Snowboarding.
Publié le 06/12/2021
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Snowboarding.
I
INTRODUCTION
Snowboarding, sport often described as "surfing on snow." Snowboarders descend a slope by standing sideways on a lightweight board about 150 cm (about 5 ft) long,
attached to their feet. The sport, which originated in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, borrows techniques and tricks from surfing and
skateboarding. Snowboarding gained popularity rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, partly because it is easy to learn. Most riders attain a degree of proficiency after only a
few sessions. The sense of freedom the sport offers, in equipment and techniques, adds to its appeal.
II
FUNDAMENTALS
Snowboarding can take place wherever skiing does, except on flat, cross-country trails. No poles are used, making it difficult to traverse flat terrain. Deep snow is ideal.
Most winter resorts now have special areas for snowboarding known as halfpipes. A halfpipe is a long, deep trench dug in the snow and shaped like a pipe cut in half
along its length. Riders "drop in" the pipe, using the walls of the trench to launch themselves into the air and perform a variety of jumps and spins. Halfpipes are
located in terrain parks, which consist of easy to intermediate slopes augmented with a variety of bumps, jumps, gaps, and other features that riders use for jumping
and doing tricks. Tricks range from riding backwards to spectacular spins and flips performed in the halfpipe.
Unlike skiers, who shift their weight from one ski to the other, snowboarders shift their weight from heels (heelside) to toes as well as from one end of the board to the
other. When snowboarders shift their weight toward the nose (front of the board), the board heads downhill. When snowboarders shift their weight toward the tail
(back of the board), they head uphill or slow down. Riders achieve quick turns by pushing the back foot forward or pulling it backward to change direction. They stop
the board's motion by pushing heels or toes down hard to dig the edge of the snowboard into the snow.
III
EQUIPMENT
Snowboarding requires a board, bindings, and boots, as well as suitable clothing for the conditions. There are three basic board types: freestyle, carving, and freeride
(also called freecarve or all-mountain). Freestyle boards are the shortest and widest of the snowboards, to make turning and executing tricks easy. They have twin tips,
a design in which both ends of the board turn up slightly (like the tip of a ski) to facilitate both forward and backward travel. Carving boards are longer and stiffer than
freestyle boards and are directional (designed to travel predominantly in one direction). Because they are narrower at the center of the board, they carve turns well.
They also perform well on hard or icy slopes. Most freeride or all-mountain boards are also directional. They fall in between freestyle and carving boards in terms of
stiffness, length, and turning ability, and perform well in a variety of conditions.
Board lengths vary according to the size of the rider and the type of riding the person does. Sizes of adult snowboards range from about 140 cm to 180 cm (about 4 ft
7 in to 5 ft 11 in). Freestyle boards are shortest, for easy maneuverability. Freeride boards are of medium length, and carving boards are still longer, to handle higher
speeds. The longest are Alpine race boards, which may be as long as 190 cm (6 ft 3 in). A variety of bindings are used to hold the boots to the board, including metal
fasteners, plastic straps, and step-in versions. Bindings with high backs behind the heels provide support and added leverage on turns.
Layering is the best way to dress for snowboarding, with an inside layer for warmth and wicking away moisture, a middle layer for insulation, and an outer layer for
wind and water resistance.
IV
COMPETITION
Two international bodies govern snowboarding competition. The International Snowboard Federation (ISF) was founded in 1991. In 1994 the Fédération Internationale
de Ski (FIS), the international governing body for skiing, recognized snowboarding as a discipline and started a World Cup tour, the highest level of amateur
competition. In 1998 the sport was added to the Winter Olympic Games, with medals awarded for the men's and women's giant slalom (an Alpine racing event) and
halfpipe events. National bodies under ISF and FIS jurisdiction also hold competitions.
Most snowboarding competitions consist of both Alpine races and freestyle events. Alpine races resemble Alpine skiing events: A racer must navigate through a series of
gates set on a hill, and the competitor with the fastest time wins. Races are designated slalom, giant slalom, and super giant slalom, depending on how close together
the gates are set.
Halfpipe, the most popular freestyle event, takes place in a huge snow trough. Competitors perform tricks, which are judged by height, landings, difficulty, and other
criteria. Other snowboarding events are boardercross and slopestyle. Boardercross combines aspects of freestyle and Alpine racing. Groups of four to six riders start
together and navigate a giant slalom course with banked turns, jumps, and other features. The first two or three finishers advance to the next round until a winner is
declared. Slopestyle is similar to halfpipe, but is performed in a series of jumps and stunts over obstacles in the terrain park.
Contests that are not sanctioned by the ISF or the FIS often feature showier events, such as "Big Air" competitions, and music is often an important component of
these. The World Extreme Snowboarding Championships, held annually in Valdez, Alaska, is an unsanctioned event. In extreme contests snowboarders ride through
narrow chutes, over steep drop-offs, and other difficult terrain.
V
HISTORY
Snowboarding was developed independently by three Americans: Tom Sims, Jake Burton Carpenter, and Dimitrije Milovich. Sims is often credited with building the first
snowboard in 1963, when he modified a skateboard to slide on snow, an idea influenced in part by his experience surfing. Carpenter tinkered with a snow toy called a
Snurfer (a board with a rope attached to its front end) in the late 1960s and later realized how ski technology could improve snowboarding. Milovich, an East Coast
surfer, got his inspiration from sliding on snow on cafeteria trays and based his snowboard designs on surfboards.
Snowboarding appealed initially to a small group of surfers, skateboarders, and back-country enthusiasts. Three factors helped popularize the sport during the 1980s.
First, materials and technology borrowed from ski manufacturing made riding on snow easier. For example, manufacturers added metal edges and made snowboards
narrower at the centers to facilitate turning. Second, a skateboard revival in the 1980s helped popularize snowboarding when skateboarders took it up as a winter
alternative. The third factor was the opening of ski areas to snowboarders. In 1983 less than 10 percent of United States ski areas allowed snowboarding, but by 1997
few resorts excluded it.
The first competitive snowboarding event was a small contest in Leadville, Colorado, in 1981. The following year the first National Snowboarding Championships were
held at Suicide Six in Woodstock, Vermont. In 1985 the World Snowboarding Championships were launched in Lake Tahoe, California; the FIS now holds world
championships annually, and the ISF holds a separate event, also called the world championships, biannually.
In 1986 Europeans began organizing regional events. The International Snowboard Federation held its first World Championships in 1993. At the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano, Japan, Europeans took nine of the 12 medals awarded. At the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, however, the United States led the way with five
medals, including a 1-2-3 finish in the men's halfpipe competition.
Contributed By:
Mary McKhann
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Snowboarding.
I
INTRODUCTION
Snowboarding, sport often described as "surfing on snow." Snowboarders descend a slope by standing sideways on a lightweight board about 150 cm (about 5 ft) long,
attached to their feet. The sport, which originated in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, borrows techniques and tricks from surfing and
skateboarding. Snowboarding gained popularity rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, partly because it is easy to learn. Most riders attain a degree of proficiency after only a
few sessions. The sense of freedom the sport offers, in equipment and techniques, adds to its appeal.
II
FUNDAMENTALS
Snowboarding can take place wherever skiing does, except on flat, cross-country trails. No poles are used, making it difficult to traverse flat terrain. Deep snow is ideal.
Most winter resorts now have special areas for snowboarding known as halfpipes. A halfpipe is a long, deep trench dug in the snow and shaped like a pipe cut in half
along its length. Riders "drop in" the pipe, using the walls of the trench to launch themselves into the air and perform a variety of jumps and spins. Halfpipes are
located in terrain parks, which consist of easy to intermediate slopes augmented with a variety of bumps, jumps, gaps, and other features that riders use for jumping
and doing tricks. Tricks range from riding backwards to spectacular spins and flips performed in the halfpipe.
Unlike skiers, who shift their weight from one ski to the other, snowboarders shift their weight from heels (heelside) to toes as well as from one end of the board to the
other. When snowboarders shift their weight toward the nose (front of the board), the board heads downhill. When snowboarders shift their weight toward the tail
(back of the board), they head uphill or slow down. Riders achieve quick turns by pushing the back foot forward or pulling it backward to change direction. They stop
the board's motion by pushing heels or toes down hard to dig the edge of the snowboard into the snow.
III
EQUIPMENT
Snowboarding requires a board, bindings, and boots, as well as suitable clothing for the conditions. There are three basic board types: freestyle, carving, and freeride
(also called freecarve or all-mountain). Freestyle boards are the shortest and widest of the snowboards, to make turning and executing tricks easy. They have twin tips,
a design in which both ends of the board turn up slightly (like the tip of a ski) to facilitate both forward and backward travel. Carving boards are longer and stiffer than
freestyle boards and are directional (designed to travel predominantly in one direction). Because they are narrower at the center of the board, they carve turns well.
They also perform well on hard or icy slopes. Most freeride or all-mountain boards are also directional. They fall in between freestyle and carving boards in terms of
stiffness, length, and turning ability, and perform well in a variety of conditions.
Board lengths vary according to the size of the rider and the type of riding the person does. Sizes of adult snowboards range from about 140 cm to 180 cm (about 4 ft
7 in to 5 ft 11 in). Freestyle boards are shortest, for easy maneuverability. Freeride boards are of medium length, and carving boards are still longer, to handle higher
speeds. The longest are Alpine race boards, which may be as long as 190 cm (6 ft 3 in). A variety of bindings are used to hold the boots to the board, including metal
fasteners, plastic straps, and step-in versions. Bindings with high backs behind the heels provide support and added leverage on turns.
Layering is the best way to dress for snowboarding, with an inside layer for warmth and wicking away moisture, a middle layer for insulation, and an outer layer for
wind and water resistance.
IV
COMPETITION
Two international bodies govern snowboarding competition. The International Snowboard Federation (ISF) was founded in 1991. In 1994 the Fédération Internationale
de Ski (FIS), the international governing body for skiing, recognized snowboarding as a discipline and started a World Cup tour, the highest level of amateur
competition. In 1998 the sport was added to the Winter Olympic Games, with medals awarded for the men's and women's giant slalom (an Alpine racing event) and
halfpipe events. National bodies under ISF and FIS jurisdiction also hold competitions.
Most snowboarding competitions consist of both Alpine races and freestyle events. Alpine races resemble Alpine skiing events: A racer must navigate through a series of
gates set on a hill, and the competitor with the fastest time wins. Races are designated slalom, giant slalom, and super giant slalom, depending on how close together
the gates are set.
Halfpipe, the most popular freestyle event, takes place in a huge snow trough. Competitors perform tricks, which are judged by height, landings, difficulty, and other
criteria. Other snowboarding events are boardercross and slopestyle. Boardercross combines aspects of freestyle and Alpine racing. Groups of four to six riders start
together and navigate a giant slalom course with banked turns, jumps, and other features. The first two or three finishers advance to the next round until a winner is
declared. Slopestyle is similar to halfpipe, but is performed in a series of jumps and stunts over obstacles in the terrain park.
Contests that are not sanctioned by the ISF or the FIS often feature showier events, such as "Big Air" competitions, and music is often an important component of
these. The World Extreme Snowboarding Championships, held annually in Valdez, Alaska, is an unsanctioned event. In extreme contests snowboarders ride through
narrow chutes, over steep drop-offs, and other difficult terrain.
V
HISTORY
Snowboarding was developed independently by three Americans: Tom Sims, Jake Burton Carpenter, and Dimitrije Milovich. Sims is often credited with building the first
snowboard in 1963, when he modified a skateboard to slide on snow, an idea influenced in part by his experience surfing. Carpenter tinkered with a snow toy called a
Snurfer (a board with a rope attached to its front end) in the late 1960s and later realized how ski technology could improve snowboarding. Milovich, an East Coast
surfer, got his inspiration from sliding on snow on cafeteria trays and based his snowboard designs on surfboards.
Snowboarding appealed initially to a small group of surfers, skateboarders, and back-country enthusiasts. Three factors helped popularize the sport during the 1980s.
First, materials and technology borrowed from ski manufacturing made riding on snow easier. For example, manufacturers added metal edges and made snowboards
narrower at the centers to facilitate turning. Second, a skateboard revival in the 1980s helped popularize snowboarding when skateboarders took it up as a winter
alternative. The third factor was the opening of ski areas to snowboarders. In 1983 less than 10 percent of United States ski areas allowed snowboarding, but by 1997
few resorts excluded it.
The first competitive snowboarding event was a small contest in Leadville, Colorado, in 1981. The following year the first National Snowboarding Championships were
held at Suicide Six in Woodstock, Vermont. In 1985 the World Snowboarding Championships were launched in Lake Tahoe, California; the FIS now holds world
championships annually, and the ISF holds a separate event, also called the world championships, biannually.
In 1986 Europeans began organizing regional events. The International Snowboard Federation held its first World Championships in 1993. At the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano, Japan, Europeans took nine of the 12 medals awarded. At the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, however, the United States led the way with five
medals, including a 1-2-3 finish in the men's halfpipe competition.
Contributed By:
Mary McKhann
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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