Dimitrije Milovich: One of Snowboarding's Modern Fathers

Dimitrije Milovich probably didn't have any idea that some thoughts he had while goofing around in upstate New York would help to change the extreme sports landscape and snowboarding history forever. The idea for a snowboard came to Milovich in 1970, and was based on surfboard designs while trying to add in some basic information based on how skis work.

Milovich's inspiration came from the winters in New York during college, when he would take trays from the cafeteria and "surf" down a sledding hill.

Only a year later, Milovich was granted a patent for his snowboard design so he could sell the idea to ski companies without fear of having his plans stolen. The next part of the story almost all snowboarders into their history know, as the patent wasn't going to expire until 1988, but Milovich decides not to enforce the patent against any other company, opening the way for competition and improvement.

Milovich set up "Winterstick" production in Utah, and continues to not only produce some of his original designs for snowboards, but to make new designs and continue to improve them, as well. Newsweek magazine did a write up on this new company the same year (1975), and so snowboarding received some of its earliest national attention.

The company that Milovich set up is still in business today, though he is no longer associated with it. Milovich quit in order to start an engineering business in a different area.

While he isn't known as a professional snowboarder, and his modern influence may not be there, it's undeniable that Dimitrije Milovich had an amazing influence on snowboarding. He was one of the earliest to put together and produce modern snowboards, and the attention received from national magazines would help to legitimize snowboarding as a new winter sport.

Dimitrije Milovich may not have intended to help birth a new sport when he was goofing off during college winters, but that is exactly what happened.

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