Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a
snow-covered slope on a snowboard that is attached to one's feet using
a boot/binding interface. It is similar to skiing, but inspired by
surfing and skateboarding. The sport was developed in the United States
in the 1960s and the 1970s and became a Winter Olympic Sport in 1998.
Some of its pioneers include: Craig Kelly, Tom Sims, Ben Kenison, Jake
Burton Carpenter, and Terry Kidwell. It is constantly increasing in
popularity, although the sport has matured lately and growth has slowed.
Although many snowboarders do not wear any
protective gear, helmets and some other devices are gaining in
popularity. Wearing protective gear is highly recommended due to the
dangerous nature of alpine sports (especially freestyle snowboarding).
The body parts most affected by injuries are the wrist, tailbone,the
head, and the ankles. (also knee ligaments amongst professional
riders).
Useful safety gear includes wrist guards, padded or
protected snowboard pants and a helmet. Snowboarding boots must be
worn. It is best that you wear boots that fit you, which means your
toes must be snug in the end of the boot, as to minimize movement
inside the boot (too tight is better than too loose). Goggles are used
by most people, and are very crucial at high altitudes on bright days
to prevent snow blindness. Goggles also protect riders from temporary
vision loss due to snow getting in eyes that can result in impact into
terrain or obstacles. Padding can be useful on other body parts like
the hips, knees, spine, and shoulders.
Attempting to visit the backcountry zones outside
the ski areas is an activity gaining popularity with the countless
snowboarders looking for fresh, untracked lines away from the crowds on
the groomed runs. There is always a risk of avalanches and its good to
take some precautions. When entering the backcountry a snowboarder
should be sure to carry these items and have prior knowledge of their
use: Avalanche transceiver, backpack, shovel, and probe. Avalanches are
no joke, and sometimes even the most experienced backcountry riders are
caught off guard, and die horribly . Exercise the three Cs: Always be
Cautious, Careful, and Caring when riding out of bounds.
What is ever so more popular now is terrain parks.
Terrain parks include: rails, jumps, logs (jibs), boxes, and halfpipe.
These features are used to bust-out some of the biggest snowboarding
tricks to date; from the cork switch back 9 to a frontside nose wheelie
to tail slappy on that kink rail. With more and more people taking the
terrain park for a shred today many people are also getting hurt. It is
important to wear a helmet and pay attention to your surroundings. It
is not uncommon to have a fellow shred sledder (snowboarder) collide
into you when you are or both you are not paying attention. It is also
very important know what your limits are. do not push yourself to do
something that you are not sure of, but if you do, make sure you are
100% committed to it.
