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WRIT 340 Illumin Assignment
The Science in Snowboarding
Snowboarding, a sport that started in 1965, has come a long way. Now as an Olympic sport,
snowboarding has a lot of factors that affect the ride. Among these factors are the type of board,
weather conditions, and the physics that take part in turns, stops, tricks, and halfpipes. This
essay dissects these factors and the evolution of the snowboard.
INTRODUCTION
Snowboarding is a very new sport that started oddly with the Snurfboard in 1965 [1]. However,
even though it is very new, it has evolved with new technologies and today it is a main event at
the winter Olympics. There is a lot that goes into snowboarding that even many snowboarders
aren’t aware of, including the evolution of the board, the way the board is made, and the types of
boards and how they affect the rider. Furthermore, the condition of the snow and the physics
behind the halfpipe and other tricks are a fundamental part of snowboarding. This essay will help
those who want to understand the art of snowboarding better.
THE BEGINNING
The first snowboard, developed in 1965 by Sherman Poppen, was made of two kid’s skis bolted
together [1]. As seen in figure 1, it had a rope tied on the tip for steering and a steel track to hold
the rider’s feet on the board [1]. Poppen came up with the idea when he saw his daughter trying
to stand on her sled while going downhill. He called his invention the Snurfboard and since all
the kids wanted one, he licensed his idea and sold millions more.
Figure 1: Poppen and his Snurfboards [1]
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Jake Burton, Tom Sims and Dimitrije Milovich were the main people who further improved the
Snurfboard, making it more similar to today’s snowboard. Jake Burton Carpenter, founder of
Burton, added rubber bindings for more control, which replaced the rope that was tied to the tip
of the board (1977) [1]. Tom Sims, in the 1960s, added bindings and aluminum sheeting on the
bottom of the board and Milovich added a ‘V’ cut out in the tail of the snowboard [1]. In the
years after these improvements other changes, such as round tails, plate bindings, hard boots, and
other types of boards, were made [1]. One of the most important improvements made was the
metal edges that were added and the narrowing of the center of the board to accomplish easier
turns [1].
Initially snowboarders were perceived as reckless and dangerous rebels. However, as
snowboarding became more and more popular in the 80s, people became more accepting of
snowboarding and snowboarders. Ski resorts began opening their trails to snowboarders [1].
Finally, in 1998 it became a part of the Olympic Winter Games at Nagano, Japan [2]. Today
snowboarding has five sub categories in the Olympics: giant parallel slalom, parallel slalom,
half-pipe, slopestyle, and snowboard cross [3].
SNOWBOARDING GEAR
The Board
Snowboards have a wooden core that is surrounded by fiberglass and that has steel edges, which
are all attached together with resin [1]. The steel edges are there for turns and for controlling
speed [1]. The fiberglass, placed on the top and bottom of the wooden core, is to keep the board
stiff [1]. Lastly, there are stainless steel inserts on the top of the board to attach the bindings
(hold the boots on the snowboard) [1]. These can all be seen in figure 2.
Figure 2: Parts of a snowboard [1]
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The board can either have a sintered base, or an extruded base [1]. A sintered base is formed
when “Polyethylene granules are heated and compressed to create a porous plastic. The higher
the grade the greater the molecular weight of plastic, the greater the molecular weight, the lower
the coefficient of friction and the tougher the base” [4]. This means that these bases are faster
and more long lasting. On the other hand, extruded bases, “created from a single sheet of plastic
manufacturing by melting stock plastic then pushing it through a die and rollers to create a
uniformly thin sheet,” [4] are slower. The reason for this is because of the low amount of wax
they can absorb, which is crucial. Therefore, a sintered base is always better.
When looking at maintenance, having wax at the base (bottom) of the snowboard is very
important for two reasons. First, it protects the base of the board from wear and water
penetration, which is harmful to the snowboard [5]. Second, it reduces wet-drag friction because
of its waterproof quality [5].
Another important factor in taking care of the board is the edges of the snowboard. One must
make sure that the edges of the snowboard are sharp at all times because of their importance of
turning and control [5].
Other significant manufactured parts of a snowboard include the nose, sidecut radius, camber,
effective edge, and flex point [1]. When the nose (front end of snowboard) of the snowboard is
higher one can ride at greater speeds [1]. When the sidecut radius (depth of board from nose to
middle) of the board is small one can achieve tighter turns [1]. If the camber, the area of the
board between the front tip and tail, is springy (better for freestyle moves), the board will make
turns easier and if it is flat than the board is worn out [1]. If the effective edge, the metal sides of
the board, is longer, then the board will be more stable, but if it is shorter than one will be able to
perform easier turns [1]. The flex point (between the two bindings) is the beginning or ending
point of the flex (flexibility of the board) [1]. When doing bumps a soft flex is better, but if
boarding on ice than a stiff flex is better because it has a better grip on ice.
The 3 Types of Snowboards
The freeride/all mountain board (figure 3) is the most popular type of board and can be used
on normal snow, on halfpipes, for catching air, but it is best used on powder snow [6]. Freeride
boards are the best choice for beginners because they are not too stiff or flexible, making them
stable and maneuverable [1]. Also, this board is able to make quick turns and is all right for
doing freestyle moves due to its ends being slightly turned up [1].
Figure 3: Freeride/all mountain board [6]
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The freestyle/technical boards (figure 4) are wider, more stable, shorter, lighter, and more
flexible [1]. These boards are built for doing tricks such as jumps, spins, grabs, and rails. They
are not made for making quick or tight turns [1]. Snowparks are usually where one can observe
the riders with these boards. These boards are also suggested for beginners.
Figure 4: Freestyle/technical board [6]
The Carving/Alpine boards (figure 5) are narrower, thicker, longer and stiffer than the other
boards [7]. These boards are great for high speeds, sharp turns and thus racing. These boards
have their bindings pointed slightly towards the nose for easier turns. These boards are not
suggested for beginners due to their lack of stability [1].
Figure 5: Carving/alpine board [6]
SNOW
When snowboarding the quality of the snow is very important. First off, kinetic energy is
generated and released as heat when the board is gliding over the snow [8]. This creates a very
thin layer of water, “more than a hundred times thinner than a dollar bill” [8]. Thus a hydroplane
effect is created, making the board slide and not stick [8].
When the temperature rises and the snow becomes somewhat liquidated, known as wet snow, the
snowboard’s ability to slide reduces, creating a decrease in speed [8]. This is because the layer of
water beneath the snow increases, creating cohesion, having the same molecules stick to one
another, and adhesion, were the different molecules are attracted to one another [8].
At nighttime, once the temperatures have decreased, the wet snow turns into a dense icy surface
[8]. This makes it harder for snowboarders to ride because it is more slippery [8]. Also, the
surface is not always smooth. There are points were the wet snow freezes somewhat rocky
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because of it not having a smooth surface beforehand; this results in an uncomfortable ride for
the snowboarder.
THE PHYSICS
BASICS
The most important aspect in learning snowboarding is keeping balance; keeping one’s center of
gravity over the riding edge does this [9]. One must simply keep their legs bent and their body
upright (not bending the upper body). Another important aspect in snowboarding is that it is
based on converting potential energy to kinetic energy to gain speed. The higher the hill that a
snowboarder is going down, the faster he/she will go [8].
When a snowboarder shifts his/her weight forward (downhill), he/she increases the speed;
whereas, when a snowboarder shifts his/her weight backward, he/she decreases the speed.
As seen in surfing and skateboarding, snowboarders shift their weights from heel to toe when
they want to make turns, when they want to change direction, or when they want to stop. For
example, if a snowboarder is goofy (right foot front) and wants to turn right, he/she will shift
their weight to their heels and slightly twist their body clockwise. As for stopping, snowboarders
must dig their heels or toes into the snow depending on which way they are facing
(upwards/downwards) [9]. They do this in such a way that the edge of the board that’s closest to
the top of the mountain is digging in to the snow, and thus tilting the base, which drags the snow.
Boarders can decrease their speed with two types of turns: carving, and/or skidding, creating
frictional resistance [5]. These turns are done in zigzag patterns (figure 6). Skidding, a technique
that is usually used by amateur riders, is when the snowboard is tilted and the base of the board is
still somewhat in contact with the snow [5]. This turn requires less balance. On the other hand, a
carved turn, requiring more balance and used at higher speeds, is achieved when a board is tilted
and its base is not touching the snow (where the edge of the board leaves a linear track) [5].
Figure 6: Zigzag pattern in snow [5]
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Half-pipe
A half-pipe is a man made U-shaped channel made in the snow for snowboarders to use for
jumps and tricks [1]. When going into the halfpipe one goes down the hill and uses their speed to
reach the highest point of the halfpipe. From there a snowboarder rides down from one side of
the halfpipes ‘U’ and up the other side [8]. The snowboarder’s momentum carries the rider up
the wall of the other side of the halfpipe. However, when going up the wall, gravity slows them
down, which means a rider has to have enough speed to minimize the effect of gravity.
As displayed by Paul Doherty, a physicist funded by the National Science Association, the
halfpipe is a great example of dynamic science [10]. Snowboarders feel the gravity giving them
speed as they are going down one side of the halfpipe, and it’s gravity, as well, that slows them
when they go up the other side of the halfpipe [10]. “At the same time they are being pushed
against the sides of the half pipe by the contact forces from the surface of the snow” [10].
Snowboarders gain speed as they push back against these forces, and thus they get air. When a
half pipe’s sides are taller, snowboarders go faster. As a snowboarder goes up the wall of a half
pipe his/her kinetic energy, speed, decreases (due to gravity) and turns into potential energy: the
energy that gives matter the potential to move [8]. “When they are at the highest point of their
jump they have the most potential energy” [10]. As a snowboarder goes down the ramp his/her
potential energy becomes kinetic energy [8]. The higher speed of a snowboarder equals an
increase in the amplitude of a jump.
Halpipes are great for getting air and doing jumps and tricks such as 360s, grabs, and more. A
very important technique to know while trying to do tricks on a half-pipe is the use of pumping
to increase speed and angular velocity [8]. While pumping, a snowboarder must crouch down at
the flat section of the half-pipe, he/she must then raise their body and arms as they go up the
curve [8]. This moves the snowboarder’s “center of gravity closer to the center of his curving
path in the pipe increasing his overall velocity” [8] making the snowboarder ready for tricks.
Last but not least, the take off timing, plays a huge part in achieving a trick. If one takes off too
early or too late it would affect their amplitude and landing [8].
Torque
Torque is the force that makes an object rotate [8]. This force is fundamental for performing
spins and tricks. Snowboarders create torque by rotating their torsos right before they launch off
a jump or half-pipe [8]. This helps them rotate around their y-axis, making them spin [8]. As
shown in figure 7, “To spin faster x-games competitors maximize their torque with their upper
bodies by winding up and twisting in the opposite direction of the intended spin. All things being
equal this effectively doubles the amount of torque generated. Enabling competitors to launch
spinning at angular velocities of up to 600º per second” [8]. Also, when trying to perform a flip
(rotate around horizontal axis), instead of twisting their torso snowboarders extend their legs at
takeoff [8].
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Figure 7: Example of Torque, as a rider twists his torso counter-clockwise [8]
Double Cork
The double cork is a one of the harder tricks in snowboarding and it is performed in about 1.8
seconds [11]. In this trick a snowboarder performs a rotation in the air that resembles the double
helix in our DNA [11]. Snowboarders must use torque for this trick. Shaun White, an Olympic
gold medalist for snowboarding, was recorded while doing this trick and he had an angular
velocity of 540º per second after he launched [11]. During 44% of his time in the air, Shaun has
to be looking up, increasing the risk of this trick [11]. The margin of error in a double cork is ±2
feet, which could result in a very risky landing [11]. Lastly, while landing this trick Shaun can
experience an impact of 1100 pounds of force [11]. Many factors of physics are involved in this
trick including torque, velocity, the angle that he launches at, his amplitude and more.
CONCLUSION
Science has advanced this sport to the way it is today. With the changing technologies of the
board, the findings on how the condition of the snow affects the ride, and the physics in the old
and new tricks, snowboarding should be a sport that is researched more often. Snowboarding,
now an Olympic sport has come a long way since the 1965 Snurfboard [1], and it will go further,
and improve more, like it has with the snow kite boarding, and other new technologies. It is a
sport to keep an eye out for those who seek adrenaline.
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REFERENCES:
[1] S. Watson. How Snowboarding Works [online]. Available:
http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/snow-sports/snowboarding.htm
[2] Snowboard Equipment and History – History [online]. Available:
http://www.olympic.org/snowboard-equipment-and-history?tab=history
[3] Vancouver 2010 – Snowboarding [online]. Available:
http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2010/sports/_/name/sb/snowboarding
[4] Snowboard Science [online]. Available: http://www.snowboardreview.
com/snowboard_guide/science/
[5] The Physics of Snowboarding [online]. Available: http://www.real-world-physicsproblems.
com/physics-of-snowboarding.html
[6] Snowboard Types – Different Types of Snowboard [online]. Available:http://www.abcofsnowboarding.com/snowboards/types-of-snowboards.asp
[7] Snowboard Equipment and History – Equipment [online]. Available:
http://www.olympic.org/snowboard-equipment-and-history?tab=equipment
[8] Snowboarding Science: The Physics of the Halfpipe [online]. Available:
http://www.planetscience.com/categories/over-11s/physics-is-fun!/2012/11/snowboardingphysics-at-the-winter-xgames.aspx
[9] P. McCulloch. What is the physics involved in snowboarding? [online]. Available:
http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae447.cfm
[10] Science of the Olympic Winter Games: Science of Snowboarding [online]. Available:
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/olympics/snowboarding.jsp
[11] (2010, Jan 28) Sport Science: Spin Like Shaun White [online]. Available:
http://espn.go.com/high-school/video/clip?id=6610485
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