[First published in Transworld SNOWboarding, February 2005]
In the beginning there was an urge to find different ways to get down a snow-covered hill, to be different, and to tinker. This account is not meant to issue bragging rights or lay down who’s-first claims (unless they are widely known,) but it’s an effort to educate and give thanks to the early pioneers who had the ingenuity and took the time to make snowboarding better. This is a simple account of the evolution of the snowboard binding.
By Dennis Nazari
Photography by James Cassimus
6. In the mid to late 70s, boards were getting wider, and it was apparent that you could not turn effectively without something anchoring your heel and toe to the board—one thing that seemed to make sense was a bungee cord. Emerging companies like Barfoot, Burton, Winterstick, and Sims were all starting to produce boards that utilized the bungee cord as standard equipment. PHOTO: James Cassimus
Click here to check out part 2
Click here to check out part 3
TAGS: binding history, Burton, Dennis Nazari, Flite, history, sims, Snowboard history, snurfer, winterstick
