Who was Nidecker?
For more than a century, Nidecker has been owned and operated by a family in Rolle, Switzerland, whose first sons have all been named Henri. In 2010, Henri IV passed the company on to the 5th generation, his three sons, Henry, Xavier, and Cédric Nidecker.
1887 - 1911
The company's founding - Henri I
In 1887, Henri Nidecker I founded the company in the small town of Etoy, Switzerland, by the shores of "Lac Léman" (Lake Geneva). Trained as a carpenter, Henri I mastered the art of bending wood and acquired the region's first electric motor in 1897. With this powerful new electric tool, he produced the most sought-after ladders, chairs, furniture, carts, and wheelbarrows.
1887
Nidecker was founded in Etoy, Switzerland. It specializes in wood bending and primarily sells wooden wheels.
1897
Henry Nidecker II is the first in the region to acquire an electric motor and begins to manufacture wheelbarrows and ladders.
1912 - 1961
The First Skis - Henri II and III
At the turn of the century, the Nidecker workshop moved to Rolle, Switzerland, another small town on Lac Léman. Using the woodworking technique learned from his father, Henri II produced his first skis in 1912 using ash wood. By 1946, Henri II had taught his son Henri III the trade, and shortly after, Henri III built on the inventive Nidecker legacy by creating the first composite skis made from ash and hickory woods.
1962 - 1983
Pioneering ski technology - Henri IV
Nidecker was at the forefront of the fast-growing European ski market in the 60s and 70s. In 1962, Nidecker broke new ground as one of the first to manufacture skis using metal and fiberglass. By 1969, Nidecker had perfected the art of building skis with these two materials and used this expertise to launch the first pair of almost unbreakable cross-country skis. Henri IV also took over the company at this time and debuted a revolutionary new climbing skin system called Varai-Clix, which won a gold medal at the 6th International Ski Show in Geneva.
1984 - 1986
Snowboards - Henri IV
Innovative thinking led Nidecker to the new wave of winter sports and began designing snowboards in 1982. The first 50 production boards were handmade in the Rolle workshop in 1984 and featured 3D base contours. Nidecker snowboards were an overnight success, and by 1985, over 700 boards were sold primarily in Switzerland and France. Shortly after, a team of Nidecker-sponsored athletes won the 1986 Alpine Snowboarding World Cup.
1987 - 1990
Snowboard expansion - Henri IV
From 1987, Nidecker focused on snowboards and designed new models every season. The Gun model was one of the first innovative shapes that had similar curves to a modern snowboard. Nidecker also produced one of the first youth snowboards during this time. In 1990, Henri IV expanded the snowboard line to include snowboard boots and bindings.
1990 - 2009
Snowboard Innovations - Henri IV
In 1991, the Nidecker-snowboard industry flourished thanks to board designs like The Concept, one of the first asymmetrical snowboards. Nidecker was now selling in over 25 countries. The success prompted Henri IV to transform the Rolle office into one of the world's most modern and eco-friendly snowboard factories in 1994. In 2002, Nidecker collaborated with EPFL, a leading Swiss technical university in Lausanne, to produce the first Megalight snowboard. This weightless snowboard weighed less than 3 kg. In 2007, Nidecker teamed up with the University of Bern to develop new techniques for welding wood. The partnership created a new production process that made it possible to combine wood cores without glue. Using the technology, Nidecker produced the lightest snowboard in the world at the time, Ultralight, which took first prize in the 2009 EuroSIMA New Technology category.
2009 +
The new generation - Henri IV & V
2009-2010 was a huge year for the Nidecker family. Henri IV received the Lifetime Achievement Award from EuroSIMA and passed the business on to his sons: Henri V, Xavier, and Cédric. That same year, the Nidecker brothers created the new snowboard brand Yes. Snowboards with four of the world's most well-known freestyle snowboarders: Romain de Marchi, David Carrier Porcheron (DCP), JP Solberg, and Tadashi Fuse. A year later, Nidecker debuted another signature snowboard brand by partnering with freeride snowboarding legend Jeremy Jones. Nidecker and Jones founded Jones Snowboards, which quickly established itself as one of the world's finest producers of freeride snowboards and the innovative backcountry snowboards called splitboards. After the success of Yes. and Jones Snowboards, Nidecker turned their attention to snowboard bindings and founded the brand Now with former pro snowboarder and engineer JF Pelchat. Using an innovative design influenced by skateboard trucks, Now bindings won 5 international design awards after their release. The Nidecker family added yet another snowboard brand to their stable in 2011 with the debut of Slash by Gigi Snowboards. Slash is a collaboration with legendary backcountry freestyle snowboarder Gigi Rüf, offering unique board designs that reflect Gigi's creative passion for snowboarding.
