There is considerable anecdotal evidence that suggests snowboarders relate the perceived "feel" of a snowboard to its on-snow performance. The Snowboard Research Group at RMIT University in Melbourne thus set out to fully characterise the "feel" of snow-boards for the main riding styles. By correlating subjective evaluations to objective laboratory and field based data, the relevant matrices of parameters leading to the desired "feel" of the board can be determined. This article deals with the front-end of the characterisation process by focusing on the Identification of potential design innovation opportunities through a benchmarking analysis of modern snowboards. The qualitative data associated with snowboard "feel" has been obtained through a range of surveys and Interviews, conducted online and in person (on-snow). A Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method was used to process the Information collected, relating the subjective customer requirements to relevant objective technical attributes of snowboards for the selected riding styles. From the market research, user surveys and QFD, a comprehensive gap analysis was completed resulting in the identification of innovation opportunities and preferred design features for modern snowboards. The research determined bending and torsional stiffness distribution as well as camber as the key design characteristics influencing the "feel" and performance of snowboards for both freestyle and freeride riding styles.
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