During the 1980s and 1990s, the Manchester and the Mountains area of
Vermont was the epicenter of the fledgling sport of snowboarding. With
the presence of Burton Snowboards, the U.S. Open Championships and one
of the earliest machine-built halfpipes at Stratton Mountain, the local
population led the vanguard as the sport ventured from the fringe to
mainstream. Ranging from Olympic gold medalists to backhoe operators and
converted skiers, locals contributed immensely to the development of the
sport. Author Brian Knight details the birth, growth and development of
a new worldwide sport from humble beginnings in southern Vermont.