HALFPIPE

Halfpipe is the most noted of snowboarding disciplines with a long track record of U.S. Olympic success. Halfpipe events are conducted in a giant pipe built at resorts with manmade snow and carved with specialized equipment to create up to a 22-foot deep pipe. Halfpipe riders perform a series of jumps, tricks and maneuvers that are judged for their degree of difficulty and execution. In typical competitions, riders in the finals of an event take two runs with their best run scored.

Halfpipe has been an Olympic event since snowboarding's debut in 1998. The USA won two medals in 1998, four in 2002 including a sweep of men's and gold in women’s, and four in 2006.