So who created the first snowboard? This is one of the controversies in snowboarding history. Let Grays on Trays take you back in time. Today's snowboards didn't take their shape until sometime in the 1980s. In the 1960s, the Snurfer looked something like a snowboard, though without bindings, and with a rope. If you really want to go back into snowboarding history, you might want to head to 1939. That is when Gunnar E. Burgeson, Harvey W. Burgeson, and Vern C. Wicklund received U.S. Patent 2,181,391 for a device they called a sled. Unlike a sled, their device had foot straps and, prefiguring the Snurfer, a control rope. The text of their application made it clear that the person using their sled would be standing up, not sitting down. You could go to the web site of the U.S. Patent Office to look at their patent application. It may require some fiddling with your computer's settings. Or it may not. Or you could stay here, and view the application in a much more readable format, on the GraysOnTrays.com website. You will need a copy of the Acrobat Reader on your computer. You probably have one already; if not, you can download it from Adobe, free of charge. You might wish to first open the text of the patent application and then the blueprint of this snowboard prototype. We regret having to make you open up two windows, but it's the best way we could devise for displaying the blueprint and text in a readable fashion. Enjoy! Return to the history page. Discussion board Did you ever use a Snurfer? Sneak past the ski patrol? Remember when duct tape was your most important tool on the slopes? Stop by the Grays On Trays discussion board to add your comments or questions about snowboarding history and snowboarding for adults. Return to the home page.