It is an HBO original documentary, celebration, snapshot of the life of Jake Burton Carpenter(1954-2019), the pioneer, the grandpa, the visionary of snowboarding. One of the iconoclast of the industry.
Having grown up skateboarding since I was 16, and over 20 years later living and breathing the culture(still skateboarding to this day), anti-corporation, punk-rock life of actions sports as labeled by the outsiders. Skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing all being intertwined in one after the other in their conceptions. Sidewalk surfing and snow surfing coined by the pioneers of the sports.
Jake Burton loved snow. He cherished it and it gave him family and a sense of community. He was literally a carpenter & fabricated some of the first prototypes of snowboards. Influenced by surfing construction, skateboard construction & finally ski construction. He hosted some of the earliest snowboard competitions and petitioned for it to be recognized by ski resorts as an actual sport.
This is a beautiful portrait of a visionary. Part salesman to survive, but a true artisan at heart. His legacy narrated by his beloved wife; business partner, snowboard legends and so many more. If you understand sometimes how quickly this culture can have a person so bright but not long, it is part tragedy. I would highly recommend the watch.
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