BoardsportSOURCE

NIDECKER AQUIRES 32, ETNIES, ES AND EMERICA: INTERVIEW WITH THE NIDECKER BROTHERS
Following the announcement of the sale of ThirtyTwo, éS, Emerica, and Etnies to the Nidecker Group we sat down with the three brothers Henry, Cedric, and Xavier to get the low-down.

Four generations separate the three brothers from the first Nidecker who applied his wood craft to making skis. Always family-owned, the Swiss company has influenced the snowboarding industry with a curated portfolio of brands, the result of thoughtful partnerships with passionate and innovative figures from snowboarding. Their latest acquisition is driven by the same values. Four decades after the launch of Nidecker’s first snowboards and the launch of Etnies skateboarding shoes, the two iconic companies come together in a match made of pure love of boardsports. Link in bio for full interview.

SOLE TECHNOLOGY FOUNDER PIERRE-ANDRÉ SENIZERGUES ON SALE TO NIDECKER GROUP

Pierre-André Senizergues has breathed and lived skateboarding since his early teens in France. His life story is one of passion transformed into action. From designing some of the most iconic skate footwear on the market, influencing the sport, to championing environmental commitment in the action sports industry, there is no doubt that he is a doer. As he prepares to pass the baton, he has let his values drive his decision, seeking only likeminded partners. We chat to him about the growth of his company, the transition to the Nidecker group, and his vision for the future. Link in bio for full interview.

🚨 COVER CALL 🚨

Who’s got the next Source SURF cover?

❌ - No current pro athletes
✅- Boardsports industry employees only
✅- Snowboarding only

Deadline Friday April 26th, 5pm CET.

Email all entries to [email protected]

Last 5 covers:
🏄‍♂️ 📸
🏄‍♀️  📸 
🏄‍♂️ 📸
🏄‍♂️ 📸 Atle Dahl
🏄‍♂️ 📸

Around the show day 2 at

Day 1 at with the One Eyed Monster

When worlds collide. x at

On the cover: (Mervin). 📷

In early January there is great sentiment in the air with brands and retailers alike. The UK is a particularly bright spot at the start of winter with many retailers reporting solid starts. Record breaking actually. There is a growing fear that the cost-of-living crisis that’s stung the UK for a number of months is finally catching up in Europe, with the dreaded 20% sale creeping in in December for many key European retailers. But this isn’t anything new and we’re all used to dealing with it by now.

Early season has seen solid snowfall in the Alps and events like DIYX and Rock A Rail are great November activations that give consumers stoke and introduce newbies to the culture and show just how fu***ng rad it is. Boarding a flight to the Alps with all the packable down t***s feels busier this January than it has since pre-covid and speaking with travel companies, snow holiday bookings are up with many customers booking earlier and earlier to take advantage of cheaper pricing. It’s cool to see more snowboarding brands actively targeting kids. We’ve been saying for years that we need to make snowboarding cooler for the kids, and not just something that Mum & Dad do. There’s a big void between 8–35-year-olds who need to see how fun and cool snowboarding is, and without them, it’s just us old dudes buying snowboards. Despite Burton’s Riglet efforts, the kids snowboarding segment had always been more of an afterthought for brands. Thankfully they’re seeing the light and are jumping on board.

This issue’s Big Wig is . David grew up as a Swiss pro snowboarder and after working at Billabong and then Salomon Snowboards, David is now brand manager at . Part of the Nidecker Group, YES has merged with brand-mates Now Bindings & Lobster Snowboards. The collective will take the name YES and we speak with David about the details of the merger.

Always Sidewaysmt
Editor

2024 is a wrap. Such an amazing gathering of the French scene with plenty of European big wigs in attendance for 3 days of testing in perfect conditions. See the whole gallery online now through the link in our bio.

🚨 SOURCE WINTER COVER DEADLINE JANUARY 7th! Industry personnel … submit your snowboard covers before midnight on Sunday for your chance to be on the printed cover of Issue 119. Printed in English, French & German and distributed to every snow, surf and skate shop in Europe as well as every key brand HQ. SUBMIT ENTRIES THROUGH INSTAGRAM DM 📥

issue 118 Big Wig Interview. Slash by GiGi owner interviewed for European boardsport industry print magazine BoardSport Source:

Gigi Rüf sits among the top table of snowboarding greats. Known for his expressive style which has now become iconic, Gigi has released revered video parts for the best part of a quarter of a century and still rides pro for brands including Dragon, Union Bindings, Mons Royale, TSG, Evoc and 686 for whom he has just debuted his new GORE-TEX 3L ATV Collection Pro model series. Not bad for a 42-year old father of two teenagers.

We’ll touch on Gigi’s pro career in this issue’s Big Wig interview, but it’s his snowboard company, Slash By GiGi – which becomes a teenager next year – that we’re here to talk about. As well as riding professionally, Gigi owns and operates Slash independently and we pick his brains to see how one of the greatest to do it runs his own board company.

Read the full feature at the link in Source Bio and Stories.

Source issue 118 is out now.

On the cover: , EMEA Team Manager. 📷

Editorial by Clive Ripley:

Winter is almost upon us, as we leave a summer behind the industry will be only too pleased to forget. Nevermind the issues specific to our industry, the general economic picture continues to create turmoil in the business environment which for decades had been benevolently predictable. The tail winds of covid, followed by a ramp up of inflation from historic lows, a war in Ukraine and now the Gaza / Israel conflict all on top of continued global warming and the emergence of AI. Whoever can figure their way through this spaghetti junction without any hiccups will be a god. The fact is we are at a level of instability that most of us have not experienced before. So given this general economic uncertainty we can expect a cautious consumer, but at least they are still out there practicing the sports they love and buying product.

Continue reading through the link in our bio.