Definition: The Snurfer was invented by Sherman Poppen in 1965 in Muskegon, Michigan. It was the precursor to the modern snowboard, and the main inspiration for Jake Burton Carpenter, the man who eventually started Burton Snowboards. The device was a crude snowboard, with a rope tied to the nose for added steering. It had no bindings, and no metal edges.
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The Snurfer was one of the first snowboards.