Beyond the Podium: Technology & Fashion in Snowboarding
DecathaLAW Series 2026: Article 6
Snowboarding first debuted at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano in 1998. In the 1990s, snowboarding style was heavily influenced by skateboard culture and many snowboarders were seen wearing baggy pants and oversized jackets to provide both warmth and freedom of movement on the slopes. Snowboarding fashion shifted toward more technical outerwear in the 2000s. Brands looked to technology to design clothing with high performance materials, ergonomic designs, and sustainability features.
In the early patent landscape relating to snowboarding technology, the biggest material breakthroughs came from textiles and impact foams. First patented in 1976 (U.S. Patent No.: 3,953,566), what we now know as Gore-Tex® (developed by W.L Gore & Associates, Inc. in Delaware), polytetrafluoroethylene (commonly known as PTFE) material allowed for snowboarding jackets to become waterproof and more breathable. In addition, shear thickening materials emerged as slim, flexible armor for hips shoulders and spines. For example, U.S. Patent No.: 8,087,101 describes a laminated impact system that stays flexible in motion, but stiffens on impact and has been adopted in snow-sport pads. Together, these patents set up lighter shells and low profile protection that is still rider-friendly.
Recent outerwear patents push performance further by cutting weight and improving drape without sacrificing weather protection. Jacket brands have moved toward very thin, high strength ePTFE films (U.S. Patent No.: 12,083,482), which support lighter, more transparent jacket membranes that retain durability. At the same time, brands are also moving toward the next generation of membranes, such as expanded polyethylene (ePE), to hit sustainability and performance benchmarks. Resulting from the improved membranes is apparel that looks sharper, moves more naturally, and keeps snowboarders warm while still meeting the realities of training and competition.
Head protection has seen equally important focus. One such focus for head protection is a reduction of rotational motion. A widely used approach adds a low friction layer between the helmet liner and the head to allow controlled slip in an oblique impact (U.S. Patent No.: 10,874,160).
Other helmet manufacturers integrate rotational limiters within the liner stack (U.S. Patent No.: 12,011,056) to reduce the rotational energy impact transferred to the head upon impact. Across these filings, the theme is targeted reduction of rotational acceleration with minimal change to the helmet silhouette.
In January 2026, Kappa and U.S. Ski & Snowboard unveiled a unified Olympic and Paralympic uniform for all ten teams. This collection leans into American identity with stars, flag inspired patches, and a red, white, and blue color palette. This collaboration, worn by U.S. Snowboarding, includes jackets that underwent custom-tailoring and wind-tunnel testing to meet discipline specific performance needs while keeping a unified team look. Kappa, founded in Turin, Italy, blends sportswear and technical innovation.
Fashion, functionality, comfort, and safety are in focus in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. In some cases, new materials are being integrated into clothing, and in other cases, new designs are seeking to improve safety by better ergonomic designs into protective gear. Designers are appropriately using patents and trademarks to protect and market their design and brands.