Snowboarding now is one of the top winter sports. It has gathered millions of fans around the world thirsting for hitting the most difficult slopes. The world recognition and stunning records led to the formation of the special community.
The snowboarders’ hall of fame is the sanctuary of all the borders. It comprises museums, halls, and lists of the greatest athletes and contributors in the industry. Initially, this movement appeared in the United States in 1950.
What do the halls of fame do? They preserve the sport’s heritage, celebrate the important dates, and popularize it among the nation. This time we shall name the communities and places honoring the boarders.
The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
The Museum honors the personalities with significant achievements in snowboarding and skiing. It is located in Ishpeming, Michigan and was open in 1954. The exhibition is held by U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
The organization is responsible for competitions and overall support of the athletes in the industry. The museum honors 430 skiers, snowboarders, and key figures. It accommodates tons of unique historical material within over 4,500m2 of the exhibit.
In addition, it has a library with over 1,300 pieces of writing and visual material related to skiers and snowboarders. The organization holds the Induction Ceremony each year. It chooses candidates from 3 categories: top athletes, the representatives and the “heritage” (those who have been engaged in this activity for 20+years).
The Vermont Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
This hall of fame is a permanent exhibition arranged by The Vermont snow sports Museum. The museum was founded in 1988 in Vermont. The organization’s aim is to preserve and cultivate both skiing and snowboarding.
It was solely an enthusiastic project initially dedicated to the U.S skiers. With the rapid popularization of snowboarding, this sport was added to the collection in 2011. And the very first snowboarders were inducted in 2012.
Currently, the exhibition includes more than 8,000 items related to winter sports. Besides that, it stores numerous heavy equipment and machinery such as lifts and snowmaking machines.
The Vermont Ski & Snowboard organizes the Induction Ceremony each year. It considers 3 categories: snowboarders, pioneers of the industry and contributors.
The Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
The Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum has been working since 1977. It inducts notable figures in snow sports yearly. Similarly to previous museums, it honors the athletes and the sports ambassadors in the state of Colorado.
It has made a lot for popularizing the sport in the USA. The members attend meetings and decide on the next generations of snowboarders, strive for funding the communities in the region.
The Greatest Contributors and Athletes Inducted
The U.S halls of fame included the respected snow sports builders and rides in their lists. These people really made snowboarding history:
- Paul Johnston, one of the pioneers in the industry. He made a lot for snowboarding as Vice President of Stratton Mountain snow resort. He opened a bunch of races for snowboarders at the resort in the 1980s. Paul took care of the visitors constantly improving the slopes, obtaining new equipment and introducing new facilities.
- Paul Graves. He stood at the origins of snowboarding. Mr. Graves organized National Snowsurfing Championships in 1982 in Vermont. This was the first time the riders could compete on a massive scale and attract large media attention. But this is not the only contribution. Earlier, in 1979, he helped Mr. Burton competing on his own board prototype at the Snurfer Championships.
- Jake Burton Carpenter. Snowboarding may never become as great as it is today without Jake Burton. He is the founder of the Burton Snowboards, the leading manufacturer in the industry. His entire life is the story of devotion to the sport. His products are sold worldwide. He is the inventor of a board we all know today. But giving the rides the best gear to hit the slopes was still a part of his job. Jake sponsored the National Snowboarding Championships in 1982. He is not only the ambassador and businessman but a rider as well. From the beginning of his career, he used to have fun on snow and still does wonderful things on slopes.
- Kevin Pearce. Kevin was a professional snowboarder and competed on the Olympic level. He won 3 bronze and 1 silver medals competing in Winter X Games. His story is vital to the sport. It is an example of endurance, persistence, and dedication. In 2009 Kevin got a severe brain injury while training. It seemed he is over, but Pearce did not give up and returned on the slopes. Later he ran Love Your Brain Foundation. The organization helps people recover after brain injuries and lead a normal life.
- Jeff Brushie. This person made a history of the sport. Competing in the 1990s, Jeff performed many tricks for the first time which later were introduced at the Olympic Games. Brushie brought many traits from skating, making the board performance and competitions far more aesthetic and spectacular.
Shaun White
Shaun White, being the number 1 snowboarder on the planet, is not included into any of the U.S. Halls of Fame. There is no official reason for that. However, many professional boarders (and amateurs too) condemn Shaun for his extreme competitiveness and remoteness from the communities.
There was a scandal regarding Shaun and sexual harassment against his rock band drummer Lena Zawaideh. The snowboarder, to the contrary, denies the fact of harassment.
Ay Snowboarding Hall of Fame in Europe?
Snowboarding was born in the U.S. European region was all about skiing in the past. Skiers were competing at the Olympic Games far earlier than snowboarders. International snow sports federations residing in Europe do not arrange halls of fame dedicated specifically to boarders.
On the other hand, the history of a snowboard was made by Americans in America. Thus, perhaps, the USA is the best place for such museums and exhibitions.