Team USA Para Snowboarding

Para snowboarding is a competitive winter sport where athletes with physical impairments race down a designated snowboard course, navigating turns, jumps and other obstacles. Athletes compete in different classifications based on their impairment, ensuring fair competition. The sport showcases speed, agility and technical skill as athletes race against the clock or compete head-to-head in thrilling events.

Para snowboarding made its official debut at the Paralympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. Initially, the sport featured only snowboard cross events for athletes with lower-limb impairments. Over time, the program expanded to include additional classifications and events. The inclusion of Para snowboarding reflected the sport's growing popularity and the push for increased representation of adaptive athletes on the world stage.

Team USA made a strong impact when paralympic snowboarding debuted at the Sochi 2014 Games, securing multiple medals and establishing itself as a powerhouse in the sport. These medals included a sweep of the men’s snowboard cross event and a bronze medal in women’s snowboard cross. Team USA then followed up with 13 medals across multiple events at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

Para snowboarding consists of multiple events that challenge athletes in speed and technique. The primary disciplines include snowboard cross, where athletes race down a course with banked turns, jumps and other features, competing for the fastest time or head-to-head in elimination rounds. Banked slalom is a time-trial event where athletes navigate a zigzag course filled with turns and obstacles, aiming for the fastest time. Events are divided into different classification categories based on the type and degree of an athlete’s impairment to ensure a level playing field.

Follow along the para snowboarders' road to the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Para snowboarders use modified snowboards suited to their individual needs. Many athletes also use specialized prosthetics or orthotic devices that help with balance and mobility on the course. Helmets and other protective gear are mandatory for safety.

Courses in Para snowboarding events are similar to those used in mainstream snowboarding competitions, featuring turns, jumps and obstacles tailored for adaptive athletes. Snowboard cross courses involve multiple competitors racing head-to-head, while banked slalom courses feature a single-athlete time trial format.