Snowboarding has become popular in only the last 10 years. The trend really began with a sled hill toy, shaped like a water ski, called a snurfer. The modern snowboard slowly evolved from this sled toy, as the snurfer became more sophisticated. After experimenting with the original design, the inventor finally configured a retention device that locked the rider's feet in place. Thus the first snowboard was created. This began a trend that would rapidly increase in popularity until it became the sport we know now as snowboarding.
Skiing was the most popular snow sport when snowboarding came about. Snowboarding boots evolved from the hard shell-type ski boots to the looser and more comfortable boots currently on the market. Snowboarding inventors quickly realized that the hard-shelled ski boots did not allow ample heel and ankle support to the rider, and also inhibited the rider's control of the board. Since the art of carving involved the use of these parts, a new type of boot, much more like the modern shoe, was designed. Newer versions of boots were developed and tested as the sport grew in popularity.
Foot retention devices called bindings were soon to follow, developed by some of today's leading snowboarding companies. Burton was one of the major designers of the modern binding. At last, after an endless series of modifications, the structure of the snowboard was complete. The boards were finally ready to hit the slopes. In 1985, only 7% of U.S. ski areas allowed snowboards; today 95% do, and over half have half-pipes and other parks especially designed for the sole purpose of pleasing snowboarding enthusiasts.
Snowboarding is definitely a rapidly growing sport. One way to keep up with this sport is to check the Internet. Pictures, descriptions of boards, prices, and other related information can be found posted everywhere on the Web. There are daily updated ski conditions, lift ticket prices, maps of mountains including runs and chairlifts, and just about anything else that you can hope to obtain on the sport. Here are some worthwhile sites that contain a good deal of useful information regarding snowboarding:
Snowboarding: General Information
This is a great site to get a lot of general information on the sport of snowboarding. It gives a general statement on what snowboarding is, the basic history of snowboarding, the kinds of equipment needed for the sport, and a brief lesson on starting out learning how to snowboard. A good site with a lot of valuable information.
This is the easiest possible way of locating the ski conditions of Mammoth and June mountains. There is the ski conditions updated daily, a fairly long description of what is likely to occur in the day (what chairlifts will be open/closed, what runs etc.), as well as the condition of the snow (powdery, icy, etc.) and predicted weather conditions. Definitely a great site to check out if you plan to do some skiing/snowboarding at any of these resorts.
K2 Sports On-line Ski Conditions Web Server
This Web page is an excellent source for locating information on ski conditions throughout the United States as well as Canada. This Web page is maintained by K2 Sports, and is therefore one of the best areas of coverage of ski conditions on the World Wide Web. if you are planning to do some skiing/snowboarding this year, then definitely check out this site. Updated within the last 24 hours.