As snowboarding gained popularity, it was given official recognition by the Olympic Committee in 1994, and the sport debuted at the Olympics in 1998. The Winter X Games are popular in America and showcase the talents of the world's top snowboarders. The X Games are more focused on tricks and jibbing than the Olympics, with half pipe and best trick competitions. The FIS Snowboard World Cup is an international ski and snowboarding competition that some consider to be as prestigious as the Olympics. This event features Olympic style events like the super-g, slalom, giant slalom and downhill.