This book provides a comprehensive look at the snowboarding phenomenon, including its history; techniques and equipment; biographies of the sport's pioneers, athletes, and heroes; key sites and events; and future directions.
While snowboarding didn't become a commercial success until the early 1980s, the roots of the modern snowboard go back to at least 1964, when Sherman Poppen invented the "Snurfer" by bolting two skis together and adding a rope for stability. Today snowboarding is one of the most prominent and appealing youth sports. Want proof? Professional snowboarder and two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White was the highest paid athlete entering the 2010 Winter Olympics with an estimated annual salary of $10 million.
The book is a highly accessible and extensive overview of snowboarding, providing an introduction to the sport and lifestyle of snowboarding; a historical timeline of the rapid growth of snowboarding; techniques and equipment used; and a discussion of key places and events, such as Alaska, Winter X Games, and the Winter Olympics.
Draws on interviews with more than 100 snowboardersProvides a chronology of snowboarding, starting from the mid 1960s to the presentIncludes biographical sketches of pioneers, athletes, and heroes, such as Jake Burton, Shaun White, and Craig KellyIncludes numerous photographs illustrating snowboarding in different sites, key events, and various styles of participationA bibliography lists the most useful, reliable, and accessible resources for understanding the topic, including videos and organizational listingsA glossary defines key termsEach chapter includes interesting sidebars on related issues, controversies, people, events, and even pop culture tie-ins
- ISBN10 661339436X
- ISBN13 9786613394361
- Publish Date 31 January 2012 (first published 6 January 2012)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 14 March 2012
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Greenwood
- Format eBook
- Pages 190
- Language English