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Top 10 Snowboard Brands

Top 10 Snowboarding Brands

Snowboarding is a snow sport enjoyed recreationally and competed in on a professional level. Owning or renting the right equipment before hitting the slopes is critical. These ten brands are tried and true in the snowboarding community and have a loyal fanbase of winter athletes.

  1. Burton
  2. Lib Tech
  3. Salomon
  4. Arbor
  5. Ride
  6. GNU
  7. Capita
  8. Nitro
  9. Jones
  10. Public

1. Burton

The Burton brand is the most famous name in snowboarding and is the largest snowboard manufacturer in the world. Burton is credited with creating widely used technologies in the snowboarding industry, such as the EST binding system, which makes riding much more comfortable for athletes. The company is privately owned and was founded in 1977 by its owner Jake Burton Carpenter and his wife.

Burton’s products include snowboards, bindings, boots, jackets, and accessories with many different sizes, materials, and style options as well. The company even offers equipment specifically geared towards helping beginners learn the sport.

While the brand is aimed specifically at snowboarders, its reputation is so great that it even draws skiers to its products. Burton sponsors a large number of professional snowboarders and snowboarding events. Their most notable sponsored athletes include Shaun White, Mark McMorris, and Kelly Clark.

2. Lib Tech

Founded in 1977 as a small snowboard manufacturer, Lib Technologies have since grown to become an industry leader. Lib Tech produces snowboards and sells skis, skateboards, surfboards, and many other accessories. They offer products for men, women, and children who share the same enthusiasm for snowboarding, skiing, or other sports that the company embodies.

Lib Tech has developed a reputation as an innovator in the snowboarding industry, introducing many new designs and winning various awards. Examples of their cutting-edge technologies include their Magne-Traction, which features a serrated edge on boards, as well as the banana technology that introduces a unique curvature. Lib Tech sponsors many professional snowboarders and skiers, including Travis Rice, Jaime Lynn, and Estelle Pensiero.

3. Salomon

Salomon Snowboards is a part of Salomon Group, which sells athletic wear, sports equipment, and lifestyle clothing. Many recognize the Salomon name for the popularity of their skiing product lines. Salomon Snowboards was founded in 1995 and has become a significant part of the Salomon Group. The company’s design and development are based in the French Alps, a popular region for snowboarding and skiing.

Salomon produces several different snowboard types for men, women, and children, as well as snowboarding boots and bindings. The company also hosts a notable annual event called Salomon’s Backyard Bang that seeks to spread backyard snowboarding to larger cities.

Recently, Salomon’s boards have risen in popularity within the snowboarding industry partially due to the many riders they sponsor. Some of their most popular sponsors are Bode Merril, Victor Daveit, Desiree Melancon, and Tommy Gesme.

4. Arbor

Arbor has been manufacturing snowboards since 1995 and prides itself on providing a blend of innovation and traditional craftsmanship. Arbor places emphasis on their company’s environmental impact and is proud to be one of the first snowboard manufacturers to support environmentally friendly initiatives within their production by using recyclable materials. Their logo and namesake both depict trees to further express the environmentally-friendly message of the brand.

Arbor offers a selection of snowboards and bindings for men, women, and children riders. The company also produces skateboarding equipment and apparel. Arbor’s team of snowboarders has many important riders, such as Bryan Iguchi, Mark Carter, and Marie-France Roy.

5. Ride

  • Year Established: 1992
  • Website: https://ridesnowboards.com/en-us/
  • Sponsored Snowboarders: Jake Blauvelt, Hana Beaman, Derrek Lever
  • Products: Snowboards, Boots, Aluminum Bindings, Apparel

Over the years, Ride has successfully established itself as a snowboard brand “for the people.” Founded in 1992, the company has produced high-quality snowboarding equipment for over 28 years.

Ride is a snowboard manufacturer that emphasizes innovation and environmentally friendly initiatives such as minimal packaging and using recyclable materials. They sell a wide variety of snowboards for mountain or park riding, as well as boots, bindings, and other apparel.

Ride is primarily known for its aluminum bindings that give snowboarders increased durability, mobility, and response when riding. Ride is a top brand for female snowboarders, as they offer one of the largest selections of women’s snowboards, boots, and bindings. They sponsor numerous up-and-coming snowboarders, including Jake Blauvelt, Hana Beaman, and Derrek Lever.

6. GNU

  • Year Established: 1977
  • Website: https://www.gnu.com/
  • Sponsored Snowboarders: Forest Bailey, Jaime Anderson, Barret Christy
  • Products: Snowboards, Snowboarding Equipment

The design and creativity of GNU’s amateur and professional boards make them stand out the most in the snowboarding market. The company was founded in 1977 and was quickly acquired by parent company Mervin Manufacturing, the same company that owns Lib Tech and other snowboard producers.

GNU’s snowboards embrace different, creative, and weird phrases that many riders use to describe them. They link innovative technology such as the Magen-Traction and banana technology with unique artistic designs.

GNU focuses mostly on freestyle riding but has many options for men, women, and children’s snowboards in any setting. Their website even offers a board finder option to help customers find a snowboard that suits them perfectly. Additionally, the company has been committed to environmentally friendly production, boasting zero hazardous waste since 1977. GNU sponsors prominent snowboarders such as Forest Bailey, Jaime Anderson, and Barret Christy.

7. Capita

  • Year Established: 2000
  • Website: https://capitasnowboarding.com/
  • Sponsored Snowboarders: Kazu Kokobu, Jess Kimura, Scott Stevens
  • Products: Snowboards, Apparel, Accessories

Capita Snowboards is relatively new to the snowboarding market, founded in 2000 by friends and previous professional snowboarders Blue Montgomery and Jason Brown. While they aren’t the biggest snowboard manufacturer in the industry, their designs speak for themselves and allow Capita to shine alongside other snowboarding brands. Capita does not make boots or bindings for snowboarders, but they produce a variety of boards, apparel, and other accessories.

Capita is very well-known for its unorthodox style and the unique graphics on its boards. The company also believes in providing riders with top-notch power and stability through the progressive engineering processes they employ. Some of the most notable riders for Capita are Kazu Kokobu, Jess Kimura, and Scott Stevens.

8. Nitro

  • Year Established: 1989
  • Website: https://nitrosnowboards.com/en
  • Sponsored Snowboarders: Christy Prior, Sam Taxwood, Markus Keller
  • Products: Snowboards, Boots, Bindings, Apparel

Nitro Snowboards is a popular global producer of boards and snowboarding equipment. They were founded in 1989 in Seattle, Washington and expanded to having offices across North America and Europe. Nitro offers many board options, including those for freestyle, mountain, or backcountry riding. They also have a wide variety of products, including boards, boots, and bindings, for men, women, and children alike.

Additionally, Nitro sells a high volume of clothing and apparel from their Nitro Outerwear collection. The company prides itself on its focus on snowboarding alone and does not offer skiing equipment. However, they do sell splitboards, bindings, boots, and apparel. Nitro sponsors several professional riders, including Christy Prior, Sam Taxwood, and Markus Keller.

9. Jones

  • Year Established: 2010
  • Website: https://www.jonessnowboards.com/
  • Sponsored Snowboarders: Elena Hight, Jimmy Goodman, Forrest Shearer
  • Products: Snowboards, Apparel, Headgear, Accessories

Jones Snowboards was founded in 2010 by renowned snowboarder Jeremy Jones. Despite their youth, the brand has a classic presentation and high-quality products. Jones produces a large selection of snowboards and bindings for men, women, and children.

They also offer unique designs, such as splitboards and their surf series, designed to transfer the feel of surfing into snowboarding. Jones sells great options for apparel, headgear, and other accessories used by snowboarders.

Jones Snowboards is dedicated to environmental initiatives to fight climate change by using environmentally-friendly production methods and donating 1% of its annual sales to sustainability-motivated non-profit organizations. Jones has a large team of professional snowboarders supporting the brand, such as Elena Hight, Jimmy Goodman, and Forrest Shearer.

10. Public

Public stands out as a snowboard brand because of its simplicity and friendly attitude towards new snowboarders. They are a relatively new company but have become one of the most popular brands for beginners in snowboarding. Public is well known for its affordability despite producing extremely high-quality boards.

The designs utilized by Public’s artists for the shape and graphics of their boards are straight to the point, looking sharp while keeping it simple. They also sell apparel such as sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats.

Since Public is very new to the snowboarding industry and still growing, they have not publicly announced a professional team of sponsored athletes. However, as their reputation continues to grow, this could change in the near future.

Honorable Mentions

Rossignol

Though the company was founded in 1907 as an alpine ski manufacturer, the company eventually became a household name in snowboard production as well. Since branching out, the French company now offers a diverse range of split boards, all-mountain snowboards, and park snowboards.

In addition to these prized products, they also offer a wide selection of goggles, helmets, screens, clothing accessories, and various pieces of winter sport safety equipment. Like many great snowboard brands, Rossignol has begun sponsoring their own team of professional snowboarders, including Enzo Nilo, Hans Kestila, Marion Haerty, and Xavier De Le Rue.

Rome SDS

  • Year Established: 2001
  • Website: https://romesnowboards.com/
  • Sponsored Snowboarders: Rene Rinnekangas, Len Jørgensen, Ståle Sandbech
  • Products: Snowboards, Bindings, Boots, Apparel, Bags

Rome SDS produces some of the most innovative snowboard designs available today. The Waterbury, Vermont-based brand was founded in 2001 by veteran snowboarders Josh Reid and Paul Maravetz. The brand has innovated new construction methods since its founding, developing proprietary techniques such as their Hot Rods construction and No Hang-Ups 3D camber and pop profiling.

In addition to snowboards, Rome SDS sells bindings, boots, apparel, and bags. The CrossRocket line of snowboards is a favorite of professional snowboarders, especially those on the Rome SDS pro team, such as Ivika Jürgenson, Madison Blackley, and Len Jørgensen.

K2

  • Year Established: 1961
  • Website: https://k2snow.com/en-us/c/snowboards/
  • Sponsored Snowboarders: Nick Dirks, Danny Larsen, Gretchen Bleiler
  • Products: Snowboards, Boots, Helmets, Bindings, Apparel

K2 is a Seattle, Washington-based brand that originally specialized in skis. Founded in 1961, K2 is known for its wide variety of models, shapes, and styles of snowboards. The company first made a name by pioneering fiberglass skis, and K2’s spirit of innovation continues today.

If you are looking for a great range of choices in snowboards, K2 will likely have you covered. K2 also sells boots, helmets, bindings, and apparel. The brand sponsors both a professional ski and snowboard team, with professional snowboarders such as Leanne Pelosi, Jake Kuzyk, Sean Pettit, and Tim Eddy representing K2.

FAQ

What is the top snowboard brand in the world?

Burton is considered by many to be the top snowboard brand in the world. Founded by snowboarding pioneer Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977, Burton Snowboards provides high-quality boards, boots, bindings, and accessories for snowboarders of all ages and skill levels. Burton’s equipment and apparel are used by many professional snowboarders and sponsor some of the most well-known snowboarders of all time, such as Shaun White and Kelly Clark.

What are the different types of snowboards?

The five main types of snowboards are all-mountain, freeride, freestyle, powder, and splitboards. Each of these types of snowboards is designed for specific conditions. For example, freestyle snowboards are meant for the park and are built with lighter-weight materials and twin tips. Freeride snowboards are meant for riding off groomed trails and thus have a stiffer flex to increase durability. Powder and splitboards are optimal for unique conditions, such as climbing or riding in very deep powder. All-mountain snowboards are the best for beginners, as they are meant to be ridden in any conditions.

How do I choose the best snowboard for me?

The proper length of a snowboard varies with an individual’s height, weight, and what type of snowboarding they will be doing. A good rule of thumb is that the snowboard should stand as tall as the rider’s chin; however, snowboard manufacturers provide more accurate sizing charts to compare your own height and weight. There are a few different types of snowboards available, but longer all-mountain and freeride snowboards are generally best for beginners. If you are more advanced and planning to hit the terrain park, opt for a smaller freestyle board.

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