What is Snowboarding?
1. Snowboarding is a winter sport that is a cross between surfing and skateboarding. While surfing is done on the water, and skateboarding on cement, snowboarding is done on the snow.
2. Snowboarders (also called riders) stand sideways on the snowboard, which is usually constructed out of wood, fiberglass, p-tex and metal edges in much the same way as skis.
3. Snowboards vary in size and shape, but an average board is 150cm long and 25cm wide.
4. Riders wear boots specifically designed for snowboarding, and their feet are attached to the board with bindings that typically strap across each boot. (Unlike skiing, no poles are needed.)
5. Snowboarding primarily takes place alongside skiing at ski resorts.
6. In 2000, snowboarding was the fastest-growing sport in the US (followed by skateboarding) with the number of people who went snowboarding rising to a total of just over 7.2 million participants.
7. Snowboarding originated in the U.S. in the 1960's. Early boards were very rudimentary in design compared to the models available today. More recent designs reflect the variety of riding styles that have emerged within the sport. (Read more about snowboarding's history here.)
8. There are two primary styles of snowboarding: 1) freestyle/freeride and 2) alpine/carving. Each style requires its own specialized set of equipment.
9. Snowboarding competitions have been taking place for approximately 20 years, and include events such as the halfpipe, boardercross, slopestyle and parallel giant slalom.
10. Snowboarding made its Olympics debut in Nagano, Japan in 1998. It will return to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City with 2 events, the halfpipe and parallel giant slalom.
History of Snowboarding
The pure arc of a snowboard turn can make riders feel like part of a hundred-year-old tradition. However, most of us have watched snowboarding spring up before our very eyes, and the early origins of this young sport can only be traced back as far as the 1960's.
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