Skip to main content
  • Main menu
Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
  • Home
  • Explore
    • Study
    • Try
    • About
    • Multimedia
  • Invention Stories
    • Blog
    • Places of Invention
    • Beyond Words
  • Inventive Minds: Everyone Is Inventive
  • Matt Capozzi and Nate Connolly
Inventive Minds Logo
Invention sketch of accessible snowboard

Matt Capozzi and Nate Connolly

June 24, 2015 by Joyce Bedi and Alison Oswald

Throughout American history, inventors and innovators have used their imaginations to create, improve, and promote inventions and innovations that shape our everyday lives. Explore their stories in the Inventive Minds gallery.

Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Print

archivescenter_accessible-snowboard-ac747_capozzi-connolly-on-prototype-1.jpg

Matt Capozzi and Nate Connolly

Matt Capozzi and Nate Connolly.

Matt Capozzi and Nate Connolly were Hampshire College students in 1996. They were also avid snowboarders who were eager to increase access to the sport they loved. They designed a snowboard for people with disabilities from PVC pipe, a camp chair, and glue (see the photo in their invention notebook), but the snowboard and its rider tended to tip over. To increase stability and maneuverability, they added a back bar and a pole. They also made their next prototype stronger and lighter by constructing it from molded carbon fiber.

archivescenter_accessible-snowboard-ac747_ac0747-0000003-inventive-minds-edit.jpg

Nate Connolly's invention notebook

Nathan Connolly's invention notebook. Accessible Snowboard Collection, 1996-2000, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

  • Continue To Marion O'Brien Donovan
  • Previous
  • About Inventive Minds
  • Ralph Baer
  • Patricia Bath
  • Andy Butler
  • Matt Capozzi and Nate Connolly
  • Marion O'Brien Donovan
  • Ashok Gadgil
  • Jerome Lemelson
  • Van Phillips

Tags

  • Women inventors (Relevance: 36%)
  • Immigrant inventors (Relevance: 9%)
  • Assistive technology (Relevance: 10%)
  • Video games (Relevance: 8%)
  • Environment (Relevance: 23%)

What do you think about the story ?

VIEW 2689 Matching Results

Found 2689 Stories

  • Agriculture and horticulture (Relevance: 5.1692078839717%)
  • Air and space (Relevance: 6.6195611751581%)
  • Chemistry (Relevance: 2.9750836742283%)
  • Food and drink (Relevance: 3.049460766084%)
  • Industry and manufacturing (Relevance: 7.2889550018594%)
  • Medicine, health, and life sciences (Relevance: 4.5741911491261%)
  • Military technology (Relevance: 3.2354034957233%)
  • Mining and drilling (Relevance: 3.4585347712904%)
  • Patents and trademarks (Relevance: 11.416883599851%)
  • Photography, film, television, and video (Relevance: 3.5329118631462%)
  • Power generation, motors, and engines (Relevance: 3.4585347712904%)
  • Spark!Lab (Relevance: 3.4213462253626%)
  • Telegraph, telephone, and telecommunications (Relevance: 3.049460766084%)
  • Textiles and clothing (Relevance: 3.309780587579%)
  • Transportation (Relevance: 5.8386017106731%)
  • Women inventors (Relevance: 3.049460766084%)
❯
Go to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History website

About Menu

▼
Open menu
▲
Close menu
  • Explore
    • Blog
    • Invention Stories
    • Places of Invention
    • Beyond Words
  • Study
    • Research Opportunities
    • Archives
    • Lemelson Center Books
    • Lemelson Center Research
    • Symposia & Conferences
  • Try
    • DO Try This at Home!
    • Spark!Lab
    • Spark!Lab Network
    • Encouraging Innovative Thinking
  • About
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • News
    • Who We Are
    • FAQ
    • Donate
  • Multimedia
  • Tags
  • Surprise Me
  • Search
  • Open Drawer
Copyright 2021, Smithsonian Institution, All Rights Reserved
  • DONATE
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Print