Snowboard cross is known as the mixed martial arts of the Winter Olympics. It's a rough-and-tumble event known for mid-air collisions and a no-holds barred, go-for-broke approach to the finish line. Competitors need a diverse skill set to succeed, and borrow techniques from multiple disciplines. There are no submission holds, but it's not uncommon to see the occasional elbow thrown.

Also referred to as "boardercross" (or it's abbreviation of SBX), the sport made its Olympic debut at the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy. It broke the mold for traditional slalom-style racing formats, and introduced a high-intensity, head-to-head competition that quickly became a fan favorite.

In fact, its popularity helped propel skier cross (same rules, except competitors are on skis) into the Olympic program and will make its debut in Vancouver this February.

The race stacks up like this: Four snowboarders line up and then launch out of the starting gate, charging downhill through banked turns, over jumps, rollers and varied terrain. Catastrophic crashes and pileups are common, as riders fight to maintain their trajectory and momentum. From there it's an all-out race to the finish line.

American Seth Wescott, who won Olympic gold in 2006, said compared to other snowboard disciplines, "Boardercross is more about experience and technique. You have to be a great snowboarder. It's a different thing to be able to ride a snowboard, than to just do tricks on it. You have to be comfortable in the air, in variable terrain, and have a very subtle touch -- it encompasses all of it.

"Boardercross has become the more popular form of racing in the snowboarding world," he added. "2006 was incredible -- to have your first Olympic experience be a gold medal. It was the ultimate experience, getting to win at that level."

A timed qualification run is used to seed competitors into different heats. The start, as well as the first sections before the first turn, are critical parts of the course, as passing can easily occur here. While other passing areas are designated on the course, interference with other riders can lead to an athlete's disqualification.

Each heat is limited to four starters. The top half of the finishing field then moves on to the next round in a series of quarter, semifinal and final rounds.

During each heat, the first two competitors to cross the finish line advance to the next heat, while the last two competitors are ranked based on qualification times.

The "big final" round determines which athletes place first to fourth, while the "small final" determines those who rank from fifth to eighth place.

Fellow U.S. rider Lindsey Jacobellis, 24, took home silver for the women in Torino. Jacobellis describes the experience of going head-to-head in a snowboard cross race: "You can't control what the other three people around you are doing, and that makes it good for television," she said, laughing. "It's a unique feeling, a lot of stress, butterflies, nervousness and a big adrenaline rush. That's what helps me survive. It's a pretty crazy, intense feeling, and I don't know my limits and just go for it.

"I try my hardest to push the sport for women," Jacobellis added. "Sometimes I suffer the consequences."

Jacobellis' hard-charging style cost her gold in Torino, when she crash-landed off a jump at the bottom of the course and lost the lead. However, she says 2010 isn't about redemption, and if she makes the team, she'll approach the Vancouver Games the same way she does any competition.

"I'm not taking anything for granted," she said. "I'm going in the same way I always do, and take things one day at a time. What happens, happens..."Nate Holland, who left the '06 Games without a medal but has high hopes for Vancouver, says the sport is a combination of all snowboarding's disciplines, and experience plays a large role in success.

"In tight, high-speed situations you're using all your senses and making split-second decisions, always looking ahead," Holland said. "It's definitely a rush, and a big part of where experience comes in to play. Make a bad decision and you crash and burn. You have to pick yourself up and learn from it. You try not to think too much -- it's instinct."