APO

What APO does

APO Snowboard & Ski is a French winter sports equipment manufacturer owned by SNOWIDE SAS and headquartered in Annecy, France. Founded by Régis Rolland in 2003 as the third incarnation of his European snowboarding venture (following Apocalypse Surf in 1986 and A Snowboards in 1992), the company produces a portfolio of snowboards (freestyle, all-mountain, freeride), skis (freestyle, backcountry, all-mountain) launched in 2008, accessories (backpacks, travel bags, board/ski sleeves, poles), and bundled snowboard-plus-bindings packs. Products are manufactured in Europe (notably France) and feature a broad set of proprietary technologies, including named woodcore constructions (FP Pop, C2 Control, PB Performance, PB Blast, PP2 Dual, PH Bounce, PB Light), fiberglass laminates (Fusion, 2D Basalt, 2D Dual, Control), carbon strip systems (Carbon X, Carbon V, XV Carbon Strips), and the patented Dual Entry Binding System.

APO generates revenue through one-time unit sales of equipment, supplemented by a loyalty points program that converts purchases into future discount vouchers. Pricing is set in euros across entry, mid, and pro tiers, with snowboards ranging from €140 to €549, skis from €149 to €599, and bags from €41 to €150; installment payments (3x interest-free above €200) and free binding mounting reduce purchase friction. The company sells via its own e-commerce storefront (apo-snow.com, with 48-hour shipping in France) and through an authorized dealer network with a public dealer locator and a private dealer ordering section offering tailored payment terms.

APO serves consumer customer segments split by gender (men, women, youth) and discipline (freestyle, all-mountain, freeride/backcountry) across at least 15 countries in Western Europe, North America, and Asia. Its go-to-market relies heavily on a pro rider team that includes Olympic gold medalist Sage Kotsenburg, X Games medalists Spencer O'Brien, Kai Mahler, and Sammy Carlson, whose competition results and video content drive brand awareness. Brand differentiation is anchored in Régis Rolland's pioneering role in European snowboarding (anchored by the Apocalypse Snow film trilogy), European manufacturing heritage, and a strong artistic graphic design identity.

Name

APO

Legal name

SNOWIDE SAS

Website

https://apo-snow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

APO Snowboard & Ski is a French manufacturer of snowboards, skis, and winter sports accessories, founded by Régis Rolland in 2003. The company sells directly via apo-snow.com and through an international dealer network, targeting freestyle, all-mountain, and freeride riders across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winter Sports Equipment

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Ski & Snowboard Equipment Retail (Skis, Boards, Boots, Bindings, Poles) (CRAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Winter Sports (Ski/Snowboard) Retail (CRAMABAJ), Ski & Snowboard Service & Repair Shops (Tuning, Mounting, Boot Fitting) (CRAMAJAF), Outdoor Travel Gear (Duffels, Packs, Dry Bags) Retail (CRAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Snowboard manufacturing
• Ski manufacturing
• Winter sports equipment
• Freestyle snowboards
• Freeride skis

Headquarters

HQ city

Parc

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Snowboard Sales: One-time purchase of snowboards including freestyle, all-mountain, and freeride models for men, women, and children. Products sold at various price points ranging from entry to premium levels.
2. Ski Sales: Sale of skis including freestyle, backcountry, and all-mountain models. Ski line launched in 2008 expanding beyond snowboarding into skiing market.
3. Accessories and Bags: Backpacks, travel bags, snowboard and ski bags, and poles sold as one-time purchases
4. Snowboard and Ski Packs: Bundled packages of snowboard or ski with bindings at discounted prices compared to individual items
5. Loyalty Program: Customers earn loyalty points with purchases that can be converted into discount vouchers for future purchases

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APO designs, manufactures, and sells snowboards, skis, bundled snowboard-plus-bindings packs, ski poles, and carrying accessories (backpacks, travel bags, board/ski sleeves) under the APO Snow brand. The product portfolio covers freestyle, all-mountain, freeride, and backcountry disciplines across men's, women's, and junior segments, with pro-model boards and skis co-developed with Olympic and X Games athletes. Sales occur through the apo-snow.com e-commerce site and an authorized global dealer network, with products manufactured in Europe.

Product overview

APO is a European snowboard and ski equipment company founded by pioneer Régis Rolland, producing a comprehensive range of winter sports gear. The product portfolio centers on two core product lines: snowboards (freestyle, all-mountain, freeride) and skis (freestyle, backcountry, all-mountain), supplemented by bags (backpacks, travel bags, snowboard/ski sleeves), ski poles, and bundled snowboard-plus-bindings packs. The snowboard line includes pro-model boards developed with team riders Sage Kotsenburg, Spencer O'Brien, and Eero Niemelä, plus a limited Dragon Ball Z collaboration (dbz). The ski line, launched in 2008 and expanded from APO's original snowboard focus, includes pro models for Kai Mahler and Sammy Carlson. The bag collection features backpacks (Standor, Hulla), travel bags (Gate 85), and board/ski sleeves (Nomad, Source, Stanton, Lindia, Spencer). All products are manufactured in Europe, primarily France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Snowboards
• Skis
• Packs (Snowboard/Ski + Bindings Bundles)
• Bagagerie (Bags, Backpacks, and Sleeves)
• Batons (Ski Poles)
• APO Loyalty Program
• Free Binding Mounting Service Complimentary binding mounting offered with snowboard and ski purchases to ensure proper setup for the customer.

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature27 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Toei AnimationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Co-branding partnership creating limited edition Dragon Ball Z snowboard. APO partnered with Toei Animation (Japan) and Kumi Yama for a collector's edition snowboard featuring Dragon Ball Z imagery. Only 100 boards produced in this collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Salomon: Salomon, owned by Amer Sports, is a major French-originated winter and outdoor equipment maker with overlapping categories in skis, bindings, boots, and snowboard equipment. It competes with APO's ski line in particular, and shares a similar European design heritage and broad dealer distribution model.
• K2 Sports: K2 Sports is a broad winter sports portfolio (K2 skis, K2 Snowboarding, Line, Ride, Völkl) that competes with APO in both ski and snowboard categories. While APO is single-brand and European-focused, K2's portfolio breadth and global dealer footprint make it the relevant scale benchmark.
• Rossignol Group: Rossignol is a historic French winter sports group that previously owned APO's predecessor brand (A Snowboards, acquired 2000, liquidated 2003). Today it competes directly with APO across skis (and to a lesser extent snowboards and boots), with far greater scale, multi-brand portfolio, and global distribution. The prior ownership relationship adds historical comparability.

Emerging players

• Black Crows Skis: Black Crows is a Chamonix-based ski brand that overlaps with APO's ski line on freestyle, all-mountain, and backcountry categories, with comparable European premium positioning and artist-driven graphic identity. Both brands share a French/European specialty retail go-to-market.
• Endeavor Snowboards: Endeavor is a Canadian boutique snowboard manufacturer with similar craft-driven, small-batch premium positioning. Both companies target freestyle/all-mountain riders via specialty dealers and emphasize proprietary core/laminate technologies rather than competing on mass-market volume.
• Faction Skis: Faction is a Swiss/European ski brand with a comparable premium, design-led positioning in freestyle and backcountry categories. It overlaps directly with APO's ski line in pro-model development, dealer-led distribution, and event-driven marketing through sponsored athletes.
• Amplid Skis and Snowboards: Amplid is a smaller European snowboard and ski manufacturer with a comparable focus on freestyle, park, and backcountry categories. Both companies operate as niche premium brands competing for the same specialty dealer shelf space and pro rider credibility in the European market.

Direct peers

• Capita Snowboards: Capita is an independent snowboard manufacturer with a similarly strong identity-driven, artist-collab product strategy and a comparable price-to-premium positioning. Both brands compete for the freestyle/all-mountain rider in specialty retail and pursue limited outerwear/accessory extensions.
• Burton Snowboards: Burton is the world's largest snowboard brand and the category-defining competitor for APO. Both companies design, manufacture, and sell snowboards, boots, bindings, and outerwear through DTC and dealer networks, and both sponsor elite pro riders. Burton's scale dwarfs APO's, making it the primary reference point for the global freestyle/snowboard segment.
• Nidecker: Swiss-based Nidecker is a family-run snowboard and binding manufacturer with a similar heritage-driven, vertically integrated, European-manufactured profile to APO. Both companies target freestyle/all-mountain riders, sell through specialty dealers globally, and emphasize craft and rider-driven product development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apo-usa-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about APO