Snowboarding is thought to have originated in the mid-1960s in the American state of Michigan. As early as 1900, flat boards were being sold to mountain climbers as a quick and easy way to slide downhill over deep snow. Since sliding on a single board is similar to surfing, the sport was initially called "snow-surfing." Later, bindings were developed to fix the boarder's boots to the board. As these became more common, the name "snow-boarding" gradually came into use.

Snowboarding will be an Olympic sport for the first time in Nagano. There will be a giant slalom and a halfpipe event. In the giant slalom, competitors will race the clock while threading their way through a series of gates over a 936-meter (3,070-foot) course. The halfpipe event will give boarders a chance to demonstrate their skills in jumps, somersaults, and other maneuvers as they zigzag down the trough-shaped course. Competitors will be marked by five judges and ranked according to the total number of points. The halfpipe event is especially popular with young people. There has been a rapid increase in the competitor population in both Japan and overseas.