In the beginning, the dream was to surf perfect waves even in winter. This is why the first snowboarders and snowboard manufacturers were passionate surfers and/or skaters. The youth movement that grew out of this dream in the USA was based in cities. In the late 1970s, young people took their boards – which were initially very basic – into the American mountains. Denounced as “snow punks”, these young snowboarders were denied access to the mountain railways for years. Or, as José Fernandes from Switzerland says, they had to “buy” their way on board with lots of wine and chocolate.

In the early 1980s, Switzerland caught the snowboarding bug. Soon thereafter, young skaters in Switzerland also began repurposing their skateboards for the snow. The Bernese snowboard brand HoogerBooger and Radical from Zurich brought some of the first snowboards to Europe in the mid-1980s. What began as an underground scene soon became organised. Snowboarders founded clubs and associations, established international contacts, held competitions, strove for recognition at the ski resorts and organised camps.

Now, 40 years later, snowboarding has established itself and come into its own. After its wild infancy, the youth and sport movement got into full swing from the mid-1990s onwards. Since 1998, snowboarding has also been an Olympic sport.

Swiss snowboarders, manufacturers and pipe builders have been at the forefront of developing the sport and its equipment right from the outset. Today, the second largest snowboard manufacturer Nidecker is headquartered in Switzerland. As well as this, small to medium-sized businesses that focus on making their own products and customisation are particularly prevalent in Switzerland, such as Kessler, Oxess, Enlain, Factory 9 and Bboards. The companies Craftski and Zen even allow customers to build their own completely unique boards. While the biggest brand sells over 100,000 snowboards per year, the smaller producers have sales figures in the triple to quadruple digit range.

Like in the skiing sector, sales figures have been in decline for some years now. In 2017, around 19,000 snowboards were sold in Switzerland. At the industry’s peak in 2000, however, this figure stood at roughly 110,000. There are a number of reasons for this decline, with climate change and the cost of the sport doubtless among them. But skiing has also advanced as a sport and won some snowboarders back.