A Look Into The World Of Snowboarding

Those who attended the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano

, Japan in 1998 were the first to see the addition of snowboarding to the list of events that take place. The sport had been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1994. It is really no surprise that it found its way into the largest sports competition in the world. It had been and still is growing in worldwide popularity since the 1960's. In the middle of the 1980's snowboarding was permitted in fewer than 10% of the ski spots in the U. S. Today, in 2010, it is allowed in about 95%.

A snowboard is not too different in design to a skateboard or surfboard. Inside of the water or cement, it is made for a snow covered slope. A snowboard looks somewhat like a wide, short ski. Flexible bindings are used to secure the boot in place, perpendicular to the board rather than facing forward as is the case with skis.

The largest demographic for participants to the sport is young people, aged 18-24. The primary reason is the cost factor. While it may cost $400-$600 to get a pair of skis, one can get himself a snowboard plus boots and bindings for about $200. Another main reason is that its opportunity for athletic creativity makes this a "hip" sport. It allows a person to test out many different styles, tricks and techniques.

The most common form for new snowboarders is freestyle. Few, if any, tricks are added to a run. A freestyle board is generally lighter, wider and more flexible and stable than other boards. With this type of board a newbie has an easier time navigating turns and bumps.

The form most embraced by boarders is freeride. Freeriders can board down dry slopes as well as snow-covered slopes and are able to adapt to various snow conditions, from powdery to icy. A repertoire fro freeriders usually includes a few half pipe, aerial and surface tricks. A freeride board is a stiffer board, which helps riders make hard turns.

When it comes to speed, the form to watch is called freecarving. Since the focus here is on speed, there are rarely tricks or jumps included in a run. Carving is generally done on hard packed snow and involves making very hard turns. This style is not recommended for beginners as an advanced control of the board is required. Freecarve boards, also referred to as Alpine boards, ) will be narrower and longer than most other boards.

One of the big attractions to snowboarding is the opportunities to learn and perform several tricks. As in skateboarding and surfing, tricks involve twists and turns and jumps. Among the popular tricks are melons, nollies, ollies, flails, poptarts, Canadian bacon and Japan air.

It is expected that snowboarding will continue to grow in popularity as a winter sport. Its inclusion in the Winter Olympics helped give this sport the exposure it needed to expand. Television coverage as increased in other events and worldwide competitions, making it as mainstream a sport as any other.

by: Adriana Noton

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