The Winterstick story began in the late '60s when Winterstick founder Dimitrije Milovich met up with New Jersey surfboard shaper, Wayne Stoveken. Stoveken (who Milovich believes to be the first snowboarder) had started making snow-surfboard designs and showed Milovich a few construction ideas. Inspired by Stoveken's designs and the now famous surf film Five Summer Stories, Milovich started making his own snowboards. In 1972, Milovich dropped out of college and moved to Utah to work full time on developing his new designs in the Wasatch backcountry. Later that year, he patented the first modern snowboard, the "Swallowtail".

In 1974, Milovich began making snowboards out of his garage for friends and people who had read about them in articles in Newsweek and Playboy Magazines. Responding to the interest generated by the articles, Winterstick-brand snowboards was founded in 1976. They produced a total of 1500 boards and offered two different models, the "Round Tail" and the "Swallow Tail". They were shown at the SIA and NSGA tradeshows and were received with little industry or retailer interest. The company and the new sport grew slowly along with other companies like Burton, Sims, and Barfoot.

Later on in 1981, a couple of Winterstick team riders went to Les Arcs, France, and met Regis Rolland who bought a board from them after seeing them surf the French powder. Rolland went on to film the Apocalypse Surf movies that introduced Europe to the sport of snowboarding. Although the sport of snowboarding was growing in both the U.S. and Europe, the lack of retailer and consumer interest made the business too difficult to continue. Milovich then moved on to start his own successful engineering business, which he continues to run to this day.

Winterstick was given fresh breath once again in 1994 as a Utah sports retailer, who had previously worked with Milovich, resurrected the company. The Winterstick Snowboard Company, based in Salt Lake City, produced a full line of modern design snowboards as well as the now legendary Swallowtail. The new company focused on the backcountry heritage that the original Winterstick had cultivated. Winterstick Snowboards grew gradually from 1995 to 1999. By 1999 Winterstick had solidified its position as the "First Name in Backcountry".

36 years from the first turns, Winterstick is still all about individuality, innovation and performance. While many of the other original snowboard brands have evolved into large corporations we remain small. Don't get me wrong, we want to grow and spread the vibe but Winterstick still represents the soul of snowboarding. Snowboarding should raise your adrenaline and build your personality. Snowboarding shouldn't make you a fashion statement. Winterstick builds boards that will elevate your soul, not your popularity.

You've Got Corporate. You've got Core. Where's the Soul?