Very cool doc on Jake. What a well rounded, goal oriented man. 2 of my high school friends from Michigan drove to Vermont back in 84 and knocked on Jakes door and asked him to sponsor them. He didn't do it on the spot, but asked them to meet him at Stowe the next day to see how they road. Well enough, as he sponsored them that day. One of them was featured in the doc getting a award at the end of the US Open. That just goes to show you what a cool, easy going guy he was.
I used to buy boards and Burton clothing samples from the grey long haired bearded dude (world ambassador) interviewed in the doc as well. He was the rep for the midwest in the 80's/90's.
I wish I had the opportunity to meet Jake, but never had a chance. RIP and thanks for opening the world to the coolest snow sport on the planet.
Dear Rider: The Jake Burton Story
2021
Action / Documentary / Sport
Dear Rider: The Jake Burton Story
2021
Action / Documentary / Sport
7.7Keywords: snowboardingsnowboard company
Plot summary
The intimate and revealing documentary features interviews with Jake's family, friends, and fellow snowboarders, including action sports icons Shaun White, Kelly Clark and Mark McMorris as well as a wealth of archival material and home movies. DEAR RIDER pays homage to Jake's beloved and loyal "riders," the audience he faithfully addressed every year for decades on the first page of his snowboard company's catalogs. Acclaimed actor Woody Harrelson, a close friend of Jake's, narrates catalog passages interspersed throughout the film. Inspired by the Snurfer, a surfboard-inspired strip of wood, Jake created his first snowboard in 1977 as an inexpensive alternative to skiing. From there, he developed increasingly versatile boards while encouraging ski resorts, sponsors, and world-class athletes to take up what the media dubbed "the worst new sport." By the late 1990s, Jake's vision had catapulted the punk-infused culture of snowboarding into the mainstream and onto the world stage. But as Jake and his eponymous company, Burton, thrived in the new century, the entrepreneur battled two very serious health problems: Miller Fisher Syndrome, a rare nerve disorder, as well as cancer, which ultimately claimed his life in 2019. Today, Jake's memory lives on throughout the snowboarding community, and his wife Donna Carpenter remains at the helm of the family-owned business.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
40+ Years of Shred
Loved it
It's a great documentary. Not just about The Godfather of snowboarding but shows the history and evolution of the sport. If you're into snowboarding this is a must watch.
"Badass grandfather of snowboarding"
As "Dear Rider (2021 release; 95 min.) opens, we are at "Vail, Colorado, February 29, 2020", site of the Burton US Open for snowboarding, and people are paying tribute to Jake Burton Carpenter, the "badass grandfather of snowboarding", according to one of the current pro snowboarders. We then go back in time, as Jake talks about growing up on Long Island. He had a dream of "surfing on snow" at a young age that eventually drove his passion for snowboarding, except that snowboarding didn't really exist. At this point we are 10 min into the documentary.
Couple of comments: this is directed by Fernando Villena ("Giving Voice"). The movie's title refers to annual open letter that Jake writes for the company's catalogue, always starting with "Dear Rider" (and finishing with "Jake"). Let me state upfront that I am not a snowboarder, and that I had never heard of Jake Burton Carpenter before. The documentary is as much about growing snowboarding as a sport than it is how to build a snowboard manufacturing company (Burton Boards) into a dominant force in the industry. Along the way we of course get a very personal closeup about Jake and his wife Donna, who married in 1983. I certainly appreciate that Jake built something substantial, and that snowboarding today may be more popular than skiing, but does this make for a compelling documentary? While the documentary certainly is not 'bad, neither is this truly memorable. For example, when I compare this to the recent documentary mini-series "100 Foot Wave', I can't help but conclude that for me (and I realize that this is a subjective assessment and that others may feel differently),"Dear Rider" is anywhere near as compelling as "100 Foot Wave".
"Dear Rider" premiered on HBO earlier this week, and is not available on HBO On Demand and soon as well on other streaming platforms (and eventually also on DVD/Blu-ray). If you have any interest in snowboarding, be it the sport or the business side of things, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.