Snowboarding
boardMainstreamMichigan, USA, 1965
Riding a single wide board down snow-covered mountains, blending the soul of surfing with the terrain of alpine skiing. Snowboarding ranges from groomed resort runs to backcountry spines and urban rail sessions.
History
Sherman Poppen bolted two skis together in 1965 to create the Snurfer for his daughter. Jake Burton Carpenter and Tom Sims refined the design through the 1970s. Resorts initially banned snowboarders, but the sport forced its way in and reached the Olympics by 1998.
Culture
Snowboarding carries a rebel streak inherited from surfing and skateboarding. Its culture values style, creativity, and a certain irreverence toward the establishment ski world that once rejected it.