A clear day that isn’t too cold with blue sky and sunshine. These would be perfect conditions for Lesley McKenna and Melanie Leando, Britain’s top two snowboarders in the half-pipe event. We spoke to both of them about what's got them hooked on half-pipes!

Unlike freeriding or skiing, the piste needs to be highly groomed for the half-pipe event. The ‘pipe’ is a cylindrical piste carved out of the snow, which boarders use to jump, spin and perform their tricks on. A big fall of new snow would hamper their ability to do that. "What we need is no fresh snow for a week to 10 days," says Melanie. "It’s easier for the pipe to be prepared." This is very different from the requirements of skiers and freeriding boarders, who would prefer a fresh dusting of powder snow each day, preferably overnight.

There are similarities between the sports though, both skiing and snowboarding can be dangerous. Freeriders and skiers risk getting caught up in avalanches if they go off piste. And in the half-pipe, boarders could suffer impact injuries from crashing into each other, or the pipe.

Another potentially lethal hazard is sheet ice on the pipe, which is why Lesley and Melanie both prefer ‘warmer’, spring-like conditions. "If the pipe is icy, you don’t push yourself," Melanie says. "You wait until the snow is softer." Good visibility is also absolutely essential for executing jumps and spins cleanly, so cloudy, snowy or misty days are avoided.

But these perils have not diminished snowboarding’s popularity. Coming from Aviemore in Scotland, Lesley has noticed that the numbers of boarders are increasing all the time: "There are more men than women, but the girls side of the sport is growing very quickly." She adds: "It’s a very sociable sport. You can take it at your own pace and you can do it in a group."

For Lesley and Melanie, the sport’s appeal is its potential for creativity. Before getting into boarding, Lesley was a top class skier, winning the British Ski Championships in 1994. She took up snowboarding as a hobby and stuck with it: "It was something new and fresh which gave me scope for freedom of expression."

Melanie’s background is quite different from Lesley’s. Coming from Jersey, she had competed in show-jumping until the age of 16. Her first snowboarding experience, aged 17, was in Meribel, France. But her reasons for pursuing the sport are similar to Lesley’s: "You can make up runs, tricks and you are free to express yourself."

Related links:
Snowboarding
Salt Lake 2002: Winter Olympics
About Lesley McKenna
Melanie and Lesley's Olympic bid
World Skiing Report
Ski Club of Great Britain
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