Reaction: Burton Snowboards Founder, Jake Burton Carpenter, dies at age 65

Jake Burton Carpenter, the founder of Burton Snowboards, has died at age 65 as a result of complications from recurring cancer, according to a statement by the company.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5IgxGMnfbd/

Working out of a borrowed barn in Londonderry, Vermont, Burton pioneered the snowboarding industry in 1977. 20 years later, snowboarding became recognized as an Olympic sport in the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. Although he had no manufacturing experience, Burton was inspired to bring his innovative ideas into production by his experience as a teenager with a “snurfer,” a plank-like board with a curved tip and a rope to hold on to. He developed a binding system to attach riders to their boards and offer more control than a rope. Although his boards were initially outlawed at ski resorts throughout the country, Burton persisted through countless rejection to turn a fringe fad into an indelible winter pastime and powerhouse Olympic sport. Burton’s boards resonated with the youth culture by representing a rebellious, anti-establishment sentiment and lifestyle. Snowboarding changed from an unwanted sport that was deemed too unsafe to share the slopes with skiers into the mainstream, thanks to Burton.

The company (more like a three-man team) only sold 300 boards in the first year; however, Burton’s perseverance, innovative spirit, and passion for snowboarding transformed his nascent company into a billion-dollar industry.

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Reaction From Around The World.

The world of snowboarding, and the wider outdoor industry has begun to respond to the hashtag created by Burton #RideOnJake. A selected few can be seen below.

The cover photo is taken from the Burton.com homepage on the day of Jake's death.