Snowboarding. History of Origin

To say who actually invented the sport of snowboarding would be impossible because people have always loved to slide down a snow-covered hill. Soaring through the snow on some kind of seat or board is nothing new. The ways to enjoy the snow are numerous, and people have devised ways to turn garbage can lids and cardboard into ‘snow boards’ to enjoy an afternoon frolic outdoors. The various ways to glide through snow have become more sophisticated and have evolved into using polished boards or skis in much the same manner as a surfboarder would ride a wave.

M.J. "Jack" Burchett he cut out a plank of plywood in 1929 and tried to secure his feet with some clothesline and horse reins. Burchett came up with on of the first "snowboards". Another snowboard inventor is Sherman Poppen. In 1965 Poppen, a chemical gases engineer in Muskegon, Michigan, invented "The Snurfer" (a mix between the two words „snow" and „surfer") as a toy for his daughter. He made the Snurfer by strapping two skis together and attaching a rope to the front tip of the snurfer, so the rider could hold it and keep it more stable. Many of his daughters friends wanted one of those new Snurfers, and soon Poppen lincensed his new idea to a manufacturer.

In 1963 is the former skateboard champion Tom Sims, as an eighth-grader, Sims made a snowboard out of plywood in his shop class. He called it a "skiboard". After years of improvements, he opened Sims Snowboards in 1977 and with the help of his friend and employee Chuck Barfoot started making snowboards.

"I was trying to solve a dilemma that I had," he told National Public Radio in 1998. "I couldn't skateboard on the snow-covered streets in the wintertime in south New Jersey. And the simplest solution was to make a skateboard for the snow."  -Tom Sims.

In 1977, at the age of 23, Jake Burton Carpenter (a today's most popular snowboard factory "Burton Snowboards) used ski technology in snowboards. Founded his own company in Londonderry, Vermont, and experimented continually with new materials and designs. Eventually, he was building a snowboard made of steam-bent wood and fiberglass, with high-back bindings and metal edges.

Snowboarding continued to increase in popularity over the next several years. In 1985 the first magazine dedicated specifically to snowboarding hit the news stands with huge success and furthered the popularity of this exciting sport.

In the year 1994 snowboarding was finally declared an Olympic event, much to the delight of fans. The not-so-new sport of snowboarding was finally recognized and meant a huge victory for serious snowboarders across the globe. And 20 years later I was able to attend the Olympics in his home city of Sochi, and to see the performances of professional riders like Danny Davis and Shaun White))

Ski resorts banned them and the upper-middle-class ski community looked down upon them. In 1985 snowboarding was only allowed in 7% of U. S. ski areas and story was much the same in Europe. As equipment and skill levels improved, though, snowboarding gradually became more acceptable. Most of the major ski areas had separate slopes for snowboarders by 1990. Now, about 97% of all ski areas in North America and Europe allow snowboarding and more than half of them have ramps and pipes. The number of snowboarders increased from about 2 million in 1990 to more than 7 million in 2000.

Snowboarders - is, above all, the pioneers. These people targeting knowledge surrounding space, not on their technique and micromotion. Snowboarder less in need of the audience, it is enough to understand the "I did it."

Оne day the kids will ask the older generation: "Excuse me granny, but why did you cut your snowboard in two pieces when you were young?"

Get up on the board)))