Boarding House

Dani Stahl takes a tour of the wintry world of Burton.

- Dani Stahl

I’ve always been enchanted by Vermont. It’s the kind of place where the hippie 60's still live, it’s not uncommon to take a mountain hike before work, and (rumor has it) you can ski up to the stage to receive your college diploma. It’s a state that encourages being active, in nature, and chilled-out. And, at this point, arguably no one is more synonymous with Vermont than Jake Burton Carpenter.

To say Burton invented snowboarding culture as we know it is not all that great of an overstatement. Since founding his eponymous snowboard company in 1977 out of his Vermont barn, Burton (the man and the brand) has been integral to establishing snowboarding’s spot in the pantheon of winter sports, and building up the trappings that surround the lifestyle, from boards, boots, bindings, and outerwear to year-round apparel, packs, and accessories. Alongside his wife and partner Donna, who now serves as the company’s CEO, Burton has built an empire. So when I arrive at the brand’s Burlington headquarters, I know I’m entering snowboarding’s epicenter.