Cultural Boarding Bodies: Status, Style, and Symbolic Capital

Abstract

The snowboarding body is a symbol of status, a system of social marking, and a site of distinctions. In snowboarding culture, the symbolic values attached to bodily forms are critical to many participants’ sense of self. Bernard Rudofsky (1986) reminds us that many of these practices are not new; in fact different cultural or tribal groups have long inscribed their identities on their members’ bodies. However, in contrast to premodern societies, where traditional signs marked the body in ritualized settings, today people treat the body as a phenomenon to be shaped, decorated and trained as an expression of both individual and group identity (Shilling, 1993). A host of theorists (Bourdieu, 1971, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990a, b; Harvey, 2001; Shilling, 1993, 2003, 2005; Turner, 1988; Veblen, 1970[1899]) point to these bodily differences as strategies for social distinction. Of particular interest here are the ideas of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. In his theory of distinction, Bourdieu assigns a central place to the body, and through a number of theoretical concepts provides insight into the distinctive bodily practices employed by individuals and groups within contemporary society. Complementing the results of this approach, Connell (1983, p. 153) writes: ‘[Bourdieu] is one of the very few systematic social theorists to have a way of talking about what living in the world is really like, its shadows and sunlight, its langours and teeth’.

Board sports, for the most part, are about expressing individuality—that’s what makes them cool. So the whole Olympic uniform thing, you know, it’s a sensitive subject. The inspiration [for the 2010 US Olympic snowboard team uniform] was sort of that classic Americana look: the plaid blazer and old jeans. Yeah, it’s a uniform, but it’s also an anti- uniform at the same time. When these guys come out, it’s going to be very different from what any other country’s team is wearing. (Greg Dacyshyn, creative director of Burton Snowboards, cited in Keh, 2009)

When people first get into snowboarding, the image becomes important, because they want to be recognized on the mountain as knowing what they are doing. But as you get better you either go one of two ways. You get swept up in the fashion/lifestyle aspect of it and make that as important as the riding itself; or you don’t believe the hype and let your snowboarding do the talking. I know guys and gals that don’t give a shit about how they look and absolutely kill it in the backcountry and big mountain riding. They don’t bother with all the latest fashions, their riding says it all. (Colin, personal communication, August 2004)