Thunderbolt Surfboards 2026 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Surfboards 2026 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: THUNDERBOLT
Interviewee: Remi Chaussemiche, European Marketing director

The latest market studies show a 25% growth in worldwide participation between 2018 and 2024? Does this translate in your sales pattern?
Thunderbolt has a steady growth in Europe of 10 to 15% every year. Thunderbolt technology brings something new to the marketing, blending durability, performance and lightness to the board. Even though this is a high-end positioning, the technology, designs and marketing stands apart and reply to some surfers demand.

Can you share the sales ratio between stock boards, custom orders, online D2C vs brick and mortar shops?
More than 95% of the sales are B2B. we only sell stock dimensions.

How can we lure back the newcomers into hardboards while softboards are their go-to choice?
We have to provide designs that are easy to paddle, durable and help those new comers jump a gap in their progression. Thunderbolt is justicking all the boxes for this market, we produce some generous volume designs (mid lengths, fishes, eggs, longboards etc..) in a technology making the board durable and very performant. It is perfect for surfers who want to jump on a performant light board without compromising durability and lightness.

Which are the most sought after designs in 2026? (Mids, fish, grovelers, hi-perf, logs…)
We mostly work on high volumes boards such as Longboards, Mid Length, Midlength twins, fishes and egg boards. We propose different models of each designed by surfers and shapers: Harley Ingleby, Kai Sallas, CJ Nelson and Ben Skinners. Most of the designed are selling well and responding to the demand.

Our Best sellers are Harley Ingleby’s and CJ Nelson’s Designs.
In Harley’s line the longboard HIHP is selling super well because it fills a niche of high-Performance Longboards that very few shapers work on. His Mid length models Mid6 and Moes are our best sellers. We recently launched his new HIBT model a revolutionary concept which drove good momentum and sales.
In CJ’s Nelson line, the longboards designs Sprout 2. 0 Slasher low and Parallax are very successful, so does the Oulier X model as egg/ mid-length design. On the Kai Sallas we are mostly selling longboards.

In comparison, which designs tend to fall back?

Construction wise, EPS/Epoxy+carbon is gaining momentum. Do you think the fancy tech constructions are all smoke and mirrors, and PU boards won’t disappear shortly?
We are all about EPS and Carbon construction. Thunderbolt uses fiberglass, carbon fiber and other composite materials in our lamination process. Carbon fiber is known for its high strength-to-weight ratio, adding durability without making the board excessively stiff or heavy. The boards are often vacuum-bagged during the lamination process. This technique ensures even resin distribution, so we are capable of hitting our target weights. Vacuum-bagging also minimizes inconsistencies in the construction process, leading to more consistent flex and performance characteristics across different models. Despite our (mostly) lightweight construction, Thunderbolt boards are known for their durability. The combination of advanced materials and careful construction techniques ensures that these boards can withstand the rigors of extreme surfing. Nothing performs and holds up like a Thunderbolt. It doesn’t mean PU will disappear but we propose a lighter alternative to it matching the flex of PU board with more durability.

Organic grown and eco-blanks are available for mass production nowadays: what is your take on those?
Our technologies coms from our lamination but also from our blanks. Our boards are eco-friendly in the sense they are super durable . We have 3 different technologies:

The Thunderbolt Black blank features internal fiberglass flex components and is hand-laminated with 6oz carbon fiber and 2oz fiberglass cloth on both the top and bottom. This construction offers the lightest weight and fastest rebound rate in our range, making it the most responsive technology we offer.
The Red blank features carbon fiber internal flex components and is hand-laminated with 6oz and 2oz fiberglass cloth on both the top and bottom. This design provides a balanced feel with a medium rebound rate, making it highly versatile, user-friendly, and predictable. Thunderbolt Red is ideal for surfers looking for dependable all-around performance and a consistent feel in a wide variety of wave conditions.
Thunderbolt Silver was developed to deliver a well-balanced combination of traditional performance, flex, and durability. The Silver blank includes internal fiberglass flex components and is hand-laminated with 6oz and 2oz fiberglass cloth on both the top and bottom. While Thunderbolt Silver offers the most “traditional” feel among our technologies, it still provides the highest level of flex—boosting performance well beyond that of standard PU boards.

Any tips for retailers trying to sort out their order sheets with more designs available than they can actually stock?
Retailers usually know what to offer to their clients. They know what they can sell. With thunder bold we usually propose 3 to 5 sizes on each model which keep the program pretty simple for retailers?

Key Products:

Harley Ingleby HIBT:
Three Boards in One. The HIBT 3+3 is a brand-new design built from scratch. Billy and Harley teamed up from day one to create something completely new and were put through more R&D than any previous model. Taking the versatility of the HIBT to new levels is the 3+3 fin system, letting you ride it as a true quad, true twin, or an asym fin setup. It’s like having three boards in one – super versatile, super fun. The HIBT is designed to suit a wide range of surfers. All sizes are very fast and incredibly loose off the top, even as a quad.

HIBT_Blue_Flyer

CJ Nelson Outlier X:
The new OUTLIER X is our answer to the performance egg. Sometimes you just need the board to do the work for you. The OUTLIER X will paddle and catch waves with ease and perform like a modern day shorty. A reliable all-arounder that sings in crappy conditions and still performs in double overhead surf. Speed power and control. The Outlier X stands a notch above other eggs and funboards out there. (Concept designed by CJ x Ryan Engle)

TB-CJ-OUTLIERX-ARMY

Harley Ingleby Mid 6:
The Mid6 range has been designed to give maximum mid-length performance in all wave types. While the Mid 6 fires in everyday surf, it is tuned enough to handle some pretty serious surf comfortably. Bill has blended the 6 channels perfectly. With the channels balanced between your feet, when you push hard through a turn the response is immediate and the acceleration throughout is like no other board I have ever owned. The Mid 6 breaks the channel bottom stereotype that they’re only good in clean waves. It has proven to be good in everything.

TB-HARLEY-MID6-CANDY-WHITE