What is it?
Six riders battling it out over a course with jumps, bends, dips and twists. The winner is the first person down the mountain. Simple. The start is a bit like the 100m in athletics, although in this case rather than blocks the boarders all have start posts which they lever themselves out of.
Rules
It is a non-contact sport. If a rider is found guilty of impeding or 'taking out' another competitor they are disqualified. There is no re-run of the race, though, and the results stand. Events normally have the format of a series of heats with the fastest competitors progressing to the final.
History
The most basic forms of boardercross date back to 1965 when Shermann Poppen invented the sport by strapping two skis together. He soon made a second board so his two daughters could race each other down the mountain. Boardercross is part of the full FIS World Cup tour but is not yet an Olympic sport.
Random fact
Riders try and avoid getting 'big air', ie, going high off the jumps and kickers on the course as this slows them down.
The lowdown
- Riders wear helmets plus arm and chest pads to protect them.
- Body weight is very important as heavier riders go faster down the hill.
- Snowboards are much stiffer than those used for freestyle as these give much more pace on the flat.
- Courses are often tight and narrow so there are often big crashes. The key is to get out in front early and avoid any trouble further back.
The one to beat
Austrian Doresia Krings is one of the best riders in women's boardercross. She is a former world junior champion and finished first in the World Cup boardercross standings in 2001/02.
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