document_title: Snowboard

question_text: what is the base of a snowboard made of

question_tokens: what is the base of a snowboard made of

text: Snowboard

text: History[edit]

text: In 1939, Vern Wicklund, at the age of 13, fashioned a shred deck in Cloquet, Minnesota. This modified sled was dubbed a “bunker" by Vern and his friends. He, along with relatives Harvey and Gunnar Burgeson, patented the very first snowboard twenty two years later.

text: However, a man by the name of Sherman Poppen, from Muskegon, MI, came up with what most consider the first "snowboard" in 1965 and was called the Snurfer (a blend of "snow" and "surfer") who sold his first 4 "snurfers" to Randall Baldwin Lee of Muskegon, MI who worked at Outdoorsman Sports Center 605 Ottawa Street in Muskegon, MI (owned by Justin and Richard Frey or Muskegon). Randy believes that Sherman took an old water ski and made it into the snurfer for his children who were bored in the winter. He added bindings to keep their boots secure. (Randy Lee, October 14, 2014)[3] Commercially available Snurfers in the late 1960s and early 1970s had no bindings. The snowboarder held onto a looped nylon lanyard attached to the front of the Snurfer, and stood upon several rows of square U-shaped staples that were partially driven into the board but protruded about 1 cm above the board's surface to provide traction even when packed with snow. Later Snurfer models replaced the staples with ridged rubber grips running longitudinally along the length of the board (originally) or, subsequently, as subrectangular pads upon which the snowboarder would stand. It is widely accepted that Jake Burton Carpenter (founder of Burton Snowboards)[3] and/or Tom Sims (founder of Sims Snowboards) invented modern snowboarding by introducing bindings and steel edges to snowboards.

text: In 1981, a couple of Winterstick team riders went to France at the invitation of Alain Gaimard, marketing director at Les Arcs.[citation needed] After seeing an early film of this event, French skiers/surfers Augustin Coppey, Olivier Lehaneur, Olivier Roland and Antoine Yarmola made their first successful attempts during the winter of 1983 in France (Val Thorens), using primitive, home-made clones of the Winterstick. Starting with pure powder, skateboard-shaped wooden-boards equipped with aluminium fins, foot-straps and leashes, their technology evolved within a few years to pressed wood/fiber composite boards fitted with polyethylene soles, steel edges and modified ski boot shells. These were more suitable for the mixed conditions encountered while snowboarding mainly off-piste, but having to get back to ski lifts on packed snow. In 1985, James Bond popularized snowboarding in the movie A View to a Kill. In the scene, he escapes Soviet agents who are on skis. The snowboard he used was from the debris of a snowmobile that exploded.

text: At the same time the Snurfer was turning into a snowboard on the other side of the iron curtain. In 1980, Aleksey Ostatnigrosh and Alexei Melnikov - two members of the only Snurfer club in the Soviet Union started changing the Snurfer design to allow jumping and to improve control on hard packed snow. Being completely unaware of the developments in the Snurfer/snowboard world, they attached a bungee cord to the Snurfer tail which the rider could grab before jumping. Later, in 1982, they attached a foot binding to the Snurfer. The binding was only for the back foot, and had a release capability. In 1985, after several iterations of the Snurfer binding system, Aleksey Ostatnigrosh made the first Russian snowboard. The board was cut out of a single vinyl plastic sheet and had no metal edges. The bindings were attached by a central bolt and could rotate while on the move or be fixed at any angle. In 1988, OstatniGROsh and MELnikov started the first Russian snowboard manufacturing company, GROMEL.

text: By 1986, although still very much a minority sport, commercial snowboards started appearing in leading French ski resorts.

text: In 2008, selling snowboarding equipment was a $487 million industry.[3] In 2008, average equipment ran about $540 including board, boots, and bindings.

text: Board types[edit]

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text: The bottom or 'base' of the snowboard is generally made of UHMW and is surrounded by a thin strip of steel, known as the 'edge'. Artwork was primarily printed on PBT using a sublimation process in the 1990s, but poor color retention and fade after moderate use moved high-end producers to longer-lasting materials.[4]

text: Snowboards come in several different styles, depending on the type of riding intended:

text:
Freestyle: Generally shorter with moderate to soft flex. Freestyle snowboards have a mirror shovel[5] at each end of the board. Freestyle snowboards usually have low-backed bindings.[6] Incorporates a deep sidecut for quick/tight turning. Used in the pipe and in the park on various jumps and terrain features including boxes, rails, and urban features.
Park/Jib (rails): Flexible and short to medium length, twin-tip shape with a twin flex and an outward stance to allow easy switch riding, and easy spinning, a wider stance, with the edges filed dull is used for skateboard-park like snowboard parks.
Freeride: Longer than freestyle and park boards. Moderate to stiff in flex and typically directional (versus twin-tip). Used from all-mountain to off-piste and backcountry riding, to 'extreme' big-mountain descents - in various types of snow from groomed hard-packed snow to soft powdery snow.
Powder: Highly directional boards that typically have a rockered nose and tapered shape (wider tip than tail).
All-Mountain: Most common. A mix between freeride and freestyle boards. The 'jack of all trades, master of none.' Commonly directional or directional twin in shape (twin-tip and centered stance but with more flex on the front)
Racing/Alpine: Long, narrow, rigid, and directional shape. Used for slalom and giant slalom races, these boards are designed to excel on groomed slopes. Most often ridden with a "hard" plastic snowboard boot (similar to a ski boot), but also ridden recreationally with soft boots, particularly by riders in Europe.
Splitboard: A snowboard which splits in half lengthwise, and allows the bindings to be quickly connected to hinges aligning them longitudinally on the board, allowing the halves of the boards to function as cross country skis. Used with removable skins on the base of the board, which easily slide forward on snow but not backwards, they allow a snowboard to easily travel into the backcountry. Once the rider is ready to descend, the board halves can simply be joined back together.[7]

text: Snowboards are generally constructed of a hardwood core which is sandwiched between multiple layers of fibreglass. Some snowboards incorporate the use of more exotic materials such as carbon fiber, Kevlar, aluminium (as a honeycomb core structure), and have incorporated piezo dampers. The front (or "nose") of the board is upturned to help the board glide over uneven snow. The back (or "tail") of the board is also upturned to enable backwards (or "switch") riding. The base (the side of the board which contacts the ground) is made of Polyethylene plastic. The two major types of base construction are extruded and sintered. An extruded base is a basic, low-maintenance design which basically consists of the plastic base material melted into its form. A sintered base uses the same material as an extruded base, but first grinds the material into a powder, then, using heat and pressure, molds the material into its desired form. A sintered base is generally softer than its extruded counterpart, but has a porous structure which enables it to absorb wax. This wax absorption (along with a properly done 'hot wax'), greatly reduces surface friction between the base and the snow, allowing the snowboard to travel on a thin layer of water. Snowboards with sintered bases are much faster, but require semi-regular maintenance and are easier to damage. The bottom edges of the snowboard are fitted with a thin strip of steel, just a couple of millimeters wide. This steel edge allows the board to grab or 'dig into' hard snow and ice (like the blade of an ice skate), and also protects the boards internal structure. The top of the board is typically a layer of acrylic with some form of graphic designed to attract attention, showcase artwork, or serve the purpose similar to that of any other form of printed media. Flite Snowboards, an early designer, pressed the first closed-molded boards from a garage in Newport, Rhode Island, in the mid-1980s.[citation needed] Snowboard topsheet graphics can be a highly personal statement and many riders spend many hours customizing the look of their boards. The top of some boards may even include thin inlays with other materials, and some are made entirely of epoxy-impregnated wood. The base of the board may also feature graphics, often designed in a manner to make the board's manufacturer recognizable in photos.

text: Snowboard designs differ primarily in:

text:
Length – Boards for children are as short as 90 centimetres (35 in); boards for racers, or "alpine" riders, are as long as 215 centimetres (85 in). Most people ride boards in the 140–165 centimetres (55–65 in) range. Board length used to be judged by the height of your chin. If a board held next to the frontside of your body came to your chin then it was an acceptable length. Due to the development of new technologies and board shapes, people can now ride a wider range of board sizes.[8][9] Rather, the length of a snowboard corresponds mainly to the style, weight, and preference of the rider. A good rule of thumb is to stay within the recommended manufacturer weight range. The longer the board, the more stable it is at high speed, but it is also a bit tougher to maneuver. Another factor riders consider when selecting a snowboard is the type of riding it will be used for, freestyle boards being shorter than all-mountain boards.
Width – The width is typically measured at the waist of the board, since the nose and tail width varies with the sidecut and taper. Freestyle boards are up to 28 centimetres (11 in) wide, to assist with balance. Alpine boards are typically 18–21 centimetres (7.1–8.3 in) wide, although they can be as narrow as 15 centimetres (5.9 in). Most folks ride boards in the 24–25 centimetres (9.4–9.8 in) range. Riders with larger feet (US size 10 and larger) may have problems with narrower boards, as the rider's toes and/or heels may extend over the edge of the board, and interfere with the board's ability to make turns once it is set on edge, or 'get hung up on the snow.' This is called toe/heel-drag, and can be cured by either choosing a wider board (26 centimetres (10 in) or more), adjusting the stance angle, or a combination of the two.
Sidecut – The edges of the board are symmetrically curved concavely, so that the width at the tip and tail is greater than the center. This curve aids turning and affects the board's handling. The curve has a radius that might be a short as 5 metres (16 ft) on a child's board or as large as 17 metres (56 ft) on a racer's board. Most boards use a sidecut radius between 8–9 metres (26–30 ft). Shorter sidecut radii (tighter turns) are generally used for halfpipe riding while longer sidecut radii (wider turns) are used for freeride-alpine-racing riding. One new development in sidecuts was the introduction of Magne-Traction by Mervin, which manufactures: Lib Tech, GNU, and Roxy snowboards. Magne-Traction incorporates seven bumps on each side of the board which LibTech speculates will improve edge holding.[citation needed]
Flex – The flexibility of a snowboard affects its handling and typically varies with the rider's weight. Usually a harder flex makes turning harder while a softer flex makes the board less stable at high speed. There is no standard way to quantify snowboard stiffness, but novices and boarders who mostly do rails tend to prefer softer flex, racers stiffer flex, and everyone else something in between. Park riders that enjoy jumps the most tend to ride stiffer twin boards.
Tail and nose width – Many freestyle boards have equal nose/tail specs for equal performance either direction. Freeride and alpine boards, however, have a directional shape with a wider and longer nose. Boards designed for powder conditions exaggerate the differences even more for more flotation on the powder.
Camber – The curvature of the base of the snowboard affects handling and carving. Typical modern snowboards have an upward curvature of a few degrees along the effective edges. Experimentation has led to boards with rocker, or upward curvature, which makes for a more buttery board and can improve float in deep powder.

text: Board construction[edit]

text: The various components of a snowboard are:

text:
Core: The core is the interior construction of the snowboard. It is typically made of laminated fiberglass around wood. Beech and Poplar are the most common woods, though other woods are used such as bamboo and birch. There have been continued experiments with aluminum, composite honeycomb, foam and resin to change, or substitute, the standard wood core. Desired properties of the core include damping, rebound, strength, flex and reduced weight.
Base: The bottom of the board that is in contact with the snow surface. It is generally made of a porous, plastic (polyethylene) material, that is saturated with a wax to create a very quick and smooth, hydrophobic surface. P-Tex is a brand name that has become synonymous with base material. It is important that the base be "slippery", with respect to the snow surface and board interaction. Bases are made to have amorphous areas that are porous to wax. Wax is an important finishing product for all base materials. Not only does it allow the snowboard to have a smoother glide, but it also allows the rider to change the characteristics of the base and adjust the board to the snow conditions. Different base waxes are available for different temperatures. The base, when maintained, will have a designed base structure that not only channels snow, air and water, but leaves it open enough for wax to penetrate deep inside it. This pattern is created with a stonegrind machine at the factory or a local ski shop. If the base is damaged, it is common to have it repaired in order to protect the core from exposure as well as reducing friction.

text:
Edge: A strip of metal, tuned normally to just less than 90-degrees, that runs the length of either side of the board. This sharp edge is necessary to be able to produce enough friction to ride on ice, and the radius of the edge directly affects the radius of carving turns, and in turn the responsiveness of the board. Kinking, rusting, or general dulling of the edge will significantly hinder the ability for the edge to grip the snow, so it is important that this feature is maintained. However, many riders who spend a fair amount of their time grinding park rails, and especially handrails, will actually use a detuning stone or another method to intentionally dull their edges, either entirely or only in certain areas. This helps to avoid "catching" on any tiny burrs or other obstructions that may exist or be formed on rails, boxes, and other types of grind. Catching on a rail can, more than likely, result in a potentially serious crash, particularly should it occur on a handrail or more advanced rail set-up. In addition, it's relatively common for freestyle riders to "detune" the edges around the board's contact points. This practice can help to reduce the chances of the rider catching an edge in a choppy or rutted-out jump landing or similar situation. It is important to keep in mind that drastic edge detuning can be near-impossible to fully reverse and will significantly impede board control & the ability to hold an edge in harder-packed snow. One area where this can be quite detrimental is in a half-pipe, where well-sharpened edges are often crucially important for cutting through the hard, sometimes icy, walls.
Laminate: The snowboard's core is also sandwiched on the top and bottom by at least two layers of fiberglass. The fiberglass adds stiffness and torsional strength to the board. The fiberglass laminate may be either biaxial (fibers running the length of the board and more fibers 90 degrees perpendicular to it), triax (fibers running the length of the board with 45 degree fibers running across it), or quadax (a hybrid of the biax and triax). Some snowboards also add carbon and aramid (also known as Twaron or Kevlar) stringers for additional elasticity and strength.
Camber: Camber refers to the bend of the board from tip to tail. Traditionally boards have a raised camber, meaning that if one were to lay it flat the board comes off the ground between the spots where one's feet would be (contact points). In 2007 companies began to manufacture a number of new camber designs.[10] All fall into these four main categories.[11]

text: Production: There are some manufactures that perform the entire process of snowboard construction and they manufacture over 500 per day with at least 30 different models. There is a great amount of manual work that goes into it as opposed to all of it being performed by machines and robots.

text: Sustainable Snowboard Manufacturing[edit]

text: Amongst Climate Change, the winter sports community is a growing environmentalist group, whom depend on snowy winters for the survival of their culture. This movement is, in part, being energized by a nonprofit named "Protect Our Winters" and the legendary rider Jeremy Jones.[12] The organization provides education initiatives, support for community based projects, and is active in climate discussions with the government. Alongside this organization, there are many other winter sports companies who see the ensuing calamity and are striving to produce products that are less damaging to the environment. Snowboard manufacturers are adapting to decreasing supplies of petroleum and timber with ingenious designs.

text:
One company, Burton Snowboards, in 2007 employed an interesting technique in their attempts to decrease the use of the valuable forest. The core, as mentioned above, was made from a thin honeycomb structure of Aluminum and they called the board the "Alumifly". Now, one might debate that the production of Aluminum is toxic process, however, Aluminum is now being praised for its recycling prowess. This extremely abundant element is 100% recyclable (ability to be recycled with no loss of material performance or quality) and requires only 5% of the energy it takes to make Aluminum from ore.[13] Considering all of the Aluminum in circulation today, snowboard cores could easily be made from recycled cans.
Niche Snowboards, based out of Salt Lake City Utah is another snowboard manufacturer that has really been revolutionizing the industry.[citation needed] Founded with a focus on the relationships between materials, our environment, and ourselves, the company has an incredible line-up of ecologically-minded boards. Their technology includes: recycled materials, sustainably harvested wood cores, "hemphop stringers" (a carbon fiber substitute), Magma Fiber (a fiberglass substitute made from Basalt), Bio-resins (replacing petroleum-based alternatives), and bamboo topsheets.[14]

text: When it comes down to it "the least of our worries will be that skiers and snowboarders don't get to go play," says Jeremy Jones.[15]

text: Boots[edit]

text: Snowboard boots are mostly considered soft boots, though alpine snowboarding uses a harder boot similar to a ski boot. A boot's primary function is to transfer the rider's energy into the board, protect the rider with support, and keep the rider's feet warm. A snowboarder shopping for boots is usually looking for a good fit, flex, and looks. Boots can have different features such as lacing styles, heat molding liners, and gel padding that the snowboarder also might be looking for. Tradeoffs include rigidity versus comfort, and built in forward lean, versus comfort.

text: There are three incompatible types:

text:
Standard (soft) boots fit "flow" and "strap" bindings and are by far the most common. No part of the boot specifically attaches to the board. Instead, the binding applies pressure in several places to achieve firm contact. Soft boots have a flexible outer boot and an inner bladder. The outer boot has a treaded sole. The inner bladder provides support and helps hold the heel of your foot in place.[16]
"Step in" boots have a metal clasp on the bottom to attach to "step in" bindings. The boot must match the binding.[17]
Hard boots are used with special bindings. They are similar to skier's boots. Hard boots are heavier than soft boots, and also have an inner bladder.[16]

text: Bindings[edit]

text: Bindings are separate components from the snowboard deck and are very important parts of the total snowboard interface. The bindings' main function is to hold the rider's boot in place tightly to transfer their energy to the board. Most bindings are attached to the board with three or four screws that are placed in the center of the binding. Although a rather new technology from Burton called Infinite channel system[18] uses two screws, both on the outsides of the binding.

text: There are several types of bindings. Strap-in, step-in, and hybrid bindings are used by most recreational riders and all freestyle riders.

text: Strap-in[edit]

text: These are the most popular bindings in snowboarding. Before snowboard specific boots existed, snowboarders used any means necessary to attach their feet to their snowboards and gain the leverage needed for turning. Typical boots used in these early days of snowboarding were Sorels or snowmobile boots. These boots were not designed for snowboarding and did not provide the support desired for doing turns on the heel edge of a snowboard. As a result, early innovators such as Louis Fournier conceived the "high-back" binding design which was later commercialized and patented by Jeff Grell. The highback binding is the technology produced by most binding equipment manufacturers in the snowboard industry. The leverage provided by highbacks greatly improved board control. Snowboarders such as Craig Kelly adapted plastic "tongues" to their boots to provide the same support for toe-side turns that the highback provided for heel-side turns. In response, companies such as Burton and Gnu began to offer "tongues".

text: With modern strap bindings, the rider wears a boot which has a thick but flexible sole, and padded uppers. The foot is held onto the board with two buckle straps – one strapped across the top of the toe area, and one across the ankle area. They can be tightly ratcheted closed for a tight fit and good rider control of the board. Straps are typically padded to more evenly distribute pressure across the foot. While nowhere near as popular as two-strap bindings, some people prefer three-strap bindings for more specialized riding such as carving. The third strap tends to provide additional stiffness to the binding.

text: Cap-strap bindings are a recent modification that provide a very tight fit to the toe of the boot, and seats the boot more securely in the binding. Numerous companies have adopted various versions of the cap strap.

text: Step-in[edit]

text: Innovators of step-in systems produced prototypes and designed proprietary step-in boot and binding systems with the goal of improving the performance of snowboard boots and bindings, and as a result, the mid-90s saw an explosion of step-in binding and boot development. New companies, Switch and Device, were built on new step-in binding technology. Existing companies Shimano, K2 and Emery were also quick to market with new step-in technology. Meanwhile, early market leaders Burton and Sims were noticeably absent from the step-in market. Sims was the first established industry leader to market with a step-in binding. Sims licensed a step-in system called DNR which was produced by the established ski-binding company Marker. Marker never improved the product which was eventually discontinued. Sims never re-entered the step-in market.

text: The risk of commercial failure from a poorly performing Step-in binding presented serious risk to established market leaders. This was evidenced by Airwalk who enjoyed 30% market share in snowboard boot sales when they began development of their step-in binding system. The Airwalk step-in System experienced serious product failure at the first dealer demonstrations, seriously damaging the company's credibility and heralded a decline in the company's former position as the market leader in Snowboard boots. Established snowboarding brands seeking to gain market share while reducing risk, purchased proven step-in innovators. For example, snowboard boot company Vans purchased the Switch step-in company, while Device step-in company was purchased by Ride Snowboards.

text: Although initially refusing to expose themselves to the risk and expense associated with bringing a step-in system to market, Burton chose to focus primarily on improvements to existing strap-in technology. However, Burton eventually released 2 models of step-in systems, the SI and the PSI, Burton's SI system enjoyed moderate success, yet never matched the performance of the company's strap-in products and was never improved upon. Burton never marketed any improvements to either of their step-in binding systems and eventually discontinued the products.

text: Most Popular (and incompatible) step-in systems used unique and proprietary mechanisms, such as the step-ins produced by Burton, Rossignol and Switch. Shimano and K2 used a technology similar to clipless bicycle pedals. Burton and K2 Clicker step-in binding systems are no longer in production as both companies have opted to focus on the strap-in binding system. Rossignol remains as the sole provider of step-in binding systems and offers them primarily to the rental market as most consumers and retailers alike have been discouraged by lack of adequate development and industry support for step-in technology.

text: Speed entry (hybrid)[edit]

text: There are also proprietary systems that seek to combine the convenience of step-in systems with the control levels attainable with strap-ins. An example is the Flow binding system, which is similar to a strap-in binding, except that the foot enters the binding through the back. The back flips down and allows the boot to slide in; it's then flipped up and locked into place with a clamp, eliminating the need to loosen and then re-tighten straps every time the rider frees and then re-secures their rear foot. The rider's boot is held down by an adjustable webbing that covers most of the foot. Newer Flow models have connected straps in place of the webbing found on older models; these straps are also micro adjustable. In 2004, K2 released the Cinch series, a similar rear-entry binding; riders slip their foot in as they would a Flow binding, however rather than webbing, the foot is held down by straps.

text: Highback[edit]

text: A stiff molded support behind the heel and up the calf area. The HyBak was originally designed by inventor Jeff Grell and built by Flite Snowboards. This allows the rider to apply pressure and effect a "heelside" turn. Some high backs are stiff vertically but provide some flex for twisting of the riders legs.

text: Plate[edit]

text: Plate bindings are used with hardboots on Alpine or racing snowboards. Extreme carvers and some Boarder Cross racers also use plate bindings. The stiff bindings and boots give much more control over the board and allow the board to be carved much more easily than with softer bindings. Alpine snowboards tend to be longer and thinner with a much stiffer flex for greater edge hold and better carving performance.

text: Snowboard bindings, unlike ski bindings, do not automatically release upon impact or after falling over. With skis, this mechanism is designed to protect from injuries (particularly to the knee) caused by skis torn in different directions. Automatic release is not required in snowboarding, as the rider's legs are fixed in a static position and twisting of the knee joint cannot occur to the same extent. Furthermore, it reduces the dangerous prospect of a board hurtling downhill riderless, and the rider slipping downhill on his back with no means to maintain grip on a steep slope. Nevertheless, some ski areas require the use of a "leash" that connects the snowboard to the rider's leg or boot, in case the snowboard manages to get away from its rider. This is most likely to happen when the rider removes the board at the top or the bottom of a run (or while on a chairlift, which could be dangerous).

text: A Noboard is a snowboard binding alternative with only peel and stick pads applied directly to any snowboard deck and no attachment.

text: Stomp pad[edit]

text: Stomp pads, which are placed between the bindings closer to the rear binding, allow the rider to better control the board with only one boot strapped in, such as when maneuvering onto a chair lift, riding a ski tow or performing a one footed trick. Whereas the upper surface of the board is smooth, the stomp pad has a textured pattern which provides grip to the underside of the boot. Stomp pads can be decorative and vary in their size, shape and the kind and number of small spikes or friction points they provide.

text: Stances[edit]

text: There are two types of stance-direction used by snowboarders. A "regular" stance places the rider's left foot at the front of the snowboard. "Goofy", the opposite stance direction, places the rider's right foot at the front,[16] as in skateboarding. Regular is the most common. There are different ways to determine whether a rider is "regular" or "goofy". One method used for first time riders is to observe the first step forward when walking or climbing up stairs. The first foot forward would be the foot set up at the front of the snowboard. Another method used for first time riders is to use the same foot that you kick a football with as your back foot (though this can be an inaccurate sign for some, as there are people who prefer goofy though are right handed, and therefore naturally kick a football with their right foot). This is a good method for setting up the snowboard stance for a new snowboarder. However having a surfing or skateboarding background will also help a person determine their preferred stance, although not all riders will have the same stance skateboarding and snowboarding. Another way to determine a rider's stance is to get the rider to run and slide on a tiled or wooden floor, wearing only socks, and observe which foot the person puts forward during the slide. This simulates the motion of riding a snowboard and exposes that persons natural tendency to put a particular foot forward.[16] Another method is to stand behind the first-timer and give them a shove, enough for them to put one foot forward to stop themselves from falling.[19] Other good ways of determining which way you ride are rushing a door (leading shoulder equals leading foot) or going into a defensive boxing stance (see which foot goes forward).[20]

text: Most experienced riders are able to ride in the opposite direction to their usual stance (i.e. a "regular" rider would lead with their right foot instead of their left foot). This is called riding "fakie" or "switch".

text: Stance width[edit]

text: Stance width helps determine the rider's balance on the board. The size of the rider is an important factor as well as the style of their riding when determining a proper stance width. A common measurement used for new riders is to position the bindings so that the feet are placed a little wider than shoulder width apart. Another, less orthodox form of measurement may be taken by putting your feet together and place your hands, palm down, on the ground in a straight line with your body by squatting down. This generally gives a good natural measurement for how wide of a base your body uses to properly balance itself when knees are bent. However, personal preference and comfort are important and most experienced riders will adjust the stance width to personal preference. Skateboarders should find that their snowboarding and skateboarding stance widths are relatively similar.

text: A wider stance, common for freestyle riders, gives more stability when landing a jump or jibbing a rail. Control in a wider stance is reduced when turning on the piste. Conversely a narrow stance will give the rider more control when turning on the piste but less stability when freestyling. A narrow stance is more common for riders looking for quicker turn edge-hold (i.e. small radius turns). The narrow stance will give the rider a concentrated stability between the bindings allowing the board to dig into the snow quicker than a wider stance so the rider is less prone to wash out.

text: Binding angle[edit]

text: Binding angle is defined by the degrees off of perpendicular from the length of the snowboard. A binding angle of 0° is when the foot is perpendicular to the length of the snowboard. Positive angles are pointed towards the front of the board, whereas negative angles are pointed towards the back of the board. The question of how much the bindings are angled depends on the rider's purpose and preference. Different binding angles can be used for different types of snowboarding. Someone who participates in freestyle competition would have a much different "stance" than someone who explores backcountry and powder. The recent advancement and boom of snowboard culture and technology has made binding angle adjustments relatively easy. Binding companies design their bindings with similar baseplates that can easily mount onto any type of snowboard regardless of the brand. With the exception of Burton, and their newly released "channel system", adjusting bindings is something that remains constant among all snowboarders. Done with a small screw-driver or a snowboard tool, the base plates on bindings can be easily rotated to whatever preferred stance. One must un-screw the baseplate, pick their degree angles, and then re-screw the baseplates. Bindings should also regularly be checked to ensure that the screws don't come undone from the movements of snowboarding.

text:
Forward stance: Suitable for most purposes, both feet are angled forward. Frequently the leading foot is angled roughly 15° to 21° and the trailing foot at 0° to 10°. A downside is that a rider's balance is notably different when riding in reverse compared to their forward stance. This can be compensated for by learning how to ride backwards with this stance, also known as riding "switch", or by choosing another stance such as Duck, or Flat stance. As riders become more experienced, they can experiment with different "stances" to feel what is best for them.
Alpine stance: Used primarily for alpine racing, the leading foot may be from 50° up to around 70° and the trailing foot generally identical or up to 10˚ less. This gives the rider balance on their board, while angling their feet for best directional control at high speeds.
Duck stance: Useful for tricks by removing the forward bias altogether, the feet are angled outwards in opposite directions, such as 15° for the front foot and -6° for the back foot. This stance is becoming increasingly popular, and is the most resilient of the three. The feet do not actually have to be angled equally outwards to be considered duck stance. The back foot simply has to be angled less than zero degrees. These angles give the rider a dominant front foot angle at all times which makes it easier for a rider to change the board direction mid-run. This change in board direction mid-run is called riding "Switch" or "Fakie". Duck stance is also very popular for park riders because it gives them the versatility to move their board in all directions. It is easier to spin, balance on rails and boxes, and land "switch" when one's feet are both angled outward. The degree of the angle depends on the individual.
Flat stance: Also popular with riders who wish to have a consistent stance riding forward or backward, a flat stance is simply one in which both feet are at a zero angle, or perpendicular to the length of the board. This may result in "toe drag" on narrower boards or if the rider has larger feet, in which the rider's toes overhang the edge of the board and may contact the snow during sharp turns on the toe side of the board. The "Flat" Stance is no longer popular and is not recommended by the AASI (American Association of Snowboard Instructors). Riders who use the flat stance will commonly experience pain in their ankles and calves when turning toe-side and heel-side.

text: Popular destinations[edit]

text:
Whistler, Canada
Mammoth Mountain, USA
Mount Bachelor, USA
Vail, USA
Davos, Switzerland
Laax, Switzerland
St Anton, Austria
Serre Chevalier, France
Chamonix, France
Livigno, Italy
Sierra Nevada, Spain
Cardrona, New Zealand
Falls Creek, Australia
Hakuba, Japan
Sheregesh, Russia
Nevado de Chillan, Chile
El Colorado, Chile
Las Lenas, Argentina
Salt Lake City USA

text: Notable snowboarders[edit]

text:
Jamie Anderson
Gretchen Bleiler
Red Gerard
Torstein Horgmo
Terje Håkonsen
Mark McMorris
Lindsey Jacobellis
Jeremy Jones
Danny Kass
Craig Kelly
Chloe Kim
Travis Rice
Kelly Clark
Hannah Teter
Torah Bright
Kaitlyn Farrington
Danny Davis
Sage Kotsenburg
Kevin Pearce
Shaun White


document_title: List of Everybody Loves Raymond characters

question_text: who plays amy's dad on everybody loves raymond

question_tokens: who plays amy 's dad on everybody loves raymond

root

text: Main characters

text:
Actor
Role
Seasons
Episodes

Ray Romano
Raymond "Ray" Barone
All 9
210

Patricia Heaton
Debra Barone
209

Brad Garrett
Robert Charles Barone

Doris Roberts
Marie Barone
210

Peter Boyle
Frank Barone
206

Madylin Sweeten
Alexandra "Ally" Barone
146

Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten
Michael and Geoffrey Barone
136

Monica Horan
Amy MacDougall-Barone
64

tag: table

text: Ray Barone

text:
Raymond Albert Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"The Finale"
Final character appearance: King of Queens – "Raygin' Bulls"

Created by
Ray Romano & Philip Rosenthal

Portrayed by
Ray Romano

Number of episodes
210

Information

Occupation
Sportswriter

Family
Frank Barone (father)
Marie Barone (mother)
Robert Barone (brother)
Mel Barone (uncle)

Spouse(s)
Debra Barone (since 1988)

Children
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (daughter)
Geoffrey Barone (twin son)
Michael Barone (twin son)

Relatives
Warren Whelan (father-in-law)
Lois Whelan (mother-in-law)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (sister-in-law)
Jennifer Whelan (sister-in-law)
Gerard (maternal cousin)

text: Raymond Albert "Ray" Barone (Ray Romano) is the protagonist of the sitcom. Most of the series’ storylines revolve around him, hence the title of the show. He lives on Long Island, with his wife Debra and their three children Ally and twin boys, Michael and Geoffrey Barone. He attended St. Johns University (New York) in Queens, New York. Ray is well-known through the community due to his profession as a writer for a sports column. In some episodes, he is seen reviewing a famous sportsperson. However, this is shown to have subsided in the later seasons. Due to the nature of his work, Ray is often seen on the couch, watching sports, rather than assisting Debra with household duties and the children.

tag: p

text: At times Raymond appears rather introverted. He often rants in a nasal, whiny voice. His fears include not being liked by everyone and confronting his parents, particularly his mother. He often gets annoyed because he feels that he and Debra lack intimacy. He is also promoted as chief sports writer.

text: Parts of the backstory of his childhood have explained Raymond’s attitude and personality as an adult. Raymond and Robert were spoiled by their mother. However, their father, who worked long hours, had been neglectful in showing them affection and instead showed verbal abuse. Ray has sometimes shown this pattern of behavior in his reluctance to participate with his own children.

text: A running gag in the show is how much Ray was mothered and spoiled by his mother, while Robert was neglected. Raymond was pampered by Marie, which in turn, made him lazy and causing him to act like a child, and very often, to defend himself to Debra, he goes to Marie for advice and protection. He is also very scared of her and often sides with her instead of Debra.

text: In 2004, TV Guide ranked Ray Barone number 10 on its '50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time' list.[1]

text: The character has made several crossover appearances:

text:
1997: Cosby – "Lucas Raymondicus"
1998: The Nanny – "The Reunion Show"
1998–2005: The King of Queens (4 episodes)
1999: Becker – "Drive, They Said"

tag: ul

text: Debra Barone

text:
Debra Louise Whelan Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"The Finale"

Portrayed by
Patricia Heaton

Number of episodes
209

Information

Occupation
Homemaker

Family
Warren Whelan (father)
Lois Whelan (mother)
Jennifer Whelan (sister)

Spouse(s)
Raymond Barone (since 1988)

Children
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (daughter)
Geoffrey Barone (twin son)
Michael Barone (twin son)

Relatives
Frank Barone (father-in-law)
Marie Barone (mother-in-law)
Robert Barone (brother-in-law)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (sister-in-law)
Mel Barone (uncle-in-law)
Gerard (cousin-in-law)

text: Debra Louise Whelan-Barone (Patricia Heaton), is the wife of Ray. She was raised by wealthy parents, Lois (Katherine Helmond) and Warren Whelan (Robert Culp), and grew up in an upper-class background, unlike the other major characters in the sitcom. She has a sister, Jennifer Whelan (Ashley Crow), who is seen only once in the entire series. Following her graduation from high school, she traveled a lot and dated many famous sportspeople. Before marrying Ray, she worked in public relations for the New York Rangers hockey team.

text: Debra is vulnerable and emotionally sensitive. She is unhappy as a housewife, having to put up not only with Ray’s immature jokes and lazy behavior, but more with his intrusive family members, who often barge in uninvited, leaving havoc in their wake. Though Ray's parents frustrate her, she rarely shows her feelings to them, resulting in occasional bursts in private of yelling, stomping, and throwing objects.

text: Debra has a feud with Marie, who shows a large amount of distaste of her ability to be a mother and a wife. Throughout the series, Debra often finds Robert the most patient of the Barones, and at times she is shown to get along well with Frank, who thinks of her as a daughter and understands Debra's intolerance towards Marie.

text: She is also depressed about her parents when they were in an argument, and she was distraught when they were divorcing. Even though she grew up in a traditional conservative family, she was a free-spirited and a popular teen in her early years. Ray once noted that, during college, she went to Mardi Gras and flashed her breasts to many people who gave her beads and also ended up topless in the newspaper.

text: Her main catchphrase is, usually addressed to Ray in an ominous voice when he has done something bad, "What did you do?"

text: The character has also appeared in the King of Queens episode "Dire Strayts".

text: Barone children

text:
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (154 episodes; played by Madylin Sweeten) – Ray and Debra's only daughter. She is six years old at the beginning of the series, and is fourteen by the series finale. She was named for Romano's real-life daughter. In the beginning, she is somewhat mischievous and naughty much like her brothers, but becomes loyal and helpful by the end. However, she still occasionally fibs and answers back to her parents if she doesn't get what she wants, such as a $250 silk dress which would only be worn once.
Geoffrey and Michael Barone (130 episodes; played by Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten) – Ray and Debra's identical twin sons. They are two years old at the beginning of the series and are ten years old by the series finale. A running joke is Frank's insistence that Geoffrey may have homosexual tendencies, such as when he walks in on the two boys rehearsing to play fairies in a school production. The two are stereotypically playful, energetic, and prone to causing chaos even without trying but in general are well-behaved. (In the pilot episode, they were played by a different set of twins plus a set of triplets and were called "Gregory" and "Matthew" after Romano's real-life twin sons.)

text: Marie Barone

text:
Marie Janella Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"Finale"

Portrayed by
Doris Roberts

Number of episodes
210

Information

Occupation
Homemaker

Spouse(s)
Frank Barone (since 1957)

Children
Raymond "Ray" Barone (son)
Robert Barone (son)

Relatives
Debra Barone (daughter-in-law)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (daughter-in-law)
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (granddaughter)
Geoffrey Barone (grandson)
Michael Barone (grandson)
Mel Barone (brother-in-law)
Gerard (nephew)

text: Marie Janella Barone (Doris Roberts) is the wife of Frank, and matriarch of the Barone family. As a housewife, she excels in household duties, including cooking, cleaning, and generally keeping and maintaining a good household. Marie appears to have narcissistic personality disorder, and her treatment of people due to this becomes a focal point of several episodes of the show. She is very nosy, snobbish, arrogant, insulting, and has a strong hold over her family due to her penchant for her likely narcissistic abuse, bullying those around her with guilt and a victim complex to get her way. She has very high self-esteem and believes herself as a positive example of what every wife, mother and woman should be. She takes special pride in her Italian background and even arranges a tour of Italy for the whole family out of her own savings.

text: Throughout the series, she is shown to have favorites with certain people, with her son Raymond being the first and Debra being possibly the last. Other than Frank, everyone has a hard time standing up to Marie due to her ability of making people feel guilty, although Debra does occasionally take a stand. She is well aware of Raymond’s reluctance to stand up to her, and in many situations takes advantage of this to achieve her own interests.

text: It is established in the flashbacks of "How They Met" that she has never liked Debra ever since Debra asked Ray to fix her futon at dinner time, but Marie has never admitted her dislike of Debra outright and is careful about not saying it out loud, but she never ceases the chance to annoy her or indirectly insult her on many occasions just for her own pleasure.

text: She has saved a little money on the side every day and admitted to Debra that she collected over $46,000 since her wedding. She also sends money to South America to a fundraiser. She is also shown to actually control the family's finances in front of Frank, who always thought he was the one in charge and remained oblivious to much of her savings or expenses.

text: As her boys were growing up, she spoiled her younger son while completely cutting Robert out of the picture. However, in a later episode, she claims that this was because Robert was able to take care of himself and was independent, in contrast to Ray who was a sensitive, timid, needy little boy (this was likely said just to manipulate Robert into getting Amy pregnant, as both he and Raymond note and Marie herself winks to Ray, indicating this is another manipulation). In some cases, however, she is shown to care and be overprotective of Robert as well. This includes when he had nightmares growing up, when he was gored by a bull, when he was interviewing for an FBI position, and her frequent attempts to get Robert out of the police force in effort to keep him safe.

text: Marie is also seen constantly arguing with her husband Frank in nearly every episode, with them constantly fighting and annoying each other. However, in some situations, there have been times when they do evidence their love for one another, despite their reluctance to be open with it. Much to Debra's annoyance, even Debra's parents find them more interesting, since they are honest to each other.

text: Her catchphrase is "I don't like that, [insert name]." whenever anyone says anything inappropriate.

text: The final episode reveals that her birthday is December 9 (this was one of Frank's classic "one-liners" as he adds "1802").

text: The character has also appeared in the King of Queens episode "Rayny Day".

text: Frank Barone

text:
Frank Oscar Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"Finale"

Portrayed by
Peter Boyle

Number of episodes
207

Information

Occupation
Bookkeeper (retired)

Spouse(s)
Marie Barone (since 1957)

Children
Raymond "Ray" Barone (son)
Robert Barone (son)

Relatives
Debra Barone (daughter-in-law)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (daughter-in-law)
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (granddaughter)
Geoffrey Barone (grandson)
Michael Barone (grandson)
Mel Barone (older brother)
Gerard (nephew by marriage)

text: Francis Oscar "Frank" Barone (Peter Boyle) is the husband of Marie and a retired bookkeeper. In the episode "The Gift" (season 2), it is Frank's 65th birthday, making his year of birth 1932. He can be seen as aggressive, selfish, uncaring, and masculine. Although it is briefly mentioned that he has a sensitive side, Frank refuses to accept it. In episodes like "Pet the Bunny", "Christmas Present", "Fathers Knows Least" and "Frank Goes Downstairs", he indicates that, though capable of patience and kindness, he deliberately cultivates a tough guy persona. However, Frank is sometimes shown to be a good family man, such as taking the fall for Debra when Marie's prized canister goes missing or even trying to console Robert after he becomes morose from a breakup.

text: He is always seen at Ray and Debra’s house on the black armchair with his pants unbuttoned and zipper open watching sports or at home ordering Marie to prepare his meals while sitting and reading the paper. During his sons’ childhood, Frank was virtually absent and had refused to show any sign of affection and love to either boy. He was constantly at loggerheads with his wife Marie to how the boys were to be raised. He is very opinionated, outspoken, and has no problem insulting family members and strangers out in the open (this applies in particular to his wife, Marie). He calls men names like "Nancy", "Shirley", "Peaches", and "Mary" who do not live up to his standards to what it takes to be a man. His main catchphrase on the show is "Holy crap".

text: Throughout the sitcom, Frank is shown to have socially conservative values, particularly regarding minority groups such as gays and lesbians, and ethnic groups such as the Koreans and Japanese to which he occasionally mutters "Japanese crap". He doesn’t follow or accept anything outside the social norms, to which Marie proclaims "Frank lives in blissful ignorance". Despite Marie’s constant self-regard, she is accepting of these minority groups. Much to other characters' dismay, he's not above engaging in illegal or dubious activities such as gambling or stealing cable from Ray.

text: In his spare time, Frank is a skilled handyman and a history buff, with a particular interest in the American Civil War. He's frequently seen making repairs in Ray and Debra's house, and in "Frank Goes Downstairs" is injured while fixing their staircase. His regular get-away activity is having naked pool bath with his elderly friends at a community center referred to as "the lodge". On every other Saturday, he takes Raymond's children to The Happy Zone.

text: Frank is also a war veteran. He fought in the Korean War and he uses this as a reference for recounting stories of survival and how he came to be a "man". In one particular incident, where all three Barone men were pretending to go to counseling sessions it was revealed that Ray and Robert had a long line of physically disciplinarian grandparents. However, Frank vowed to never be physically abusive towards his sons, never enforcing corporal punishment on them and never engaging in anything more than yelling at them.

text: Though for the most part largely anti-social and honest in his relationships with others, he is often depicted as the only member of the family who is not only unafraid of Marie, but the only one who will put his foot down and stand up to her, much to the combined relief and horror of the other characters. Many of their arguments revolve around trivial and even irrational subjects, such as who invented the lawn and literally comparing apples and oranges.

text: They also come into conflict over Debra, whom Frank, unlike Marie, overwhelmingly loves, and even tends to be more affectionate with than he is with either of his sons. True to his blunt personality, in one episode in which the entire family (the adults) were at a counseling session with their church priest Father Hubley, he yelled out in front of everyone that the main reason why Marie looks down on Debra – "She [Debra] married him [Raymond], and [Marie] still can't deal with it."

text: Robert Barone

text:
Robert Charles Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"Finale"

Portrayed by
Brad Garrett

Number of episodes
209

Information

Gender
Male

Occupation
Police Officer (NYPD)

Family
Frank Barone (father)
Marie Barone (mother)
Raymond "Ray" Barone (brother)
Mel Barone (uncle)

Spouse(s)
Joanne Glotz (1994–1995; divorced)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (since 2003)

Relatives
Debra Barone (sister-in-law)
Hank MacDougall (father-in-law)
Pat MacDougall (mother-in-law)
Peter MacDougall (brother-in-law)
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (niece)
Geoffrey Barone (nephew)
Michael Barone (nephew)
Gerard (maternal cousin)

text: Robert Charles Barone (Brad Garrett) is Raymond's older brother (4 years older than Ray) and the first-born son of Frank and Marie. His birthday is April 6 and his birth weight was 12 pounds (5443 g). Standing at 6' 8½" (204 cm), he is the tallest Barone, and has several quirks, the biggest being a nervous habit of touching food to his chin before eating it, commonly known as the "Crazy Chin", which he developed to cope with anxiety which started when Raymond was born and all of Marie's attention turned to Raymond. Robert is a loving uncle and still deeply cares for his little brother Raymond. Robert has been a police officer with the N.Y.P.D for 27 years, eventually attaining the rank of Sergeant and then, by the end of the series, Lieutenant. His height, appearance and demeanor are the source of much humor, but despite his imposing size, Robert is a very skilled dancer.

text: After divorcing his first wife Joanne in 1995, Robert moved back in with his parents, became a workaholic, and was acknowledged by the NYPD for never being absent one day of his career for three years straight. Robert's advanced skills as a police officer even got him an interview with the FBI, but his mother intentionally interfered in the interview process. Robert was passed over but simply because the other candidates were more qualified. He was injured on the job when he was gored in the bottom by a bull. When he returned, he left the police force out of a lack of self-confidence, and became a telemarketer. Later, he took a side job as an alarm salesman for a brief time (one episode) but returned to the NYPD, mainly with Raymond's help.

text: Robert dated Debra's best friend Amy MacDougall for several years, despite a number of breakups. After a bad date with yet another woman, Robert ran into Amy in a bar and they soon got back together and married in 2003. In 2004, they purchased Frank and Marie's home for $26,000, but they had to welcome them back in when the elder Barones were kicked out of a retirement community in New Jersey in the episode "Not So Fast."

text: Robert is very jealous of his brother Raymond, who was favored by their mother, and though Robert is four years older than Ray and much taller, he constantly feels as if he's stuck in Ray's shadow. Despite the obvious favoring of Ray, Marie has claimed that there was never any favoritism. He has a very dark sense of humor and will make fun of Raymond to no end to get a little belated revenge. He is also known for being very passive-aggressive.

text: While he enjoys taunting Ray himself, Robert is very protective of his younger brother; in one episode, he overhears a radio sports show host insulting Ray at length and angrily humiliates the man in retaliation. He also respects Ray as a well-meaning, if generally absent, father, in the pattern of Frank. Robert serves as the moral conscience in the family, as the most virtuous of the characters, and often pleads with others when they are considering doing something questionable.

text: Robert's catchphrase in the show is when he finds the family gathered together silent and says: "Is this about me?"

text: Robert also appears in the King of Queens episode "Road Rayge".

text: Amy MacDougall-Barone

text:
Amy Louise MacDougall-Barone

First appearance
"Who's Handsome?"

Last appearance
"The Finale"

Portrayed by
Monica Horan

Number of episodes
66

Information

Gender
Female

Family
Hank MacDougall (father)
Pat MacDougall (mother)
Peter MacDougall (brother)

Spouse(s)
Robert Barone (since 2003)

Relatives
Frank Barone (father-in-law)
Marie Barone (mother-in-law)
Ray Barone (brother-in-law)
Debra Whelan-Barone (sister-in-law)
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (niece by marriage)
Geoffrey Barone (nephew by marriage)
Michael Barone (nephew by marriage)
Mel Barone (uncle-in-law)
Gerard (cousin in-law)

text: Amy Louise MacDougall (Monica Horan) is Robert's on-and-off girlfriend, and eventual wife. They met because Amy is Debra's best friend. She and Debra share the same middle name. Although Amy marries Robert in Season 7, Episode 24: "Robert's Wedding", she also appears in the previous seasons. Many issues have caused Amy and Robert to break up in the first six seasons, with one being caused by Raymond and another being that Robert had sex with another woman. Frequently, Amy apologizes to someone even if she didn't do anything wrong.

text: She is a confident woman who was raised in a family of devout Protestants, who live in Pennsylvania. She describes her parents as "people who wouldn't yell if they were on fire." Amy was a virgin when she met Robert, which Ray had a hard time understanding, as Amy was 33 at the time. She eventually lost her virginity to Robert before they were married, but they were spotted having sex by their neighbors, causing Robert's neighbors to sign a sheet mandating bedroom curtains in the apartment building.

text: Recurring

text: Hank and Pat MacDougall (13 episodes; played by Fred Willard and Georgia Engel) are Amy's parents. They first appear in "Just a Formality" (episode 7.14). Devout conservative Presbyterians, they oppose their daughter's marriage because of Robert's previous marital status and Catholic faith. These matters are not helped as they soon learn that the MacDougalls and the Barones are not the most compatible of families; the two sides still do not like each other after many tries at truce, although the Barones have always loved Amy, and the MacDougalls come to tolerate Robert.

text: Hank is a former professor and is now a high school principal. He is known to be opposed to smoking, and his line when he sees someone smoking is "Why don't you just drink poison?". Pat is a housewife, and has a high-pitched, gentle voice. She is shown to be a protective and loving mother.

text:
Peter MacDougall (10 episodes; played by Chris Elliott) is Amy's older brother. He has a strange, psychologically unstable personality (Robert once stated that "There are squirrels juggling knives in his head") and a duplicitous, quick-witted mind. Opposed to his sister's marriage, he insists that he will keep trying to break it up, which explains the reason why during Robert's wedding that Robert and Ray looked at him when the pastor asked if anyone objected to Robert and Amy's marriage. Peter is single but lives with his pet house cat, Miss Puss. At first, Peter and Robert hate each other, but in "Peter on the Couch," the two find common ground in the fact that they both suffered from being the overshadowed older sibling and living with their parents. He is fond of Ray, although the feeling isn't mutual. Peter was originally introduced as "Russell", the owner of a comic book shop (played by comedian Paul Reubens) in a one-time appearance. Russell abruptly became Peter because in "Just a Formality" (episode 7.14), Peter mentions meeting Ray at the comic book store (which was Russell).
Lois and Warren Whelan (14 and 11 episodes, played by Katherine Helmond and Robert Culp) are Debra's parents. Even though they are an authoritarian conservative family, they are shown to have a breakdown and actually hate their marriage and hobbies. They are from Connecticut. They are also upper class, and have different beliefs from the middle class Barones. However, the Whelans have a huge amount of respect towards them for their bluntness and start to imitate them, angering Debra.

text: Lois is a housewife, and traveled around on fundraisers. Her line of work was not mentioned. She is friendly and patient, but easily insulted. She also appears to be nervous around Robert, who feels the same way. She has a struggling relationship with Warren, and even though she suggested and went to counseling in New Jersey, he eventually files in for a divorce, which she accepts, since she cannot find love in her marriage anymore.

text: Warren is a businessman, achieving success at a young age, and a caring, happy-go-lucky father. He is very passionate about antiques, and, in a running joke on the show, is often referred to as having a problem with alcohol. He had problems with Lois about their marriage. They agreed to go on counseling in New Jersey, but they eventually divorced. Debra was distraught and furious with Lois because she thought that she filed it, but Warren tells her the truth.

text:
Andy (26 episodes; played by Andy Kindler) – A fellow sportswriter and friend of Raymond's, and a bachelor. He is known to have bad luck with women.
Gianni (25 episodes; played by Jon Manfrellotti) – A contractor, ex-futon repairman, and friend of Raymond's. He briefly dated Amy, much to Robert's consternation, and is disliked by Debra as immature. He worked with Ray when they were younger. He also appeared on The King of Queens. Jon Manfrellotti first appeared as a cable guy from Lynbrook cable in "The Game" (episode 1.17).
Bernie and Linda Gruenfelder (17 and 11 episodes; played by Tom McGowan and Maggie Wheeler) – Married couple, friends of Ray and Debra. They are very happy together and express their love in public.
Kevin Daniels (9 episodes; played by Kevin James) – Announcer for the Mets, and friend and golf buddy of Raymond. He also hosts "Sports Talk with Roy Firestone" in "Ray's on TV" (episode 2.1).
Stan (9 episodes; played by Victor Raider-Wexler) – Friend of Marie and Frank.
Garvin (9 episodes; played by Len Lesser) – A friend of Frank's. A running gag is that when he sees Raymond, he shouts, "Hey, Ray's here! Ha-ha-ha!" while shaking his arms in the air. Lesser used a similar gag on Seinfeld when he portrayed Uncle Leo, enthusiastically saying "Jerry! Hello!" while holding out his arms every time he greeted his nephew Jerry.
Sgt. Judy Potter (9 episodes; played by Sherri Shepherd) – Robert's NYPD patrol partner.

text: Minor

text:
Nemo (7 episodes; played by Joseph V. Perry, Robert Ruth) – Pizza restaurant owner. Disappears when Marco takes over his pizzeria and calls it Marco's.
Gerard (7 episodes; played by Fred Stoller) – Ray and Robert's annoying, unintelligent and hypochondriacal cousin who makes several appearances. He plays the accordion.
Father Hubley (6 episodes; played by Charles Durning) – The local parish priest. He loves Marie's lasagna. Very wary of the Barones, his long-time parishioners, but usually has helpful advice to offer.
Stefania Fogagnolo (6 episodes; played by Alex Meneses) – Robert's hot and jilted Italian ex-girlfriend he met while vacationing with the Barone clan in Italy. He had a fling with her in Italy while he was still with Amy, which later causes breakups with both girlfriends.
Marco Fogagnolo (6 episodes; played by David Proval) – The intimidating and threatening Italian father of Stefania, who takes over Nemo's Pizza after the family moves to America, jokingly implying that he "did away with" Nemo. Although he dislikes Robert, he befriends Frank and Marie but the two end up fighting for his friendship.
Molly Ardolino (6 episodes; played by Ray Romano's actual daughter, Alexandra Romano) – Daughter of Peggy Ardolino (Ray's archenemy and Debra's friend) and Ally's best friend. However, she was first seen as a flower girl in a flashback of Ray and Debra's wedding.
Max (5 episodes; played by executive producer and main writer Phil Rosenthal's real-life father, Max Rosenthal) – A lodge friend of Frank, seen in various lodge-related episodes.
Angelina (4 episodes; played by Tina Arning) – a very attractive waitress from Nemo's. Ray often goes to the restaurant just to fantasize about her beauty. She appears in four episodes.
Uncle Mel Barone (4 episodes; played by Phil Leeds) – Frank's older brother. Mel is mean and always seems agitated. A running gag is since he was never married, and sometimes shows up at family events with other men, he mentions at least once in every episode he is in fact, not gay.
Bill Parker (3 episodes; played by David Hunt) – Ray's nemesis neighbor. Parker is often seen showing-up Ray as a father, and Ray often makes jokes that Debra wishes she had married him instead, (the in-joke being that he is played by Patricia Heaton's real-life husband). Ray's character has said lines that has him thinking out loud that his kids are possibly Bill Parker's doing, because all the kids playing his children on the show are blond, like Bill Parker.
Albert (3 episodes; played by Ray Romano's real-life father, Albert Romano) – A lodge friend of Frank, seen in various lodge-related episodes.
Lee (3 episodes; played by Debra Mooney) – Friend of Marie and Frank's
Dave (2 episodes; played by Dave Attell) – A friend of Raymond and a member of the Nemo's sponsored basketball team in "Captain Nemo" (episode 1.11).
Joanne Glotz (2 episodes; played by Suzie Plakson) – Robert's first wife, who is depicted very negatively. She and Robert divorced before the beginning of the series. She formerly worked as a stripper in Atlantic City named Cinnamon. Marie knew about her former job since she appeared on the show, but kept quiet for Robert's sake until Joanne asked for a divorce.
Bryan Trenberth (2 episodes; played by Dan Castellaneta) – The T-ball "healthy snacks" overseer that Debra tangled with and Ray finally blew up on in "T-Ball" (episode 2.42). He was also Coach Bryan in "It's Supposed To Be Fun" (episode 6.8).
Harriet Lichtman – Marie's bridge partner, and Frank's fantasy woman. Often talked about but only appears in Season 7, Episode 20: "Who's Next".
Abe Warchiser aka "Bullethead" (John David Conti) – Frank's worst enemy at his lodge, seen in various lodge-related episodes. He proved he hated Frank in the episode "Franks Tribute" by telling Robert and Raymond "I don't like Frank Barone!"
Peggy Ardolino (Amy Aquino) – Single mother of Ally's best friend who has bullied Ray and later becomes Peter's girlfriend. Referred to as "The Cookie Lady" and "Peggy Hitler" by Ray. Whenever they see each other, Peggy says, "Hello, Ally's dad," while he just says "Hello... Peggy," in a very intimidating way. Debra ends up scaring Peggy off so she would leave Ray alone saying, "Nobody beats up my husband." Her characteristics are similar to Hitler, according to Ray.
Shamsky II – the bulldog Robert gets in Season 1, Episode 19: "The Dog" after having him neutered and later finding out he was a pure bred used for breeding stock. Shamsky II, named for Robert's favourite baseball player Art Shamsky, makes brief cameos in other episodes.
Jennifer Whelan (Ashley Crow) – Debra's wayward sister who finally becomes a nun in "The Sister" (episode 4.6).