Radical Sports: From former snowboard pioneer to versatile multi-sport provider

When Mark Farner launched his first snowboard in 1984, he was one of the pioneers of the Swiss snowboarding scene. Snowboarding—which had originated in the USA in the 1960s—only arrived in Switzerland in the early 1980s, emerging essentially as a rebellious alternative to traditional skiing. The bindings and boots were downright makeshift: a pair of leather hiking boots strapped to the board using shortened aircraft seatbelts. Good grief! Who would even want to know how well that held? Yet, a start had been made. Shortly after getting underway, the Radical Snowboard Club Zürich (RSCZ) was founded in 1985. A year later, Mark Farner succeeded in getting the boards into Swiss specialist shops. In 1987, the RSCZ organized the first Snowboard World Championship in St. Moritz. That same year saw the founding of the Swiss Snowboard Association (SSBA) and the Swiss Snowboard Instructors Association (SSBS).

The First Radical Skis After 20 Years
2004 marked the birth of Radical skis. Not only were more and more snowboarders showing an interest in skis, but Mark Farner also recognized a market opportunity to win customers for his skis by utilizing lightweight construction. The concept of a Kevlar-carbon sandwich construction was born. In 2012, Radical expanded its product range to include splitboards—essentially a hybrid of a snowboard and a ski. The ski lineup has been continuously developed and expanded, and this product range remains available today.

Handcrafted Custom Boards and Skis
Many potential customers are still unaware that, in addition to its small-batch production runs of snowboards and skis, Radical Sports offers the option to design and build a board—featuring a custom design—tailored specifically to the individual customer. Naturally, the same applies to skis and splitboards. So, anyone wishing to own a unique, one-of-a-kind ski or snowboard built by Radical Sports according to their own preferences and specifications can simply get in touch with the company.

2013 Launch of Tour Offerings
After nearly 30 years, Radical launched its tour program; after all, the company already had a substantial customer base that was stocking up on boards, skis, boots, and bindings and frequently making use of its service offerings. With professional guide Niki Huwyler on board, they began offering guided splitboard tours to existing customers. These tours were fully booked from the very start. Today, Radical Sports offers a comprehensive program featuring a variety of splitboard and freeride tours, technical skills courses, and other events. This events and travel division now accounts for a significant portion of Radical’s overall offering.

New Carbon Repair Business
Radical Sports has been offering carbon repair services for three years. Carbon is found primarily in bicycles with carbon frames, as well as in sports cars and various other pieces of sports equipment such as tennis rackets, paddles, and protective gear. What many people do not realize is that a damaged carbon component does not necessarily have to be replaced; when performed professionally, many types of damage can be repaired reliably and permanently. Radical Sports has seen significant growth in the number of customers bringing in carbon bicycles with damaged frames requiring repair. As carbon experts with over 30 years of specialized experience, this is naturally right up their alley—the Radical Sports team knows the material inside out. Customers are relieved to avoid the need to replace the entire frame or strain their household budget with the cost of a new one. Furthermore, CEO Patrick Stauber is currently undergoing specialized training to become a certified carbon expert (Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS): Advanced Composites).

A Smart Strategy Involving Four Partners
In 2024, after 40 years at the helm, owner Mark Farner handed the business over to his long-standing employees and partners. Since then, Patrick Stauber, Florian Hösli, Niki Huwyler, and Dominic Richard have been running the show. This approach is smart because business risk is now shared among four people, and four minds contribute to decision-making. While this can occasionally lead to debate, it minimizes the risk of a single individual collapsing under economic pressure. Recent years—marked by the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine—have significantly dampened consumer spending due to inflation. Furthermore, winter sports providers constantly worry about what might happen if the hoped-for snow fails to arrive. This has been a key concern since at least 2016, even though recent winters have actually brought plenty of snow.

Expanding the Summer Business
The company’s leadership is increasingly focusing on offerings available year-round. A particular priority is supplying customers with sports equipment during the summer months as well. Radical Skateboards marks the revival of a chapter from the brand’s early history: skateboards were part of the original Radical product range and have now made a comeback. This move mirrors the diversification strategies of major brands and manufacturers—such as the French sports equipment giant Rossignol, which has spent the last few years ramping up its summer business activities in areas like bikes, e-bikes, and trail running. Relying solely on winter business—given the trend of increasingly warm summers and shorter winters—would be tantamount to business suicide. This shift in strategy is highly commendable.

Global Stars as Customers
Just this past spring, Radical Sports was able to hand over a snowboard—designed and built to his specific requirements—to former Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović, who played for the Swedish national team and renowned clubs such as AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United. Zlatan is thrilled with the work of the Zurich-based board manufacturer and his unique Radical snowboard. Global stars, therefore, now number among Radical Sports’ customers.

2027 Relocation and Expansion
Despite the perennial challenges posed by the winter season—offset by increasingly long summers—Radical Sports continues to expand and recruit staff. In mid-2027, the company is moving its headquarters from Zürich-Wollishofen to Horgen, on the left bank of Lake Zurich. The relocation became necessary because the building at the current site is slated for demolition in the near future. The new premises in Horgen will provide ample space for additional staff, new ideas, and the continued growth of Radical Sports. A ten-year lease has been signed, reflecting the entrepreneurs' confidence in the future. Discussions regarding water sports are already underway, and the bike segment—originally driven by carbon repair services—offers further potential for expansion, which would significantly strengthen the summer business. I believe we can already look forward to the upcoming projects and the growing range of services offered by this Zurich-based multisport provider.