Rad Air Snowboards 2024/25 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Snowboard Bindings 2024/25 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Rad Air
Interviewee: Harry Gunz, co-founder

Overall

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?

We are in a niche of the market, but we see a slight increase of snowboarding on the mountains.

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?

Pricing will play a key role in the future. We negotiated with our manufacturers and suppliers on the best possible pricing and we are not increasing our prices for 2024 as we are in a premium market segment already.

Is e-commerce sales still strong since most brands have been putting a lot of effort into physical retail?

We focus on the longboarding market (a niche within the niche) and it’s hard to convince dealers/shops to carry such an exclusive line. That’s why the online market has become important to us. End users know what they want and are searching for the right product.

After last winter and the lack of snow in Europe, what’s your overall sales and production/inventory strategy for 24/25?

We keep our production/inventory as low as possible and will offer our current line as a 2-years line. Dealers/shops recommended such a strategy to avoid end-of-season discounts.

What trends or developments are you seeing with regards to board construction, shapes, and general innovation? How is this shaping your 24/25 range?

Our boards are all-mountain freeride shapes and perform best with a high-end carbon construction.

Anything new concerning sustainability and related product or construction you would like to highlight?

We know many brands are communicating sustainability and how blue and green they are. We are paying attention to leave as few footprints as possible, for example, water-based printing processes, recycled woodcores, etc.

Are you using any new materials in your hardware for 24/25? If so, what and why? We’re interested in anything new in inserts/edges/cores/sidewalls/glue/resin/wood types/base material/top sheet/etc. here.

We are using a full carbon construction for our 23-25 line and optimized materials to keep the weight as low as possible.

Any new design or pattern approaches in your 24/25 gear? Any collabs on the line?

We stick to surf-related graphics which are in our DNA. In fall 2023, we launched “Project X,” which marks a collaboration with “Winterstick,” one of the very early snowboard manufacturers, made in Maine/USA.

Are you planning to focus on a special product range or type of customers? What’s your newest range?

Yes, our Tanker-line is focusing on the longboard freerider searching for a product that performs in deep powder as well as on groomers.

What is your top product marketing story for next season?

Full carbon construction, freeride camber tip/tail rocker, and our collaboration with Winterstick USA. Isn’t that showing that snowboarding is the coolest sport of the world, and we should all be friends like in the days where it all began?

Tanker 171

A lightweight longboard shaped for lighter riders and YES, ladies too! If your preferred terrain is the steep and deep, couloirs, and narrow trees – this is the board to go with. It’s a 171 but feels much shorter, and you’ll be surprised by its quick edge-to-edge transition!

Tanker 181

You know that you want that extra 10 cm for wide open and not super steep terrain. This is what drove the design for the 181, and you’ll find a ride that is the perfect all-around all-mountain board you always wanted. Incredible edge hold makes it a deck that is extremely versatile, no matter if it’s untracked terrain or corduroy groomers.

Tanker 186

This deck is designed for the big-footed or heavier rider or one who wants to take advantage of its wide body shape and outstanding floating performance. Wide-bodied but still remarkably quick from edge-to-edge. Its extra surface area offers incredible float and surf ability, especially in waist-deep powder and tracked-up terrain.