First Official Appearance
In 1983, the United States hosted the first National Snowboarding Championships, which led to the first World Championships, also in 1983. The ISF (International Snowboarding Federation) was created after the FIS (International Ski Federation) began to accept snowboarding as an official sport, leading to it’s debut in the Olympic Winter Games.
As seen in the video, the halfpipe competition has greatly changed from its current dynamics. The walls and height of the halfpipe are shorter, and the overall radius is smaller. The snowboarder does get as much air, causing the tricks to be less advanced.
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First Olympic Appearance
Snowboarding made is first official Olympic appearance in 1998 in Nagano. Both men and women competed in separate snowboarding competitions, with the giant slalom and halfpipe as the only competitions available to participate in. The Snowboard cross, a long race course filled with large turns, and numerous bumps and jumps, showed up in a later Olympics that took place in Turin, in 2006.
Current Day Halfpipe
A Video of Saun White breaking the Olympic Record Score for Halfpipe