Tariffs Force Goon Gear to Stop Making Boards
Businesses of all sizes are being impacted by the looming threat of tariffs. Goon Gear, the family owned and beloved board brand from pro rider Lucas Magoon and his wife Tonya, is the latest to announce changes.Goon Gear will not produce snowboards for the 2025-2026 season. An Instagram post from the official account, however, stated that the brand will get back to doing so sometime in the future. There will still be some fresh product drops in the fall of 2025, but snowboards will not be among them. Previous products have included t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, dice, can coolers, replica baseball jerseys, and phone cases.'After a lot of thought, we've made the tough call not to produce boards next season,' the post said. 'With unpredictable tariffs and rising costs, it's just too risky for a small business like ours.''Running Goon Gear has never been about money—it's about passion for snowboarding and this community.'
The post went on to call for people to support small businesses. Whether that's the local farmer's market, mom-and-pop deli, or coffee from a local store, skipping the corporate machine can help the small businesses rolling during times like these.Goon Gear has extended its reach into the community through its Goon Jam tour, which has aimed at connecting friends together for a day of snowboarding. There's no judging and a whole lot of fun. The past season saw the tour start in New York at Snow Ridge in December, make its way all the way to Lee Canyon Ski Area in Las Vegas, and back to the northeast, with its finale at Saddleback in Rangely, Maine. The Goon Gear love can be seen throughout the snowboarding world, but particularly in Vermont, Magoon's home state.
The family-owned businesses are not alone in being impacted by the tariffs. At the end of April, Black Diamond came forward to tell customers to expect increases in the cost of already-exiting products.'Beginning May 5, 2025, prices on most of our products will increase 10–25% due to the recent wave of global tariffs introduced by the Trump Administration,' an email to customers said. 'Tariffs have dramatically increased the cost of producing our gear - by more than double in some cases.Burton Snowboards and J Skis, both companies that are based out of Vermont, are also navigating similar circumstances. Burton CEO John Lacy told the Bennington Banner that prices could increase between 46 and 145 percent.
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Miami Herald
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Chicago Tribune
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CNBC
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36-year-old travels the world in a Toyota Tacoma: After 3 years on the road, this is her No. 1 takeaway
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