In order for the Americans to win a medal in the giant slalom, they must deal with the powerful Europeans and Canadians. Sondra van Ert and Betsy Shaw team up with Lisa Kosglow and Rosey Fletcher to form the American team. France's Karine Ruby, who won six straight events on the World Cup circuit this season, is the favorite to take home the gold. The second event in the snowboarding competition is the freestyle halfpipe event, scheduled for Thursday, February 12, at the Kanbayashi Snowboard Park. The halfpipe competition is a lot like skate boarding on a ramp.
Riders ride back and forth on a course that resembles a pipe that has been cut lengthwise.
The riders are judged by such maneuvers and technical merit. Weather played a definite role in the outcome of the race. Bright sunny skies set the stage for the first run, but the second run, due to poor visibility, had to be stopped after five competitors fell. The race started back up after about fifteen minutes. Canada's Ross Rebagliati won gold, Italy's Thomas Prugger won silver, and Switzerland's Ueli Kestenholz won bronze.