2024 2025
RENTAL BUYER’S GUIDE
ble delivery, stable product design, sta- ble market conditions. The more things have changed, the more they have stayed the same.
Nitro also sees opportunity in rental programs, and brought on Adam Strom- wall in a new role as the U.S.-based rental sales coordinator earlier this year. Ben Fresco, product and marketing director at Elan, sees opportunity with travelers who are opting not to travel with gear. “Baggage fees aren’t getting any less expensive, so visitors are more inclined to rent or demo when they trav- el,” he says. “This makes a well-rounded demo and rental collection more import- ant than ever.” 2024-25 TRENDS The youth category is growing. Rossig- nol is now offering its EXP Junior youth snowboard in a 70 cm length; previous- ly 80 cm was the smallest. Hoefler says this is in response to demands from ride schools. He says, “We’re seeing younger and younger kids, and this board sizing specifically meets that demand.” Burton also offers a 70 cm kids rental board, as well as the kids Riglet board and Handlebar for even younger riders. The Burton Kids Progression boot in XXS fits sizes 7C-10C, with the Kids Rental Step On boot offered down to a size 3 “for now,” says DiMarco, hinting at plans for even smaller sizing in the future. BOA is big. BOA is widely available across adult rental lines. K2, Burton, and Nidecker offer it exclusively on their rental boots. Head is primarily focused on BOA, with one lace option to meet persistent demand. Rossignol offers BOA or lace options on its EXP series boots. Nitro enters the market with four differ- ent lacing options, including BOA. Durability and efficiency rule. Rent-
al snowboard lines continue to feature durable top sheets and edges. These pair with color coding, bar coding, and tool- free binding mounting and adjustment systems designed to speed up the custom- er experience and streamline employee training. Ease of use, for both rental staff and guests, remains a key goal. Head’s Marshall Mayhew sums up the approach: “We make sure the prod- uct is easy to use for both consumers and technicians using the three design prin- ciples of usability, durability, and system integration to deliver a good experience.”
Snowboard Rental
BY ANNIE FAST
Overall, snowboard brands see room for growth in rental operations. Rossignol sales and marketing VP Kurt Hoefler says, “Before Covid we saw a tapering of rental snowboards, then we started to see growth during Covid, and now there is a resurgence.” He attributes this growth to new people entering snow- boarding, particularly younger people. Burton merchandising manager Chris DiMarco says, “We saw amazing participation growth out of this season’s NSAA Participation report.” He sees rent- als as an opportunity to grow the sport, saying, “Often, renting is a person’s first time snowboarding. The easier and more comfortable we can make that experi- ence, the better our chances are at adding another lifetime snowboarder.” Brian Hankerson, rider services coor- dinator for Nidecker, attributes growth to “multi-mountain season passes and this segments’ use of rentals.” At the same time, he adds, “One of the larg- est challenges facing the snowboard community as a whole is the decline of brick-and-mortar shops.” He sees rental programs as an important means to cre- ate relationships with new riders that will keep them coming back.
Here’s a look at what some key play-
ers are doing:
BURTON: Step On Momentum. Burton is broadening its rollout of its Step On system, first introduced for 2023- 24. “Step On provides the best possible customer experience in the rental envi- ronment, especially for those first com- ing to the sport,” says DiMarco. The Step On system is offered in the full range of men’s, women’s, and kid’s sizing down to 3K. Burton also continues to offer its traditional Progression boot and binding system as well as the LTR family, which is now simply called “Rental.” The brand is also continuing its online rental program, which it rolled out last season. Renters can rent boards, boots, bindings, and outerwear, shipped to their home, hotel, or any UPS location in the continental U.S. “Those learnings
Left to right: Nidecker Axis; Elan Explore Plus R; K2 Embassy Rental; Head Gamechanger 4D; Rossignol EXP Junior; Burton kids 70 cm rental board and kids Riglet board.
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