Skip to main content
Mostly Clear icon
54º

What's a goofy stance? And other snowboarding questions you were too scared to ask

Ayumu Hirano during the men's snowboard halfpipe final at the 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park. (Danielle Parhizkaran-Usa Today Sports)

When did snowboarding begin?

The first "snowboard" was the Snurfer, a board made without bindings, created in 1965. The snowboards ridden today weren’t mass produced until the 1970s.

Recommended Videos



SEE MORE: Snowboarding 101: Olympic history

Where did snowboarding begin? What country invented snowboarding?

The early version of the snowboard, the Snurfer, was created in Michigan. Modern snowboarding on a board with bindings was made popular separately by Tom Sims and Jake Burton Carpenter.

SEE MORE: The legacy of Jake Burton, the "father of snowboarding"

When was snowboarding added to the Olympics?

Snowboarding first appeared at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The only events were men's and women's giant slalom and halfpipe. Snowboard cross was added in 2006, while slopestyle was added in 2014 and big air was added in 2018.

How old was Shaun White at his first Olympics? What were his 2014 Olympic results? And what medals does he have?

Shaun White was 19 years old when he competed at his first Olympics, Torino 2006. He placed fourth at the 2014 and 2022 Winter Olympics and has three gold medals from 2006, 2010 and 2018.

SEE MORE: Tracing Shaun White's historic halfpipe progression ahead of final competition

What's a 1080 (and a 1800)?

The numbers in snowboard tricks correlate to the degrees rotated. A 1080 refers to a jump trick where the snowboarder rotates three times. Likewise, a 1440 consists of four full rotations, a 1800 has five rotations, and so on.

SEE MORE: PyeongChang 2018: Gasser dominates for snowboard big air win

What's a goofy stance?

A goofy stance is when a snowboarder rides with their right foot forward. This is the opposite of a regular stance, where a snowboarder rides with their left foot forward. Three-time men’s snowboard slopestyle bronze medalist Mark McMorris is a regular-footed rider, while 2022 gold medalist Max Parrot is goofy footed.

Where can I watch Chloe Kim’s winning run?

Right here! Chloe Kim’s winning run at the 2022 Winter Olympics earned 94 points, and you can watch it below.

SEE MORE: Chloe Kim throws down 94-point run to win halfpipe gold

What’s WHITESPACE by Shaun White?

WHITESPACE is White’s activewear and snowboard equipment brand. The first release was 50 black and white freestyle snowboards hand-signed and numbered by White. The brand, announced in January 2022, hinted at a fall/winter 2022 collection.

What happened to Lindsey Jacobellis in Torino 2006?

Lindsey Jacobellis was in the lead after getting the holeshot in the women’s snowboard cross big final before falling while attempting a grab on one of the last jumps. Switzerland's Tanja Frieden won and Jacobellis took second place.

SEE MORE: Torino 2006: Lindsey Jacobellis takes SBX silver after crash

Who are the Hirano brothers?

Ayumu Hirano and Kaishu Hirano are brothers competing in snowboard halfpipe at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Ayumu Hirano is a two-time Olympic silver medalist from 2014 and 2018. He won the gold medal in 2022 by landing three impressive runs including the triple cork 1440, the most challenging trick to be landed in the halfpipe. His younger brother Kaishu Hirano also competes in snowboard halfpipe and placed ninth in 2022. Kaishu Hirano flew an astonishing 24 feet out of the pipe during one of his runs.

SEE MORE: Ayumu Hirano lands triple cork in all three runs, wins gold

SEE MORE: Kaishu Hirano sets world record in men's halfpipe

SEE MORE: Snowboarding 101: Glossary


Loading...