Sad news in the world of snow sports as Sherman Robert Poppen passed away at age 89. Sherman invented The Snurfer on Christmas Day1965 and many credit it as an early predecessor of the modern day snowboard.
Poppen got the idea for The Snurfer from a lifelong desire to surf but was stuck in Michigan with underwhelming lake swells. He realized that a nearby sand dune would work as a “winter wave” and got to work on The Snurfer design. His wife, Nancy, named the invention because the board allowed the rider to surf on snow.
Back in 2012 his hometown Muskegon, Michigan commemorated his mark on snow sports by creating a sculpture called The Turning Point. You can also find the original Snurfers in Washington D.C. at the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian Institution.
images from youtube & pintrest