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Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games.

First played

1979, Muskegon, Michigan, US

Outdoor

Snowboarding was developed in the United States, inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing, and skiing. It became popular around the world and was introduced as a Winter Olympic Sport at Nagano in 1998[1] and featured in the Winter Paralympics at Sochi in 2014.[2] As of 2015, its popularity (as measured by equipment sales) in the United States peaked in 2007 and has been in a decline since.[3][4]

boards are narrower, longer, and stiffer to improve performance

carving

are made from a hard plastic shell, making it flex differently from a regular snowboard boot and is designed differently to ski boots although they look similar.

boots

have a bail or step-in design and are sometimes placed on suspension plates to provide a layer of isolation between an alpine snowboarder and the board, to decrease the level of vibrations felt by the rider, creating a better overall experience when carving, and to give extra weight to the board among other uses.

bindings

Subculture[edit]

The snowboarding way of life came about as a natural response to the culture from which it emerged. Early on, there was a rebellion against skiing culture and the view that snowboarders were inferior. Skiers did not easily accept this new culture on their slopes. The two cultures contrasted each other in several ways including how they spoke, acted, and their entire style of clothing. Snowboarders first embraced the punk and later the hip-hop look into their style. Words such as "dude", "gnarly", and "Shred the Gnar" are some examples of words used in the snowboarding culture. Snowboarding subculture became a crossover between the urban and suburban styles on snow, which made an easy transition from surfing and skateboarding culture over to snowboarding culture.[51] In fact many skateboarders and surfers in the winter months snowboarded and were the early snowboarders.[51]


The early stereotypes of snowboarding included "lazy", "grungy", "punk", "stoners", "troublemakers", and numerous others, many of which are associated with skateboarding and surfing as well. However, these stereotypes may be considered out of style. Snowboarding has become a sport that encompasses a very diverse international based crowd and fanbase of many millions, so much so that it is no longer possible to stereotype such a large community. Reasons for these dying stereotypes include how mainstream and popular the sport has become, with the shock factor of snowboarding's quick take off on the slopes wearing off. Skiers and snowboarders are becoming used to each other, showing more respect to each other on the mountain. "The typical stereotype of the sport is changing as the demographics change".[52] While these two subcultures are now becoming accustomed to each other, there are still three resorts, in the United States, which do not allow snowboarding. Alta, Deer Valley, and Mad River Glen are the last skiing only resorts in North America and have become a focal point over time for the remaining animosity between snowboarding and skiing.

Common injuries[edit]

Common injuries in snowboarding differ between professional and recreational groups. The most common type of injury for snowboarders is injury to the upper body. In recreational snowboarding, wrist injuries are more likely to occur. Among professional snowboarders, injuries to the lower half, specifically the knee joint, are more likely to occur. When injured, snowboarders are twice as likely to get a fracture as skiers. Other minor injuries that happen are "wrist injuries, shoulder soft tissue injuries, ankle injuries, concussions, and clavicle fractures, were seen injuries are very common when snowboarding".[53] In recreational and inexperienced "Most Injuries to snowboarders occurred more often while they were traveling at reckless speed on moderate slopes".[54] Another way injuries happen is because they try sticking with someone that is a higher skill level, which they are not capable of handling because of the lack of skill they possess. Some major injuries that occur during snowboarding are head, and spinal Injuries, "The main cause of spinal fractures in snowboarders was Jump landing failure and Compression type fractures occur in about 80% of snowboarders with vertebral fractures because they frequently fall backwards, and this can cause axial loading and anterior compression fractures".[55] Injuries to the upper body are much less common among professional snowboarders. "Most of the professionals and elite snowboarders frequently sustain injuries when trying to execute challenging tricks at high speeds and with increased levels of force to the lower limbs".[56]

Notable Terminology[edit]

Stance Terminology[edit]

The way in which a snowboarder normally rides most on their snowboard as determined by the placement of their feet and direction of travel.[75]

(born 1989), American snowboarder

Callan Chythlook-Sifsof

(born 1975), American snowboarder

Rosey Fletcher

(born 1965 or 1966), American former snowboarding coach; suspended for 10 years for sexual misconduct

Peter Foley

(born 1998), Japanese snowboarder

Ayumu Hirano

(born 2000), American snowboarder

Chloe Kim

(born 1994), Canadian snowboarder

Max Parrot

(born 2001), New Zealand snowboarder

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott

(born 1986), American snowboarder and skateboarder

Shaun White

(born 2004), Chinese snowboarder

Su Yiming

(born 1994), Australian snowboarder

Scotty James

American Association of Snowboard Instructors

Glossary of skiing and snowboarding terms

Lazboard

Sandboarding

Skiboarding

PSIA-AASI Website

at Curlie

Snowboarding links