History of snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport recently appeared resembling surfing, skateboarding and skiing. Although it is difficult to identify the time of his appearance, the sport was invented in the 50s by some passionate about surfing and roller who wanted to practice their sports simultaneously, but on snow. Because of the novelty of sport at the beginning , the boards for snowboard were breaking frequently and athletes had serious wounds.
First resistance board was launched in the 60s in a form initiated by Sherman Poppen. It resembled a strange combination of skateboard decks and a plywood sled. The rope attached to the front side of the board allowed some control and feet firmly fixed in balance.
In that time snowboarding was practiced by a small group of sports enthusiasts. Those who wanted to highlight through the movements they invented couldn’t impose in front of the ones passionate about skiing. They were not allowed to use tracks already used by skiers. Snowboarding became popular in the 70s and 80s, the talented athletes such as Dimitrije Milovich, an East Coast surfer and Jake Burton Carpenter. They have improved snowboard board appearance, the material it was built, accessories and equipment. In 1983, less than 10% of American athletes have accepted the practice of snowboarding. But in 1977, only a few refused this new sport. Today, snowboarding is practiced, like skiing, many of the tracks in the world and his popularity is growing. Manufacturer snowboard boards has increased substantially. Today, more than 3.4 million people practice the sport. It predicts that the number of athletes who practice snowboarding will exceed the number of skiers in 2015.
Snowboarding is a winter sport that involves mostly downhill mountain covered with snow, natural or artificial, with a snowboard attached to the soles of the boots and through links-boots. Practitioners of this sport are called snowboarders , boarders, riders .
What are the styles of snowboarding?
The style that you want to practice influences the way you practice the sport, the equipment you need to buy and places where to practice the sport. The most popular styles practiced are free ride, freestyle and free carve or Alpine.
Free ride: is the most practiced of the 3. This style involves: the approaching of any type of slope, may involve different trick- made in air or on different platforms (borrowed from freestyle) and carving (similar with the alpine style).
Freestyle: it’s usually practiced in snow park sites by conducting various sites trick on rail links, boxes, half pipe in sites, sites etc. quarter pipe.
Free carve (Alpine): the style is represented by speed on trail, which involves only the mountain descents without trick-or return sites.
About the equipment: equipment for snowboarding
Basic equipment for snowboarding consists of:
- Snowboard, called the plate or board.
- Boots, special boots for snowboarding
- Bindings, that links to snowboard.
At which you will add:
- Clothes for snowboarding (trousers and jacket) preferably waterproof and a little wider for more mobility.
- Gloves, hat
- Protection: helmet, knee pads, armrests or for body armor
- Glasses and goggles called
- Do not forget the optional stuff like batik, Headphones for MP3, cap
When you go to trail pants you don’t have to wear jeans, a tracksuit or other material like this because in the mountains are cold temperatures, you can get wet and cold when falling.
