Snowboarders vs. skiers, circa 1985

The year was 1985, and anew menace to society had made its way to ski slopes across B.C.: snowboards.

In light of mountain resorts openingacross B.C. this weekend, CBC News is bringing you this look at the early days of what was once called "ski surfing."

When snowboards first made their way north from the wilds of California, many people didn't seem to know what to make of the new trend.

Perhaps it was the Californiaconnection that led many to link snowboards to surfing a view exemplified by the James Bond film A View to Kill, which came out that same year.

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Despite the confusion over what snowboardswere, one aspect many could agree on at the time was thatthey were clearly a nuisance on the hill.

Ski resorts argued that unruly snowboardersput skiers at risk by whipping between them.

Thisopinion is possibly still shared by some today, but at the time it was supported enough by ski resorts that many banned them from their slopes.

But snowboarders would not be thwarted in their search for wicked powder.

Instead, they climbed the backcountry to ride out of bounds a strategy that left some search and rescue groups to call for snowboarders to cover their own rescue costs.

Watch the video above to see how the battle of the slopes all began.