Sherman Poppen originally invented the first snowboard as a toy for his daughter. Today,
snowboarding is now considered a serious world-class sport. If you’re just getting accustomed to this particular activity, you may be wondering what formats are available when it comes to how you can use your snowboard. Below, the snow sports experts at ASO Mammoth, your go-to shop for high-quality Mammoth snowboard rental, gear, and safety tips, go over the three main formats in snowboarding.
1. Freestyle Snowboarding
With freestyle snowboarding, you’re going beyond the perfectly groomed areas at resorts like Mammoth Mountain and trying out more undefined spots. Freestyle format is ideal if you want to work on tricks and other moves.
Ideally, you’ll start with the trails that are actually well prepared if you’re a newer snowboarder. Doing so keeps you safe as you improve your skills and learn to do tricks or moves that wouldn’t be possible in areas where there’s not as much room. Plus, freestyle areas tend to have plenty of space, which is good if you want to do your own thing or be more adventurous with your snowboarding.
2. Halfpipe Snowboarding
With halfpipe, an environment called a piste is where you’ll be when you test the fresh powder. A piste is a specific area consisting of nearly 1,300 meters of fresh snow. It’s usually a sloped landscape to make things a bit easier and enjoyable and is often used for competitions. When this is the case, an assortment of paths are created. The paths are drawn out and include a variety of twists and turns and other challenges for participants. The degree of difficulty is indicated by various colors, with green usually being the easiest and black being the most challenging. You can always start with the easiest path and work your way toward the more difficult ones if you’re just moving on to freestyle from traditional snowboarding areas.
3. Slopestyle Snowboarding
Slopestyle is a format of snowboarding done on artificially created surfaces with freshly groomed snow. There are obstacles placed throughout the terrain used for competitions on a regular basis. The main idea is to be the snowboarder who gets to the bottom of the slope first. You can also do this type of snowboarding for your own enjoyment.
In the Olympics, the two main formats are freestyle and racing. There are also various formats used for resort-style snowboarding. In fact, if you opt for staying at a resort, it’s often possible to take lessons so you can experiment with various formats for snowboarding to get a feel for what’s right for you.
Keep in mind some formats, including the three mentioned here, are generally used for competitions. This doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t compete if you’re not all that experienced with snowboarding. Many competitions have multiple categories to make it easier for snowboarders of all skill levels to compete.
If you need advice on different snowboarding formats, drop by and chat with the experts at ASO Mammoth on your way to the slopes. We have great tips for beginning and veteran snowboarders alike, and we can hook you up with all the gear you need for an amazing mountain adventure. Whether you want to check out the latest equipment or you’re looking for high-quality snowboard rental in Mammoth, you can rely on us for great service and expert advice. Come by and see us or give us a call at 760-965-3444.