32

Niche is a company that goes against the grain, doing

something nobody in the industry has done before.

Based out of Salt Lake City, we are from the ground up,

100% committed to doing everything we can to be as

eco-friendly as possible. Truth is, traditional snowboard

manufacturing is toxic! Niche is revolutionizing this process

with new materials and new construction technologies.

We’re passionate about creating exceptional snowboards

from bio-derived materials - and we’ll continue to seek

out new materials and technologies with still smaller

environmental impacts.

At Niche Snowboards, we’re starting to realize our vision

of the future by changing the way we think about the

relationships between our materials, our environment, and

ourselves. We believe anyone can do good if the doing

comes from the heart. We hope our success will change

our industry and lead to good things for you and the planet

we all share.

WITH A NIC H E SNOWBOARD

RE-DISCOVERYOUR MOUNTAIN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

page 2mission statement

page 8construction technology

page 12hardgoods

page 20line overview

9www.nichesnowboards.com

8construction technology

Digi-Print Topsheet

Snappy Sap™ Bio-Resin

Magma Fiber™

HempHop™ Stringers

Sustainable Wood Cores

Magma Fiber™

Snappy Sap™ Bio-Resin

Recycled & Base Materials

Traditional snowboard manufacturing is toxic to the environment and to the people working with those materials. However, a love for snowboarding means respecting the environment. We have transcended traditional manufacturing processes, introducing some totally new and revolutionary materials used only by Niche.

MATERIALSSome great things are now being incorporated into snowboard manufacturing, including: recycled steel edges, recycled topsheets, recycled base materials and sustainable wood cores. However, one of the largest components in a snowboard is the resin, which has traditionally been the most toxic. We are using something entirely unique in the industry: a bio-resin we call Snappy Sap™. We are also replacing the carbon fiber in the core stringers with hemp composites - a far more eco-friendly and sustainable option.

MANUFACTURING PROCESSNiche’s construction process consists of layering: a lacquer-free, Digi-Print topsheet; Snappy Sap™ bio-resin; Magma Fiber™ instead of fiberglass; hemp stringers instead of carbon fiber; sustainable wood cores; recycled steel edges; and recycled sidewalls & beeswax modified base material. All of which makes our process friendlier to our employees and the environment.

BOTTOM LINENiche snowboards are not only the planet’s most eco-friendly, they’re also lighter, more durable and better performing than boards made with traditional materials and manufacturing techniques. And, oh yeah, they kick ass on the hill.

CONSTRUCTION TECH NOLOGY

11www.nichesnowboards.com

10construction technology

Stringers are strips of material that change the personality of a board (i.e. giving a board more pop or more stiffness), and are typically made of carbon fiber or another type of wood. Niche has developed a totally new stringer technology we call HempHop™.

Carbon uses lots of energy to process and releases half of its weight in CO

2 and other pollutants

when manufactured. Hemp is an awesome eco-substitute, as it is one of the most versatile, fastest growing crops in existence, requiring very little pesticides and no herbicides!

Did you know car companies like BMW and Mercedes are using hemp to replace carbon fiber in vehicle doors? Hemp stringers have similar characteristics to carbon fiber, only they’re made from hemp! They are super strong and super light, making them an ideal swap. They also provide amazing vibration dampening charcteristics, giving you a less chattery ride.

HempHop™ Stringers

Most snowboard makers cover their topsheets in a thick, toxic lacquer to add shine. This is not only toxic to the environment; it’s unhealthy for people working in the factory.

Digi-Print uses a lacquer-free topsheet material that’s also thinner than most snowboard topsheets. This cuts down on excess material and makes your board lighter.

We digitally print directly onto the topsheet, cutting up to 60% of the material and 75% of the energy wasted during alternate printing processes.

Digi-Print Topsheet

Traditional resins can be extremely toxic to people and the environment. For our snowboards, we partnered with Entropy Resins to create our one-of-a-kind, Snappy Sap™ Bio-Resin. As opposed to traditional epoxies made primarily of petroleum-based materials, Snappy Sap™ Bio-Resin is composed of bio-renewable materials from the industrial waste streams of the paper pulp and bio-fuels industry.

These natural components help the environment by:

• 45% material sourced from sustainable, bio-renewable materials• Lower environmental impact from processing – reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, reduced water and energy consumption, reduced wastes• Eliminates harmful byproducts

Snowboard benefits:

• Increased elasticity – provides more pop and spring to your board• Super high adhesion properties help keep your board from delaminating!• Toughness – combined these benefits make your board bomb proof

Snappy Sap™

Bio Resin

The majority of the snowboard industry uses fiberglass in board construction. Niche has eliminated fiberglass, replacing it with Magma Fiber™ crafted from basalt.

Basalt is the product of volcanic activity. The fiberization process is more environmentally safe than that of glass fiber; the greenhouse gases that might otherwise be released during fiber processing were released eons ago during the magma eruption. Basalt is also 100% inert, which means it has no toxic reaction with air or water, and is noncombustible. And basalt is much easier to recycle than glass.

• Our Magma Fiber shows 15-20% higher tensile strength than regular fiberglass. This means better impact absorption, strength, and elasticity.

• Because basalt has a greater strength to weight ratio, less is needed to produce a snowboard. And less material means a lighter board!

• Basalt does not absorb water. So if you chip your topsheet jibbing some gnar, your board will not absorb water and delaminate!

Magma Fiber™

The forests that our wood cores come from are managed carefully to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of current and future generations. Our wood cores also come from a sustainable source, which means they are replaced by new trees!

Here are some other requirements of our forest management:

• No use of hazardous chemicals

• No conversion of forests or any other natural habitat

• Appropriate management and identification of areas that need special protection (ex. cultural or sacred sites, habitats of endangered animals or plants)

• Respect of international workers rights and Human Rights, with particular attention to indigenous peoples

• All applicable laws must be followed, with no tolerance for corrupt or questionable business practices

SustainableWood Cores

We utilize recycled materials in many components of our snowboard design and production. Such components used in our boards include:

• Recycled, beeswax modified, base material

• Recycled steel edges

• Recycled ABS sidewalls

Recycled Materials

1312

HARDGOODS

15www.nichesnowboards.com

14hardgoods

Save Our Canyons is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the beauty and wildness of the Wasatch canyons, mountains, and foothills. For every Niche Story sold, Niche will donate $10 directly to Save Our Canyons.

Salt Lake City is fantastically fortunate to have the Wasatch Range at its doorstep, with its jagged peaks, mountain lakes and beautiful forests located just a few miles from the city center. The mountains are primarily public land administered by the Forest Service, but have patented private mining claims scattered throughout. From the city’s edge, one can hike into a beautiful cirque filled with snow, trees and blue sky in half an hour. It is this stark contrast between city and nature that Save Our Canyons strives to preserve. The Wasatch Range is the inland equivalent of a seacoast, deserving protection for the wildlife habitat harbored within, as well as for the millions of people who will visit but not remain. The idea of protecting our “mountain-coast” makes sense for the long-term good of Salt Lake City, whose residents and visitors depend on these mountains as an escape from the hectic city life. Some 500,000 residents also utilize the water flowing out of Big and Little Cottonwood Creeks, which is praised as much for its high quality taste as the snow is for its quality skiing and snowboarding. The aim of Save Our Canyons has been, from the very start, to protect this magnificent de-facto public park and all of the natural wonders contained within against excessive commercial and residential development.

For more information on Save Our Canyons, or to become a member, visitwww.saveourcanyons.org.

147

151

154

157

160

164

23.75”

23.75”

24.5”

24.5”

25.25”

25.25”

24.2

24.7

25.0

25.2

25.4

25.6

construction length waist width max stance

STORYall-mountain freestyle machine • traditional camber

HempHopTM powered • sintered base • poplar core • stiff flex

*

17www.nichesnowboards.com

16hardgoods

148

153

156

159

163

24.3

24.7

25.1

25.2

25.4

23.75”

24.5”

24.5”

24.5”

25.25”

max stancewaist widthlengthconstruction

24.5”

24.75”

24.75”

25.25”

25.25”

24.25

24.5

24.7

24.95

25.15

145

148

151

154

157

construction length waist width max stance

THEMEtrue twin, all around park monster • Michael Sieben series graphic

traditional camber • centered stance • sintered base • poplar core • medium flex

AETHERreverse camber, all-mountain freestyle • Michael Sieben series graphic

centered stance • sintered base • poplar core • mid-stiff flex

19www.nichesnowboards.com

18hardgoods

construction constructionlength lengthwaist width waist widthmax stance max stance

145

148

152

156

139

142

145

148

151

24.2

24.5

24.8

25.0

23.6

24.0

24.25

24.5

24.7

24.5”

24.75”

24.75”

25.25”

23”

23”

23.75”

23.75”

24.5”

MINXtrue twin, park progression for females • flat camber

centered stance • extruded base • poplar core • soft flex

KNEWtrue twin, jibbing machine • HempHopTM powered • flat camber

centered stance • extruded base • poplar core • soft flex

LINEOVERVIEW

20 21

22line overview

23www.nichesnowboards.com

length inserts max stance width setback effective edge contact length tip length tip height tail length tail height tip width waist width tail width sidecut radius transition radius camber stiffness (middle-flex)

aether

theme

knew

story

minx

147 cm

151 cm

154 cm

157 cm

160 cm

164 cm

172.0

180.0

182.0

190.0

197.5

205.0

24

24

24

24

24

24

34.0

37.0

38.0

42.0

46.0

49.0

600

600

620

620

640

640

284.9

291.0

297.0

299.0

301.0

303.0

15

20

20

20

20

20

242.0

247.0

250.0

252.0

254.0

256.0

282.9

289.0

295.0

296.0

298.0

300.0

1140

1164

1190

1204

1219

1244

1106

1130

1156

1170

1185

1210

7300

7500

7600

7750

8000

8100

8200

8400

8500

8650

8900

9000

6.0

7.0

9.0

10.0

11.0

12.0

43.0

47.0

48.0

52.0

56.0

60.0

192.0

200.0

202.0

210.0

217.5

225.0

31.0

30.5

30.0

29.5

29.0

28.5

145 cm

148 cm

151 cm

154 cm

157 cm

185.0

190.0

195.0

200.0

205.0

24

24

24

24

24

43.0

44.0

46.0

48.0

50.0

620

630

630

640

640

281.9

284.7

287.1

290.1

292.5

0

0

0

0

0

242.5

245.0

247.0

249.5

251.5

281.9

284.7

287.1

290.1

292.5

1120

1140

1160

1180

1200

1080

1100

1120

1140

1160

7400

7600

7800

8000

8200

8300

8500

8700

8900

9100

5.0

6.0

7.0

7.0

8.0

43.0

44.0

46.0

48.0

50.0

185.0

190.0

195.0

200.0

205.0

34.0

33.5

33.0

32.5

32.0

148 cm

153 cm

156 cm

159 cm

163 cm

170.0

180.0

190.0

200.0

205.0

24

24

24

24

24

36.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

53.0

600

620

620

620

640

287.0

291.0

295.0

296.0

299.0

0

0

0

0

0

243.0

247.0

251.0

252.0

254.0

287.0

291.0

295.0

296.0

299.0

1150

1176

1190

1205

1230

1130

1156

1170

1185

1210

7200

7400

7600

7800

8000

8100

8300

8500

8700

8900

-6.0

-6.0

-6.0

-6.0

-6.0

40.0

47.0

50.0

53.0

58.0

180.0

194.0

200.0

205.0

215.0

33.0

32.0

31.0

30.0

29.0

145 cm

148 cm

152 cm

156 cm

172.0

175.0

182.0

195.0

24

24

24

24

41.5

43.0

46.0

53.0

620

630

630

640

283.8

288.0

292.5

295.0

0

0

0

0

242.0

245.0

248.0

250.0

283.8

288.0

292.5

295.0

1136

1160

1186

1200

1106

1130

1156

1170

7300

7400

7500

7600

8200

8300

8400

8500

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

41.5

43.0

46.0

53.0

172.0

175.0

182.0

195.0

35.0

34.0

33.0

32.0

139 cm

142 cm

145 cm

148 cm

151 cm

175.0

182.0

185.0

190.0

195.0

24

24

24

24

24

39.0

42.0

43.0

44.0

46.0

580

580

600

600

620

275.3

278.7

281.9

284.7

287.1

0

0

0

0

0

236.0

240.0

242.5

245.0

247.0

275.3

278.7

281.9

284.7

287.1

1075

1096

1120

1140

1160

1040

1056

1080

1100

1120

6800

7200

7400

7600

7800

7700

8100

8300

8500

8700

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

39.0

42.0

43.0

44.0

46.0

175.0

182.0

185.0

190.0

195.0

36.0

35.0

34.0

34.0

34.0

YOU MUST BE THE CHANGEYOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD

- MAHATMA GAND H I

© 2010 NICHE SNOWBOARDS

14901 S Heritagecrest Way, Suite B, Salt Lake City, UT 84065

T. 801.495.3111 F. 801.495.3110 www.nichesnowboards.com

Photography: Sean Kerrick Sullivan

Featured Riders: Casey Nelson, Todd Robertson and Tony Hagedorn

Niche would like to thank everyone who supported us, believed in us, and helped

us along the way:

Phil Morrell, Sarah Morrell, Todd Robertson, Kirsten Chapman, Jeff Perry, Save

Our Canyons, Alex Fine, Michael Sieben, solidGIANT, Entropy Sports, Arkade

Magazine, Shred Betties, Yoshi Toomuch, Snowstyle Magazine, The Wasatch

Project, Snowboard Green, Rob Mills, Steve Duke, The Canyons Park Crew,

Michael Lokey, Malakye, Bloomin’ Promotions, Sun Litho, Luke Boggs, all of our

friends, family and anyone else we may have forgotten!

* Minor variation of Digi-Print on the Niche Story; a low VOC lacquer that requires 90 percent less solvents than

traditional lacquer and color processes was used.

This catalog was printed on FSC certified paper and made partially

with post-consumer recycled content.

www.nichesnowboards.com