The titan of snowsports succumbed to recurring bouts with cancer.
Jake Burton Carpenter passed away in Burlington, Vermont, after an 8-year battle with testicular cancer. He was 65.
Burton was first diagnosed in 2011 but was issued a “clean bill of health” by doctors after months of treatment, according to SGB. In an email to his staff this month, Burton revealed his illness and acknowledged his prognosis.
“As much as I dread what is facing me, it’s easier to deal with when you know that you have a family that will carry on,” he wrote.
Burton formed his snowboard company in 1977 in New York after quitting his job to pursue his passion. He was on the leading edge of a sport he helped raise to a billion-dollar industry.
In a social post, the company bid farewell to its founder:
“It is with a very heavy heart that we share that Burton founder Jake Burton Carpenter passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his family and loved ones as a result of complications from recurring cancer. He was our founder, the soul of snowboarding, the one who gave us the sport we all love so much. #RideonJake.”
