The History of Snowboarding

        Snowboarding was not created by a one single person. It was influenced by many different people including Jake Burton, Tom Sims, Sherman Poppens, Dimitrije Milovich, and Chris sanders. Snowboarding was also influenced by skateboarding, skiing, surfing, and snurfing. It all started in the 1920’s when children in Vermont would take planks from barrels and connect them together. They would use horse reins for bindings and then slide down a snowy hill.

In 1964 Sherman Poppen invented the "snurfer" when he bolted two skies for his daughter. The snurfer became huge and there was even snurfing contests. All of Poppens daughters friends wanted a snurfer and he started manufacturing his idea. Jake Burton even snurfed at one time.

        Dimitrije Milovich began to build snowboards in 1969 when everyone was in a frenzy over the snurfer. He came up with the idea when he slid on a cafeteria tray in the snow and combining it with the idea of the snurfer. In 1972 Milovich started a snowboarding company called "Winterstick". Winterstick is still a well known quality snowboarding company.

In 1977 Jake Burton made different versions of the snurfer which contained the first bindings. Little after that Burton started to make snowboards. In 1980 Burton came out with the most advanced snowboard of the time. It was made with a p-tex base. In 1983 jake burton holds the first national snowboarding championships.

Tom Sims, a middle School student at the time, made a "skiboard" in 1969 for a woodshop. Tom Sims started selling and manufacturing his first snowboards in 1977. After trying to "skateboard"on the snow. His first snowboard was constructed of wood, carpet, and aluminum sheeting. The first snowboard made and sold by Sims was called " the flying yellow banana". In 1980 Sims signed a snowboarding deal with a big company called vision sports, who helped him with his money problems. Which today is a company who makes snowboards.

1983 Jeff Grell designs the first high back binding. 1986 Stratton mountain in Vermont has the first snowboard lessons. In 1982 was the first national snowboard race, which was held in suicide six, Vermont. In 1985, only 39 ski resorts out of about 600 allowed snowboards. In 1994 snowboarding was declared an Olympic sport. In 1998 was when snowboarding was in it’s first Olympic game. In 1998 snowboarding was 50% of all winter sports.