It's Halfpiping Hot

By Jennifer Sherowski

The halfpipe competition, with its music and its crowd interaction, could become the beach volleyball of the Winter Olympics. It's a TV-friendly contest, and the U.S. should dominate. The halfpipe is a U-shaped channel carved in the snow in which riders do lip tricks and airs, including rotations, before landing. Amplitude, the height of each trick off the lip of the pipe, is key, as is style.

Every rider on the American team has a shot at the podium. Danny Kass, 19, is a show in himself. He blends natural talent with technical style and a blatant disregard for Olympic trappings like coaching, training and discipline. "I'm just here for the beer and [babes]," Kass said after qualifying for the Games. Still, he may pick up some gold as well: Kass is one of the few riders who has pulled off a 1080, or three revolutions, a move that will be a prerequisite for podium status.

In the women's halfpipe, competitors will have to put together at least a 540 rotation, as well as one or more inverts, if they want a medal. Nagano bronze medalist Shannon Dunn-Downing, 29, has been pushing the envelope with 720s and upside-down maneuvers. But Kelly Clark, 18, is the future of women's snow-boarding. The height and energy of her tricks are unparalleled, and with a clean run she is nearly unbeatable.

Organizers have spiced up the format of snowboarding's other event, giant slalom, to be more fan-friendly. But the sport's true believers sneer at this trick-free speed show--one reason the U.S. team won't be much of a factor. Europeans will dominate, as they do in speed-skiing events.

--By Jennifer Sherowski