Slash snowboards made a lasting impression at last January’s SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Trade Show in Denver. Owner by the one an only Gigi Ruf, the man and mission behind Slash snowboards, stepped out of the shadows and into the limelight for his creative ingenuity off the mountain. From his inauspicious beginnings in Austria to his accent as one of the most iconic names in snowboarding, Gigi Ruf, ex-Burton team member turned Nike Golden Boy, is on his 3rd year with Slash and looks to seep into the arteries of his competitors’ markets heading into 2015.
In just 3 short years, Gigi has metabolized his company into an innovative head-turner that rivals that of the King Pins (like that “B” entity). Snowboarding may be heading into a cookie-cutter industry because of copycat tech. But what separates Slash from the feeder cats is the unique way it incorporates various woods into its boards for exceptional laser-focused performance. Take for instance Forever Wood with its culinary-esque mixture of paulownia, spruce, beech and poplar to create a reactive lightweight wood that ages better than Hugh Hefner’s. Or The Snap Crackle Pop that alternates poplar and beech stringers for strength and liveliness. You can find these ingenious wood combos in Happy Place, Paxson, ATV and Straight.
So don’t be so quick to overlook the lilliputian of the snowboard world. Slash is quickly gaining market share behind Gigi Ruf’s drive and ingenious mind that is all things snowboard.
