Industry News
Just a few months after teasing a collaboration at X Games Aspen 2025, Zeb Powell signed a deal with Nike’s Jordan Brand, marking Jordan’s first step into snowboarding. Each of professional snowboarder Zeb Powell’s X Games snowboards featured the iconic Jumpman logo, leaving many people questioning whether it was just for show or meant something more. After the popular snowboarder took to Instagram, the world knew that the partnership between Powell and Jordan was official.
Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, Powell has quickly made a name for himself in the snowboarding world. The 25-year-old’s erratic riding, fearless style, and gigantic snowboard have made him a fan favorite, and his performances in previous X Games competitions have put Powell in the spotlight within the snowboarding community. Currently sponsored by popular snowboarding-specific brands like Burton and ThirtyTwo, his new Jordan partnership is a significant step for snowboarders partnering with more mainstream, non-snowboarding brands.
This new partnership is not Nike’s first time being present in the world of snowboarding. Nike began making snowboard boots in 2010, and they immediately made some noise within the industry. Nike originally made six different types of boots: the Zoom Force 1, Vapen, Kaiju, DK, Baxa, and Lunarendor. Each boot was beloved by those who wore them, and many still use their old Nike boots today. They had a reputation for durability, comfort, and style, with many enjoying the classic Nike sneaker look in a snowboard boot. Despite its popularity and reputation, Nike discontinued its boot line in 2014 to focus on its skateboarding lines. This marked Nike’s exit from the snowboarding industry.
Powell’s partnership with Jordan has left many wondering what it means. Many have speculated that this could lead to Jordan starting a new snowboard boot line. However, Powell is still sponsored by ThirtyTwo, a company that specializes in making boots. In all likelihood, this partnership will see Powell sporting Jordan apparel, with likely no new snowboarding products coming as a result. Despite this, people all across the snowboarding world are excited about Powell’s new opportunity.
Although this partnership will most likely be purely apparel-related, it is still a significant development in the world of snowboarding. With most snowboard brands being smaller, rider-owned brands, the presence of the Jordan brand certainly shakes things up a little bit. Powell has already introduced many different people to snowboarding, and this partnership will likely increase his reach. As more and more people want to snowboard, seeing popular riders partnering with massive brands may become not so strange and rare of an occurrence.
