Never Summer Snowboards F/W 2026/27 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Snowboards F/W 2026/27 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Never Summer
Interviewee: Tony Sasgen – Global Sales Manager

How would you describe the 2024/25 snowboard season in terms of market performance and consumer demand?
First off, THANK YOU for taking the time to still feature snowboard brands in this format from this perspective. From what we are seeing board demand seems to have stabilized and, in many areas, has begun to grow again. It feels like the customer base has started latch onto the new tech we have been rolling out. All our models featuring our Triple Camber profiles with the RIP edge tech are definitely seeing growth and early sales have been strong.

We will all face the changing consumer behaviours in any industry, Evolve and adapt or die, right?
It can be problematic getting overly distracted chasing trends so we try to maintain focus on what we do best. Delivering the highest quality product that performs in all conditions with unmatched customer service. Focus on what we can control. Never Summer Snowboards are built in the USA so some of our international partners have faced new tariffs depending on where they are located. We also purchase raw material from all around the world so it’s pretty tough to avoid getting hit on some level. It certainly doesn’t help us with an already high price structure on our boards. That might be the biggest challenge is battling price increases. When you factor in the cost of shipping, tariffs, and other overhead costs those margins that are already tight get further squeezed.

BRAND FOCUS

What is your brand’s core mission or philosophy, and how does it influence snowboard design and development?
From Day One, Never Summer Industries has always maintained focus on the product and the rider first. We are, at our core, a product driven company. The focus is on making the best possible boards with the best materials we can source. Quality, Durability, and Craftsmanship come first. Then I’d say our Customer Service is next up for level of importance and is unmatched, in ANY industry. Whether it be with our distributors, retailers, or end consumer we will do what we can to make it right. Our international distributors and retailer network have always gone above and beyond to look out for their customers. We back them up and will ALWAYS do everything within our power to make the rider experience positive. Boards can break and things can go wrong, its how we deal with those issues is what sets us apart. That is the OG mission.

How has your brand’s role in the snowboard market evolved in recent years?
We have worked incredibly hard to maintain that product focus while still evolving and growing the brand. We strive to be an anchor brand for our retail partners. Offering shops, a board option for their shelf space that comes in with built in demand from the end consumer. At the heart of it we are a business that is here to manufacture the best snowboards possible. There are certain riders that expect and demand more from the product. Those customers seem to find the fit with Never Summer. If those customers continue to exist and maybe even grow then we will be in great shape.

Who is your target rider for the 26/27 season, and how has this profile changed compared to the past?
We are still focused on our OG customer base for the true hard charging riders that are putting in the days riding. Longevity. If our boards withstand the abuse from snowboarders that are putting in a lot of days riding, like industry professions and our team riders, they will certainly hold up for the recreational rider. That recreational rider is so important to the strength of the industry. Historically speaking, a large chunk of our line is built for intermediate to advanced riders in mind. For 26-27 we are actually lowering the price on a couple of models. Not only to make some models that are more accessible to riders that may be newer to snowboarding but still over up a high quality snowboard that is built to last. The price conscious rider has always been a tough consumer for us to tap. Building premium snowboards in the US comes with higher production costs. No way around that but we want to have an accessible model for the price conscious customers in the mix.

Which product ranges or categories do you expect to drive the most growth in 26/27?
The middle of the line up will see the bulk of orders and sales. However, I expect the price point options to really hit with consumers as well as the higher priced models that we sell in lower volume to the less price conscious buyers.

SNOWBOARD SPECIFIC

What trends or developments in construction, shapes, and innovation are guiding your 26/27 snowboard range?
We are taking our Triple Camber profile deeper into the line. Whether it’s the Hybrid version with over all Rocker (Camber negative) or the Recurve Triple Camber with (Camber positive) The profile IS the Edge Tech. Triple Camber is more than a profile, it creates the contact points along the edge which enables the edge hold. The Edge Tech was overlooked by the masses and the media early on. I’m not sure everyone fully understood what we had done there. They are starting to get it now though, especially those who have given it a try.

What new materials or material innovations are you using — inserts, edges, cores, sidewalls, resin, glues, base material, top sheet, wax, or others?
We are constantly tinkering with new materials and experimenting with new shapes to see what works best. We are sticking with the tried-and-true sandwich construction, P-Tex Side Walls, Sintered P-Tex Bases. For Cores we are always searching for that perfect blend of wood for that ideal strength to weight ratio. One of the key elements to our line is the STS pretensioned fiberglass. This pretensioned fiberglass gets stretched and put under tension when it cures so it creates a material with tons of pop. This material helps the board maintain its shape and pop for the life of the board,.

How are you incorporating sustainability and ethical production into your boards (materials, processes, lifecycle, packaging)?
We are constantly looking into ways to reduce waste and put less into the trash. Sustainability is something we have always taken seriously. We use every bit of material possible and keep what goes in the bins to a minimum. Another factor that can often go overlooked, we are making boards that are designed and built to last and hold up keeps the boards from being trashed as well. You will get more days on riding for a longer period of time.

What design directions are you taking — graphics, patterns, collabs, or signature editions?
Each year we typically work with some local artists by building a board with a limited graphic. For the most of the line-up, we are following the developed trends for each model.

Are you focusing on particular rider groups (freeride, freestyle, all-mountain, women’s-specific, youth, beginner) for 26/27?
No Riders left behind. The focus has always been to create a model for each type of rider for works in all terrain and conditions. What ever rider that is, we got a board for you. True Park, yep got it. Pure Freeride, yep, got it. All Mountain destroyer that is park capable and still handles bigger lines, YEP, we got that too. And EVERYTHING in between…. For women and kids too. Our boards are designed to ride EVERYTHING, and they can. However, each model is designed to excel in its given genre of snowboarding.

Key Products:

Proto Swift DT:
The Proto Swift DT is engineered for riders who demand a single board that devours the entire mountain with unapologetic power. Triple Camber Recurve delivers explosive energy, relentless edge hold, confident stability, and buttery float from smooth park runs to high alpine lines.

Men’s Proto T3

V-Twin:
The New V-Twin is energetic and responsive, helping you go faster, edge harder, hold it longer, and boost higher. The new V-Twin may now be the most versatile board there is. Now a true twin between the contact points with a directional nose and tail. The best of both worlds.

VTwin

Proto Type 3 – Men’s and Women’s:
Entering its second year of production, every element of this board’s new technology has been proven on snow. A completely balanced true twin delivers an energetic, exciting, yet precise and predictable feel. The Triple Camber Recurve Profile with R.I.P. Edge-hold Tech continues to provide unmatched pop, stability, and control in all conditions.

Men’s Proto T3 Ultra