Brief History of Snowboarding


The first Snowboard like invention was made in 1929 by M.J. "Jack" Burchett. He cut out a plank of plywood and secured his feet with a length of clothesline and some horse reins. The first "Snowboard" was invented. Before the next step for the Snowboard was taken, it had to wait over 30 years until 1963. In this year Tom Sims, a Student in eighth grade,constructed what he called a "Ski Board", for a class project.

Two years later Sherman Poppen invented "The Snurfer" as a toy for his kids . He made The Snurfer by bolting two skis together. Later on he organized competitions with the Snurfer. The real change was made in 1970 when Dimitrije Milovich gets an idea after sliding on cafeteria trays. Milovich, who was a surfer on the east coast, started developing snowbaords based on surfboards and the way skis work. In 1975 Milovich and his "Snowboard", called winterstick, get an write up in the march edition of "Newsweek" and a two page article in "Newsweek". Inspired by Malcovich Jack Burton Carpenter moves to Londonverry, Vermont and starts making Snowboards with steam bend wood and another version with fiberglass.

In 1977 Mike Olsen builds his first Snowboard in a Highschool Woodshop. He keeps experimenting with Snowboards until he quits college in 1984 to form his coorperation "Gnu". Once an article about the new snowboards was published in the magazine Powder, the intention was moved to this new freestyle movement.

The first real ski technology for Snowboards was introduced by Burton and the Winterstick in 1980. Their new prototype had a P-tex base and combined more of the ski technology into snowboards with that.

In 1982 the first International Snowboard race is held in Suicide Six, outside Woodstock, Vermont. The goal of the race apeared mostly to be "survival" because the race consists of a steep icy kamiaze downhill run, called "The Face". In 1985 still only 39, of the approximatly 600 snowboard areas allow snowboards. The same year the first Snowboarding magazin comes out. It's name is "Absolute Radical". Later on the name is changed into "International Snowboarding Magazine".

In 1986 Regis Rolland, a French snowboarder, stars in "Apocalypse Snow". His staring launches a new European Snowboarding generation of fans who organize their own regional events, such as the Swiss championship in St. Moritz. Snowboarding is becoming a more and more popular sport.