With only a few days until the Winter Olympics kick off, here is a quick primer of the snowboarding events and a list of snowboard events, dates and times. Here in the UK coverage is comprehensive on BBC Two TV, Radio 5 Live and Interactive TV. Most, if not all, events are streamed on the 'net also.

UPDATE: It is sadly now all over, here are the olympic snowboard event results.

Two snowboarding events were introduced to the Winter Olympic Games in 1998 at Nagano, Japan; giant slalom and halfpipe. There are now six snowboard events on the programme; men’s halfpipe, ladies’ halfpipe, men’s parallel giant slalom and ladies’ parallel giant slalom, men’s snowboard cross and ladies’ snowboard cross.

The Half-pipe event is judged on performing difficult acrobatic tricks with perfect form in the semi-circular half-pipe. Riders have two runs during which their spins, flips, grabs and twists are judged by a five strong judging panel, each able to award up to 10 points. The best score of the two runs is taken and 12 men and 12 women qualify for finals.

The Alpine event, parallel giant slalom, sees timed races for qualifying which results in a sixteen entrant knockout tournament. Competitors compete head-to-head twice (once on each parallel slalom course) until a winner is found. Competitors have to make it through nine rounds to get to the final.

Snowboard Cross is making its Olympic debut at Turin. A field of 32 is determined by riders racing against the clock. Thereafter heats see 4 riders compete on the course with kickers, spines, moguls and banked corners. The winning two from each heat progress to the next round. The final four make up the final.