Snowboarding Facts
The sport of snowboarding came to fruition in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. It involves using a piece of equipment that is similar in principle to a surfboard, but with a boot that is set into the board for the feet. The snowboarder travels down a snow-covered slope much like skiers do. Advanced snowboarders have the ability to change directions and do a number of tricks and jumps with a snowboard, which eventually led to it becoming an Olympic sport.
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History
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Snowboarding can trace its advent to 1965 when a Michigan native named Sherman Poppen connected two skis and put a rope on one end for his daughter to play on. This forefather of the snowboard was looked upon as just a toy, but it caught the attention of Jack Burton from Vermont. Burton made improvements to the idea, making his model out of laminated wood and adding bindings which could hold a boot in place on the board. By 1977 he was selling his type of snowboard, making advancements until, by 1980, the snowboard closely resembled its present form. The first snowboarding competition took place in Vermont in 1982, but ski resorts were slow to allow snowboarders on their slopes. However, as safety and comfort features made snowboarding easier more people took up the sport, by 1998 it was part of the Winter Olympics in Japan, and now snowboarding accounts for half of all resort activity.
Features
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Snowboards are constructed using various kinds of wood, fiberglass or other materials. The board is coated with a layer of fiberglass to make it able to go over the snow with less friction. The front end of the snowboard is turned up so that it will not dig into the snow. Snowboard binding are the feature of a board that keep you on the board itself for the trip down the slope. Strap-on bindings lock over your boot with straps, with an ankle and heel support; step-in bindings are for specially made boots that snap into the binding and lock into place. The boots are either soft boots for strap-on snowboards or step-in boots for the step-in bindings.
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Types
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Snowboarding in the Winter Olympics consists of six events. The halfpipe competition for both men and women is held in a half-cylinder designed course that is dug into the slope. The snowboarders use their speed to climb the sides of the course and then perform difficult aerial tricks for which they are judged. The men's and women's parallel giant slalom is a one-on-one race down the slope around various points on the course, with a 16-person tournament setup that eventually matches the best racers in the final. The snowboard cross features 4 snowboarders coming down at once over a course full of jumps and different obstacles, with the top finishers advancing to race for the gold medal.
Warning
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Snowboarding can result in injuries like any other athletic endeavor. The most common is an injury to the wrist, most often happening when the person loses balance and falls onto an outstretched hand. This can cause a wrist fracture, which can be a serious and long-lasting problem. Knee injuries can occur while snowboarding, but ankle injuries are much more common, with sprains comprising the majority. Most head injuries that occur while snowboarding are minor, coming from hitting the head during a fall in the snow.
Prevention/Solution
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Purchasing wrist guards can keep you safe from wrist fractures, as can remembering to keep your fists clenched and your arms at your side when you do fall. Many knee injuries occur on the ski lifts bringing a snowboarder to the top of a slope when the board gets twisted underneath them. A helmet should always be worn while snowboarding to decrease the chance of a head injury.
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Resources
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