PARA SNOWBOARD
Para snowboard made its debut at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games as part of the Para alpine skiing programme.
about Para snowboard
Para snowboard is practised worldwide by racing down a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard. It features three disciplines: banked slalom, snowboard-cross, and giant slalom.
Competition includes athletes with a physical impairment classified on their functional ability. Snowboarders use equipment that is adapted to their needs including snowboard and orthopaedic aids.
In banked slalom each athlete competes three runs with their best run determining the final order based on increasing time. Only one athlete is on the course at a time. The course may have a medium-pitched slope and is ideally a naturally variable terrain with lots of bumps and dips. There are snowbanks at the gate and the athlete chooses the best path.
Snowboard cross includes a qualification round and head-to-head competition. During qualification, each athlete completes three runs, and the best run determines their final ranking based on increasing time. In head-to-head competitions, there are 16 men and eight women in the finals, with two competitors (or another number set by the jury) in each run. In timed events, athletes compete one at a time.
In giant slalom each athlete makes two runs, and the combined time determines the final ranking. Only one athlete is on the course at a time. The course generally features a medium-pitched slope, but preferably with different pitches. It should be well groomed, and the snow should be compact.
Para snowboard is governed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
Para snowboard History
After much campaigning by Para athletes led by legendary Dutch snowboarder Bibian Mentel-Spee, Para snowboard was included as part of the Para alpine skiing programme at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Two meal events in lower-limb impairment classification for men and women were included in snowboard-cross trial with 45 athletes from 20 countries competing. Mentel-Spee took gold in the women’s event and the USA’s Evan Strong topped the men’s podium.
At PyeongChang 2018, Para snowboard was included in its own right and featured 10 medal events. For men there were events for upper limb and two lower limb classifications, while for women there were event for two lower limb classifications. The USA’s Brenna Huckaby and Mentel-Spee won two gold medals apiece, with the Dutch athlete’s gold success even more remarkable as she was fighting terminal cancer.
The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games featured 75 athletes from 21 countries who competed in eight medal events covering banked slalom and snowboard cross. China completed the sport’s first medal sweep in the men’s snowboard cross SB-UL.
The sport’s most successful female athlete is the USA’s Brenna Huckaby (three gold medals and one bronze medal) and the most decorated male Finland’s Matti Suur-Hamari (two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal).
Did you know ?
Three-time gold medallist Bibian Mentel-Spee of the Netherlands is widely credited as being one of the key pioneers of Para snowboard. She won two gold medals at the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games at age 45.
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Federation contact information
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is the governing body for the Paralympic sport of snowboard.
CONTACT
Bruno Sassi
PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORT RESULTS
Search for all results from Paralympic Games events and selected other international Para sport events.
Para Snowboard FAQs
Contemporary Para snowboard made its debut at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games as part of the Para alpine skiing programme, with two medal events. The hugely successful debut attracted worldwide media interest and thrust snowboard onto the global stage.
In competition Para snowboards have a minimal width requirement according to the gliding surface length: for board up to 135cm the minimum width is 14cm and for boards longer than 135cm the minimum width is 16cm.
The bindings must be fixed diagonally on the long axis of the board and boots cannot overlap each other. Plate Systems that connect both bindings are not allowed in SBX (individual plate systems are allowed on each binding)
Athletes must wear helmets for all snowboard events and the use of gloves and ski goggles is recommended. Competitors are not allowed to wear anything on their hands besides gloves or use any kind of devices to additionally support their balance, reduce or accelerate their speed, like poles or sticks.