In 1995, Burton Snowboards founded The Chill Foundation with a simple but powerful mission: to tear down the economic barriers that prevent young people from experiencing board sports.
Since then, the global program has served thousands of youth, providing them with equipment and instruction in snowboarding, surfing, skating, and more, at no cost.
For many of these kids, Chill is their only door into these worlds. Today, as an 11th grader from Syosset, I am making sure the door stays open a little wider.
I am the CEO and founder of Chill Skeleton, and I built my brand around that very mission. From day one, he made a commitment that 20% of every Chill Skeleton purchase goes directly to The Chill Foundation.
It was important to me for my brand not just to be about the clothing, but also to help others in the community. The Chill Foundation removes the economic barriers and provides kids with the opportunity to experience sports like snowboarding, surfing, and skating — where they would have otherwise not had the ability to do so.”
I launched Chill Skeleton to the public on Oct. 5, 2024, while still a sophomore at Syosset High School, driven by a passion for streetwear and outdoor adventure. What began as a personal creative vision quickly grew into something far greater — a cultural statement, a community platform, and a vehicle for real, measurable impact.
From the start, I have demonstrated a remarkable ability to network at the highest levels of the industry. I connected with Danny Davis — two-time X Games gold medalist, Olympian, and one of snowboarding’s most iconic and community-driven figures. I built a relationship with Chase Josey, the two-time half-pipe Olympian representing the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongyang 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, and 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
I have also built a relationship with Chandler Hunt, the accomplished snowboarder from Park City who has made his mark on the international FIS and is now a business owner himself, called S.A.P.A.S.I.
Chandler has been like a mentor for me. Chandler has taught me how he markets his clothing company to the skateboarding/snowboarding world.”
Additionally, I have worked with numerous other professionals, sending PR boxes to get his name out. LJ Henriquez, the snowboarding prodigy out of New Jersey, and Fynn Bullock, the rare dual-sport professional who competes for the USA men’s snowboard slopestyle team while simultaneously thriving as a professional wakeboarder, to name a few.
I have built authentic relationships with these athletes, which speaks volumes about my character and my vision.
Industry professionals have taken notice, too, approaching me to collaborate on their own clothing lines and foundational projects. When the California Wildfires devastated families across the state, I didn’t hesitate — donating numerous Chill Skeleton items directly to those who had lost everything.
Chill Skeleton is more than a clothing brand. It is proof that a young person with the right vision, values, and work ethic can build something that truly matters — in his school, his community, and across the world.
Blake Cagner is a junior at Syosset High School, class of 2027.
