About Burton
Burton realized he needed to convince ski resorts to let snowboarders on their slopes in order to grow his business. His major break came when Stratton Mountain Resort agreed to allow snowboarders on its slopes. With sales increasing, Burton and his future wife Donna flew to Europe to find a ski factor to produce his snowboards. "The dollar was incredibly strong at the time, so it was very cheap to get stuff made over there," Burton said, referring to Austria. In 1983, Burton held the first National Snowboarding Championships at Snow Valley, Vermont, an event that would eventually come to be known as the U.S. Open.
Burton had received a Snurfer, the precursor to the modern snowboard, for Christmas in 1968. According to his bio from the Burton Snowboards website, he "immediately identified with the concept [of riding] in comfortable footwear this time and not holding onto ski poles." After graduating from NYU with a degree in economics, Burton moved to Londonderry, Vermont in 1977 to start Burton Snowboards. The company sold 300 boards (designed around a modified Snurfer with bindings) the first year - not nearly enough to pay the bills. One year later, having sold a total of 1,000 boards, he had exhausted his $100,000 inheritance.
Corporate headquarters are in Burlington, Vermont, with additional offices in Urawa, Japan, and Innsbruck, Austria. These three offices, employing just under 600 employees, are the main arteries that service the global snowboarding market. Everyone is out on the hill as much as possible. And with a free season pass and private lessons for Newbies, excuses for not riding are hard to find. Along with this dedication to the mountain, employees work in a casual but dedicated environment--jeans and T's with the option of bringing the family pooch. Burton believes in a strong work ethic and is committed to working as a team to achieve their goals. When they're not out snowboarding, they're back at the factory putting their experiences to work.
Burton Site Map
Burton Bags | Burton Hoodies | Burton Jackets | Burton Snow Bindings | Burton Snow Boards | Burton Snow Boots | Burton Snow Trousers | Burton Snow Gloves