Riders brace for high-speed snowboard cross battles at Paralympics

CORTINA, Italy – For tourists riding on the next hill over, it was snowboard paradise under bright blue skies in the Dolomite Mountains above Cortina.

However for the competitors preparing for this weekend’s snowboard cross event at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, their course provided a morning of frayed nerves, high speed and intimidating challenges.

Reigning Paralympic Games and world champion Tyler Turner called the track wild, fast, fun and ‘a little bit scary’ after his first ride at the Cortina Para Snowboard Park.

‘’There are some rollers that come at you quickly,’’ said Turner, who rides on two prosthetic legs. ‘’Coming out of Turn 5 we’re probably going 70-80 kilometres an hour. The rollers are hard to absorb and can send you for a bit of a ride.’’

In the training, the riders went down one at a time. That will be the situation for Saturday’s preliminary round which decides seedings and matchups for Sunday’s playoff round.

In the playoffs, they ride four at a time with the top-two advancing each time until the Big Final for the medals. Turner says in addition to testing the track he was also scouting for strategic areas.

‘’We’re trying to figure out where we can pass and where it’s time to stay safe,’’ said Turner from Campbell River, B.C. ‘’I’ll lose sleep before races thinking about every scenario. If I need to make those moves I will.’’

Teammate Alex Massie of Barrie, Ont., compared the track to an X Games course and he says spectators and viewers can expect quite a show.

‘’It’s fast, it’s big,’’ said Massie, competing at his third Winter Games. ‘’It’s going to be exciting on TV. There’ll be lots of air and the races are going to be tight.”

Canada’s top female rider Sandrine Hamel of St-Sauveur, Que., also headed to her third Games, described the course as a significant test particularly the high-speed straightaway that requires precise timing and control.

‘’Paralympic courses are always a big challenge,’’ she said. ‘’That’s what makes them exciting in a sport where you must take risks, if you hesitate that’s when it becomes dangerous.’’

Also testing the runs Thursday morning were Paralympic Games rookies Philippe Nadreau of Blainville, Que., and Chase Nicklin of Port Alberni, B.C.