To be a successful snowboarder, people need to have the correct equipment, clothing, and conditions with which to begin. The equipment and conditions are different than those required for skiers. If these are not met then serious injures can occur.

To understand snowboarding and how it originated into what it is today it should be known to how it started out. "Sims then a skateboarder, built a snowboard in 1963 in Haddonfield, N.J. - as an eight-grade shop class project. In 1964 in Rockford, Mich., Sherman Poppen bolted two skies together for his kids and created The Snurfer, a primitive snowboard that Brunswick marketed."(Lane) Another well known boarder and company, Burton, started when "Jake Burton was given The Snurfer at age 14. He was so impressed with the idea he started his own with "$20,000.00 inheritance from his mom. In 1981 Burton was in debt $130,000."(Lane) He promoted his product more and improved it�s quality. "By 1984 sales hit 1 million."(Lane) Burton had to convince the ski operators to allow boarders. Since snowboarding was only popular to the teenagers, it starting a large culture clash on the mountains. Many skiers complained about these "reckless, cussing, ill-attired menaces, ruining the snow with their huge boards"(Wulf)

Skiers and snowboarders still don�t get along on the mountain. They are generally separated by age, fashion, etiquette, lingo and per capital income. Norm Sayler of Donner Ski Ranch in Donner Summit, Calf says he can tell the difference between a snowboarder and a skier on the phone. "Are you open?" The caller asks. "If it is a skier, the next question will be, �How cold is it?�" Sayler Says. "Then, �Are the trails groomed?�. What�s the color of the snow?� What are the road conditions like?� You can be on the phone for 2 � hours with these people." Some of his other calls go like this: "Hey, dude, you open?" "Yes." Click. "Now that, Sayler says, "Is a snowboarder." Snowboarder culture is similar to that of surfers and skateboarders. Snowboarding is popular with the X generation and they usually have body piercing (tongues, nipples), baggy clothes, different talk and attitude. Skiers are deathly afraid of snowboarders. As Greg Ralph stated "Just their clothes scare us to death." They have an endless supply of stores about the lunatic boarders who have cut them off. They claim snowboarders have no respect for skiers. Snowboarders don�t bite, although some skiers are to afraid to get close enough to find out. Give snowboarders some room. "They are no more crude, crass or threatening than any group any group in which three quarters of the members are males under the age of 25."(Sinanoglu) There may be a huge clash between snowboarders and skiers, but the sports are not all that different.

The sports overlap greatly. When people remark �that�s just skiing on a board" keep in mind that the opposite is, "it�s just boarding on skis". What is "skiing" vs. "boarding" anyway? Getting down the terrain making a certain type of turn is both. It is what type of terrain and what type of turn are what controls the mechanics, and not just "Is that ski or board technique?"

Snowboarding is easier to learn then skiing, but harder to master. Skiing is harder to learn but easier to master. There are three styles of boarding, Alpine, Freeride, and Freestyle. "Alpine snowboarding value the carved turn, racing, competition, and some tricks. Freestyle includes halfpipe (a trench used for tricks) riding, and trick maneuvers favored by those young and radical. Freeriding barrows from both Alpine and Freestyle."(Bennett 8) It is the most popular style today. Usually people that are learning start off with the Freeriding style, then as their boarding experience grows, their boarding style changes to what they are most interested in. Before they start learning how to board, they need to find the correct equipment.

Snow conditions play an important role in choosing the length of a board. Snow conditions are determined by the geographic region you live in. Riders who live in Southern California, the Midwest and the East Coast should choose a smaller board to compensate for the lack of deeper snow. Riders in other areas of the country who are blessed with deep snow and large mountains need different equipment. These riders should ride a longer board with a wide tip and tail so the board can float on top of deeper snow.

The flexibility of a new snowboard is very hard to determine in a store. To test the board, strap into the board on carpet. Once on the board, rock up and down on the tip and tail of the board to see how stiff or flexible it is. The flex should be consistent throughout the board. You don�t want a board with any noticeable inconsistencies in the flex. Some boards are designed with stiffer sections in the tip and tail to allow for better snap when jumping; this is a good feature but it is not for everyone. All boards will perform differently on snow than they do in the store, but this tests will give you a pretty good idea of a board�s flex. As a rule, a "stiffer" board will ride better on harder snow, while a "softer" board will rider better on softer snow.

Larger people need stiffer longer boards. Shorter boards are more maneuverable. Five to six trips to the mountain to get a feel for boarding. The price of a new board can range anywhere from $250-500. Find a few boards from different companies that have the right length, width, and flex and compare the prices. The boards that suit styles will come in a wide price range. The reason for the wide range is "each company uses different materials in producing their boards and these materials will determine the price. Board weight is a significant factor in determining price. Companies make costly modifications to the core of the board in order to make it lighter. Most companies use lighter wood or fiberglass combined with exotic materials (Kevlar, rubber, carbon) to make the board lighter. These materials are very expensive and will drive up the cost of a board. A lighter board is desirable because it will be easier to maneuver and has a livelier feel."(altavista.digital.com)

"Many of next years boards will Look much different. Not only are graphics brighter and more innovative, but the top-sheets of many boards will no longer be smooth and flat. Expanding upon the trend started by K2 with the visible "torsion forks" in this year�s "Zeppelin," the tops of many different brands of boards will have a "relief" appearance. These undulations cover "forks, rods, and aluminum honeycomb" which are suppose to suggest the presence of some type of special (magical?) internal structure that will enhance a board�s performance. This is a marketing and construction trend that the Alpine ski industry has used for over two years."(altavista.digital.com)

"Another change will be the relatively common use of "Cap" construction. This eliminates the separate "side wall" found in traditional "sandwich" designs. Contrary to what you may have heard, Cap construction actually reduces the cost of building a board! The use of light weight cores is continuing. Burton showed it�s "FL Project" FreeStyle board (approx. 150 cm) which weighs an incredible 3.5 lbs yet has a full-length wood core! (a standard board of this size is about 6.5 lbs.) Sims is using Hexcel aluminum honeycomb (borrowed from the ski industry) in the tip/tail of its "Project Hex"

Finding the right pair of boots is one of the hardest things to do because everyone�s foot is different. What may feel good to a friend, may be excruciatingly painful to someone else. Some people have strange misconceptions about fit. One of the biggest is that people have to wear more than one pair of socks. That is absolutely wrong. Boots should fit snugly. It is all right if toes are grazing the ends, but make sure they aren�t jammed. Most boots have very technical materials in them designed to keep feet warm. "Many companies use Thinsulate in the boots or neoprene liners for added

For people, toe drag is a major factor to consider. Look for boots that have upturned toes and heels. These boots look like the front and back parts of the soles have been shaved away for minimal drag. You want to stay away from squared off, hiking boot-style soles. The old square style boot will give you way too much toe and heel drag.

Some other things to look for in a good boot are waterproof uppers and lowers. "If the boots aren�t waterproofed at the factory buy some waterproofing wax and do it yourself . Be sure to look at where the leather or synthetic upper meets the rubber lower of the boot. Bend it a little bit and look for any gaps in this area. Some poorly constructed boots will have small gaps in that area." Stay away from those boots, they leak.

"Step-in bindings have been around for a few years, in one form or another, but they exploded onto the scene last winter. The concept is simple. The boots fit directly onto the binding without using any straps. Step-in bindings allow riders to get onto their board with relative ease. There are over twenty companies producing step-in systems this year. Each company has their own style as to how you get in, but the concept is basically the same. If you are interested in riding step-in bindings make damn sure that the boots fit you really well. If the boots don�t fit, it�s not like you can just tighten your straps because there aren�t any. Systems like the Clicker, by K2, and Switch use boots with plastic "highback" inside the boots. At first the boots feel really strange but stick with them because they get more comfortable as you ride. Other companies, like the Device, use almost unmodified soft boots in their systems. These boots feel like regular �ol soft boots and don�t feel as weird as some of the other step-in

Learning to snowboard is the most dangerous part to snowboarding. Beginners are more likely to fracture a bone, just the opposite of skiers. "Most vulnerable point is the wrist. Boarders are 7 times more likely to break it then skiers because they use their hands to break their falls."(Sinanoglu) Snowboarding may be the hottest sport this winter, but increasing injury rates could make it one of the most dangerous. "The injuries sustained by snowboarders are primarily to the wrist, forearm, and ankle. Snowboarders unusual stance - both feet facing sideways in non-releasable bindings - is one of the factors contributing to the injuries. In the position, the only way for the snowboarder to fall is directly forward or backward onto their outstretched hands. The rider can not reposition to break the fall and the entire impact of the fall is absorbed by the outstretched hands. The non-releasable bindings also may be a leading cause of the ankle injuries. The force that normally allows a ski boot to release from its binding is absorbed by the ankle in a non releasable system. The design of the boots worm by snowboarders may contribute to the high rate of ankle injures. The soft-shelled boots worn by snowboarders allow a more free range of motion of the ankles than the hard shelled boots worn by alpine skiers. There is less torsion force concentrated at the knee, but more hyperenxtention and hyperflexion forces across the ankle. Alpine skiers are three times more likely to get a knee injury then snowboarders. On the other hand, snowboarders are twice as likely to get an ankle injury. Wrist and forearm fractures are more then four times as prevalent in snowboarders then skiers. Some of these injuries can be prevented by buying guards and padded

Knowing how to repair and maintian the board can save lots of money and risk of being injured and stranded on the mountain. Waxing is important to keeping it in good shape. "There are six basic tools you need to wax your board Scraper, Base Cleaner, Wax, Iron, Scotch Brite Pad, Cork Block."(Bennett) You can pick up all the tools you need to wax your board at your local snowboard or ski shop.

"The first step in waxing your board is removing your old wax. If your wax is thick, use your scraper to remove the bulk of it, then spray base cleaner on and wipe it clean. The second step is to melt the wax on with the iron (not too thick), then iron the wax evenly over the entire base, and let it cool. The third step is once the wax is cool, scrap it with a snowboard scraper. Do not use a metal scraper as it will remove all the wax. After you do this, use a Scotch Brite pad and wipe the bottom of your board."(Bennett)

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding on snowboarding, the costs of the board, bindings, boot, clothing, taking the risk of injures, and investing time into repairing the board.