Why do people snowboard?  What urge do they have to jump on a moving
board and ride it down a mountian?  Is this in pursuit of their
identity?  Do they believe in existential thoughts such as we live
only on this earth so make the best of it and snowboarding is the
thrill that makes the best of it for them?  Or does everyone just say
its cool?

I had a similar thought my first time surfing. I lasted all of an
hour, and, defeated, climbed out and back up to the peak (santa cruz)
to watch my friends & everybody else.

i looked out over the peak at the people in the freezing cold water,
all clinging to pieces of oddly shaped fiberglass, scrambling to catch
the crest of the Next Big Wave... it seemed quite a peculiar thing for
an organism to do, considering it is not for survival or reproduction,
but purely for enjoyment.

Skateboarding, wakeboarding, kiteboarding, snowboarding - all are
children and grandchildren of surfing. As for surfing... 1500 AD,
hawaiian/polynesian. If it was once useful, it was a sport by that
point.

I am more intrigued that someone would pay $20 to have someone answer
a question about the Meaning of a Sport than i am about the sport
itself.

That said, i just got back from 2 weeks of snowboarding in japan. what
better reason to do something than:

it's fun!

i could care less what is cool - yet often there is a reason for it being cool.

again, simply - pleasure.

save your $20, go to utah & try it.

cheers

I have been a skier for 18 years and will always love it.  I think had
I could enjoy boarding more, but I'd have to start from scratch and
work my way up over the years to get anywhere close to the level I am
at with skiing.

I definately see the enjoyment factor in boarding, and I would have to
say that enjoyment is by far the main reason why so many people are
flocking to snow boarding.

It's pretty much the same answer to any question about
entertainment... theater, movies, bowling, skate boarding, jet skiing,
video games, sports...  most people wouldn't do them if they didn't
enjoy them.

'skewl

Poet