How were the first snowboards made?

The first snowboards crafted by Jake Carpenter, the founder of Burton Snowboards, were initially made out of wood. His early efforts involved modifying existing snurfers—a simple wooden sled one could stand on, which had gained some popularity. Carpenter realized he needed a more serious manufacturing approach and moved to Vermont to start his company.

Jake's prototypes included variations made from solid ash wood, which he would curve using a company specializing in bent wood. He later experimented with laminated wood, both vertically and horizontally, similar to plywood. To refine his designs, he collaborated with a friend in California who owned a surfboard company, allowing him to use their factory at night to create snowboard prototypes from surfboard blanks. Despite initial skepticism and laughter from others, Carpenter's persistence led to the development of the modern snowboard 1 2 3.