A few decades ago it was a novelty that most people chose to look at with mild amusement. These days it has become an extreme Olympic sport that is practiced in many parts of the world whether there is snow or not. Snowboarding has gone from being a minor little distraction to a world sport that is starting to rival the age-old tradition of skiing. While the two sports still remain vastly different, snowboarding does have its attractions to the younger generations that skiing may lack. With brands like GNU Snowboards and many others backing up this now wildly popular sport, it is no wonder that is currently in the limelight when it comes to winter sports.

But as with most things, before the GNU Snowboards were in the stores and before snowboarding was even a word, there was a moment when it all began. Believe it or not, the modern sport of snowboarding had its origins in a sport that went by the name of snurfing. It was the conglomeration of the words snow and surfing lead to this innovative development. A man named Sherman Poppen took the basic design of a skateboard, removed the wheels and added a rope to steer it with. While you could not attach your feet, they at least adhered to the board to some degree. This radical design was sold a year later as a toy and lead to a revolution on the winter slopes. Soon new designs were coming out to rival the original 'snurfboard'. Some of the famous names of today had their humble beginnings here.

The snowboards as we know them today, and seen in GNU Snowboards and others, only really came around in 1979 during the first ever World Snurfing Championship in Michigan. Jake Burton Carpenter brought along a board of his own design to the competition. Even though he was technically not allowed to take part in the competition with his unconventional board, he paved the way for the future of the snowboards that we know today. From these humble beginnings snowboards and snowboarding has been elevated. Numerous competitions take place all over the world every year and it has even become an Olympic sport. The 'sport' that was at first thought to be a novelty has become one of the most famous events all over the world. Even in places where there is no snow!

Walk into a snowboarding shop today and you will see names like GNU snowboards and others staring at you. Today they names are synonymous with the sport of snowboarding. But just remember where it all began a few decades ago with a skateboard with no wheels and a piece of rope called a snurfer.