Racing downhill or pulling off giant tricks while on a flat narrow board may seem scary to you. But it's a way of life for a few skilled snowboarders heading to the Olympics. Snowboarding has been an Olympic event since 1998.

The Rules of the Game
In this year's Games, snowboarders from all over the world will come to Turin and compete in three events: halfpipe, parallel giant slalom and cross. In the halfpipe event, competitors soar in the air and perform death-defying tricks on a U-shaped course dug deep into a hill. Their goal is to perform these moves with perfect form in front of their judges. In the parallel giant slalom event, snowboarders race against each other on side-by-side tracks speeding towards victory or defeat. During snowboard cross, riders must tackle a course crammed with jumps, bumps and gigantic turns as they battle to reach the finish line first.

By Alex Keen