Goodwill Games

Events/Disciplines: Halfpipe, Snowboard Cross, Super G

Venue: Whiteface Mountain
Trails:
   Halfpipe - Bear
   Super G - Skyward to Grand Canyon
   Snowboard Cross - Parkway

Competition Schedule: Halfpipe:
   Women - Thursday, February 17 - 1:00 pm
   Men - Friday, February 18 - 1:00 pm

Super G:
   Saturday, February 19 - 10:00 am

Snowboard Cross:
   Sunday, February 20 - 10:00 am

Number of Athletes: 24 men/24 women in each discipline

Competition Format:
Halfpipe:
   2 runs each athlete, winner is determined by
   highest cumulative score

Snowboard Cross:
   6 athletes per heat, top 3 advance to next round,
   total of 3 rounds

Super G:
   1 run, winners are determined by the fastest time

Brief Description: The Snowboarding competition at the Goodwill Games featured men and women competing in the Super G, Halfpipe and Snowboard Cross. The event, with a strong boost from USSA, which started the initiative - was added to the Olympics in Nagano in 1998 (giant slalom and halfpipe competitions). Snowboarding has two basic categories - alpine (racing - slalom, parallel SL, giant slalom, super G) and freestyle (halfpipe and snowboard cross, or SBX).

Halfpipe - Halfpipe, with athletes twisting and flipping above the sides of the 'pipe, is virtually the calling card for snowboarding. It's the most creative part of the sport as riders "drop in" and compete in a machinemade, trough-like 'pipe, which has a slight grade to it so riders can maintain forward movement to their run. Judges at the foot of the 'pipe award points based on the tricks performed during each run as rider goes from one side of the 'pipe to the other.

Super G - Like its alpine skiing equivalent, super G is a one-run, high-speed race. To get started, riders (with no poles from propulsion) rock back and push off from a start post which is driven into the snow.

Snowboard Cross (SBX) - Up to six riders compete over a downhill course that blends banked turns, jumps, rollers and waves. It can make for spectacular crashes and exciting runs. Half the field progresses to the next round.