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Bev and chris Sanders (43 and 37, respectively) weresnowboarders when snowboarding wasn't cool. But AvalancheSnowboards Inc., the snowboard manufacturing company the couplefounded in 1982, quickly picked up speed and had sales of about $5million last year.
"We started making snowboards for our own use," saysBev, a former ski instructor. "People would follow me back tothe car and ask me about snowboards, and I'd end up sellingone. At the time, we were the only people at the ski resorts whohad them."
The Benicia, California-based company that grew around theproduction of one snowboard design has maneuvered well through thechanges in the industry it helped create. Today, Avalanche has 27board styles, including boards specially designed for children andwomen.
