Let it snow!

Edmonton has recieved 30-40 cm of snow over the last two days, and since this blog is based there, it seemed like an appropriate time to shift gears to winter sports. With this Snowmaggedon (well, mini-snowmageddon compared to Buffalo’s recent snow storm on the ice-coast) we bring you the history of snowboarding:

Snowboarding took a few paths to become the sport we know:

One such path involved the bindingless Snurfer:

This ridiculously fun contraption was the brainchild of Sherman Poppen. Before anything else, let’s acknowledge that amazing name. How fitting for a man who would be credited with helping invent a device largely seen to provide a medium for aerial artistry to have the last name “Poppen.” It’s like Ullr stepped looked down from the heavens and said and said: “This man will spur the invention of a snow device and with this device my followers will find the “pop” they desire to pay homage to my creations!” (Too lazy to click that last link? Ullr is the god of snow.)

Poppen was inspired to create the Snurfer for his daughters. Originally, his mad scientistry had him bind two skis together and attacha rope at the nose… umm noses… neese(?) for the rider to hold onto in the mad hope of controlling the contraption. The idea was a good one and soon Poppen was making Snurfers (named by his wife, well done Mrs. Poppen) for all of his Daughters friends. This adventure began on Christmas Day 1965 and by 1966 (when exactly isn’t clear) Poppen had licensed his invention (and the name) to the Brunswick Corporation. In the first year Brunswick sold 500,000 Snurfers. Sounds like a success (which it was) but it wasn’t this sales success that led to the sport of snowboarding as we now know it. The Snurfer was seen as a toy for kids by most and while it’s invention led to the sport of snowboarding, it wasn’t the massive sales. It was more about one sale to someone very important. His name was Jake, and we will look at his influence on the sport soon.

Until then, enjoy this picture from the Lincoln City Surf Shop in Oregon, where you can view the development of snowboards (along with skateboards and surfboards) on the walls:

The Snurfer is on the right

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