| In the second half of the1990s, snowboarding was officially recognized as a sport. In all types of slalom, a sportsman, who is first is declared a winner. Competitions are held on mountain slopes with a certain height drop and track width, but they differ from each other as in the case of other traditional mountain-skiing types.
The track of the usual slalom and Giant slalom differ slightly – the track is usually short but twisting. And the track in Giant slalom can reach up to 1000m, but has less control gates. The difference is that short distances demand more technical skills and for long distances, it is necessary to control high speeds.
All slalom competitions are divided into two stages, the first is qualifying and the second stage is called the "final". And in both cases, the sportsman is given one attempt each although there are nuances for a parallel slalom. In this case, the sportsman can try twice – for skating on the right as well as the left tracks. The final result of the sportsmen who entered the final, is calculated on the basis of the time taken for these two attempts.
As far as parallel slalom is concerned, here the finalists are selected on the basis of an elimination system and in case of a tie, an additional round is allocated. If the sportsman, for example, makes a false start and he does not stop after the false start signal or even worse, disturbs his contender, then he is disqualified.
As far as a snowboard cross is concerned, it is a free descent on a 2000 m track in length and width of no less than 30m, in which 4 to 6 persons participate simultaneously. Sportsmen overcome various obstacles and make jumps and turns that are also precisely divided into two stages – qualifying and the final. The sportsman can be disqualified for technical errors or intended hindrances to rivals.
Before mastering snowboarding, it is necessary to select the correct snowboard, which suits your physical parameters, riding styles, and which you prefer, according to your experience. Considering physical parameters, it is necessary to give the main attention to your body weight as each model has its weight range. A longer snowboard is required for a much heavier boarder. The next thing that needs attention is height. The length of a snowboard should correspond to the clearance from the ground to nose tip of the boarder. Foot size occupies last place in selecting the snowboard. Snowboard boots usually match the size of the footwear. After selecting a snowboard, it is necessary to carefully watch that the edges of the boots that they should not project by not more than 1.5 cm beyond the board edges.
How well the snowboard behaves depends not on the size but on the contact length, the part, which actually cuts the snow. The length should be 100-120 cm if the weight of the rider is 50-70 kg and if the weight is more than 70 kg, then the length should be 115-130 cm. Short length snowboards are better for a beginner and it is easier to learn freestyle on it.
Snowboard hardness:
If the rider is skilled, then he would be more aggressive and heavier, hence the snowboard should be much harder. Hardness is not the only criteria for the board, but also how it bends and at which angle. It is ideal, when the bending curve is similar to the curve of the lateral profile. Also important is the derivative due to board hardness, it can be recoil or acceleration, obtained by he rider from the snowboard, when he makes a turn. If there is no recoiling, then the board turns out to be inactive and it is simply uninteresting for a skilled rider to use such a board.
Width of snowboard:
The width of the board should be equal to the boot size. In that case, if the boot of the snowboarder projects beyond the edge of board by more than 2 cm, then the heels and socks will cling onto the snow. And if the boot width is less than the board width, it will be hard to control the board and the legs will get tired tilting the board constantly. The snowboard deck, whose waist of 25cm is suitable for a boot size of 42cm and if the foot size is more 43cm, then it is necessary to select a snowboard deck with a 25-28 cm waist.
Snowboard weight:
The snowboard weight depends on the features and geometric design of the snowboard. It is much better, if the snowboard is made of materials with a high specific strength, for instance, the material can be carbon-filled plastic. In this case, the snowboard's cost, certainly, will increase. For every 100 - 200 grams of weight, you may have to pay no less than 100 dollars in a shop.
The golden rule of snowboarders – do not save on clothes. Clothing should be comfortable and manufactured by only skilled and reputed firms. The requirements for clothes are: water-repellent membranous fabric; glued joints; unbuckled ventilation on the lateral surfaces of the trousers and a special valve below (for avoiding snow penetration); jacket – with a special skirt and unbuttoned ventilation below the armpits (and sometimes on the back); extended gloves also made from a membranous fabric. |
