Quick, what's the recreational snowboarder's worst nightmare? Well, if you're like most, it's a narrow run, packed with a bunch of other frothing boarders doing everything possible to cut each other off while riding over slick, well-worn terrain. It's hardly worth the 70 bucks.

But when this nightmare is wrapped into a sporting package with a starting gate and a finish line you've got yourself a rough-and-tumble event known for mid-air collisions and a no-holds-barred approach. That's right. You've got a whole new sport, called snowboardcross, also known as boardercross or just SBX.

Yup, this nightmare of a day has been been transformed into a mixed martial art of sorts. There might not be any submission holds, but there are all kinds of elbows thrown, which is why it's now one of the more entertaining shows at the Winter Olympics.

Snowboardcross 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. That's right, now racers will be armed with sharp sticks, too.

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 in an all-out race to the finish line.

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, there are, in fact, some rules. Interference with other riders can lead to an athlete's disqualification, which happens all the time.

American Seth Wescott, who won Olympic gold in 2006, has compared its demands to other snowboard disciplines. "Boardercross is more about experience and technique," he said. "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."

U.S. rider Lindsey Jacobellis, 24, took home silver for the women in Torino. Her take on the thrill of this head-to-head battle: "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."

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. The most painful part? Well, she was showboating while she did her jump because she had a huge lead.

But she says 2010 isn't about redemption, she'll approach the Vancouver Games the same way she does any competition.

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

She pushed just right Saturday in Aspen, taking the gold at X Games.

Nate Holland, who took gold on the men's side in Aspen and will join Jacobellis in 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...You try not to think too much -- it's instinct."