Jake Burton Carpenter: US ‘godfather of snowboarding’ dies at 65

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) –Jake Burton Carpenter, known as the godfather of snowboarding and founder of Burton Snowboards, has died aged 65 due to complications from cancer.

Carpenter quit his job in 1977 and founded his namesake company in the US.

He saw the possibilities of using a single board to surf on snow, and by 1998 the sport of snowboarding had made it to the Olympics.

He was later diagnosed with Miller Fisher syndrome, a rare nervous system disorder, which left him paralysed for several weeks in 2015.

Carpenter was also diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2011 but was determined to be cancer-free after treatment.

But this month he sent an email to his staff. “You will not believe this, but my cancer has come back,” he said, adding that he was determined to fight the disease head on.