Foundations Of Snowboarding
Snowboarding has been around as far back as the 1910's and became part of the winter Olympics in 1998 at Nagano, Japan.
The development of snowboarding has been inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing; with the idea of sliding down a hill covered in snow. It has a reputation of being one of the most dynamic, progressive and influential winter sports.
The Founding Fathers of Snowboarding
There are considered to be five fathers of snowboarding. These original pioneers include Sherman Poppen, Dimitrije Milovich, Jake Burton, Tom Sims and Chuck Barfoot.
Sherman Poppen
Modern snowboarding as we know it began in 1965 with the "snurfer". An invention by Sherman Poppen of bounding two skis together with strings attached to the nose for steering. The snurfer sold over a million in sales, but was only ever considered a kids toy!
Dimitrije Milovich
Dimitrije Milovich started out snowboarding on a cafeteria tray and took this one step further by constructing a snowboard called the 'Winterstick', with a swallow tail that was inspired by the ergonomics of a surfboard. The publicity of this board helped to bring snowboarding into the main stream. You can still purchase these Winterstick boards today.
"Snowboarding should raise your adrenaline and build your personality, not make you into a fashion statement. " - Dimitrije Milovich
Jake Burton
Jake Burton took the snurfer idea and added bindings, to secure his feet to the board. He then went on to found what is today, the world's largest snowboard brand, Burton Snowboards, in 1977.
"For me, snowboarding is many things. It's a fountain of youth, a movement that grew bigger than I ever expected" - Jake Burton
Tom Sims
Tom Sims, a devoted skateboarder, designed his first snowboard in a 7th Grade Woodshop class. He called the 'Skiboard'. It was shaped similar to a surf board and had an aluminum sliding base. He started to produce commercial snowboards with many firsts, such as metal edges in the late 70's, but didn't have the same business accruement as Burton. By the mid 90's, Sims was no longer a major player.
"That’s what led me to build the first snowboard: not being able to skateboard on an icy street, so after that, it was just 12 months a year of boarding, whether it be skateboarding, snowboarding or surfing." - Toms Sims
Chuck Barfoot
Chuck Barfoot who worked for Sims, revolutionized snowboard manufacturing with the introduction of fibreglass, the twin tip shape and other concepts into snowboard production. He went out on his own and founded Barfoot.
"As long as I can eat and breathe, and get the chance to board with a couple of my friends, I’m good with it. I hope to be riding powder when I’m 80, will you join me?" - Chuck Barfoot
What Is Snowboarding?
In the 1980s, the sport was dubbed rebellious and was for a while, turned away from the majority of ski resorts. However, the rising popularity made snowboarding acceptance inevitable.
Snowboarding is an incredibly fun and exciting way to spend your time.
It is good for:
- Improving your balance and dexterity
- Increasing your flexibility, self confidence and all around awesomeness
- Overall fitness and strength
- Reducing your stress levels
- Releasing endorphins
- Impressing ladies or gentlemen friends!
Snowboard Addiction
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