Snowboard Types Essay

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Snowboarding When you look at a snowboard it seems relatively simple. Actually, a lot of thinking and technology has gone into making it. Snowboarding started with surfing. Over time and a bunch of different people, snowboarding evolved from the Snurfer (1965-a child’s toy with a shape of two small skis attached together) to the snowboard we have today. Although wood is not the only material in a snowboard, the wood itself is the most important part as it is what actually makes up the main body of the board. Instead of being made of one solid piece as you might think, the wood is cut into vertical strips that are laminated together. This makes it less likely that the wood would warp and bend, causing damage to the board and also eliminating imperfections seen in larger pieces of wood that could affect the shape. Wood is the most popular and commonly used material for the core but a new honeycomb aluminum design has also recently been developed. On top of the core is a composite material that further protects the core. This material is usually fiberglass and gives the board shape, structure and improves the strength of the snowboard. Covering the fiberglass is then a thin layer of plastic, polyester, nylon, or some mix of those that protects the inside of the board and also displays the graphic of the board. Sometimes the top folds over to meet the edges in a “capped” board but usually there is a plastic sidewall plating the side, safely bordering the wood inside. The bottom of the snowboard is made of a specific type of plastic call polyethylene, which is also called p-tex. What makes p-tex so good for the bottom of a snowboard is that it’s smooth and has low friction for higher speed. It also absorbs wax, which makes waxing and repairing the bottom easier. Cheaper snowboards have extruded bases that are usually shaped like regular plastic toys and such-by

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