Tom Sims 1950-2012
What’s a show about snowboarding and it’s history without Tom Sims? I’ll tell you what it is, bullshit and that’s why we’re proud to tell you about this episode featuring the man, the myth, and the legend, Tom Sims. We take you from Tom’s first board all the way to the battle of Burton vs. Sims. It’s the story of snowboarding, growing up.
First Known Snowboard. Snowboarding is a fairly young sport with about 40 years of history, but today it is definitely out of its diapers. First known snowboard was made from plywood by a man named Tom Sims in the year 1963. Tom Sims made a snowboard for his eight grade technical class. Tom called the first snowboard a ski board. Later Tom Sims opened his own snowboard company that had a big impact on the world of snowboarding in the early years – Sims Snowboards.
Tom & Jake Burton
Photo made by James Cassimus
Frustrated with closeting his skateboard through the winter months, a pre-teen Tom Sims decided to craft a board that could function in the snow. He hammered out one of the world’s first snowboards. Years later, after road tripping to his own private surf paradise in Santa Barbara, Tom made quick friends with Mike Chantry who later introduced him to Terry Kidwell. So wowed by the silky-smooth skate style of Kidwell, Tom sponsors the boarder on the spot. From there it’s freestyle snowboarding history.
Photo Chris Keegan
The Tahoe City quarter pipe, snowboarding’s first halfpipe, was originally designed to be the Tahoe City Dump. By covering heaps of garbage with dirt, the city unknowingly made snowboard history. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right? Enter the original East Coast vs. West Coast battle. The clash between Burton and Sims starts with the first snowboarding halfpipe competition and ends with a legal dust-up over each team’s claim to snowboarding legend Craig Kelly. In essence, snowboarding grows up.
Thank you Tom Snowboarding8090.com
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.