Jake Burton Carpenter

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Jake Burton Carpenter (born April 29, 1954 in New York City) is an American snowboarder; he is the founder of Burton Snowboards.

Burton was born in New York City, but was raised Cedarhurst, New York. After graduating from The Marvelwood School in Connecticut, he enrolled at the University of Colorado in Boulder. An avid skiier, Carpenter hoped to join the university's successful ski team, but his competitive skiing career was ended when his collarbone was broken in a car accident (and then twice more in the same week, including one skateboarding accident). After several years away from college (including a stint working on a horse farm) he resumed his studies at New York University, graduating with a degree in economics. After college, Carpenter's interests returned to the slopes. Working from a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he adapted a Snurfer, a basic toy snowboard (which featured a string to allow the rider some basic control over the board). He began selling his more advanced snowboards, made from bentwood laminate and featuring a rigid binding that holds the board firmly to the wearer's boot, in 1979. Carpenter continues to run the Burton company, which has grown into one of the world's largest snowboard and snowboarding-equipment manufacturers.

Jake has a wife, Donna Carpenter, and three teenage sons. The family divides its time between Stowe, Vermont and Long Island, New York.