ROSSIGNOL Splitboarding 2024/25 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Splitboarding 2024/25 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Rossignol
Interviewee: ARNAUD REPA / SNB CATEGORY MGMT

How would you describe the current state of the snowboard market? What big developments, changes, challenges, and/or opportunities are you seeing and how is your brand navigating them?
The mitigated weather conditions and weak sales in Europe last season negatively impacted 23/24 sell-ins despite global resiliency. Even if enthusiasm remains high and hotel reservations are promising, everything will depend on the snow level. In Europe, but also in North America and Asia since these regions have become all the more important than Europe is just recovering from the covid years. The number of riding days may, as a consequence of snow scarcity, decrease in favor of other investments or activities depending on private budget. Which explains the shift to splitboarding, both from an individual and brand standpoint. This environmentally conscious change will impact the use of raw materials in the building of a snowboard, a pair of snowboard bindings and snowboard boots, as well as the way resorts are managing the mountains that surround them. They must develop an offer that will take their customers away from the lifts with no risk and that will not damage the mountain or disturb wildlife. Which probably means teaching programs that will cover all from product to safety. 2023/2024 pre-orders saw splitboard sales decline with the return of a more mechanized snowboarding. But the underlying tendency to ride away from the groomed courses is still there. Especially since the weather conditions are so variable that the slightest snowfall will cause an influx of splitboard riders for the day, no matter the time of year. From a product standpoint, we, at a brand level, are adding sizes to our splitboard offer and have transitioned 98% of our woodcores to FSC origin. 85% of our snowboards’ artworks are either DDP or sublimation, i.e. no use of aluminum frames, silk screens and water for cleansing. And we are now working on resins, glues, plastics, rubber, bases and sidewalls to reduce our global carbon footprint more.

Following overall price increase, any positive developments with regards to manufacturing, sourcing, or logistics and the changes you’ve made? Are there any examples you can share of how your business pivoted effectively? What developments are you seeing with regards to product pricing?
We developed a three-season inventory and sales management plan that is monitored every month. Meaning optimized stock distribution across countries, direct shipping from the factories, reduced buying targets, minimized end-of-season discounts, anticipated product availability, therefore development, and rationalized production (ie. managing raw material and scrap inventories to optimize stock monetization and profitability). We haven’t been able to relocate some of our production due to MOQs and raw materials availability across the planet but the factories we work with are as conscious as we are of the need to be flexible, from capacity to country of origin, and lower their environmental impact with the rise of the mass balance approach to accelerate the use of renewable feedstocks in chemical processes. This allowed us to joint our raw materials purchasing across our factories and access cheaper products. Therefore to reduce our wholesale and retail prices on the associated products, snb bindings and snowboards in particular.

Is e-commerce sales still strong since most brands have been put a lot of effort in physical retail?
E-commerce sales are growing with the rise of downgrades, second-hands and rental of new or used product offers.

After last winter and the lack of snow in Europe, what’s your overall sales and production/inventory strategy for 24/25?
Foster customer commitment. Monitor sell-out, demand plan, raw material availability and development timeline to reduce storage costs and optimize manufacturing.

Does your brand have any new developments concerning sustainability and/or how you are positioning any environmental messaging?
See first question above.

What are your top product marketing stories for next season?
Xavier De Le Rue’s new signature All-mountain Freeride model XV Slashimi. Featuring our award winning L.I.T.E. Grip core, AmpTek Elite camber profile and on-demand sidecut radius adjustment RadCut. Designed like a twin freeride board, it is narrower, thus lighter, than Xavier De Le Rue’s signature Sashimi, while having more tail, shorter sidecut radiuses, the same camber and a smaller pintail. Making it perfectly fit for the intermediate to expert all-mountain rider looking for a loose, playful twin-like feeling in the powder and a highly reliable board for full send mode, carving on packed snow, traversing on ice or simply cruising around. As Xavier De Le Rue puts it: “It’s the perfect everyday board with a huge freeride capacity.” The Revenant, returns with a vengeance. Featuring a 90% camber pocket to deliver more pop and next-generation all-mountain freestyle performance. Combining RadCut sidecut technology, Serrated Edges and Twin All-Mountain core profile, the board is steadfast in all conditions, provides more precision on traverse and carving on groomed snow, while ensuring more grip on hardpack and improved shock absorption on landings that its predecessor.

SPLITBOARD SPECIFIC

What about new board construction, innovation, or shape trends? Any big advancements in functionality? Skinning, transitions, etc, as well as riding? Any specific effort on ranges for 24/25? If yes, where and why?
We are adding size 145 to the Escaper Split series to reach out for a younger and lighter-built audience. And cut down the prices of our high-end models by 3 to 7% to pass cost-savings to dealers and end-consumers.

Any new design or pattern approaches in your 24/25 gear? Any collabs on the line?
We are proud to work with Salt Lake City photo director, creative writer and graphic artist Andy Earl on the XV split and XV Sushi split series.

SPLITBOARD BINDINGS SPECIFIC

Have you made any new innovations in buckles, straps, highbacks, bases baseplates, heelcups, etc.?
We are still collaborating with French Splitboard bindings company Plum for Xavier De Le Rue’s signature model XV split but brought in a more affordable splitboard bindings model last season through a collective work between Austria’s based snb bindings company SP and Salt Lake City’s Voilé under the name Escaper Splitboard Multientry and will continue to do so for FW24/25. They feature aluminum baseplates with built-in Voilé slider tracks for lightness and durability, canted EVA footbeds that will provide comfort and stress relief. They also offer dual entry capacity through easy in-easy out speed entry Highbacks or via the straps. They have been marketed for 10+ years and fit very well with the associated board Escaper Split.

SPLITBOARD ACCESSOIRES

Skins, Poles, Crampons, anything new and outstanding in your proposal?
We are still collaborating with Swiss company Pomoca for all our skins and will continue to do so for FW24/25 because we not only access superior quality but also great flexibility on product development. Speaking of which, while the majority of our skins are made with 70% Mohair and 30% Nylon fibers, the Escaper’s pre-cut climbing skins feature tail clips, 100 % Nylon fibers and a PFC-free lining. They are easy to use and offer excellent gliding performance with superior traction and durability.

What are your three biggest European markets for splitboard accessories?
France, Italy and Austria.

What developments are you seeing with regards to product pricing?
While 80% of our splitboard line sits in the 680+ euros MSRP price category, our biggest demand is that 550 to 600 euros MSRP price range where we offer AmpTek rocker, RadCut, sintered bases and superior ride-ability. Consumers look for technology that services performance at that price and its common knowledge that we, as a bigger company, are extremely competitive when it comes to price/quality and ride-ability ratio. We make products that ride well and last long. To reply to your last point, the 550 to 600 euros MSRP price range is the perfect balance between pricing, quality, costing and margin for us. No changes were needed here, so far. But as the Guardian recently said, “the escalating on the Middle-East conflict could send global inflation soaring.” With Iran’s involvement being key.

Key products

XV Split
Xavier De Le Rue’s award-winning XV Split is back with the same directional shape, large, stiff nose and narrower tapered tail for effortless float and maneuverability. But now comes with GreenLightPop woodcore to reduce weight and RadCut to ensure incomparable edge control for the precision and confidence to plant your front foot and pin it over anything in your path.

XV SPLIT

Escaper Split
The Escaper Split is the perfect all-mountain freestyle splitboard for beginner to advanced riders. Featuring twin tips for switch landing, a slightly reversed flex for front foot control, RadCut for playful turn variations, a 4.4k sintered base and our most versatile AmpTek All-Mountain 50% rocker-50% camber profile for power, pop and float. Sizes run from 45 to 61 wide.

ESCAPER SPLIT

After Hours Split
Developed with four-times FWT winner Marion Haerty for the intermediate to expert woman, the split version of the After Hours combines a setback camber on 80% of its running length with pintail and multiple positive and negative sidecut radiuses that are centered on the stance. Creating a twin freestyle feeling on a freeride board with a unique carving ability.

AFTER HOURS SPLIT