When I was a boy I wanted to learn how to snowboard. I remember being about forteen and my mother telling me we could not afford to buy me a new set up so I had to find a used one somewhere. Well my heart sank, I wanted my own new board, but what was I going to do. Off I went in such of a board. After a few days of asking my friends and looking around at used boards around town it seemed that I could not get even a used one. Just as I thought it was hopeless my friend Kyle came to me and said he had a board and bindings that I could have for one hundred dollars, awesome I thought, all I would need was boots and I would be set. My mom and I went down to his house and picked it up. It looked rather plain and a little beat up but when I rode it down the mountain I understood why Kyle had waited till he grew out of the snowboard to sell it. It rode like a dream, it was the best ride I had ever had. I never really knew much about it apart from the occasional ski patroller stopping to comment on it. I would thank them for their kind words and ride on. A few seasons later, during the summer, I broke my ankle playing soccer and had to give up snowboarding. I didn’t think I would ever board again so I gave my baby to my friend to enjoy and take care of. Years went by and when I turned 26, I went snowboarding. While on the hill my friend, who is the brother of the person I gave my board to, tells me the snowboard is still at his parent’s house and his brother has not used it in years. After snowboarding I took a drive out to his parent’s house and their it was sitting under years of dirt and snow. As I looked upon it a flood of fun memories came flooding back. I picked it up and to my surprise it was still within my height limit to ride it. I decided to fix it up and ride it. I wanted to find out more about it, like who made it and when and the name of it. So after a bit of digging I found out that it is an Atlantis snowboard pressed by Surf Politix in Beaupre, Quebec. It was designed by Daniel Franck, and one just like it was ridden by him in the first ever Winter X-Games at Big Bear Lake, California. Daniel Franck is perhaps most remembered for his second place finish in men’s half-pipe at the ’98 Winter Olympics. My board was made during their 97/98 season. It was made when Atlantis was still a small board shop and was one of only a handful ever made. I think that is pretty neat, I can now board with a piece of snowboarding history. My hope is to have it until I have children so I can show them a piece of history and maybe inspire them to take up the fun and engaging sport of snowboarding.
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