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Top shots from Qualies
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A half-moon-shaped chute or ramp used by snowboarders and skiers to provide a takeoff for a jump. Snowboarding’s most-famed contest, the halfpipe, is performed in a half tube of snow.
Athletes “drop in” by entering the upper end of the pipe at high speed from either the left or right side, carrying that speed and flying high as the shape of the opposite wall slingshots them into the air and then back onto the same wall.
The athlete’s routine of five to six runs is judged by a panel of experts on the technical difficulty of the tricks, their execution, and the height and style exhibited while performing them. The athlete with the highest score wins.
What Is Halfpipe?
Half-pipe skiing is the sport of riding snow skis on a half-pipe. Competitors perform a series of tricks while going down the pipe.