Snowboarding History

Over all, snowboarding has been a very fast growing sport. But it did have a rocky beginning. The history of snowboarding, however, tells the story of how the sport was evolved from a completely different human need.

Many people didn't like snowboarding because snowboarders were mostly teenage males, and they were crazy on their boards. It started a prejudice among people that snowboarders are drug addicts and snowboarding is not a decent sport. Discrimination against them brought friction and, for a time, and the future of snowboarding was in jeopardy. The ski industry was vigilant about two things at the time: tight pants and skier safety; snowboarding would not meet either of these criteria. This rebel reputation is still common today in spite of the fact that snowboarding appeals to men, women, and children of all nationalities and social groups.

To say who actually invented the sport of snowboarding would be impossible because people have always loved to slide down a snow-covered hill. Some feel that Jack Burchette began the history of snowboarding way back in 1929 by inventing the first snowboard, out of a plank of plywood. He has deeply influenced what snowboarding has become today.

Plagued in the early years by the Snurfers reputation for unpredictability, snowboarding was outlawed at most ski resorts. At first, many ski resorts banned snowboarding at their mountains, but they eventually began to lift their ban and recognize snowboarding as a sport.

Burton In 1980 Burton advances the history of snowboarding by developing the first real ski technology for snowboards. He produced several boards, and even got articles in the "Newsweek", "Playboy" and "Powder" which helped to make snowboarding better known. Burton also invented bindings with high backs to help control when snowboarding on hard packed snow. In 1983 Jake Burton holds the first national snowboarding championships.
 

In 1985 the first magazine dedicated specifically to snowboarding hit the news stands with huge success and furthered the popularity of this exciting sport. Over the next 15 years, countless snowboard manufacturers were born and the sport of snowboarding began to change people's lives everywhere.

A collection of snowboarding tricks and stunts was released on video in 1996. The film, carried by its imaginative scenario, spanned the globe, spreading the message of snowboarding.

Vermont played a large part in the early days of snowboarding. Vermont was the first state to open a Snowboarding Park, where snowboarders were welcome to do their thing.

Olympics Even though the-history-of-snowboarding is short in the Olympics it is remembered with controversy and excitement. The not-so-new sport of snowboarding was finally recognized and meant a huge victory for serious snowboarders across the globe. Olympic and world wide snowboarding events are among the most popular of winter sports and the competition to be the best is fierce. Many people had heard of snowboarding before the Olympics, but never had so many people avidly watched and followed a snowboarding competition.

Initially Olympic snowboarding was divided into four competitions with two categories: men's and women's halfpipe and men's and women's giant slalom. Now there are more events for snowboarding like slalom, big air, racing, boarder cross and halfpipe. Now that snowboarding has it made it to the Olympics, snowboarding is accepted worldwide into the mainstream populace.

Arguably, snowboarding is the fastest growing sport and industry. As snowboarding gained popularity it also gained approval and now sections of some mountains are dedicated exclusively to them. Yet, despite the stigmas and lack of good taste, snowboarding prevailed on into the nineties and still continues to grow. In a short 40-year history, snowboarding has cemented itself into the hearts and minds of enthusiasts around the world .

80% of the kids that take up a winter sport, pick snowboarding and wonder snowboards are the number one Christmas present. And it is widely predicted that snowboarding will become more popular than skiing by the year 2015.


About The Author

Rob Daniels is a lifelong sports enhusiasts and snowboarder. More articles by Rob can be found at Goofy Snowboarding http://www.goofy-snowboarding.com and Kayak Escape http://www.kayak-escape.com.