Snowboardingtrends

Wonderingwhatsnowboardswilllooklikeinwinter23/247

We'vegotthelowdownonthebiggesttrendssettoshape theindustryoverthecomingyears...woRDsTAMARAH1NsoN

Profileperfection

One of the biggest upcoming trends relates to snowboard profiles. As much as we love the versatility and playfulness of a twin-tip, it's important to remember that these boards are designed with parks in mind. In recent years, twin-tips have become the go-to snowboards for many riders -even those who don't plan on going near a rail, kicker or table top.

All this looks set to change in winter 23/24, when we'll see more directional shapes dominate the market. "The 1990s and the early 2000s were all about twin-tip boards, but in the last decade shaped snowboards have made a big comeback," says Moonchild Snowboards founder Jure Sodja, who founded the brand after stints at Capita and Elan. The brand's Malibu freeride board was subsequently described as one of the world's top freeride boards by White Lines magazine. "I believe the preference for directional snowboards will continue into 2024 and beyond," says Jure.

"After all, if you're not a park rider, there's no sense in riding a twin-tip snowboard. Snowboards with directional profiles are much easier for beginners to ride, and they'll have much more fun on them, too."

Crankingupthefunfactor

This brings us on to the next development. It appears there will soon be a much bigger focus on fun, rather than an obsession with over-engineered snowboards designed with specific terrain in mind. "We'll definitely continue to see the evolution of back-to-the-roots snowboarding," says Colin Boyd, marketing director at Winterstick Snowboards. "We'll see more shapes that support riders' capacity to surf the entire mountain." There will also be more experimentation. Rather than an auto-pilot approach that dictates certain designs for certain terrain, brands will look at new ways to help riders get the most out of their time on the mountain.

Lewey Payne, director ofDouk Snow UK, a UK-based snowboard brand, believes we'll see more brands throwing out the rulebook: "I think we'll see more design-related progression -snowboards that are designed to do everything well, such as directional hybrid camber boards tailored not just to hitting the park or powder, but which are capable of doing all of this at a very high level. And I think we'll see more experimental shapes, such as low sidecut boards and super-wide short boards."

Sustainablesnowboards

The good news for consumers is that many experts are predicting that more snowboard brands will open bases around the world, which will inevitably result in lower prices (albeit a reduction that could be eclipsed by price increases caused by other factors). But let's be clear: in an industry that is increasingly focused on sustainability, we'll see more brands embracing localised production. "Snowboard brands are increasingly looking for production solutions that are regional or local," says Yoann Chapel, co-founder ofVerbier-based First Track Lab, a R&D-focused company specialising in winter sports. It's a change Yoann believes will be a slowburning development that will gather momentum over the coming years. "Quality is a key success factor for partnerships between brands and manufacturing partners, and factory changes take a long time to organise," he adds.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we're demanding more from our snowboarding gear, whether it's our jackets and trousers or boots and beanies. "There's definitely a growing focus on performance," says Colin Boyd, marketing director at Winterstick Snowboards.

"People will invest in hard goods and soft goods that are built to last, but which also elevate performance through comfort, durability and design." Think more goggles with magnetic lenses, jackets and trousers with superior temperature regulating qualities, and a popularity boom for step-in bindings.

STEP-INSANDPOWSURFING

Speaking of step-ins, Colin isn't the only industry insider who's predicting a surge in demand. "I think there'll be a continued focus on step-in binding setups, with brands like Nidecker honing in on this area," says Lewey Payne at Douk Snow.

Finally, don't be surprised to see some brands ditching bindings altogether. "Powsurfing (which refers to the riding of powder snowboards without bindings) is becoming bigger every season," says Jure Sodja.

''We've seen a lot of people who've been snowboarding for decades now, and they lost the excitement they had in the early days. Powsurfing is slightly more challenging and can give you that excitement back. Several brands now have at least one powsurf model. They're easier to build than regular snowboards, too."

Moonchild Snowboards will soon take this to the next level. "Moonchild Skunkworx (the experimental side of Moonchild) is working on a hybrid snowboard, which will transform from a splitboard to powsurfboard to powder board in less than a minute," says Jure.

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