Snowboard racing

Snowboard racing is a form of snowboarding where competitors attempt to obtain the fastest time down a course. Snowboard racing can be done against the clock, or by two or more competitors racing in a head-to-head format.

The current Olympic snowboarding racing events are parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom and snowboard cross.

World tour events in snowboard racing are hosted by the FIS (Federation International De Ski). The FIS currently organises both a world cup tour and a world championship for each of the Olympic snowboard racing events (parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom and snowboard cross). The International Snowboard Federation was the former governing body.

The struggling International Snowboard Federation does not currently host a world tour in any snowboard racing format, but it is possible that it may host a tour for banked slalom in coming years.

The major racing events are as follows:

(PGS): The parallel giant slalom event includes two evenly spaced courses (10–15 meters apart) with vertical distances of 20–27 meters between turning gates, allowing speeds up to 70 km/h. Once qualifications are complete, racers are placed in a head to head knockout format, starting with 16 athletes and moving to a final race for 1st and 2nd. uses a much longer course with gates set further apart (spaced 20–27 meters apart), resulting in even higher speeds, while racing against an opponent on a similar course place parallel to the other course. Parallel giant slalom is an Olympic event, and the FIS organises a world tour and world cup for this event.

(GS): The original Olympic discipline for snowboard racing was giant slalom, but it featured in only one Winter Olympics (Nagano 1998). It uses a much longer course than slalom, with gates set further apart (spaced 25–32 meters apart), resulting in even higher speeds. This event is still staged at Continental Cup and Regional level, but the last giant slalom world cup was held in 2000 at Mt. Ste Anne, Quebec, Canada, with Jasey-Jay Anderson (CAN) and Karine Ruby (FRA)] winning.

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