The first Snowboard like invention was made in 1929 by M.J. "Jack" Burchett. He cut out a plank of plywood and secured his feet with a length of
clothesline and some horse reins.
The first "Snowboard" was invented. Before the next step for the Snowboard was taken, it had to wait over 30 years until 1963. In this year Tom Sims, a Student in eighth grade,constructed what he called a "Ski Board",
for a class project.
Two years later Sherman Poppen invented "The Snurfer" as a toy for
his kids . He made The Snurfer by bolting two skis together. Later
on he organized competitions with the Snurfer.
The real change was made in 1970 when Dimitrije Milovich gets an
idea after sliding on cafeteria trays. Milovich, who was a surfer
on the east coast, started developing snowboards based on surfboards
and the way skis work. In 1975 Milovich and his "Snowboard", called "Winterstick", get a write up in the March edition of "Newsweek" and a two-page article in "Newsweek".
Inspired by Malcovich Jake Burton Carpenter moves to Londonderry, Vermont and starts making Snowboards with steam bend wood and another version with fiberglass.
In 1977 Mike Olsen builds his first Snowboard in a High school Woodshop.
He keeps experimenting with Snowboards until he quits college in
1984 to form his corperation "Gnu". Once an article about the new
snowboards was published in the magazine Powder, the intention was
moved to this new freestyle movement.
The first real ski technology for Snowboards was introduced by Burton and the Winterstick in 1980. Their new prototype had a P-Tex base and combined more of the ski technology into snowboards with that.
In 1982 the first International Snowboard race is held in Suicide
Six, outside Woodstock, Vermont. The goal of the race appeared mostly
to be "survival" because the race consists of a steep icy kamikaze downhill run, called "The Face".
In 1985 still only 39, of the approximately 600 snowboard areas allow snowboards.
The same year the first Snowboarding magazine comes out. Its name
is "Absolute Radical". Later on the name is changed into "International Snowboarding Magazine".
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. Snowboarding is becoming a more and more popular sport
In 1994 Snowboarding was declared as an Olympic Sport and became
finally accepted as a real competitive sport. Snowboarding became
an "official" Olympic sport in 1998.
Here are some great books on the history of snowboarding.
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