So, the late Jake Burton invented the snowboard circa 1977-1978.

I own a 173cm Burton Snowboard and I absolutely love it. For a 6'3" guy approaching 300lbs (yes, I'm a huge Scandinavian looking fat ass), it's fantastic. It's so much better than the rental 158cm snowboard they'll give you that it's totally worth it.

I own several Burton suitcases and I absolutely love them.

I've purchased multiple Burton jackets from the outlet store in Wrentham, Mass for family members (I'm on my 2nd Marmot jacket for myself).

A few years back, when I had to spend a weekend in Boston for work, I drove up to Burlington, VT and toured the Burton HQ. One of the coolest things they had on display was the evolution of the snowboard. They showed 1 model per year from the original "snurfer" in 1977 up to present day. That was fascinating.

I've shopped some of their flagship stores in San Francisco, Berkley, and Los Angeles.

Long story short, rightly or wrongly, I have been enamored with Burton products.

But today, I was reading my Email and was greeted with a completely over the top work statement. Burton has done some "woke" things before and I kind of let those go through to the keeper but this one today was just a bridge too far.

Here's the full statement from Burton.
Our Commitments to Promote Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in our Community

The statement opens with this gem:

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100 days ago the world watched a police officer murder George Floyd. During Pride Month, June 2020, we watched our community open up about the LGBTQ+ experience in snowboarding. So many eye-opening moments and experiences are occurring, including conversations that we've needed to have for a long, long time.

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Part I - The fact that they unequivocally state that Saint George Floyd was murdered got my attention for the following reasons:
1 - the case hasn't been adjudicated yet
2 - it's the wrong conclusion
3 - what does George Floyd got to do with snowboarding?

Part II - The LGBTQ+ community's snowboarding experience. What the heck is that all about? I'm pretty sure that the mountain can't tell and doesn't care, what your sexual orientation is.

Granted the company is based in Burlington, VT which is very hip - the kind of hip Austin wishes it was. But again, what do either of these topics have to do with snowboarding.

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We've taken our time processing, listening, learning, and haven't always known how or when to speak up. The fact is: It's time for Burton to take ownership of our part in this. It's time for change on a national and global scale. And it's time for Burton and snowboarding to grow the f**** up.

Snowboarding's history is known for being predominantly white, young, straight, male, fostering an exclusionary bro-centric culture, and full of personal accounts detailing the treatment of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized individuals. This is the reality, and progress has come too late, and too slow. We've seen amazing conversations happen over the course of this year as some incredibly brave members of our community have opened up about their experiences with support from leaders throughout the industry, including Torment Mag and Snowboarder. It's clear that our outdoor spaces, like our society, do not offer the same equity, opportunity, and safety to everyone.

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How in the world does the outdoors, especially a freaking mountain, NOT offer the same opportunity to everyone?

Now, having said that, Snowboarding is an expensive sport. It's going to cost you a good $500-$1,000 in equipment to get in the game. And that's before you've purchased your first $100 lift ticket. Obviously, you can bring the initial entry price down by renting equipment.

BIPOC - what the heck are they even talking about? If you're a Black, Indigenous, Person of Color, you're somehow excluded from snowboarding?

Since 1994 when I got started in Kentucky, I've snowboarded in Colorado, Alaska, California, Nevada and Vermont. I've never seen anything even remotely discriminatory towards anybody.

So, the bottom line is that if Burton thinks that virtue signalling and hiring more JEDI folks, is the most important thing and the future direction of their company, I'm out as a customer.

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Hiring external justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) experts to guide our work forward, including bringing in a full-time high-level internal JEDI leader to report directly to the highest levels of management within our company.

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So, I'm looking for a new snowboard company who is focused on producing a quality product without the social activism. Preferably one who manufactures in the USA.

I'm open to your suggestions. Cheers!

Time to start skiing.

Mr Rosignol never alienated half the country

No Pressure said:

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Time to start skiing.

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They say "the first day you snowboard is the last day you ski"

It is like these companies have no idea who buys their products...

We are an American company where 90%+ of our clientele is white, 50%+ is family oriented, and 80% of our clientele are middle class or higher, lets make a diversity statement.

Do they think that the BLM crowd is going to take to the slopes?

Give up wokeboarding and instead invest in a good, polluting snowmobile

I use Burton step in bindings and boots, and no amount of wokeness will make me go back to strap ins.

HollywoodBQ said:

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No Pressure said:

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Time to start skiing.

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They say "the first day you snowboard is the last day you ski"

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I knew we were brothers but this seals the deal

Picard said:

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Give up wokeboarding and instead invest in a good, polluting snowmobile

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My oil engineer brother thanks you! Keep up the good work

Screw Jake Burton. Thanks to this asshat, ski slopes across the world have been transformed from places you could actually ski, to places snowboarders sit on the ass in the middle of the way, and specifically in the deadass middle of the way directly over a blind down slope.

Basically they're going to siphon off business resources supporting a branch of HR that constantly tells the employees they are doing racist bigoted things and employs more left wing indoctrinated college grad activists to direct more spending and donations to Left wing causes.

So predictable.

If they want to make it more inclusive then they should be the first ones to lower their prices on gear, you know to allow the less fortunate to be able to experience it...

Wait that's not going to happen, they would never do that. Typical virtue signaling.

Any body who's ever been to the base of a ski slope whether skiing or boarding or just hanging out know the odds of seeing a person of color are slim. Each race has their own things they like to do.

For request for a new board company, I'd suggest Arbor boards. I had one years ago that was too small for me but I loved it anyways. Light weight had a lot of pop and and would plow through powder. They're expensive but if I ever buy another board it'll be an Arbor. And some of them are absolutely beautiful boards with the wood showing.

No clue if Flow boards/bindings is woke these days, but they make excellent gear. Likely have some that would fit a large Scandinavian like yourself.

Also looking for conservative skate board and guitar manufacturers, and some liberal bible publishers.

Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess

They are desperately trying to appeal to the current crop of 20 somethings who don't want anything to do with anything that's enjoyed primarily by white people because of course that would be racist

But on the other hand they're not allowed to enjoy anything that's enjoyed primarily by non-white people because of course that would be appropriation

So their only option in life is liberal misery

Saolmon or Rossignol? Not sure where they are now, I've been out of the winter sports scene for a long time.

Can we all agree to stop starting sentences with the unnecessary use of "so"?

FbgTxAg said:

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HollywoodBQ said:

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No Pressure said:

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Time to start skiing.

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They say "the first day you snowboard is the last day you ski"

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I knew we were brothers but this seals the deal

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Can you believe us having a beer like regular humans at the Wharf Bar in Manly, NSW, Australia was only 8 months ago?

Feels like it's been 20 years since then.

Yelnick McWawa said:

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Can we all agree to stop starting sentences with the unnecessary use of "so"?

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So, what you're saying is, I should have majored in English instead of Engineering?

I'll try the Australian version:

Aw, Mate: Can I just say, ...
I was having a read of an Email from Burton and I reckon they've bloody lost the plot.

The Fife said:

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Saolmon or Rossignol? Not sure where they are now, I've been out of the winter sports scene for a long time.

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THX

Maroon Dawn said:

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They are desperately trying to appeal to the current crop of 20 somethings

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You might be on to something there. I wonder if snowboard ridership is down. I'll have to see if I can find some numbers.

I wonder if twenty somethings aren't interested in winter outdoor activities. Or, maybe snowboarding has been replaced by tubing or whatever.

OverSeas AG said:

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HollywoodBQ said:

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And it's time for Burton and snowboarding to grow the f**** up.

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They said "****".... shows how cool they are. They mean bidnizzzzz now.

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Jake has got to be rolling over in his grave.

Or, maybe this wokeness was what he wanted as his legacy, I don't know anything about the man.

I guess this could be an opportunity in a few years to purchase the assets and brand recognition for cheap.

johnrth said:

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For request for a new board company, I'd suggest Arbor boards. I had one years ago that was too small for me but I loved it anyways. Light weight had a lot of pop and and would plow through powder. They're expensive but if I ever buy another board it'll be an Arbor. And some of them are absolutely beautiful boards with the wood showing.

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Thank You. Looks like they're based in Venice, CA and source their wood from Hawaii.

I love the whole sustainability story on their web site. And I didn't see any nonsensical diversity statements. They do appear to have a guy with a Japanese name as one of their sponsored pros.

It looks like they also make some wider boards which helps people like me whose big feet can't fit on the smaller boards without heel drag and toe drag.

Ol_Ag_02 said:

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Screw Jake Burton. Thanks to this asshat, ski slopes across the world have been transformed from places you could actually ski, to places snowboarders sit on the ass in the middle of the way, and specifically in the deadass middle of the way directly over a blind down slope.

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I regret that I have but one star to give

Who needs a board?

They're probably all "woke" but yeah, I'd expect a company based in Burlington. VT to be especially woke.

The Mervin brands are made in America... Gnu, Libtech. I think They are all made in Washington.

Snowboarders must be defeated this election cycle

Awesome. Go Cancel Culture....

White people need to have a tough convo about how they can instill a negative attitude in an entire young black generation. White people need to reinforce narrative that blacks will never be capable of the same level of success as whites, because of a systematically racist society along with high probability of being gunned down by cops.

If white people can successfully promote this narrative hard enough, they can ensure there is a tight ceiling on black wealth, power, and respect in this country.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. So ironic that the whites who claim to care most about blacks are promoting such a damaging ideology.

just trying to sell snow equipment to undeserved communities. Black and gay/trans snowboarders.