Marketing and Promotion
In order to attract rider interest, Burton sponsors professional riders and events. Burton's sponsored professional snowboard team includes Shaun White, Jeremy Jones, Kazuhiro Kokubo, Terje Haakonsen, Ellery Hollingsworth, Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter, and Kevin Pearce. Burton has avoided having complete sponsorship with Burton/Burton affiliated brands. Nicholas Mueller rides Burton bindings/boards with Nike boots/outerwear. Burton has come under criticism over for its choices regarding the team, such as the removal of David Carrier Porcheron and other riders in 2008.
Burton sponsored the creation of organic terrain parks made of rocks, stumps, and logs. These parks can be found at Killington Ski Resort, Vermont, USA; ; Avoriaz, France; and The Remarkables, New Zealand.
Burton Snowboards created a program called Learn To Ride (LTR) in 1998. They were the only snowboard company to focus on instruction methods and beginner-specific equipment. The goal was to give beginner snowboarders the best initial snowboarding experience possible so they would continue to snowboard. Burton teamed up with the American Association of Snowboard Instructors, the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors, and major resorts around the world.
The Chill program was founded in 2005 to provide kids with the opportunity to learn to snowboard. Chills works in conjunction with inner city youth programs to take kids and teens to local mountains and teach them to ride over a 6-week period. Burton provides everything needed for the experience: gear, lift tickets, and instruction. Founded in 1995, Chill has provided over 12,000 underprivileged kids the opportunity to learn to snowboard. Because of the 2008 graphics controversy and concern over effects on youth, a local beneficiary severed its ties with Burton.
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