The History of Snowboarding
The Growth of Snowboarding From Snurfers to the Olympics
The Inspiration… In 1965, Sherman Poppen watched his daughter try to stand as she rode her sled downhill. Inspired, he screwed two skis together to create the "Snurfer" (a combination of the words snow and surfer). Thousands of Snurfers were sold in the following years. Although these early plastic boards weren't designed for technical riding, they provided the inspiration for modern snowboarding.
During the 1970's a few innovative designers, including Jake Burton Carpenter began experimenting with new designs and materials for snowboards. Snurfing was still a popular snow sport and the new designs weren't quickly embraced. The first snowboarding competition was held in Leadville, Colorado in 1981.
Slow Growth and an Image…During the 1980's, snowboarding slowly spread across the US. Changes in design, including highback bindings and metal edges, made snowboards easier to ride. Although snowboarding was slowly gaining in popularity among riders, it was also developing a "bad boy" image. A majority of snowboarders were adolescent males who rode their boards aggressively and tested their own limits (just as they had done on their skis!). Because of the negative image, many ski resorts banned snowboarding on their slopes.
Bond. James Bond… The popularity of snowboarding received a boost from Hollywood, and more specifically from James Bond. As with other extreme sports (such as BASE jumping), the first time that many people saw snowboarding was in a James Bond movie. What better inspiration for many people than to watch James Bond using a snowboard to escape from bad guys in A View to a Kill.
The Evolution of a New Sport…Throughout the 1980's and 1990's the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championship and World Snowboarding Championship gave the emerging stars of this new sport the chance to show off their skills. Freestyle riding on the slopes and in the new halfpipe events created a buzz worldwide. More people were paying attention to what these young riders were doing.
Among those who took notice was EPSN. In 1995 ESPN introduced the X Games, which showcased "extreme" sports such as skateboarding and BMX. In 1997 the Winter X Games debuted in Big Bear Lake, California. Suddenly, snowboarding had a more extensive audience and commercial appeal.
The following year, in 1998, snowboarding received what may have been its biggest boost. Snowboarding debuted in the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. People everywhere rushed out to try snowboarding and the sport became one of the most popular winter pastimes.
Snowboarding Today…Freestyle snowboarding has grown dramatically in the past ten years. Many slopes now offer terrain parks for snowboarders as well as back country exploration. It is an amazing accomplishment that snowboarding, still a relatively young sport can claim at least 25% of the people who participate in winter sports. It is a number that will continue to increase.
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