Editing Snowboarding (section)

==History==
[[File:Snowboarding in Valfréjus.webm|thumb|Snowboarding in [[Modane|Valfréjus]], France]]
[[File:Squaw3.jpg|right|thumb|Snowboarder riding off of a [[Snow cornice|cornice]]]]
[[File:Snowboarder in the trees.jpg|thumb|Freeride snowboarding, in areas off of the main trails]]

The first snowboards were developed in 1965 when [[Sherm Poppen]], an engineer in [[Muskegon, Michigan]], invented a toy for his daughters by fastening two skis together and attaching a rope to one end so he would have some control as they stood on the board and glided downhill. Dubbed the "[[snurfer]]" (combining snow and surfer) by his wife Nancy, the toy proved so popular among his daughters' friends that Poppen licensed the idea to a manufacturer, [[Brunswick Corporation]], that sold about a million snurfers over the next decade.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sisjord |first=Mari Kristin |date=2013-12-01 |title=Women's snowboarding – some experiences and perceptions of competition |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2012.685334 |journal=Leisure Studies |volume=32 |issue=5 |pages=507–523 |doi=10.1080/02614367.2012.685334 |hdl=11250/218904 |s2cid=144101427 |issn=0261-4367|hdl-access=free }}</ref> And, in 1966 alone, over half a million snurfers were sold.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/forum/archives/docs/10-48-1-f.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/forum/archives/docs/10-48-1-f.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=American English {{pipe}} A Website for Teachers and Learners of English As a Foreign Language Abroad |publisher=Exchanges.state.gov |access-date=2014-02-17}}</ref>

Modern snowboarding was pioneered by [[Tom Sims]] and [[Jake Burton Carpenter]], who both contributed significant innovations and started influential companies. In February 1968, Poppen organized the first snurfing competition at a Michigan ski resort that attracted enthusiasts from all over the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mashf.com/snurfing%201968.htm|title=Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame – History of the Snurfer, Snurfing and the sport of Snowboarding – 1968|website=www.mashf.com|access-date=2017-09-20|archive-date=August 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818041324/http://www.mashf.com/snurfing%201968.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> One of those early pioneers was [[Tom Sims]], a devotee of [[skateboarding]] (a sport born in the 1950s when kids attached roller skate wheels to small boards that they steered by shifting their weight). In the 1960s, as an eighth grader in [[Haddonfield, New Jersey]], Sims crafted a snowboard in his school shop class by gluing carpet to the top of a piece of wood and attaching aluminum sheeting to the bottom.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.simsnow.com/company/history|title=SIMS Snowboards History|last=Chamber|first=Creation|website=www.simsnow.com|language=en|access-date=2017-09-20|archive-date=January 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101200140/https://www.simsnow.com/company/history|url-status=dead}}</ref> He produced commercial snowboards in the mid-70s including the ''Skiboard'' (also known as the ''Lonnie Toft flying banana'') a molded polyethylene bottom with a [[Lonnie Toft]] signature skateboard deck attached to the top.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tom-sims-snowboarding-pioneer-and-world-champion-who-became-a-bond-stuntman-8163737.html|title=Tom Sims: Snowboarding pioneer and world champion who became a Bond|date=2012-09-22|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-04-15|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903235220/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tom-sims-snowboarding-pioneer-and-world-champion-who-became-a-bond-stuntman-8163737.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.michigansnowboardmuseum.com/boards-from-the-legends.html|title=SNURFER- 1ST & 2ED GENERATION SNURFERS|website=michigansnowboardmuseum.com|access-date=2023-07-15|archive-date=July 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720025500/https://www.michigansnowboardmuseum.com/boards-from-the-legends.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Others experimented with board-on-snow configurations at this time, including Welsh skateboard enthusiasts Jon Roberts and Pete Matthews developed their own snowboards to use at their local [[dry ski slope]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://snow.guide/dry-ski-slope/|title=Dry Slope Skiing – What It Means to Us|date=2015-06-28|website=Snow.Guide|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-04-15|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124151902/https://snow.guide/dry-ski-slope/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ridedaily.com/?page_id=37|title=Snowboarding History – RideDaily.com|website=ridedaily.com|access-date=2019-04-15|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106134139/http://ridedaily.com/?page_id=37|url-status=live}}</ref>

Also during this same period, in 1977, [[Jake Burton Carpenter]], a Vermont native who had enjoyed snurfing since the age of 14, impressed the crowd at a Michigan snurfing competition with bindings he had designed to secure his feet to the board. That same year, he founded [[Burton Snowboards]] in [[Londonderry, Vermont]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.burton.com/us/en/c/mens-snowboards|title=Men's Snowboards|website=Burton Snowboards|language=en-us|access-date=2019-04-15|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128181259/https://www.burton.com/us/en/c/mens-snowboards|url-status=live}}</ref> The "snowboards" were made of wooden planks that were flexible and had water ski foot traps. Very few people picked up snowboarding because the price of the board was considered too high at $38 and were not allowed on many ski hills, but eventually Burton would become the biggest snowboarding company in the business.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bulgariaski.com/snowboarding.shtml |title=History of Snowboarding |work=bulgariaski.com |access-date=December 3, 2020 |archive-date=November 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123165741/https://www.bulgariaski.com/snowboarding.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Burton's early designs for boards with bindings became the dominant features in snowboarding.

The first competitions to offer prize money were the National Snurfing Championship, held at Muskegon State Park in [[Muskegon, Michigan]].<ref>[http://mashf.com/Snurfing%201978.htm "National Snurfing Championship – 1978, Muskegon, MI."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818042425/http://mashf.com/Snurfing%201978.htm |date=August 18, 2018 }} Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame.</ref> In 1979, [[Jake Burton Carpenter]] came from Vermont to compete with a snowboard of his own design. There were protests about Jake entering with a non-snurfer board. Paul Graves, and others, advocated that Jake be allowed to race. A "modified" "Open" division was created and won by Jake as the sole entrant. That race was considered the first competition for snowboarding and is the start of what became competitive snowboarding. Ken Kampenga, John Asmussen and Jim Trim placed first, second and third respectively in the Standard competition with best two combined times of 24.71, 25.02 and 25.41; and Jake Carpenter won prize money as the sole entrant in the "open" division with a time of 26.35.<ref>[http://mashf.com/Snurfing%201979.htm "National Snurfing Championship – 1979, Muskegon, MI."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205040911/http://www.mashf.com/Snurfing |date=February 5, 2021 }} Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame.</ref> In 1980 the event moved to Pando Winter Sports Park near [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]], because of a lack of snow that year at the original venue.<ref>
{{Cite news
 |date              = January 15, 2008
 |periodical        = Grand Rapids Press
 |title             = Grand Rapids Press
 |location = Grand Rapids, Michigan
 |pages             = B1–B2
 |url               = http://grpress.com
|archive-url       = https://web.archive.org/web/20001018120233/http://www.grpress.com/
|url-status          = dead
|archive-date      = October 18, 2000
}}</ref><ref name="pando">{{cite web
 | url = http://www.pandopark.com/index.php
 | title = main page
 | work = Pando website
 | access-date = 2008-01-16
 | archive-date = October 28, 2013
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131028180444/http://www.pandopark.com/index.php
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref>

In the early 1980s, Aleksey Ostatnigrosh and Alexei Melnikov, two Snurfers from the Soviet Union, patented design changes to the Snurfer to allow jumping by attaching a bungee cord, a single footed binding to the Snurfer tail, and a two-foot binding design for improved control.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://patents.su/3-1391670-monolyzha.html|title=Монолыжа — SU 1391670|access-date=June 20, 2018|archive-date=June 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620180615/http://patents.su/3-1391670-monolyzha.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://patents.su/3-1584972-monolyzha.html|title=Монолыжа — SU 1584972|access-date=June 20, 2018|archive-date=June 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620153103/http://patents.su/3-1584972-monolyzha.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://patents.su/2-1584971-monolyzha.html|title=Монолыжа — SU 1584971|access-date=June 19, 2018|archive-date=November 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122193424/https://patents.su/2-1584971-monolyzha.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

As snowboarding became more popular in the 1970s and 1980s, pioneers such as Dimitrije Milovich (founder of Winterstick out of Salt Lake City, Utah), [[Jake Burton Carpenter]] (founder of Burton Snowboards from Londonderry, Vermont), [[Tom Sims]] (founder of [[Sims Snowboards]]), David Kemper (founder of [[Kemper Snowboards]]) and Mike Olson (founder of [[Mervin Manufacturing|Gnu Snowboards]]) came up with new designs for boards and mechanisms that slowly developed into the snowboards and other related equipment.<ref name="firststoke">{{cite web |url=http://www.firststoke.com/education/snowboard/ |title=First Stoke |work=SnowBoard Education |access-date=July 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123160646/http://www.firststoke.com/education/snowboard/ |archive-date=January 23, 2013 }}</ref> From these developments, modern snowboarding equipment usually consists of a snowboard with specialized bindings<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/equipment/snowboard_bindings.html|title=Snowboard Bindings – Snowboard Equipment – Mechanics of Snowboarding|website=www.mechanicsofsport.com|access-date=2019-04-17|archive-date=February 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223040501/http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/equipment/snowboard_bindings.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and boots.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/equipment/snowboard_boots.html|title=Snowboard Boots – Snowboarding Equipment – Mechanics of Snowboarding|website=www.mechanicsofsport.com|access-date=2019-04-17|archive-date=February 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223035827/http://www.mechanicsofsport.com/snowboarding/equipment/snowboard_boots.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In April 1981, the "King of the Mountain" Snowboard competition was held at [[Ski Cooper]] in Colorado.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Moran|first=Lauren|title=Snowboarding History: Technology boosts snowboarding growth in 1980s|url=https://www.summitdaily.com/news/snowboarding-history-technology-boosts-snowboarding-growth-in-1980s/|access-date=2021-02-03|website=www.summitdaily.com|date=January 27, 2012|language=en-US|archive-date=February 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228090302/https://www.summitdaily.com/news/snowboarding-history-technology-boosts-snowboarding-growth-in-1980s/|url-status=live}}</ref> Tom Sims along with an assortment of other snowboarders of the time were present.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rebagliati|first=Ross|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KT3ZBAAAQBAJ|title=Off the Chain: An Insider's History of Snowboarding|publisher=Greystone Books Ltd|year=2009|isbn=978-1-55365-487-2|location=|pages=19|language=en}}</ref> One entrant showed up on a homemade snowboard with a formica bottom that turned out to not slide so well on the snow.

In 1982, the first USA National Snowboard race was held near [[Woodstock, Vermont]], at [[Suicide Six]]. The race, organized by Graves, was won by Burton's first team rider Doug Bouton.<ref name="SBH">{{cite web
 | url=http://www.sbhistory.de/hist_in_the_beg.htm
 | title=Snowboard History
 | work=the beginning of Snowboarding
 | access-date=2008-01-17
 | archive-date=April 9, 2000
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000409005759/http://www.sbhistory.de/hist_in_the_beg.htm
 | url-status=dead
 }}</ref>

In 1983, the first World Championship [[halfpipe]] competition was held at [[Soda Springs, Nevada County, California|Soda Springs]], California. [[Tom Sims]], founder of Sims Snowboards, organized the event with the help of Mike Chantry, a snowboard instructor at Soda Springs.<ref name="Transworld_article">{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.transworldsnowboarding.com/snow/howto/article/0,26719,246570,00.html
 |title        = Transworld Snowboarding
 |work         = A Complete History of the Snowboard Halfpipe
 |access-date  = 2008-02-14
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080110164913/http://www.transworldsnowboarding.com/snow/howto/article/0,26719,246570,00.html
 |archive-date = 2008-01-10
 |url-status     = dead
}}</ref>

In 1985, the first World Cup was held in [[Zürs]], Austria,<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Kenetics|first1=Human|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b6WMDwAAQBAJ|title=The Sports Rules Book|last2=Schrag|first2=Myles|date=2018-12-14|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=978-1-4925-6759-2|location=|pages=255|language=en}}</ref> further cementing snowboarding's recognition as an official international competitive sport.

In 1990, the [[International Snowboard Federation]] (ISF) was founded to provide universal contest regulations.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Winand|first1=Mathieu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n46ODwAAQBAJ&q=international+snowboard+federation&pg=PA172|title=Research Handbook on Sport Governance|last2=Anagnostopoulos|first2=Christos|publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing|year=2019|isbn=978-1-78643-482-1|location=|pages=172|language=en}}</ref> In addition, the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) provides instructing guidelines and runs snowboard competitions in the U.S. today, high-profile snowboarding events like the [[Winter X Games]], [[Air & Style]], US Open, Olympic Games and other events are broadcast worldwide. Many alpine resorts have [[terrain park]]s.

At the [[1998 Winter Olympic Games]] in Nagano, Japan, Snowboarding became an official Olympic event.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-03|title=Olympic Snowboarding – Winter Olympic Sport|url=https://www.olympic.org/snowboard|access-date=2021-02-03|website=International Olympic Committee|language=en|archive-date=February 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213021350/https://www.olympic.org/snowboard|url-status=live}}</ref> France's [[Karine Ruby]] was the first to win an Olympic gold medal for Woman's Snowboarding,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/twenty-two-years-ago-karine-ruby-became-the-first-olympic-snowboard-champion |title=Twenty-two years ago, Karine Ruby became the first Olympic snowboard champion |access-date=2 February 2025 |date=10 February 2020}}</ref> while Canadian [[Ross Rebagliati]] was the first for Men's Snowboarding.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beck |first1=Jason |title=Ross Rebagliati |url=https://bcsportshall.com/honoured_member/ross-rebagliati/ |website=BC Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=2 February 2025 |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Initially, ski areas adopted the sport at a much slower pace than the winter sports public. Indeed, for many years, there was animosity between skiers and snowboarders, which led to an ongoing skier vs snowboarder feud.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snowsphere.com/special-features/snowboarding-vs-skiing-the-dying-feud |title=Skiers vs Snow boarders: The Dying Feud |publisher=Snowsphere.com |date=2007-10-01 |access-date=2014-02-17 |archive-date=April 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414131941/http://www.snowsphere.com/special-features/snowboarding-vs-skiing-the-dying-feud |url-status=live }}</ref> Early snowboards were banned from the slopes by park officials. For several years snowboarders would have to take a small skills assessment prior to being allowed to ride the chairlifts. It was thought that an unskilled snowboarder would wipe the snow off the mountain. In 1985, only seven percent of U.S. ski areas allowed snowboarding,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www1.cfnc.org/Plan/For_A_Career/Career_Cluster_Profile/Cluster_Article.aspx?articleId=4Fxb8BMXAP2FPAXvbAuMO0VRHebswXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX&cId=yJF7dgNzUI6xZl0h6IInegXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX&sectionId=1|title=CFNC.org – Cluster Article|last=Corporation|first=Xap|website=www1.cfnc.org|language=en|access-date=2018-03-29|archive-date=July 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703104628/https://www1.cfnc.org/Plan/For_A_Career/Career_Cluster_Profile/Cluster_Article.aspx?articleId=4Fxb8BMXAP2FPAXvbAuMO0VRHebswXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX&cId=yJF7dgNzUI6xZl0h6IInegXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX&sectionId=1|url-status=deviated}}</ref> with a similar proportion in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Archived copy | url=https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/10-48-1-f.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308101114/http://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/10-48-1-f.pdf | archive-date=2016-03-08}}</ref> As equipment and skills improved, gradually snowboarding became more accepted. In 1990, most major ski areas had separate slopes for snowboarders. Now, approximately 97% of all ski areas in North America and Europe allow snowboarding, and more than half have jumps, rails and half pipes.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

In 2008, snowboarding had over 5 million participants, most aged between 18 and 24, with women comprising 25% of participants.<ref name="USN080929">{{cite magazine |url = http://money.usnews.com/money/business-economy/small-business/articles/2008/09/19/burton-snowboards-is-king-of-the-hill |author = Marquardt, Katy |title = Burton Snowboards Is King of the Hill |magazine = [[U.S. News & World Report]] |date = September 29, 2008 |access-date = January 21, 2013 |archive-date = November 22, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201122144242/https://money.usnews.com/money/business-economy/small-business/articles/2008/09/19/burton-snowboards-is-king-of-the-hill |url-status = live }}</ref>

There were 8.2 million snowboarders in the US and Canada for the 2009–2010 season. There was a 10% increase over the previous season, accounting for more than 30% of all snow sports participants.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://business.transworld.net/66828/news/snowboarding-participation-increases-10/ |title= snowboard participation increases 10% |author= Mike Lewis |date= Jun 29, 2011 |publisher= [[Transworld Business]] |access-date= January 21, 2013 |archive-date= July 2, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110702214219/http://business.transworld.net/66828/news/snowboarding-participation-increases-10/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

On 2 May 2012, the [[International Paralympic Committee]] announced that adaptive snowboarding (dubbed "para-snowboarding") would debut as a men's and women's medal event in the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games taking place in Sochi, Russia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paralympic.org/news/para-snowboard-included-sochi-2014-paralympic-winter-games |title=Para-Snowboard Included in Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games {{pipe}} IPC |publisher=Paralympic.org |date=2012-05-28 |access-date=2013-11-13 |archive-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204142838/https://www.paralympic.org/news/para-snowboard-included-sochi-2014-paralympic-winter-games |url-status=live }}</ref>