Snowboarding / Topic 03

Slalom, giant slalom and gate passage

FIS · 2026 / 2027
Last checked: 23 October 2026
Source: FIS ICR Book VI June 2026; Snowboard competition equipment specifications 2026/2027 · Source pages: ICR: 155, 213–214, 216–217
In short

In alpine snowboard races, the whole board must cross the gate line outside the turning pole, with at least the front foot fixed in its binding. A knocked-down or missing pole does not remove the obligation: the original marked gate line still counts.

On this pageThe ruleIn practice

The rule

In alpine snowboard races, the whole board must cross the gate line outside the turning pole, with at least the front foot fixed in its binding. A knocked-down or missing pole does not remove the obligation: the original marked gate line still counts.

In practice

A missed gate must be corrected before continuing through later gates; otherwise the rider must leave the course. Single-format slalom and giant slalom use separate runs whose times determine the result. Do not transfer this correction rule to snowboard cross, where climbing back after a missed gate is forbidden.

Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. References: ICR = sporting competition rules; Equipment = technical equipment specifications. Numbers refer to PDF viewer pages. Topic numbers are editorial. Snowboarding includes timed gate races, snowboard cross and judged park-and-pipe events. Slalom and giant slalom reward fast, correct runs; parallel events add direct duels. Snowboard cross combines terrain features with racing in groups. Halfpipe, slopestyle, big air and street style use judging rather than simply the fastest time.
Sources & approach ↗