Nelson 1

Daniel Nelson

Mrs. Marlar

US History II

27 April 2023

Snowboard

Snowboarding has impacted American culture by opening various gateways for

expression especially in the younger generation of teens. Snowboarding has greatly increased the

popularity of winter sports, through freestyle snowboarding being in the olympics, and also the

winter X games, being broadcast to millions of people around the world. Snowboarding has

impacted the lifestyle of the younger generation, because snowboarding culture emphasizes

individuality, freedom, and creativity, and it has brought new creativity and excitement to winter

sports. Overall, snowboarding has greatly influenced American culture through allowing the

freedom of creative expression in the younger generation of teens

Snowboarding has greatly increased the overall popularity of winter sports.

Snowboarding competitions in the Olympics and X games have greatly contributed to its large

popularity. Snowboarding saw a major increase in popularity “when the International Olympic

Committee decided to add snowboarding to the competition, beginning with the 1998 Winter

Olympics'' (2000s Sports). Snowboarding being added to the Olympics and being broadcast to

millions of people on television, would obviously cause the popularity of snowboarding to

increase. Similar to snowboarding being in the Olympics is snowboarding in the Winter X

games. After ESPN’s summer Extreme games, or X games were so successful “in 1997, ESPN

began the Winter X Games. The sports initially included were snowboarding, supermodified
 Nelson 2

shovel racing, ice climbing, snow mountain bike racing, and crossover slope-style

snowboarding” (Rinehart).The winter X games helped to increase the popularity of

snowboarding by including events that were never previously seen in the olympics, and allowed

for the people of the world to be able to see the limits of what was possible on a snowboard.

Winter X games was so successful that ESPN has continued the winter X games for many years

after. In the second year of the winter X games ``ESPN included snocross, with snowmobiles

racing one another, multiple contestant free skiing, multiple contestant snowboarding, snow

mountain bike racing, individual snowboarding (slope-style, big air, and half-pipe)” (Rinehart)

Winter X games being continued for a second year and including individual snowboarding

events really allowed for individual athletes to shine and grow the popularity of the sport through

their individual success. Both, the Olympics, and the X games have greatly contributed to the

increase in popularity of winter sports. The extreme action and thrilling competition that comes

with these snowboarding events has had a huge effect on so many people all around the world.

Naturally, along with the growth in popularity of snowboarding, the improvement and

development of snowboarding equipment would come too. “Originally, snowboards were

designed with only one upward-turned nose. However, in 2004, nearly all of the boards that were

made, with the exception of alpine boards, had both tail and nose turned upward.” (Goldenberg)

Snowboards have been developed in order to allow the rider to have a more comfortable

experience. This is further demonstrated with the development of boots which were made

specifically for snowboarding. “As the manufacturing processes, materials, and performance

demands progressed, so did snowboarding boots. In 2004, a variety of flexibilities, binding

systems, and styles were available” now that much better, more comfortable bindings and boots
 Nelson 3

were available, obviously this would cause for the popularity of snowboarding to increase, now

that it was a more pleasant experience. The improvement of snowboarding equipment has made

snowboarding more enjoyable for the rider, which would then draw more people towards the

sport, and cause it’s popularity to increase.

One incredible athlete in the sport of snowboarding who was able to become a symbol for

the future of the sport was Shaun White. Shaun White’s “genial personality and long red hair

(which earned him the nickname “Flying Tomato”) made him a popular symbol of the sport.”

(2000s Sports) White’s popularity in snowboarding would greatly increase the popularity of

snowboarding in general, since he gave people a symbol to look up to in snowboarding. This is

further demonstrated when snowboarding was first added to the olympics and “In 2006, White

competed at the Olympics in Torino, Italy. He won the gold medal in the halfpipe competition

and emerged as a global celebrity.”(2000s Sports) Shaun White being in the Olympics led to him

becoming a global sensation, and greatly boosting the popularity of snowboarding. Furthermore

when Shaun white competed in the winter X games and “won scores of other competitions

including three more golds at the annual Winter X Games.”(2000s Sports) Shaun White’s

continued success would lead to him and snowboarding as a sport in general, becoming much

more popular in the end. Overall, The addition of snowboarding to the Olympics, and the

creation of the winter X Games, featuring snowboarding, with the improvement of snowboarding

equipment, and Shaun White’s great personality and performance in these events have definitely

caused for so many people to pick up a winter sport and start riding and having fun.

Snowboarding culture strongly promotes nonconformism, individuality, and creativity,

and it has brought a new form of creativity into winter sports. The culture of snowboarding is
 Nelson 4

very similar to that of skateboarding and surfing, “The same nonconformist attitudes surrounded

skateboarding, and the rest of America looked upon this sport with the same negative sentiment”

(Goldenberg). The lifestyle and attitude that is associated with snowboarding was seen

negatively by the people of America, since it was such a drastic change compared to the culture

of skiing at the time. At first skiers were strongly against snowboarders, because snowboarding

contradicted what skiing was. Snowboarding at this time had “a naturally conflicting belief

structure for a similar activity, skiing, which represented the affluent, bourgeois culture that was

predominant in the winter sports arena at the time” (Goldenberg). The new, never before seen

culture and attitude of snowboarders was a major change for the skiers who wanted a more

exclusive experience. So obviously this would cause skiers to dislike snowboarders. In order to

ride on the mountain, snowboarders had to do anything and everything just to get 1 run in “They

were relegated to riding up in snow cats that groomed the ski areas at night, or to hiking to the

top of mountains'' (Goldenberg) Just to ride the mountain, snowboarders would hike the whole

way up, because they still weren’t allowed on the mountains because of stubborn skiers. Despite

their dislike for snowboarding, in order to keep the sport alive, snowboarders needed to be on the

slopes, so “In the 1980s, ski areas accepted the fact that there was lack of growth in the ski

industry and, with some stipulations, allowed snowboarders on the slopes.” (Goldenberg) The

mountains of the US were forced to allow snowboarders to use the mountain, in order for the

sport to continue to grow. Snowboarding has changed the lifestyle of teenagers, since it was

reluctantly allowed on the mountains. Snowboarding attitudes and lifestyle follow that of

skateboarding and surfing. Nonconformist attitudes, individualism, and creativity, were core
 Nelson 5

aspects of snowboarding, which was completely different to skiing at the time, which led to them

being looked upon differently.

The ability to freely express one's creativity brought to the US by snowboarding, has had

a major effect on the lives of the younger generation. Snowboarding has greatly increased the

popularity of winter sports, through the Olympics, Winter X Games, and through certain

individuals such as Shaun White. Snowboarding has also impacted the lifestyle of teens in

America, by supporting individualism and creativity. Overall, snowboarding has brought new,

never before seen outlets for expression, and even though it has been looked down upon, and still

is being looked down upon by some to this day. Snowboarding has been able to shine through

and completely transform the lives of millions of Americans.

Works Cited

Goldenberg, Marni, and Kellen Sams. "Snowboarding." Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure

in America, edited by Gary S. Cross, vol. 2, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004, pp. 280-282.

Gale In Context: U.S. History,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3434800232/UHIC?u=mlin_n_newhigh&sid=bookmark-UHI

C&xid=740811b9. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023. The author writes about the history of

snowboarding, starting with its invention, and all of the advancements that have been

made in snowboarding, to get it to where it is today. Also a description of the culture of

snowboarding and how it has been frowned upon by skiers during this time.

Rinehart, Robert E. "Extreme Sports." Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America,

edited by Gary S. Cross, vol. 1, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004, pp. 318-321. Gale In

Context: U.S. History,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3434800098/UHIC?u=mlin_n_newhigh&sid=bookmark-UHI

C&xid=22a63550. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023. Robert E Rinehart writes about when

snowboarding was finally accepted into the olympics, and the creation of the Winter X

Games, which included individual, freestyle snowboarding events.

"Shaun White." Newsmakers, vol. 2, Gale, 2010. Gale In Context: U.S. History,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1618005300/UHIC?u=mlin_n_newhigh&sid=bookmark-UHIC

&xid=853c5a75. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023. This is a biography of Shuan White, and his

journey in the sport of snowboarding starting from a very young age, to becoming a

world renowned staple of the sport.

Walsh, Patrick J., et al. "2000s: Sports and Games." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop

Culture of 20th- and 21st-Century America, edited by Cynthia Johnson and Lawrence W.

Baker, 2nd ed., vol. 6: 2000-2009, UXL, 2012, pp. 1565-1586. Gale In Context: U.S.

History,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX1303400114/UHIC?u=mlin_n_newhigh&sid=bookmark-UHI

C&xid=9cd4a90c. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023. This is an article about how snowboarding

greatly increased in popularity in the early 2000’s, mainly because of Shaun White who,

by winning many major events and having such an amazing personality was able to make

a name for himself in snowboarding and cause the sport to be able to grow further than

ever before