History
The IJC has evolved in the past ten years to actively support all action sports judges with consulting on educational training for the specific sports of snowboarding, freeskiing and moto-x. The IJC has been instrumental in working with organizers in various sports in the development of formats for unique competitions as well as new judging systems to enhance the quality of action sports events. The IJC also during this time period scheduled judges in a wide range of snowboard events worldwide and also completed work on snowboard rules, issues of snowboard technical advisement and construction management of slopestyle and halfpipe courses.
The second decade of service to the snowboard community finds the IJC rededicated to the principals of snowboard education in which it was originally founded. The IJC certifies Pro Level judges and assists National Snowboard Associations in educating snowboard trainers and first time judges. Focusing on the original goals of the IJC has brought a new clarity of mission and with the advent of being more attentive to technological influence, the IJC will serve the snowboard in community by offering high-level education in both traditional educational settings and by offering a virtual educational experience.
The Mission of the IJC
The International Judges Commission (IJC) was established in 1998 (after the first snowboard Olympics) as a non profit organization in response to a growing concern regarding the ability of snowboard judges to attain a satisfactory level of proficiency and experience. The IJC realized that judges would need to establish their own identity and mission to solve the growing problems of educational delivery, judge training, and the funding of educational programs. Thus, the IJC was formed to bring a high degree of professionalism and structure to freestyle snowboarding. Through the establishment of a global educational forum, the IJC set forth the primary goals of training judges worldwide, through a unique and comprehensive training program, and protecting the interests of freestyle riders, through fair and accurate judging and progressive contest formats.
The IJC has been fortunate to be directly associated with world-class events since its inception and has played a role in shaping the direction of snowboarding. A small sample of the events and organizations the IJC supports include: USSA, USASA, Burton, Vail Session, ESPN, WSF, TTR, ISF World Championships, Innsbruck Air and Style, Nippon Open, ESPN Winter X-Games, Vans Triple Crown of Snowboarding, US Open, ESPN Global X-Games, Park City Superpipe Championships.