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In 1994, the International Olympic committee approved snowboarding as an Olympic event. It made its debut in 1998 at the Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. No doubt this approval was due to the hugely growing popularity of the sport all over the world since the 1960s. In fact, during the middles of the 1980s, fewer than 10% of all ski areas in the United States allowed snowboarding. In 2010, it is allowed in more than 95% of them.

The snowboard is fairly similar to a surf board or skate board and is built to ride down a slope covered with snow. Boots are worn that are mounted with flexible bindings to the board, sort of perpendicular to it. This is unlike skis, in which boots are facing forward.

The largest demographic for snowboarders is 18-24. The main reason for this is probably cost. While a pair of startup skis could run from $400-$600, an entry level snowboard with boots and bindings can be found for around $200. Another reason is its perception. Snowboarding is considered “cool” with all its creative athleticism. A big focus for the sport is the various tricks that can be done as well as having one’s own personal style and technique.

For newcomers to the sport, the most common form of snowboarding is called freestyle. A freestyle board is generally wider, lighter and more stable and flexible so beginners have an easier time dealing with turns and terrain. Few or no tricks are performed in a freestyle run.

The style most loved by enthusiasts is free ride. These boarders are not limited to terrain type and can adapt to various snow conditions like powdery snow cover or icy cover. There are many tricks in the free ride repertoire. These include surface, aerial and half pipe. A free ride board is usually stiffer than a freestyle board as it helps navigate hard turns.

Another form of snowboarding is free carving. The goal in this style is pure speed. Thus, few or no tricks or jumps are done. The best condition for free carving is hard packed snow since it usually entails hard turns while racing downhill. A free carve board, which is also called an Alpine board, are typically the longest and narrowest of all boards. Since advanced control of the board is so important, this style is not intended for beginners.

One of the many things that make snowboarding so exciting is the chance to do many different tricks. Like skateboarders, snowboarders include spins, twists and jumps in their tricks. Some of the best known of these tricks are the Canadian bacon, Japan air, ollies, nollies, poptarts, melons and flails.

Popularity of this sport continues to soar. It has been featured in 4 Winter Olympics including Nagano, Japan, Salt Lake City, U. S., Turin, Italy and most recently, Vancouver, Canada. Thus the sport has received great television coverage. Additional TV coverage for other events and competitions has increased as well. While once considered an extreme sport, it has worked its way into becoming among the mainstream pastime sports. If you enjoyed this article why not look up blue mountain rental and learn the proper wat to snowboard.

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