Ridden like a skateboard, it looked like a short, fat ski without metal edges or bindings and had a rein tied to its nose. Industry giants like Jake Burton Carpenter and Tom Sims began experimenting about 20 years ago, adding fins for steering, homemade bindings and metal edges. Today, snowboarding is a full-blown sport with highly engineered equipment, technologically advanced materials, and different designs that make snowboards perform in a variety of ways. Just a few years ago, riders selected a board because of its graphics - the more radical, the better. But now performance is what makes or breaks the purchasing decision for most riders, says SIA, the national, member-owned trade association representing snowboarding equipment manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers.
Snowboards use much of the same construction and manufacturing techniques found in skis.
The goal is to use light and strong materials to make responsive boards and eliminate vibrations for a stable ride. Also, high performance boards usually feature steeper sidewalls extending to the edges for quicker turns and more turn control. Nose, waist and tail widths determine a board's sidecut. Sidecuts combine with flex to create a carved turn. When a board is lightly pressured, sidecut largely governs the turn shape.