New Holland And Burton Help Celebrate 55 Years Of Snowboarding

New Holland Brewing of Holland, MI is partnering with Vermont-based iconic snowboard brand, Burton, to support director Zeppelin Zeerip’s new short film, Made in the Mitten.

Harkening back to the original days of Snurfing, as popularized by inventor Sherman Poppen in 1965 in Muskegon, Michigan, Made in the Mitten follows the pow-filled evolution of snurfing to snowboarding, a term coined by Burton founder Jake Burton Carpenter. Burton developed the first snowboard as a riff off of Poppen’s stand-up sleigh-like novelty item and, as an avid Snurfer, shifted the product and concept into bona fide sporting equipment and legitimized the sport of snowboarding.

Zeerip’s film chronicles Burton’s revolutionary journey, from the first origins in the mitten-shaped state of Michigan, through the creation of what is now the most iconic snowboarding brand on the plant. During production of the film, Zeerip discovered a grocery bag full of undeveloped 8mm film from the early 70’s, a treasure-trove of unseen snowboard history showcasing the origins of snurfing alongside skateboarding and surfing in Michigan. “It’s a real good sport,” a youthful Jake Burton quips in the film. “I hope everyone gets into it because it’s pretty safe, it’s a lot of fun, there’s a lot of speed and you can definitely surf the snow.”

“55 years after Poppen took his daughters’ skis on Christmas Day and created the first Snurf board, we are watching riders over nine different disciplines of snowboarding, from Big Air to freestyle, all over the slopes, and in competitions all the way up to the Olympic Games,” said director Zeppelin Zeerip. “I was inspired to pay homage to Poppen and Burton, who both sadly left us just last year, and recognize the Michigan-based origins of this phenomenal sport, which has changed the landscape for counter-culture snowsports at its core.”

Supported by Michigan-based brewery and distillery, New Holland, a brand rife with snow and snowboarding enthusiasts, as well as Burton Snowboards, the film is a powerful, energetic and respectful nod to the brains behind the sport that has now shaped millions of riders around the world.

"Snowboarding season is anxiously awaited every year here in Michigan”, said New Holland Brand Marketing Manager, Adam Dickerson. “It allows us the opportunities to challenge ourselves, to breathe in the fresh winter air and to enjoy the outdoors with friends during an otherwise isolating time of year. The apres beer is pretty great too. The snurfer first touched snow only 30 miles north of our brewery and we are thrilled to support the making of this film, celebrating the founders, the creativity and the ingenuity here in our part of the state."

Made in the Mitten is an 8-minute short film, available to view on: