“I’ve always been attracted to snow. I associate it with being a kid on Long Island and not having to go to school and coming home with snow packed in my clothes and soaking wet. I skied as a kid and loved it. So in 1968, when I got a Snurfer for Christmas, I identified immediately with the concept. I understood being able to go down a snow-covered mountain, but in comfortable footwear this time and not holding on to ski poles and just being so free in the process. That appealed to me: the freedom and the simplicity of it, thinking, god, this is so pure.”

—Jake Burton, Founder and Chairman, Burton Snowboards

The above exert is from “How Burton Got Started – In Jake’s Own Words” on page 39 of Burton’s very interesting and informative "BACK IN THE DAY an in-depth look at the history of snowboards and Burton snowboards". You can read the entire thing in PDF format by clicking “HERE”