SIMS Snowboards
All has begun in 1963 when American Tom Sims has made the first snowboard. First time he tried to use a board from a skateboard. Tom continued to improve "toy" and has soon started to make and sell the SIMS Snowboards. The first generation of snowboards had no fastenings.
Since then appearance of a snowboard has changed considerably. Kiel has disappeared, but there was a steel edging as on skis. The board form after a while has changed — board has assumed a habitual air with the refined waist. It has made Mike Olson from Gnu and Lib Tech boards.
The International Snowboard Federation (ISF), uniting associations of the countries of Europe, Asia and America has been in the early nineties created. Now ISF holds the annual World championships, World Cups and the other youthful championships.
In January, 1993 ISF holds the first real World championship on snowboarding in Ischgl (Austria). In 1996 FIS "recognised" the snowboard, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has included competitions on a snowboard in the Olympic program in quality "one of disciplines of skiing".
Within the limits of the Winter Olympic Games following competitions on snowboarding are held:— a parallel slalom-giant (man's and female arrivals);
— a halfpipe (man's and female arrivals);
— a snowboard-cross (man's and female arrivals).