Current snowboarding commenced in 1965 when Sherman Poppen, an engineer in muskegon, michigan, invented a toy for his daughters with the aid of fastening two skis together and attaching a rope to 1 give up so he would have a few control as they stood on the board and glided downhill. Dubbed the "snurfer" (combining snow and surfer) by using his spouse nancy, the toy proved so popular among his daughters' pals that poppen licensed the idea to a manufacturer, brunswick corporation, that bought about one million snurfers over the following decade. And, in 1966 alone, over half of one million snurfers have been sold.

In february 1968, poppen prepared the first snurfing competition at a michigan ski hotel that attracted enthusiasts from everywhere in the united states of america. One of these early pioneers changed into tom sims, a devotee of skateboarding (a recreation born in the Nineteen Fifties whilst children connected roller skate wheels to small forums that they advised by moving their weight). As an 8th grader in haddonfield, new jersey, inside the Nineteen Sixties, sims crafted a snowboard in his college store magnificence through gluing carpet to the top of a bit of timber and attaching aluminum sheeting to the lowest. He produced commercial snowboards in the mid-70s.

The pioneers were no longer all from the usa; in 1976, welsh skateboard fans jon roberts and pete matthews developed their personal snowboards to apply at their local dry ski slope.

Also during this same period, in 1977, jake burton chippie, a vermont local who had enjoyed snurfing for the reason that age of 14, inspired the crowd at a michigan snurfing competition with bindings he had designed to relaxed his feet to the board. That identical 12 months, he based burton snowboards in londonderry, vermont. The "snowboards" had been manufactured from wooden planks that had been flexible and had water ski foot traps. Very few people picked up skiing because the rate of the board changed into considered too high at $38 and have been not allowed on many ski hills, but in the end burton might turn out to be the largest snowboarding employer in the commercial enterprise. Burton's early designs for boards with bindings became the dominant features in skiing.

Inside the early 1980s, aleksey ostatnigrosh and alexei melnikov, two snurfers from the soviet union, patented design modifications to the snurfer to permit jumping by attaching a bungee wire, a single footed binding to the snurfer tail, and a two-foot binding design for progressed control.

The damage fee for snowboarding is about 4 to 6 consistent with thousand humans according to day, which is round double the harm charge for alpine skiing. Injuries are much more likely among beginners, mainly individuals who do now not take training with expert teachers. A quarter of all accidents arise to first-time riders and half of of all accidents arise to people with less than a 12 months of revel in. Skilled riders are much less possibly to go through injury, but the accidents that do occur tend to be more extreme.

Thirds of accidents occur to the top frame and one third to the decrease body. This contrasts with alpine skiing where two thirds of accidents are to the decrease body. The maximum not unusual forms of accidents are sprains, which account for round 40% of accidents. The maximum commonplace point of injury is the wrists – forty% of all snowboard accidents are to the wrists and 24% of all snowboard accidents are wrist fractures. There are around a hundred,000 wrist fractures worldwide among snowboarders each yr.[58] for this reason the use of wrist guards, both separate or built into gloves, could be very strongly encouraged. They're often obligatory in amateur's classes and their use reduces the chance of wrist injury by half. Similarly it's miles essential for snow boarders to discover ways to fall with out stopping the fall with their hand by way of trying to "push" the slope away, as touchdown a wrist that is bent at a 90 diploma attitude growth the risk of it breaking. As a substitute, landing with the palms stretched out (like a wing) and slapping the slope with the complete arm is an powerful manner to interrupt a fall. This is the approach utilized by practitioners of judo and different martial arts to break a fall whilst they're thrown towards the floor by means of a training partner.

The risk of head harm is to 6 times greater for snowboarders than for skiers and accidents follow the pattern of being rarer, however extra intense, with experienced riders. Head injuries can occur both attributable to a collision and while failing to perform a heel-side turn. The latter can result in the rider touchdown on his or her back and slamming the back of his or her head onto the ground, ensuing in an occipital head damage. For this reason, helmets are widely advocated. Shielding eyewear is likewise advocated as eye injury can be because of impact and snow blindness may be a end result of publicity to strong extremely-violet mild in snow-covered areas. The carrying of extremely-violet-soaking up goggles is recommended even on hazy or cloudy days as ultra-violet mild can penetrate clouds.

In contrast to ski bindings, snowboard bindings are not designed to launch routinely in a fall. The mechanical aid provided by the toes being locked to the board has the effect of lowering the chance of knee injury – 15% of snowboard injuries are to the knee, compared with 45% of all skiing injuries. Such injuries are usually to the knee ligaments, bone fractures are uncommon. Fractures to the decrease leg also are rare however 20% of injuries are to the foot and ankle. Fractures of the talus bone are uncommon in different sports activities however account for two% of snowboard injuries – a lateral system talus fracture is from time to time known as "snowboarder's ankle" by means of medical staff. This precise damage outcomes in persistent lateral ache in the affected ankle yet is hard to spot in a undeniable x-ray photograph. It may be misdiagnosed as just a sprain, with in all likelihood critical results as no longer treating the fracture can result in critical lengthy-term damage to the ankle. Using transportable ultrasound for mountainside diagnostics has been reviewed and looks to be a plausible tool for diagnosing some of the common accidents related to the sport.

Four to 8 percentage of snowboarding injuries take location while the person is ready in ski-lift traces or getting into and exiting ski lifts. Snowboarders push themselves ahead with a free foot at the same time as inside the ski-carry line, leaving the opposite foot (commonly that of the lead leg) locked at the board at a 9–27 degree attitude, setting a large torque pressure on this leg and predisposing the character to knee harm if a fall occurs. Snowboard binding rotating devices are designed to decrease the torque pressure, brief stance being the primary advanced in 1995. They allow snowboarders to show the locked foot instantly into the direction of the top of the snowboard without getting rid of the boot from the boot binding.