In a perfect winter wonderland, snowboarders would be able to equip and dress themselves for less cost while staying warm, comfortable and trusting their gear. Luckily, we're excited to present to you the first of its kind, the SNB Coach Jacket. This jacket was built for added warmth under layers, and is enough to suffice on its own in warmer snowboarding temperatures. It's lightweight, made from recycled wadding, stylish, water-repellent, breathable, and best of all, it's just $40.
So who is the person responsible for making the $40 SNB Coach Jacket possible?
His name is Yohann Kelkel and he is a dedicated engineer on the Snowboard by Decathlon team. Yohann is about as passionate as it gets when it comes to snowboarding. His picture below is from the First Track freeride world qualifier event in Switzerland. He is riding on our Dreamscape 166 board and wearing products we are developing for next season!
About Yohann:
I am 33 years old and I have been working in Decathlon for almost 10 years now. Born in the French Alps, being on the snow is second nature to me. After ski racing competitions, I switched to snowboarding at the age of 10 and never went back to skiing. I competed in snowboarding freestyle at a regional level, but my appetite for too many sports drove me away from competition. I skateboard, surf and skydive most frequently, depending on the season and my location. I have a biomechanical engineering background, which allowed me to find my fit at the Decathlon Sports Lab, starting in 2008. Since then, the company encouraged me to grow through many different roles from research, engineering, management, supply, merchandising and product range development. I am now extremely fortunate to oversee a section of the snowboard product range. I am thrilled to combine my passion into bringing snowboarders worldwide the best products to shred, play, and glide with!
Photo from @florian_fatton
Why did you decide to make this product?
Aligned with Decathlon’s desire to bring the best products to every user, a year ago we started from scratch to reimagine the perfect products for snowboarders. The main idea behind this particular product was to give our users the most versatile jacket possible to ride and shred. If I had to summarize the product in one sentence from the view of a snowboarder I would say: "I want a water repellent and breathable product, without any discomfort when I move. I want to use my jacket alone in spring and summer in the park, as well as under my thicker jacket during cold winter weather."
What inspired you in the design process?
I work closely with Stephane, one of the team’s product and fashion designers. I fully trusted Stephane and his sense of style as he is also a passionate snowboarder (and skateboarder). The inspiration I gave in my original brief was not only from shredding freestyle, but also from riding backcountry. Hence, this is how the versatility of the product came about: the ability to use it both as a warm layer and as a standalone jacket to shred the camp in summer. Balthazar, the product developer who worked on the jacket, also did everything to ensure this product would have the best technical features at the best price for every snowboarder. He managed to find a 4-way stretch outer fabric and inner lining. This 4-way stretch gives the user the best freedom of movement when snowboarding! We are very proud to bring you all of this hard work for only $40.
