The rental market for alpine and snowboard gear continues to evolve, in response to shifts in demand and the overall market as well as technology advances. The result: rental buyers have a wealth of product to consider as they stock up to serve a changing marketplace.

The market for 2026-27 rental gear will be interesting, for at least a couple of reasons.

First, rental gear comprises a significant and increasing portion of the overall gear market in the U.S. According to SIA figures, the market breaks down to about 30% rental, 20% lease/demo, 30% specialty sales, and 20% online. In other words, rental and demo sales have become increasingly important for suppliers.

Second, and related to the first: several suppliers are introducing new step-up rental models for both alpine skis and boots. Of particular note in boots, more models are offering BOA closure systems, as BOA continues to spread throughout suppliers' boot lines. We're looking at you, Head, Rossignol, and Fischer. While BOA tends to come at a slight premium, the market is clearly moving in this direction, as it did with GripWalk over the past decade.

In snowboards, Nitro, which introduced new board and binding lines for this year as part of its push into the rental market, is adding new boots for 2026-27. And Elan's boots, boards, and bindings—adult and junior—are all new. Even more than with alpine boots, BOA is often an option.

Of course, many resort rental buyers favor consistency in product and graphics, which makes a lack of change attractive. And there are several companies that are maintaining the status quo, especially if they have introduced new models and concepts over the past several years. 

Notable among these: Burton is standing pat with its time-tested rental line and Step-On boot-binding system. "Step-On has changed the binding marketplace, and we believe it is also an excellent tool for learning,” says Royal White, senior area manager–Rockies for Burton.

The same is true of Salomon, for both alpine and snowboard. "Our rental partners typically appreciate two- to three-year carryover cycles as it makes their fleet management less chaotic," says Salomon winter sports equipment VP Erik Anderson. "We had one running change—we put a beefier tip on our fleet rental ski."

With all the new and carryover models for rental and demo, resorts have plenty of options for capturing their share of the growing rental/demo market. It's well worth checking out what companies have in store. We'll update this article with specifics as we get more information.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE… Sign up for SAM’s Headline News to receive the free Rental Buyers’ Guide e-blast with more product details about what’s new or changed for 2026-27, or check back here for periodic updates with new rental gear from Head, Rossignol, Nitro, and more.