Plastics Help Snowboarding Reach New Heights
Though it only became an official Olympic sport in 1998, snowboarding has actually been in existence for much longer. Without plastic, snowboarding would likely be stuck at its humble beginnings. The very first snowboards from 1929 were made from a mix of plywood, leather reins, and clothesline, making them heavy, awkward and stiff. When plastic was introduced to the sport, it allowed snowboards and other related equipment to become more durable, flexible, lighter and stronger, helping snowboarders achieve greater speed and allowing them to develop new tricks and stunts, from fakies to alley oops.