Which clothing brands are worn by snowboarders: 5 iconic brands for the community

One of the distinctive features that can emphasize your belonging to a particular culture is special clothing. Snowboarding is no exception. It is by the way a person is dressed on the slope, you can form the first impression of him.

Clothing in snowboarding is not the least important. Brands-manufacturers try to make it as functional, comfortable and technologically advanced as possible, so that skiing in the mountains continues to be as comfortable and safe as possible. And beyond that, clothing is also an element of culture and a carrier of certain community values.

Quiksilver

The history of the Quiksilver brand began when surfer Alan Green decided to experiment with the design of ordinary shorts in the 1960s. Over the next two decades, the company became one of the most successful on the planet. The brand produces clothing and equipment for all sports that are associated with riding on boards.

The famous logo in the form of a wave crest and a mountain with a snowy peak was created in the mid-1970s, it epitomized perfection and authenticity. It is interesting that the inspiration for its creation was the famous print by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai – “The Great Wave in Kanagawa”.

The name of the Quiksilver brand was thought up by Alan’s wife. She saw the word “quicksilver” in one novel. The ancient alchemists in the book referred to it as turning base metals into gold. This context fit perfectly with the brand’s philosophy. In order not to worry about copyright, it was decided to throw out one letter – so the brand Quiksilver appeared.

Since 2017, the company has had a name that has become something unifying for all brands: Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes, Element, Von Zipper, RVCA, XCEL and Billabong are all Boardriders.

Roxy

The brand has changed a lot in its history and has gone from bikini makers to women’s clothing for all occasions. That said, the spirit with which it was founded has remained.

In 1990, Quiksilver decided to expand and conquer new hearts – girls. They launched a brand for them called Roxy, and in 1993 Roxy received a unique logo consisting of two Quiksilver logos, which were arranged mirrored and resembled a heart.

Creating a full-fledged brand of women’s clothing for action sports in those years was equated to suicide. However, time passed, trends and world reference points changed, and it turned out that the right choice was made. Over time, other companies, inspired by Roxy’s example, began to launch women’s clothing lines on par with men’s.

Airblaster

There is no one who can tell about the brand better than the owners themselves: “We are a small team of lifelong jerks who have a job. Among other things, we love snowboarding, and that’s what brought us together at Airblaster.”

As far as we know, Airblaster is the only company that is 100% privately owned and run by dedicated professional “jerks” on the board of directors.

“Why? To share fun, freedom, friendship and great products. We do what we do because it’s literally our job. And it makes us happy. Thank you for your time and consideration, and please don’t forget Stay Wild,” the company says.

photographer, snowboard rider

Airblaster is the first one that comes to mind when asked, “A cow (slang for real, trushy – Lifestyle Editor’s Note) snowboard brand is who?” A small but very cool company. A relatively non-mass-market brand, but a cult brand at that. Very specific people know what real snowboarding is and broadcast that through all of their activities.

Volcom

In the early 1990s, Richard Woolcott and Tucker Hall founded the Volcom brand. During a ski trip to Lake Tahoe, they decided they could create a clothing company for their favorite sports. The friends were unwilling to accept the establishment suppressing their passion for board sports. At the time, skateboarding and snowboarding were considered frivolous.

The brand was headquartered in Newport Beach, in Richard’s bedroom, and all sales came from Tucker’s bedroom in Huntington Beach. The guys had no idea how to sew clothes properly, but it didn’t matter as it was all about the spirit of freedom and creativity. Since then, Volcom has slowly but surely spread around the world.

The company has grown, but the philosophy and its ideals that started it all have remained. They continue to fuel Volcom today and are evident in its art, music, movies, athletes and, naturally, clothing.

photographer, snowboard rider

Volcom has always had very cool global marketing with a recognizable style, with crazy punk rock collages. And I’m close to the standard triathlon: skateboard, surf, snowboard. No nonsense like wind/kite surfing etc, in that respect they are good.
They’re not the cheapest, but low prices can only be mass produced. Plus they have quite a few technologically advanced gear.

686

A famous clothing brand that was born in 1992 thanks to Michael Akira West. It all started with the fact that in the late 80s of the XX century, imbued with freedom from skateboarding, Michael went to work at Big Bear, where he devoted himself to studying trends and development trends in snowboarding clothing.

Why he decided to name his brand that way remains a mystery. He never told anyone. And even now few people know the significance of these numbers. Mike was 20 years old when he decided to found the company, and 6+8+6 = 20.

In 1995, Michael was actively traveling, trying to thoroughly study different weather conditions in the mountains. In the same year, the unique SMARTY® 3-in-1 technology appeared, which started an era of technological innovation in clothing creation. The philosophy of 686 is that one should live without any limits and the clothes must fit.

Every year the 686 brand team strives to come up with new solutions for constructions, features and designs in their products.

Head of snowboarding school X-Camp Russia

Since my first acquaintance with snowboarding, this brand has always attracted a certain mystique and authenticity, only snowboarders understood what these numbers were.
The brand has always stood out from the crowd. Additional pockets for ski pass and player, mask pouch, hoodie jacket. And once I even had a hat included with my jacket.