BURTON SNOWBOARDS F/W 2025/26 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Snowboards F/W 2025/26 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Burton
Interviewee: Benedikt Pelikan/Director Merchandising Europe

How was last season in the snowboard market?
The Season kicked off well and with some late snow in Spring we have seen positive sell through figures. But there is still a lot of Product in the market unsold and this puts pressure on Retail prices.

With the recent overall price increases, have there been any positive developments in manufacturing, sourcing, or logistics?
Even with the normalisation of inflation over Europe the Consumer is still looking for Brand /great quality/performance and price. Within this frame we as a producer are challenged to bring the best product to the market for a price what the consumer is willing to pay for. We are working with all our manufacturers since a very long time and these partnerships are helping in a challenging production environment to full the consumer needs.

What are the major trends you’re seeing with product pricing in the snowboard market?
Over the last couple of years, the entry price market for boards got lifted and there is a good offering with the 500-700€ price range. Consumers are holding onto their boards for longer then in the past – so they are also willing to spend more money on a new one if they buy.

E-commerce Vs. physical retail, how are you balancing both channels?
A board is the essential piece of snowboarding consumers love to touch and feel – with this strong Snowboard Specialists with a good assortment and knowledge have a huge advantage in selling to consumers. Never less the consumer is also willing to buy online if the experience AND SERVICE is good. We see a clear connection of On Snow Demos benefitting Demand – right after Demos there are spikes of sales in Retail and online in the area where Consumers tests are happening.

How are you supporting retailers to sell this category?
Selective Distribution helps the Dealer plus a good clinic and connection with our Area Managers to understand the needs of each Retailer.

What unique brand messages are you focusing on for the 2025/2026 snowboard season?
Winter 26 will be the 30^th Anniversary of our all-time favorite board, the Custom. You can expect to see some hype around this.

SNOWBOARD SPECIFIC

What trends or developments are you seeing with regards to board construction, shapes, and general innovation? How is this shaping your 25/26 range?
The social landscape is rapidly changing around us – by eliminating traditionally gendered models, we will cultivate a more inclusive space for all and create more equity within customer choice. Consolidation of gender models with the same end use/performance will create a simplified line for the customer by reducing areas of overlap and confusion. This creates space for us to offer more graphic optionality for the consumer. We will provide customers the freedom of choice to align board performance to their ride style, as well as graphic choice to align to their creative style – this comes to life with multiple graphics across select board models.

Anything new concerning sustainability and related products or construction you would like to highlight?
We are working in our Factories at the highest possible standards to avoid waste and save energy. Since this winter, we are step by step reintroducing FSC Certified Wood cores to our snowboard line with the goal of achieving this for all our models as soon as possible.

Are you using any new materials in your hardware for 25/26? If so, what and why? We’re interested in anything new in inserts / edges / cores / sidewalls / glue / resin/ wood types / base material / top sheet / wax / etc..
We are reintroducing FSC Certified Wood cores to a big portion of our snowboard line with the goal of achieving this for all our models as soon as possible.

Are you planning to focus on a special product range or type of customers? What’s your newest range?
We are continuing to push shape & performance innovation in the Freeride space through new Family Tree models. For W26, we will be developing two new models:
Family Tree Sketch Artist – Designed for excelling on manufactured resort terrain and seeking out the natural flow and contours of the mountain. Featuring a unique progressive sidecut for an energetic exit out of turns.
Family Tree Smooth Operator – Developed in collaboration with Japanese team rider, Masanori Takeuchi – this board is designed to excel in the iconic Japanese snow-filled forests with natural transitions & halfpipes. Our initiatives towards more inclusivity and simplified wayfinding is resulting in the following new models outside of our Family Tree line:
Counterbalance – a directional all-mountain quiver killer. Quick, snappy, & powerful – this gender neutral board maintains a very approachable ride personality with its mid-flexing camber profile.
Cultivator – The ultimate beginners board. Bringing the best elements of the Stylus and the Ripcord together into one new, non-gendered model, we have created the easiest, most progressive board to learn to ride. This consistent, reliable twin shape features a soft torsional flex with a 3 degree base bevel for a catch free ride.

Key Products:

COUNTERBALANCE:
A quiver-killing balance of freestyle and float. This ride-it-all board model takes nods from the past to create a new modern take on the shape aesthetic. This non-gendered model features a large size range and two unique graphics to appeal to a large rider audience. Quick, snappy, & powerful – this board maintains a very approachable ride personality with its mid-flexing camber profile. Available in 2 colorways.

Boards_Counterbalance Hallucinate

CULTIVATOR:
The ultimate beginners board. Bringing the best elements of the Stylus and the Ripcord together into one new, non-gendered model, we have created the easiest, most progressive board to learn to ride. This consistent, reliable twin shape features a soft torsional flex with a 3 degree base bevel for a catch free ride. Available in 2 colorways.

Boards_Cultivator Watercolor

FAMILY TREE SKETCH ARTIST:
Art or sport? The answer’s clear with this all-terrain carving tool. The Sketch Artist is designed for excelling on manufactured resort terrain and seeking out the natural flow and contours of the mountain. Quick & nimble, this board turns as an artistic expression, not just as a means to maintain control. Some boards like to go straight down the fall-line, this one rebels against it – keeping speed where you’d least expect it. Featuring a unique progressive sidecut, the radius becomes tighter near the tail providing an energetic exit out of turns.

Boards_Family Tree Sketch Artist