Olympic snowboarding is a high-energy winter sport that showcases athleticism, creativity and technical skill on snow-covered terrain. Athletes compete in various disciplines that test speed, agility and aerial acrobatics. Snowboarding events in the Winter Olympics occur on slopes featuring jumps, rails, halfpipes and racecourses that challenge riders' speed and precision.
Snowboarding made its Olympic debut at the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998, reflecting the sport’s growing popularity and influence in winter sports culture. Initially featuring giant slalom and halfpipe events, the program expanded over time to include additional disciplines, such as slopestyle, snowboard cross, big air and parallel slalom.
The U.S. has been a dominant force in Olympic snowboarding since its debut at the Nagano 1998 Games. American athletes have won numerous medals across multiple disciplines, with legends like Shaun White and Chloe Kim setting records in halfpipe. At the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002, Team USA swept the board for men’s halfpipe, with Ross Powers, Danny Kass and Jarret Thomas claiming gold, silver and bronze, respectively. Team USA has also been strong at women’s slopestyle, with Jamie Anderson winning back-to-back golds at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 and the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, while Julia Marino claimed silver at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
Olympic snowboarding events include a mix of freestyle and racing competitions. Freestyle disciplines, such as halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air, emphasize aerial tricks and technical execution. Racing events, including snowboard cross and parallel giant slalom, focus on speed and head-to-head competition.
Follow along the snowboarders' road to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Check out all the events Team USA athletes will be competing in on the road to Milano Cortina 2026.
| name | sport | education | hometown | medals | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JA Jamie Anderson Snowboarding Olympian 2014, 2018, 2022 South Lake Tahoe, CA Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Snowboarding | South Lake Tahoe, CA | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| ||||||
 | Snowboarding | Steamboat Mountain School (Steamboat Springs, Colorado) | Steamboat Springs, CO | ||||||
 Nick Baumgartner Snowboarding Olympian 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 West Iron County High School Iron River, MI Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Snowboarding | West Iron County High School | Iron River, MI | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| |||||
 | Snowboarding | University of Idaho 12’ | Mount Shasta, CA | ||||||
 Jonathan Cheever Snowboarding Olympian 2018 Malden Catholic High School (Malden, Mass.) University of Massachusetts Lowell Saugus, MA | Snowboarding | Malden Catholic High School (Malden, Mass.) University of Massachusetts Lowell | Saugus, MA | ||||||
 Kelly Clark Snowboarding Olympian 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 Mount Snow Academy (Mt. Snow, Vt.) Mammoth Lakes, CA Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Snowboarding | Mount Snow Academy (Mt. Snow, Vt.) | Mammoth Lakes, CA | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| |||||
 | Snowboarding | Arvada, CO | |||||||
 | Snowboarding |
| Mammoth Lakes, CA | ||||||
 | Snowboarding | Stratton Mountain School '06 | |||||||
 Alex Deibold Snowboarding Olympian 2014 Westminster College Boulder, CO Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Snowboarding | Westminster College | Boulder, CO | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| |||||
Snowboards vary in shape and size depending on the discipline. Freestyle boards are shorter and more maneuverable, while race boards are longer and optimized for speed and control.
Snowboarding events in the Winter Olympics take place on courses designed for specific disciplines. Halfpipes are large U-shaped structures, while slopestyle courses feature jumps and rails. Race events occur on downhill courses with gates or obstacles.
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