The 2022 Winter Olympics are coming up. While we loved watching the surfing debut in the Summer Olympics, the wintertime is shifting gears to snowboarding. Surfing and snowboarding go hand in hand so here at the San Diego Surf School, we are getting excited to watch the US team shred on the slopes. And while these two sports are similar in some ways, in many other ways, they are totally different. The kinds of events that take place in snowboarding are super different from the way that surf competitions are held. Most of us are used to waves instead of snow. So there may be some confusion as to what to watch and look out for this winter Olympics. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a simple breakdown of the different snowboarding events so you can plan on which ones you want to look out for.
There are five different types of snowboarding events at the Olympics. Different athletes usually compete in the different events that they specialize in.
Parallel Giant Slalom
The parallel giant slalom is an event that takes place in both snowboarding and skiing. It is a race between athletes. They have to turn between poles going down a hill and the fastest time wins. This event will begin on Monday, February 7th, at 6:40 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Snowboard Cross
The snowboard cross is another race that takes place on a snow track down a slop. The Women’s heat will take place on February 8th at 7:00 PM and the Men’s heat will be on February 9th at 7:15 PM Pacific Standard Time.
**Snowboard Cross mixed team
This is the first time this event will take place. The snowboard cross is a team race down slopes. While snowboarding is usually a solo sport, for the first time in the Olympics, the snowboard cross mixed team makes snowboarding a team sport as well. This event will only happen for one day on February 12th.
Halfpipe
The Halfpipe is one of the more popular snowboarding events in the Olympics. Popular Olympians like Shaun White and Chole Kim compete in this event. It is similar to the skateboarding halfpipe where athletes ride on a halfpipe and perform tricks. The Women’s halfpipe will start on Tuesday, February 8th at 5:30 PM and the Men’s will begin on Tuesday, February 8th at 8:30 PM.
Slopestyle
This event is done in both skiing and snowboarding. Athletes compete down a slope that has obstacles. It is scored by the tricks the athletes perform, the height of jumps, and originality and style. Women’s slopestyle will begin Friday, February 4 at 6:45 PM and the Men’s event will begin Saturday, February 5th at 8:30 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Big Air
In this event athletes snowboard down a steep hill and perform aerial tricks after launching off of large jumps. The Women’s event will begin Sunday, February 13th at 5:30 and the Men’s big air competition will begin Sunday, February 13th at 9:30 Pacific Standard Time.