Burton Snowboards Founder & Chair JAKE BURTON was profiled on last night's episode of "Nightline," and ABC's Jeremy Hubbard reported Burton has "created an entire lifestyle, an Olympic sport and a multibillion dollar industry, basically by himself, all of it because of a simple $10 toy from his childhood." Burton said from the minute he got on the toy, which was similar to a snowboard, "I was into it and I always thought that there was a sport there." Hubbard: "His goal was to sell 50 snowboards a day that first year. A year later, he'd sold only 300. But the next year, sales doubled and it took off from there. ... Burton now helms a megabrand, his name synonymous with some of the most popular events at the Winter Olympics and X Games, his gear worn and designed by celebrity athletes." Burton said, "Seeing the level that they're riding at, where they've taken it, that's probably the biggest turn on." Hubbard noted Burton is a private company and does not release financial figures, but "by some estimates sales are now in the neighborhood of $700 million a year." Meanwhile, with each new snowboard that is produced, Burton "gets to try them out first." Hubbard: "Just one more benefit of having the coolest job in the world" ("Nightline," ABC, 4/20).
