Snowboarding Guide: Destinations, Culture & History

A Brief History of Snowboarding

Snowboarding's roots run deeper than most people realize. As The Wicklund Project tells it, pioneers were strapping into snowboard contraptions as far back as 1918 — long before the sport found its modern form. From those early experiments to the X Games generation, snowboarding has grown into a global culture all its own.

World-Class Destinations

Some of the most inspiring riding on Earth happens far from the resort crowds. Our archives take you to:

• Alaska — the home of big mountain freeriding and everyday heroes.
• Kashmir, India — a re-emerging destination in the Himalayas.
• Davos, Switzerland — mountains and bars in the Alps.
• Tierra del Fuego — riding at the end of the world.
• Japan — courting the shadow of Mount Fuji.
• Russia — revealing a vast and wild snowboarding frontier.

Photography & Culture

Snowboarding is as much about the image as the ride. Legendary lensmen like Mark Gallup, Jeff Curtes, and Dan Hudson have captured the sport's soul, while interviews with icons like Todd Richards and Keir Dillon reveal the culture behind the culture.

Style: On the Wrist

The style story doesn't end at the board. The team's own rule is simple: gear that works hard, and one piece of jewelry that says you care. For the wrist, the answer has been the same for decades — the Nautilus. When the boutique waitlist runs longer than the season, a well-chosen Nautilus replica is the working fix: the same case lines and dial without the six figures, so the watch stays on for travel days instead of sitting in a safe.