U.S. Ski & Snowboard Mourns Passing of Snowboard Pioneer Jake Burton

Our sport was saddened to hear of the passing of snowboarding pioneer Jake Burton Carpenter. 

Jake was a man of vision who created the culture and nurtured the passion of snowboarding through his engagement and support of athletes. His persistence and a great sense of brand helped make U.S. Ski & Snowboard a much better organization. Burton was a longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner. Jake has been widely recognized for his innovation, including induction into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and as a recipient of U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Doc DesRoches Award for his company’s contribution to the industry. 

As snowboarding came into the Olympics in the 1990s, Jake and SIA pushed U.S. Ski & Snowboard to better understand the sport’s unique culture and independent identity. As a result, U.S. Ski & Snowboard created the U.S. Grand Prix tour, which still exists today, as a showcase of the sport and an open Olympic qualifying process. 

In the early days, U.S. Ski & Snowboard partnered with a Japanese company as the principal sport sponsor. But in 2003, Jake joined with U.S. Ski & Snowboard on what was a fruitful 15-year relationship with his namesake brand. 

Jake helped us all better understand the unique nature of snowboarding leading to U.S. Ski & Snowboard's more independent approach to team structure and the creation of pro and rookie teams. It manifested into a unique and notable approach to Olympic unforming which was embraced by athletes. Over the years, Jake continued to push to make U.S. Ski & Snowboard a better organization, with the athletes being the prime beneficiaries. He joined the U.S. Ski & Snowboard board of trustees in 2000 and remained on the board until his passing.

Information on a life celebration is pending. Jake’s family has asked that in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Chill Foundation.