Filmmakers present discussion of Jake Burton story, ‘Dear Rider’

Meet the team behind “Dear Rider, The Jake Burton Story” on Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m., as part of the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum Red Bench Speaker Series.

Director Fernando Villena and co-producers Ben Bryan and Mike Cox will join moderator and former Burton rep Chris Copley for an in-depth look at the HBO film documenting the life of Jake Burton Carpenter, Burton Snowboards founder and owner, as he built the company and snowboarding into a global and cultural phenomenon.

Inspired by a surfboard-styled strip of wood, Burton Carpenter created his first snowboard in 1977 as an inexpensive alternative to skiing. From there, he developed increasingly versatile boards, lobbied ski resorts to allow snowboarding, sponsored world-class athletes and navigated the cultural backlash of what media outlets called the worst new sport. By the late 90s, Burton Carpenter’s vision catapulted snowboarding into the mainstream and onto the world stage of the Olympics.

Learn how each panelist contributed unique and intimate aspects to the film. A Q&A session will follow.

Villena began his career editing documentaries, then transitioned to producing music videos with artists such as Incubus, Tupac and The Black Eyed Peas. His film credits include David Lachapelle’s “Rize” (2005), “Every Little Step” (2008) and “Crank: High Voltage” (2009). Villena made the leap into directing with “Any One of Us.” Next came “Giving Voice” on Netflix, and most recently Dear Rider.

Bryan, co-producer, leads and oversees the team at Red Bull Media, which produced the Burton film.

Cox, the film’s co-producer, spent 25 years as Burton Snowboards sales rep in the Midwest. Moderating this discussion is Copley, a 20-year Burton veteran as the pro team manager and announcer for the U.S. Open at Stratton.

Virtual doors to the museum open and the discussion begins at 7 p.m. A $10 donation from each guest is encouraged.