and tail. Can only be used with rigid bindings and rigid boots. Designed for both sports disciplines (parallel slalom, parallel giant slalom, snowboardcross) and carving. This type of board is characterized by maximum speeds, clear reactions and demands on skills and physical training. Slalom boards are shorter and have a smaller radius, carving (extreme carving) boards have a larger length and radius and specific torsional rigidity.
• Freeride. Directional boards for riding in virgin soil. As a rule, they have a considerable length, a wide nose and lugs shifted towards the tail. Boards of this type are used with both soft and hard setups. A striking representative of this type of boards are swallow tails. swallow-tail, Russian dovetail) - long boards with a wide nose and tail, divided into two parts like the tail of a swallow. These boards are characterized by an increased sliding area, maximum effective edge length and the ability to “float” in the snow.
• Soft: The most common type of boards. There are many varieties of this type, designed for the disciplines of freestyle, jibbing and universal (All-Mountain) for the backcountry. As a rule, boards of these types are short in length, have weak directionality or have no directionality (Twin-tip), and low rigidity. Jibbing boards are made without edges. Freestyle boards can be intended for its individual varieties: big air, halfpipe, snowboard park, etc.

For a beginner snowboarder, a softer snowboard is suitable. It more easily forgives mistakes when riding - with a “soft” board it is easier to learn to ride. However, upon reaching a certain level, you can “fall asleep” on such a board, and then, willy-nilly, you will want higher speeds and steep turns.

Boots

There are two main types of snowboarding boots: hard and soft. Hard boots are a construction of an outer plastic boot and a soft inner part (that is, almost a complete analogue ski boots), and soft boots are distinguished by the fact that the outer boot has insignificant rigidity.

Fastenings

The leg mounts are installed on special threaded recesses called “ mortgages" The number of such recesses can be from 2 or more per mount, which provides the necessary adjustment for a specific riding style and for convenience. There are two main types of bindings, which differ in the way the boot is secured and the mechanics.

• Soft bindings, consisting of a platform attached to the snowboard and special straps with latches; any soft boots are suitable for this type of binding.
• Rigid fastenings. Available with automatic latch ( step-in) and conventional rigid mounts. Only special hard plastic boots are suitable for rigid bindings.

Rack

It is generally accepted to divide athletes into “regulars”. regular- regular), putting forward left leg, and "goofy" (eng. goofy- stupid), placing the right hand forward, as in skateboarding. This terminology, however, does not mean that one stance is correct and the other is not, or even that there are generally more “regulars” than “goofies.” Each athlete finds a stance that suits him best over time; some do not consider themselves to be either one or the other and constantly change stances.

The stance is determined by the angle of rotation of the bindings relative to the length of the snowboard. A right angle relative to the length of the board is taken to be zero degrees. Positive angles are those at which the toe is turned in the direction of movement; if the toe is turned in the opposite direction, the angle is considered negative. The front leg is usually not placed at a negative angle, as this causes the rider to move backwards. Hind leg can be placed at either a positive or negative angle, depending on the athlete’s goal. The snowboarder chooses the angles of rotation of the bindings in accordance with the task and based on personal preferences.

• Front pillar suitable in most cases, the front leg is turned at an angle of approximately 15° to 21°, and the rear leg is turned at an angle of 0° to 10°. This stance is usually recommended by instructors; The stability of such a stance is also noted in some martial arts. On the other hand, the athlete’s balance is significantly different when riding in a stance opposite to the main one. This can be compensated for by learning to ride backwards in this stance, or by choosing a different stance, such as a flat or straight stance.
• Straight The stance is popular among riders who want a stiff stance for forward and reverse riding. Both legs are placed across the board, that is, the angles are set to approximately 0°. On narrow boards (or if the athlete has big feet) this can lead to boot toes that protrude far beyond the edge of the board and cling to the snow during a sharp turn on the front edge.
• Duck stand (English) Duck stance) is useful for tricks because it completely eliminates forward movement, since the legs are turned in different directions. In general, the legs in this stance are not necessarily turned to the same angle. The back leg simply needs to be turned out at an angle less than zero. Thus, the rider can change direction at any time. This change of stance during movement is called a feint (sometimes “interception”). fakie, switch- feint, switch).
• Mountain stand, also sometimes alpine(tracing paper from English) alpine- alpine, alpine) the front leg is turned at an angle of up to 90°, the back leg is usually slightly less. Used by athletes and on hard equipment.

It should be remembered that the given angles are not standardized in any way, and the rider himself, over time, selects the angles for each of the possible stances.

Video

The complexity and specificity of snowboarding is reflected in the difficulties of making quality films about it. There are specialized film companies working in this direction:

• Absinthe Films
• Brain Farm
• Isseven
• Mack Dawg Productions
• Pirate Movie Production
• StereoTactic (Russia)

Notes

see also

Links

• FGSSR - Federation of Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding of Russia (official website)
• OnBoard - Information portal

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what "Snowboard" is in other dictionaries:

Snowboard - get a valid ridestep promotional code on Akademika or buy a profitable snowboard at a discount on sale at ridestep

Snowboard- sliding along a natural snowy slope on a special board (winter olympic event sports). Snowboarding includes the following disciplines: parallel slalom, giant slalom, super-giant, halfpipe (half-pipe), boardercross (snowboard cross)... Official terminology

Lovers active species sports speak with admiration about snowboarding. Translated from in English this word means snow board. A snowboard is a special board for riding on mountain slopes. This sport can be done both professional athlete, and for a beginner.

This sport is still quite young. The first mention of it in history dates back to 1939. The idea belongs to Vern Wicklun. He invented a sports equipment called the “Bunker”, the basis of which was an oak board with two pads for the legs. They were held in place by straps. Control was carried out by a rope tied in front of it. Vern built several of these sports equipment. The inventor himself and his friends, in their free time from work, rode on the mountain slopes on these “bunkers”. But the matter did not reach mass production of the first snowboard model.

In the sixties, Sherman Popen returned to this idea. This American, at home, built a projectile that resembled a snowboard for his daughter when he saw that she was going down the hill on a sled while standing.

The structure consisted of two interconnected skis and a rubber mat. This projectile could be controlled with a rope tied in front. It was called "Snerf". Other children were interested in this invention, so Sherman patented it and began mass production of Snerfs. The shell that went on sale cost $15.

New changes in the design of snowboards and their modernization were carried out in 1976 by Dmitry Milovich. He founded the Winterstick company, which began producing new models of sports equipment. Now it is a small enterprise producing handmade boards.

Due to the not very good handling of the first models, many ski resorts at that time banned their use. But manufacturers began to invent improved equipment. Skiing techniques have improved, which has contributed to the widespread popularity of snowboarding.

The first world championship among professionals was held in 1988; among juniors it took place in 1997 in Corno alle Scale (Italy). It acquired the status of an Olympic winter sport in 1998.

Disciplines in snowboarding

Snowboarding is divided into two groups, which differ from each other. The first includes freestyle disciplines, which involves performing acrobatic tricks on a board, and the second includes racing. Each of them is characterized by certain specifics.

Some disciplines are officially recognized. They are included in the programs of many competitions. Others are just beginning to develop. As such, there is no evaluation criterion for them yet.

Recognized disciplines

These include disciplines participating in high-level sports competitions, in particular the Olympics:

1. Parallel slalom was included in the list of Olympic games, but in 2015, in accordance with the decision of the executive committee, it was excluded. The task of two athletes participating in a race is to overcome parallel tracks. Victory goes to the one who covers the distance first.
2. Parallel giant slalom - covering a course marked with gates in the shortest period of time.
3. Snowboard cross - overcoming a wide, gentle slope with various obstacles installed.
4. Halfpipe - an athlete performs various tricks on a board at the moment when he flies out of the halfpipe (more precisely, from its vertical part).
5. Slopestyle - covering a track while simultaneously performing tricks on equipment installed along the slope.
6. Big air - with long long jump an acrobatic trick is performed.

Unrecognized disciplines

Jibbing is becoming very popular. But this discipline is not on the FIS list. It is not a recognized sport registered on the list Russian Federation, therefore, there are no uniform rules and evaluation criteria for jibbing riders.

Competitions

Snowboarding included in the program sports competitions top level:

• Winter Olympics;
• World Championship;
• World Cup;
• US Open;
• X-Games.

Thanks to television, broadcasts of competitions are watched anywhere in the world.

What is a snowboard directionand what types are there?

Types of snowboard destinations:

1. Freestyle is practically an acrobatic direction. While riding, the athlete is required to perform tricks: spins, jumps, somersaults and other elements. Here the degree of complexity and skill of the techniques performed are graded. Passing speed is not taken into account. Freestyle elements are used in snowboard cross, big air, halfpipe, jibbing, and slopestyle.
2. Hard snowboard (carving). The main requirement is to pass the route with maximum speed. Hard snowboarding techniques are used for snowboard cross, parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom.
3. Freeride as a direction involves the conquest of undeveloped mountain peaks and slopes, virgin snow. It is considered the most extreme and dangerous. To ride on undeveloped terrain, you need precise calculation, unprecedented skill, and courage. Not every athlete can participate in freeride competitions. This requires special training. Judges evaluate the route chosen by the rider, confidence in passing the route, descent technique, presence or absence of falls and other technical data. Its main subtypes are: full ride, all mountain - conquering unprepared slopes and tracks and performing tricks, backcountry - walking up to a wild peak and descending. Also heliboarding - ascent and descent using a helicopter, snowcatskiing - a direction where a snowcat is used as a means of moving to the top and to the foot of the mountain. Heli-skiing is skiing on hard-to-reach slopes covered with virgin snow. The most dangerous looking skating is extreme, when an athlete skates at exorbitant speeds in places where conditions allow and where they do not.
4. Jibbing is a direction where any slippery surfaces are used for skating, just not snow: railings, slats and other figures. This variety and freestyle have the same equipment. To prevent the edges of the sports board from catching when sliding, they are ground down.
5. An adaptive snowboard is its modified form, where technical standards, rules, and equipment are adapted to the category of persons with disabilities. physical capabilities. This allows them to restore their health and physical strength at the recreational level, also participate in competitions. For the first time, its representatives participated in the Winter Paralympics in 2014.

Snowboarding equipment

A snowboarder's equipment set consists of the following items:

1. Boards (snowboards) are of a multilayer structure, the lower part of which is framed by a metal edging.
2. Special shoes to ensure a stable position of the feet and prevent injuries.
3. Mounts to match your shoes.
4. Helmet. It must be worn to protect the head from possible injuries.
5. Gloves to protect the athlete’s hands from exposure to low temperatures and possible injuries.
6. Masks. It should protect your eyes from ultraviolet rays, but prevent visibility from deteriorating.
7. Multifunctional clothing. To do this, use thermal underwear and waterproof overalls.
8. Cover to protect the projectile during transportation.

Snowboard performance

Selecting sports equipment is an important step for a snowboarder. Its parameters are also important.

Lenght and width

The size of the board depends on the height of the rider and its purpose:

1. Universal (carving) - minus 15 cm from height. To independently determine a suitable snowboard, you need to place it near you. It is optimal if the top of the equipment reaches the chin, but not above the nose.
2. For freeride training - minus 10 cm.
3. For freestyle training - minus 8-10 cm.

Attention! If the weight is insignificant, another 5 cm is subtracted from the resulting figure. If the body weight exceeds the norm, 5 cm is added.

On the sites famous brands sports equipment Tables are provided to determine this parameter. In the form of a sticker, it can be attached to the inventory itself.

Important! You need to be especially careful when choosing a children's board. For training young riders, as well as for beginners, a mini-board is offered, the characteristics of which meet certain requirements.

There are several types of snowboards regarding their width:

The width of the board must be selected according to the size of the foot. For size 44 you need to choose a medium or wide snowboard.

If the width is chosen correctly, the athlete is able to control the edges of the projectile and prevent unwanted skidding, protecting part of the tail and nose.

Weight

Considering the design and fastening model, the weight of the board is 4-6 kg. It is enhanced by metal fasteners. A rigid board also weighs more.

Designs and materials

Manufacturers offer two main types of designs and their combination:

Snowboard deflection

Sports equipment is manufactured with the following types of deflections:

• weight (classical) - raised middle part;
• “Rocker” - arched with raised ends and a middle part touching the surface;
• zero - with an absolutely flat central part and raised ends;
• with combined deflection.

The combination of curves makes it easier for the rider to control the board at high speed.

Edges

For safety during sharp turns, the projectile is provided with narrow metal strips (edges).

As a rule, a straight edge is used. A long element is installed around the perimeter of the entire board. In its shortened form, it is absent in the front and back. This type is used in freeride.

A special offer from the Mervin brand Magne Traction is a wavy stripe that protects the snowboard.

Geometry

Depending on the position of the steel mounting holes, snowboards are:

• directional - with offset mortgages;
• twin type - with a symmetrical arrangement of holes;
• directional twin-type - with a slight displacement of the inserts and a difference in the stiffness index in the tail and nose.

Popular brands

Flow is one of the world leaders in the production of professional snowboards. Every year its employees develop and modernize new projects, they are tested and new model ranges are replenished.

The Burton brand, which is the founder of snowboarding, has gone through different stages of its activity throughout its existence, but the result has been worldwide popularity. Burton Process is a popular model this season. Its high cost is fully justified on mountain trails.

The Austrian brand Head is one of the recognized leaders producing premium Sports Equipment for winter sports.

People who are interested in snowboarding talk about it as an exciting sport. To confidently stand on equipment, you need special training. It will help prevent the appearance of pain, fatigue, and injuries, and the skating itself will only bring pleasure.