Surfing on Snow
People have always wanted to fly; snowboarding can give that feeling. Imagine getting launched fifteen feet into the air and sixty feet down a ski slope. This is just one of the thrills of snowboarding that has been suppressed for a number of years. Snowboarding had a hard struggle to get where it is today and has helped spark a new era for skiing. If skiers and snowboarders respect the rights of others then there would be no problems and all of the thrill seekers at the resort could have an enjoyable experience. Since the late 1980s, snowboarding has been the overwhelming choice of young people entering the market. According to a NSAA, National Ski Areas Association, commissioned study, nearly two-thirds of young people ages 12 to 24 chose snowboarding over skiing. (Hood)
When snowboarding began to go mainstream it forced skiing to go extreme. Major players (the major ski manufactures) in the ski industry are promoting the generations of hot-dog skiers to put a fresh face on skiing and give the sport a much needed makeover. (Hood) Snowboarding has opened a whole new era for skiing and there is no turning back now. All the skiers and boarders are going extreme. There is an increased danger but with some common courtesy accidents can be avoided and all of the skiers and boarders can get the chance to fly for a while.
Snowboarding is a relatively new sport. It has only become popular in the last ten years. A small group including Jake Burton, Chuck Barfoot, and Tom Sims pioneered snowboarding in the late 1970's. All of whom now head or have lead snowboard companies with Burton being the largest snowboard manufacturer in the world. (Wallace, pg. 8.02) Most snowboarders got chased off the slop...
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...d to be allowed on the sloped so end the friction and have fun going extreme.
Bibliography:
Work Cited
Andrew, Paul. "A True Story: The First Snowboarder on Blackcomb." Whistler The Magazine winter of 98: pg.12.
Atkin, Ross. "A Man Who Helped Skiers Get on the Snowboard." The Christian Science Monitor 11 February 1998:12. Newsbank.
Gordon, Michael. "Outlaws No Longer. These are Sweet Days for Area Snowboarders." Sun-Journal (Lewiston, ME) 5 January 1998. Newsbank.
Hood, Andrew. "Ski Industry Takes Extreme Approach to Future Growth." Denver Post 8 March, 1998: A1. Newsbank.
Wallace, Mark. "The Snowboarding FAQ." 1 January, 1999: 30 pages. On-line. Internet. 1/13/99.
http://www.dejanews.com/post.xp?NG=rec.ski.snowboard&Sub=Re:%20***%20The%20FAQ%20***&REF=%3c915209466.755939@iris.nyx.net%3e&AN=427748899.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that snowboarding has opened a whole new era for skiing. major ski manufactures are creating "teams" of free ride, extreme, skiers.
- Opines that skiers and snowboarders are on the slopes to have fun, not to fight. snowboard discrimination is like blaming a car for driving out of control.
- Opines that snowboarding has helped spark a new era for skiing, since it has been the overwhelming choice of young people entering the market.
- Opines that skiers and snowboarders need to respect the rights of others when going to the resorts.
- Advises skiers and snowboarders to observe all posted signs and warnings, and to load, ride and unload safely before using any lift.
- Opines that snowboarding mainstreamed the sport in a positive way. snowboarders have fought for the right to board.
- Explains that andrew, paul, and gordon, michael, "outlaws no longer. these are sweet days for area snowboarders." the denver post.
Related
- explanatory
- analytical
- comparative
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In this essay, the author
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- Explains that snowboarders were perceived as daredevil adolescents who posed a threat to skiers in the early 1980s. resorts realized that the average young person was abandoning skiing and learning the new trend of snowboarding.
- Describes sherman poppen's snurfer, which was a cross between snowboarding and snow. the brunswick corporation was the first company to mass-produce it.
- Explains that tom sims, a skateboarder from new jersey, had an idea for the snurfer while poppen was developing it.
- Explains that jake burton carpenter, a surfer from long island, new york, had the idea not to skate on the ice, but rather to surf the mountain. burton entered his design in the national snurfer open competition.
- Explains that burton snowboards have become the most popular boards on the slopes today. jake burton is considered "mr. snowboard" because he has 40 to 45% marketshare overall.
- Explains that snowboarding was outlawed at most ski resorts due to the snurfer's reputation for unpredictability. the insurance companies didn't cover the snowboarders, and the resort did not want to be liable if an accident occurred.
- Explains that snowboarding was becoming popular among surfers and skateboarders, and that the young snowboarders were discriminated against and created friction between them and the skiers.
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- Explains that snowboarding is easier to learn than skiing, since it is closely related to skateboarding and surfing. older people can learn the sport easier if they have gone skiing before.
- Explains that today's equipment makes snowboarding much easier to learn and takes less skill when compared to snurfer days. the invention of highback binding allowed snowboarders to have a lot more ankle support.
- Explains that the basic motions of snowboarding are very simple to learn. a person should keep their weight on their front foot, keep the knees bent, and use their arms to help with balancing.
- Explains that snowboarders are easier to get up and go down the mountain, since the board is attached to the feet with bindings. skis are designed to come unattached from the boots if they get caught in the snow.
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- Explains how snowboarding became a winter olympic sport with pioneers such as sherman poppen, tom sims, and jake burton.
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596 wordsRead More