Snowboards have come a long ways since 1965, the year the Snurfer was created by Sherman Poppen as a gift for his granddaughters. But for those who love the insecure feeling afforded by no bindings and a complete lack of metal edges, the Snurfer is back.
For those unfamiliar, Snurfers were the original snowboard. It is ridden holding a string to the tip that helps steer the wooden vessel down a hill and has no bindings. It was produced during an era of bellbottom jeans and went out of fashion with parachute pants, when the Snurfer was supplanted by the first snowboards with bindings and metal edges.
Thank God. Snurfers are pretty hard to control, but for those with skills, can be used to ride soft snow. Check out the video below for some “epic” snurfing.
Snurfers aren’t for ski areas or hard packed snow, but can be a lot of fun at the local sledding hill.
The new Snurfers manufactured by Balance Designs are made in the USA and look very much like the originals. Two models are available, the Classic ($120) in Rocket Red and Sunburst Yellow, and the Nomad ($140), a slightly more modern version that is a little wider.
So if you’re looking for a challenge and want to throw out the tech, the Snurfer is available later this month for backyard mayhem. We’d recommend learning on a powder day!
