RIP Tom Sims (OT)

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Slater

Trad climber

Central Coast

Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 13, 2012 - 11:51pm PT

Rad pioneer.

I had the PURE JUICE wheels in the late 70s.

Bitchin' wheels.

I hope he is snowboarding on a cloud.

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/34837/snowboarders+lose+a+godfather+with+the+passing+of+tom+sims/

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Sep 13, 2012 - 11:56pm PT

Without a doubt he was a pioneer of the skate and boarding industry, RIP dude.

Fogarty

climber

BITD

Sep 13, 2012 - 11:58pm PT

I skated for Tom as a kid, what a great guy.
Tom was the mentor of PURE JUICE!
RIP old friend:)

apogee

climber

Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy

Sep 14, 2012 - 12:02am PT

OK, now I'm really starting to feel old...

covelocos

Trad climber

Nor Cal

Sep 14, 2012 - 12:09am PT

Bob?

Fogarty

climber

BITD

Sep 14, 2012 - 12:18am PT

heart attack, I'm thinking he must be 62 or 63? Really set back by this he was such a spirit and a motivator!

Fogarty

climber

BITD

Sep 14, 2012 - 12:26am PT

Those wells made Roadriders look like sh#t my fav were the Snake!

Chinchen

climber

Way out there....

Sep 14, 2012 - 12:55am PT

Well this sucks. Keep on RIPPIN.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber

bouldering

Sep 14, 2012 - 12:58am PT

There was a few years there where Sims was huge in skateboarding. About that same time I saw Brad Bowman killing it at the Oxnard skatepark.

splitter

Trad climber

Hodad, surfing the galactic plane

Sep 14, 2012 - 01:16am PT

Wow, what a shock!

Yes Sims was the man in the mid seventies for sure.

Followed the whole progression from 2x4 and metal wheels in elementary school in SoCal in the early 60's, to mid 60's Hobie skateboards with with the roller rink wheels through the 60's/early 70's (which really helped me with the transition from longboard to shortboard to fish from 68-72)to the Sims era urethane wheels & boards explosion! My last skateboard (around 78/79) had Tracker Trucks, Cadillac wheels with Abec bearings ( if i remember correctly).

But the urethane wheels were such a huge step. No more fear of doing an endo into the pavement every 10-15 minutes, totally revolutionized the sport, cuz it had pretty much gone belly-up until that happened .

Dang, 61 is way to young to pass away! RIP

edit: my first board with urethane wheels i brought it up to Mammoth one winter (76/77) and ended up selling it to Joe Rouseck (prollie still up there somewhere, lol).

RJ - Go for it, bro! lol If i recall correctly it was a 1st generation Sims board, etc! It was pre-kicktail deck (no kick in the front or rear) i had to glue/barge cement a V block on the tail. btw, it wud make one hell of a TR, so take plenty of pics!! And do it in the style & memory of Mr. Sims, brah!!!

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

Sep 14, 2012 - 08:21am PT

splitter...I'll sneak into Joe's barn when he's not around and see if i can find that board with the risk of getting spit on or mounted by one of his llamas....RJ

bob

climber

Sep 14, 2012 - 08:45am PT

Bummer!

As a snowboarder and skater from mid eighties Sims products were everywhere.

Snowboarding: I started with the Burton line (Backcountry, Elite 140, etc), but always was envious of the Sims boards. They had the Switchblade that was so OBVIOUSLY made for the more modern styles of riding we see today.

Skateboarding: I rode various Kevin Staab models as well as Jeff Phillips series where the same art evolved with each new model. Pretty cool.

Thanks for pushing both industry styles and standards.

RIP Tom Sims

Bob Jensen

thekidcormier

Gym climber

squamish, b.c.

Sep 14, 2012 - 09:35am PT

R.I.P. Sims

Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Sep 14, 2012 - 11:43am PT

Geez. I used to rep snowboards for Sims in the mid 80s in the mid atlantic region. Sorry to hear the news.

Capt.

climber

some eastside hovel

Sep 14, 2012 - 01:01pm PT

Also must agree that this makes me feel old.Once again,out of the blue. RIP Tom.We'll hook L8r...

~kief~

Trad climber

state of Awakening

Sep 14, 2012 - 01:22pm PT

shred on Tom
-

Words: Pat Bridges

On Wednesday, September 12th, 2012 snowboarding pioneer Tom Sims passed away after suffering a heart attack. Tom’s legacy looms large for anyone who has ever aspired to achieve a sideways descent down snow-covered slopes. Born on December 6th, 1950 in Haddon Field, New Jersey, Tom has often relayed the story of how he conceived of and created the first snowboard while only thirteen years old in his Junior High School woodshop class.

After traveling to the West Coast Tom was introduced to surfing and skateboarding and eventually relocated to California and became immersed in what is today known as the action sports lifestyle, going on to create Sims Skateboards and sponsoring Lester Kasai, Jeff Phillips, and Christian Hosoi. During the early 80s as the founder of Sims Snowboards, Tom took the initiative of lobbying an apprehensive ski community to allow snowboarders on their hallowed slopes. Given the litigious paranoia of the era this was no easy task. Due to the diligence of Tom Sims, Jake Burton, and others, one-by-one, ski resorts began to accept the fledgling sport. According to an interview Tom gave in 1995, “The world has woken up and realized that the best way and most enjoyable way down a mountain is on a snowboard. Prior to 1985, I had to beg a ski area owner to let me on their precious chairlifts. The same guy that kicked me off the hill ten years ago now begs me for a board for his grandson.”

In addition to his innovative snowboard equipment designs which include the first kick tails, pro models, women’s specific decks, and folding highbacks, Tom Sims created the world’s first halfpipe of snow at Soda Springs ski area in Lake Tahoe, CA, was featured riding in the opening of the 1985 James Bond film “A View To A Kill,” earned both national and world downhill championship titles, and founded one of the most iconic snowboard brands of all time which sponsored influential riders including Terry Kidwell, Shaun Palmer, Chris Roach, Noah Salasnek, Tara Dakides, Marc Frank Montoya, John Jackson, Craig Kelly, Tina Basich, Shannon Dunn, Kurt Wastell, Todd Richards, and an unending list of other notable pro snowboarders.

Nearly five decades after first testing his invention, Tom Sims continued to be an avid snowboarder and the virtues he brought to our sport still ring true. According to Sims, “Riding, just pure riding, is what snowboarding is all about.”
------

tom sims Tahoe city dump,1983

Big Mike

Trad climber

Sep 14, 2012 - 02:48pm PT

Rip Tom! I had a few sims snowboards bitd. They ruled! I heard the company was just about to launch a bunch of new product! Hopefully it still happens!