Double Deck Snowboards F/W 2026/27 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Snowboards F/W 2026/27 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Double Deck
Interviewee: Andreas Kramer, president

How would you describe the 2024/25 snowboard season in terms of market performance and consumer demand?
Market performance in 2025/26 remained solid, with global forecast trends pointing to continued growth in snowboard demand and broader winter sports participation. Consumer demand reflected a balance between entry-level enthusiasts and performance-oriented buyers, with strong interest in innovation, sustainability, and digital purchasing experiences.

What major trends are shaping the snowboard market (pricing, consumer preferences, rider demographics, retail shifts)?
The snowboard market is currently shaped by:
Premium features and innovation driving pricing tiers
Sustainability and customization influencing consumer choice
Younger, experience-oriented riders expanding participation
E-commerce and omnichannel retailing dominating distribution
Versatile products (all-mountain, tech-enhanced) leading demand
These trends collectively reflect a market that values performance, personal expression, environmental consciousness, and convenience in how they shop and what they ride.

From changing consumer behavior to tariffs and supply chain stress, what’s been the biggest challenge for your brand recently?
For Doubledeck Snowboards, the most significant challenges in the current market stem less from tariffs or global trade policy specifically, and more from demand-side and operational pressures that affect young, innovative brands in niche sports segments. Doubledeck’s patented dual-deck snowboard technology is genuinely novel, but new, unfamiliar product concepts often require more time and marketing investment to build consumer understanding and trust, especially in a sport where riders are used to decades-old board designs. This means the brand must educate potential buyers, manage expectations, and overcome skepticism — which can slow adoption compared to traditional boards. For example, while proponents praise its smoother ride and easier learning curve, some community impressions are still mixed or uncertain about how revolutionary the technology truly is in everyday use.

BRAND FOCUS

What is your brand’s core mission or philosophy, and how does it influence snowboard design and development?
Doubledeck Snowboards’ core mission is to make snowboarding more intuitive, comfortable, and accessible through innovation. The brand believes that traditional snowboard construction limits performance and enjoyment, so it rethinks board mechanics from the ground up. This philosophy drives the development of its patented two-deck technology, designed to actively manage pressure, flex, and energy return. The result is a smoother, more forgiving ride with easier turn initiation, better control, and reduced strain—helping riders of all levels progress faster while enjoying a more fluid, confident ride. At its core, Doubledeck Snowboards blends engineering, performance, and sustainability to elevate the snowboarding experience beyond conventional design.

How has your brand’s role in the snowboard market evolved in recent years?
Since launching with its breakthrough patented dual-deck technology, Doubledeck Snowboards has steadily expanded its presence and influence in the snowboard industry by redefining what riders expect from a board. Originally introduced as a fresh innovation that makes riding easier and more intuitive, the brand quickly earned recognition — including an ISPO Award for its technology — positioning itself as a serious innovator rather than a conventional snowboard maker. In recent years, Doubledeck has broadened its impact by:

Growing market reach beyond its initial launch regions, with successful retail expansion in parts of Europe and emerging markets such as Asia and the Middle East, and plans into North America.
Introducing new models and designs that appeal to a wider range of riders — from beginners to advanced all-mountain and specialty boards.
Innovating new consumer access methods, such as sustainable rental and refurbishment programs (e.g., Let to Rent), promoting circular use rather than one-off purchases.

As a result, Doubledeck’s role has evolved from a niche disruptor to a recognized innovator with tangible market traction — offering not just products, but new ways to ride and engage with snowboarding gear.

Who is your target rider for the 26/27 season, and how has this profile changed compared to the past?
For the 26/27 season, our target rider has broadened and become more defined compared to past years. While Doubledeck Snowboards initially appealed to a wide range of riders — from beginners looking for easier turn-initiation and reduced edge catching to advanced riders seeking new performance dynamics — the 26/27 lineup is more clearly tailored to distinct rider profiles across skill levels and terrain preferences.Key rider profiles for 26/27 include:

Progressive beginners and intermediate riders who want confidence-boosting support and smoother learning curves.
All-mountain explorers who value versatility, flow and playful performance on groomers, powder and mixed terrain (e.g., Turning D).
Performance-oriented riders who prioritize precision, speed and stability, especially on piste and high-speed carving (e.g., Carving D).
Freestyle and creative riders who want pop, playfulness and responsiveness in park and pipe (Rocking D).

How this has changed vs. the past:
In earlier seasons, Doubledeck positioned itself broadly — emphasizing ease of use for “all riders” while building market awareness. For 26/27, the brand has refined its focus with distinct models that speak to specific riding styles and skill levels, making it easier for riders to choose a board that fits their individual goals — from progression and comfort to performance and creative expression.
In short:
Doubledeck now targets a more segmented audience — from confident beginners and intermediates to performance seekers — with bespoke models that reflect each group’s riding aspirations and needs.

Which product ranges or categories do you expect to drive the most growth in 26/27?
For the26/27 season, we expect thecore snowboard model categories to be the primary growth drivers, each appealing to distinct riding styles and expanding Doubledeck’s market reach:

All-Mountain & Playful Performance Boards
The Turning D — a hybrid all-terrain model with smooth turn initiation, versatile flex, and strong performance on piste, powder, and mixed conditions — is positioned to capture broad rider interest from beginners to intermediates looking for a fun, confidence-boosting ride.
High-Performance Carving & Speed-Focused Boards
The Carving D — built for stability, precision, and speed on the piste — is expected to grow among advanced riders and carving enthusiasts who demand responsive edge control and powerful performance at higher speeds.
Freestyle-Oriented Models
With growing interest in park, pipe, and creative riding, freestyle boards like the Rocking D (tailored for pop, playfulness, and park agility) are also positioned for strong growth by appealing to riders who want fun, expressive performance across terrain.
In addition to board categories, rental and try-before-buy programs (e.g., seasonal rentals with purchase credit) are expected to help accelerate adoption by reducing barriers for newcomers and curious riders who want to experience Doubledeck technology firsthand before committing to ownership.
In summary: The Turning D, Carving D, and Rocking D product lines — covering all-mountain versatility, high-performance carving, and freestyle playfulness — are anticipated to be the biggest growth drivers in the 26/27 season, supported by expanded access via rental and entry-experience offerings. Also we added a new model – called the Freeing D – which is a hybrid between Powder and Freeride. This model will draw its attention towards Allmountain riders that also love to ride on various conditions and offpiste.

SNOWBOARD SPECIFIC

What trends or developments in construction, shapes, and innovation are guiding your 26/27 snowboard range?
We have been managing to bring down the overall weight down to 3,2 KG on average which is a tremendous progress in comparison to last seasons boards. Also we have been adjusting the construction of the bows for more precise pressure transformation as well as we worked on the designs of the boards to have a more common and decent artwork approach. Two new models have been added to the line as well.

What new materials or material innovations are you using — inserts, edges, cores, sidewalls, resin, glues, base material, top sheet, wax, or others?
We have been using lighter woodcoreconstruction inside our new line. Also we have been using certain new printing technology as well as we have been shortening the slidesystem inlays in order to reach better and more precise performance.

How are you incorporating sustainability and ethical production into your boards (materials, processes, lifecycle, packaging)?
At Doubledeck Snowboards, sustainability and ethical production are core parts of our product strategy, not just an add-on:
We’ve pioneered a circular model that dramatically extends the lifespan of our snowboards. Through our “Let to Rent” program, boards can be rented, returned at season’s end, and professionally refurbished for future use — reducing waste and lowering the need for new production. When boards can no longer be reused, we recycle up to 75 % of the material back into new boards or other applications. Instead of contributing to disposable gear culture, our design and business model focus on resource efficiency. Refurbishing used boards and reclaiming materials helps cut down raw material use and prevents them from ending up in landfill. Our construction incorporates responsibly selected materials — like poplar/beech cores and SuperSap® bio-based glue — which help reduce environmental impact compared to traditional components. While standard industry practices vary, Doubledeck’s emphasis on repairability, longevity, and recycling positions our products as a more sustainable hardware choice within snowboarding. Our “rent-refurbish-recycle” ethos makes environmentally thoughtful riding gear more accessible. In short: we’re moving snowboarding toward sustainability through circular design, extended product life, high recovery rates, and smarter material use — helping riders enjoy the mountains responsibly while reducing waste and resource consumption.

What design directions are you taking — graphics, patterns, collabs, or signature editions?
We have been working on a complete new design concept that reflects the whole line. Also we have added one new model called Freeing D as well as there will be an additional model called Haakon D which is a Taylormade board for Terje Haakonsen. This model will be released early September 2026 as a limited edition.

Are you focusing on particular rider groups (freeride, freestyle, all-mountain, women’s-specific, youth, beginner) for 26/27?
For the 26/27 season, Doubledeck Snowboards is focusing primarily on all-mountain, beginner-to-intermediate, and performance-oriented riders, while continuing to serve freestyle-focused segments through specific models. Our main focus remains all-mountain riders, as this category best showcases the benefits of our patented double-deck technology — offering smooth turn initiation, versatility across terrain, and a confidence-boosting ride in a wide range of conditions. At the same time, we place strong emphasis on beginners and progressing riders, making snowboarding more accessible through forgiving performance, reduced edge catching, and lower physical strain. This group continues to be a key growth driver for the brand. We also address freestyle and carving-focused riders with dedicated models that emphasize pop, playfulness, precision, and stability, ensuring our technology scales from fun, creative riding to high-performance use. Rather than separating strictly into niche categories like women’s-specific or youth-only lines, Doubledeck focuses on inclusive, performance-driven design, offering a broad size range and adaptable riding characteristics that work across rider types. In short: for 26/27, our strongest focus is on all-mountain versatility and rider progression, supported by targeted freestyle and performance offerings — all unified by the same innovative Doubledeck technology.

Key Products:

Doubledeck Turning D:
Versatile all-mountain snowboard using patented doubledeck technology, offering effortless turn initiation, smooth control, stability, and confidence across varied terrain.

Turning_D_V1_Rental

Doubledeck Rocking D:
Playful freestyle snowboard with patented doubledeck technology, delivering easy pop, smooth turns, stability, and forgiving control for creative park riding.

Rocking_D_V1

Doubledeck Carving D:
High performance carving snowboard delivering maximum edge grip, stability, and precision at speed, powered by doubledeck technology for controlled turns.

Carving_blau