Once an Outlaw: A Brief History of Snowboarding Roots
From Waves and Pavement to Powder
Snowboarding is enjoyed by so many different kinds of riders today, that it’s easy to forget our not-so-long-ago roots. For those of us who were riding in the early days, the progress that snowboarding has made (in so many ways) is pretty impressive.
Listen to this Story on the 1923 Main Street Podcast
Where Snowboarding Began: The Visionaries
If we go back to very beginning (to the true pioneers of the sport) snowboarding didn’t start on the slopes. Snowboarding started with surfers and skateboarders who wanted to bring the board experience to winter sports for a whole new rush (and we all know the names of some of those early trailblazers that led the way: Poppen, Milovich, Burton, Sims, Barfoot and many more).
When the waves went flat and the mountains were calling, riders looked for a way to “snurf” the mountains on a board. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. They strapped boards to their feet, improvised bindings, and discovered the rush of carving lines on snow. It was fun, it was freedom and it was unlike anything the ski world had ever seen.
For me it was the late 1980s. I still remember the days when my trusty Sorel’s were my snowboard boots. It was makeshift in those early days, but one thing was clear: this new board sport was here to stay.
DNA Born in Defiance
Snowboarding’s DNA is a little defiance and a little rebellion. Mostly it was about freedom. In the 1980s and ’90s, riders were treated like outsiders, but they kept shredding. The Once an Outlaw series from 1923 Main Street® Snowboarding is a nod to that heritage—bold, unapologetic and built for those who ride with pride.
Also available as a snowboarding hoodie.
• Base Item: Gildan 64000 • 100% ring-spun cotton • Sport Grey is 90% ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester • 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²) • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping • Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center • Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti or Guatemala
Disclaimer: Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white.
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it may take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions.
Please note: since all orders are custom created, all sales are final and we do not accept returns, refunds or exchanges. Please check sizing carefully using the guide.
Outlaws on the Slopes
But not everyone welcomed this new way to ride.
It didn’t take long for us to find out that snowboarding (as it eventually became known) wasn’t going to be viewed as “legitimate” and it certainly wasn’t welcomed (at first).
In the late ’80s and early ’90s, snowboarders were treated like outlaws. Resorts banned us outright. Some allowed us only on separate runs. Skiers sneered, calling us rebels who ruined their perfect corduroy. And maybe we did—but evolution means adaptation.
Snowboarding was raw, creative and unapologetic. We weren’t trying to fit in. We were carving our own culture.
Retro Snowboarding Style
The Once an Outlaw, That Look sweatshirt is part of the Once an Outlaw series by 1923 Main Street®, with designs that recall the roots of the sport in snowboarding streetwear style. Were we a little rebellious in the 1980s and 1990s? Probably. But it wasn’t without reason. Banned from hills, looked down upon by skiers who didn’t like how we rode, jibbed, bonked and carved. And the style…they just didn’t get it. But despite all the looks and sneers, snowboarding persevered into the sport we know and love today.
Celebrate your roots in comfy warm style with the Once an Outlaw, That Look snowboard sweatshirt.
Also available as t-shirt.
• Base Item: Gildan 18000 • 50% cotton, 50% polyester • Pre-shrunk • Classic fit • 1x1 athletic rib knit collar with spandex • Air-jet spun yarn with a soft feel • Double-needle stitched collar, shoulders, armholes, cuffs, and hem
Disclaimers: • Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white. • Subtle orange hue shifts with lighting in the Orange color variant.
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it may take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions.
Please note: since all orders are custom created, all sales are final and we do not accept returns, refunds or exchanges. Please check sizing carefully using the guide.
The Style That Changed Everything
What started as rebellion quickly became influence.
Snowboard style caught on—baggy gear, bold graphics and a freer approach to riding. Resorts built snowboard parks, complete with halfpipes and rails (a nod to skate and surf roots). One of our favorite local resorts had a VW beetle buried in the snow midway down a run (an early boardpark, basically), so that we could jib and bonk off the front trunk and roof. It was epic and we loved it.
(As a side note: It was around this time that I launched 360 Spins: Snow Skate and Sonics magazine, because riders were a community. More on that here if you’re interested.)
Over time, the very shape of snowboards began to influence ski design, pushing skis toward twin tips and more playful geometry. The same happened with snowboard fashion, elements of which began to crop up in ski wear.
What was once an outlaw culture became the blueprint for modern mountain life. Many skiers won’t admit it, but snowboarding tech and style actually breathed new life into their sport, which had been on a slow decline.
From Snowboard Outlaw to Icon
Today, snowboarding is everywhere.
Resorts embrace it, parks thrive and the outlaw spirit lives on in every rider who drops in. What began as a banned pastime is now a global culture—celebrated in streetwear, music and lifestyle.
Snowboarding is no longer just a sport; it’s a movement that reshaped the mountains forever.
Carved in Rebellion
Snowboarding wasn’t always mainstream—it was outlaw culture. The Once an Outlaw design series from 1923 Main Street® Snowboarding throws back to the days when riders were banned from ski hills, but carved their own lines anyway. Once an Outlaw is more than a phrase—it’s history stitched into streetwear.
Our Cherub design is a throwback to 90s style, with a comfy fit that’s always ready to go.
Also available as a hoodie.
• Base Item: Gildan 64000 • 100% ring-spun cotton • Dark Heather is 65% polyester, 35% cotton • 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²) • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping • Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center • Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti or Guatemala
Disclaimer: Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white.
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it may take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions.
Please note: since all orders are custom created, all sales are final and we do not accept returns, refunds or exchanges. Please check sizing carefully using the guide.
Once an Outlaw™… Now a Legacy: Snowboarding Today
And this story is the inspiration behind one of my personal favorite lines at 1923 Main Street.
The Once an Outlaw™ series by 1923 Main Street® Snowboarding is more than apparel—it’s a tribute.
A tribute to the pioneers who rode when they weren’t welcome.
A tribute to the style that changed the slopes.
And a tribute to the outlaw spirit that still defines snowboarding today (even if we are a lot more respectful now and young riders aren’t even aware of these roots).
Because once you’ve been an outlaw, you never really stop being one.
By Mike Belobradic
Once an Outlaw