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Why are collisions common in snowboard cross races?
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snowboarding
Snowboarder Torah Bright of Australia competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Collisions are common in snowboard cross because the sport involves multiple riders racing simultaneously down the same narrow, high-speed course.
Unlike individual time-trial events, snowboard cross requires competitors to navigate artificial featuresâsuch as banked turns, jumps, berms, and dropsâwhile in close proximity to one another. Because riders are vying for the same line at maximum speeds to reach the finish line first, the physical nature of the course and the head-to-head format naturally increase the likelihood of contact between participants.1