ROSSIGNOL SPLITBOARDING F/W 2025/26 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Splitboarding F/W 2025/26 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Rossignol
Interviewee: ARNAUD REPA / SNB CATEGORY MGMT

How was last season in the splitboard market?
Season 2023/2024 saw splitboard sales decline drastically and season 2024/2025 pre-orders is a reflection of the negative slope. With the vast majority of the sales happening in stores/areas that are close vicinity of the mountains. But the underlying tendency to ride away from the groomed courses is still here. 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 swapping the splitboard version of Xavier De Le Rue’s Sashimi with a splitboard version of his new everyday board, the XV Slashimi.

With the recent overall price increases, have there been any positive developments in manufacturing, sourcing, or logistics?
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. That, and the systematic use of digital printing on 100% of our boards 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.

What are the major trends you’re seeing with product pricing in the splitboard market?
Second hand, low-end offers and smaller sales mean heavy stocks with pre-season deals.

E-commerce Vs. physical retail, how are you balancing both channels?
E-commerce sales are growing, very slowly, with the rise of downgrades, second hands and rental of new or used product offers. But the vast majority of sales are physical.

How are you supporting retailers to sell this category?
Accurate MSRPs, improved margin program, early deliveries and last, but not least, size swaps.

What unique brand messages are you focusing on for the 2025/2026 splitboard season?
Choose responsibly. From MSRP to margin, quality, durability, low-carbon footprint make, style, delivery, after sales service, assortment and team riders who endorse our boards, our splitboard program is tight.

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 25/26? If yes, where and why?
We are swapping Xavier De Le Rue’s Sashimi signature splitboard with new everyday model XV Slashimi. Product description:
Like slashing a Sashimi with a Katana, 3 times FWT winner Xavier De Le Rue’s new signature model brings fun to seriousness. The XV Slashimi Split not only floats perfectly and is very nimble in a wider variety of terrain, it is also lighter and easier to ride on the edge than any previous XV signature splitboards, while having more grip on tail. It is the perfect everyday board with a huge freeride capacity that will make the wait for heavy snowfalls a blessing.
Unique selling tech:
RadCut (variable sidecut radiuses)
AmpTek Elite (rocker-to-camber-to-rocker core profile)
L.I.T.E. Grip (PU stripes to absorb shocks while adding pressure points when interrupted)
Target Consumer = the Performer
The all-mountain rider looking for a surf-like, 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 on an everyday use.
Consumer benefits:
Smooth turns, focused edge control Power pop 80% camber for superior stability Small pintail for extreme versatility Available sizes: 152, 155, 158 and 161 to reach out for a younger and lighter-built audience. MSRP: 800 euros.

Any new design or pattern approaches in your 25/26 gear? Any collabs on the line?
We are proud to work with Salt Lake City photo director, creative writer and graphic artist Andy Earl (https://andyearlcreative.bigcartel.com/, https://www.instagram.com/wasatchandy/) on the XV split, new XV Slashimi split and XV Sushi split series.

Have you made any new innovations in buckles, straps, highbacks, baseplates, heel cups, 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 in 2022 through a collective work between Austria’s based snb bindings company SP and Salt Lake City’s Voilé under the name Escaper Splitboard and will continue to do so for FW25/26. 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.

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.

2025_xv_split

XV Slashimi Split:
FWT winner Xavier De Le Rue’s new signature model XV Slashimi Split floats perfectly in the powder while being very nimble in a wide variety of terrain. It is lighter and easier to ride on the edge than any previous XV signature splitboards while having more grip on tail. Making it the perfect everyday board with a huge freeride capacity.

2025_xv_slashimi_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.

2025_after_hours_split