Section 3: Playing Area
3.1 Halfpipe
- Size: Level A competitions (OWG, WSC, WJC, WC, YOG) use a 22 ft / 6.7 m pipe; Level B uses 18 ft and Level C 15 ft (ICR 3102.2.1).
- Length: A 22 ft pipe must have at least 160 m of rideable length, 170 m recommended (ICR 3102.2.1).
- Width: At least 19.0 m from coping to coping on a 22 ft pipe, with 19.0–22.0 m recommended (ICR 3102.2.1).
- Wall height: 6.7 m from the bottom of the pipe to the coping on a 22 ft pipe (ICR 3102.2.1). The standard "22-foot superpipe" refers to this wall height.
- Gradient: At least 17° along the centre line of a 22 ft pipe, with 18° recommended (ICR 3102.2.1).
3.2 Slopestyle Course
- Vertical drop: At least 150 m at Level A, 80 m at Level B and 50 m at Level C, with an average gradient of 10° or steeper (ICR 3102.3.1).
- Width: 30 m slope width (ICR 3102.3.1).
- Features: The course must have at least two different feature types (table top jumps, fun boxes, quarter pipes, waves/jumps, rails and ridges, or others). A Level A course needs at least 3 jumps and 6 judged hits, Level B at least 2 jumps and 4 judged hits, and Level C at least 1 jump and 3 judged hits (ICR 3102.3.3).
- Multiple lines: The course offers a variety of hits, jumps, rails and other features, with two or more lines that competitors may choose between (ICR 3102.3).
3.3 Big Air
- Kicker: At least 2.0 m high, with a take-off angle of at least 25° and a width of at least 5.0 m (ICR 3102.4.1).
- Landing: Take-off to landing of at least 15 m at Level A and B (10 m otherwise), a landing gradient of at least 28°, and a landing at least 20 m wide and 20 m long (ICR 3102.4.1).
- In-run: The drop-in ramp is at least 30 m long, at least 5 m wide and inclined at least 20°. It lets competitors adjust their speed for the jump (ICR 3102.4.1, 3102.4.2).
3.4 Snowboard Cross (SBX)
- Length: 800–1,300 m at Level A, at least 600 m at Level B and at least 450 m at Level C (ICR 5102.1.1).
- Vertical drop: 100–250 m at Level A (ICR 5102.1.1).
- Average course angle: 7°–11° (about 12–20%) at Level A (ICR 5102.1.1).
- Features: Berms, rollers, jumps and other features, in a course that creates overtaking opportunities from start to finish during heats of 4 or 6 competitors (ICR 5102.1.2.1).
- Gates: Each gate is a stubby flex turning pole and a long rigid outside pole joined by a triangular gate flag. Gate flags must be in two different colors (ICR 5203, 5203.1).
3.5 Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS)
- Course: 400–700 m long with 100–200 m of vertical drop and an average angle of 16° (+/- 2°) (ICR 6102.2).
- Gates: About 22–26 gates are recommended, set 20–25 m apart turning pole to turning pole (22–24 m recommended). The two courses are set 9–12 m apart (ICR 6102.2, 6104.3.2, 6104.3.3).
- Course preparation: Course setting, terrain and snow preparation on the two courses are to be as identical as possible, with the same profile and difficulties (ICR 6104.3, 6104.3.1.1).