History of Skiing and Boardsports

Heel Strap SKI Binding, Sondre Norheim
First SKI and Invention of Camber by Sondre Norheim, NOR
Gas Powered Engine by Gottlieb Daimler, GER
Automobile: Daimler & Karl Benz, GER
Father Alpine Skiing: Mathias Zdarsky, NOR
First Ski ascent over 3000m: Rauris Sonnblick by father of Ski mountaineering: Wilhelm Ritter Von Arit, GER
First Ski Technique Book, Lillienfeld Skilaufer Technik by Mathias Zdarsky, AUS

The radio by Reginald Fessenden
Airplane by Orville and Wilbur Wright
First Slalom: Muckenkogel, Lilienfeld, AUS
National Ski Association, Ishpeming, MI
Rossignol Skis at Voiron, FRA (factory closed by Quiksilver in 2007)
First rope tow: Black Forest, GER

Alpine skiing by Georg Bilgeri
Stem Christie Turn: Johannes Schneider, AUT
First SKI Factory: Northland Ski Company by C.A. Lund, MN
First Downhill Classic in Switzerland with winner: Cecil Hopkinson
Record 24-Hour Snowfall: 63 inches, Georgetown, CO
First ski instructor EU, Johannes Schneider
Kneissl SKI, Tyrol, AUT

First ski instructor in USA, Henrik Jacobsen, Lake Placid
Arlberg Technique by Hannes Schneider
First modern Slalom Race, Mürren, SUI

First instructional SKI film, Wunder des Schneeschuhs by Arnold Fanck, GER
Volkl Skis, Straubing, GER
Fischer SKI by Josef Fischer, AUS
First Olympic Winter Games, Chamonix, FRA
FIS by Ivar Holmquist
First Lake Tahoe resort: Olympic Hill (renamed Granlibakken)

First SKI Book: The Wonders of Skiing
First USA SKI shop: Boston
First USA SKI downhill: Mt. Moosilauke, NH
First USA Arlberg SKI instructor: Otto Schniebs
First Int’l Alpine Event, Arlberg-Kandahar at St. Anton, AUT won by Benno Leubner (AUT)
Second Winter Olympics at St. Moritz, SUI
First mass-produced sunglasses: Foster Grant

Parallel Turn by Toni Seelos
First Steel Edges: Rudolph Lettner, AUS
First FIS World Alpine Championships: Mürren, SUI, Downhill: Walter Prager (SUI), Esme Mackinnon (UK) and Slalom: David Zogg (SUI), Esme Mackinnon (UK)
3rd Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid
Canada’s first rope tow: Shawbridge, Quebec
First laminated SKI: Rudolph Lettner

First USA downhill: Henry Woods at Mt. Moosilauke, NH
First USA rope tow: Woodstock, VT
World’s first J-bar: Ernest Constam, Davos
First solid aluminum ski by M. Vicky, FRA
First USA National Downhill and Slalom championships: Mt. Rainier. Open division, Hannes Schroll of Salzburg, AUS & amateur division, Dick Durrance.

First Kandahar cable binding holding the skier’s heel to the ski
First USA overhead cable lift: Oak Hill, Hanover, NH
First US Winter Sports Show, Boston Garden

4th Winter Olympics, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER
First Alpine Combined medals: Franz Pfnuer (GER) and Christl Cranz (GER)
First European T-bar by Ernest Constam
First issue of Ski magazine by Alf Nydin, WA
Brighton Ski Area, UT
Polaroid Lens for sunglasses: Edwin H Land
First SKI overhead chairlifts, Sun Valley, ID
Aspen Ski Club formed
200 TV’s in use worldwide

First toe release binding, Hjalmar Hvam NOR
Rayban Aviator sunglasses
First Canada chairlift: Mt. Tremblant, Quebec
First certified USA ski instructor, Sepp Ruschp, Woodstock, VT
First aerial tramway in USA: Cannon Mountain, NH
First U.S. Ski Patrol at Stowe, VT
Mammoth Mtn installs their first rope tow

First USA groomed slope, Mt. Cranmore by Hannes Schneider
Sugar Bowl in Norden, CA by John Wiley and Hannes Schroll
First chairlift in Europe: Czech Republic
First T-bar in USA: Pico Peak, VT
First McDonalds: San Bernardino, CA.
Elan Skis by Rudi Finzgar, SLO
Aspen Skiing Corporation, CO

Color Television by Peter Goldmark, CBS
Espresso machine by Achilles Gaggia, Italy
First European Poma Lift by Jean Pomagalski
P-Tex base invented by Muller and Co. SUI
Cellulix base by Dynamic
Salomon, Francois Salomon, FRA (ski edges)

1 mi TV’s in USA
First Releasable Plate SKI Binding: Look by Jean Beyl, France
Velcro by George de Mestral, SUI
Fifth Olympic Winter Games, San Moritz, SUI
First American to win Olympic medals: Gretchen Fraser in Slalom, Alpine combined
Mad River Glen, VT
Squaw Valley, CA by Alex Cushing
World’s largest double chairlift, Squaw One

Warren Millers SKI movie: Deep and Light
Head by Howard Head, Baltimore, MD
Skateboarding invented in CA
First USA FIS World Championships: Aspen (alpine) and Lake Placid (jumping)
First multi-colored ski, Kneissl
First Duplex binding: Hannes Marker, GER
First artificial snow, Grossinger’s resort, NY
First Winter Olympics with GS: 6th at Oslo

First adjustable release binding: Simplex by Hannes Marker, GER
Ski Hall of Fame, Ishpeming, MI
Atomic Skis by Alois Rohrmoser, AUS
Heavenly Valley, Lake Tahoe opens
Henke Speed Fit buckle boots
Hart Skis By Hartvig Holmberg, St. Paul, MN
7th Olympics at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
First Artificial Satellite, Sputnik, USSR

First dog in space, Laika on Sputnik 2.
First aluminum ski poles: Scott
First American to win European combined: Buddy Werner at the Lauberhorn
Sugarbush, VT opens. All-day ticket: $5.50
Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands open.

Surfer magazine launched by John Severson
Beatles formed in Liverpool
Walk Don’t Run by The Ventures
First synthetic ski with a wooden core: Kneissl “White Star”
First Olympic Games in the USA with Alpine ski event: 8th at Squaw Valley, CA
Ski Brakes invented by rivals Earl Miller (UT) and Mitch Cubberley (NJ)

Ski Industries of America (SIA) founded.
First Human in Space by USSR
K2 Skis founded by Bill Kirschner
Duane Peters born

Val Surf becomes the first USA retailer to sell skateboards and remains the world’s oldest surf-skate-snow shop
First Wal-mart in Rogers, Arkansas
Vail Ski Resort founded by Earl Eaton and Pete Seibert
First int’l satellite TV broadcast, Telstar
The Twist by Chubby Checker
First American to win a European classic gate race: Chuck Ferries at the Hahnenkamm slalom, Kitzbühel, AUS
First modern ski binding: Look Nevada II, patented by Robert Lusser

First skateboard for snow by Tom Sims
“Father of Freestyle” Snowboarding’s Terry Kidwell is born
Park City Resort opens
Surfin’ USA by the Beach Boys
Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash
Makaha Skates by Larry Stevenson
Computer Mouse invented by Douglas Engelbart
National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) founded
First Disco, Whiskey-A-Go-Go, LA
First skateboard contest at Hermosa Beach, CA
First Obscene Lyrics: Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen
Audio cassette tapes invented by Philips
Dynastar SKI founded in Sallanches, France
First all plastic buckle SKI boots invented by Lange
First American men win medals in SKI slalom: Billy Kid (Silver), Jimmy Heuga (Bronze) at 9th Olympic Games, Innsbruck, Austria

Skateboarder Magazine
Beatles on Ed Sullivan Show, 74 mi viewers
Glen Plake is born (father of extreme sports)
Hobie Skateboards by Hobie Alter
G&S Fibreflex, first laminated skateboard
Music Video, House of the Rising Sun by The Animals
Smiley Face Logo designed by Harvey Ball
Jacques Marchand receives mono-ski patent (filed in 1961)

Snurfer Snowboard by Sherman Poppen
Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones
First National Skateboard Championships, Anaheim, CA.
Jerry Garcia & the Grateful Dead get together
Kevlar invented by Stephanie Kwolek (Dupont)

Vans founded in Anaheim, CA
World’s First Skatepark in Anaheim, CA.
Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones
Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix
8-Track tapes introduced for cars by RCA Victor
Craig Kelly is born
Endless Summer, surf documentary by Bruce Brown
First self-release heelpiece SKI binding by Salomon
First freestyle ski: Javelin by Hart

Light My Fire by the Doors
All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan
I’m a Believer by the Monkees
Christian Hosoi is born
Rolling Stone Magazine Issue #1 (John Lennon Cover)
First SKI World Cup at Berchtesgaden, West Germany – Jean-Claude Killy of FRA and Nancy Greene of CAN win overall 2 seasons.

Shaun Palmer is born
Tony Hawk is born
Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf
Fortunate Son by CCR
A Little Less Conversation a Little More Action by Elvis Presley
Jake Burton gets his first Snurfer
Zephr Shop and Z-Boys in Santa Monica, CA.
10th Olympic Games at Grenoble, FRA

Woodstock music festival, NY
Man on Moon: Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin
Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan
Space Oddity by David Bowie
Digital Photography (CCD)
First Kicktail for SK8 by Larry Stevenson
SNB with Metal Edges by Winterstick
Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson and Terry Southern

First Winter ISPO in Munich, Germany
A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash
ABC by Jackson 5
This Time Tomorrow by the Kinks
Our House by Crosby Stills Nash and Young

Nike Swoosh logo
First Starbucks in Pike Place Market, Seattle
Baba O’Riley by The Who
Email invented by Ray Tomlinson
Atomic builds SKI factory at Altenmarkt, AUS
First SKI descent of Grand Tetons: Bill Briggs, father of big mountain skiing

Urethane SK8 Wheels by Cadillac Wheels
Powder Magazine Issue #1 by Jake and Dave Moe, Idaho
First production SNB: Winterstick by Milovich
Rocket Man by Elton John
Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues
Schools Out by Alice Cooper
Old Man by Neil Young
Christian Hosoi starts skateboarding
11th Olympic Winter Games at Sapporo, JAP
#1 SKI binding manufacturer: Salomon (1 mi bindings)

Dark Side of the Moon, #3 in Album Sales, Pink Floyd, 43 mi copies
First Skateboard Truck by Ron Bennett
Zephr Skateboards and Z-Boys team
Santa Cruz Skateboards by NHS, Inc.
Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple
Mike Doyle receives Single Snow Ski Patent (filed in 1971)

Rubik’s Cube by Erno Rubik
Tracker Trucks by Larry Balma
Waterloo by Abba
First Twin-Tip SKI: Olin Mark IV comp
Terje Haakonsen is born
First P-Tex on Snowboards by Winterstick
Winterstick featured in SKI Magazine

Sims Skateboards & Dogtown Skateboards founded
Skateboarder Magazine revived
First Vert Pool Skating in CA
Skateboard Magazine by James O’Mahoney
Road Rider Wheels in Rhode Island
First SK8 Safety Gear by Mike Rector, Bob Wolfe
Rock and Roll All Nite by KISS
Slow Ride by Foghat
First freestyle skateboarding competitions in FL
First aerial in surfing by Kevin Reed
First SNB features in Newsweek, Playboy, Powder
First SK8 Precision Wheel Bearing
Bob Weber receives Skiboard patent (filed in 1973)

Gore-tex fabric by W.L. Gore
Apple Personal Computer, First PC featuring mouse and graphical interface
Gullwing Skateboard Trucks
First grabbed SK8 aerial by George Orton (Sims) & Tony Alva (Dogtown)
Home Video Cassette Recorder, Sony Betamax
Tony Hawk starts skateboarding
First SK8 Park at Skateboard City, FL
Tom Sims wins World Skateboarding Championships in CA
Great North Country Skates (Skull Skates)
Freewheelin’ Movie
Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult
12th Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck, AUS

First superlight skateboard: Sims Superlight
Outside Magazine debuts
Cassette Tapes surpass Vinyl Record Sales
Vision Sports, one of the largest skateboard companies in history, by Brad Dorfman
Pepsi Skateboard Team
First Indoor concrete skatepark
Saturday Night Fever by Bee Gees
Mike Olson makes his first SNB in woodshop
SK8 Record for 360 Spins: 163 by Russ Howell
Tony Alva wins his first World Skateboarding Championship
PC Modem by Dennis C. Hayes and Dale Heatherington

Burton Snowboards founded In January, 1978
First Production Weber/Sims Skiboard
Powell-Peralta founded by George Powell and Stacy Peralta, Goleta, CA
The Ripper graphic for Powell Peralta
First Laminated Wood SNB by Burton
First Burton Ad in Powder
National Lampoon’s Animal House
Tom Sims is first to ride Mammoth, Squaw, Mt. Waterman and Mt. High
Skateboards go from 8 inches to 10 inches wide
Skateboard starring Leif Garrett and skaters Tony Alva and Ellen O’Neal
Independent Trucks by Fausto Vitello
I Don’t Want You by the Ramones
Surrender by Cheap Trick
SK8 Ollie Invented by Alan Gelfand
Skateboarding banned in Norway (until 1989)
Poppen Snurfer championships at Blockhouse Hill, Muskegon, MI

Chuck Barfoot develops a fiberglass prototype SNB for Sims
Portable Music: Sony Walkman
First snowboarding commercial on TV: Labatts starring Paul Graves, Mark Halseth and the first woman, Jane Halseth.
Summer SKI at Timberline, Mt. Hood, OR
Spanish Bombs by the Clash
Delight by Sugar Hill Gang
Tahoe City Halfpipe discovery by Mark Anolik
Tony Hawk wins his first contest
Production Burton Backhills and Backyards­­
Vision begins manufacturing skateboards
World Snurfing Championship at Pando Winter Sports Park, Grand Rapids Michigan

The first SNB specialty store(s) in North America, The Snoboard Shop by Ken Achenbach in Canada and Snowboard East Shop by Paul Graves in Woodstock, VT
First Action Sports Magazine: Action Now
A-Team Sandboards & Snowboards founded by Jack Smith and Gary Fluitt
CDs invented by Sony & Phillips
Call Me by Blondie
Holiday in Cambodia by Dead Kennedys
Ace of Spades by Motörhead
Kids of the Black Hole by the Adolescents
Back-in-Black, #2 in album Sales by AC/DC
Chris Sanders buys a Snurfer
13th Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid
First Space Shuttle Launch (Columbia)
180cm Head Yahoo with 7.3mm sidecut

First Sims Skiboard and Barfoot Snoboards ads in Action Now magazine
Action Now cover story “Snowboarding: Is this the Year?”
Hit Me with Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar
Whip It by Devo
Stepping Stone by Minor Threat
MTV, USA: 24-hour-a-day music on TV
Thrasher Magazine by Fausto Vitello
First modern SNB contest, Ski Cooper, CO
Snowboarder magazine, NHS publishes one issue with Stevie Cabellero on cover
Chuck Barfoot leaves Sims to form his own SNB company.

#1 music album of all time: Thriller by Michael Jackson (over 100 million copies)
Shaun Palmer makes his first SNB in shop
Tony Hawk wins his first Delmar SK8 Contest
We Got the Beat by the Go-Go’s
Banned in DC by Bad Brains
All Hell Breaks Loose by the Misfits
Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden
National Snowsurfing Championships at Suicide Six, Woodstock, VT
Camcorder/VCR by Sony
First SK8 kick-flip by Rodney Mullen
CD Player by Sony
First Ban by MTV: Body Language by Queen
Avalanche Snowboards founded by Chris Sanders

First European SNB: Hooger Booger
First SNB instructor: Mike Chantry, Tahoe
First SNB specialty store in California: Sessions, San Jose, CA by Joel Gomez
Every Breath You Take by the Police beats out Billie Jean by Michael Jackson for #1 Album
Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran, Duran
Rock the Casbah by the Clash
Sink with California by Youth Brigade
Transworld Skateboarding Magazine
First documented road jump on a SNB by Bob Boyle, South Lake Tahoe, CA
National Snowboarding Championships in Snow Valley, VT
First SNB halfpipe contest: Sims World Championships, Soda Springs, CA, Eddie Hargraves wins halfpipe
First Cell Phone by AT&T
First Color LCD Television by Seiko
Warren Miller features first SNB footage
First European SNB Movie, Apocalypse Snow starring Regis Roland

Highbacks simultaneously developed by Jeff Grell in Colorado and Louis “Lofo” Fournier in Quebec
When Doves Cry by Prince
Jump by Van Halen
Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
You Might Think by the Cars
Cum on Feel the Noize by Quiet Riot
Fade to Black by Metallica
99 Red Balloons by Nena
First Bones Brigade skate video
Nat’l SNB Championships Snow Valley, VT
Portable CD Player by Sony
James Bond, A View to a Kill features SNB
GNU founded by Mike Olsen and Peter Saari
2nd Sims World Championships at Soda Springs CA. Andy Coghlan wins overall
First Folding Highback Binding prototype developed by Louis “Lofo” Fournier
First American gold medal in downhill: Bill Johnson at 14th Olympic Winter Games at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia

Sierra SNB Championships at Soda Springs, CA
First Explicit Lyrics / Parental Advisory on Published Music
3rd Sims World Championships at Soda Springs, CA. Terry Kidwell and Jenny Hahn win halfpipe. Shaun Palmer wins boys overall.
North American SB Championships at Banff, Calgary, Canada
Production SNB Binding with folding highback by Sims
MTV launches VH1
Nintendo Video Game Console (NES)
Toms Sims wins First Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom (LBS)
First monthly SNB Magazine: Absolutely Radical by Tom Hsieh. Keith Kimmel on cover
Only 39 of the approximately 600 USA ski areas allowed snowboards
First US Open Snowboarding Championships, Stratton Mountain, VT
Metal edges on Sims 1500 FE and Burton Performer Elite
First Pro Model & First Freestyle board with Kick-Tail: Sims Terry Kidwell
GNU boards marketed as carving boards by Mike Olsen
Hot Snowboards founded in France
First prototype of modern shaped-ski: Olin Albert by by Frank Meatto
Greg Stump’s film: Time Waits for Snowman

Master of Puppets by Metallica
Epidemic by Slayer
SNB World Championships at Breckenridge, CO. Halfpipe & GS won by Terry Kidwell
First Organized Snowboard Instruction at Stratton Mountain, VT
Shaun White is born
Shaun Palmer wins second annual Mt. Baker LBS and first downhill at Aspen Mountain
First Fakie Ollie on a SNB by Keith Kimmel
First Production Soft SNB Boots by Burton
Swiss Championships in San Moritz, SUI
First asymmetrical SNB by Hooger Booger (Jose Fernandes brings to USA)
First SNB Test by Int’l Snowboard Magazine, Tom Hsieh Jr.
First SNB instructor at Aspen: Bob Klein

Bert Lamar & Jennifer Dolecki win World SNB Championships in halfpipe
Shaun Palmer & Amy Howat win third Mt. Baker LBS
First Rap act with #1 Album: Beastie Boys
MTV Europe
Skate or Die Home Video Game
First permanent halfpipe at Breckenridge, CO
First Twin-Tip SNB by Barfoot
Wrigley’s SNB TV Commercial
First Transworld Snowboarding Magazine, Dave Achenbach on cover
K2 Skis make their first SNB: The Gyrator
First women’s SKI with forward mounted bindings: Blizzard Fame
Thomas Krenn starts producing SNB plate bindings under the brand SNOWPRO.

First Snowboarder Magazine, Damien Sanders on cover
Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses
Do What You Want by Bad Religion
Punk Rock Girl by the Dead Milkmen
First Halfpipe at US Open of Snowboarding, Stratton Mtn, VT
Snowboarding is “Worst New Sport” by Parade Magazine
First Digital Camera by Fuji
First summer SNB Camp(s): Sims Summer Shred Sessions with Craig Kelly and Tim Windell at Whistler-Blackcomb, Iceripper in Titlis, Switzerland, Chris Karol’s Gnu SNB Camp, Mt Hood & Blackcomb & USSTC summer SNB Camp at Mt Hood and Canadian SNB Summer Camp at Blackcomb
SNB World Cup halfpipe at Zürs, Austria won by Bert Lamar  & Petra Mussig
Freestyle skiing introduced at 15th Olympics Calgary, CAN
Elan Skis produce their first SNB
United States Amateur Snowboarding Association (USASA) by Chuck Allen

One by Metallica
First Hollywood SK8 film: Gleaming the Cube
First Text Message via Motorola beeper
Windell’s SNB Camp at Timberline, Mt Hood by Tim Windell
High Cascade SNB Camp, Mt Hood by John Calkins and John Ingersoll
Camp of Champions at Whistler, Blackcomb by Ken Achenbach
Shaun Palmer & Ashild Lofthus win World Cup SNB Halfpipe at Breckenridge, CO
First SNB Film in USA, Western Front by FLF Films ( Jerry Dugan and Artie Krehbiel)
Morrow Snowboards founded by Rob Morrow
Burton buys the SNB patent from Bob Weber
#1 SKI movie: Blizzard of Aahhh’s by Greg Stump
First superfat powder SKI: Atomic Powder Plus 133-115-122 by Rupert Huber
Elan Sidecut Extreme SCX, GS Ski with radius of 15m
First steel ski USA: Volant by Bucky Kashiwa.
Bonfire Apparel Company founded by Brad Steward
First midfat SKI: Volkl Explosiv 118-94-110

Santa Cruz Snowboards founded
Salomon Skis founded
First Terrain Park, Snowboard Park at Vail
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Enjoy the Silence by Depreche Mode
Epic by Faith No More
You Can’t Bring Me Down by Suicidal Tendencies
Ring of Fire by Social Distortion, Bro Hymn by Pennywise
MTV banned Justify My Love video by Madonna
Shaun Palmer and Nicole Angelrath win World Cup SNB halfpipe at Breckenridge, CO
First Carbon Ski Pole, GOODE Technologies
Salomon sells their first cap SKI, the S9000
First prototype shaped skis by Elan and Kneissl
First parabolic cap SKI: Elan MBX Monoblock

First boardercross at Whistler, Blackcomb with winner Dan Donnelly
MTV banned Pagan Poetry video by Björk
MTV Asia
World Wide Web invented by Tim Berners-Lee
Totally Board SNB movie by Standard Films and Mack Dawg Productions
First Pipe dragon by Doug Waugh, CO
Tom Sims designs first permanent halfpipe at Snow Summit, CA
First aluminum honeycomb SKI: Hart Comp SL

Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine
Terje Haakonson, 18, wins his first US Open Halfpipe
Snowsurf Issue #1 in France
Snowstyle Issue #1 in Tokyo
Volcom Stone is born in Newport Beach, CA
Birdhouse Skateboards by Tony Hawk
Flow snowboard binding by Werner Jettmar
Big Brother (SK8) magazine Issue #1
Mogul skiing introduced at 16th Olympic Winter Games at Albertville, FRA
First Smartphone: IBM Simon
Audio CDs surpass cassette tape sales
First production shaped SKI: Kneissl Ergo

Snowboarder TV by Surfer Publications
Transworld Snowboarding Video Mag
Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang by Dr. Dre
First wide SNB for big-footers: K2 FatBob
Plow Snowboarding Magazine by Rich Gallagan
Heckler Magazine in Sacramento, California
First Twin Tip Wakeboard by Jimmy Redmon, Austin, TX
Wakeboarding Magazine by World Publications

Blunt Snowboarding Magazine Issue #1 by Ken Block and Damon Way
East Infection Snowboard Magazine by Mark Sullivan
Amateur World Championships in Slovenia
Gin And Juice by Snoop Doggy Dogg
These Are The Quotes From Our Favorite 80’s Movies by Bouncing Souls
Linoleum by NOFX
Baseless Snowboard Bindings
First Women’s Specific Pro Models, Sims’ Shannon Dunn and Kemper’s Tina Basich
First Air & Style in Innsbruck, Austria won by Reto Lamm, Switzerland
Snowboarding adopted by IOC as Olympic sport with Halfpipe and Giant Slalom as events
Playstation by Sony Computer Entertainment
First SNB company to go public: Ride
SNB adopted by IOC as Olympic sport
Aerial skiing introduced at 17th Olympic Winter Games at Lillehammer, NOR

Palmer Snowboards founded by Shaun Palmer
Rossignol Skis produces their first SNB
Method Magazine by Anders Hadman and Calle Eriksson, Sweden
Ebay founded by Pierre Omidyar in San Jose
Terje Haakonsen wins 2nd Air & Style
First Vans’ Warped Tour
First women’s SNB magazine, Fresh and Tasty by Melissa Longfellow and Bethany Stevens
First documented train jump on SNBs by Temple Cummins and Andy Hetzel at Donner Lake, CA
First online SNB magazine: Heckler, Sacramento, CA
First Consumer DVD
First 3D SNB constructions by Palmer
First X Games in Rhode Island
First Step-In Bindings for Soft Boots by Switch, Device, T-Bone
K2′s first shaped SKI: K2 Four
Line Skis by Jason Levinthal
Salomon acquires Bonfire Apparel company
First Summer X Games in Rhode Island

Park City Resort opens to snowboarding
Just a Girl by No Doubt
Santeria by Sublime
Justified Black Eye by No Use for a Name
First descent on Cordova Peak, near Valdez, Alaska by Tom Burt and Jim Zellers
There are less than 10 public skateparks remaining in the United States
1 Billion TV sets worldwide
Palmer factory opens in Austria with ECO-friendly Prepreg Technology and Block Mold Presses
First consumer DVD player by Sony

Jake Burton Carpenter appears in an American Express Card TV commercial
Quicksilver buys Mervin Manufacturing
Salomon Skis make their first SNB
Adidas buys Salomon
First toe ramp binding, the Sims Posi-Link
First Winter X Games at Big Bear, CA
First tip-to-tail honeycomb SNB by Palmer
First tip and tail aluminum honeycomb SNB by Sims
Best selling single of all time: Candle in the Wind by Elton John
Best selling movie of all time: Titanic 1.84B (recently passed by Avatar)
Terje Haakonsen boycotts Winter Olympics
First ECO inlaid bases by Palmer
First Plasma TV by Pioneer

First full-carbon fiber SNB by Sims
Winter X Games move to Crested Butte, CO
Rockered Skis invented by Shane McConkey
Details Athlete of the Year: Shaun Palmer
SK8 Record Speed: 63 mph by Gary Hardwick
First Olympic Gold medals for snowboarding: GS: Ross Rebagliati (CAN) and Karine Ruby (FRA), Halfpipe: Gian Simmen (SUI) and Nicola Thost (GER)
First Cap Sidewall SNB Construction by Palmer
Google by Sergey Brin and Larry Page at Stanford University, CA
Sick: A Cultural History of Snowboarding by Susanna Howe
Freeskier Magazine Issue #1, Boulder, Colorado
First mass market twin tip ski: Salomon 1080
First Full-length twintip SKI: Line Dragon by Kris Ostness

K2 buys Morrow & all subsidiaries
World record season for most snow: Mt. Baker 1140 inches/29 meters
Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Carry the Zero by Built to Spill
World record SNB speed: 201.97 km/h (125.459 mph) by Darren Powell (AU) at Les Arcs
Record SKI: 248 kph Harry Egger, Les Arcs
Tony Hawks Pro Skater for Sony Playstation, Activision
World Record Biggest Skateboard Spin: 900 Tony Hawk at X Games
Worlds Greatest Athlete by USA Today: Shaun Palmer
First SNB (Boarder-X) Parks: Palmer, Swatch, ASC & Laax
First Channel Titanium SNB by Palmer
Transworld Snowboarding’s premiere Good Wood test
Newschoolers.com, largest online freeskiing community
Winter X Games adds women freeskiing

K2 buys Ride Snowboards
Injunction against Napster to cease music trade
First Power Link System by Palmer (alternative to wide boards)
Winter X Games move to Mount Snow, VT
Fastest-growing sport in the USA is snowboarding (followed by skateboarding)
Snowboarder Shaun Palmer Wins Winter X and Gravity Games Skiercross
Alternative Sportsperson of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards: Shaun Palmer
Sims resurrects the World Snowboarding Championship in Whistler, BC.

Atomic SKI makes their first SNB
First Snowboarder on a Cereal Box, Barrett Christy on Apple Jacks
Dogtown and Z-Boys, SK8 documentary by Stacy Peralta and Craig Stecyk
Female Snowboarder of the Year ESPY: Barrett Christy
Action Sports Athlete of the Year ESPY: Shaun Palmer
The iPod by Tony Fadell and Apple
First production rockered skis: Volant Spatula by Shane McConkey
First see-through SNB: Palmer Honeypro and Honeycomb
Shaun Palmer Pro Snowboarder for Playstation 2, Activision
Best selling video game in the USA, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2
4FRNT Skis by Matt Sterbenz

Rome Snowboards founded
Armada Skis founded by team owner-riders
In the End by Linkin Park
Winter X Games move to Aspen, CO
First and only women-specific SNB with honeycomb construction: Palmer Liberty and Liberty Carbon
First American sweep of Winter Olympics (19th) since 1956: Ross Powers, Danny Kass, JJ Thomas in SNB halfpipe
Ticket to Ride (TTR) Society established by Terje Haakonsen in Zurich, SUI
Action Sports Athlete of the Year ESPY: Kelly Clark
Most X Games medals won by an woman: 10, Barrett Christy (USA)
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1, Nintendo
Friendster by Jonathan Abrams

Action Sports Athlete of the Year ESPY: Shaun White’s first of many
Linked In by Reid Hoffman
In Da Club by 50 Cent
Shaun White wins his first Air & Style
iTunes Store, Apple Computer
#2 best selling movie of all time: Lord of the Rings, 1.13B
First Burton T6 with aluminum honeycomb
First photopolymer hologram in SNB: Burton Custom
MySpace by Tom Anderson & Chris DeWolfe
First World Superpipe Championships at Park City Resort
Pretty Good for a Girl by Tina Basich

2000+ skateparks in the USA
Most expensive SNB on market: Palmer Crown LE with titanium, honeycomb, carbon, and NCF prepreg
Internet usage surpasses TV viewing
Peak year for snowboarding with 6.6 million participants
World record for SK8 Jump: 79 feet by Danny Way
First Go Skateboarding Day, June 21
Burton buys Four Star Distribution
Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard

Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
Lords of Dogtown by Sony Pictures
Youtube by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim
Shaun White dubbed “Flying Tomato”
World record for SNB Jump: 187 feet by Mads Jonsson
Adidas sells Salomon to Amer Sports
World record for SKI Jump: 239m/780 ft, Bjørn Einar Romøren, Norway
World’s highest detachable chairlift by LEITNER-POMA at Breckenridge, CO
First womens-only SKI: Roxy
Quicksilver buys Rossignol

#3 best-selling movie of all time: Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man Chest, 1.06B
Darkest Days by Good Riddance
First documentary about Shaun White: The White Album by Dave Seoane
Shaun Palmer qualifies for US Olympic Snowboard team at age 38 but tears his achilles tendon and is unable to compete
Action Sports Athlete of the Year ESPY: Shaun White (SNB)
Female Action Sports Athlete of the Year ESPY: Hannah Teter (SNB)
20th Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy: halfpipe, boardercross and parallel GS
First snowboarder on cover of Sports Illustrated, Shaun White with insets including Hannah Teter, Danny Kass, Gretchen Bleiler
Apple TV
Twitter

iPhone by Apple
Jake Carpenter and Donna Burton Carpenter inducted into U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame
Rehab by Amy Winehouse
Most expensive production SNB on market: Palmer Platinum
Shaun White joins “Birdhouse Skateboards” Pro Team.
World Record quarterpipe highest Air: 37 feet at Arctic Challenge by Terje Haakonsen
Let It Ride, a documentary about Craig Kelly is released by Jacques Russo
Nintendo Wii
GNU and Lib Tech introduce banana rocker with magnatraction
Burton introduces Infinite Channel System and EST Bindings
Female Action Sports Athlete of the Year ESPY: Sarah Burke (SKI)

Esquire magazine releases the first electronic cover with e-ink technology
iTunes becomes the #1 music vendor in the United States
Palmer Snowboards make Skis
Outside Magazine SNB Gear of Year Award: Palmer Honeycomb
Most X Games medals: 16 (10-Gold) by Shaun White (SNB & SK8)
Most X Games SKI Medals: Tanner Hall, 10 (7-Gold)
Taos Ski Valley, NM allows snowboarding
Female Action Sports Athlete of the Year ESPY: Gretchen Bleiler (SNB)
Most expensive car: Bugatti Veyron for 1.5M
Largest flat-screen plasma: 150 in Panasonic
Forbes richest action sports athletes (2008 earnings): Tony Hawk @ 12 million, Shaun White @ 9 million
Shaun Palmer wins Jeep’s King of the Mountain Snowboard Cross Series at age 39
Quicksilver sells Rossignol
World Record Highest Wing Suit Jump: 37,000 feet (11.27 km), Dr. Glenn Singleman, Australia
Female Action Sports Athlete of the Year (ESPY): Maya Gabeira (Surfing)

First African American President of the United States, Barack Obama
Off the Chain, An Insider’s History of Snowboarding by Ross Rebagliati
Outside Magazine SNB Gear of Year Award: GNU Altered Genetics
Palmer introduces FLF Mini Rocker
Shaun White becomes the first snowboarder to win back-to-back gold medals in the Winter X-Games Superpipe
Location-based apps for mobile phones
US Ski Hall of Fame: Doug Coombs for adventure skiing plus others
First women’s SKI jumping world champion: 320 feet by Lindsey Van (USA)

Fastest and most expensive car: Bugatti Veyron, 1001 hp for 1.7M
21st Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Most X Games medals: 18 (11-Gold) by Shaun White (SNB & SK8)
Outside Magazine SNB Gear of Year Award: Arbor Draft
#1 best-selling movie of all time (surpasses Titanic): Avatar by James Cameron
Shaun White becomes the first Winter X snowboarder to earn three-peat gold medals in Superpipe (2008-10)
Lindsey Jacobellis becomes first Winter X athlete to earn double three-peat gold medals in Snowboard X (2003-5, 2008-10)
Nate Holland becomes first Winter X athlete to earn a five-peat gold medal in Snowboarder X (2006-10)
Shaun White repeats gold medal at 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, CAN

Special thanks:
Lee Crane, Sean Corcoran, Paul MacArthur, Thrasher Magazine, Transworld Snowboarding, Wikipedia and Google for making it all possible.

After many years of avoiding personal requests for many of my snowboarding photos, I finally decided it’s easier to set up an online shop rather than spitting them out one-by-one on my inkjet printer. I just got the 5×7 proofs for a test and the quality is really good. The B&W’s look like the real thing. Check it out. Go to this link.

Portland, OR (February 1, 2010) — The NIKE SNOWBOARDING sponsored project creates an elaborate alien structure to house the history of snowboarding. Nike Snowboarding’s Brand Director Michael Hernandez commissioned Portland artist Brian Elliot to build a futuristic time capsule with contents curated by NEMO Design co-founder and snowboard photographer Trevor Graves.

View time capsule contents here:

Over the last several weeks the trio quietly put the ARIES2010 together in Portland, Oregon and are ready to launch on February 13, just one day after the Olympics opening ceremony.

“ARIES2010 is snowboarding’s first time capsule, we want to celebrate snowboarding’s history, product innovation and personalities,” said Hernandez.

The capsule will house both historical elements and film that have served as the foundation for snowboarding. After being sealed up later this spring, it will reopen in ten years time. The designer of the craft, Brian Elliot relayed, that “Xenon gas inside the pod will ensure its contents are preserved in their original state.”

Artists, photographers, iconic riders, and authors have contributed to the collection that tells the story of snowboarding. “The ARIES2010 show is about the nostalgia we all have for snowboarding’s history, but also embracing the new things that will give us that same feeling in the future,” said Graves.

Vancouver’s The Boardroom will host the ARIES2010 physical capsule during its stay in Vancouver. The items to be housed in the capsule will be on display during two special events that connect snowboarding’s heritage to its future. The opening and closing receptions of ARIES will include presentations by snowboarding legends Terry Kidwell, Dano Pendygrass, Ken Achenbach and Barrett Christy.

Opening Reception is scheduled for February 13, 2010, 8:00 pm – 12:00 am
Special press reception for the opening will be held from 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm

Closing Reception is scheduled for February 19, 2010, 8:00 pm – 12:00 am
Special press reception for the closing will be held from 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm

In addition, The Boardroom will host the ARIES2010 capsule in its window bank from February 13-19, 2010.

Another classic issue of ISM with Ken Achenbach leading the tour of Mt. Bachelor as well as the first ballsy board test by Tom Hsieh and the crew of ISM. “This was the friskiest board tested, the Barfoot was as loose as a goose. Well who can forget those comments from the original board test. And of course the bonus of this issue was the one and only Keith Kimmel interview, not to be missed. This issue closes with a classic ad of Shaun Palmer on the back cover.

Check out the full magazine on my issuu homepage.

Maybe we were a little ahead of our time. Tom Hsieh had a visionary moment when he arranged a nightime snowboard photo shoot at Bear Valley, Mt. Reba, CA. The crew was assembled (Mike Basich, Matt Schlingmann, Randy Walters, and others showed up for the scheduled two night clothing photoshoot and worked their asses off) … to be published in the Fall 1991 issue of ISM (never happened though since ISM closed their doors after the 90/91 winter season). Mike McDaniel and the crew of Bear Valley had the quarter-pipe and park (one of the first, I suppose) spray-painted for the event (obviously, this was before eco was smart). I shot about 15 rolls of film under a generator-powered Dynalite studio kit from the Bay area (which we blew up). Luckily everything was finished after the first night (till sunrise of course).

And of course, the Mt. Reba painting crew made it all possible.

Now this is truly a classic issue of ISM. Their first 4-Color cover in 52 pages; there was no turning back. Check Out the following snowboarding stars of the eighties. You can look at the mag in flip-format here!

Originally known as Absolutely Radical in March 1985, International Snowboard Magazine was the first seasonal snowboarding magazine and proclaimed the “last word” until 1991 when it discontinued publication.

Brainchild of Tom Hsieh, Jr. of San Francisco, the October 1986 issue can be seen in its entirety in flip-format. Thanks for checking it out!

Mike Chantry, Sand Mountain, Nevada 1988

Excerpt from Lee Crane’s story at Transworld Snowboarding, History of Halfpipe:

In 1978, resorts in California’s Lake Tahoe basin hadn’t realized snowboarding’s potential and refused to allow snowboards on their mountains. Because of this, snowboarders spent most of their free time searching for good spots to ride. “Back then not everyone in high school had cars so we needed places to ride that were close by,” remembers 29-year-old Tahoe local Bob Klein.

Klein’s friend Mark Anolik was hiking around Tahoe City in 1979 when he discovered the perfect hit on land owned by the Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Company. It was literally the city dump. No one is quite sure if the spot was a bend in a creek bed, or the edge of the land fill. It had an entry and a couple hits, which was all these snowboard pioneers needed. Word of the pipe spread and within a few days Mark, Bob Klein, Allen Arnbrister, and Terry Kidwell were beginning to session the spot. They named it the Tahoe City Pipe.

By the spring of 1980, thanks to a local phone company employee and skateboard fanatic named Mike Chantry, the pipe was exposed to the skateboard world. ”Mike Chantry took me there nearly blindfolded because Bob Klein didn’t want anyone to find out about it,” remembers Tom Sims, founder of Sims Snowboards.

“What’s wrong with other snowboarders finding the pipe. At that time there weren’t even that many snowboarders in the world, let alone riding the Tahoe City Pipe.”

Over the next few years pro skateboarders Rob Roskopp, Steve Cabellero, and Scott Foss began visiting the pipe. Lensmen from Thrasher magazine and later International Snowboard Magazine were close behind, not as much for the pipe, but because of the people who were there.

By today’s standards the Tahoe City Halfpipe was not even a halfpipe. “The pipe itself was really just one-hit,” Chantry says. “To make it good took a lot of shoveling.”

That didn’t seem to bother Terry Kidwell or Allen Arnbrister. “Once Kidwell and Arnbrister got into it, it became more of shaping thing,” Klein explains. ”They would spend more time shaping it than riding.”

Along with Terry Kidwell, Bob Klein and Allen Arnbrister of Tahoe City, Keith Kimmel was one of the original pioneers of modern day snowboarding. He was featured on the cover of the first International Snowboard Magazine (ISM) in March of 86, ripping the original Tahoe City halfpipe, a natural gully near the TC dump.

In this photo, published in the ISM Interview and Thrasher Magazine, Keith is pictured here in one of the first “switchstance” moments in snowboard history. You can read more about the early days of snowboarding halfpipe here.