With a variety of different disciplines on the Olympic snowboarding program, there also are a variety of different snowboards you’ll see on the slopes of Livigno Snow Park.

Here’s a look at the different types of equipment Olympic snowboarders will be using at Milan Cortina 2026, and how that equipment can vary between participants of different events.

The boards used in freestyle events (halfpipe, slopestyle, big air) are short to allow for tricks, wide to increase balance, and flexible to allow the boarder to ride in either direction. The nose and tail of the board both are curved upward to allow takeoff and landing in both directions. 

Alpine snowboards (as used in parallel giant slalom) are stiff and narrow, making them ideal for maneuvering through gates at high speeds. They generally are longer than a normal snowboard and feature a square back and low nose. 

The boards used in snowboard cross are somewhat of a mix between the freestyle and Alpine snowboards described above, though they usually look more like freestyle boards. Snowboard cross boards are long for carving and stiff for stability.

Boots

Most freestyle snowboarders use soft boots, which allow a large range of motion and offer foot and ankle support. Alpine snowboard boots also provide foot and ankle support but have a hard plastic exterior. 

Boots used in snowboard cross tend to be more of a hybrid — they are stiffer than freestyle boots but not as hard as Alpine boots. Some snowboard cross racers do opt to wear hard racing boots though.

Bindings

Freestyle snowboarders use flexible bindings to attach their feet to their board. In this scenario, the rider is using straps to secure their boots. Alpine snowboard bindings are similar to those used in Alpine skiing — the hard boot firmly is locked to the board. 

In snowboard cross, the type of bindings used depends on the boot. A racer who uses soft boots would use flexible bindings, while a racer with hard boots would use bindings that secure them firmly to the board.

Helmets

All snowboarders are required to wear hard plastic helmets to prevent head injuries.

Goggles

Goggles are worn to improve visibility and protect the rider's eyes from snow, wind and sun. Lenses come in a variety of tints, with different tints being better suited for particular weather and visibility conditions.

Original snowboard designs primarily were “directional,” meaning they were meant to always be pointed downhill in the same direction. As freestyle snowboarding became more popular, riders needed to be able to ride in both forward and switch directions, which led to the development of the symmetrical “twin” boards that now are used in freestyle competitions.

The materials that make up snowboards have changed as well. While original boards were primarily made of wood, modern snowboards now incorporate layers of different materials. Modern boards typically have wood at the core, but are sandwiched by layers of fiberglass, carbon, Kevlar, plastic and other materials. The different layers are held together with epoxy.

Other equipment also has evolved in various ways. For example, bindings have become more comfortable, boots have become more specialized to provide better performance in different events, and goggles — once worn primarily for eye protection — now come with a wide range of lenses to improve visibility in different weather conditions.

Another big change has been in the evolution and adaptation of helmets. When snowboarding debuted at the 1998 Nagano Games, halfpipe riders were not required to wear them. Nowadays, helmets, which have gotten better at absorbing impacts over the years, are mandatory in all events.