1. Where it All Started
While people have always found ways to get on a piece of board and slide down hills, the sport of snowboarding really came into its own in 1929 when Jack Burchett tied his feet to a plank of board and stood up on it to ride down a snowy hill. Thirty years later a chemical engineer in Michigan designed a board for his little girl by tying two skis together. He called it a snurfer and went on to design the first snowboard. Further innovations were made based on the construction of surfboards.
2. Skaters Took It Over
Skateboarders saw the possibilities in the snurfer and other board riders who were trying out tricks on their snowboards and the sport exploded. They were quickly able to grasp the basics. They had the balance down, knowing how to bend at the knees and move their weight around as they took on various terrains. One of the basic tricks done on a skateboard also was easily transferred to snowboarding. The Ollie is one of the first tricks that a skateboarder learns after getting down the basic ride.
3. The Right Board for Tricks
While a regular riding snowboard should come up to about your nose when you stand it on end, to perform tricks, you need a short board. A short board should come closer to your collarbone or the bottom of your chin.
4. Use Your Hands
Many of the finer ski resorts or snowboarding parks have special ramps and half-pipes built so that snowboarders can get really crazy with their tricks and not bother the other straight skiers. Special spots for tricks also make room for an audience. Handplant are done inside a half-pipe. The snowboarders leans over and puts one hand on the lip of the wall to turn himself around. A handplant can be done backwards with the rear hand, frontward with the front hand or lying back with the rear hand placed in front of the body.
5. Fly When You’re Ready
More than 150,000 injuries are reported each year on snowboard. Especially when you start to try new tricks like a handplant, the odds increase drastically of sustaining an injury. Take the risks seriously and protect yourself with the proper gear. The one place most snowboarders fall is on their tailbone, so get some kind of padding which covers your butt. Never snowboard when you are overtired or intoxicated. Don’t try a new trick until you feel really confidant; fear and anxiety can cause you to tense up and get hurt a lot easier.
About this Author
Linda Ray is an award-winning journalist that covers her subjects by participating in their activity. She’s been seen hiking through steep trails to standing beside a surgeon in the operating room. Ray loves hiking and whitewater rafting.
