While the history of snowboarding can’t be traced back to just one single point, the first model which resembles a modern snowboard first appeared in the 1960s. The original was basically an adaptation of a surfboard which wfor tailored to the pistes. These ‘snurfers’ became available towards the end of the decade but it’s widely acknowledged that what we consider to be the today’s snowboard can be traced back to two men. Tom Sims or Jake Burton.
After an automobile accident, Jake Burton’s budding skiing career came to a abrupt halt. Despite embarking on a career in finance, the call of the slopes was just too powerful. Working from a barn in Vermont, he took the ‘snurfer’ design and adapted it to give the rider more control. Going on to eventually create Burton Snowboards, which is credited with bringing the sport to mainstream America and making the industry commercially viable. Dear Rider tells his story.
Dear Rider is a vibrant and lively portrait of the man who played a pivotal role in making snowboarding what it is today. There are a whole host of familiar faces queuing up to sing the praises of ‘Jakie’ in Fernando Villena’s documentary. He overcame a number of adversities to make the sport such a social and cultural phenomenon. Dear Rider flows at a mean pace, doing justice to a man whose vision and determination created a movement.
Dear Rider is released in the UK on digital download from 24 January.
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