Santa Barbara, September 12, 2012, Tom Sims, the Sultan of Snowboards, exits at age 61, due to a massive heart attack. Tom first came on the skateboard scene at the Santa Barbara City Skateboard Championships in 1975, racing down Shoreline Drive on the giant slalom course riding a waterski with skateboard trucks and wheels, plus using ski poles. This looked sorta goofy, but he placed second. His next noteworthy success was sharing the first Guinness Skateboarding World Record in the Skateboard High Jump with Brian Beardsley. Tom’s next hit was to be on the Skateboard Magazine Competition Team, which won the World Title at the First World Invitational Skateboard Championships at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego (also in 1975). Tom’s next quest was to manufacture decks and wheels, which are legendary. From there, he made the transition to snowboards and his fortune. September 16, 2012, was the paddle out for Tom at Hammonds Reef in Santa Barbara, CA. About 100 friends made the paddle with perfect weather. Soothing Hawaiian music and hula girls on the beach made this the perfect send off. Rip In Peace Tom. – Words and photo by James O’Mahoney
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2 Responses
though you don’t know , we remember when tom first came on the
tennis court in haddonfield with his longboard skate board , bill stavely , tom stavely , greg 0’brien , bob kay were there to skate with tom both around the town and on the slopes of tavsitock country club
we knew tom growing up and are quite sadden by his passing in sept. of last year….. ride on bro / rip from your long ago friends from
Haddonfield…..
Bring back SIMS decks and wheels please.