Tom Sims, founder of Sims skateboards and Sims snowboards passed away yesterday, September 12, 2012, at the age of 62 from an apparent heart attack. He is survived by his wife Hilary, sister Margie Sims Klinger of Santa Barbara, sons Tommy and Shane, daughter Sarah and step daughters Alexa and Kylie Wagner.
In 1969, Tom Sims improved the hell out of the Snurfer with his “ski-board” helping to pave the way for Snowboarding as we know it. He was a world champion skater in 1975 and a world champion snowboarder in 1983, and this led to him being James Bond’s primary stunt double in 1985 in the movie A View To Kill. After Burton recruited Craig Kelly, the Burton VS Sims war exploded, bringing snowboarding into the mainstream and blessing all of us with better technology and more choices.
Here are a few of the milestones that Tom Sims brought to life as we know it.
1. He created the first metal edged snowboard
2. He created the first snowboarding Half Pipe
3. He created the first freestyle snowboard
4. He created the first pro-model snowboard
5. He created the world’s first longboards for skateboarding in 1975.
Being here at Salty Peaks you realize first hand how much of an impact Tom Sims had on our favorite past-times. I walked around a grabbed a few photos of the dozens of vintage SIMS snowboards we have on the walls. It’s pretty sad to think that someone with such influence has passed away at the age of 62. We wish his family and friends the best in their grieving process and would like to thank them for their help in making Tom’s dreams a reality. We have all benefitted from those dreams.
Here are a few boards hanging up here at Salty Peaks, aka the Utah Snowboard Museum.
Thanks for the shred.
