Jake Burton Carpenter
Jake Burton Carpenter is known as the godfather of snowboarding and founder of Burton Snowboards, which he built into a global $500 million dollar business and helped transform snowboarding into an Olympic sport.
Entrepreneur
April 29, 1954
November 20, 2019
65
Jake Burton Carpenter, often referred to as the godfather of snowboarding, was a charismatic and innovative entrepreneur who founded Burton Snowboards and revolutionized the sport. He successfully turned his company into a global business worth $500 million and played a significant role in making snowboarding an Olympic sport. Carpenter is also credited with contributing to the growth of a sport that is projected to have annual sales surpassing $352 billion by 2023. Among his other accomplishments are the re-release of iconic snowboards, writing annual letters to riders in the Burton Snowboards catalog, and featuring renowned athlete Shaun White as a spokesperson. Sadly, Carpenter passed away at 65 due to complications from cancer.