Industry | Snowboard, Splitboard |
---|---|
Founded | 1887 |
Founder | Henri Nidecker |
Headquarters | Rolle, Switzerland |
Brands | Nidecker, Flow, Jones Snowboards, YES., Now |
Number of employees | 200 |
Subsidiaries | Low Pressure Studio - Bataleon, Rome, Switchback, Lobster |
Website | www.ndk.group |
Nidecker (aka Nidecker Group) is a family-owned Swiss snowboarding company based in Rolle, Switzerland. Nidecker was founded in Etoy, Switzerland, in 1887. [1] They own and operate several snowboard product companies and brands including Flow, Jones, Nidecker, NOW and YES. [2] It is considered the second biggest snowboard company in the world. [3] The company was passed down 5 generations. [3] The Nidecker Group was formed in 2008 [4] by three descendants of Henri: Cédric, Henry and Xavier Nidecker. [2] [3] Henry Nidecker is the CEO of the company. [5]
In 2017 Nidecker bought American binding specialist Flow. [6] In 2018, they bought the brand Rome. [3]
Nidecker was started by Swiss entrepreneur Henri Nidecker in 1887. The company began as an agricultural equipment maker for Swiss farmers on the shores of Lake Geneva. [1] Henri I was trained as carpenter and became a specialist in the "art of bending wood" [7] after purchasing the first electric motor in the region built for this purpose. [7]
It wasn't until 1912 however, that Nidecker began producing skis after Henri I's son, Henri II built produced their first pairs from ash. [7] By the 1940s Nidecker was well established in the production of skis and in 1946 Henri III created the world's first composite wood skis combing ash and hickory. [7]
Nidecker continued producing skis and in 1962 became one of the first companies to manufacture skis built with metal and fiberglass. In 1977, under the leadership of Henri IV, [7] Nidecker won a gold medal at the 6th International Ski Show in Geneva for their new ski skin system called the Varai-Clix. [4]
In 1984, Nidecker joined the snowboard market releasing their first series of 50 snowboards. [4] They then increased their manufacturing output to 700 snowboards in 1985. [7]
In 2008 the Nidecker Group was formed by Cédric, Henry, and Xavier Nidecker, the three sons of Henri IV. [4] Henry Nidecker became CEO of the company. [5] In 2009, in collaboration with Romain de Marchi, JP Solberg, and David Carrier Porcheron (DCP), [8] Nidecker launched YES. [4] The following year, in 2010, Nidecker partnered with professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones to launch Jones Snowboards. [4] In the same year YES. won EuroSIMA's Breakthrough Brand Award. [7]
In 2012 Nidecker launched NOW bindings in partnership with former professional snowboarder JF Pelchat. [9] [4] Following on from their previous success [3] in 2017 Nidecker acquired the binding and boot manufacturer Flow. [4]
In 2018, the Nidecker Group acquired the Dutch-based company Low Pressure Studio, owners of Bataleon, Lobster, and Switchback, [10] at the same time adding Rome SDS joined Low Pressure Studio. [10]
In May 2024, the Nidecker Group acquired skateboarding brands etnies, éS, and Emerica, and snowboarding brand ThirtyTwo from Sole Technology. The acquisition signifies Nidecker's entrance into the skateboarding market. [11]
Snowboards are boards where the user places both feet, usually secured, to the same board. The board itself is wider than most skis, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards widths are between 6 and 12 inches or 15 to 30 centimeters. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user. In monoskiing, the user stands with feet inline with direction of travel, whereas in snowboarding, users stand with feet transverse to the longitude of the board. Users of such equipment may be referred to as snowboarders. Commercial snowboards generally require extra equipment, such as bindings and special boots which help secure both feet of a snowboarder, who generally ride in an upright position. These types of boards are commonly used by people at ski hills, mountains, backcountry, or resorts for leisure, entertainment, and competitive purposes in the activity called snowboarding.
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games.
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A snowskate is a snow sliding device which can be described as a hybrid of a snowboard, and a skateboard. Unlike a snowboard which uses bindings to secure the board to a riders feet, a snowskate is typically bindingless. The lack of bindings allows the rider to perform more skateboard-like flip tricks on the snow as apposed to what can be done on a traditional snowboard. Although the bindingless nature of the snowskate allows for the aforementioned skateboard-like tricks, snowskates can also be ridden in a style similar to traditional snowboarding, but with the added challenge and freedom of riding and carving bindingless. There are many types of snowskates depending on the brand and styling of riding, but the most common are single deck and bi-level snowskates.
Sole Technology, Inc., known informally as Sole Tech, is an American footwear and apparel company, specializing in skate shoe design, production and distribution. The company is owned and operated by Pierre-André Senizergues, a former professional freestyle skateboarder. The company's headquarters are in Lake Forest, California, United States.
Etnies is a French-American footwear brand based in Lake Forest, California, United States, and is owned by Sole Technology, Inc. The company sponsors professional skateboarders and BMX riders, LAB more and releases signature shoe models.
Skate shoes or skateboard shoes are a type of footwear specifically designed and manufactured for use in skateboarding. While numerous non-skaters choose to wear skate shoes as they are popular in fashion, the design of the skate shoe includes many features designed especially for use in skateboarding, including a vulcanized rubber or polyurethane sole with minimal tread pattern or no pattern, a composition leather or suede upper, and reinforced stitching to extend the life of the upper material. The most important aspect of skate shoes is that they have flat soles which allow the skater to have better board control.
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Sean Malto is an American professional skateboarder.
Peter Line is an American professional snowboarder, snowboard industry entrepreneur, writer, photographer and designer. Line is regarded as one of the greatest influences in the history of snowboarding based on his broad contributions as a professional rider, industry entrepreneur, designer, and media contributor. Line is a six-time X Game medalist, one of few to gold medal in the Summer and Winter X Games, as well as a two-time US Open medalist and a World Snowboarding Championships gold medalist.
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Oxbow is a brand of clothing and athletic equipment. Since its creation in 1985 in Pont-Audemer, France, Oxbow has positioned itself in the world of boardsports as an international brand. Oxbow restarted the World Longboard Championship in 1992, and sponsors athletes such as surfer Laird Hamilton and windsurfer Jason Polakow. Oxbow's Back to Powder winter event draws some of the best skiers and snowboarders in the world. The business is involved in five sports: surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, snowboarding, and skiing. Oxbow became an affiliate of the French group Lafuma in 2005.
YES. Snowboards is a manufacturer of snowboards. It was founded in 2009 and is based in Europe.
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