How Snowboard Halfpipe Is Scored

Snowboard Halfpipe Scoring: Overall Impression on a 100-Point Scale

Halfpipe snowboarding is judged on overall impression — not individual tricks — making it one of the most debated scoring systems in Olympic sport. The FIS judging criteria ask a panel to distill a 45-second run of aerial acrobatics into a single number from 0 to 100. Understanding what drives that number reveals why some seemingly incredible runs score lower than expected.

The Judging Panel

Six judges score each run independently on a 0–100 scale. The highest and lowest scores are dropped. The remaining four are averaged for the final run score.

Judges are certified by FIS and undergo training to calibrate their evaluations. Despite this, halfpipe judging remains one of winter sport’s most subjective exercises.

The Six Criteria

Judges consider the following when arriving at their score:

1. Difficulty The complexity of the tricks: number of rotations, axis of rotation (cork, cab, switch), and their combination. A run featuring a frontside double cork 1260 scores higher in difficulty than one with a frontside 900, all else equal.

2. Execution Clean landings, smooth transitions between tricks, controlled grabs (actually gripping the board, not just tapping it), and precise body control. A slight hand-drag on a landing might drop a score by 3–5 points.

3. Amplitude How high the rider goes above the lip of the halfpipe. Higher amplitude demonstrates greater speed, power, and commitment. Judges look for consistent amplitude across all hits, not just one big trick.

4. Variety Using different rotations (frontside, backside, switch, cab), different grabs, and different axes. Repeating the same trick or similar tricks reduces the variety score. Judges reward riders who demonstrate a full repertoire.

5. Progression Pushing the sport’s boundaries. A trick never before landed in competition carries inherent scoring value. When Ayumu Hirano landed consecutive triple corks at Beijing 2022, the progression element was off the charts — no one had done it in Olympic competition.

6. Flow and Style The subjective quality that separates great riders from good ones. Smooth transitions, relaxed body language, and a run that looks effortless all contribute. A technically perfect run that looks stiff and mechanical will score lower than one with comparable difficulty that looks fluid.

How Scores Break Down in Practice

90–100: historic, boundary-pushing run with no mistakes. Reserved for the very best.
85–90: excellent run with high difficulty, clean execution, and good variety.
75–85: strong run with either a minor error or slightly lower difficulty.
60–75: noticeable errors (hand-drags, wobble on landing) or moderate difficulty.
Below 60: falls, significant errors, or very low difficulty.

At Beijing 2022, Hirano’s gold-medal run scored 96.00 — reflecting unprecedented difficulty (back-to-back triple corks), perfect execution, massive amplitude, and historic progression. Scotty James’s silver-medal run scored 92.50, which in any other competition would have been dominant.

The “Best Run Counts” Format

Athletes get two or three runs (depending on the round). Only the best single run counts as the final score. This encourages risk-taking: if your first run is safe and scores 80, you can attempt a harder, riskier second run knowing the 80 is banked.

Controversy and Subjectivity

Halfpipe scoring regularly generates controversy. Because judges score the overall impression rather than individual elements, there’s no transparent breakdown that athletes or viewers can audit. Hirano’s first run at Beijing 2022 — which included the same triple corks that won him gold — scored 91.75 in the second run but was initially given a lower score in the first run, sparking widespread debate about consistency.

FIS has explored adding more granular judging criteria (similar to figure skating’s element-by-element scoring), but the snowboard community has largely resisted, arguing that overall impression better captures the sport’s creative spirit.