From pro models and magazine covers to women-led film crews and gear designed by women for women, these behind-the-scenes firsts helped shape the snowboard industry as we know it.

Unlike trick progression, this side of history is a little easier to track—thanks to old catalogs, film credits, and a few surviving VHS tapes—but plenty still slipped through the cracks.

This second installment of Tomboy Tapes: FIRST-ISH is an extension of the archive Mia started while making our documentary: a celebration of the first brands, awards, covers, and contributions that pushed women’s snowboarding forward behind the scenes.

It’s not definitive—but it’s a start.
Got old scans, catalogs, memories, or facts we missed?
DM us @tomboy.media. Help us fill in the blanks.

STORIES, SCENES, & SCREENS: Media and Community 

While riders were breaking ground on their boards, the media and community were carving out space for women to be recognized. From zines and message boards to the first magazine covers and all-women crews, this section highlights the storytellers, scene builders, and media moments that gave women’s snowboarding a voice—and a place in the culture.

First All-Women's Snowboard Film
Hips That Rip – Pow Productions, 1996
Filmed by Valerie Stewart, widely regarded as the first female snowboard filmer.

First European-Based All-Women’s Film
Dropstitch – Chunky Knit Productions, 2004
Featuring Natasza Zurek and a crew of progressive EU-based riders.

First Women’s Snowboard Magazine Cover
Amy Howat – Transworld Snowboarding, November 1989
Shot by Guy Motil.

First All-Women’s Snowboarding Magazine
Fresh & Tasty
Created by Bethany Stevens and Melissa Longfellow.
A DIY publication ahead of its time, blending culture, style, and women’s coverage in a scene that gave them little.

YOU CAN READ THE ENTIRE FRESH AND TASTY NOV/DECEMBER 1995 ISSUE HERE!

INDUSTRY SHAPERS: First to the market gear 

From signature pro models to the first brands built by women, this category covers the gear that wasn’t just pink-washed and resized. These firsts helped create space in the industry and proved that women riders deserved performance, support, and shelf space too.

First Women’s Pro Model Board (ish)
Petra Mussig – Nitro race board (1990)
Lisa Vinciguerra – Checker Pig freestyle board (1991)
Both were signature models, but not truly women-specific—just scaled-down versions of existing men’s boards with different graphics. Neither was widely distributed.

First Women’s Pro Models That Sold Worldwide
Shannon Dunn – SIMS Sunflower board (1994)
This board outsold everything else in the SIMS line that year—ridden by all genders and seen as the first real market breakthrough for women’s boards.

Tina Basich – Kemper pro model (1994)
Released the same year as Shannon’s. While it wasn’t quite as popular, it was a respected step forward in women’s representation.

First Board Designed for Women, by Women
Burton Dolphin – Shannon Dunn Pro Model (1996)
The first snowboard engineered from the ground up for women’s physiology and riding style—not just resized and rebranded.

First Women-Specific Boot (Built on a Woman’s Last)
Vans Circe Wallace Pro Model Boot (1997)
Finally—a boot designed for a woman’s foot, not just a smaller men’s boot in different colors

First Snowboard Outerwear Brands for Women
Deep – Founded by Tracy Fong (1993)
Bombshell – Created by Jerris Greenblat & Kathy Allison (1993)
Prom – Launched by Swag, Shannon Dunn, & Tina Basich (1993)
These brands showed there was real demand for outerwear that fit and functioned properly—not just fashion pieces.

First Brands That Only Made Women’s Boards
Pure, Goddess, and Daisy – Mid '90s
These short-lived but important brands were early signals of a shift toward women-led design and branding.

First Women-Founded Snowboard Brand
Chorus Snowboards (2000)
Founded by Cara-Beth Burnside, Leslee Olson, Roberta Rodger, and Tomo Yamakoshi.
Chorus was the most recognized and respected all-women snowboard brand—founded by pros who wanted more than tokenism. This was snowboarding from the inside out.

FRESH & TASTY AD HIGHLIGHTS: