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Aussie Torah Bright won the event at the 2009 Winter X Games and is a strong medal contender. (AAP)
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What is ... snowboarding?
Skateboarding on snow, with a bit of surfing thrown in. There are three events at Vancouver 2010 – halfpipe, parallel giant slalom and snowboard cross.
Where it comes from
Utah claims to be the home of the first snowboard, to the point where in 2007 an image of a snowboarder was one of three finalists in a design competition for the new state quarter coin. Needless to say, it lost, but Utah proudly boasts inventing the sport in the early 1970s. We prefer to credit Dimitrije Milovich, a surfer from the US east coast who used cafeteria trays to slide down mountains before developing his own snowboard design, possibly after being threatened with legal action by cafeteria owners.
Famous exponents
Switzerland's Philipp Schoch won gold in the giant slalom in the 2002 and 2006 Olympics, beating brother Simon in the final in Torino. It will be a schoch if neither is on the podium this time around.
Are Australians any good at it?
Not bad at all. Torah Bright was among four Australian women who competed at Torino 2006 and she finished fifth in the halfpipe event. She won the event at the 2009 Winter X Games and is regarded as a strong medal contender at Vancouver, along with fellow Aussie Holly Crawford. Among the chappies, 18-year-old Nathan Johnstone is ranked No2 in the world in halfpipe, but unfortunately he fractured his ankle just weeks before Vancouver and will not take part. In his place will be 15-year-old Scott James – a youngster that has plenty of promise but more likely to be a major contender at the next Games in 2014. In the snowboard cross, Alex Pullin is ranked No13 and Damon Hayler 14th, so we actually fare quite well for Aussie competitors here.
What happens when things go wrong?
Bits of people tend to break, rupture or pop out of position. Busted limbs, twisted knees and dislocated joints are all part of the fun.
From the rulebook
"Competitors are not allowed to wear anything on the hands besides gloves or to use any kind of devices to additionally support their balance, reduce or accelerate their speed, like poles or sticks etc. Back support may be worn by competitors so long as such equipment does not offer an aerodynamic advantage."
Instant expert
"Wow. That goofy footer really buttered the muffin. And that was a gnarly jambalaya, dude."
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