| COMPETITON |
|
In the professional world of snowboarding, the main focus of all riders is the competition circuit. There is a diverse array of events scattered annually or even special events such as the Olympics every four years. Almost every professional snowboarder participates in a competition of some sort on a yearly basis in order to gain more recognition. But along with recognition comes more and more endorsements, which is a main focus for all amateur snowboarders coming up from their home mountain In all competitions they will feature various events. Slopestyle is an event where a course is setup, which includes rails, boxes and jumps in a downhill run. Halfpipe/Superpipe is the event where riders execute tricks while going through a halfpipe. Snowboard X (or cross) is a downhill race where competitors use speed and technique to go through a jump laced racecourse. Rail Jam events are events in which a complex rail/box combination is setup to see which competitor can execute the most comples and stylish grind combination. Of all of the events the most well known is probably the winter X-Games. The winter X-Games is an event, which has been around for nine years. It is the most widely recognized snowboarding event due to its high publicity. This event is where all top professionals come to compete for the gold medals in three various events. There are Men and Women sections to all three events, which include Slopestyle, Snowboarder X, and Superpipe. The contest has been featured at various ski resorts around the country since the beginning; recently a contract has been signed to host it at Aspen/Snowmass in Colorado for the next four years. The next most popular event would be the US Open of Snowboarding. Much like the X-Games, this is where the best of the best show up. This event focuses more on the rail related aspects of snowboarding. It features a Men's and Women's section for the following events: Slopestyle, Rail Jam, and Halfpipe, and Junior Jam. This event features high paid rewards, and for the overall best competitor a car. The Gold Medal placing competitors receive 20,000 dollars. This event is also hosted in other countries such as the European Open, the Nippon Open in Japan, New Zealand Open and Garnier Fructis Australian Open. Much like the US Open there is also the Vans Cup of Snowboarding. This events host the same events as the US Open; Superpipe, Slopestyle, and Rail Jam. This event also boasts high paying Gold Medal positions. It also the most relaxed of the large events. It isn't filled with the high rotation spins and other aspects, which draw viewers to competitions like the X-Games. These are not all of the events in snowboarding. There are vast numbers of other events hosted throughout the year. Many are not televised, yet are still hosted by large companies and boast the best of the best attendees.
|