Nidecker
Swiss snowboard company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nidecker is a Swiss snowboard brand and family-owned board-sports company based in Rolle, Switzerland. Founded in 1887 in Etoy, Switzerland, it began as a wood-products manufacturer and entered snowboard manufacturing in 1984.[1]
 Nidecker Group Logo with Brands | |
 Nidecker Snowboards Logo | |
Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Snowboard, Splitboard, Skateboarding footwear |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Founder | Henri Nidecker |
| Headquarters | Rolle, Switzerland |
| Brands |
|
Number of employees | 200 |
| Subsidiaries | Low Pressure Studio |
| Website | www.ndk.group |
The broader Nidecker Group, also referred to as NDK Group, operates board-sports brands including Nidecker, Jones Snowboards, Bataleon, Rome, etnies, éS, Emerica and ThirtyTwo.[2][3]
It is considered the second biggest snowboard company in the world.[4] The company was passed down 5 generations.[4] The Nidecker Group was formed in 2008[5] by three descendants of Henri: Cédric, Henry and Xavier Nidecker.[6][4] Henry Nidecker is the CEO of the company.[7]
In 2017 the Nidecker Group bought American binding specialist Flow.[8] In 2018, they acquired the brands Bataleon and Rome.[9][4]
History
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.[10] Henri I was trained as carpenter and became a specialist in the "art of bending wood" [11] after purchasing the first electric motor in the region built for this purpose.[11]
It wasn't until 1912 however, that Nidecker began producing skis after Henri I's son, Henri II produced their first pairs from ash.[11] 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 combining ash and hickory.[11]
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,[11] Nidecker won a gold medal at the 6th International Ski Show in Geneva for their new ski skin system called the Varai-Clix.[5]
In 1984, Nidecker joined the snowboard market releasing their first series of 50 snowboards.[5] They then increased their manufacturing output to 700 snowboards in 1985.[11]
In 2008 the Nidecker Group was formed by Cédric, Henry, and Xavier Nidecker, the three sons of Henri IV.[5] Henry Nidecker became CEO of the company.[7] In 2009, in collaboration with Romain de Marchi, JP Solberg, and David Carrier Porcheron (DCP),[12] Nidecker launched YES.[5] The following year, in 2010, Nidecker partnered with professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones to launch Jones Snowboards.[5] In the same year YES. won EuroSIMA's Breakthrough Brand Award.[11]
In 2012 Nidecker launched NOW bindings in partnership with former professional snowboarder JF Pelchat.[13][5] Following on from their previous success[4] in 2017 Nidecker acquired the binding and boot manufacturer Flow.[5]
In 2018, the Nidecker Group acquired the Dutch-based company Low Pressure Studio, owners of Bataleon, Lobster, and Switchback,[14] and Rome SDS joined Low Pressure Studio.[14]
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.[15]
