Splitboarding F/W 2025/26 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Splitboarding remains a unique segment of snowboarding, offering unparalleled access to untouched terrain. While the market experienced a significant boom during the COVID-19 era, it has since stabilised, presenting both challenges and opportunities for brands and retailers. Anyway, the ‘earn your turns’ motto is well alive in the industry and the brands will never stop to make the gear evolve for the sake of our pleasure, either going up or down. Ladies and gents, welcome to next winter’s Splitboard Hardware 25/26 Retail Buyer’s Guide, brought to you by Matthieu Perez.
No matter what, the thrill is still well alive, following Pete Saari at Lib Tech, “Lots of uphill and some amazing descents.” However at Amplid, Peter Bauer notes that, “The splitboard market has been suffering a lot from the post Covid era. There is still lots of close-out gear on the market. But core splitboarders want to upgrade their gear with innovations, that means new high end splitboards are always sought out.” But Benedikt Pelikan, Director Merchandising at Burton comments, “Splitboarding is still on the top end of pricing – and the splitboard consumer is less price sensitive for a great product to experience the mountain.” On a side note, Pete Saari, Mervin’s Yoda, enlightens us, “We are way more focused on avalanche conditions than pricing trends..!” Always remember why you do it!
Brands like Jones are supporting retailers by maintaining carry-over models: “Our main line of splitboards has remained carry-over for the last few seasons and will do so for winter 25/26 as well. We want to support retailers by allowing them to continue to sell splits that they have stock of instead of adding pressure with new models”, says Ruairi Collins, European Marketing Manager.
Despite the stock surplus, splitboarding continues to be an innovation hub for brands as per Olivier Garcin at United Shapes who sees, “A great innovation window for brands like us. We currently have a great offer with a great price point, and with team riders like Nick Russell, we will invest more in that segment for the next few years!” As mentioned above, levels of excitement and motivation are still high. Geoff Brinkhaus claims,”We’re as stoked as ever for human-powered adventures, and drawing lines on untouched slopes in the Alps and beyond, so we’ll continue to focus on making award-winning splitboards here at Korua.”
ON THE DECKS
As riders continue to prioritise quality gear for both uphill adventures and thrilling descents, the upcoming season is packed with exciting innovations that address performance, weight reduction, and durability. Amplid’s award-winning Milligram redefines lightweight splitboarding with its new geometry, carbon construction, and ‘gummy wall’ technology that enhances the connection between board halves. The addition of impact pads boosts durability, while its sparrow tail design ensures superior buoyancy in deep powder.
With a similar approach, Burton updated their construction on all splitboards. All splits feature a hole in the tail on each half of the board that will accommodate the tail clip attached to the skins’ tail stretcher. Burton introduces three new models: the High Fidelity Split big-mountain shape, the Fish 3D Split, Burton’s first splitboard with 3D shaping, enhancing float in powder and the kid-friendly Hometown Hero Smalls Split. For Fjell and Gara, both brands are refining their lines with new shapes and additional lengths. Gara’s Enduro II and Safari II focus on lighter tips and tails for improved functionality without compromising ride quality.
Rossignol swaps Xavier De Le Rue’s Sashimi signature splitboard with new everyday model XV Slashimi. The Slashimi caters to riders seeking smooth turns, edge control, and versatility. Its 80% camber profile offers stability and power. With a similar approach, Jones focuses on the redesign of its popular Frontier 2.0 and Women’s Dream Weaver 2.0 splitboards. “Both these models share a new tapered directional freeride shape that’s purposefully designed to be easy to manoeuvre in all-conditions and float like a dream in deep pow”, explains Collins.
At Korua, the evolved Elevator is lighter, provides better uphill grip, and includes an innovative sidecut for enhanced edge hold on icy traverses. A snow-repellent topsheet rounds out its features. “After extensive testing and development with our suppliers we’ve also found what we believe to be the most snow-repellent topsheet on the market. We are taking these new findings from the Elevator Split, to see how we can expand our Split line offerings even further in the future”, develops Brinkhaus.
BOOTIES GROOVE
Boot innovation continues to prioritise sustainability and performance. Florian Heim, Deeluxe’s Marketing Manager, elaborates, “Like many models in the Deeluxe 25/26 range, the shell of the X-plorer is made with Rise by Bloom. Rise is a bio-based foam derived from algae harvested from compromised ecosystems.” Onto the next model, Heim continues, “The Spark Fusion features a specially developed backcountry liner, combining some of the best elements from our high-end CTF liner with an outstanding out-of-the-box fit.”
Big Wig Tommy Delago takes us through Nitro boots update, “Our brand-new Vertical TLS+ is more than an evolution of our highly praised Incline boot. For reduced weight, this unisex splitboarding boot now offers a new Vibram® Outsole with Litebase technology, combined with Vibram XS Trek Evo Compound and Arctic Grip for improved traction and durability. The boot is still fully compatible with semi-automatic crampons, while the new Speed Gaiter keeps out the elements.”
BINDERS CHECK
According to Plum, the French, Chamonix based company, the market is saturated, with stores holding a lot of stock due to the covid effect. Thomas Denais, Export Sales Manager goes further, “The hardboots market is becoming increasingly attractive, even though softboots still account for the majority of sales, but there is a strong appeal among insiders to this type of equipment.”
Bindings are evolving to provide lighter, faster, and more durable solutions for splitboarders. At Burton, the key innovation in splitboard bindings is the Step On® Split binding, expanding the Step On® technology to new use cases with the goal to make it available for all riders. Step On boots can now be used for On-Resort and Touring. Gara brings up the Solo binding with a unique patented centre ring that prevents the skis from moving against each other and transfers maximum pressure from the binding to the surface of both skis, making the splitboard behave as close to a snowboard as possible.
It’s the same approach at Karakoram, the Ride Mode 3.0 is a major step forward for the Washington based brand and in-house built split bindings. This innovation offers reduced weight, improved snow-clearing, and enhanced force transfer between board halves, ensuring the board performs as close to a solid snowboard as possible. Its American counterpart, Spark R&D, is working with Nick Russell on a pro model binding. This binding will be a limited-edition hybrid of the award-winning Surge and Arc ST Pro models. “Expect some fun aesthetics and features. Stay tuned”, ensures Billy Madej, Marketing Manager.
DEALER’S LOVE
Brands understand the critical role retail shops play in connecting with customers and building the splitboarding community. David Lambert at West states that the Swiss brand is still active in the right accounts. He adds: “They are looking for the right brands and not the mass brands. We have a lot of demo splitboards for them to test before buying.”
It’s a similar story from Colorado, Weston Backcountry. They have been rolling out its free Backcountry 101 programs to help reduce barriers for new participants to the sport. Additionally they try to move through the economic uncertainty holding about 50% of the line as carry over graphics for the 25/26 season.
Retailers receive extensive support through Spark R&D’s dealer portal, which includes product photos, videos, and real-time inventory updates. The brand also extends longer payment terms for early orders and ensures timely shipping. Advocating for brick-and-mortar shops, Gnu and Karakoram encourage customers to experience the unique vibe of snowboard stores. Their approach highlights the expertise of shop staff and the cultural essence of snowboarding. Pete Saari at Gnu claims, “We love shops and highly recommend you go in and smell the magic that only a snowboard shop can provide.” All hail retail!
LAST WORD FOR THE HIKE
General Delago chants “Forever Snowboarding”. The main Nitro message for 25/26, is also true for splitboarding. He continues, “Nitro first introduced a splitboard to its line in 1993, making us the brand with the most experience and dedication in this field. This also reflects in our efforts to constantly improve other key components, such as splitboard boots and bindings.”
Through the motto ‘Who Built Your Bindings?’ Karakoram takes great pride in the quality of products its dedicated team of snowboarders builds from locally sourced materials in the foothills of the Cascades, USA. Kyle HansenKahn, Marketing director illustrates, “We think that if more customers asked the story of how their gear was made, in many categories even beyond snowboarding, the economy, the people and environment would all benefit.” By the people, for the people.
Splitboarding is more than a sport; it’s a lifestyle that connects riders with nature, challenges physical boundaries, and celebrates innovation. For retailers, fostering strong partnerships with brands, staying informed about new technologies, and prioritising customer education will be essential in navigating this evolving market. All together, we can continue to inspire human-powered adventures and expand the reach of splitboarding into the future. Stride on!
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