SIA 2017: A first look at next season’s snowboard products
Every year, thousands descend on Downtown Denver for SIA, the largest winter sports trade show in North America. It is a seemingly endless maze of
words: Jens Heig
Every year, thousands descend on Downtown Denver for SIA, the largest winter sports trade show in North America. It is a seemingly endless maze of booths, both extravagant and modest, each jostling for the attention of countless retailers that attend in search of what will stock their shelves for the coming season. But towards the back of the massive showroom is where the future of snowboard product is on display, and where the cogs of this industry continue to turn.
While Parts & Labor housed a collective of largely small, independent brands, SIA is where you will find some of the largest and most recognized companies in snowboarding, with smaller brands joining them across the showroom floor.
With one of the deepest winters in recent memory for much of the West, there was an unmistakeable air of optimism. That optimism is a result of strong sales and innovative product developments that created a palpable buzz across the trade show, something that has been diminished in years past. Companies are sustaining their advancements in product technology across all categories, with advanced goggle lenses proliferating across more models with Dragon, Oakley, or Smith, outerwear companies mastering new fabrics for highly waterproof, yet breathable and comfortable products, or board companies continuing to offer designs that expand the mind and the quiver.
Possibly the most apparent design trend across the show was a toned-down approach to outerwear design. Rather than opting for loud patterns that were previously part of almost every company’s line, many took a much more subtle approach to color choice and fabric selection. Earth tones were everywhere, even across women’s product and with companies that are known for a tendency towards boisterous design. Clean lines, considered fits, and styled performance were traits that we saw throughout the show.
One thing to remember is while all of this new product graces this story below, many shops across the country are still outfitted with some of the best snowboarding products money can buy. Stop by your local boardshop, talk to its staff, and they will get you set up with the exciting new start of the snowboarding experience.
Reader be warned, there are many, many photos below.
Chris Beresford with the Bone Zone edition DANG Snow goggles.DANG Shades come in every color you could possibly imagine.Cierra Xavier with the new Vans Implant in the Danimals signature colorway.Pat Moore’s 2018 Vans Infuse boot.The Verse is a brand new backcountry focused boot on the Vans 2018 line.Next year’s Ferra boot and corresponding shoes were designed with Aimee Fuller.Vans will be introducing a new boot in the Mountain Edition line for 2018.Vans Mountain Edition streetwear is looking better than ever.CAPiTA’s Blue Montgomery with the 2018 Black Snowboard of Death.
CAPiTA’s Mark Dangler showing off the new Neo-Slasher split.CAPiTA’s 2018 pro-models are looking extra sharp.CAPiTA Snowboards is using a variety of new finishing techniques next year, and the boards look great.Union is entering the splitboard world in 2018 with the Expedition binding.A closer look at the new splitboard set up from CAPiTA and Union.
Union is calling this new binding the Butt Snorkeler.Union Binding’s Riley Goodwin shows of the new Travis Rice Falcor binding.Some exciting new colorways on Union’s Milan women’s binding, included is 2018 B4BC collab.Scott Steven’s new pro-model binding has been simplified and features no forward lean adjustment.Coal Headwear has some fresh new looks coming out, as well as some exciting throwbacks.Coal and UCO have come together to create a beanie with a built in headlamp.Coal x Spring Break, spring/summer cap and face mask.Dragon continues to improve upon the quick-change lens system on the NFX2. Danny Davis’s colorway shown here.Blake Paul’s 2018 signature solorway NFX2 goggle.686’s new Paclite Multi Shell Jacket is designed for three seasons, and it’s backpack strap system is going to seriously change the game for backcountry touring.Brent Sandor gave us a quick peak at part of Forest Bailey’s 2018 Cosmic Collection with 686.More in the works from Forest Bailey and 686.This new 686 x PBR collab allows you to easily carry on hill sodas around your waist.686 is coming out with a line of waterproof hats, and they really work.686 welcomes Mary Rand to the team with a signature series jacket for 2018.Smith is introducing The Code helmet in 2018.Smith is also adding the Squad XL to the line for 2018.Aesmo Snow Surfer’s and Dakine have teamed up for a whole new line for 2018.These Dakine gloves were described as “buttery,” we completely agree.Dakine’s Pulse Insulated jacket now comes with a stash pocket that doubles as a neck pillow. Seen here with next years base layers.Dakine luggage has always been top of the line, but some of next year’s changes are really going to set them apart.Dakine has a new backpack that doubles as a beer cooler and dispenser.Just a peak of what Dakine has coming down the road on the women’s side.The new Mission Pro 25L from Dakine.Jesse Grandkoski co-founder of Airblaster with his favorite addition to the line for 2018.Airblaster has some big plans for 2018 when it comes to technical streetwear.Airblaster’s Beast Suit is looking better than ever.Airblaster and the Modern Athlete.This new vent design from Airblaster doubles as a pocket for your skins, making this new item every backcountry enthusiasts new best friend.Stephen Duke of Von Zipper talked us through the new WildLife lens system and 2018 colorways.
The Yawgoons and Spring Break both have signature goggles with Von Zipper in 2018.
Oakley is releasing the Fall Line in 2018 as part of the new series of goggles with PRIZM technology.
Camo is still in for 2018.Bobby Meeks demonstrating how well balanced the newly redesigned Judge boot is.Torstein Horgmo’s pro model boot with DC received a facelift for 2017/18.DC Snow’s 2018 Travis Rice boot.An all-mountain option for the ladies from DC, the women’s Telegraph.Bobby takes us through the new SympaTex fabric on the DC outerwear line, where the piece behind him has a rating of 45k waterproofing.Bobby Meeks with the updated Space Echo, now in its second year as part of the DC line.This new model of the Simplify is an industry first. It is manufactured using waste products from CAPiTA’s Mothership board factory and other recycled materials.Shred’s new line of helmets for youth and adults.The Nastify is a new model in 2017, with an advanced lens for optical clarity.The Shred Wonderfy is a cylindrical offering in the new line.Shred/Slytech Co-Founder and CEO Carlo Salmini shows off the new and improved back protector from Slytech.The new back protector may be thin, but it delivers.Mike LeBlanc, snowboarding OG and Holden frontman takes us through an insulated mid-layer vest.The new Sherpa mid-layer features an updated fabric that is outrageously soft.Mike LeBlanc explains how the classic Holden look influenced this new performance jacket.A leak of an elusive graphic on the new RIDE Kink that’s “for bad boys only,” according to Tanner McCarty.Artist Dave Banks (@robinbankz) with his graphic on the all new RIDE Wildlife, a mid-wide all-mountain destroyer.The new RIDE binding line.Exclusive to RIDE boots, their outsoles feature Michelin rubber for reliable traction and durability.The RIDE Hellcat is Hana Beaman’s all mountain offering for the ladies, as displayed by Tanner McCarty.The RIDE Timeless, an aggressive all-mountain board for the rider looking to go fast and hit everything.The topsheet on the RIDE Rapture (right) was created by swirling different colored oils over the surface of water.The split tail of the RIDE Alter Ego performs differently when clipped or unclipped, giving the rider a unique experience in both powder and on hardpack.Mervin’s Dave Marx opted for comfort over style for SIA 2017.The corresponding bib also features the same stretch material as the high-performance jacket.Jenna Kuklinski of Bonfire shows off the stretch fabric of the line’s most high-performance shell.New for 2017, Arbor is updating its binding line to include a women’s model, currently being using by Marie-France Roy and others.Last but most certainly not least is Arbor’s Sean Black stands with (from left to right) the Bryan Iguchi Pro Camber, Clovis, and Westmark, along with the brand’s second generation binding offering.
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