The athlete flew through the air -- spinning, twirling, and flipping. It was a thing of beauty, but then, disaster. The snowboarder hit the ground and laid motionless until the paramedics arrived and took him away. That’s the story of John Vincent Mitchell, and many others who have taken horrific falls from the sport of snowboarding. In fact, it’s this picture that deters athletes and parents away from the sport. However, as popularity grows, so does safety and the benefits people can get from hitting the slopes.

Snowboarding dates back to the 1960’s when it was first named “snurfing.” ?However, it was quickly banned due to safety issues and a relative lack of understanding from the extreme sports community. In the 1980’s general advancements were made in the sport, making it a new activity on most mountains. It was introduced to the winter Olympics in 1998, were an estimated 38,000 people got to view the sport in a competitive setting for the first time. In 2000, the number of attendants grew to over 83,000. Today, snowboarding is still a sport on the rise because of its unique and beneficial nature.

With advancements in technology, snowboarding companies have created safer equipment which allows people to enjoy the sport without worry.? Specifically, helmets and boards are preventing serious injuries. Additionally, to limit the risk of injury, almost all ski resorts have different level slopes for beginners and advanced riders. This is generally good because it allows people to choose the slopes that would be the most fun but also safest to ride.? This is an opportunity that other sports can’t offer.? Because this is now a safer activity, more and more teens can go outside and start experiencing this sport which allows for more exercise and less technology in front of them.



<Timothy Jun La Canada HS 9th Grade>