Photo exhibitions, ‘From the Alps to Vermont,’ ‘From Snurfing to Snowboarding,’ open in Stowe

November 17, 2025  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Update Nov. 19: This post was revised to add information about the snowboarding history exhibit.

Photo by Hubert Schriebl

The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum opens two new exhibits next week, “From Snurfing to Snowboarding” and “Hubert Schriebl: From the Alps to Vermont,” both with an opening reception planned for Friday, Dec. 5.

“From Snurfing to Snowboarding” traces the sport’s evolution from homemade gear and the tiny hills of Michigan to the rise of global snowboarding culture by 1990, when participation surpassed 1 million riders. The Hubert Schriebl photo collection celebrates one of the most prolific photographers in the history of mountain sports.

‘Snurfing to Snowboarding’

Snowboarding in 1982. Photo courtesy of the Vt. Ski & Snowboard Museum

Snowboarding’s story begins in 1965, when Michigan engineer Sherman Poppen nailed two skis together so his daughters could glide down a hill, creating what his wife first called the “Snurfer” and setting off a cultural spark that would forever change winter sports.

The exhibit chronicles snowboarding’s evolution through rare photographs, patents, product catalogs, and personal artifacts, many coming from the archive of snowboarding pioneer Paul Graves who acquired his first Snurfer in 1966 and went on to become the first sponsored professional rider. In 1982, Graves founded the National Snow Surfing Championships at Suicide Six (now Saskadena Six) in Woodstock, Vermont, an event that opened the doors to ski area access for snowboarders and drew national media attention. That competition also marked the legendary snowboard rivalry between Vermont’s Jake Burton Carpenter and California’s Tom Sims, an East vs. West rivalry that defined the sport for years.

“This exhibit captures the energy and creativity that snowboarding brought to the mountains,” said Dave Schmidt, the exhibit curator. “It’s not just about boards; it’s about the people who brought the sport to life.”

Hubert Schriebl: ‘A photographer’s photographer’

Described as a “photographer’s photographer,” Austrian Hubert Schriebl has captured with his camera the grandeur of the world’s highest peaks and the quiet beauty of Vermont’s hillsides. 

Schriebl’s love of photography began in the 1960s while serving as a mountain guide for the Austrian Alpine Club during survey expeditions in Nepal’s Everest region. In 1964, he was the lead guide and photographer on the first ascent of Manaslu II (North), a 23,480-foot Himalayan summit.

Arriving in Vermont on Christmas Eve 1964, Schriebl joined the Stratton Ski School and soon made the Green Mountains his home. For over 50 years as the official photographer of Stratton, he chronicled the evolution of skiing and snowboarding in the region. 

Schriebl’s images have appeared in Ski, Skiing, GEO, Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated. He covered four Winter Olympics, and every U.S. Open of Snowboarding held at Stratton.

U.S. Open half pipe, Stratton Mountain. Photo by Hubert Schriebl

The exhibit covers the breadth of his career by presenting a selection of Schriebl’s most iconic winter sports photographs shot from Nepal to Vermont. 

“Hubert Schriebl’s images don’t just document, they embody the spirit of mountain life” said exhibit curator Dave Schmidt. “This exhibition honors both his global vision and his deep local roots.”

The collection will be on view until October 2026. 

Both exhibitions open on Friday, Nov. 28, with a reception celebrating both on Friday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. They will remain on view for the 2025-26 season, which closes in October 2026.

Sponsors include Cabot Hosiery, Stratton Mountain Resort, and Chuck and Jann Perkins.