2018 will mark the 40th anniversary of snowboarding, and to celebrate the milestone, a Snowboard National Monument will soon grace the very town where Jake Burton Carpenter founded Burton Snowboards.
Colorado-based bronze sculptor Jason Dreweck, who grew up snowboarding, said in a video about the monument, “I just felt passionate about this project, and I felt like there was a story that needed to be told.”
Jake Burton Carpenter opened the world’s first snowboard factory in Londonderry, VT in December of 1977, paving the way for the sport’s nationwide acceptance. The town is located not far from the Stratton and Bromley ski areas, and now the community wants to spread the word about its place in the history of snowboarding. Although the original factory building burned down a few years ago, the legacy remains.
“The spirit of the sculpture, I think, is just pure snowboarding,” commented Carpenter. “In many ways, that area is the birthplace of modern-day snowboarding.” Carpenter spent only one year crafting snowboards in Londonderry before moving to Manchester the next year. That was when snowboarding really started to flourish.
The Londonderry Arts and Historical Society stated that the town is behind the idea of the sculpture. Its planned site is near the farmers market on a piece of land that flooded in Tropical Storm Irene, making it unsuitable for new buildings. Installation is scheduled for spring 2018
Lead photo courtesy Jason Dreweck, video courtesy Snowboard National Monument
