introduction

Snowboarding is one of the most exciting and extreme sports in the world. Many of the tricks seen on television seem to defy gravity, and in some cases seem downright impossible. In reality, every twist, turn, and flip must obey the fundamental laws of physics. Professional snowboarders must follow all of the same rules that amateur snowboarders do. Even though the worlds top snowboarders may not be able to explain the principles of physics behind their snowboarding skill, they have mastered the ability to use these principles to their advantage when pulling the kind of stunts that leave the rest of us shocked. While they may not understand the physics behind the tricks they do, we will be able to. With an understanding of these principles, a less gifted snowboarder can improve his skills by using these physics principles to their advantage. 


The main principles of physics in snowboarding can be broken down into three main categories:

Motion
Energy
Momentum

Over the corse of the next couple weeks, these concepts and their subconcepts will be explored and explained.