Although snowboarding's evolution was sluggish, once it gained momentum the extreme activity quickly became one of the most sought-after winter sports. Usually built out of a combination of fiberglass, wood and p-tex with metal edges, snowboards come in different shapes and sizes, and require specific boots and bindings. Ski poles aren't required, but helmets are an essential piece of equipment and required for some snowboarding events. Advancement of the sport coincided with snowboarding equipment development.
Snowboard Prototype
The history of snowboarding equipment began when the first snowboard prototype was created by M.J. "Jack" Burchett in 1929, according to Snowboarding.com. From a piece of plain plywood, Burchett fashioned a single board that he secured to his feet using horse reins and pieces of a clothesline. Interest in snowboarding as a burgeoning sport would not develop for more than 30 years.
First Real Snowboard
A recognized "Ski Board" was invented by eighth-grader Tom Sims in 1963, and a couple of years later, Sherman Poppen created a toy for his kids he called "The Snurfer," according to Snowboarding.com. Poppen bolted two skis together to make The Snurfer, and later organized competitions around it. Poppen's invention is now recognized as the first real snowboard, according to the ABC-of-Snowboarding website.
Development And Production
Surfer Dimitrije Milovich began producing his own version of a snowboard in 1970 based on an idea he got after skiing on cafeteria trays. He wanted to create equipment that would emulate simultaneous surfing and skiing, says Snowboarding.com. In 1975, Milovich received recognition and publicity for his snowboard invention, which he called "Winterstick." Soon after and based on the Winterstick design, Jake Burton began mass producing snowboards in Vermont that were made out of a combination of fiberglass and wood. Around the same time, high school student Mike Olsen developed his own version of a snowboard in his woodshop class and eventually created a version called "Gnu," according to Snowboarding.com. The emerging new sport began to gain momentum after Olsen's snowboards were featured in a well-known ski magazine. The 1970s snowboard designers pioneered the modern snowboard, along with snowboard bindings and other equipment, according to ABC-of-Snowboarding.
Official Competition
In 1980, true ski technology was developed for snowboards that was based on the recognized 1970s designs such as Burton's. Then in 1982, the first international snowboarding competition took place in Vermont, which ultimately established snowboarding as a legitimate winter sport. The competition was mostly based on rider stability and played out on the face of a steep slope. It wasn't until 1985 that a few ski resorts began allowing snowboarding recreation, but the sport gained impetus that same year when the first snowboarding magazine was published called "Absolute Radical," eventually renamed "International Snowboarding Magazine," according to Snowboarding.com. In 1986 snowboarding took off as an international sport with regular organized championships. In 1998, Snowboarding was first introduced as an Olympic sport.
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