It’s been a year since the world lost legendary Slovenian snowboarder Marko Grilc, and to honor his legacy, Burton Snowboards teamed up with his family for a limited snowboard The Gril Master.
“It’s been a year since we lost Marko “Grilo” Grilc, and his impact on snowboarding is still felt to this day. Just a week before his fatal accident, we were discussing inspiration and critical shape developments for a special snowboard called the Gril Master. As an avid rider and father, Grilo wanted a product that would marry his passion for community, snowboarding, and family. He envisioned the Gril Master as a board that could cruise with the family or open up for a solo lap while the kids ate fries at the lodge,” shared the company.
“I know Grilo looked forward to creating a board for dads. He wanted to combine his two families – ours and Burton‘s- in one board. That made him the happiest man alive,” Marko‘s wife Nina adds.
Grilc passed before he could finalize the design, but Burton didn’t want to leave his passion project unfinished. There was one clear option: Let Grilo’s wife and children contribute to his vision. They sent the family two large, blank board canvases and asked his kids to draw the top sheet. To honor their father’s memory, they portrayed the story of Grilo’s career and his final ascent to the stars.
“It’s daddy snowboarding (first big air, then slopestyle), then he goes to the stars, and out of the star comes Alaska, his youngest daughter. The black footprints are hers. The arrow from the window shows that if you go high enough in the mountains and look out the window, you can see daddy’s star.” Grilc family explains the design.
One hundred Gril Master Boards are available for purchase HERE. In celebration of this limited release board, Burton will be donating to the Grilc family to help families raise their children standing sideways. In addition to the Gril Master, Grilo’s family created an online shop and foundation to uphold Grilo‘s spirit and legacy. Thegriloshop.com sells merch and hosts action sports events to introduce young families to the joy of standing sideways in the mountains.
“I want to make sure we all remember him and share memories and stories about him for as long as we’re here,” Nina Grilc concludes.
