Snowboarding Betting Rules Demystified: A Step-by-Step Guide

In 1965, the precursor to the modern snowboard was invented by Sherman Poppen with the creation of the Snurfer. This toy became incredibly popular, and in 1968, Poppen organised the first surfing competition.

The 1970s saw the birth of the first modern snowboard company, Winterstick, and the start of the legendary rivalry between Jake Burton and Tom Sims. These two competitors engaged in a bitter war that pushed the progression of equipment, tricks, and competition formats, with Sims organising the first world championship halfpipe competition in 1983.

By the mid-'90s, snowboarding had become the fastest-growing winter sport in the world and debuted in the Winter Olympics in 1998, where it has remained a staple ever since.

Even though the opportunities for betting on snowboarding are currently limited to significant events like the X Games, World Championships, and the Olympic Games, the sport's popularity suggests that more betting opportunities may become available.

Here are some of the rules for Olympic snowboarding events:

Parallel Giant Slalom

• Two athletes race down a hill in parallel while slaloming.
• Elevation difference: 120-200 meters.
• Length: 400-700 meters.
• Minimum of 18 gates.
• Distance between courses: 20-27 meters.
• Slope degree: 16 degrees.
• Width: At least 40 meters.

Half Pipe

• Judges score athletes based on height, rotations, techniques, and the difficulty of tricks performed in a U-shaped course.
• Scores range from 0 to 100 points.
• Rankings are determined by the highest score after two runs.
• Half pipe specs: Slope of about 17.5 degrees, length of 170 meters, height of 6.7 meters, and width of the semi-circle between 19-22 meters.

Snowboard Cross

• Grouped snowboarding event with four to six athletes racing down a course with jumps, spine transfers, rollers, and banks.
• The winner is the first to finish the 1,050-meter course with a 12-degree downward slope.
• Slope width: 40 meters.
• Track width: 6-16 meters.
• Races can have up to 36 athletes, with the top finishers moving on to the next round.

Slope Style

• Athletes choose obstacles like rails, tables, boxes, walls, and jump pads.
• Judges score based on height, rotations, techniques, and difficulty.
• Minimum elevation: 150 meters.
• Slope slant: 12 degrees or more.
• Minimum width: 30 meters.
• Minimum of six obstacles and three or more jumping pads.

These are the fundamental rules for popular snowboarding events in the Olympics, which may also serve as betting opportunities for enthusiasts.

Sports betting can be a profitable strategy, but capitalising on low odds requires a significant bankroll. To increase your chances of finding value bets, it's essential to do your research, watch the qualification events, and stay up to date with the latest news on injuries and current forms. This is true for all sports betting, not just snowboarding.

Useful resources

• International Ski Federation (FIS): The official website of FIS, which includes a calendar of official tournaments, snowboard news, recent results, rankings of athletes in various disciplines, statistics, and video recordings of tournaments. You can find it at fis-ski.com.
• World Snowboard Federation (WSF): A separate resource of the International Snowboard Federation, providing news, ratings, and statistics of national teams and individual snowboarders, as well as links to the websites of national federations. You can access it at worldsnowboardfederation.org.
• Ultimate Snowboarding Guide: A comprehensive resource for snowboarding gear, snowboarding fitness, and snowboarding travel. It offers valuable information for beginners and experienced snowboarders. You can find it at ultimatesnowboardingguide.com.
• The Ski Gathering: This resource provides a beginner's guide to snowboarding, offering advice on booking lessons, snowboard hire, and lift passes. Visit their website at theskigathering.com.
• NSAA Skiing & Snowboarding Tips: The National Ski Areas Association offers tips for beginners, including information on renting ski or snowboarding equipment at resorts. You can find these tips at nsaa.org.
• Born to be Adventurous: This resource provides various snowboarding tips, including gear recommendations, how-to guides, and information on snowboarding destinations. Visit their website at borntobeadventurous.com.

• Advancing to the Next Round: Place a wager on an athlete to progress beyond a qualifying round or advance to a subsequent playoff stage.
• Tournament Victory: In contexts like the World Cup, place your stake in the triumph of a team or individual within a specific stage or for the entirety of the championship.
• Full-Time Meeting Outcome: Among two competing snowboarders, elect to bet on the one projected to secure a superior ranking upon the tournament's conclusion.

Each snowboarding discipline has unique characteristics, and it is essential to consider the statistics pertaining only to the specific discipline in question, even if an athlete participates in multiple categories.

Snowboarding disciplines can be broadly categorised into judged events and speed events. In speed events, an athlete's physical endurance is paramount. In contrast, judged events emphasise technique, requiring scrutiny of each athlete’s technical skills.

Athletes perform separately during the qualification in parallel and giant slalom tournaments. The top 16 athletes, based on their time, proceed to the next stage, where they are paired off and compete on different tracks simultaneously. The athlete with the best result in two attempts advances to the next stage. When betting on an athlete's advancement to a particular stage, consider the calibre of their opponent.

In snowboard cross events, where 4 or 6 competitors race on the same track, pay particular attention to their overtaking technique. As the competition progresses, 3 or 2 athletes compete in each stage, allowing some relaxation for the favourites as securing first place in the race is not mandatory.

Slopestyle employs a rating system for trick execution skills. Place your bets on more technical athletes, but remember that even the slightest error can result in injury or disqualification. The same applies to halfpipe competitions, where judges assess the complexity of the athletes’ stunts.

Big Air, a newer discipline to be featured in the Olympics 2018, is relatively unpredictable and poses a challenge for forecasting. Betting on Big Air is complicated by its propensity for unexpected outcomes.

It is also vital to consider the course and each athlete's performance history. Snowboarders often perform better in home tournaments. Take into account the weather conditions as well; heavy snowfall can significantly impede athletes' ability to showcase their skills fully.