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 Olympic Snowboarding - The History

Olympic Snowboarding - The History
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 4 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.65

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    Burchett, hardwood, non-Snurfer, plywood, singlewide, skateboard, slalom, snowboard-like, surfing, childhood, design, easily, material, binding, clothesline, snowboard
     content words:    Sherman Poppen, Once Poppen, Dimetriji Milovich, Jake Burton, Tom Sims, Chuck Barfoot, Flying Yellow Banana, United States, International Snowboarding Federation, Winter Olympics

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Olympic Snowboarding - The History
By Trista L. Pollard 		  
1     
Bobbing, weaving, dodging trees,
Gliding, flying, down mountains with ease.
A single board, hands free,
The speed of nature for the eye to see.

 
2     Imagine standing on a sled, zooming down a white mountain. You are riding the snowdrifts like a surfer in the ocean. No poles, just free hands as you glide to the mountain bottom. This must be every snowboarder's dream- the best of surfing and skateboarding combined into one sport. Snowboards are singlewide skis that do not require poles. So when was the first snowboard invented?
 
3     Some people believe snowboard history began in 1929. A man, M. J. Burchett, built a snowboard-like sled. It was made of plywood. Burchett used clothesline to tie his feet to the board. He used horse reins to steer the board. The next snowboard was called the Snurfer. Sherman Poppen, a chemical gases engineer, made the board for his daughter in 1965. They lived in Muskegon, Michigan. Poppen bound or tied two skis together. He also put a rope at the nose of the skis. The rider would hold the rope as she rode the Snurfer. This rope kept the board more stable. Once Poppen built his daughter the Snurfer, her friends wanted one, too. He licensed or sold his idea to a manufacturer. In 1966 over half a million new Snurfers were sold. It was only used as a children's toy. Poppen was still involved with the Snurfer. He organized competitions for Snurfer riders.

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