Snowboarding

First snowboard created

Dec 6, 1929

M.J. "jack Burnett is given credit as the first to make a snowboard even though people have been finding ways to slide down snow hills for a while. He cut out a plank of plywood and secured his feet with horse reins.

The snurfer is created

Dec 25, 1965

Sherman Poppen, a chemical gases engineer in Muskegon, invented "The Snurfer" (his wife came up with the name) as a toy for his daughter. He made the Snurfer by bounding two skis together and putting a rope at the nose, 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. The Snurfer was sold over half a million times in 1966, but was only seen as a toy for kids, even though P

The first modern snowboard

Nov 28, 1969

Dimitrije Milovich started making snowboards in 1969. After sliding down some hills on a cafeteria plate in College, he came up with the idea. His boards were based on surfboards combined with the way skiis work.

Winterstick is started

Dec 30, 1972

In 1972 Milovich started a new company called "Winterstick". He produced several boards, and even got articles in the "Newsweek", "Playboy" and "Powder" which helped to make snowboarding better known. Even though Milovich left the snowboarding business in 1980, he is still recognized as a very important pioneer of the sport.

Sims and Barfoot create the Flying Yellow Banana

Nov 30, 1977

Tom Sims produced his first snowboards in 1977. Beeing obsessed with skateboarding, Sims tried to go out in the snow and slide down the hill with a "snowboard" he built in a junior high shop-class. He just glued some carpet to the top of a piece of wood, and put an aluminium sheeting on the bottom. After he focussed on producing skateboards in his garage, with the help of his friend and employee Chuck Barfoot, he started making snowboards in 1977. Barfoot, who actaully made the snowboards, came

the first binding

Dec 28, 1977

In 1977 Jake Burton, who now finished NYU, moved to Londonderry, Vermont to make some money by building different versions of the Snurfer, which he still remembered. His first boards were made of laminated hardwood. Burton shocked all the Snurfer riders by winning a Snurfer competition with his own board, which had the first binding. This first binding made a big difference fro handling the board, and thus made it easier for him to beat the other riders.

First Ski Technology in snowboards

May 29, 1980

Oficially the first real ski technology for snowboards was introduced by Burton 1980 (it is said Winterstick already used a P-Tex base in 1974). The new prototype had a P-tex base and combined more of the ski technology into snowboards with that.

Sims signs skate snowboard deal with vision sports

Dec 28, 1980

Sims signed a skate- and snowboarding deal with a big mainstream company (Vision Sports), which helped him solving his financial problems. Barfoot was left out, and tried to built his own firm. He did not succeed against the big competitors Sims and Burton.

Ski resorts ban snowboarding

Oct 1, 1981

Once snowboarders' steel edged boards made it possible to ride at ski resorts they invades snoooty hills. Skiers believed that snowboarders didnt even enjoy it but that they only did it to piss off skiers and parents. In 1981, only 39 of 600 resorts allowed snowboarding

First National Snowboarding Race

Jan 29, 1982

In 1982 the first National Snowboard race was 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 kamikaze downhill run, called "The Face".

First Snowboarding Magazine

Nov 2, 1985

In 1985 still only 39, of the approximatly 600 ski areas allow snowboards. The same year one of the first (there was another one in 1981, called "Snowboarder") Snowboarding magazin came out. It's name was "Absolutely Radical". Later on the name is changed into "International Snowboarding Magazine".

International rider featured in video

Nov 30, 1986

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.

Surf/Skate companies begin to add snowboarding

Mar 3, 1988

Once snowboarding had reached a highly recognizable point of popularity in 1988, many Surfing and Skateboarding companies began to capitalize on the crossover between the surfing and skating to snowboarding. Companies like Ocean Pacific (Surf), and G&S (Skateboarding) begin to develop a new market of winter clothing and snowboarding equipment. Snowboarding is finally catching up to other alternative sports including surfing and skateboarding.

Big Name resorts open arms to snowboarders

Jan 4, 1989

Finally in 1989, although many resorts still did not permit snowboarding on their slopes, a handful of Big-name Ski resorts that had once outlawed snowboarding, put down their fence to snowboarders and allowed the sport to enter their slopes. These big resorts involved Squaw Valley in California; Mammoth Mountain in California; Vail in Colorado; Sun Valley in Idaho; and Snowbird in Utah. The Snowboarding industry is very excited about this change. With snowboarding in the resorts the resorts are

College Snowboard teams arise

Nov 4, 1989

Following the first National Collegiate Championships held at Stratton Mountain, Vermont, the sport of snowboarding is popular and well known that a number of colleges around the country began forming snowboarding teams within in the school. Beginning as a sort of club, these snowboarding teams became very popular and more and more colleges began programs and held competitions.

International Snowboarding Federation Created

Aug 19, 1990

The ISF Brought snowboarding to a level more like a sport and brought with it sponsors and more media attention.

Snowboarding Becomes an official olympic Sport

Jan 31, 1994

The international olympic committee decides to make it an olympic sport due to growing interest

Totally Board 5

Sep 30, 1996

Noah Salasnek and Johan Olofsson release TB5 (Totally Board 5), a video with them performing incredible stunts and tricks in Alaska.

First Olympic Snowboarding Competition

Jan 10, 1998

First Olympic competitions in snowboarding in Japan. Ross Rebagliati (Canada) wins gold but is initially disqualified due to traces of marijuana in his blood. This event leads to a lot of negative publicity for snowboarding. The events were giant slalom and Freestyle.