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AILSA CHANG: Before snowboarding, there was snurfing. And there would be no snurfing without Sherm Poppen. Poppen, who died recently at the age of 89, is the grandfather of the sport. But on Christmas Day in 1965, Sherman Poppen of Muskegon, Mich., was just a dad trying to find something to entertain his two young daughters. His oldest, Wendy Poppen, remembers it very well.
WENDY POPPEN: We got done opening presents and eating tons of candy canes. And we're kind of bouncing off the walls. And it was really snowy outside, of course, because it was Christmas. And my mom said, Sherm, will you get these kids out of the house? They're driving me crazy.
MARY LOUISE KELLY: But Sherm Poppen had a challenge. Sleds would just sink in the fresh...