Shaun White is going for his third straight gold medal on halfpipe Tuesday.
White, American Danny Davis and others have said the halfpipe is too vertical on the sides, which is causing flat, rough landings that make it harder to transition into the next jump.
"It's the Olympics. It should be flawless," Davis told Yahoo Sports. "What a lame showcase of snowboarding, and what a lame way to treat the athletes."
Riders have been talking to halfpipe shapers since the first day of practice Saturday, asking for tweaks -- a routine occurrence in this sport.
Four years ago in Vancouver, White won on what was largely considered one of the worst halfpipes the riders competed on that season.
Davis said Sochi's flat bottom is bumpy and full of sugary snow, causing problems for competitors. Others agrees with Davis' concerns, with one telling the website the halfpipe "unsalvageable."
Davis was frustrated with the organizing committee's choice of developers for the venue, New Zealand-based Development Snowparks.
"The IOC probably didn't want to pay the right guys to do it," Davis said. "I'm pretty sure what they're focused on is keeping as much money in their hands as possible. That's the shame of it all. All these kids, myself included, worked very hard to get here. And then the pipe is just no fun and boring and (expletive). "Halfpipe is super fun. But riding a crappy pipe and having to perform in it is the worst." -Fox Sports
