Ben Ferguson Falls in Love with Vermont
In life [much like snowboarding] timing is everything, and fall is one of the best times to visit Vermont.
And for good reason, thanks to a natural phenomenon called fall foliage. The countless leaves that give the Green Mountains their name lose their pigment around the start of fall, and burst into a flurry of red, orange and yellow. This is enough to bring countless visitors to the land with no billboards. But that’s only part of what brought Ben Ferguson to Vermont this fall.
Three very important things took place on Ben’s weekend visit. For starters, any trip to Burlington, Vermont, means getting the chance to say hi at Burton Headquarters, and check out what’s going on at Craig’s, our in-house prototype facility.
The guys at Craig’s love nerding-out on gear with the Burton team riders, so they invited Ben to build a special board. They set him up with a custom deck featuring some top secret experimental materials. He chose the base graphic from Jeff Brushie's iconic first pro model, and left the topsheet white so he could customize it with paint markers.
The next stop on Ben’s weekend in Vermont came as a surprise. At our annual global marketing presentation, it was announced that Ben has officially been promoted to Burton’s Global Team, alongside his team mate, Anna Gasser. Congrats, Anna and Ben!
To celebrate, everyone headed to the University of Vermont for the premiere of Snowboarder Magazine’s latest feature film, Resolution. Ben shared screen time with teammates Danny Davis, Mikkel Bang, and a handful of the world’s best riders. Minds were blown, autographs were signed, and everybody enjoyed another classic gathering of East Coast snowboarders.
Saturday morning was a bit foggy [in every sense] and so Ben grabbed some friends to go clear their minds in the great outdoors. A hike down to Stowe’s Bingham Falls offered grade-A Vermont vibes and a chance to splash some icy cold water on the face. Once fully awake, it was time to link up with more friends at Darkside, the local snowboard shop, and get ready for the real reason why everyone’s in town: Burton’s annual Fall Bash.
Jake and Donna have invited the entire Burton family to their house for as long as any of us can remember. It’s a party, first and foremost, but it also acts as a reunion and a great opportunity for employees and riders from around the world to enjoy each other’s company. The night started with a reggae Talking Heads cover band, and took off from there with great food, some chilly insulator weather, Vermont beers and cider on tap, and all the happy company one could ever ask for.
This weekend, all roads led to Vermont. When Ben flew out on Monday it was with a few fuzzy memories, a bunch of new friends, and the new title of Burton Global Pro. And you can see what makes him worthy of such a status in Burton Presents: Heavy Rotation: