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Snowboarding is a winter sport that involves using a “snow board” instead of skis to traverse a mountain slope. Unlike skate boarding, the snowboard is securely connected to the snowboarder’s feet with the use of special harnesses and special boots specifically made for the purpose.
Aside from skate boarding, snowboarding also has development influences coming from the sports of skiing and even surfing. It was first developed in the United States in the late 1960’s and in the early 1970’s. It finally became an official event in the Winter Olympics in 1998.
The sport of snowboarding as it is known today is said to have been started by an engineer in Michigan by the name of Sherman Poppen. He made the first snowboard when he crafted a snow riding toy for his daughter by fastening together a couple of skis and securing a rope on it for control. This “toy” soon became so popular to the friends of Sherman’s daughter and to other children as well that he was able to sell a license for it to a commercial manufacturer. With many of the snow surfing toys made – the manufacturer was said to have sold more than a million units – the toy was soon dubbed the “snurfer”, a combination of the words snow and surfer.
Although snowboarding is a fun and exciting sport, it does come with a high risk of injury. Compared to alpine skiing, snowboarding has an injury rate which is twice as high. Beginners account for most of these injuries however, especially those who take up the sport without getting professional lessons from licensed instructors. Almost a fourth of recorded injuries are suffered by those who are riding a snowboard for the first time and more than half of all injuries are suffered by snowboarders who have been snowboarding for less than a year. There are a lot less injuries reported by the more experienced snowboarders but their injuries however are usually a lot more severe.
In order to minimize injuries when snowboarding, proper attention to the gear should be given the highest priority. The boots should be properly fitted for the snowboarder. The toes should be snug and comfortable inside the boot without allowing too much movement of the feet inside. Sufficient amount of padding or “body armor” should worn by all snowboarders, regardless of how much experience the snowboarder has. Padding for the most injury prone body parts such as the spine, the knees, and the shoulders should never be forgotten.
To further decrease the occurrence of injuries, a snowboarder should learn the proper way to snowboard. This is especially so when it comes to injuries suffered in the knees. Proper technique in snowboarding will greatly decrease the stress and the tension that is absorbed by the knees during a ride. To learn the proper technique, a beginner should seek the help of an experienced and qualified snowboarding instructor. Learning from experienced friends is not really recommended. Friends may forget to inform you of many important aspects of the sport. A qualified instructor on the other hand knows what aspects a beginner should first learn and he will be able to guide a beginner to focus on these skills.
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