| The first example of a snowboard-like invention can be traced back to 1929. M.J. "Jack" Burchett fashioned a plank of plywood with a length of clothesline and horse reins, which he attached to his feet. The next step in snowboard evolution would not happen until 1963. An eigth grader by the name of Tom Sims constructed what he termed a "Ski Board" for a class project. Two years later Sherman Poppen made a toy for his kids by bolting two skis together. He called his new invention "The Snurfer". It was later distributed by the Brunswick Company in toy stores and sold over one million units. After sliding on cafeteria trays, an east coast surfer by the name of Dimitrije Milovich started developing snowboards based on surfboard and ski technology. In 1975 people started taking notice of this new snowboard, called the "Winterstick". It received a write-up in the March edition of "Newsweek" and a two page article in "Powder" followed. Inspired by Milovich, Jake Burton Carpenter relocated to Londonderry, VT and started making snowboards utilizing steam bent wood and fiberglass. Shortly after, Mike Olsen built his first snowboard in a high school workshop. Seven years later Mike quit college to form Gnu in 1984. Previous to the forming of Gnu, Burton and Winterstick combined forces to produce a new prototype. Their new snowboard had a P-tex base and further utilized actual ski technology. Located outside Woodstock, VT, Suicide Six hosted the first international snowboard race in 1982. The race consisted of a steep, icy, kamikaze downhill run called "The Face". This helped to further the popularity of the young sport. Still, in 1985 only 39 of the over 600 ski areas allowed snowboarding. That same year "Snowboarding", the first magazine dedicated to the sport, was released . It later changed it's name to "International Snowboarding Magazine" and, along with the movie "Apocalypse Now" starring French snowboarder Regis Rolland, furthered the sport's growth. In 1994, snowboarding was declared to be a medal sport for the 1998 Olympics. This propelled snowboarding into the world spotlight and has aided in it's continued development to this day. |
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