BoardSport Source Issue #128 May/June 2026
A tale of two seasons; winter and spring, with winter excelling whilst spring was battered by weather and politics.
Taking a global view, winter saw Europe and the Far East with strong product demand whilst the USA was patchy with their worst snowfall for years. In Europe, the further west you were, the better the snow conditions, with France in particular having an outstanding season, while Eastern Europe had enough snow at the right times. Much of the action related to snow product was in bindings with easy entry technologies significantly expanding its share of the market.
The good winter helped brands spring orders, as multisport retailers were able to put some cash in the bank after a few optimistic for spring 2026. Prebook orders for water products for delivery 2026 were considerably ahead of 2025, there was a belief that the worst had passed and the market would start moving back to its previous levels. That’s until the weather and Trump conspired to upset all the forecasts.
Firstly the weather in Spain, Portugal and France was atrocious with massive amounts of rain combined with violent storms for most of February. Everyone stayed at home and shops were empty and roads were blocked. March was the beginning of months of repair, which is still an ongoing situation in many places. Additionally, retailers in the Southwest of France always say that a good winters’ snow means customers’ budgets are all spent on winter kit, leaving little for summer purchases. May has arrived without much good weather so far, but retailers are still optimistic for good sales over the holiday period. Against this backdrop we now find ourselves feeling the repercussions of Trump’s latest role of the dice, with Europe heavily exposed but without any real direct involvement in either the war or the possible solutions.
Looking ahead, price rises and inflation are becoming more of a concern with brands and retailers also expecting consumers to feel the pinch in their household budgets. Meanwhile we all hope for a solution to the Iran War, the longer it goes on, the longer it will take to recover the situation.
Back to the issue in your hand, Source retail buyers guides and market insights will help you navigate through to hopefully calmer waters, whilst this issue’s Bigwig Nigel Gibb from Zimbalisurf talks about managing surf brands through good times and bad times. He’s optimistic about the future and so should we be!
Sideways with turbulence
Clive Ripley Publisher