15 Photos of Snowboarders Defying Gravity

Snowboarding, with its high-flying tricks, has always pushed limits. Modern snowboarding was developed in the 1960s, and quickly gained traction among skateboarders and surfers as a popular new winter sport. But it wasn't easy for snowboarders to gain acceptance.

Feuds between skiers and snowboarders were frequent as the sport gained popularity in the 1980s, according to Smithsonian.com. Resorts banned snowboarders, who were often much younger than the skiing clientele and viewed as mischievous.

Slowly, a diplomacy campaign convinced resorts to start accepting the new snow sport, and currently only three North American resorts are snowboard-free. Snowboarding finally made its debut at the winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, in 1998.

The snowboarding season is quickly approaching, and adrenaline junkies surely can't wait to hit the slopes. As snowboarders wait for the the weather to chill, perhaps the above slideshow can provide some inspiration for the upcoming season.