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Cypress Mountain offers free lift tickets March 13 in honour of snowboarding pioneer

Jake Burton Carpenter invented the sport of snowboarding
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(Black Press Media files)

Cypress Mountain is offering free lift tickets to all skiers and boarders on March 13 in honour of the man who invented the first modern snowboard

The North Shore mountain is one of 13 ski hills to offer the free tickets. Most of the other resorts are in the U.S., but some are as far away as Switzerland, Japan and Italy. Cypress is the only ski hill in B.C. participating.

The event, dubbed ‘A Day for Jake’ is in memory of Jake Burton Carpenter, who died as a result of cancer complications on Nov. 20, 2019.

Carpenter was born in New York City in 1954 and founded the company in 1977.

“I… started ‘Burton Boards’ out of a barn in a house where I was the live-in caretaker and tending the two horses,” Burton had written.

He was inspired by “snurfing,” which uses a mono ski that’s ridden like a snowboard, but has no bindings for feet. The rider uses a rope tied to the front to keep control of the board.

He convinced Stratton Mountain, in Vermont, to become the first major ski resort to allow snowboarders in 1983.


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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