The History Of Lib Tech Snowboards
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Snowboarding is a sport in the same league as surfing, skateboarding, and skiing. Therefore, it is obvious the origins of snowboarding are closely associated with these sports.
History of snowboarding
It is interesting to know that snowboarding was invented just a few decades ago – 35 years ago to be precise. It was in 1963 that a man named Tom Sims created a snowboard made out of plywood. It was actually a version of the skateboard.
Better known as a world champion of snowboarding in California, Sims was also an owner of a skateboard company by name Skims Skateboards.
The story goes that a man named Sherman Poppen in 1965 also conceived and created a snowboard called snurfer. The construction was apparently simple – by bolting two skis together.
Leave aside the origins, for fun lovers and sports lovers alike snowboarding became a big hit. There was no looking back ever since for the rise in popularity. Today, snowboarding is the fastest growing winter sport in US with more than three million enthusiasts enjoying it.
The term Lib Tech is synonymous with environment-friendly snowboards. There are more reasons than one why snowboard equipment need be eco-friendly.
If you are planning snowboarding for the first time, it is important that you understand a bit about green snowboard equipment.
Companies like Lib Tech take pride in environmental conservation, and make snowboards from eco-friendly wood sources. Apart from other features, eco-friendly snowboards are lighter than the usual snowboards.
How would you identify eco-friendly or green snowboards?
Environmental-friendly boards are ones made from as many organic materials as possible. It is not just about the material of construction. Being “green” means having a holistic approach to conserving the environment.
Eco-friendly snowboard makers like Lib Tech are committed to:
- Making products that are environment-friendly and sustainable.
- Being meticulous about the environment while designing snowboards.
Giving back to the environment by conserving, reusing, and recycling.
Growing number of snowboards chose going “green” from the winter of 2008. This marked a significant shift from the traditional manufacturing practices – a challenge for some well-known brands.
But, the pressure to remain environment-friendly, though a bit challenging, was not unachievable. Grass root innovators to multinational companies started offering green boards. In 2008 the trend had made a modest beginning. Snowboards with sustainable material constituted just two percent of the then estimated $140 million snowboard market.
The focus for manufacturers was to make the snowboard from Forest Stewardship certified wood core. Then you can have completely or partially recycled steel edges, sidewalls, and base. Today more than 50 percent of the snowboard equipment, if not more, are eco-friendly.
The fact remains that the consumers too are attached to nature. Which snowboarder isn’t?
It is natural therefore that a snowboarder chooses the ecologically better products from Lib Tech than from others who stuff their products with components like resin.
Fortunately, for the consumers, large-scale integration of the green technology has not pushed up the retail cost. This is good news indeed.
As anybody knows, the answer to having a high level of green technology is:
- own your own manufacturing unit.
- have extensive experience with alternative materials and processes.
- own a business model that allows for more spending on research.
Companies like Lib Tech precisely fit into this category. Lib Tech Snowboards are made from the state-of-the-art Banana Technology known for maximizing performance. The “green” materials used consist of bamboo cores and polymer top sheets.
The growth of snowboarding is written on the wall. It would not be surprising if snowboarding overtakes skiing in the near future - a good augury for companies like Lib Tech.
