Archive for the ‘History’ Category

1990--Jake Carpenter buys the patent for the "skiboard" from its designer Bob Webber. Burton's lawyers send out a letter asking for three percent of everyone's total sales, Jake makes it look like he is being squeezed by some outside force into paying the royalties as well. The industry eventually finds out that Burton is behind both letters and dares Jake to enforce the patent. Jake doesn't and claims he bought the patent to keep Brunswick from buying and ruining the industry. Nothing happens. Full story

1980--Burton and Winterstick both utilize a P-Tex base on their prototype boards, introducing ski technology to the industry. Full story

1965--Sherman Poppen invents The Snurfer for his daughter Wendy by bolting two skis together. 1970--Inspired by sliding on cafeteria trays in upstate New York, East Coast surfer Dimitrije Milovich starts developing snowboards based on surfboard design with a rudimentary idea of how skis work. The boards had metal edges. Full story