‘Snurfing to Snowboarding’ presentation is Thursday at the Vt. Ski & Snowboard Museum

March 10, 2026  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Snowboarding pioneer Paul Graves shares a presentation on the history of the sport on March 12 in Stowe. Photo by Gary Land

The Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum in Stowe hosts snowboarding pioneer Paul Graves for a Red Bench Speaker Series presentation titled, ‘Snurfing to Snowboarding,’ this Thursday, March 12.

While snurfing may have originated in Michigan, Vermont played a pivotal role in its transformation from a backyard experiment into the global sport of snowboarding. From the late 1970s through the 1980s, a dedicated community of riders, organizers, and entrepreneurs drove this evolution, often pushing boundaries and challenging ski area norms along the way.

Graves was at the center of it all. In 1982 he organized the National Snow Surfing Championships at Saskadena Six (then known as Suicide Six), opened Vermont’s first snowboard shop, and became one of the sport’s earliest rider representatives in professional snowboarding. 

At Thursday’s talk, Graves will be joined by Mark Heingartner and Eric Brammer, along with others from the era, to share firsthand stories from the 1970s and 1980s, when ski areas gradually began opening their slopes to snowboarders and a new chapter in winter sports history was written. 

The program will also include a screening of “The Dawning,” a short documentary produced by East Street Archives and narrated by Graves. The film highlights the early pioneers who built the foundations of modern snowboarding. Featuring boards, archival footage, and materials from Graves’ personal collection, “The Dawning” offers a tribute to the individuals who shaped the now-popular winter sport.

Admission is $10 with tickets available in advance online at vtssm.org/new-events. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. The museum is located at 1 South Main Street in Stowe.