Half-pipe
A U-shaped ramp with curved walls used for riding back and forth and performing tricks.
Definition
A half-pipe is a channel shaped like the bottom half of a pipe, with two curved walls facing each other and a flat section between them. Athletes travel back and forth across it, using the curved transitions to gain speed and launch into the air off the top of each wall.
Half-pipes are used in several sports and are built from different materials: a snow half-pipe is shaped for snowboarding and freestyle skiing, while a skateboarding half-pipe is usually made of wood or concrete. In each case the shape is what defines it.
Where you’ll hear “half-pipe”
Sports that use this term:
Snowboarding
A downhill snow sport where you ride a single board sideways down the mountain.
Skateboarding
A creative board sport of rolling, balancing and learning tricks on streets, paths and skateparks.
Alpine Skiing
A downhill snow sport where you glide and turn down groomed slopes on a pair of skis.
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Disciplines
- VertVert skateboarding is ridden on a large halfpipe whose walls curve to vertical at the top, letting skaters rise above the coping to perform aerial tricks.
- HalfpipeHalfpipe is a freestyle snowboarding discipline in which riders descend a semicircular snow channel, launching off its walls to perform aerial tricks.
- SlopestyleSlopestyle is a freestyle snowboarding discipline in which riders descend a course of jumps and rails, performing tricks on features of their choice.
- ParkPark skateboarding is ridden in a course of curved bowls, ramps, and transitions, where skaters use momentum to link tricks into continuous flowing runs.
- Big AirBig air is a freestyle snowboarding discipline in which riders perform a single trick off one large jump, focusing on difficulty and execution.
Equipment
- Cricket batA flat-fronted wooden bat used by batters to hit the ball in cricket, with a curved back that concentrates weight behind the hitting area.
- Hockey stickA curved-headed stick used to control, pass and shoot the ball or puck in hockey.
- ShuttlecockA lightweight, feathered or plastic projectile hit back and forth in badminton.
- Squash racquetA slim strung racquet used to hit the ball against the walls in squash.
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- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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