The ability to play sports and travel is something no one takes for granted. Some children, due to their circumstances, lack access to valuable learning opportunities. Founded in 1995 by Burton founder Jake Burton, CHILL aims to bring bright smiles and the confidence of "I can do it!" to children around the world through snowboarding. Fun and challenging play fosters the ability to overcome adversity and thrive in the future.
What is CHILL?
CHILL is a support NPO that provides opportunities for underserved kids - children who are growing up in difficult circumstances - to experience board sports, giving them the courage to live positively and supporting them in overcoming their current circumstances and growing up healthy.
The founders of the project were Jake Burton, founder of Burton, the company that created snowboarding and has evolved it into a global sport and culture, and his wife Donna. In 1995, the two launched the non-profit organization Chill Foundation in the United States. Thirty years after its founding, the organization has now expanded to nine countries and is active in 24 cities around the world.
In Japan, the non-profit organization CHILL JAPAN was established in 2003 and is run by its representative director, Kazuo Ogura. Ogura is known as the "Don" of the snowboarding industry, having brought Burton to Japan, worked to establish Burton Japan, and served as its first president in 1995. He can be said to have been a key figure in establishing snowboarding culture in Japan.
Representative Director Ogura, a close friend of Jake Burton, continues to lead CHILL JAPAN, carrying on his legacy. He continues to work hard every day, gathering sponsors and planning and running programs.
I visited their office in Tokyo one day in August to learn more about CHILL's vision and activities.
From here, let's deepen our understanding of CHILL through the words of Representative Director Ogura.
The beginning of CHILL
Representative Director Ogura began his speech by asking, "Have you ever heard of the term 'experience gap'?"
"This refers to the reality that differences in a family's economic situation and living environment can create huge disparities in opportunities for children to take on important challenges and experience nature. Sports, travel, cultural experiences - things that seem like hobbies or play to us adults - are extremely important learning experiences for children. Children from difficult backgrounds rarely have access to these things. For example, children from poor families, or children living in foster care after being abused by their parents...
Jake and Donna started CHILL with the hope that these children would experience the joy of challenge and accomplishment through snowboarding, and that they would gain confidence in themselves and live brightly and resiliently toward the future. Donna also shared the following:
"Since launching Burton in 1977, I've expanded my snowboarding business, and I wanted to give something back to the kids who loved and supported snowboarding. They were interested in snowboarding at a time when it was completely unknown, and even though they couldn't ride the lifts at ski resorts, they kept walking and climbing, playing enthusiastically, and that's how snowboarding began."
At the time, I was working in the trade industry, and in 1981, I came across a snowboard at an exhibition in the US and wondered, "What is this?" I became interested in the strange way it cuts like a surfboard. When it snowed that year, I flew to Manchester Center in Vermont where Jake was, and snowboarded for the first time. I was amazed at how interesting and fun it was. I was convinced that if we could bring it to Japan, it would definitely be a success."
As the words suggest, the explosive snowboarding boom that hit Japan was driven by Representative Director Ogura, who has enabled many young people to experience freedom and a new culture in the snowy mountains.
"When I started Burton Japan in 1995, I knew that Jake and Donna had started the Chill Foundation. I thought it was a great idea and wanted to do something like it in Japan. Coincidentally, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred that same year. Then in 2001, five or six years after the disaster, we invited high school students to Mt. Rokko to enjoy snowboarding, and that was the beginning of CHILL in Japan.
CHILL JAPAN was established as an NPO in 2003. I left Burton Japan in 2002, but my application for NPO status was approved and I was put in charge of CHILL JAPAN. Since then, CHILL has become my life's work, and something very important to me, like my life itself."
For Representative Director Ogura, developing CHILL in Japan was an important promise he made to his late friend Jake, and it was also a major challenge to prove the potential of snowboarding in a field other than business.
CHILL's activities
To date, 2,112 children have participated in CHILL JAPAN's programs, which have been held 87 times, with a total of 885 volunteers and 1,006 donors. (As of September 12, 2025, according to the official website.)
"CHILL JAPAN has invited more than 2,000 children to its activities so far. The more we do this, the more we realize there are so many children who don't have the opportunity to experience this. We are currently focusing on inviting children from child welfare institutions and free schools. There are around 600 child welfare institutions across the country, and they are home to approximately 30,000 children who have been abused or abandoned by their parents.
There are 300,000 children nationwide who have stopped attending school, and many of them say that this is because they have lost confidence in themselves. Most of these children have never experienced snowboarding. Through snowboarding, we want to help these children gain the confidence that "I can snowboard!"
We now offer board sports opportunities all year round, including not only snowboarding but also skateboarding, SUP, and slacklining. We hold around 27 events a year. Last season, we even invited children affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake."
Giving children more confidence and a brighter future - CHILL's purpose and philosophy
CHILL's philosophy is clear: "Developing the ability to live through sports."
The "will to live" mentioned here is not just the strength to move the body. It also includes the resilience to get back up after a fall, the sense of accomplishment when you learn to skate, and the sense of collaboration that comes from enjoying a challenge with friends. It is the power to carve out a positive path in life.
For example, a child trying snowboarding for the first time may fall down many times, but get up again and try again with determination. Through this repeated process, the child will realize, "I can do it too!" and gain successful experiences, which will eventually lead to a sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem. CHILL values these moments of "realization."
What kind of changes will children who participate in CHILL's program show?
"At first, some kids are scared or don't like it. But before they know it, they're going for it and gliding along smoothly. It's amazing, they're all amazing. When I see how enthusiastic they are and their bright, genuine smiles, I think to myself how glad I was to bring them to the snowy mountains! But given the opportunity, children can do things like that.
There was a very memorable episode.
There was a girl who had experienced a difficult experience and had stopped talking to people since then, only communicating through writing. But after snowboarding in a CHILL JAPAN program, she said out loud to us, "Thank you. It was so much fun." The teacher in charge was shocked and astonished.
We were deeply touched and very happy. I don't know if it was just because of CHILL's experience, but I believe that snowboarding has that kind of power.
All the children's eyes were shining and they were smiling with genuine joy. I'm sure it will be an unforgettable memory for them. I hope that it will give them the strength to move forward in the future.
"After the event, we received lots of thank you letters from the children,"
says Representative Director Ogura, looking genuinely pleased.
Donna also said this.
"Many of the children who participate are placed in environments where they cannot be children, but when I see their smiling faces while they are snowboarding, or the proud expressions on their faces after the program when they say, 'I've become a snowboarder!' I always feel that the joy we receive from them is greater than the joy they themselves experience."
CHILL's core values = Core Value
At CHILL, we have Core Values, or core beliefs. These are the pillars of CHILL's programs (content), philosophy (way of thinking), and approach (method), and are common all over the world. The Values consist of six elements: respect for others and different cultures, courageous decision-making and a sense of responsibility, the ability to persevere even when results are not immediately seen, and the ability to take pride in oneself. We always act with these Core Values in mind so that children can live life on their own two feet, strong, resilient, and flexible.
"Through having them experience snowboarding, we realized that we weren't just teaching them how to snowboard, but that through snowboarding we were teaching them about life. I think that through the process of falling down and getting back up again, we are able to convey to them that even if there are difficulties in life, they can overcome them and carve out their own path in life,"
Donna said.
What CHILL is trying to make possible
CHILL has already produced over 30,000 graduates in the United States, some of whom have gone on to work at Burton headquarters, either in shops or at the company's headquarters, or as ambassadors or local leaders.
According to Donna, "When children who have participated in CHILL grow up and start thinking about their own careers, CHILL also provides opportunities for them to visit outdoor-related workplaces and undergo work experience, so that they can get an idea of what kind of jobs are available in society. There are 30,000 CHILL alumni worldwide, and we are working to organize them. Our alumni are an opportunity for children to realize that there are many different possibilities and futures in life. It gives them courage to have someone to look up to in life."
I believe that creating an environment where CHILL children can stay connected after graduation, and where they can improve and support each other, will improve the outdoor community and society in the long run."
Representative Director Ogura says,
"In the future, we would like to provide career support in Japan as well, just like in the US. To that end, as an initial step, we would like to follow up with CHILL JAPAN graduates to see what happens to them after they graduate."
CHILL JAPAN's challenges
The activities of CHILL JAPAN are supported by the cooperation of a diverse range of people and organizations. Part of the operating costs are donated by the Chill Foundation, but this only accounts for around 20% of the total. The rest is covered by crowdfunding, donations from companies and individuals, and sponsorship from ski areas and resort facilities. Much of the support, including lift tickets and rental gear, is made possible by the generous support of others.
"We've received particularly great support from Burton Japan. For each event, they prepare all the gear and clothing to fit the children's sizes, send it to the ski resort, and maintain the clothing and gear after the event, which is a very difficult task.
The challenges in Japan are clear: a lack of funding and volunteers.
It costs 600,000 to 700,000 yen to hold one snowboarding event. The biggest headache is the cost of transportation, such as buses. Of the annual operating expenses of approximately 10 million yen, more than half is currently dependent on donations from overseas. In the 2024-2025 season, we tried crowdfunding for the first time, but we didn't raise as much as we expected (laughs) and it was a struggle. We called all kinds of places.
The reality is that the "culture of giving" is not well established in Japan. However, in recent years, the number of ski resorts that support our activities has been increasing, and we are very grateful for that.
Last season, we held a total of 13 snowboarding experience programs at seven ski resorts. One of these programs invited children affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake. Each program had about 20 to 30 children participating. Since the events were all handmade, this was the limit for management. It may be a small activity, but I think it has great significance.
This is not just because it is a gift to the children, but also because it is meaningful in that it persistently spreads the importance and value of these social activities. I also think that it is an opportunity for the many volunteer staff who cooperate with the event to gain new insights."
Let's hear from some of the volunteers who participated.
When I first joined CHILL, I did so with the hope that I could help someone, even if only a little. However, when I saw the children boldly taking on challenges that they couldn't actually do, it was me who gained energy and courage. I also felt a special bond with the other volunteer members that I couldn't find anywhere else. CHILL has had a special impact on my snowboarding life.
"Anyone can volunteer as long as they have the desire. It's OK even if you're not a good snowboarder. There's plenty of behind-the-scenes work to do in addition to teaching people how to snowboard. We value humanity over qualifications or high skills. We need around 30 volunteers for each event, but at the moment we don't have enough. Volunteers can always apply through the CHILL JAPAN website. We especially want people in the snow industry to lend us their support!"
CHILL Future Outlook
At CHILL in the US, in order to provide more opportunities for children to experience the same things, they invite the same children for a maximum of two years. However, at CHILL JAPAN, the same children are invited to participate in various activities for three to five years. This ongoing involvement allows for deeper support of children's development.
Furthermore, even if a child has experienced abuse or other painful experiences, this ongoing relationship allows them to trust adults again. This is very important.
Representative Director Ogura appeals,
"CHILL is an investment in the future. Personal financial assets in Japan amount to approximately 200 trillion yen, of which more than 60% are held by people over 60 years old. Senior citizens who have the financial means should definitely invest in the children to whom they entrust the future."
Helping children facing difficulties believe in themselves, develop the ability to live positively, and connect with society will not only foster hope for their own future, but for society as a whole.
Profile
Kazuo Ogura
Representative Director of NPO CHILL JAPAN. A former business executive who served as the first president of Burton Japan (Burton Snowboards Japan), he is also close friends with the company's founder, Jake Burton, and his wife. Since 2003, as Representative Director of NPO CHILL JAPAN, he has been promoting a wide range of support activities for children from families affected by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake, as well as children in child welfare facilities and free schools, through board sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, slacklining, and SUP.
Information
CHILL JAPAN
Official website: https://chilljapan.org/
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