Tom Sims

Tom Sims (December 6, 1950 – September 12, 2012) was an American athlete, inventor, and entrepreneur. Sims was World Snowboarding Champion (1983), World Champion Skateboarder (1975), and founder of SIMS Snowboards and SIMS Skateboards. He lived in Santa Barbara, California, from 1971 until his death.

For the American football defensive tackle, see Tom Sims (American football).
Tom Sims
Born
Thomas Paul Simeon

(1950-12-06)December 6, 1950
Haddonfield, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedSeptember 12, 2012(2012-09-12) (aged 61)
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Inventor, Professional Athlete, Entrepreneur
Known forInventing the snowboard
SpouseHilary Sims
Children5

In 1963, in his 7th-grade wood-shop class at Haddonfield Central School in his hometown of Haddonfield, New Jersey, he and John Murray made what they called a "skiboard," combining their two favorite sports, skiing and skateboarding.[1] He attended Haddonfield Memorial High School, which honored him in 1998 for a lifetime achievement award.[2]

Sims was the primary snowboarding stunt double for "007" (Roger Moore) in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill, which helped popularize both the snowboard and its usage.[3] Since 2006, the SIMS Snowboards brand has been managed by Collective Licensing International, LLC,[4] a unit of Collective Brands Inc., though Tom Sims was still very active in the company. Tom continued to be personally involved in the design and testing of the new snowboard and skateboard equipment being developed under the SIMS brand until his death.[5]

Sims died on September 12, 2012, at a hospital near his home in Santa Barbara, California at the age of 61, from complications due to cardiac arrest.[6]

References
  1. Atkin, Ross (February 11, 1998). "A Man Who Helped Skiers Get on the Snowboard". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  2. "Obituary: Thomas 'Tom' Paul Sims" Santa Barbara Independent, October 2, 2012. Accessed October 28, 2020. "Tom’s talents as a skier, skateboarder, 'skiboarder', surfer, and an artist, emerged during high school, and his artwork remained hanging on the walls of Haddonfield Memorial High School for a number of years. In 1998, he received the Haddonfield Alumni Society Lifetime Achievement Award."
  3. Bane, Colin (September 13, 2012). "Snowboard Pioneer Tom Sims Dies". Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  4. Hartford, Theresa (Jul 24, 2006). "Collective International Picks Up Sims License…". SGB Media. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  5. Hardaker, Mike (September 13, 2012). "Tom Sims Death Forever A Legend RIP 1950-2012". Mountain Weekly News. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  6. Slotnik, Daniel E. (September 18, 2012). "Tom Sims, Pioneer in Sport of Snowboarding, Dies at 61". New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
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