History
Snowboarding became a Winter Olympic sport in 1998, amid considerable controversy. It was accepted by the International Olympic Committee as a skiing discipline, under the governance of the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS).
That angered most snowboarders, who operated their own governing body, the International Snowboarding Federation (ISF). But the chance of competing in the Olympics overcame the anger, in most cases. Terje Håkonson of Norway, the world's best half-pipe skiboarder, did boycott the games, but he was the only top competitor who did.
There was further controversy when Ross Rebagliati, the sport's first gold medallist, tested positive for marijuana. The IOC announced that he would be stripped of his medal, but that decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, primarily because marijuana is not considered a performance-enhancing drug.
There are two very different types of competition in Olympic snowboarding. In the half-pipe, competitors are judged on tricks and maneuvers they perform in a channel about 110 meters long. The giant slalom, like the skiing event, is a race down a slope through gates.
In 1998, giant slalom competitors came down the slope one by one and medals awarded on the basis of the fastest times. In 2002, the event became the parallel giant slalom, in which two competitors race one another, with the winner advancing to the next round of the tournament.