What is Para Snowboarding?

Para Snowboard is practised worldwide and features three disciplines: snowboard-cross, banked slalom and giant slalom. Athletes combine speed and agility while racing down courses as fast as possible.

Who Can Take Part?

Competition includes male and female athletes with a physical impairment such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy and amputation. Snowboarders use equipment that is adapted to their needs including snowboard and orthopaedic aids.

Classification

Athletes compete in three categories based on their functional ability – SB-LL1 and SB-LL2 for lower-limb impaired athletes and SB-UL for upper-limb impaired athletes.

SPORT CLASS SB-LL1:

Athletes classified in the SB-LL1 sport class will have an significant impairment in one leg, for example an above knee amputation, or a significant combined impairment in two legs, for example significant muscle weakness or spasticity in both legs. This will affect their ability to balance, control the board and absorb the terrain. Athletes with amputations will use prosthesis during the races.

SPORT CLASS SB-LL2:

Snowboarders in the SB-LL2 sport class will have an impairment in one or two legs with less activity limitation. A typical example is a below knee amputation or mild spasticity.

SPORT CLASS SB-UL:

Snowboarders in the SB-UL class have impairments of the upper limbs, which impacts on the ability to balance when racing down the slopes.

World Para Snowboard

World Para Snowboard are a subcommittee of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and are the governing body for para snowboarding.