European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 2, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Snowboards me these Lori Gibbs sets her Board on Edge for a turn. Not snowboard expert Andy Coghlan leans into a turn on a slalom course. Not by Janet Nelson new York times two years ago a skier Riding sideways on a single wide snub nosed ski was a rare sight. Most conventional skiers dismissed it As a fad. Today Between 200,000 and 250,000 people Are climbing onto snowboards and swivelling downhill according to the North american snowboard association the sport s governing body. Snowboards Are invading the Alps too. Snowboards Are big in Europe says John Schwartz manager of Scherer Tours a company specializing in ski trips. They used to be confined to France but now they Are All  the Ossa also says snowboarding is the fastest growing Winter sport increasing at a rate of 80 percent to 100 percent each year. At first this mixture of skateboarding windsurfing and skiing attracted largely adolescent skaters and surfers who wanted to enjoy their sports in Winter too. Gradually More Alpine skiers and older adults began trying the single Board for skiing. Most people visualize snowboarders As a Bunch of skate rats who Are going to terrorize the Mountain said David Schmidt the National sales manager for Burton snowboards the largest manufacturer of snowboards. The majority Are in the 15 to 25-year-old age group but there s a definite increase in the 9 to 12-year-old group and people Over 25 who Are taking it  snowboarding was introduced to the United states in the late 60s As an activity for children and it was two decades later before Jake Burton Carpenter recognized its potential for mainstream skiers. In 1978, Carpenter left a career on Wall Street and founded Burton snowboard co. In Manchester it. The first year he sold about 250 boards last season his company sold More than 30,000 boards in All approximately 70,000 were bought in the United states. Modern snowboards Range in length from a Little under 4v2 feet to almost 6 feet and Are 10 inches wide. In the states they Are priced from $250 to $500, but usually come with bindings to be mounted for the skier s comfortable stance. Boots with inner bladders that conform to the feet Are getting to be the Norm and no poles Are required. Cafes sports stores sell several models of snowboards ranging in Price from $180 to $240. They re Selling like hot cakes. When they get them they move says maj. Charles Hayes of the cafes Public affairs office. Most skiers who Cross Over from Alpine skiing say snowboarding requires a different sense of balance and that getting used to the sideways stance is awkward. Skiers Are sometimes More successful than skateboarders or surfers said Lowell Hart head of snowboard instruction at Stowe it. They have an advantage because they know about slopes How to read Snow conditions How to use edges and they re not afraid to commit to moving  on the other hand it s difficult for an experienced Alpine skier to return to the helpless out of control experience of being a rank beginner. The first two hours Are the most harrowing. Beginning ski boarders fall a lot after which they have to get Back up the Small incline used for teaching either by dragging the Board on one foot while climbing or carrying the Board under an Arm. At first it seems like you re on an endless plateau Hart said. But then All of the sudden you break through and move two Levels higher and you be got  there Are two Basic motions to be Learned before any Mastery is possible. One is applying pressure on the Board s Edge while staying in balance Riding downhill. The second motion is swivelling the base of the Board to make it turn a motion that can Best be described As slithering with the hips. Ski boarders also need to decide which foot they prefer to have Forward. For most people the left foot goes naturally Forward. In snowboarding these people have a regular foot stance those who ski with the right foot Forward have a goofy foot stance. Just As in Alpine skiing there is an element of risk in snowboarding but it appears to be no greater than Alpine skiing which averages about three to four accidents to 1,000 skiers. It was the risk aspect of snowboarding that held the growth of the sport in Check until recent years. Many ski areas would not permit snowboarders on the slopes in the belief that it might be dangerous for the ski Boarder As Well As Alpine skiers. About three years ago there was an acceptance by ski areas and snowboarding really began growing said Paul Alden president of the North american snowboard association. Last year and this year we saw an explosion in growth and now about 75 percent of the areas permit Board  Schwartz says that Many european resorts have snowboarding schools and most ski rental shops offer the equipment. However As a tour director and dedicated skier he s less than thrilled with this new Way to get Down the slopes. The boards cause havoc for ski Racks on buses he says. They take up so much  and on the mountains he considers the boards a nuisance. They re not made for ski slopes. They Mark up the  features editor Leah Larkin contributed to this report. February 2, 1989 stripes Magazine