SOURCE 74 (dec/jan) ENGLISH VERSION

BOARDSPORT

ISSUE #074. DECEMBER 2014 / JANUARY 2015. €5 KEVIN BAILEY: PRESIDENT OF VF ACTION SPORTS COALITION & VANS EUROPEAN SKATEBOARD MARKET IN 2015 SNOWBOARDING: 3 GENERATIONS OF RIDER

E U R O P E A N S U R F / S K AT E / S N O W B U S I N E S S

TREND REPORTS: BOOTS, BINDINGS, HELMETS, PROTECTION, WATCHES, SURF APPAREL, STREETWEAR

& MUCH MORE...

US Editor Harry Mitchell Thompson harry@boardsportsource.com Surf & French Editor Iker Aguirre iker@boardsportsource.com Snowboard Editor Rémi Forsans remi@boardsportsource.com Skate Editor Dirk Vogel dirk@boardsportsource.com German Editor Anna Langer anna@boardsportsource.com Design & Art Direction Owen Tozer owen@boardsportsource.com Design Assistant Roddy Bow production@boardsportsource.com Web Media Manager Denis Houillé denis@boardsportsource.com Market Intel Manager Chelsea van der Merwe chelsea@boardsportsource.com Proofreaders Insa Muth, Marie-Laure Ducos, Chelsea van der Merwe

HELLO #74 Adios 2014, it’s been a blast.

As we arrive in the 14/15 Winter season, snowboarding seems to be at somewhat of a crossroads. The attention garnered by the Winter Olympics earlier in 2014, where younger riders were gaining thousands of new followers every time they refreshed their Facebook feeds, contrasts with the views of older pros that’d like to see their younger peers boycott all FIS events to grant the TTR Tour unparalleled autonomy. It was nearly 17 years ago that Terje Håkonsen shunned the Nagano Winter Olympics, and it’s a similar move that senior pros would like to see mirrored by today’s elite. Thanks to the large amounts of money events such as the Olympics are worth to competitors, we may not see this replicated any time soon.

Passing snowboarding from one generation to the next is crucial and Source’s Snowboard Editor Rémi Forsans has dissected the market into three age categories in order to suggest how both brands and retailers can profit from adhering to the needs of each of them.

Snowboard boots are the most vital part of any snowboard setup and are an easy sell.

Our snowboard retail aficionado Tom WilsonNorth summarizes 15/16’s boot offerings and also tells us just why next year’s bindings are going to attract more attention than previously.

We also have all the very latest in helmet and

Contributors Stefan Dongus, Asier Zabarte, Benoît Brecq, Gordon Way, Fabien Grisel, Franz Holler, Miriam Deller, Jade Persaud-Walters, Daisy Maddinson, William Maddinson, Samuel Peek, Marta Malysz, Tom Wilson-North

CONTENT

protection technology broken into two easily understandable guides.

For those looking at next winter’s offerings away from the mountains, we have AW15/16 surf apparel and streetwear reports as well as a comprehensive preview of the watch market for 2015.

Be sure to read this issue’s Big Wig with Kevin Bailey, President of VF Action Sports Coalition and Vans. Kevin gives us insights into how a brand approaching its 50th anniversary stays relevant, and how on earth the brand recorded double-digit revenue growth for the 20th consecutive quarter in Q314.

So I will bring in some New Year cheer as we bid adieu to 2014 and dip my toe into the market mood. It seems to me the industry is more positive about 2015 than it has been for any year since the 2008 GFC. Brands are better sized and more focused on what they are doing and even though the winter market is really tough, brands have done their homework and are prepared. Relating our economic situation to a backcountry powder line: after multiple turns, slashes, and face-shots you hit a pillow drop - all that’s left to do is keep the weight over the back knee to ride away cleanly and prevent any unnecessary ragdolling.

Always sideways, Harry Mitchell Thompson, Editor

11. NEWS

48. WOMEN’S STREETWEAR AW15/16

15. TRADESHOW PREVIEWS

50. UK SNOWBOARDING: A THRIVING MARKET

17. ON-SNOW DEMO PREVIEWS

53. HELMETS 15/16 TREND REPORT

Advertising & Marketing clive@boardsportsource.com

19. RETAILER PROFILE – ZERO-G CHAMONIX

55. PROTECTION 15/16 TREND REPORT

20. SNOWBOARD BOOTS 15/16 TREND REPORT

56. WATCHES 2015 TREND REPORT

Accounts Manager accounts@boardsportsource.com

23. THE EUROPEAN SKATEBOARD MARKET 2015

58. GREENROOMVOICE

27. SNOWBOARD BINDINGS 15/16

60. BRAND PROFILE: DINOSAURS WILL DIE

To Subscribe www.boardsportsource.com subs@boardsportsource.com

30. HOW & WHY TO COLLABORATE

62. BRAND PROFILE: DRITEK

32. MEN’S SURF APPAREL AW15/16

64. BRAND PROFILE: -BAJA CLOTHING

34. WOMEN’S SURF APPAREL AW15/16

66. NEW PRODUCTS

Publisher clive@boardsportsource.com

37. SNOWBOARDING: 3 GENERATIONS OF RIDER.

68. MARKET INTELLIGENCE

41. MEN’S STREETWEAR AW15/16

76. JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES

Published by ESB, 22 Friars Street, Sudbury, Suffolk, UK CO10 2AA

46. BIG WIG KEVIN BAILEY, PRESIDENT OF VF

78. EVENTS

ACTION SPORTS COALITION AND VANS.

80. ONE EYED MONSTER

Boardsport SOURCE is published bi-monthly © ESB. All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission, except for permitted fair dealing under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. Application for permission for use of copyright material including permission to reproduce extracts in other public works shall be made to the publishers. Full acknowledgement of author, publisher and source must be given. The views expressed in this publication are not those necessarily held by the Publisher. ISSN # 1478-4777

www.boardsportsource.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS

ALTAMONT CAPITAL PARTNERS CONTINUE TO BUILD ACTION SPORTS PORTFOLIO WITH ADDITION OF BRIXTON AND HUF PARTNERSHIPS Altamont Capital Partners have been gradually building what has now become an impressive action sports portfolio of brands. Starting with the acquisition of DaKine from Billabong a couple of years ago, followed

by Lib-Tech from the Quiksilver group, Altamont has now teamed up with both Brixton and HUF. Californian-based Brixton started out in 2004 by Jason Young, Mike Chapin and David Stoddard. Brixton have partnered with Altamont in order to grow their business and brand and will continue to operate from its headquarters in Oceanside, led by a senior executive team comprised of Young as General Manager, Stoddard as Brand Manager and Chapin as CFO. Former Oakley head Scott Olivet, now Operating Partner at ACP will sit on the board as Chairman of Brixton.

HUF have been gaining traction over the past few years, and required backing to help them grow their presence internationally and also at retail. This includes the creation of their own branded retail spaces in L.A and New York. Scott Olivet and Altamont will be taking a purely board and strategy role with HUF enabling the brands management to call on their expertise where relevant.

ISPO LAUNCHES INTO CWS At ISPO Munich 2015, the tradeshow, in association with EuroSIMA, will officially launch a B2B platform dedicated to Cold Water Surfing. The brands from the sector will be taking part as well as athletes, bloggers, designers and artists, all gathered to highlight the richness of CWS culture. The idea behind this initiative is to highlight CWS technologies and products while distinguishing it from the surf fashion market. So if you’re active in this niche join the industry on its first CWS focused platform.

HORSEFEATHERS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS Horsefeathers was started as a high-school project in British Columbia, Canada in 1989 by a group of friends stoked on snowboarding and the emerging boardsports culture. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Horsefeathers. The brand is still fully driven by riders who put maximum energy into creating great collections, backed by great quality. Since day one, the growth was fuelled by passion for riding and until today, it remains as the core value of the brand.

THE ARBOR COLLECTIVE INTRODUCES ITS APPAREL LINE TO THE EUROPEAN MARKET After being successful with apparel in US for the past couple of years, Arbor has decided to introduce its Autumn/Winter 15/16 line to the European Market. This functional, wearable and comfortable gear, can be worn for camping, skating and hiking all in the same day, addressing the true adventurer. Arbor Apparel is distributed for Europe by Open Ocean Sports GmbH and can be seen at ISPO at booth A1.100.

ENDEAVOR SNOWBOARDS APPOINTS ROB DOW AS BRAND MANAGER Canadian snowboard brand Endeavor have appointed Rob Dow as Brand Manager. Rob turned pro in 93 and was involved in setting up brands Iris Goggles (now IS Design) and Wildcats. Rob later became Principle at snowboard production company Whiteout Films.

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SURFSTITCH ACQUIRES SURFDOME FROM QUIKSILVER SurfStitch has bought British online retailer Surfdome from Quiksilver, in a move that now sees SurfStitch, Swell and Surfdome all under the ownership of a consortium of investors including SurfStitch founders Justin Cameron and Lex Pedersen. Surfdome, established in London, UK in 2006 by founder Justin Stone, has grown significantly since inception to offer consumers over 30,000 styles from 900 brands to 125 + countries. With SurfStitch’s leading positions in the French, Spanish and Italian markets and Surfdome’s dominant positions in UK, Germany and Nordic countries, the combined European operations provide the Group an opportunity to further expand in greater Europe. And with growth rates in the last 12 months of over 50% for the combined European operations, momentum is building quickly.

NEW MARKETING STRUCTURE AT GLOBE EUROPE Globe Europe has recently developed its marketing department with the arrival of Josh Barrow who will be working closely with the surf & skate team as well as dealing with media. Dennis Nickel who’s been in the company for four years has been promoted and will be dealing with retail marketing. Jessica Lanzi remains co-ordinator.

KELLY SLATER TAKES ON AMBASSADOR ROLE FOR ALL KERING BRANDS Kelly Slater left Quiksilver earlier this year, and started his own project Outerknown under the Kering group umbrella. Slater recently post on Instagram that he has become an ambassador for all Kering brands. This means he will be representing Volcom, Electric and their Cobra/Puma golf programs. Thanks to the repositioning of Volcom and Electric both brands posted a combined 5% increase, globally. Volcom and Electric are listed as “other brands” on Kering’s balance sheet (together with Tretorn and Cobra), accounting for¤74.3 million in revenues in Q3 2014.

SMITH OPTICS MOVE HQ TO OREGON FROM IDAHO In Safilo Group’s mission to transform Smith from a snow sports eyewear brand into a global eyewear brand, the company has moved Smith’s HQ from Ketchum, Idaho to Portland, Oregon. Smith’s design, product development, marketing, artwork, and e-commerce activities will relocate to Portland, making the site the Global Sports & Outdoor Lifestyle Design Centre, creating and developing all potential future brands and products targeted at this consumer segment.

SIGB 13/14 SURVEY - SNOWBOARD BOOTS UP 21% The Snowsport Industry of Great Britain (SIGB) has released its trade survey findings, and snowboard boot sales were up 21% on the 12/13 season, reversing the trend of reduced sales between 2008 and 2012.

MELLO SKATEBOARDS LAUNCH IN UK MELLO Skateboards from Cornwall, England have launched in the UK. The retro skateboard company has ‘light-up-as-you-ride LED wheels’, and also polycarbonate decks that give a very distinctive look.

#74

SUPERBRAND SURFBOARDS AND APPAREL APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF MARKETING AND INTERNATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR SUPERbrand Surfboards has appointed ex-TransWorld Surf editor Justin Coté to head up their marketing teams. Coté began his career sweeping the floor at Agua surfboards as a ten-year old, worked at events for Life’s A Beach as a sixteen-year old, and was a substitute teacher on the North Shore of Oahu before joining the TransWorld SURF edit staff in 2004 where he held the titles of editor and online editor. The brand has also added Dorig Bocquet as the new International Sales Director, he fills the position with over a decade of action sports industry experience for brands including Nitro Circus/ Skullcandy and Monster.

POC WINS GRAND AWARD FROM POPULAR SCIENCE FOR HELMET THAT TELLS USER WHEN TO REPLACE Scandinavian brand POC has won the Grand Award from Popular Science for its Skull Orbic COmp H.I. MIPS helmet. The helmet has sensors, which alert the user when the helmet needs to be replaced after one too many impacts. The Skull Orbic Comp H.I. MIPS features a collection of stress-strain sensors distributed over the liner that record, collect and memorize any deformation. If an impact, or a combination of impacts, exceeds the predefined level, an indicator light turns from green to red, meaning that the helmet should be replaced.

BENCH APPOINTS NEW CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER & CHIEF WHOLESALE OFFICER International fashion company Bench continues to strengthen its management team. Natalie Suessmann has taken on the newly created position of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Based in Munich, she will be responsible for marketing, communication, e-commerce, and licensing for the lifestyle brand, which is present in 26 countries. Sebastian Prallet will assume the newly created position of Chief Wholesale Officer at the brand, putting him in charge of the fashion company’s worldwide distribution via wholesalers. Bench has around 1,500 wholesale customers worldwide, including 700 in Germany.

PLANET SPORTS OPENS NEW STORE IN MANNHEIM & LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE SHOP Planet Sports have opened their fourth store this year, a >700m2 space in Manheim, Germany. The retailer has also launched their new online shop, which can be operated perfectly on a mobile device.

GOPRO FILES TO OFFER $800 MILLION IN SHARES GoPro are to sell $800 million in shares, after their shares have more than tripled since going public in June. A lock-up of its shares ends on December 22, which means the company is shoring up its stock to prevent fluctuations which may arise as employees and shareholders are allowed to sell their shares once this period is over. CEO Nick Woodman will be selling some of his shares, and says the $800 million being sold is to invest in “people, products, potential acquisitions and infrastructure.”

VANDEM MFG AND STEEZE DISTRIBUTION ANNOUNCE NEW DISTRIBUTION SLIDE TRADESHOW EXPANDS DUE TO AGREEMENT FOR BENELUX REGION Vandem MFG have entered into an new exclusive agreement with Steez OVERWHELMING DEMAND Distribution. This means that Lush Longboards, Cult Wheels and Sabre Trucks are available with immediate effect from Steez Distribution for retailers based within the Benelux region.

SPACECRAFT ADDS OUTDOORINDUSTRY VETERAN CHAD PERRIN AS DIRECTOR OF SALES Headwear and apparel brand Spacecraft have added industry veteran Chad Perrin as their new Director of Sales. Perrin previously worked as Option-NFA TM, and later served in key sales positions at the likes of Flow Snowboards, YES Snowboards, Jones Snowboards and most recently at Karakoram.

SP GADGETS OPENS A NEW OFFICE IN NEWPORT BEACH, OC Having been looking to focus more on the North American market, SP Gadgets have opened an office in Newport Beach, Orange County. The brand successfully entered the market through online retailers such as Amazon, B&H, Best Buy and REI and are now setting up a sales team to improve their in-shop retail network across the USA. This team will be led by their N.A. Sales Manager Greg Hughes, who formerly worked at Mervin for many years.

UK snowsports tradeshow Slide has had to expand its January 2015 show to meet the overwhelming response from exhibitors. The number of exhibitors and size of the show has already surpassed the last two editions of Slide and the organisers are confident of selling out the expanded area. Exhibitors who haven’t yet committed are urged to contact the organisers without delay to avoid missing out.

FERNANDO AGUERRE RE-ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL SURFING ASSOCIATION

Fernando Aguerre has been re-elected unopposed as President of the International Surfing Association (ISA) at the ISA 50th Anniversary World Surfing Games in Punta Rocas, Peru. Aguerre will continue to lead the sport’s global development in what will be his eighth term as President.

AIR+STYLE3: BEIJING, INNSBRUCK, LOS ANGELES Shaun White announced plans for the new season for Air & Style. It is now a three-stop tour, starting with the Beijing edition (December 5/6 2014), Innsbruck (January 16/17, 2015) and the big tour-final in Los Angeles (January 21/22 2015). The event is now morphing into an action sports/arts/music/technology festival.

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TRADESHOW PREVIEW This winter ’s Berlin fashion week will see a further narrowing of the diminishing gap between BBB and the other shows. BBB now no longer dominates with the other shows becoming just as important for buyers. Though the demise of Capsule Berlin is a loss and demonstrates that it’s a tough market out there, the other shows have all raised their game and are each offering a much more focused group of exhibitors than BBB ever has.

BREAD & BUTTER: TEMPLEHOF AIRPORT BERLIN, JANUARY 19-21, 2015 After its sudden about turn on the winter location BBB will remain in Berlin. The decision to go to Barcelona has been reversed, meaning it’s not “always summer in the BBB world” now. This combined with its previous reversal on its decision to hold consumer days has damaged the credibility of the show’s management. Rumour has it that the number of brands exhibiting will be down with high end brands moving to the premium show and street brands to Bright. Being the juggernaut

of the European fashion shows, BBB will no doubt pull something out of the hat. Well we here at Source hope so as it’s still a key attendance driver for Berlin Fashion Week. As usual the show should be the welloiled machine it’s always been but with the clientele as fickle as the product one hopes the show can still deliver on its promise. Opening at 10am each day you will have plenty of time to walk the halls. www.breadandbutter.com

BRIGHT: BERLIN, JANUARY 19-21, 2015 Believe it or not it’s Bright’s 20th show this January. From the early shows in the disused Police station in Frankfurt, the show has grown up to be a key event on the European trade show scene. For 2015 Bright’s back at its new home for its second winter show. The third floor, that was added in summer, will be used in the winter for the first time. This has expanded exhibitor space by 30%, increasing the number of exhibitors for the winter edition. Bright is now the defacto home of youth streetwear at Berlin Fashion week, with the return of Carhartt to the exhibitor list really underlining its status. Bright continues to offer more of a core/roots event in contrast to the bigger more corporate shows, with the deconstructed interior of the building in which it is housed creating a perfect backdrop for the brands in this market. The 300 exhibiting brands, represent a well balanced mix of the sneaker, streetwear and skateboarding markets with brands such as Brixton, Burton, Carhartt, Converse, Dekline, Diamond Supply Co, Element, Etnies, Globe, Habitat, Hosoy, Independent, Irie Daily, Iron Fist, Jimmy Z, Macbeth footwear, Matix Clothing, Neff Headwear, Nixon, O’Neill, TSG, Turbokolor, Vans, Wemoto and Xlarge adding to the lineup. The art area will have 20 years of Chocolate retrospective, a photo exhibition by Bitchslap Magazine, and a New York Core skate residency by Jenkem Magazine.

For the fourth year, Bright will present its annual European Skate Awards, in collaboration with Vans, Nixon, Budweiser, Red Bull and

Kingpin. The ceremony and party will be on Tuesday, January 20 at the House of Vans Berlin. The awards will see all categories opened to public voting and guests will see the winners pick up awards in the following categories: magazine of the year, website of the year, brand of the year, shop of the year, photographer of the year, clip of the year, video of the year, rookie of the year, SkateAid charity of the year, the Red Bull Media House videographer of the year and Kingpin European skater of the year.

International visitors made up just under 50% of the traffic in 2014’s summer show, with the strongest contingents coming from the UK, Netherlands, France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Bright continues to draw in the overseas crowd.

Located in the heart of Berlin Mitte only five minutes walk from Rosenthaler Platz, it’s close to many relevant retail stores and makes access to the other Berlin fashion week shows extremely easy. Bright now offers a shuttle service to and from Seek, Show&Order and Premium tradeshows, for which the event now shares a joint 4-way ticket.

Doors open at 10am every morning and close at 6pm on the Wednesday and Thursday and 5pm on the last day. See you there. www.brighttradeshow.com 15

ON SNOW DEMO PREVIEW FUTURE TRY, DAVOS: JANUARY 11-12 & TEST LES CROSETS (PORTES DU SOLEIL): JANUARY 19, SWITZERLAND The Future Try is an on-snow test event exclusively for snowboard retailers from the eastern and central parts of Switzerland. This y ear’s event will be not just a test event, but it will also include a get together of the industry and the dealers to discus the market and to share new ideas on how to grow snowboarding. This will take place on the Sunday evening in the Hotel lobby where there will also be free drinks. Brands at the event include Amplid, APO, Arbor, Bataleon,

Burton, Capita, Elan, Flow, Head, Jones K2 Lobster, Never Summer, Nidecker, Nitro, Ride, Rome, Rossignol, Salomon, Völkl and West Snowboarding. Test Les Crosets Is a one-day event put together by the same organizers as Future Try but is more focused on the French speaking part of Switzerland and Brands exhibiting are the same as at the Future Try. For more information on both Swiss events go to www.snowboardbox.ch

SNOW AVANT-PREMIÈRE: JANUARY 18-20 LA CLUSAZ, FRANCE The professional snowboard test in La Clusaz celebrates its 14th birthday and they have some new changes to boast about. This year, brands also have the chance to show their products on an exhibition wall inside the 450m² showroom tent enabling retailers to quickly see the highlights of every brand in a cosy atmosphere. There will also be a space close by for outerwear, goggle and helmet brands in booth format.

Last year Snow Avant-Première had 795 visitors representing 297 shops. Brands exhibiting this January include 32, Amplid, Apo, Arbor, Bataleon, Burton, Capita, Deeluxe, DaKine, Drake, Dragon, Dupraz, Electric, Endeavor, Flow, Jones, K2, Kali, Lobster, Never Summer,

Nidecker, Nitro, Northwave, Picture, Ride, Rip Curl, Rossignol, Salomon, Signal, Slash, Smith, Smokin Snowboards, Stepchild, Swicthback, Union, Völkl and Yes. Two people per shop are invited with the invitation including an access badge, ski pass for the La Clusaz resort, breakfast and lunch per person and accommodation is offered at a special price. If you are more than two people or if you want to extend your journey, it costs 50 Euros extra per person per day. The organizers also provide a shuttle from Geneva to La Clusaz for 45 Euros return trip.

For more information go to www.sportair.fr

SHOPS 1ST TRY: JANUARY 25- 27 ALPBACHTAL – WILDSCHÖNAU, AUSTRIA SHOPS 1st TRY has moved to a new location after five years at Landeck.

45 brands have already registered for the event, including: Amplid, Amplifi, Anon, Arbor, Bataleon, Bern, Buddy Buddy, Burton, Capita, DaKine, DC, Deeluxe, Drake, Flow, Flux, Gnu, Goodboards, Head, Icetools, Jones, K2, Lib-Tech, Lobster, Never Summer, Nidecker, Nikita, Nitro, Northwave, Pally Hi, Picture, Pow, Ride, Rome, Rossignol, Roxy, Salomon, Smith, Switchback, Technine, ThirtyTwo, Union, Vans, Völkl and VonZipper.

The location is easily accessible from all directions, just 75 minutes from Munich, 45 minutes from Innsbruck and 1hour 45 minutes from Salzburg. The test area will be located in Inneralpbach, at the bottom

of the cable car. Meaning retailers don’t even have to bring their own boards or boots to get to the test area and booth and take down will be much quicker and easier. Testers have a choice of either going to the Wiedersberger Horn free ride area or a pisted run that passes by the Snowpark Alpbachtal. There’s also the option to take a splitboard hike out into one of the last secret freeride spots in Tirol, weather conditions permitting. Sunday evening the first ever “Exhibition Dinner” will be held in the Congress Centrum Alpbach, a mixture of product highlight display, dinner and party.

Shops need to get a login code from one of the participating brands to register for the event at www.shops-1st-try.com

PRO SHOP TEST: JANUARY 25-27 ANDALO (TRENTINO), ITALY Pro Shop Test has moved to a new location for this year to Andalo in Trentino, 2hours 40minutes from Milan and just under four hours from Torino.

This on-snow demo brings together around 100 selected snowboard, ski and freeski shops invited to the event as guests, with free accommodation, lift pass and meals. Snowboard brands confirmed at time of going to print include: 686, APO, Armada, Bonfire, Capita, Coal, Dal Bello, Deeluxe, DC, Demon, Dragon, Drake, Elan, Electric, Giro, Gnu, Jones, K2 , L1, Lib-Tech, Never Summer, Nike Vision, Nikita, Nitro,

Northwave, Picture Organic Clothing, Protest, Quiksilver, Ride, Roxy, Salomon, Santa Cruz, Slash, Smith Optics, Smokin Snowboards, Spy, Tailgrab, ThirtyTwo, TSG, Union, Völkl, White Doctor, and YES. This year’s test offers an enriched program with a special focus on freeride on the Sunday from 3.00 – 6.00 pm. The first Italian Freeride Forum will be held, which will be launched in partnership with ISPO Academy and Pointbreak. The following evening is the welcome party by ISPO and 2015 Snow Shop Awards. www.proshoptest.com

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retailer profile

ZERO G Zero G, Chamonix is one of France’s leading core snowboard shops, now in its 26th year and takes this issue’s Retailer Profile as a business with its finger on the pulse of both the local Chamonix scene and the wider snowboarding community. Zero G’s management team talks us through the benefits of an online store, how the average snowboard consumer has evolved and how to define your shop’s image.

Please give a brief history of your store.

We’ve been in Chamonix since 1987. Before owner Martin Green moved here he was a sports retailer in London in the 70s & 80s; he was the first person to import roller skates and skateboards to the UK, then the first to bring in mountain bikes to France. He has a great eye for opportunity and has a knack for reading market trends. We were the first in Europe to receive Burton splitboards in 2000 and the first people to do all the rest of the splitboard kit properly today.

What percentage of your sales are from online business compared to your brick-and-mortar sales?

Online is running at about 15% of our turnover but climbing year on year. I think that nowadays people find it convenient to buy online… people are time-poor, and if they decide at midnight they want a certain board, they want to order it then, not wait till the weekend and come to the store. Digital is a massive part of the future of our business.

What are the benefits of having a physical shop over simply having an online store?

Things have switched a bit; people have got used to buying stuff online and people expect independent stores to have a website.

Clothing is still a bit of a minefield with a high percentage of returns, and boots is a no-go area for us. What’s difficult to quantify is the amount of offline sales we make as a result of having a website.

So many times people come in and ask for a specific product, in a certain size, that they have seen on the site. They’ll double check it’s right and then they pay and leave.

What are your secrets for selling high-end products?

In snowboarding there’s no secret to selling high end product, it just works. Before, our hardgoods buyer Tom used to see the lower-end gear like 300¤ snowboards and 120¤ bindings as risk-free. Now it’s the opposite, so we buy higher and higher end every year. All the

premium stuff doesn’t really faze us, and our clients love seeing this stuff in here. Even though the overall market is shrinking, the people still in the sport have got cash and are more discerning.

Did your store’s sales increase or decrease over last year?

We’ve stayed the same. The ordering was done better, but the weather conditions were less conducive to sell-through. Most of our suppliers were incredibly helpful, but the whole market was declining. Supplier relations are very important to us, from the guy in Sallanches who supplies our toilet paper to the guys in Norway who supply our top end Gore jackets. Having great partners who understand our business and are always open to working with us is a big help.

How do you stay in touch with the wants and needs of your customers?

Clients don’t tell us how or what they want to buy, it’s up to us to figure it out. If something stopped working, it’s up to us to adjust. And God, you have to do it so fast nowadays. This year our back to school season screwed up because we received deliveries late and then the product just wasn’t selling...we checked with some kids at the local school and saw what brands they were working…and adjusted for next year. We also do all the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram interactions that are ‘de rigueur’ nowadays, but we’ve yet to see clients ask for different brands or delivery channels through those mediums.

What kind of advice can you give other independent retailers who are trying to compete against the big box megastores?

Separate your offer entirely. Don’t buy jackets that look like the stuff in H&M and Primark -go into your ‘boardsport,’ look deeper and more honestly and make your shop the place to go for that particular look.

Also, be more discerning with your brands. Try to buy from brands that go further than the once-yearly phone call and tradeshow appointment.

The brands that give a shit about your business are the ones you should give a shit about. Dump the ones who are unsupportive.

ZERO G, CHAMONIX, FRANCE 19

photo: Burton

trend report

SNOWBOARD BOOTS TREND REPORT 15/16 Snowboard boots are one of the key tools for bricks-and-mortar snowboard shops; buying a snowboard boot will always be a question of fit first, with function and form less important. And no matter how long he spends Googling, a consumer is never going to get that foot-in-boot feeling from a screen or live chat window.

2015/16’s boot orders are only a couple of weeks away; the season will be notable for the absence of Nike, who became an important part of the boot category in the short time they stuck it out. Next year will also see the return of Vans snowboard boots, who have done a lot of tuning during their one-year category hiatus. Tom Wilson-North rounds up the best of next year’s product in our exclusive snowboard boot trend report.

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KEY NEW MODELS As is with every year, there is an influx of new models with redesigns of existing staples alongside completely new characters. Vans are banging back onto the scene with their flagship V-66 model, designed

by Taka Hayashi; a masterpiece of rich leather and impressive craftsmanship – put it on your shopping list for the tradeshows.

They’ve also got a girl’s Hi-Standard boot developed with rider Hana Beaman, which has delicate rose patterning and complementary earth tones.

Backcountry boots are still trending; Rome’s Guide boot is a great choice for this part of your boot wall, with bombproof construction and easy selling points like a Boa-powered liner, premium full-grain leather and Vibram Icetrek 2 compound sole. Meanwhile, for the splitboard crew, Xavier de Le Rue gets another new model from Deeluxe, now with a lighter sole and updated aesthetic. 32 have a Jeremy Jones backcountry model to show about: “Designed for snowboarding, mountaineering and split boarding these boots will have every feature needed for Jeremy’s next big mountain challenge.”

We’re looking forward to seeing Flow’s new mid-range Helios and women’s Lunar boots. These have Vibram soles and wrap up using Boa Focus Coiler lacing; their medium flex means they’ll be an easy sell. Equally, Salomon’s mid-range Dialogue gets a juicy upgrade with memory foam footbeds and RF3 construction, which delivers a better fit and more rebound.

Northwave’s Legend boot gets a new EVA outsole that combines the lightness and durability of mesh with a thermowelded, waterproof material. Also going lightweight are Head with their Three boot, equipped with a similarly lightweight EVA outsole. The heat mouldable liner on the Three is brand new too, with bonus width adjustable for riders with freakishly wide or narrow plates of meat.

trend report

Almost every brand we spoke to cited trail running as a source of influence Wrapping up our tour of the 15/16 must-sees, we loved the look of Ride’s top-end Trident, which contains all their technology – there’s a new Boa closure system inside the SlimeTongue, and Michelin rubber Peak outsole beneath.

AESTHETIC Gone are the days of a moody-looking, badly-lit boot wall with black, L-shaped lumps snarling in the twilight. Boots are better looking than ever, even though your number one selling colour is going to be – you guessed it - black. “Black is a very safe colour to match with almost any kind of apparel”, confirms Head’s PLM Christian Verlohr, while 32 are offering combinations of pop colour and earth tones.

But we’re also seeing patterns on snowboard boots trending after a prolonged absence. You’ll not only find them on Deeluxe’s signature models, but also at Ride, who have a great acid washed denim print and a daisy floral on their Sage. Other unexpected colours we saw were the marbled and pastel colours from Nitro, and sunburnt beach tones from K2.

INFLUENCE AND INSPIRATION Just as interesting as aesthetics is where brands find inspiration for their collections. Almost every brand we spoke to cited trail running as a source of influence; this market is seeing phenomenal success and growth, so it’s natural snowboarding would borrow ideas. At the same time, not everyone wants to look like they’re rocking running shoes; in fact the back-turning of Nike to the snowboard market has almost encouraged core riders to represent core snowboard brands and rely less on crossover product from athletic companies.

Skateboarding was, understandably, a huge source of inspiration, and explains the real leather and light cordura that’s trending. Mountain hiking and vintage outdoor shoes are also big influences, but Ride’s Treu Hahnenberger is confident it’s for more than just the look: “Our dealers are asking for more hiking oriented features that are functional inbounds while improving the backcountry experience”.

LINERS A boot is nothing without a decent liner in it. Head have a whole new liner range at all their price-points using heat mouldable Perfect Fit foam borrowed from their ski-boot making chums. They’re also adding bamboo charcoal lining to stop your sweaty feet turning the boot into a petri dish, and multi-density footbeds for extra cushioning underneath.

Salomon see a footbed improvement too, investing in the same Ortholite inserts that are used with so much success in their trail running shoes. They’ll be in the whole range, regardless of price-point.

NEW VIBRAM LICKS There’s plenty of Vibram around next year thanks to an increase in product options from the grippy-sole specialists. Burton’s clearlytitled ‘Burton Exclusive Outsole’ débuts on the SLX and will use three separate materials – EVA, Vibram and TPU - to create their lightest weight Vibram outsole ever. Equally, Deeluxe are using a new kind of Vibram outsole on their BC series, and Flow have an all-new BareFoot Technology outsole with Vibram, which is low profile and very supportive with great traction and dampening.

Consumers seem to trust third-party component manufacturers on snowboard boots and are reassured when they see their logos on the product. It’s not just Vibram getting in on the game though; Deeluxe use Slytech foam for cushioning, and Nitro use orange d3o supergoo in the liner tongues of the Select, Team and Faint models for cushioning against forward flex impact and liner lace bite.

CUSTOMIZABLE FLEX No one boot will fit two different snowboarders the same, thanks to different usage, biomechanics and physical differences in foot shape.

So brands haven’t hesitated to offer easily customizable flexes. “We have considered customizable flex a key element since day one, as every rider out there is different”, says Vans’ Action Sports Product Manager Juss Apivala. “Our removable high-rebound Hytrel® tongue stiffeners allow riders to custom-tune their boot flex. On top of that there’s something we call the Reach Around: allowing a rider to easily customize the fit and response of their boot”.

Other brands take a different approach, preferring to offer a variety of flexes throughout the line, thus leaving it to the rider to find the sweet spot themselves. Both approaches have their merits. Burton was the first brand to experiment with adjustable flex boots, having offered TPU tongue inserts on Driver X for many years. “However,” admits their Boot Director Eric Gaisser, “we found that the majority of consumers just weren’t using them. In most cases shops were simply throwing them away. Our research indicates that consumers are more concerned with out-of-box comfort and a fit that will last all season long”. Head agree; “We did not add a flex customization into the boots for a good reason. We believe that you will only set your flex once, so why not buy the boot that already has the right flex. In addition, a lot of flex adjustments cause pressure points from the inlays that you need to put into the boot.”

From a retail perspective, a mix of custom-flex boots and a coherent line of flex choices ought to work best.

CLOSURE SYSTEMS Last year was the first season where engineers starting mixing up closure systems on snowboard boots. Multi-system closures are now market-wide; they’re commonplace and here to stay. The European market is definitely still trending away from traditional laces to the speed and convenience of quicklace solutions. No surprises that Boa is the dominant market player, with a couple of cool new innovations.

K2 have a brand new solution using a new Boa design which they’ll be showing for the first time at ISPO. Likewise, Burton have developed the industry’s first soft lace Boa closure system. It will use the same durable ropes which have made Speed Zone so popular, and you’ll see it line-wide on all of their Boa models. An added plus is that with no more dull metal wiring, the boots are able to be a lot more colourful.

CONCLUSION Snowboard boots are a great category where your salespeople will engage with customers, develop relationships and prove their expertise. And with a ton of modern tech and relevant colour stories, the boot wall is going to be a light, bright place for all that to happen.

Go deep on the models that your clients dig the most, include plenty of the new technology, offer a couple of small lines of funky colours to brighten up the wall, and your boot order ought to write itself.

AT A GLANCE - PATTERNS ON BOOTS - RUNNING SHOE INSPIRATION - ADVANCED SHOCK-ABSORBING FOAMS - UPDATE HEEL POCKET FITS - NEW OEM BOA DEVELOPMENT

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photo: Matix

skate market preview

THE EUROPEAN SKATEBOARD MARKET IN 2015 Asking around among Europe’s shop owners, brand proprietors, and distributors offers a glimpse into what’s going on, important lessons learned along the way, and what will be next. Here’s our Skateboard Market Outlook for 2015.

By Dirk Vogel.

The year 2014 flew by in a breeze (can you believe it’s already over?), but not without lessons learned along the way. “The lessons from 2014 seem to be that the skate market is tough, the small upstart brands or the larger brand houses seem to be solid, other companies seem to be getting squeezed. Look what happened to DNA, Blackbox and Blitz and on top of that you have the recent news of The Berrics acquiring The Skateboard Mag, and CCS Mail Order going out of business, I have never seen anything like it in my 25 years plus experience in the industry,” said Steve Douglas at Dwindle Distribution.

On a positive note, Franz Josef Hoeller at FRESCO Distribution said: “The interest and coolness of skateboarding are alive, also cruisers and longboards have given a big push to skateboarding and brought it to a bigger audience. The business overall is okay, it’s just that more and more people want a slice of the cake.” Josef adds: “Be authentic, original and don’t be afraid to work your ass off, in the end it will pay off.”

At German-based hardgoods brand MOB Skateboards, proprietor Christian Roth noted a demographic change over the past year: “Skateboarding, in terms of ‘the-board-with-four-wheels’ is a hot trend with teenagers and young adults again. Yet, the focus of this trend is not with the tricks and the reckless attitude but with the leisure and the cruising aspect of skateboarding.”

2014: THE YEAR OF THE LONGBOARD? At retail level, the ‘alternative transportation’ trend has already proven a windfall to savvy core shops, including Radix in Linz, Austria: “The biggest lesson from 2014? That selling longboards can make the day or year for a small shop like ours. In times of economic stagnation and where active skateboarders are hard to find, we were looking out for a product category that helps pushing our sales,” said Andi Jäger.

Meanwhile, this kind of trend phenomenon needs to be approached with caution, warns Mathieu at 101 Agency. “You should be really careful with trends, whatever kind of marketing you do. If there is a trend and you’re not a part of it – you can’t just buy into it. And you really shouldn’t.

When you try to follow a trend, you’re also exposing yourself to lose some of your DNA and your core consumer. Remember that a trend is always part of a cycle, so it will die down eventually.”

Instead of chasing trends, Chris Allen at Shiner in the UK has been banking on proven performers: “The biggest lessons of 2014 for us are to focus on the strong brands and vendors and work as partners with us. This year, we have reduced our brand portfolio dramatically and by doing this we have increased the focus on the ones we still carry and increased sales and market share for all our brands.” On the same note, Jörg Ludewig, co-owner at Urban Supplies distribution 23

skate market preview

“This year, we have reduced our brand portfolio dramatically and by doing this we have increased the focus on the ones we still carry and increased sales and market share for all our brands.”

Chris Allen at Shiner in the UK

Our Panel L to R: Andi Jaeg, Joerg Ludewig, Christian Roth, FJ Hoeller, Mathieu Tourneur, Chris Allen, Steve Douglas

in Germany said: “You have to be faster, more creative and plan more wisely than ever. It got a bit tougher out there again. You have to watch your expenses a lot more, as margins get smaller.”

THE ROAD AHEAD: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES IN 2015 As we enter the Year of the Sheep in the Chinese zodiac, a sign commonly associated with good fortune and prosperity, relying on luck alone is not going to cut it. Steve Douglas at Dwindle advises: “I think the biggest challenges are for SOME of our older distributors to embrace the changing landscape of social media and many really have to learn how to market and not JUST focus on selling or just having product in stock and hoping it sells itself.”

Meanwhile, overstock and market saturation still lurk beneath the scenes. “Overall I still see too may products for the amount of customers. That means more sales throughout the year. All these sales are killing the market. The market is so spoiled that sales seem to be the only thing that actually works. But how can this market survive with just having sales?” said Jörg Ludewig, co-owner at Urban Supplies.

The good news is that core brands are ready to offer support, according to Mathieu at 101 Agency: “The market is challenging right now, and the weird-shaped boards are the new fad. At Girl/Chocolate, we are trying to be closer to our distributors and engage directly with key retailers to be more involved in the local scenes.” Steve Douglas at Dwindle hopes that shops return the favor: “I would hope that next year shops can put some extra money back into those brands by buying into other categories such as tees, caps and sweats etc. By doing this we would have a healthier skateboard industry. The core hardgood brands have historically always been there driving skateboarding forward and without them what would skateboarding look like?”

While this kind of symbiosis between brands and core shops is crucial, the ongoing economic crunch can get in the way, says Andi at Radix: “Doing stuff to keep the scene motivated is important. But this is going to be a current challenge, because we don’t get that much love and support from the industry when it comes to supporting contests with prize money and goods for example.” So more often than not, shops have to go it alone to do more with less, but that can be an opportunity. “My advice always is: Do your thing, looking at your competitor is the wrong way and will make you being a follower and not an influencer. Kids are smart and know exactly what they want so being a leader for them is key,” notes Franz Josef at FRESCO. Speaking of leading the way, skateboarding once again lives and thrives at real skate shops offering authentic hardgoods brands and knowledgeable service. For distributors such as Chris Allen at Shiner, it’s all about separating the real from the fake: “The European skateboard market is now growing at a good rate and our biggest challenge is making 24

sure that we only supply the right shops and support those shops that support us. Every week we are having new accounts wanting to deal with us because they think skateboarding is getting big again. Many of these shops do not know about skateboarding.”

MAJOR TRENDS: FUN, AUTHENTIC, AND EUROPEAN The face of boardsports retail is fundamentally changing at the moment, signaled by a widening gap between the time-honored institution of the corner skate shop versus big, globally connected retail conglomerates and brand-owned flagship stores. “The mid-sized shops are having a hard time and some may be dying out, wiped away from the big guys, their price policy and the easiness to get products online etc. We have been creating – and supporting by supplying them – some Frankenstein monsters that may start killing us eventually,” said Jörg Ludewig at Urban Supplies.

Looking ahead, the trend toward European brands such as Polar, Magenta, and the darling of all Hypebeasts, Palace, is poised to continue. “European skateboarding brands will be stronger then ever, loyalty of the retailer and end consumer to buy European brands, pricing and listening to market trends will make them strong,” said Franz Josef at FRESCO. Meanwhile, the small brands are big on secrecy: “The year 2015? All this is classified information!” said Pontus Alv at Polar Skateboards.

But make no mistake: The rise of independent, rider-owned brands is not a one-stop fix for current problems. “Most retailers might think that the recent explosion in new, small, conceptual brands is driving the market, but it’s not, said Mathieu at 101 Agency, adding: “Out of all the trends and fads right now, longboarding is the most interesting at a retail level, I think. Price point is higher than a regular set up, margins are good. Some people may be afraid of longboard being the new scooter, but at least it puts people on four wheels.”

Along those lines, Andi at Radix would welcome a ripple effect from the “funportation” movement: “My hope is that the current hype around skateboarding caused by longboards and all sort of cruisers will rub off on skateboarding in the near future! We noticed that a lot of kids between 5 and 10 years started with cheap complete boards this year. But it will take time until skateboarding reaches a level like it was in the late ‘90s again.”

And while history may never repeat itself, one thing is for certain: Skateboarding has never been more diverse than today. Christian Roth at MOB Skateboards is ready to go with the times: “We are definitely embracing skateboarding as a whole - meaning we will cater to the cruiser enthusiast as well as the curb dog. We will supply the longboarder and the vert veteran. We are willing to make that leap because we believe that our brand name stands for no-bullshit skateboard equipment regardless of the length and width of the board.”

photo: Burton

trend report

SNOWBOARD BINDINGS TREND REPORT 15/16 Bindings get a bad deal. They’re the things that are picked out last, after a client has selected the comfiest boot and sexiest board.

And if your salespeople have done their job right, there won’t be much coin left in the pocket for the rest of the package. So alltoo-often bindings are a compromise purchase - a flimsy low-end model or something dusty and sun-faded that’s been lurking on the promo shelf all summer. But that doesn’t have to be the case; 2016’s binding collections are dripping with shelf appeal and real-world functionality, and while they’ll never be as appealing as the snowboard, they’re becoming easier and easier to explain and sell. Tom Wilson-North checks out why you should be ordering more than just black Customs next year.

KEY NEW MODELS Burton has the lion’s share of the binding market, and their new X-base binding right at the top end is the lightest they have ever made.

It is a step forward from their already-stupid-light Diode model and features incredible attention to detail; we were particularly impressed by the titanium strap mounting hardware.

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in substantial chassis upgrades are Now, who have a new skatetech hanger design called the Pilot, the next iteration following their previous IPO hanger.

The Italian/American design team at Union will be bringing back the Atlas model for next year, following strong retailer demand. “We pulled it out of the line last year and gave it a full redesign. It’s a lighter, stronger, and canted version of the highly successful previous model”, explains Director of Team & Marketing George Kleckner.

Elsewhere, there are some tweaks to the fast-entry binding lines. SP have a new footbed on the Brotherhood called the CMF Tilt which uses dual compound EVA, and Völkl are releasing a classic two-strap binding called Straptec to complement their Fastec speed-entry line.

Flow have some cool trickle-down tech in their mid-range on the Nexus and women’s Juno models – these inherit the toestraps and glass/nylon trays of the top end Fuse and NX2 whilst retaining a basic Uniback highback to keep the price point in check.

The product development cycle in bindings means new technology is implemented at the top end before trickling down to the mid and low ranges, so it’s no surprise to see the most interesting innovation in the premium sector. It’s good to see Technine investing in development again; their TN-15 binding is literally split in half and held together with anodized aluminium wire. It promises to flex naturally with the board and follow the movement of your boots like a joystick; by that, we’re hoping they mean more F-16 than Atari 2800. Also investing

Rome have a brand new, redesigned Targa with cool new highback (more on that later) and new anklestrap construction that combines lightness, comfort and support. Over at Ride, they’re bringing out a LTD version of the Rodeo with Slimeback highback which will make the binding have more of a freestyle feel. Meanwhile, Drake re-tool and revamp the whole line with a ton of new investment. The Reload and Supersports get new bases, and the Delta baseplate goes 100% tool-free for easy on-the-fly customization.

trend report

The product development cycle in bindings means new technology is implemented at the top end before trickling down to the mid and low ranges, so it’s no surprise to see the most interesting innovation in the premium sector.

HIGHBACKS & MATERIALS Plenty of upgrades and development in highbacks next year; that’s a good thing, as a binding takes a lot of its identity from this component.

Technine’s highback on the split model switches from flat to single or double scrub modes easily, and Rome’s Targa highback has a cool ‘correct flex’ design that combines an asym flex at the top with a living hinge at the ankle. That combination means the highback acts stiff when it needs to be, flexible when required and absorbs chatter before quickly locking out for full power. It’s an elegant solution to the whichstiffness-binding-should-I-buy dilemma.

In materials, Now score an industry first, introducing 40% ramie on their Carbon O-Drive highback. Ramie is a plant in the nettle family from East Asia, its fibres are very strong and have been previously used in applications like car parts and kayak paddles. It’s more renewable, less toxic and lighter weight than carbon – and I’m sure makes a mean salad too. Moving on, Head have a new PU “softback” highback made from the same material as skate wheels; the idea behind it is the surfiness and looseness of nobacks whilst still keeping the support of a highback for pistes and traverses. You’ll find this on their NX3 and NX Fay 3 bindings.

Union are expanding their line of forged carbon bindings that surfaced last year across their whole high end, and adding Duraflex. Duraflex is a multiple-flex nylon, exclusive to Union and is specifically designed for cold temperatures; you’ll see it throughout the range.

CUSHIONING Compressed EVA pads are so 1998. Molecular science and good old common sense have created some great alternatives for smoothing out big landings and eliminating icy-morning chatter. Nitro’s Air Bags contain...well...air, and offer excellent multi-temperature performance thanks to the internal cushion post system. Burton have a suspension platform on their Diode EST called SpringBED which uses a carbon and glass platform to suspend the rider 12mm above the topsheet, for reduced chatter. Whereas for women, their EST Pod Bed was designed by their female engineer, who spent months researching the pressures exerted by women underfoot while riding. Union will be continuing with Vaporlite foam, which is the same material that has seen huge success in running shoes, and Rome are using d3o under their baseplates. The days of cold-intolerant EVA are, hopefully, coming to an end.

DISCS The unloved disc is hidden away under the footbed, expected to do its job with no recognition or recompense. But as the part that holds you to your board, it plays a vital role. We’ve seen bendy discs and microdiscs for a few years; now Flux will have urethane discs to help the binding move with the board in any direction, not just fore and aft.

Burton are using 100% recycled nylon discs in a laudable planetfriendly move, and Now are using a 50% fibreglass-filled nylon disc and mounting ring, replacing their aluminium predecessors.

STRAPS 2015/16 will see a decent crop of new binding strap ideas. Switchback will be showing a redesigned strap package this year - the Miller strap has TPU mesh construction which looks comfy, and Nitro will have HD straps inspired by workwear materials for enhanced durability. On the flipside, there’s a less-is-more trend going on; Now’s Sieva straps use injected EVA and eliminate glue, fabric, stitching and waste, whilst Karakoram’s new injected moulded straps are equally minimalist.

Burton’s Hammock straps pioneered this idea last year, and whilst consumers are initially sceptical about the lack of gel, more and more riders are becoming convinced of the ergonomic benefits. Burton’s strap line sees another upgrade for 15/16 with the hinged Flex-Slider appearing line-wide; that’s the hinged strap that clears the anklestrap out of the way, facilitating entry.

AESTHETIC “The dominant colour is black”, explains Lucien Vink, who is Flow’s Brand & Product Manager. “That is a trend that will probably never change except for the shift towards more matte black and tonal finishes”. The matte trend is strong; high gloss finishes are over. That said, pop colours are still trending, and we loved the reflective finishes on Flux’s line. After that, colourway trends are going one of two ways, depending on the brand’s identity. Smaller brands seem to be using more functional and subtle colours like minimal grey and military green, whilst bigger brand’s bindings are louder. K2’s Lien binding will show up in a bright new flashy colourway called ‘Psychadelic’, and bright Neon Red and Teal Blue on the Salomon binders. Whilst there wasn’t any sign of Lib Tech’s binding programme just yet, the banging green and blue Psych from Gnu was un-missable, and Roxy’s Bright Edition features an orange multi-layer spectrum.

SPLITBOARD BINDINGS Splitboarding is definitely a to-stay trend, although parallels have been drawn with windsurfing thanks to the category’s beardy gearnerdiness and the not-immediately-obvious product compatibilities.

Nevertheless, splitboards and their binding systems have been a godsend for niche independent shops who have the expertise and experience in order to specialize in the category.

Spark R&D, who were the guys who kicked the movement off, are investing in new highbacks with easier-to-use FLAD which toggles easily between tour and ride mode. They’ll also be dropping weight quite significantly, and we’ve heard talk of their existing dual-wire heel rest system being simplified somewhat. Their models will be offered in greys, blues, oranges and reds.

Over at Karakoram they’re planning on sticking with the Prime interface for its second product year, but there will be more carbon choices in the range, whereas Volkl will be continuing their Fastec Splitec Alu binding based around an integrated Voile Slider Track.

CONCLUSION In an industry where there are fewer and fewer Euros going around for R&D, it’s no surprise that you’re not going to see anything revolutionary on the binding displays in Munich in February. But what you are going to see is a bunch of interesting new tech, no gimmicks and a load of great looking bindings from established market players that’ll do the job better than ever.

AT A GLANCE - LIGHTWEIGHT AND MINIMALIST STRAPS - BINDINGS THAT PROMOTE BOARD FLEX & LEG MOVEMENT - MODERN CUSHIONING SOLUTIONS - MATT BLACK FINISHES

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analysis

1+1=3

*

(*HOW & WHY TO COLLAB)

Collaborations; we see them crop up day in, day out. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. From graffiti artists partnering up with skate hardwear brands for deck design all the way through to the larger clothing labels that join forces to create capsule collections. They all go down the winding road of collaboration. As a trend that isn’t showing signs of slowing down any time soon, we at Brandwave decided it was time to delve a little deeper. To explore in more depth what it takes to make that little ‘x’ between logos really work.

To really unearth the ingredients for collaborative success, we invited over 100 marketing minds from across the European boardsport industry and other associated markets to our first NetworkB event, aptly titled; ‘Facilitating Collaborations’. In order to provide a varying perspective on why collaborations fail or succeed, we invited guest speakers from Ben Ainslie Racing and the RNLI along with an expert panel to share their own thoughts at the event. Drawing from their experience, the panel was formed of Xavier de le Rue, Co-Founder of Hexo+ and 7-time World Champion Snowboarder, Rich Philip, Head of Marketing at Amer Sports, Jan Michaelis, European Marketing Director at O’Neill Wetsuits, and Kate Kandiah, Marketing Manager at Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

After listening to the speakers and catching up with all of the brands and industry figures that were in attendance, here’s what we found in a nutshell…

ALIGNMENT First and foremost, aligned brand values are key. If it’s clear to see there’s no brand synergy, forget it. It will soon become apparent there’s not an ounce of authenticity in your partnership and comments along the lines of ‘sell out’ will soon fill your social media feed. This isn’t to say your brand values need to be identical but it’s crucial that at least some are shared.

EXPECTATIONS With brand values inline and authenticity in check, now it comes down to managing expectations. As Gordon Way from Ultra Sport Europe pointed out at NetworkB, “All too often, a collaborative partner is only interested in their gain without too much thought for the other partner.”

From the outset, both brands should lay their cards on the table and establish what they’re expecting to achieve from a collaborative project. Naturally, maintaining an open channel of communication also helps ensure that expectations are managed effectively.

DIFFERENTIATION With all suitable cards laid out, ask what different expertise, knowledge and skillset each partner can bring to the table. Whether these skills are purely aesthetic or technically focused, varied capabilities can increase and maximize what can be achieved in regards to product output. In due course, the appeal and authenticity of the partnership will also be enhanced.

TIME With regards to how long collaborations should last, well that’s up to both parties. Considering there are often many months of planning involved, it would be favourable to roll out a collab for an extended period of time. Beanie Milne Home, Marketing and Team Manager from The Faction Collective in agreement expressed that they always try to build collaborations for the long term. That’s not to say they can’t also work in the short term however on a reactive basis if the opportunity presents itself.

APPROACH If there’s genuine collaborative project potential, then make the call, drop by booths at ISPO or fire over a quick email. To remain approachable and approach can only mean positive things for the industry.

REWARDS When all the above boxes have been ticked, the rewards for collaborating are huge. Most notably, one of the largest opportunities is the potential ability to credibly reach new audiences and increase your marketing return on investment in the process. Once positioned in your partner’s market, your brand visibility is automatically increased thanks to a newly found association alongside a familiar face and brand to the target audience.

With the collab movement in full effect and there being no signs of this trend coming to a halt, who knows what 2015 collaborative projects will appear. I guess we’ll have to watch this space…

Once positioned in your partner’s market, your brand visibility is automatically increased thanks to a newly found association alongside a familiar face and brand to the target audience.

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photo: Finisterre

trend report

MEN’S SURF APPAREL AW15/16 At a crossroads between streetwear and prêt-à-porter, next autumn/winter’s surf collections are blurring boundaries by combining a variety of characteristics. Urban yet comfortable, casual yet technical, durable and multi-purpose, the cuts of 2015/2016 will trace the outline of a 21st century surfer: citizens from Monday to Friday and in surfing exile as soon as possible. This means more mature designs, which also leaves space for shirts and tailored trousers. A surfer’s figure has ever been more catered for, accessorised and more elegant than in 2015. You don’t believe me? Report by Denis Houillé.

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THEMES & INFLUENCES By maintaining its popularity through themes of Americana and folk icons, the world of retro seems to be unavoidable. The same goes for the motorcycle scene, which is inspiring numerous brands and is clearly still a winner. The phenomenon seems to be firmly anchored on what the surf and bike scenes have in common. Beyond the values and strong personalities that make them what they are, they share the same passion for travel, natural landscapes, music, camping, photography and art. Intrinsic to both worlds, these are the dearly-held themes of 2015’s proactive consumers who are fed up with the distant big brands and are yearning for authenticity and commitment. Jeffrey James GonzalesMen’s Designer at Volcom makes a direct reference “It is an exciting time in the surf/skate/snow market, there is a real opportunity to get creative with product and connect with consumers through authentic stories.”

‘Adventure and exploration’ is also flavour of the season for many designers who promise items of faultless comfort and durability to accompany you while chasing the surf into the furthest reaches. In light of this, Finisterre has dedicated its entire collection to Cold Water Surfing. With European spots becoming more and more popular, whatever the season, you now have to venture to new, rugged, less accessible surf destinations. In their collection you can see numerous references to trawlers, mining sites and wild coastlines.

70s and 80s punk style graphics continue to spice up T-shirt collections with splotched typography and raw slogans whose effect is unstoppable in shops. This is a street aesthetic that we can also find in Maui & Sons with various notes of grunge and washed touches sourced directly from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

This is also the theme put forward by Billabong through their ‘Wanderlust Latitude’ collection that draws on the most rugged of winter surf trips during which “you need warm and especially well-made clothes; down-filled jackets for comfort, Polartec fleece liners, pants and sweaters reinforced with a windbreaker membrane” clarifies Menswear Design Manager at Billabong, Nicolas Perceval.

Reef is also distancing itself from the tropics for their autumn 2015 collection with products designed for the cold. “Double-layer shirts with chevron patterns, Primaloft filled sweatshirts, 400 gram fleeces”.

All foldable for greater practicality, explains Eric Gigler, Design and Merchandising Director at Reef.

trend report

“It is an exciting time in the surf/skate/snow market, there is a real opportunity to get creative with product and connect with consumers through authentic stories.” Jeffrey James Gonzales – Men’s Designer at Volcom

The Volcommunity by Volcom range has also taken up the gauntlet with jackets that have a casual look but are as technical as mountain sports outerwear. From the cold waters of Bell’s Beach, Australia, Rip Curl continue to equip surfers on their “Search” with the Anti Series jacket; warmer, more comfortable and more waterproof than a classic jacket.

In the same way, O’Neill and their Adventure Series line are connecting the surf and snowboard worlds with very technical clothing. Since its launch 3 years ago this range has doubled its turnover each year, now reaching 10% of overall turnover.

COLOURS AND MATERIALS The arrival of a new season with its new colours has loudly and proudly characterised shops’ new additions. This is apparent at Billabong whose autumnal palette oscillates between “mineral tones (colder summer colours) and more urban looks comprised of natural tones that are subdued and warm.”

It’s simple and natural at Finisterre, the colours, textures and motifs of their collections are directly influenced by the natural setting of surf trips, e.g.: clay, frosted glass, pine needles, autumn leaves, wild salmon, steel, coffee, rust and the ocean.

water resistant jeans, technical ponchos and even working socks! The same goes for Billabong who are purveying items that are both ‘easy to wear’ and very technical insists Nicolas Perceval.

In comfort, “Trousers with belts and elastic ankles are really sought after and represent a natural bridge between the light beach pant and more tailored cargoes,” highlights Jean Kress from Billabong design department. At Maui & Sons, they have managed to update the jogging pant by including different prints and fades, releasing them in a variety of different weaves and cotton pile explains Lacey Corkery, Design Director.

Also in favour at Reef is the slim chino, both in its urban version with 2% elastane for comfort and a 13” opening at the ankle and in its more comfy beach version with a drawstring and “peach skin” texture. T.C.S.S. also mention two different versions: denim and lined cotton.

“For A/W 2015/16 we have definitely seen a shift in the design of the clothing to a more mature vibe, with more shirts and smarter trousers brought into play,” observes Urban Beach Graphic Designer, Emma Watkiss. To start with, denim is a best seller whatever the season through slim, skinny and generally close to the skin cuts for better performance. As for shirts, surf manufacturers continue to use tried and tested cuts and materials while increasing their inventiveness in prints.

At Chiemsee, in addition to lots of black and white, you can see various shades of blue combined with intense reds: light sky blue, polished turquoise blue, indigo blue denim and smart navy blue.

Next autumn, though, the surf collection is fleshing out to better withstand the cold with “coats that cover you down to your knees, high boots, raised collars and sophisticated hats: a whole new image on the surf market” enthuses Ernie from Finisterre.

Urban Beach are wavering between the retro masculine composed of strong, organic, rustic tones and the urban nomad who accommodates rich tones, decorated jeans and thick, robust knits with natural fibres.

As for the jackets: two distinct, complementary cuts. One a short ‘biker style’ mid-season jacket and the other a longer technical parka for cold temperatures.

Rusty are drawing their autumnal inspiration from a recent surf trip to Japan during which they were “blown away by the historical character of the vintage surf and skate shops of Harajuku.” A nonchalant cut that is very ‘90s, somewhere between surfing and skating and coming in rather tough colours and looks: black on black, red flannel, army jackets.

Reef has called upon their colleagues from the VF group, The North Face, in the design of its two best sellers (Squall and Insulator II). Their stylist Eric confirms: “We use the expertise of their production workshop and similar materials in order to obtain outdoor-approved products.”

Wave goodbye to prints, the trend for blocks of simple colour and vintage tones are still safe bets and this goes for Tees as well as jackets. In retro, old school washes maintain an interesting place throughout surf collections. With T-shirts and denim knowingly treated with acid at Afends and shirts with colours faded by the sun from Deus Ex Machina, everyone wants to give the impression they’ve been wearing their items forever. For Rama McCabe, Design Manager at The Critical Slide Society, decolouration is the cornerstone of their collection, dictating the look of their shirts, cardigans and jackets.

When talking to designers, colour neutrality cropped up almost without fail as well as how ‘easy to wear’ and how ‘easy to mix’ together items are. The surf label is gradually vanishing from outfits, only appearing subtly in the branding and/or details.

STRONG SILHOUETTES Comfortable with a casual look is undoubtedly this season’s winning combo. Consumers are looking for warm, technical articles without wanting to look like high-mountain guides. As Ernest Capbert, Brand Manager at Finisterre summarises “A decent snowboarding jacket isn’t enough anymore. Cold water surfers need their own identity and their needs catered for.” This crossover between the classic and the technical - now a priority - is illustrated in their range by heavy traditional knits,

SURF ECO-MARKET More than a trend, eco-design continues to gain ground in designers’ collections. This is not surprising for Samuel Nolan (photographer and design manager at AFENDS) who thinks that it is “great to see such growth in ecological awareness on the most natural market there is!” he enthuses.

The use of hemp (sometimes woven with bamboo fibres) is becoming less and less of a novelty. Its low ecological impact and high durability make this magical fibre an ideal solution for brands as well as for consumers wishing to fight against waste and pollution.

Recycled and non-toxic materials are a priority for many but sometimes “a product that lasts many years is the most ecological thing you can offer,” affirms Ernie at Finisterre.

STRONG POINTS - TECHNICAL ITEMS WITH CLASSIC LOOK - STRONG RETRO AND BIKER INFLUENCE - FUSION OF THE BEST STREETWEAR, FASHION & SURFWEAR - MATURE DESIGN, SUBDUED TONES AND EASY TO WEAR - SUBTLE SURF LABELLING IN THE BRANDING AND DETAILS

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WOMEN’S SURF APPAREL AW15/16

Of course the surfing part of CWS cannot be done without a wetsuit, but since girls are always cold, they also need gear to wrap up in before and after their session. Hence inspiration is taken from “travel and Cold Water Surf environments,” as Finisterre’s Buying and Sourcing director Debbie Luffman explains, “taking elements from these expeditions” like tent pegs that are translated into jacket fastenings. Rip Curl and Urban Beach used similar “influences from retro road trip adventures”, and Chiemsee cite “expeditions into the unknown” and the “adventurer in each of us”. There is also a strong vintage influence, like the “retro surf accents” seen at Billabong, who are “celebrating heritage sport in a fresh bohemian way”, and the “vintage fabrics drawn from 60s and 70’s” combined with modern details from Amuse Society. Rusty used Japanese attention to detail to create a new “considered or groomed grunge look” that is based on lots of layers.

Layers are not only a great look, they are also essential for warmth, “enabling cold water surfers to achieve comfort and protection from the elements,” says Finisterre’s Debbie Luffman. Emma Watkiss, Graphic Designer at Urban Beach, agrees: “We want our consumers to be as comfortable as possible in their quest for the awesome adventures that this season can bring”, basing their collection on layering pieces too.

This concept plays into the silhouettes as well, ranging from short to long and facilitating “warmth created through modular layering.”

Finisterre work with “protective, soft cocoons inspired by nature” and “enhanced pocket sizes for ease of us”, Rusty is “playing with different lengths” on tops too, including “longer lengths in our jerseys and knits,” says Connie Dixon, Ladies Product Manager. Relaxed fits such as beach pants (Amuse Society) and joggers (Rusty) are dominant, but Billabong and Chiemsee also add “sporty and feminine” styles. Balancing the layers, Rusty introduces “a cosy quilted fleece cape as well military inspired anoraks.”

Urban Beach use “multiple different garment weights to be built up together” for their layering approach, such as “slinky textured materials and relaxed base fabrics to ensure comfort, mobility and style.” Billabong work with “brushed wool, soft velvet, nylon ripstop for the jackets, cosy knitwear with fuzzy surface and slub/canvas.”

Finisterre use “bonded merino wool jerseys, wool/polyester blends, 32

photo: Rip Curl

Cold Water Surfing is attracting more and more followers in the search for empty line-ups and un-crowded breaks.

And while the clothing situation for female boardsports enthusiasts has come a long way since the ‘shrink and pink’ mentality, there are still just a handful of brands addressing the women’s new found desire to surf where others won’t even think of dipping a toe. Anna Langer investigates. tech meshes, fleeces, boiled wool” and Amuse have a “new crepe woven as a print vehicle, which is heavier than the softer wovens from Summer.” Urban Beach use flannel, as do Chiemsee, who also have a waxed fabric emphasizing a used look, as well as a new “Powerstretch Fleece that is highly functional but has a great street look too.”

Rip Curl have a tech 5K/5K lamination on their slub and wool like polyesters and also use a wool mix for “sweaters in heavy gage made by hand from 50% acrylic, 40% wool and 10% alpaca”.

Colour palettes are “affected by immediate surroundings” says Finisterre’s Debbie and mentions Fauna, Wild Flowers, Coffee, Frosted Glass, Pebbles, and Fallen Leaves as inspiration. Urban Beach go for “primary, classic, nautical colours and vintage washes,” with “rich, bold and bright central autumnal hues”. Billabong, Rip Curl, Chiemsee and Amuse stick with Fall shades as well, while the latter add “gold accents” for their typical “rock muse” feel. The Rusty collection on the other hand is “all about staples, there is a very strong monochrome look with a splash of plum tones, indigos and of course our famous army for the military look” says Connie.

Patterns are oriented in a similar direction. Like the “ever-popular tribal print” from Billabong, geo navajo print from Rip Curl, “blown up Ikat in indigo hues” from Amuse and “nomadic prints, feathers and wolves” from Urban Beach. Finisterre keep it classic with “checks, stripes, twills, herringbones, monochromes and fair isles” and Rusty go for “animal prints” that “always play a part in Rusty ranges.”

The choice of apparel facilitating Cold Water Surfing is still manageable for the female customers, but growing steadily as more high-tech materials become available and the need for such gear becomes more prevalent. We’re excited to see what the future will bring!

AT A GLANCE - LAYERING - LONGER, PROTECTIVE SILHOUETTES - WARM, EARTHY AUTUMN COLOURS - SOFT & WARM MATERIALS

photo: Nitro

analysis

SNOWBOARDING THREE GENERATIONS OF RIDER! Unfortunately, we’re going to have to get used to hearing this in the coming months but our favourite sport is experiencing a slowdown, if not a decline. Our detractors are numerous and yet this is still surprising for me, how can you be a detractor of snowboarding? Since the ‘90s, snowboarding has suffered in the eyes of the wider public; its image as a rebellious sport being perpetuated by skiing circles, mainstream media and certain companies focussed exclusively on skiing. This is a fact and it has taken time to put this image behind us and show the beauty, purity and nobility of our sport. After over 30 years of history, whether we like it or not, there are now three generations of rider so it’s the ideal moment to take stock of the solutions and ideas that will get us through this difficult period. Analysis and solutions put forward by Rémi Forsans.

We can divide modern snowboarders into the three following categories: 0-15; 15-35; 35 and over.

0-15 year olds make up between 6-8% of equipment sales but only 4-5% in value. This age group were born after 2000 and have always seen the sport on the television and in adverts. For them, this sport is synonymous with large-scale events (Olympics, X-Games) and stars (Shaun White). Their parents were snowboarders but their big brother preferred skiing because, for those a bit older, skiing had its revolution at the start of the 2000s, the age when the rebellious ones wanted to be different from their elders. For the 0-15s, snowboarding is pretty cool. Even though picking up snowboarding wasn’t easy, lots of initiatives were started in a large number of countries. The way people learn the sport and even resorts have developed a lot.

Some have become acutely aware of the commercial potential after seeing the snowboarding audiences at the Winter Olympic Games and are trying to attract families with children while others have

pushed participation by accelerating and facilitating access to the sport and its purest sensations. This is in addition to the incessant efforts of local activists, clubs and associations as well as the world snowboard federation (WSF) who have put a huge amount of effort into establishing the World Rookie Tour that runs concurrently with the junior circuit organised by the international ski federation (FIS).

Whether you want to get into competition or not, access to the sport has greatly simplified although we would like to see the inception of a European instructors’ diploma sooner rather than later, which would allow passionate riders to open their snowboard schools in resort. We are slowly getting there and after years of fighting tooth and nail to change mentalities, it’s probable that our children will be able to push open the doors of a snowboard school and not a ski school if they want to learn our sport. As a result, it is foreseeable that one day they could represent the snowboard federation and not the ski federation when they compete in their nation’s colours. Lots of videos and 35

analysis

The strategy targetting them needs to be revised to maybe offer more timeless or cross-generational products that don’t humiliate buyers by making a product into a ‘has been’ after two seasons.

In terms of effort, manufacturers are right up there. Travelling test centres promise a unique experience that children and parents will surely not want to pass up. Several manufacturers are now turning their attentions to the smallest ones by offering a family-friendly tariff with board/boots/bindings packages for under ¤200 and lots of second hand offers are going round as well. Despite these efforts, this could easily be taken further. For example, why not offer free or cheap instruction when you buy a junior pack in a shop? Imagine that a kid’s board (all sizes under 130cm) could be lent out when an adult buys a complete set up? As well as being wonderful marketing for the brand, it would be an investment in the future because the brand in question can follow the young rider’s development and offer them something else once the product is returned. This kind of relationship building from an early age could prove profitable in the future when the young rider goes from child to teenager. The brand will then find it easy to create a direct link with its future consumers and help the parents’ budget at a key moment of their decision: will our child be a skier or a snowboarder?

The vast array of children’s skis for rent or second hand available on the market also holds an example for snowboarding to follow. As for the brand, just one snowboard could provide many kids with an introduction to the sport and developments in snowboard shape aren’t subject to the same fashion constraints as adult products. As a result, investment here could be more than profitable…food for thought.

For 15-35 year olds, the situation is different. There are several subclasses. Riders born in the 90s often got into something else, this is the channel hopping, video game and electronics generation. The choice of different passions open to them was huge and snowboarding was never a priority even though they did enjoy riding with their friends. Freestyle remains the symbol of the sport and gives the sport a reference point with 34% of sales. So, because skiing was also part of their regular activities, there was a shift towards freeskiing, which was easier to get into and quickly brought fun times. For those from the ‘80s, many put the sport to one side because other priorities came to light such as developing a career, buying an apartment or having the first child. For a few years now, our economies have been crushed by the crisis, buying power has been dented, forcing one or two of us to arbitrate our outgoings: skiing, snowboarding, both or neither? For this generation, price is crucial. By paying more attention to the effects of fashion and the technological adaptations of products, brands have put too many constraints on this target market.

The strategy targeting them needs to be revised to maybe offer more timeless or cross-generational products that don’t humiliate buyers by making a product into a ‘has been’ after two seasons.

In the 35 and older category, there are also many scenarios. This generation is entering into a more mature phase; freestyle has faded out in favour of freeride. For those from the 70s, it’s a grand return to the sport, the rediscovery of a sport put to one side for the reasons cited previously.

We have more interest in the nice things in life and have more time.

This is an interesting target for the brands because price becomes less of a problem in general; the desire to have fun often takes over. In this scenario, the brands would benefit from highlighting 36

photo: Head

pictures of kids snowboarding are circulating the net and social media, the comments usually reading something like, “so cute!”

quality, technology (not technical features), environmental values and the desire to surf the snow. For this generation who saw the boom of windsurfing and the dawn of boardsports, surfing the snow means something and to my knowledge, there’s nothing better than a snowboard for surfing the snow now, is there?

This generation forget about competition and freestyle, the objective being the Big Mountain, Freeride and Backcountry (25% of men’s sales). The search for pleasure is greater than lifestyle and it is experience over exuberance.

Those who saw the light of day in the 60s have a clear interpretation of it: leisure sport, well-being and health. In this category we there are those for whom the names Tom Sims, Jake Burton, Peter Bauer and Regis Rolland mean something. Less frightened of exertion, this category of rider contributes more than the others to the rise of splitboarding (4-5% of total snowboard sales). It’s therefore advised to develop products and training that goes along with it.

When it comes to products, perhaps the brands should still be reworking bindings and safety. In terms of safety, technical fabrics synergies with other technologies will soon help us out. Solutions incorporating various technologies are entering onto the market.

Undoubtedly, innovations will span several industries and will benefit our sport. As for bindings, how many skiers would have stopped if they had had to buckle their straps over their ski boots? This is a priority for our sport; the boots-bindings concept has to be revised.

This generation of riders from the 60s/70s is an opportunity for the brands: they have more time, more money and more experience. As a matter of course, they should be fully focussed on not missing this target and offer them what they want. Is technological development not allowed to change the concept of bindings with straps and highbacks born in the 80s? It would appear not… Even though rear entry bindings had something to offer, there was still work to be done there. When the step-in systems appeared, it was just a touch too early. Now would be the ideal time to restart the innovation machine: there is the potential. Snowboarding would call itself into question, a buzz would undoubtedly be created, attracting new participants and preventing the most enthusiastic ones from being lost.

XXXXX

BIG WIG INTERVIEW

KEVIN BAILEY PRESIDENT : VF ACTION SPORTS COALITION & VANS

By Dirk Vogel In today’s rapidly changing boardsports market, the continued success of an icon the caliber of Vans, founded in 1966 in Anaheim, California, by brothers Paul and James Van Doren, is not a given. It’s an exception to the rule. With the 50th company anniversary rapidly approaching, Vans not only manages to keep up with the times, but barge ahead while others are falling behind.

In this issue’s Big Wig Interview, Kevin Bailey, President of the VF Action Sports Coalition and Vans, speaks on staying relevant in today’s boardsports culture, the future of the Vans snowboard program, maintaining core values, and how the brand keeps expanding its waffle-patterned footprint across the globe.

Please start by telling us about your background in boardsports and the steps that led to your new position at Vans?

Thinking of my boardsports background made me chuckle and reflect on getting a Snurfer [an early snow skateboard] in 1971 when I was a kid for Christmas. I should have saved that darn thing (laughs).

Professionally, I grew up as a retailer at small and large specialty retailers. My relationship with Vans started in the late ‘90s, when I met people at Vans who tried to recruit me. I was at Nike at the time and not trying to make a move. But in 2002, the then-CEO Gary 38

Schonfeld brought me in as head of retail for five years. I was part of the acquisition by VF in 2004, then left the company in 2007 and took a role at Lucky Brand Jeans for two years. Then I was asked to come back to Vans by then-head of action sports Steve Murray in 2009 as brand president.

What were some of the core values that attracted you to Vans?

I grew up on the East Coast and wouldn’t really call myself an ‘action sports guy’. I did order a Burton Backhill in 1991 and would climb a hill with my buddies and ride the snowboard down, thinking I was the coolest dude ever. But I’ve always been interested in youth culture, playing in garage bands as a kid and attending art school briefly. So Vans appealed to me as a brand with a nucleus built around youth culture.

In a recent interview you said, “Vans is really a youth culture company.” What is the overall vision for Vans in today’s boardsports market?

The phrase ‘action sports’ has definitely served its purpose at a given time. It was a commercial term that was phrased to put brands in a certain segment for analysis reasons. The phrase still speaks to that anti-establishment subculture and I don’t think consumers today think of it the same way. It speaks as if it’s a close-minded world, and that’s

The phrase ‘action sports’ has definitely served its purpose at a given time. It was a commercial term that was phrased to put brands in a certain segment for analysis reasons. The phrase still speaks to that anti-establishment subculture and I don’t think consumers today think of it the same way

the last thing it is. Today it’s a very open and inclusive family.

THE MARKET In FQ3/2014, Vans reported double-digit revenue growth for the 20th consecutive quarter. What’s the secret behind this kind of long-term success?

The basic ingredients are always the same: It’s about creating great product, driving innovative marketing but it also takes a lot of very disciplined business practices around our brand and our distribution – and how we protect the brand through that.

While our growth is significant, we have remained disciplined about where we are willing to sell, what we are willing to sell, and how we manage our sales. It would be very easy to open the valves and distribute broadly but in our eyes that would be detrimental to our brand, our consumers, our retail customers – and ultimately the sector overall.

The shift towards direct-to-consumer sales and e-commerce has been accelerating in the industry over the past few years. How do you avoid conflict with business at independent retailers?

At the end of the day it’s about putting the consumer at the centre.

Shopping is becoming so transparent now, it’s almost like media. If you ask a kid today, “What network do you watch a TV show on?” They look at you and say, “What’s a network?!” They just know the show, they want to watch it whenever they want. Shopping is becoming similar: Consumers want to buy what they want, when they want it – and get the right price and get it delivered quickly.

towards boardsports, with the rise of backcountry, for instance?

No, I think it’s still an outdoor brand. The North Face is recognized for their strength in protection. There’s a high level of confidence in the technical capabilities of North Face products. The brand is looking at everything from skiing to snowboarding and what role it can play there as a brand that knows what it’s like to be in the cold.

OUTLOOK With the 50th anniversary of Vans coming up, what is the key to staying relevant in the board sports segment for almost five decades?

It’s about remembering where we came from and why we’re here. It’s about recognizing the roots and values of the brand, but most of all realizing why Vans exists. Why we were adopted by modern skateboarders back in the day. A lot of it is in our commitment to our consumers, and the ways in which they choose to express themselves, much like the boys of Dog Town did once upon a time. And for us to provide the products and the platforms to enable that self-expression. Remaining humble is a big part of how we think about staying relevant. It’s about inclusiveness, never about being arrogant or cocky, but grateful and humble about the fact that we get to play in a place with these amazing people: That we’re allowed to hang with icons like Tony Alva, Steve Caballero, Geoff Rowley and Jamie Lynn, Andreas Wiig, Christian Hosoi, and Nathan Fletcher.

The protection of core board shops is really critical to us and we do that through direct support, marketing, and very specific product only meant for them. Product that does not see Vans-owned retail stores, ever. We see ourselves as someone who holds the board sports industry up. Because if we lose our board sports retailers, then we lose our whole sector.

Where do you see the biggest challenges and opportunities in our industry over the next five years?

I think the biggest challenges and opportunities come from the rate of change. The consumers and how fast they are changing. I like to use the phrase, “Global changes everything.” I don’t just mean selling products globally, but as a global brand we have to take international input into shaping our activities, what kind of brand we are, what marketing we do, what product we create. For me it really boils down to the amount of change, and the pace of change. Our world just seems to be accelerating.

THE FUTURE OF VANS SNOW The Vans snow program was put on hiatus for Winter 14/15. Have the underlying manufacturing issues been fixed?

Yes. The snowboard program is coming back. It was a very dark day around here when our factory went under. We are coming back in ’15 and the team is very anxious to get back out there. Vans celebrated 20 years of snow recently and it is a very important part of who we are. This year we are growing our commitment to snow and cold weather with weatherized footwear and hybrid apparel that can go from street to slope.

One of the risks I worry about is participation. There has been a continuous decline in participation in our various sports - that worries me a little bit. We’re asking ourselves what our role is in making sure that the space we live in never dies, and always thrives. Some of it includes assuring that there will be skate spots in the future, and we try to play an active role in that by creating new spots that are free to skate, like House of Vans in London, and participating in events around snow and surf. We just had the Foo Fighters ask us to play a free show at House of Vans, that’s priceless.

For extra support, does being part of the VF Corporation offer synergies for your snow offering?

Usually there are, but since we at Vans are the only ones making technical boots, it’s something that we had to respond to ourselves.

With some of the weatherized footwear, we can learn some things from our friends at Timberland. And in technical outerwear, there are definitely some things we can learn and bring into products that cover the needs of snowboarders. But we’re also not trying to be The North Face and make technical outerwear like they do.

Speaking of the North Face, is the brand position leaning more

What will you be doing after this interview?

They just gave me a new laptop, so I need to make sure all my files are still there (laughs). And catching up on the pile on the side of my desk, before I’ll be off traveling for the rest of the year.

Safe travels and thank you for the interview, Kevin.

Make sure to read the full-length interview with Kevin Bailey on boardsportsource.com.

The snowboard program is coming back. It was a very dark day around here when our factory went under. We are coming back in ’15 and the team is very anxious to get back out there.

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photo: Matix

trend report

MEN’S STREETWEAR AW15/16 Boardsports and streetwear share the same roots. In the early 1980s, Shawn Stüssy a.k.a. the “Godfather of Modern Streetwear”, cut his teeth as a surfboard shaper before designing apparel. As the 1990s rolled along, the enduring love affair between hip-hop and boardsports spawned rider-owned clothing companies such as Andy Howell’s Zero Sophisto as well as Damon Way and Ken Block’s Eightball brand (later Droors). So while more and more companies are hopping onto the streetwear bandwagon nowadays, never forget: Boardsports brands were the ones who got the train rolling. Report by Dirk Vogel.

It’s a strong heritage, and boardsports brands are drawing on their roots to lead the way with Autumn/Winter 2015/16 streetwear collections. Since we are amidst cold weather season in Europe, the focus lies with combining warmth and street-savvy aesthetics, but without verging into technical outerwear territory.

“Streetwear is basically designed to keep you warm in an urban environment with a special focus on design and not so much on functionality. In technical outerwear, the focus always used to be the function before the design,” notes Felix Lengle, Sales Manager at LRG Europe. Shredability is a plus, not a must for urban apparel, said Philippe Lalemant, Marketing Director Europe at Volcom: “Our streetwear is definitely not made to be worn for riding. There might be similarities between our streetwear jackets and some of our HR&S snowboard products which have a more urban aesthetic approach, but the difference is in the technicality of the product.”

BLURRED LINES, STEADY PRICE POINTS But the lines are blurring this coming season, Andrew Maclean, Head Designer Santa Cruz Europe points out: “There is definitely a noticeable move towards more brands offering classic streetwear pieces that now include aspects of technical performance, thus

blurring the dividing lines between streetwear and traditional technical outerwear as we move forward.” Stylistically, it’s all about walking a fine line to retain that certain street “edge”. Joni Malmi, founder of Makia confims: “We try to incorporate casual functionality with good materials, but without overdoing it. You need to be able to get to work without looking like a snowman.”

The influx of technology is especially visible in jackets, where consumers are willing to pay extra for performance. “Our best-selling jackets are at ¤199 to ¤249. Over the years we have seen that our consumers buy more expensive, but better jackets. The days of cheap surf shit are over,” said Jan Lindeboom of O’Neill’s Men’s Division.

On that note, price points remain steady this coming season across almost all brands and categories. Companies realize the thin ice when confronting financially strained consumers with price hikes, so while quality and performance are up, prices stay flat: Flannel shirts and button-ups retail from ¤49–59; fleeces and sweaters ¤59–69; denim and insulated chinos ¤69–79; lighter shell jackets ¤89–99, and heavier jackets from ¤129 all the way into the upper ¤200s.

THEMES: LAYERED, SPORTY, JAPANESE Looking into the crystal ball – and our top-secret previews of 41

trend report

upcoming collections – the major themes for AW2015/16 include: 1. LAYERING Cold weather season is the time to wear different layers of clothing, increasing the diversity of styles and looks. “Layering, including elongated silhouettes like tall tees and shirts make a big statement this season,” said Oliver Cousins, Apparel Designer at Globe. According to Jan at O’Neill, “the uniform of Fall includes layering items such as specialty tees, crew neck fleeces, knitwear and flannel shirts.” Outerwear pieces are also accommodating the layering trend, including the Matix Markett Jacket: “It has more room in the shoulders, so you can easily layer-up underneath the jacket, without it feeling bulky,” advises Gabe Clement.

3. SUSTAINABILITY Technical innovation not only increases performance, but also reduces environmental footprints on the backend. Companies across the board are putting nature first, including Bleed clothing: “Our street line is fully biodegradable and made completely of natural materials, while the functional line is made of recycled materials. Both are nearly similar in style, and adaptable to every situation in daily life,” said Michael Spitzbarth, CEO, founder, and designer. Keeping close to the earth’s bounty, Californian brand Jimmy’Z is, “starting to experiment with different fabrics, mostly organic cottons and hemp,” said Blake Harrington.

4. JAPAN Many brands are inspired by the Land of the Rising Sun this season, including Altamont: “Our Fall 15 line explores a mix of traditional and futuristic sensibilities, set against a neo-Tokyo backdrop. The design team was heavily inspired by classic and current monster movies like Godzilla and Pacific Rim, and the anime film Akira. Visually, this translates into an interesting blend of slightlymodernized military silhouettes and traditional Japanese fabric and print stories,” said Sam Barratt, EMEA Brand Manager. Jimmy’Z is collaborating with several Japanese partners on outerwear, including Manastash, while LRG just opened a flagship store in Tokyo: “Japan has a very strong streetwear and fashion scene, so we dedicated one group of the collection to those guys with Robo-looking graphics, prints on the sleeves, and Japanese characters.”

5. COLLABORATION When streetwear brands partner up with technological trailblazers, winning product ensues. Matix is collaborating with 686 to bring advanced technical fabrics into the line, while Protest is joining forces with Numbnut Motorcycles on the extensive Café Racer Collaboration. O’Neill has been working closely with expert shirt makers Pendleton on a variety of fresh flannels. RVCA is upping the athletics angle from last season’s “athleisure” to straight-up sports performance with the VA Sport Line, because “martial arts and high-intensity cardio training have also become very popular within the surfing scene,” RVCA Head Designer Camille JeanJean notes. Next to TransDry fabric, the line includes RVCA x Virus Compression collab pieces that “aid cooling, heating, and recovery during and after training sessions.”

COLOURS & PRINTS: DOWN TO EARTH Colour choices are a defining element of putting the “street” into streetwear. “The main difference between streetwear and outerwear 42

photo: Brixton

2. WEATHERIZATION Summertime favourites such as canvas and denim are given the winter treatment with water-proof coatings and waxes. “It’s been designed for the elements, and treated to keep you warm and dry. It’s not just jackets though, we’ve extended the weatherized offering to also include woven shirts, hoodies, backpacks and also denim,” said Luca Canali, Product Manager of Apparel & Accessories for Vans EMEA. The result is a street collection that can endure harsh weather, without looking ‘technical’. As the folks at Bench put it: “It’s about your garment doing the job it is supposed to do in any environment. Wearable style with concealed function.”

are the colour schemes and silhouettes. The street styles are way more restrained than our outerwear,” said Marianne Schoch, Senior Designer at Zimtstern, whose season picks include, “marine, carmine, nutria, classic grey heather including a black/white colour scheme.”

All brands agreed that black is a strong seller, and that military grey, olive, navy, and earth tones remain solid staples.

Adriana Matthews at Brixton points out: “Main colours in the Fall 2015 line are navy, rust, olive, burgundy and mustard – classic neutral colours.” At Bench, the colour scheme evolves throughout the season: “The collection sees a movement of colour from the beginning of the season to the end, with icy tones launching the collection and developing into warm rich hues towards the close of the winter season.”

When it comes to prints, brands are marching to their own beat – from loud and crazy to soft and subdued. Some even hide prints on the inside lining, but not Neff: “For Neff, wild patterns and colours are always in the mix; florals, neons, South Western patterns, splatters, and a whole lot of animals,” Kirsten at Neff confirms. Arbor is sticking to its guns: “We feel that stripes are timeless features that are well transitioned into core flannels and soft enzyme pigment dye knits,” said Kevin Murray, International Sales Manager of Arbor Apparel.

On the same note, Dickies is embracing its work wear roots: “Textures are usually of a hard wearing nature and the colour palette selected will work alongside with Duck brown, Maroons, dark greens/blues,” said Kev Penney, Streetwear Marketing Manager. Gabe at Matix is excited about, “nice new patterns and fresh textures like our Micro Hounds tooth flannel, our Birdseye Cotton work wear shirt, our Alternator Pullover that has a very nice micro knit jacquard pattern.”

Other standouts include Japanese florals (Altamont), geometric colour blocking (Vans), Mexican street culture (Santa Cruz), Japanese indigo dyeing patterns (Burton), restrained yardage prints and yarn dye checks (Globe).

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“There is definitely a noticeable move towards more brands offering classic streetwear pieces that now include aspects of technical performance, thus blurring the dividing lines between streetwear and traditional technical outerwear as we move forward.” Andrew Maclean, Head Designer of Santa Cruz Europe

FABRICS: RUGGED SHELL, SOFT INTERIOR Fabrics are divided into two camps next season: “The fabrics are mostly harsh on the outside and very soft on the inside. Waxed materials outside and sherpas on the inside, real comfortable but kinda tough and rugged on the outside,” said Jan at O’Neill. One of the key treatments for outside shells is wax on top of canvas, explains Jon Kooley, Creative Director at L1Outerwear: “We have a waxed canvas deck jacket called the Bridgeport jacket. This jacket not only looks amazing with its custom trims, but it’s also highly functional with its water and wind resistant wax coating.”

The trending fabric story for AW15/16 is denim, with Arbor going full-throttle into a collab: “Next year we will be working with the great people over at Lee Denim and curating our own signature denim styles with two staple fits; Relaxed and Slims.” Vans has “injected technology into the denim range, with Sturdy Stretch and Wicked dry. The combination of these features brings high performance to the fabric: Sturdy Stretch adds durability and provides stretch retention, while Wicked Dry allows high breathability and moisture wicking.” Volcom is getting back on board: “We are re-launching our denim category so that is our main push for that season. We have updated our denim fit library and developed an entire campaign.” RVCA is also kicking their denim offering into high gear, said Camille JeanJean: “We have more fits and more washes that range from raw denim to grunge – and beyond.”

Meanwhile, Globe is adding technical features to chino pants: “The Union Chino is a premium work wear inspired pant featuring a twill we have developed using T400 yarn. It has anti-bacterial and moisture wicking properties and mechanical stretch for comfort.”

JACKETS: TECHNOLOGY AND COMFORT One product category is doing the heavy lifting in autumn/winter streetwear, both in terms of sales volumes and use value: jackets.

Here’s where boardsports companies can draw on their best R&D, blended with urban stylistics. “Any of our street jackets use the same CLWR-developed Dewtech waterproof fabrics so they can handle the tough Scandinavian weather,” explains Neil Slinger at Colour Wear.

Michael Spitzbarth at Bleed Clothing also puts emphasis on surviving the “Nordic Wild” climate: “Our main product groups are functional pieces such as the recycled SYMPATEX Jackets and the knitwear.” But as Michael points out: “Bleed is a vegan clothing brand not applying any animal material in our collections. So we decided to take Primaloft padding and a recycled polyester as shell fabric.”

The formula for next season is combining warm fills with weatherresistant coatings, including O’Neill’s jackets: “There are 10k/10k, 3 layers and packable down with hyperdry fabric treatments in the 44

photo: Volcom

Dickies also has a new water-repellent canvas, while Jimmy’Z is keeping riders warm with pinwale corduroy. At Protest, fabrics follow a Nordic exploration theme, as Martijn Jegerings, Head of Marketing describes: “The harsh conditions of arctic expeditions demand a combination of qualities leading to a rugged, heritageinspired collection with a strong emphasis on fur, Fair Isle, patches and badges.” These materials also introduce interesting textures, for example Brixton’s “waxed canvas, heavy duck canvas, Melton wools, Sherpa and chunky knits.”

collection.” Other weapons in the harsh-weather arsenal include materials such as Primaloft (Vans), Outside Transdry (RVCA), Dryride fleece (Burton), DWR water resistant coating, water resistant zippers and 320-gram synthetic down fill (Brixton). Offering major bang for the customer’s buck, Globe is launching the 3-in-1 Hikari Jacket: “The style includes a functional shell jacket, fully waterproof and breathable which can be worn on its own. Inside the shell is a removable, quilted bomber jacket insulated with Primaloft, which again can be worn as a jacket in itself.” Burton offers reversible shirts and jackets in their Backside collection.

As for the style of the jacket, featuring prominently are winterized editions of varsity jackets (Neff), bomber jackets (Altamont and Zimtstern), and trucker jackets (Dickies). Jimmy’Z is pushing prices into the ¤500 stratosphere with the Letterman’s jacket. The main jacket of the season is, true to streetwear’s military heritage, a rugged parka. Makia has updated the Original Raglan Parka, Matix offers the roomy Markett Jacket, and LRG has the Kingsford Duffle Coat, “a clean looking parka with a great haptic, solid quality and insane details.”

Volcom sets the bar high with the, “Starget parka, a hooded parka with adjustable hood and waist, great waist cargo pockets and it comes in 5 colour options. It’s a great warm winter product.”

So there you have it: Boardsports brands are keeping riders warm and looking sharp next season, as streetwear lives, not at the boutique or mall, but at the core boardsports store. Always remember, we own these mean streets!

photo: Nikita

trend report

WOMEN’S STREETWEAR AW15/16 Just as the speed of daily life is increasing through new technologies and technical innovations, so are the trends, developing faster than ever and spreading through social media like wildfire. Hence there is no longer one trend influencing everything but rather a myriad of micro-trends influencing one another. Especially with fashion-savvy girls...

Report by Anna Langer.

Collections are no longer inspired or based on a certain activity, era or look, but rather a combination of inspiring stories and the person wearing the clothes. “We were inspired by our girls’ sense of adventure and discovery, collecting textures and items from all the places she went to, creating a unique mix that is all her own, a collection of cultures but not specifically identifiable to one,” explains Roxy’s Head of Global Design, Marie Lauga. Nikita agree that their customer is not “defined as being just a snowboarder or a skater— she is multi-active, participating in a variety of fitness activities, trend-savvy and above all else adventurous, creative and inspired.”

And while Burton took their inspiration from “women that explore, seek adventure and want to be comfortable throughout the day”, they also want to make sure that their “BurtonGirl is covered everyday, regardless of the environments and situations she may be faced with, in all aspects of her life and invited to personalize her look,” as VP of Apparel Creative Matt Ross points out.

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SILHOUETTES The sporty vibe is definitely still strong in women’s streetwear in the Autumn/Winter season of 2015/16, with a slight lean towards the peak times of our sports in the 90s, “merging with 70s vibes” (Volcom) and “minimal silhouettes and grunge styling” (Vans). Expect lots of athletic silhouettes sporting interesting twists from Volcom, Vans, Roxy, Zimtstern, Bench, Bleed, Burton, Protest and O’Neill, mixed up with “unexpected fabrication or prints” (Vans).

More feminine styles keep the balance, like the “fashionable” cuts from O’Neill, “fashionable, oversized puffy jackets” from Burton, and knitwear from Bleed. Neff, who are just entering the streetwear market for women, are addressing this with “a variety of scallop-hemmed long sleeves”, as well as “drop-tail tanks”, Director of Merchandising, Kevin Dell, explains. “Slim, figure hugging shapes are still relevant too, especially in insulator or mid-layer product with ninja hoods or grown on turtlenecks” according to Bench, who add “fashion detailing” to

trend report

their active inspired line. Volcom offer “skinny fit polo necks in a fine gauge knit and jersey” to be worn under dresses and Zimtstern also emphasize “perfect fit” for their sweats and single jerseys.

Nikita introduce a “sophisticated and edgy yet casual denim capsule collection”, including “two jeans, a shirt, a dress, a coat and a wrap coat. The collection features striking patchwork, quilting and stitching and is quite different from everything else out there”, Brand Manager Vicki Vasil states. They also continue their “trademark cowl necks, tunic-inspired dresses, flannel shirts and hoodies”, Roxy mix up “soft crochets and Ikat-prints with sporty stripes and athletic silhouettes” and Vans highlight their “easy muscle midi silhouette with high slits and baby snap details”.

For “unique statements” Head Designer for RVCA Europe Camille JeanJean created “artfully designed stand out pieces”, but the major part of the line consists of “easy to wear casual styles that are wardrobe staples”, like most other collections. Neff concentrate on “basic and universal” silhouettes, while Bench put extra focus on how their styles feel worn: “The new season’s silhouettes promote ease of wear, reflecting a casual, relaxed aesthetic.”

When it comes to jackets, we’ll be seeing a “mix of modern must haves” (Volcom), with everything “from short and boxy to long and narrow” (Colour Wear). Bomber jackets are especially popular with Vans, Zimtstern, Burton, and O’Neill. The latter also offer a new silhouette with a cape, Roxy add an “all over print anorak” while Burton, Protest and Volcom update the parka style “in a throw-on fit with oversized faux fur hoods, moving classic parka styling into longer puff jackets with quilting detailing,” says Volcom Women’s Designer (Europe) Kelly Summer.

The boyfriend look is still prevalent in all lines from all brands interviewed too, with oversized shirts and sweaters from Zimtstern, Vans, Neff, Bleed, Burton, Nikita, O’Neill, Protest and “oversized longer lines and cocoon silhouettes with scooped, curved back or round hems as well as blouson hems and cape volumes” from Bench.

FABRICS Fabrics stay soft and light as well, allowing collections “to flow seamlessly between the seasons”, as Burton’s Matt puts it. Including everything from “soft novelty texture and washes” from Vans, “soft, silky, draped” from Nikita, “soft sweats and yarns in winter colours” from Zimtstern, “soft, tactile and cosy fabrics next to brushed, sueded finishes” from Bench, to “silicone washes” from Neff and “washed optics” from Protest. Volcom upgrade this with “plush and cosy sherpa textures” on crew necks and jackets, adding “interest and comfort to classic shapes.”

For Burton, reversibility is one of their key stories: “The blending of tech with lifestyle has been key. Innovative technical faces with cosy interiors or lifestyle faces with technical attributes.” Instead of differentiating between outerwear and streetwear, brands embrace their sports’ heritage and infuse it in their street styles: “We are an action sports brand at our core, so we try to stay away from designs that look overly technical. Even styles that provide more technical properties are still designed into the ‘street’ aesthetic that you’ll find satisfies our consumer,” Vans Head Designer of Women’s Apparel and Accessories Nadia Barienbrock explains. To do so, they give “fabrications with technical properties more of a cotton hand feel and appearance”, Bench introduce “streetwear styling, heavy twill fabric or traditional canvas and workwear detailing into the performance range, whilst using technical waterproof fabrics or adding functional finishes to streetwear garments”. O’Neill’s Adventure Series, where “style meets tech”, was created to address exactly this need, implementing

their innovative Hyperdry fabric. The new Nikita NIKIwik fabric “features an advanced wicking property” too, but has a “cotton-like feel and texture, which makes pieces like the Desolate Dance Tee easy to transition from the gym to the street”, states Brand Manager Vicki Vasil. Working with the theme “everyday outdoor”, Colour Wear cofounder, designer and product manager Johan Nilo makes sure even their street clothing has “a technical touch somewhere,” while Bench introduce “Polygiene, an antimicrobial, antibacterial treatment” against odours and a “3M Featherless, super light weight, high loft insulation as an alternative to natural down that still performs when wet,” that can also be found in Protest’s line.

Last but not least, textured fabrics “like slubs, jacquards and yarn dyes” deserve a mention as well, as seen in collections from Roxy, Vans, Volcom, Nikita, and Bench. And Protest have a lot of new “combinations in materials in our products. For example colour block designs with different fabrics and a fake leather jacket with sweat sleeves,” says Design Manager Joffrey Delfgaauw.

PRINTS & COLOURS Warm, earthy colour pallets match the vibes of autumn and winter.

Neff go for “teal, maroon, purple, and black”, Vans experiment with a “grungy play on primaries”, RVCA use “black, khaki and navy midnight”, Nikita the “rich tones found in nature”, O’Neill like “warm red tones, lava grey and arctic green” and Protest and Colour Wear keep it “classic, basic and toned down” as well. Volcom’s “deep reds and inky blues” were inspired by the “rich vegetable dyes of hand woven blankets and ethnic textiles” and “sit harmoniously next to warm sunset hues and sweet neutrals.” Roxy follow a similar pattern, grounding “emerald greens, vibrant royal blue, and a range of true oranges with navy, olive green and heather grey.”

Burton’s heritage-based Mountain collection features “natural washes, military tones, shades of indigo, leather and maroon” too, while their more technical Process line took inspiration from the icy side of this season, with “pacific and water blues, high-rise grey, shades of fuchsia, sunny lime, true black and sea spray whites.” Bench use the icy winter breezes as well, with “frozen tones like lilac, pastel blue and green”, similar to RVCA’s “candy colours like rosewater and aquatic”. Zimtstern go for a clean and fresh look with “carmine, nutria, and classic grey heather” and Nikita complement purple, pink, teal and green with black, white and grey.

Floral patterns in different variations are no longer limited to summer either and grow in collections by Volcom, Neff, Zimtstern and Roxy, but we’ll also get some winter-typical plaid from Roxy and Vans, Fair Isle patterns from Protest, classic stripes from Volcom and Roxy and geometric prints from Vans, Nikita and Volcom.

OUTLOOK Embracing the fusion of an active lifestyle seems to be a great tactic for boardsport driven brands, with “consumers buying into both categories and using them interchangeably. We have so much innovation in our technical categories and are excited about the places where outerwear and streetwear crossover. We feel like this is the future of our brand,” Roxy’s Marie Lauga sums it up.

AT A GLANCE SILHOUETTES: LONG & NARROW, SHORT & BOXY FABRICS: SOFT & PLUSHY COLOURS: WARM EARTH TONES & FROZEN ICE PASTELS PATTERNS: GEOS & FLORALS

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photo: John Weatherly by Jack Isherwood

analysis

UK SNOWBOARDING A THRIVING MARKET A perfect storm: the global financial crisis, a market over-supplied with product, and an overall downturn in snowboarding’s lifecycle. Snowboarding hasn’t had the easiest of times recently, yet, thanks to Olympic success, improved consumer spending and perseverance from its core scene, the UK snowboard market is thriving. By Harry Mitchell Thompson.

So, how does a nation hardly synonymous with heavy snowfall and with its highest mountain sitting below 1,400 metres, have a snowboard market to shout about?

October’s London Ski & Snowboard Show usually provides a good gauge for the season to come, and TSA’s Jeremy Sladen seems upbeat: “Probably the busiest ski show we’ve done in about four or five years. It was almost like it was back in the good old days; loads of newcomers - I haven’t left the ski show feeling good in a long time. Stoked!”

Sam Noble, of Noble Custom and President of Snowsports Industries of Great Britain is on the same page as Jeremy: “There is now a feeling that we have seen the worst of it and stock levels both in stores and in supplier warehouses are a lot more sensible.”

Encouraging views from two of UK’s leading snowboard industry figures, but just why are we seeing such positivity from the UK? Jenny Jones’ bronze in snowboard slopestyle at Sochi has had a lot to do with the current British buzz. Jenny puts it down to, “all the recent television coverage showing snowboarding in a young, positive and exciting light. This has encouraged more people to go out and give it a go whatever their age; from 4 - 60.” Sam thinks Team GB’s Olympic endeavours cannot be underestimated: “The success of the GB athletes, culminating in Jenny’s medal, has given a feel-good factor around the whole industry and further afield. Bookings around dry slopes and indoor slopes are the best they have been for a long time, and people want to snowboard again.” Jeremy adds: “I think that so many people were exposed to British snowboarding at a level that they never knew existed.”

Mon Barbour, owner of SS20 in Oxford, reckons the coverage provided

by BBC commentators Ed Leigh and Tim Warwood at the Olympics gave some ‘cool’ back to snowboarding. “It’s reinvented the coolness in snowboarding. Purely, just from the commentary alone. That reignited a coolness in snowboarding, which freestyle skiing had taken away 48

from snowboarding over the last few years.” And Mon thinks this can only bode positively for the future: “It’s the kids who are now getting into snowboarding, who have had the lessons at the dome and the extra exposure to snowboarding thanks to the Olympics, who are now 6-12 year olds. When they become free-spending adults at age 18-24, they’ll start paying for their own snowboard gear in stores.”

John Weatherly, founder of innovative kids’ snowboard coaching outfit Booby Traps, has noticed a knock-on effect from the Olympics in his line of work, with the inclusion of a freestyle park at a dry slope in Stoke and the Rossendale dry slope receiving a £500,000 grant to stay open. John recently visited Tamworth SnowDome for their event Tamlands Tuesdays, “where every Tuesday throughout the year kids can go along and have freestyle lessons for free; I went last Tuesday and it was rammed!”

As great as it was for British snowboarding, the Olympics can’t take all the credit for just how good things are in the UK at the moment.

Jeremy says the UK has stayed upbeat about things, even when all those around Europe were claiming ‘snowboarding’s not cool anymore.’ And now Jeremy believes the UK snowboard market is being rewarded for this perseverance and optimism as the nation is starting to have more money again, which is being coupled with, “a new generation of snowboard brands, such as Jones, who are really going back to the grassroots of what snowboarding is and has inspired people to start spending money in the UK again.”

Jenny, Jeremy, John, Mon and Sam all agree on a few other elements that have seen the British snowboard market mature into a healthy industry. Initiatives such as the Go Ski Go Board campaign, Burton’s Riglet Parks – something Sam is particularly stoked on: “proving that your first experience on snow need not be on skis!” And finally TSA’s Big Bang weekend, as Jeremy explains: “We put 560 people through our snowboard taster lessons in two days! Just shows there is an appetite there for snowboarding.”

Who’d have though it; the UK, a shining light in snowboarding…

photo: Bern

trend report

SNOW HELMET TREND REPORT 2015/16 Considering the massive variety of brands and technologies in the snow helmet segment, which products are a ‘safe’ bet for retailers on Fall/Winter 2015/16 order sheets? Our trend report has the answers. By Dirk Vogel.

Born out of youthful rebellion, early snowboard culture wanted no part in rules and regulations. Not to mention helmets and safety gear.

Those were for skiers, and jocks (widely considered synonymous at the time). While snowboarders were banned from many resorts in the early 1990s, they took to the slopes with hardly more than a beanie covering their heads. It’s safe to say that times are changing.

per cent might seem daunting. Who still needs one? Practically everybody, at some point, says Mattia Berardi, Giro’s EMEA Snow Manager: “Helmets don’t last forever and crashes, drops, dings, and normal wear and tear all affect your helmet and can be a cause for replacement. A good rule of thumb is to replace your helmet every three years or before.” Replacing a helmet after a crash should also be, well, a no-brainer.

In recent surveys, health professionals in Austria estimated helmet use among snowboarders and skiers in their country between 60–70 per cent, while the number is 84 per cent in Switzerland. The traumatic skiing accident of Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher also sent a powerful reminder: Without a helmet, responders at the Grenoble hospital concurred, the multiple world champion would not be alive.

Snow helmet companies old and new are heeding the call: “We founded our company because we know we can get better technologies to save more lives. This is our rule number one!” said David Assyag, cofounder of upstart brand KALI protectives.

While certified helmets start as low as €30, most of the action is at mid-level price points, with a recent surge in the premium segment. “We see that consumers are really focusing on the ¤80-130 and ¤160-200 price point helmets. It has been interesting, but consumers awareness to product features in the snow category are really starting to increase,” said Graham Sours, Helmet Product Manager at Smith Optics, adding: “With this increased awareness to helmet tech features, consumers are willing to spend a little more money on premium products that represent an improved protection component.” Stephanie Fontenille, Goggles & Helmets product manager at Quiksilver also notes: “People are responding more and more to premium products.”

THE MARKET: MORE HEADS TO COVER From a retail perspective, helmet adoption levels up to a staggering 84

TECHNOLOGIES: LIGHTER AND STRONGER The arms race for the ultimate helmet – mainly a combination of light 51

trend report

“Helmets don’t last forever and crashes, drops, dings, and normal wear and tear all affect your helmet and can be a cause for replacement. A good rule of thumb is to replace your helmet every three years or before.”

Mattia Berardi, Giro’s EMEA Snow Manager weight and proven strength – has companies engineering from the ground up. Oscar Huss, Product Director at POC notes: “The awardwinning Fornix is a lightweight, aramid reinforced and well-ventilated helmet. By applying aramid strings and moulding them together with the foam liner, it was possible to develop a lightweight helmet while maintaining structural stability and a high level of protection.”

“For Sweet Protection, the use of carbon fibre is essential in the engineering of our best performing helmets and their ability to distribute impact forces,” said Åsmund Thorsen, Marketing coordinator at SWEET Protection. The company takes a 360-degree view of safety: “The sides have integrated ABS ‘side impact hard shells’ that reinforce the side construction, while securely attaching the webbing and ear pads.”

Through Anon’s partnership with G-From, the brand harness their materials to provide and armour to their helmet, which dissipates nearly all energy from a blow and instantaneously returns to its lightweight and flexible state.

Next season, Head will be introducing FLEXCORE Technology: “A soft helmet core matching the highest safety standards combined with never before seen wearing comfort and fit,” said Max Thurner, Intl.

Marketing Manager Snowboard & Protection. Women’s brand Roxy is also blending safety and comfort with the Power Powder: “It can offer one of the best comfortable helmet shells in the market. Super low profile on the head, with mid-price level,” said Stephanie Fontenille.

PREPARED FOR IMPACT One particular technology is sending ripples across the industry: MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System), a slip-plane system within the helmet designed to rotate inside the helmet to slow down the forces of impact. Next season, MIPS is adopted by a wide variety of brands, including Brunotti, Giro, Sweet, POC, Giro, and also Smith Optics.

David at KALI also has riders covered when head meets snow: “Our high-range models are offering cone head technologies, this means that the EPS liner in charge of the impact absorption is now able to distribute the energy laterally and not anymore in the direction of the user brain.” Federico Merle is proud of his company’s impact system: “The honeycomb shape of the embedded Slytech 2nd SKiN XT within the EPS foam promotes multidirectional dissipation of energy as the force encounters our unique protection layers.”

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, Bliss is banking on proprietary impact technology: “A couple of years ago we invented the ARG. For Bliss this is the future of shock absorbing technology. We are going to fiddle about with a ARG helmet but at the moment we are not in the maturity phase,” said Matthias Ascherl, owner of Bliss.

INTEGRATION: COMBINED STRENGTHS Combining advanced helmets with innovative goggle design means adding strength to strength. Across the board, leading companies offer seamless integration, including Quiksilver: “The Skylab can offer the perfect product combo with our Hubble goggle, and you can wear the perfect combo.” Josh at Bern announced that next season, the brand will be, “dropping goggles for the first time, and using some very unique foams. We have engineered an amazing integration with our helmets and goggles.” Brunotti adds a big variety in colours to the mix: “This way you can mix and match your own combination. Because of the fit system in the neck you can adjust the helmet size,” adds Lonneke Mulder, Marketing Manager Brunotti Europe.

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Technology is the next frontier of integration, with brands across the board offering audio combinations, including Smith (with Skullcandy), POC (Beats

by Dre) and Giro (Outdoor Technology). Mattia at Giro boasts: “We have also been a pioneer of GoPro camera integration with the Edit helmet and new women’s Flare models, and Giro is the only helmet offering a co-branded mount and compatibility approved by GoPro.” Smartphones are hopping on for the ride as well with the Head Sensor BT Runtastic helmet in cooperation with the Runtastic app connected via Bluetooth.

Smart about the environment, Picture Organic Clothing teamed up with KALI for the Eco helmet, featuring an inner shell from 100% recycled EPS from Japanese car manufacturing, a natural, corn-based hard shell, and lining made from recycled PET bottles: “We have re-invented the industrial helmet process and the vision behind a helmet. Now, wearing a Picture helmet is much more than wearing a simple protection, it is also being part of an environmental movement,” said Julien Durant at Picture.

AESTHETICS: NAVY SEALS VS. WU-TANG Stylistically, next season’s helmets are leaning toward skateboard helmets with their lightweight, form-fitting shell design, often with the addition of slightly tapered visors. TSG easily achieves this look by drawing on the brand’s skateboarding roots: “The Gravity is the winter version of our all-time favourite skate helmet, the Evolution. It’s a clean design with an anatomically correct fit and everything you need from a helmet,” said Nadja Herger-Bondarenko, Communications Manager TSG International. Also bringing street culture to the mountain, Bern is teaming up for a cross-branded helmet with rap icons Wu-Tang Clan, known for barging onto the scene with the song “Protect Your Neck.”

Speaking of neck protection, it’s actually a focus for young riders, says Charly Heusschen, Managing Partner at Egg helmets: “During the design process we had good contact with a trauma surgeon. He gave us the information that a child’s head is relatively heavy and the neck muscles are still weak. Therefore it is more likely that a child falls sideways or backward. Most helmets are open by the ears and not emphasizing on neck protection.” Egg is offering customizable skins, while their helmets can be adopted by multiple action sports, giving major bang for the buck.

Graphics also feature heavily in the adults segment, with Smith Optic’s passport stamp print matched on the goggle strap, Kali’s tribal and tattooinspired art as well as TSG’s Gravity helmet in “an Art Design model from the French artist Nicolas Le Borgne aka Odö.” And if all that is too much and too loud, companies such as Smith and Head provide the option for tucking away the helmet under an oversized beanie, bringing things full-circle to those carefree early days, while remaining smart about protecting your melon.

AW15/16 HELMETS – KEY TRENDS - MASSIVE CONSUMER DEMAND IN PREMIUM SEGMENT. - SOFT SHELL FOR LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTION. - AUDIO AND CAMERA INTEGRATION TRICKLING DOWN TO ENTRY- AND MID-LEVEL PRICE POINTS. - SEVERAL BRANDS ADOPTING MIPS (MULTI-DIRECTIONAL IMPACT PROTECTION SYSTEM).

- FLAIR AND STYLING WITH CROSS-BRAND LOGOS (WU-TANG!), CUSTOMIZABLE SKINS, FULL-PRINTS.

trend report

SNOW PROTECTORS TREND REPORT 2015/16 Our trend report presents key technologies, categories, and customer preferences as snow protection moves from sideshow attraction to the centre stage. By Dirk Vogel.

Traditionally, snow protectors have been a ‘pull’ category in retail – with purchases initiated by performance-oriented core customers – but now the message is spreading into the mainstream. “Surprisingly you would think it is the hard core jumpers and park rats buying up protection, but it is not. The recreational rider is the most active amongst buying protective gear. We have noticed an increasing trend in backcountry riders adding protection to their set up, said Joel Kramer, Pro-Tec Marketing and Team Manager. Meanwhile, different riding styles equate to different protection needs. “It really is completely dependent upon what aspect of snowboarding we’re looking at, and the spots you’re riding,” said Federico Merle, CMO/CFO at Slytech.

Price points fluctuate between categories and target groups, with protector vests ranging from entry-level versions at ¤100 to ¤219 premium models, while protector backpacks start at ¤150, kneepads and wrist guards at ¤25, and impact-absorbing shorts at ¤75.

BACKBONE OF THE MARKET Back protectors still generate the highest sales numbers, especially for park riding, where major impact from high drops is the enemy, as opposed to backcountry and racing, where ‘running into stuff at high speeds’ is the major cause of injury. Speaking of backcountry, the category is propelling the biggest trend item of the season: Backpacks with plenty of storage room, and built-in back protection offered by several brands in AW2015/16.

As for the trending back protector of the season, it is mostly one thing: soft. “The volumes on soft shell back protectors are approximately four times the hard shells in the same category,” said Giovanni Fogal, Product Manager at Dainese. “Hard body protection is over. It’s too restrictive and bulky for any snow sport, said Carolyn Schmidt – Business Unit Director, Winter Necessities, Burton Snowboards, who entered into an exclusive partnership with G-Form, “the best soft protection on the market.”

But not so fast, says Åsmund Thorsen, marketing coordinator at Sweet Protection: “In general the racers want a hard shell because of its extraordinary impact performance, but also because it is pierce proof.”

photo: Slytech

According to Merle, urban riders prefer impact shorts, backcountry enthusiasts opt for backpacks with built-in protection, while park kids buckle up with back protectors. Kids represent another emerging demographic for protectors, said Jan Sallawitz, Marketing Manager EVOC, home of the PROTECTOR VEST KIDS model with full back and shoulder protection. vulnerable neck area (POC Cervical model), Dainese developed new Soft Skin knee pads, and Amplifi features military-grade Armourgel material in the MKII knee and elbow pads, as well as impact absorbing shorts.

On that note, did we mention customers want their protectors to be machine washable? At 30 degrees, air dry, please.

Although hidden from sight, the next level of first layer shorts and shirts has impact protection baked in, with key pieces including the AmplifiCOALITIONMK II Shirt, the Force Field Boom shorts, Slytech impact short, Burton’s Impact Short Protected By G-Form and women’s Luna Short, and the Demon Snow Azzpadz D3O shorts.

OUTLOOK This tech-heavy category, embraced by a safety-conscious public, holds great potential if retailers play their cards right. “It’s all about education of the sales staff. They need to know about the new technologies and their specific fields of use – and be able to explain it to customers, said Jan at EVOC, while warning about “grey market” protectors and encourages retailers to look for certification with CE EN 1621.2 (although a standard motorbike impact protection, but all we have right now), or better yet, TÜV/GS. In closing, integration is the main word for retailers: Choose companies that complement your line-up or already supply helmets and goggles, and your protection offering just came full circle.

TRENDS AT A GLANCE

HOLISTIC APPROACH The market focus on back protectors might be misguided, since back injuries only account for around 5% of snowboarding injuries. “Wrist injuries are the number one injury with snow sports,” said Keith Davidson at Demon Snow, pointing to the company’s surgeon-designed Flextmeter wristguard that absorbs impact to prevent fractures (twice as likely among snowboarders than skiers, according to statistics).

- 4:1 SPREAD BETWEEN SOFT VS HARD SHELL BACK PROTECTORS.

For a more holistic approach, companies are offering protectors for the

- RETAILERS NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY SELL.

- BACKCOUNTRY BACKPACKS WITH BUILT-IN PROTECTORS. - MAJOR GROWTH, MARKET POTENTIAL FOR WRIST GUARDS. - BUILT-IN PROTECTION IN FIRST LAYER SHORTS AND SHIRTS. - CUSTOMERS WANT MACHINE-WASHABLE SAFETY GEAR. - UPSELL POTENTIAL WITH SPECIALTY HANGERS LIKE DRITEK.

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photo: Electric & Nixon

trend report

WATCHES TREND REPORT AW15/16 Watches are one of the classic accessories for style and function alike, and yet there are some exciting new features and looks to check out next year. Report by Anna Langer.

In a category as classic as this, trends are more subtle than elsewhere.

Which doesn’t mean they’re not visible: 2014 started to show smaller case sizes, for men and women alike, which Nixon noticed especially with a “spike in sales with our micro cases sizes in the Time Teller and Mini B”. And this isn’t just for girls: “Case sizes for daily wear have shifted from a 48+mm to around 42-44mm cases,” the watch brand says. Electric felt this as well and answer with the Carroway, a “classic men’s dress watch with a slimmer slim side profile” and Elliot Brown Watches are “downsizing” their styles as well.

This means “stripping things down to the bear essentials,” as Komono put it, adding details in perspective. “Details are not merely details.

They make the design” say Electric who are backed up by Oakley, striving to “refine every detail and obsess over every specification.”

Rather than following trends, “Oakley designs and engineers watches for individuals that go down their own path, not following trends, but setting them. Our designers blend the tradition of craftsmanship and quality of Swiss made timepieces with a statement that is uniquely and genuinely Oakley.” Craftsmanship was an important influence for Komono too, who see a “revival of heritage“ in 2015, as do Electric, who bring some “re-engineered classics” back, “born from the spirit of the iconic styles of our past, that have been twisted and modernized for today”.

Eliott Brown Watches on the other hand see functionality “making a strong comeback - gone are the days when the audience will put up with a branded product with a sporty look that lacks the performance.”

Glassy also noted that “sporty watches have became pretty trendy within the surfing scene” - especially models with added value through special features.

Electric’s Simple Tide forecast is based on “the average tidal cycle calculated from the orbit of the moon, providing a reliable reference for local beach tide predictions.” It’s implemented in their analogue DW03 and the digital ED01 – T and is activated through their innovative push-crown.

Glassy and RipCurl take it even further, tracking down size, length and speed of ridden waves. “The Smartwatch measures parameters like the speed that a surfer produces riding a wave, the number of waves you take in a surf session or the amount of time that you are on a wave riding 56

it.” RipCurl think innovative features such as image sharing and graphic charts showcasing your session, as their SearchGPS sports, will “push you to go faster and to catch more waves.”

Nixon worked closely with team rider John John Florence to launch The Comp, their “vision for a new digital watch with simplified user interface and thinner but stronger case” made from G10 material, which has an “incredible strength-to-wave ratio” making it a favourite for big wave surfing fans. They also add a “new marbleized silicone colour effect” to their digital program and Electric infuse some colour too, with “durable woven nylon NATO straps” inspired by climbing ropes and “waxed canvas straps”. Eliott Brown Watches consider “wool for some strapping options” in 2015, but stick with “316L stainless” for bracelets and clasps, as “it’s just such a great material” and even survived a test being submerged in sea water for six months over winter, leaving the watch “in tact and working perfectly”. Electric on the other hand is going for a worn aesthetic on purpose with “blasted steel effects on the case and dial, which look as though they have been worn to hell and back.” Oakley leave the band styling up to the customer with the Kill Switch watch that was launched this summer and “evolves with your surroundings so your style never goes stagnant”. To do so, they engineered an “interchangeable bezel” with more options added continuously. “Swap it out easily and go from a rugged job-site look to something that puts an edge on sophistication for after hours, and deck it with a diamond bezel for venues that demand the ultimate.” Leather continues as an important choice, for Komono, Electric and Nixon. And last but not least mixing materials can be seen as a trend of its own, as Komono shows, who are using “wristbands as a blank canvas”.

TRENDS AT A GLANCE - FUNCTIONALITY: TIDE FORECAST & SESSION TRACKING - SMALLER CASES - REFINED DETAILS - HIGH-END LEATHER

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS (LCA)?

In the first part of our new series, GreenroomVoice will focus on the benefits of life-cycle analysis (LCA) for companies taking more responsibility regarding their environmental impact. An LCA is a systematic analysis of all environmental and social factors related to products and processes. The analysis offers a comprehensive view from the production of raw materials all the way to the usage of the product, including all implemented processes along the product’s life cycle.

A life-cycle analysis helps to visualize all products and services aimed at performing a similar function. In academic speak, this is called a ‘functional unit’.

For instance, if the intended function is, “having a great time,” different people will take different routes to attain it. Some may reach for a bar of chocolate, others will go snowboarding, or surfing, while some may meet up with their best friend for a cup of coffee.

In a life-cycle analysis, these different paths towards the functional unit of “having a good time” could be assessed and compared, provided that they are clearly quantified in definite terms.

In the next step, an effective LCA requires a clearly defined scope of investigation, known as balance sheet classification.

For example: A manufacturer of pre-prepared salads is looking to perform a life-cycle analysis of his products. The functional unit is defined as 1kg of salad, its nutritional value quantified in calories as a measuring unit. The comparative analysis will assess the energy, water, and emissions mobilized in the production and shipping of the products. As it turns out, potato salad has a far worse footprint than cucumber salad. How come? Potatoes are dirty and require extensive washing, which is an energy- and water-intensive process. As a quick fix, outsourcing the potato washing process and the company’s balance sheet would improve the LCA. But the root problem would still remain, so in order to perform an honest LCA, the manufacturer would need to come clean about the washing process.

On the official side, the series of ISO 14040 standards provides guidance for performing a proper life-cycle analysis, and make LCA’s comparable. The result is a comprehensive view of all materials and processes. For companies, it can be the basis for improving performance in terms of a product’s environmental, social, and financial impact.

The first life cycle analysis for the skiing industry was performed by researcher Dr. Tobias Luthe, Professor for Sustainability Science at the University of Applied Sciences in Chur, Switzerland: “The goal of the project was to develop an ecologically optimized set of skis.

What could be improved in environmental terms, and at what cost?

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Performing an LCA provides a clear view of these factors while enabling a targeted product development process, especially when making comparisons to similar products in the same functional unit.

One of our partial findings was that implementing a plastic top sheet can downgrade a ski’s LCA score by 10% compared to a simple wooden top sheet. When comparing the cost factor of both material choices, manufacturers have the basis for making an informed decision.”

What is the best starting point for an LCA? Prof. Dr. Luthe says: “We suggest consulting with some experts with a background in the sports and outdoor segment, since the functional unit and balance sheet classification need to be defined according to specific parameters, especially for comparative evaluations. In a consulting session, the company can define the goals and scope of the analysis. A Basic LCA will provide an initial overview of a product, allowing for rudimentary control of its environmental impact. Such an initial analysis can be performed at price points around ¤5,000, depending on the nature and complexity of a company’s products and processes. An ‘Advanced LCA’ offers an option to compare products, which especially makes sense when a company is facing competition on the market. Findings from an Advanced LCA can be featured in a sustainability report, with price points around ¤10,000. A ‘Complete LCA’ also includes quality certification by an external body in compliance with ISO norms. But this is the exception to the rule, most companies opt for Basic or Advanced LCAs.” A professional LCA can be performed by service providers such as university institutes, privately operated institutes, NGOs, and a number of specialized private vendors, who have access to comprehensive databases, such as Ecoinvent featuring a wealth of raw data from previous investigations.

Stay tuned for Part II of the series in the next issue of SOURCE.

LCA SERVICE PROVIDERS IN EUROPE: - UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES CHUR, SWITZERLAND - ÖKOINSTITUT E.V. FREIBURG - MYCLIMATE, ZURICH - SCIENCE2PRACTICE

brand profile

DINOSAURS WILL DIE You don’t get much more ‘core’ than Dinosaurs Will Die snowboards. Having been quietly doing their own thing, and building DWD into one of the most respected snowboard brands on the market, Source decided it was time to sit down and profile the brand with Co-Founder, Sean Genovese.

Please give an overview on how and why the company began?

Youthful ignorance and over confidence would probably sum it up best. Jeff and I were both riders for other brands at the time. We got to talking and without taking everything into consideration we decided to start this brand, Dinosaurs Will Die snowboards.

Who is on the management team, and what are their backgrounds?

Jeff Keenan and myself. Jeff was raised on the north shore of Vancouver, B.C. at the base of Mt. Seymour where he started snowboarding.

He worked in a small local snowboard factory and was a rider for a large brand before co-founding DWD and finishing a degree in business. I grew up riding at Mt. Baker, and have always had a strong creative urge. I worked in a local shop, rode for a large brand, helped found and produce multiple snowboard videos and co-founded DWD with Jeff in 2004.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

We’re small, we’re agile and we give a fuck about snowboarding. We’re not just a brand, we’re a crew participating in something we love; we’re not just trying to sell snowboards, we’re trying to leave a mark on it. Snowboarding is a drug that we’re addicted to and we plan on keeping the next generation hooked too.

What do you find important about the European market?

The European market is hugely important because of what we can learn from its diversity. It keeps us driven to continue growing and developing our line in ways that

aim to welcome more of its diverse customer base to participate in what DWD is all about.

How do you support athletes and boardsports?

We support them by encouraging creativity and individualism because those are the things that attracted us to snowboarding in the first place and have helped continue to hold our attention.

Which athletes do you currently have on your pro team?

We’ve recently added Fredrick Perry, to the Dino team that already consists of, Chris Larson, Ben Bogart, Matt Heneghan, Brendon Hupp, Andrew Geeves, Lucas Ouellette, Chris Brewster, Jeff Keenan and myself. Then there is a large crew of Rats! The Rats are anyone and everyone that chooses to ride and film on a DWD board. We do an annual Rats edit, that everyone that has shots on their DWD board can contribute to for a chance to be in the video. This season will be the third edit, and it’s looking like there will be about 50 Rats.

We also host #RatTales on our site; a mix of park and some street edits that are submitted throughout the year by kids riding their DWD decks around the globe.

Where are you manufacturing your snowboards?

Our boards are manufactured in Austria, at Capita Mfg. They’re a solid crew and they’re excited about what they do! When you get a chance to work with people like that you can’t help but get swept up in it. It’s bringing a whole new level of possibility to the table for our future lineups.

BRAND NAME: DINOSAURS WILL DIE SNOWBOARDS, INC 60

Who do you use in Europe to distribute Dinosaurs Will Die? DWD distributors in Europe include, The Snowboard Asylum (TSA) in the UK, Good Question Supply in Germany, Austria and France. Darkside Distribution in Spain and Andorra, White Trash Distribution in Portugal, Adapd in Switzerland, Familia Distribution in Benelux, Become A Pro in Poland, Jump Club in Norway, and Sinne in Finland.

What do you see for the future of the industry?

I hope that manufacturers will continue pushing boundaries to reduce waste, help recycle boards at the end of their cycle, and pursue the use of renewable resources in their production process. I hope that brands don’t forgo quality to create a cheap product, but I also hope that snowboarding doesn’t become unattainable for the middle class. I hope that shops innovate and adapt to the quickly changing retail environment and are successful in doing so. I also hope that while doing this they don’t neglect to nurture their local snowboard scene and customer base. I hope that customers see the good in supporting their local shop that in turn supports their local scene. Personally, I’m not sure if any of this is the future, but I will do everything that I’m able to do, to help steer it in that direction.

Where can we check out your products/ videos/stuff? (web/facebook/etc) www.dinosaurswilldie.com www.facebook.com/ DinosaursWillDieSnowboards www.youtube.com/dinosaurswilldiesnow

EMAIL: SEAN@DINOSAURSWILLDIE.COM WEB: WWW.DINOSAURSWILLDIE.COM

brand profile

THE DRITEK HANGER Dritek is an innovative new brand creating a revolutionary hanger perfect for an active lifestyle. The Dritek Hanger is the toughest, most versatile garment hanger on the market. Great for hanging heavy, wet gear outdoors. The Dritek Hanger holds up to 30kg and the karabiner head means you can hang it securely just about anywhere. We caught up with Managing Director Mark Jones to find out more.

Please give an overview on how and why the company began?

The Dritek Hanger was designed and developed out of a need to dry wetsuits and outdoor gear, whilst living in a 4th floor apartment near Falmouth. Everything took so long to dry and the bathroom was constantly full of gear, and the associated smells, so I came up with the idea of a hanger that could be secured outdoors (a balcony in our case), allowing the gear to dry out, without the chance of it falling or getting damaged.

Several versions later we had the current Dritek Hanger. Dritek Limited was initially set up specifically to develop, manufacture and distribute the Dritek Hanger.

Who is on the management team, and what are their backgrounds?

Mark Jones (Managing Director), surfer/ snowboarder/kayak fisherman, from the UK. Anja Jones (Director), surfer/snowboarder, from Germany. A-Side Studio (Design Team) surfers/skateboarders/snowboarders/all road water sportsmen, from the UK. What is the ethos of the brand?

Solving some of life’s little problems, but making a big difference along the way.

How is Dritek’s product innovative?

The Dritek Hanger is the toughest, most versatile garment hanger. It’s the only hanger designed specifically for outdoor use and is therefore perfect for hanging heavy or wet gear outdoors, where it can dry naturally. Its super-sized hanger frame also meant that it’s

gentle on fabrics, which protects the garment’s fabrics and form, prolonging their life.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

The Dritek Hanger’s versatility is the main differentiator. It can be hung virtually anywhere, and still be safe and secure.

All other hangers have an open hook and generally fixed neck, designed for indoor, static environments. The outdoors is a dynamic, ever changing environment and, with its closed hook karabiner and flexible strap, the Dritek Hanger is ideal for any environment.

The Dritek Hanger is strong, in fact it can comfortably hold up to 30kgs, but it’s also durable. So much so, it’s the only hanger on the market offering a 10-year warranty.

How are you involved in the boardsports industry?

We’re pretty new to the boardsports industry, however we’re intending to attend a range of events and shows next year. Plus we’ve just got ourselves a cool van, so you can expect to see us out and about a lot more. We’ve also got a few ‘brand ambassadors’ from surfing, snowboarding, freestyle kayaking, SUP and motorsports, who we’ll be looking to support next year.

What other marketing are you running?

Mainly social media marketing. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook where we invite people to send in photos of how and where they use their Dritek Hangers.

We’ve got an amazing range of customers

BRAND NAME: : THE DRITEK HANGER 62

EMAIL: M.JONES@DRITEKPRODUCTS.COM

with a wide range of uses, from wetsuits and outdoor gear, to bulletproof vests and air force uniforms.

Why should retailers sell your brand?

Retailers should stock the Dritek Hanger because anyone serious about outdoor/ watersports needs decent gear that they will want to look after. It’s a great display prop, as you can hang your key retail garments in all sorts of eye-catching places, and it works across a wide range of sectors. It can also be an easy upsell with purchases of wetsuits and snowgear and a great add-on for customers.

Perfect for Christmas!

What do you see for the future of the Dritek Hanger and its involvement in boardsports?

We are about to launch the Dritek Hanger PRO, which has an additional heavy duty foam sheath over the karabiner, which is designed for use on roof rack, trailers and boats, or wherever there is metal on metal contact.

Plus, we have a number of other products in the pipeline, and we’re hoping to attend/ sponsor some events next year. The Dritek Hanger is a multi-sector product and we are excited about being involved with all of them.

Where can we check out your products/ videos/stuff?

Check out our website www.dritekporoducts. com to see information and some videos. Or at www.facebook.com/thedritekhanger and @ dritekhanger, where you’ll see the interaction between our customers.

WEB: WWW.DRITEKPRODUCTS.COM

brand profile

BAJA CLOTHING Bringing the original Señor-Lopez woven Mexican hoodies from sunny California to the European industry, Baja is channelling their relaxed alternative style into the boardsports community through active involvement in snowboarding and skating. The Finnish brand provides retailers with a fast shipping strategy, and is also continuing to expand its sustainable and ecological collection into streetwear. Founder and Sales Manager Janne Karjula answers our questions.

Please give an overview on how and why the company began?

Baja Clothing began a couple years ago in Europe. Our core product, the Baja Hoodie

by Señor-Lopez, has been in the U.S. surf and skate market since 1972. Whilst studying and travelling in the U.S., I liked the Baja more and more, and realized its potential in the European boardsport scene. I met and discussed with Señor-Lopez and pretty soon we were working with first samples to build up Baja Clothing. We started selling the products to boardsports shops from our warehouse in Finland with our fast shipping strategy. Starting as a mono product brand we are now expanding our product line by designing an ecological collection of streetwear products.

Who is on the management team, and what are their backgrounds?

We are a small and flexible company. Our management team is the same as our actual team of doers. To name a few there is myself with sales and marketing experience.

Suvi Suitiala who has a background in snowboarding, is the graphic designer and takes care of brand image. We also have rare talent Katja Iljana as a clothing designer who has over 10 years of experience in the industry through her own KIKS brand. She also has a good network of different fabric producers.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

As a company we are flexible and fast, and our

products are unique. We are very selective with the materials: the quality has to feel and look good, and of course it has to be eco-friendly.

Our product is easy for stores because they don’t need to stock more products than they sell thanks to our fast and flexible shipping.

Could you tell us about the way you use ecological materials and how this fits with your brand ethos?

Ecological materials are at the core of our brand. Everything we produce has to be ecological and sustainable, and those qualities also make our clothes comfortable to wear.

We also try and produce our products close to our final customers. For Baja Hoodies, we use recycled fabric called ECOMEX. In other product, like for example tees and jackets, we use organic cotton or hemp.

How do you support athletes and boardsports?

We support a lot of young snowboarders and skateboarders. We also participate in events and contests in the boardsports industry.

We are flexible with this strategy and local retailers are in good support of this.

Do you attend many trade shows?

Next year we are attending ISPO 2015 in Munich, and some consumer trade shows. This year we have attended Passion in Bremen and are looking forward to Boardexpo in Helsinki.

What other marketing are you running?

Social media is very important for us. We have Instagram and Facebook accounts and bloggers are essential to us. In the future we will be attending more and more events that our target group go to.

Why should retailers sell your brand?

Firstly of course, Baja as a product is special, so it sells easily in almost every city and surf/ snowboard resort - especially in locations with a lot of travellers. Secondly, our product is a very traditional, core product for a snowboard or skate shop. Baja also sends a message to customers that the store wants to focus on specialty and core items.

What do you see for the future of your company?

In the future we want to be a flexible partner to work with and we also want to bring more unique and sustainable products to the market.

What do you see for the future of the industry?

Despite the current economic situation, I believe the boardsport industry will grow and have better times in the coming few years. But competition is hard; every company has to be active in multiple layers to promote the industry.

Where can we check out your products/ videos/stuff www.bajaclothing.fi facebook.com/bajaclothingfinland instagram: @bajaclothing

BRAND NAME: BAJA CLOTHING EMAIL: ANNE.KARJULA@BAJACLOTHING.FI WEB: WWW.BAJACLOTHING.FI 64

NEW PRODUCT #74 01.SANTA CRUZ - MAC COACH JACKET A key piece for the Santa Cruz Winter 2015 Collection is the Mac Coach Jacket, which combines premium fabrication and construction with a classic garment silhouette that draws inspiration from its hardcore Nor Cal roots. Heavily built with the winter elements in mind while retaining the look of a style that typifies the Santa Cruz brand DNA. www.santacruz.com 02.OSPREY LONGBOARDS In 2014, Osprey sold 10 times the number of skateboards compared with the same period three years ago… it’s fair to say that the brand is experiencing a wave of success in the UK and across Europe. The German market, in particular, is booming right now and Osprey longboards are top sellers with many retailers there. For 2015, Osprey have expanded this thriving category, increasing their range by over 100%, to offer a comprehensive range of 45 different boards, incorporating their most diverse offering of longboard and cruiser shapes, deck types, materials and technology. www.osprey-surf.co.uk 03.686’S GLCR COLLECTION New for Winter 2015/16, 686’s GLCR collection gets an update with their new Articulated Fit. Fitted profiles have been engineered by an all new 686 design staff to move fluidly with your body during activity, creating the ultimate in freedom of movement and performance. The Articulated Fit is only available in the GLCR collection (including the #1 selling Hydra Jacket) of goods designed for off-piste performance debuting at ISPO 2015. www.686.com 04.PHUNKSHUN WEAR - SINGLE LAYER TALL MASK This mask sets a new standard in breathability. After multiple requests from their athletes to create a facemask specifically for warm spring/summer days, Phunkshun Wear began sourcing a fabric that breathes better than anything they have used before. What they settled on is a mesh-styled polyester spandex blend that won’t fog your goggles or sunglasses, even when hiking over and over to nail a trick. www.phunkshunwear.com 05.SANUK - CASSIUS The Cassius features a waxed twill higher profile silhouette with monochromatic stitch detail. The renewed seasonal colours and camo prints are combined with a custom graphic soft canvas lining. From London to Bali, the Cassius will let global nomads travel their path in style. Available colours: Black, Navy, Dark Brown, Brown, Khaki, Tiger Camo Rust, Tiger Camo Army. www.sanuk.com/sanuk-EUROPE.html 06.CONTOUR - ROAM3 ACTION CAMERA Action camera pioneer CONTOUR introduced another innovative, easy-to-use and durable action camera built specifically for year-round adventurers. The new ROAM3 utilizes a waterproof and impact-resistant aluminium housing to allow it to function up to 30-feet underwater without a bulky case, all while retaining CONTOUR’s elegant form factor. www.contour.com

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MARKET INTELLIGENCE GERMANY

By Anna Langer After a summer with marbled weather conditions and changing temperatures but surprisingly stable sales, autumn continued rather unspectacularly for most retailers in Germany as well. The IFH Institute for Trade Research’s special retailer index to assess their “evaluation of their current business situation” even sported a slight rise from August to September, as did the forecast for the following three months. “Almost every second stationary retailer expects improvements in their business developments over the following three months,” the research states, while “every third business rates their development of sales as ‘almost unchanged’ compared to the previous month.” When it comes to snowboarding, the heavy and unexpected onset of winter in the middle of October surely played into that as well, so let’s hope this was just the beginning.

But even though the weather and especially snow situation obviously have a vital part when it comes to sales, they’re also strongly dependant on the products and assortment of the respective shops. The portfolio of Eric’s distribution Good Question Supplies consists of small, independent brands like Airblaster, Celtek, Ashbury, Crab Grab and Dinosaurs Will Die. “We have a strong product portfolio, service and marketing programme, so we expect good sales accordingly.” His choice of brands is not a random one at all, he explains: “It’s clearly noticeable that retailers redirect their orientation towards true snowboarding brands. After the news of Nike’s exit from snowboarding many shops are wondering which brand from outside our industry will be the next to retreat.”

Richie from MDCN distribution wishes for a similar notion in the skateboard market and appeals to skaters, shops and buyers alike: “Please have a look around at who are true board brands!” And, with a bit of irony, adds: “You can support German brands too - yes, it is allowed! Radio, Mob or TRAP, for example.” True to “Captain Cracker’s motto: optimism over experience” he stays positive, 2014 was a good year for MDCN, “skate as much as snow, although we’re only doing Ambition Snowskates for the latter, which are selling really well.”

In general, the customers’ affinity for a certain brand is constantly decreasing. In the Blow Out Shop in Würzburg, Basti noticed that particularly “kids aren’t as fixed on brands as they used to be. Today it’s more about what they do and don’t like. They do still want brands, but which one is not as important anymore.” Sales were still constant all through the year. “You can say it was similar to 2013 – which is a great success for us in current times, as we were able to keep our numbers up, compared to many other shops.” Fortunately they were able to counter “heavy slumps in clothing sales with increased ones in the longboard and snowboard hardware segments.” Through a bunch of events they even managed to slightly expand their client base. “Close contact with the customers is becoming ever more important. You have to do twice as much as you had to back in the day, to get the same results.“ Especially when it comes to clothing, brands have become “interchangeable“, Basti thinks, “as it very much depends on the respective collection, whether the stuff sells or not.” Only shoes are still selling themselves, Nike SB and Vans in particular, as both Basti and also Richie at MDCN report. Both also had great experiences with 68

longboards in 2014, that are still highly demanded and popular. Most of all with brands like Loaded and Bustin, as Richie reports, while US skateboard brands like Girl and Chocolate suffered a little decrease in the Blow Out Shop. Accessories on the other hand are selling well, for example “protection and wheels“, but also fancy gadgets like “bright shoelaces,” that have even become one of the most wanted additional items in Blow Out’s range, or the Olloclips fish eye lenses for mobile photography, that Richie mentions as one of their best sellers.

Snowboard hardware seems to be recovering from the low in previous years too. “It can only get better – which is not supposed to sound negative! I do believe that the coming years can be really good again for many shops. If they are ready to invest time and money”, Basti adds.

He had good sales with Ride and Salomon and thinks the trend will “change from Rocker snowboards back to camber boards once again.

For the wider mass of people, hybrid boards will be the future.” Such “advice intensive items” are sold “much better” in the stationary shop than online, while backpacks and clothing is mainly ordered online. And often sent back, “doing nothing for us at all,“ Basti sums up.

A big winner in the snowboard segment is the Ninjasuit first layer/ functional underwear from Airblaster. Good Question already started distribution for this product in 2008, but it seems as if “the market only really started understanding the advantages of this product about three years ago. Now the consumers finally realized that the field of use for the Ninjasuits is by far not limited to winter sports, but is a treat for all kinds of outdoor activities. The strong increase in demand shows that this onepiece first layer started its own trend,” says Eric. Airblaster outerwear is similarly demanded and their latest addition, Crab Grab, are well accepted too, “dusting off the shop worn stomp pad product category.”

The outlook on the rest of the year and the near future is positive for all three of them, although a little reserved. Like many before him, Basti is wary of the product surplus on the market: “It’s a huge problem that there are too many companies and offers in all segments, flooding the market with goods.” Which is already producing subsequent problems, as Eric noticed: “We’re watching the increasing amount of commission deals from suppliers very sceptically. For some retailers this has already become a basic prerequisite for a cooperation. This is only increasing one of the major issues of our industry, the surplus of goods. The alleged benefit of a reduced risk on shop side will amplify the crisis in particular if a winter is ‘bad’.” He also prompts an uncomfortable question: where do the goods go, that are given back?

“Hopefully not to the sport discounter on the corner or the internet...!”

Despite certain challenges, shops can use the current economic climate as a chance, Basti says: “You can use the current economic situation as a chance to reposition your shop. Only the ones that reflect on themselves every day and constantly adapt to the circumstances will survive. The ones ignoring this will die.” Which can be positive too, he thinks: “We hope, that everything will thin out a bit over the next couple of years and brands will be more responsible in their production. This is the only way the market is able to stay healthy in the long run.”

MARKET INTELLIGENCE FRANCE

By Benoît Brecq The leading economies have slowed down during the third quarter.

Even though GDP bounced back in the United States and remains dynamic in the United Kingdom, activity is once again disappointing in France where it has stagnated. Growth in France has been equal to zero over the last seven years and we have seen continued negative growth in productivity over the last fifteen or so. Political discourse is admitting to the crisis while nonetheless promising a change, if not an upturn, towards an encouraging return to normality. When? Nobody knows.

President Hollande confirmed this trend on Tuesday September 9. How is it realistic to think that a situation that has gone on for fifteen years is an anomaly? Isn’t it more just like reality in France?

The commercial business situation is still worsening. It is down five points compared to the month of July and remains below its long-term average. Basically it’s all red but we are being told that domestic morale is perking up! Perhaps the mild weather that we’ve had this autumn is lifting spirits. The summer season is truly reaching its end and we can now build a pretty clear picture of it. Overall “the season on the coast really improved on last year,” confirms Estelle LANGLOIS, manager of Tao surf shop in Hossegor. The weather was once again decisive with “a very sunny beginning and end.”

Shops collectively agree that the middle of the season was very average both in terms of visits (poor in July) as well as turnover.

However, the end of the season was excellent, providing most shops with positive overall results as Estelle confirms: “Obviously, as a coastal shop, the good weather affects sales and we were particularly spoiled with the Indian summer that took hold in September and October.

We also had a significant number of foreign clientele at the end of this season.” However, even though the good weather and waves in September and October helped shops to make up for poor surfboard and SUP sales during summer, many shops still have large inventories, which affects their cash flow and next season’s pre-orders.

In neoprene, the water stayed really warm late into the season this year, which never really compelled customers to look into new additions. However with the sudden drop in temperature, the water has cooled down considerably and shops have just started to sell wetsuits in the last few weeks.

In Urban and Street, “Sales are pretty stable, like last year” as Rémy Grange, co-manager of Vega skateshop in Paris reveals. Stuck between back to school and Christmas, October and November are generally not the best months of the year in terms of footfall or turnover. Rémy confirms a trend that’s been around for several months: “Traditional skateboarding is generally at a standstill. The cruiser skate market is pushing the whole skateboard market forward.” This is undoubtedly down to its very wide target customer base. You can distinguish two clear categories: quite young beginners and forty-somethings. Both these two categories are looking for low or less risk. They prefer to get around “straight up rolling” so would rather go for a cruiser, says Rémy.

The arrival of plastic skateboards four years ago has re-launched the fashion for little skateboards in Europe. Their practical (small) and fun (coloured) nature has attracted a lot of kids. Cruisers quickly assumed their place and are still highly sought after in shops. All brands are continuing to develop new models and innovate on their products. Decks that are seethrough or that have emblems printed on them or even wheels with LED lights are noteworthy features from brands such as Prohibition, Penny and Globe.

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In traditional skateboarding hardgoods, it’s mostly the authentic brands with strong images like Indy, Venture, Santa Cruz, Bones or Anti Hero that are most widely popular amongst buyers.

No great changes in shoes compared to previous months. Three or four brands remain sector leaders and are widely in demand from customers.

Nike, Vans, Adidas and Converse are still sales leaders at most retailers. For Rémy at Vega Skateshop: “by highlighting technical aspects and authenticity, these brands have conquered the skateboard world and are now its benchmarks.” We can also note, as Paul Vines, manager of Streetart shop in Thonon les Bains declares, “a return to force of the ‘running shoe’, especially models deemed retro like Asics, New Balance, Adidas and Reebok.

In the mountains, once again it’s the start of the season and it’s difficult to get going with October and November’s Indian summer favouring the coastal shops but not really helping specialist ski and snowboard shops. For Vincent Hauray, manager of the website Snowleader.com “the start of the season hasn’t been too bad”. Sales that were going well in September slowed down at the start of October, no doubt because of the high temperatures, before steadily starting up again at the end of October/beginning of November.

Jean Charles Beau, manager of the shop Addicted in Lyon is more in agreement with the “rather slow start of the season compared to last year”. These days skiing is prevailing over snowboarding. According to Vincent from Snowleader.com “skiing has remained really dynamic and has considerably enhanced its image amongst young participants who in the past tended to turn more towards snowboarding”. A beginner will nowadays start more easily with skiing. The sport has grown enormously, especially ski touring. The equipment designed for this discipline has hugely improved in the last two years alone. In snowboarding splitboarding is on the rise. This provides greater scope for the activity and caters for the escapism side sought after by its participants. According to Vincent: “it gives a more dynamic side to snowboarding, which is what our customers are looking for.”

Jean Charles from Fashion Street confirms that: “the Snowboarding market is complicated but I’m retaining my specialist side. I am not changing my shop’s image and am contributing to raising snowboarding’s profile by advising a knowledgeable, demanding clientele.” To follow this path, the snowboarding world is now more interested in the youth, “more and more brands are bringing out products for kids” reveals Jean Charles. He adds: “For example, Burton have kids test out their equipment to introduce them to snowboarding as early as possible and build loyalty at the same time.”

What we can say is that retailers agree in saying that bags, whether for snowboarding or for skiing, are selling pretty well. Issen, manager of the shop Urban Surfer in Paris backs this up: “at the start of this season sales are pretty stable but we can see notable success from the luggage section.” This trend is confirmed by Jean Charles from Fashion Street for whom “luggage is working pretty well.”

Once again we are all agreed that the weather and the climate will guide customer purchases. The Indian summer seems a long way behind us now and the first snowflakes have already fallen over the Pyrenees and the Alps. We are slowly heading into winter and the Christmas holidays will once again provide the first trends of the 20142015 winter season.

MARKET INTELLIGENCE UK

By Gordon Way I recently bought some new motorbike leathers – for my partner - I’m not replacing mine they’re only 20 years old! I took a trip around five motorbike shops on a Sunday. Three were shut! The fourth was a Harley Shop and only sold Harley branded clothing with silly tassels at prices to make your eyes water. The fifth shop was dead.

(I could perhaps understand why the first three stores were shut).

But here I was ready to part with my cash. The staff were bored and uninterested. Very unwelcoming – but by now I was determined to make a buy. They just failed to notice that.

After 40 minutes of watching Michelle try on this and that and trying to say the right thing we were ready to make a purchase. At no point during our visit had anyone approached us. Surely it was obvious we were serious punters? I was pretty fed up and the ensuing transaction only made me less happy. No enthusiasm for my money, it was a struggle to get a ‘thanks’. I’ll not be returning! If the owner had seen his staff at work I think he would have been horrified. I was.

I am pretty sure that most of our board stores around the UK and Ireland are full of enthusiastic folk that are only too keen to talk to customers about a new board – be it surf, skate, snow – whatever.

Once again I am harping on about our enthusiastic industry but it really is this enthusiasm that drives it forward. From the drawing boards of the design studios, to the instructors in the snowdomes and the guys and gals on the shop floor. From whichever brand, or whatever ‘village’ they hail – the one common thread is enthusiasm.

Even when we grow up (don’t grow up – it’s a trap!) we still maintain this vital aspect of life and business.

And one such grown up is Olly Lambourne, he of Mountain Mavericks (Morzine) and now Father of four… yes four. Having recently had twins their compact family expanded dramatically. Once confirmed that the family are all doing well I asked him about business, bookings and, of course the weather. “The ski show was much the same as usual. Whilst people do seem to be prepared to spend real money on their holidays they also have a mentality of the ‘last minute’ and they’re certainly slower to confirm. Overall we’re happy and peak weeks have sold out well in advance which is a good sign.” Turning to the weather: “A miserable wet summer turned to a warm autumn but very recently things got cold very quickly and in the last few days we’ve had some great snowfalls. There is a distinct air of optimism which is always a good thing.”

Talk of the ski show and again we hear about the enthusiastic buzz. My guys all returned from the show saying that it appeared to be one of the best yet and whilst Angelo from S2AS (Surface To Air Sports) did not totally concur, but he did confirm that he had a good show. “It was good, it was busy and people were buying. But not at the right price. They all wanted a deal and wanted this year’s kit at the discounted prices of last year’s kit. The footfall was really good and we’ve come away happy but I just wish that we did not live in that day and age where everyone wants a deal on everything.” That said Angelo is well used to this side of the business and is certainly one of the key retailers to be ready and willing 72

to snap up clearance deals. He buys in for the show and does well.

Apart from the show how is the winter kicking off? “Very strong in store sales and top end stuff is selling particularly well. Those customers know what they want and they will hunt it out and pay top dollar for it – they’re not looking for a deal – just looking for the best kit.”

S2AS, based in Poole, Dorset, is a well-established shop with a good following: “We don’t sell surf and our main summer business is kite and wake, which is booming. We’re stoked with our wake business and it’s really outshining kite by a long way. I’m thinking of expanding our skate offering and, although I hate to say it, I’m also thinking of getting in a few scooters. Can’t believe I am saying that but the local skate park it is 7:1 scooters to skate. I think I’ve got to”. I expressed my own reservations but what can you do?

A quick change of direction and up to Scotland to talk to Ross from Freeze in Edinburgh. Now I know, and many people know, that Freeze is doing something right. Try and ask Ross what he is doing right and he’s very coy. “Not really sure to be honest. I don’t want to sound arrogant but I think so much of it is down to the buy. You have to have your fingers on the pulse and you have to react to trends and styles and not be frightened to take a risk. This has held us in great stead through a double dip recession and we continue to go from strength to strength. I dunno – maybe it’s just blind luck!”

I doubt it – Ross knows his stuff and he has a good eye for what is going to sell.

As for looking forward – his crystal balls are no different to the rest of us, “the warm autumn is not helping people think about winter sports but as soon as a cold snap comes that will all change. And the snowboard enthusiasts have been getting in early making sure they get their hands on the kit they really want. This has resulted in massive early season business which is great for us”.

Looking beyond the season Freeze will be continuing their relatively recent foray into surf. “It’s not something I know personally but we have a great guy who is into surf and this past season it’s started to get traction. We’ll definitely be continuing to expand in this area and that can only enhance our traditional ‘off-season’ business of sunnies and tees” So pretty positive outlook and pretty enthusiastic in our pond. But what about the UK pond? It’s not all good news and, of course, the press pick up on all the bad news, but talk of a triple dip recession is rubbish (hope I am right). UK growth will apparently register a marginal slowdown to 2.5% - but it’s still growth!

And finally an election is looming. You know this because the politicians are out to buy our votes with all sorts of wonderful promises. Believe none of them. But take comfort from the fact that hopefully a feel good factor will be engendered by all the promises of ‘this and that’ and people may further ease open their wallets spending their hard earned money on a new board – of any choice – just so long as it’s a board or board related.

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market intelligence

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SWITZERLAND

ITALY

By Fabien Grisel

By Franz Josef Holler

Even though the shops were ready to start their winter sales, Mother Nature didn’t fancy bringing us winter and instead gave us an almost too pleasant Indian summer; we would have to wait until the first week of November before needing to wear a jacket around town.

Predictably, this didn’t help to sell winter equipment, which had trouble getting off the ground.

Having a quick glance around we can see that hardgoods sales in October were acceptable while outerwear was once again disappointing. Seasonal rentals from shops in the plains seem to have started quite encouragingly, shops from the Lausanne region and on the shores like François Sport and SB Sport service are really happy with their rentals at the moment. These guys were under siege at the start of October, which proves that the interest in snow is widespread.

Another positive point, Christophe from François Sport quickly ran out of his stock of junior boards, especially 110cm boards, which is a good sign and backs up a snowboarding recovery that we started to seriously entertain just over a year ago now.

It was also a good start for the Haute-Valais resort of Saas Fee, host to one of the most ridden glaciers in Europe, which seems to always attract the young freestyle riders wanting to train in autumn to prepare for their winter. Indeed, the perfectly prepared snowpark and pipe hold up so well that you can usually see the world’s elite sending it over the kickers and between the icy walls. This trend benefits local shops like Wild One whose manager Ändu admits to having some really good weekends this autumn even though the weekdays are still much more quiet.

From a brand point of view, Lib Tech is still on the rise, sales volumes are increasing each year and the boards sell quickly. Patrick Rentsch who distributes the brand is very satisfied with sell-in and even more so with sell-out because the boards are highly sought after and are often even pre-ordered by customers, even before their deliveries. Some think that the momentum the brand enjoys is primarily down to its marketing and the Travis Rice effect but this seems like a bit more than just a simple case of making a video and it would be belittling to limit it to that. These boards actually work, it’s quality gear and the history behind it is authentic, it’s a formula that’ll work every time these days.

As for outerwear, French brand Picture has been selling like hot cakes for some years now. The two-tone, organic fabric concept seems to please the public. One curiosity is that most buyers confess to not fully subscribing to the brand and that they would probably not wear it themselves but it must be said that it sells well so it would be stupid to pass it by. This is along the same lines as the thoughts of Claude Ticon from Manly Shop in Morges who has been buying the brand for several seasons and is wondering when the trend might fade away but once again with around ten pieces sold this October, this season is set to look similar to previous ones for the French brand.

Another piece of news this autumn concerns some suppliers’ highly variable delivery times, which do not involve just one brand or one supplier although some are more affected than others. Luckily we had to wait until November before feeling the winter on the end of our noses but it could prove problematic if they get worse and it’ll be interesting to see its effects at the end of the season.

Simplicity is the key word that business owners are listening out for when talking about what needs to be done. Italy has great potential in multiple ways, but nowadays everything seems to be complicated and there is a general lack of motivation overall. There are young individuals with ideas in their minds, but they lack the bravery and self-confidence required to express their ideas.

The season kicked off to an above average start in terms of footwear and apparel sales. Outerwear and hardgoods however, seem to be struggling as temperatures are still lingering around 20 degrees.

It is too warm for consumers to be excited about winter stock, which instils a sense of nervousness in retailers and causes them to implement flash sales as they foresee their selling interval as too short due to the fast approach of the post-Christmas sale.

Alessio Sperati from indie store Zoopark has over 20 years of experience in the action sports industry, and has the following to say: “Business is not bad, but these days you have to be very industrious when it comes to hardgoods and outerwear sales – it is not enough to only carry products in store. You have to collaborate with resorts, snow parks and trip organisers as well as being a real expert with a good selection of the hottest brands. Stores around Italy are reducing their offerings or have pulled out completely from hardgoods in order to concentrate on being a skateshop, footwear or streetwear retailer, which has given the remaining core snowboard stores more room for growth”.

The overall agreement amongst storeowners is that there is an excessive amount of product that is on sale at the beginning of the season and too many flash sales with reduced pricing occurring prior to the actual sale period. Online retailers are finding the same problem.

On the outerwear side of things, stores feel a sense of security due to having reduced their stock in order to minimise the risk of not making enough sales to create a profit. But on the urban side, there is a high demand from consumers for the more urban styled jacket as the parka and bomber jackets are returning and are becoming more and more popular. This creates the opportunity for outerwear brands to put in orders for more colourful gear, targeted especially at the younger shredders who use the products mainly for their intended technical purpose, those of them who are going snowboarding or skiing as opposed to buying products as fashionable items. It gives them leeway to go crazy on colours and materials too.

Most retailers have reduced-stock levels and narrowed it down to their best selling or favourite brands. This is the result of strategic buying from a wide range of what the industry has to offer, in order to avoid being overstocked at the end of the season. Some brands may find it difficult to get their goods in store, more so now than a few years ago as retailers are more selective and informed than in the past.

Due to the overall decrease in the marketing budget of many brands, storeowners are forced to be more conscientious and are more willing to push the brands where they see potential. The attitude as of late is to push when sales go down, the brands that we carry should have the same goal as we need maximum support in order to receive our targets. We had the Skipass (www.skipass.com), winter sport tradeshow over the last weekend of October in Modena, which was a great success with a big rail contest, a shopping section, various video premieres and other side events let’s continue to make this season a success and have a blast.

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OPPORTUNITIES

JOBS @ BLUE TOMATO How Blue are you?

Blue Tomato sucht Sales Assistant (m/w) Blue Tomato ist der führende Multi-Channel Händler in den Bereichen Snowboard, Freeski, Surf und Skate! Wir bieten dir einen aufregenden Job in einem dynamischen Unternehmen mit flachen Hierarchien, angenehmer Arbeitsatmosphäre und der Möglichkeit deine eigenen kreativen Ideen einzubringen!

Anforderungen: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Affinität zur Snowboard-/Freeskiszene erforderlich sehr gutes Produkt KnowHow speziell im Bereich Snowboard und/oder Freeski Interesse an weiteren Boardsportarten (Skate, Surf, etc.)

Kenntnisse über aktuelle Jugendfashion, Lifestyle, Trends und Marken Erfahrung im Sportartikel-Einzelhandel Freude am Verkaufen mehr Infos fi Positives Auftreten gegenüber KundInnen und MitarbeiterInnen ndest du auf www.blue-to mato.com/jo Gespür für Style und Dekoration bs Erkennen von Trends, Einbringen von Ideen Mithilfe bei Events EDV Basis-Kenntnisse Sprachkenntnisse DE, EN (weitere Sprache von Vorteil)

Beginn: ab sofort

Ort: Blue Tomato Shop Essen

Schick einfach deine aussagekräftige Bewerbung mit ausführlichem Lebenslauf, Zeugnissen und Lichtbild bevorzugt via E-mail (Betreff: Sales Assistant Essen) an: jobs@blue-tomato.com Ansprechperson: Ronny Ockenga

Für die ausgeschriebene Position gilt ein KV-Mindestgrundgehalt mit Bereitschaft zur Überzahlung abhängig von Qualifikation und Erfahrung.

Snowboard Dachstein Tauern GmbH Hochstraße 628 | 8970 Schladming Österreich

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brought to you by Boardsport Source & ActionsportsJOB.com

OPPORTUNITIES

DISTRIBUTORS WANTED! UK, Denmark, Norway, Turkey, Mid East, South Africa

Unify Brand Partnerships Midlands/North Sales Representative (Competitive salary, car & benefits)

Unify Brand Partnerships represent a number of leading brands within the sport, action sport and lifestyle markets, including Peak Performance, Havaianas, Rip Curl and Moon Boot.

We are currently looking for a Sales Representative for the North/Midlands region, specifically covering our portfolio of action sport and lifestyle brands.

Ideally we require someone with experience working in the action sports/lifestyle sector, either in a direct selling role or with relevant retail experience.

Since 1999, C1RCA has remained committed to skateboarding. Designing, developing and producing quality footwear and apparel for skateboarding and lifestyle by skateboarders.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated and organised, with strong communication and presentation skills with a real passion for the industry.

To apply, please send a covering letter and CV, along with your current salary details to damian@unify-bp.com

WE HAVE REBOOTED THE MARKETING AND INFUSED A NEW SENSE OF EXCITEMENT INTO THE BRAND. IT´S TIME WE GET BACK TO WHAT WE DO BEST! C1RCA –“ COMITTED TO SKATEBOARDING”

Closing date: 7th November 2014

c1rca.com / pfrericks@sugi.com.hk / +491738603801

ARE YOU A SINNER? SINNER, established in 1996 in The Netherlands, is one of Europe’s leading sports brands specialising in eyewear, goggles, helmets, protection, footwear and knitted accessories.

SINNER products are currently sold in over 20 countries worldwide and we are offering new agents to join in for the areas: UK: France: Germany:

South East / North / Scotland / Northern Ireland South East / South Alps / Corsica / Center / North East Baden-Württemberg / Rheinland-Pfalz / Hessen Niedersachen Bremen / Schleswig-Holstein / Hamburg Austria: Nieder Osterreich / Vienna / Burgenland / Steiermark Kärnten Switzerland: All areas Spain: Andalucia Contact us at robert@sinner.eu when you are interested.

brought to you by Boardsport Source & ActionsportsJOB.com

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ESURFV/ESKATE N T/ SNOW S #/ TRADE 74 DECEMBER 1-6 US SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX COPPER MOUNTAIN- CO USA SNOW WWW.USSNOWBOARDING.COM 5-6 AIR & STYLE

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JANUARY 5-6 AGENDA LONG BEACH LONG BEACH USA TRADE WWW.AGENDASHOW.COM 6-9 INTERNATIONAL CES LAS VEGAS USA TRADE WWW.CESWEB.ORG 8-10 SURF EXPO FLORIDA USA TRADE WWW.SURFEXPO.COM 10-15 WORLD ROOKIE FEST LIVIGNO ITALY SNOW WWW.WORLDROOKIETOUR.COM 11-12 FUTURE TRY DAVOS SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.SNOWBOARDBOX.CH 14-19 US SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX MAMMOTH USA SNOW WWW.USSNOWBOARDING.COM 16-17 AIR & STYLE INNSBRUCK AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.AIR-STYLE.COM 17 AUDI SNOWBOARD SERIES HALFPIPE DAVOS SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.AUDISNOWBOARDSERIES.CH 17-18 VALLEY RALLY ZILLERTAL ARENA AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.WORLDSNOWBOARDGUIDE.COM 18-20 SNOW AVANT PREMIERE LA CLUSAZ FRANCE TRADE WWW.SPORTAIR.FR 19-20 ANNECY SHOWROOM, AVANT PREMIERE ANNECY FRANCE TRADE WWW.SPORTAIR.FR 19-20 AGENDA NYC USA TRADE WWW.AGENDASHOW.COM 19 TEST LES CROSETS SWISS SNOW WWW.SNOWBOARDBOX.CH 19-21 BRIGHT BERLIN GERMANY TRADE WWW.BRIGHTTRADESHOW.COM 19-21 BREAD AND BUTTER BERLIN GERMANY TRADE WWW.BREADANDBUTTER.COM 22-25 WINTER X GAMES BUTTERMILK MOUNTAIN ASPEN SNOW WWW.XGAMES.ESPN.GO.COM 23-25 PARIS MEN’S CAPSULE PARIS FRANCE TRADE WWW.CAPSULESHOW.COM 24 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLDTOUR CHAMONIX FRANCE SNOW WWW.WORLDSNOWBOARDGUIDE.COM 25-27 PRO SHOP TEST ANDALO ITALY TRADE WWW.PROSHOPTEST.COM 25-27 SHOPS 1ST TRY VENET (LANDECK) AUSTRIA TRADE WWW.SHOPS-1ST-TRY.COM 27-29 SLIDE TRADESHOW TELFORD UK TRADE WWW.SLIDEUK.CO.UK 28-30 REVOLUTION TOUR SEVEN SPRINGS – PA USA WWW.USSNOWBOARDING.COM 29-1 BURTON EUROPEAN OPEN LAAX SWISS WWW.BURTON.COM 29-1 SIA SNOW SHOW DENVER, CO USA SIASNOWSHOW.SNOWSPORTS.ORG 31-4 EUROPEAN FREERIDE FESTIVAL LIVIGNO ITALY SNOW WWW.EUROPEANFREERIDEFESTIVAL.COM

FEBRUARY 2-7 US SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX MAMMOTH MOUNTIAN- CA USA SNOW WWW.USSNOWBOARDING.COM 7 AUDI SNOWBOARD SERIES SLOPESTYLE GRINDELWALD SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.AUDISNOWBOARDSERIES.CH 5-8 ISPO MUNICH GERMANY TRADE WWW.MUNICH.ISPO.COM 10-13 REVOLUTION TOUR MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN – CA USA WWW.USSNOWBOARDING.COM 14 S WATCH FREERIDE WORLDTOUR ORDINO-ARCALIS ANDORRA SNOW WWW.WORLDSNOWBOARDGUIDE.COM 15-17 MODA SHOW BIRMINGHAM UK TRADE WWW.MODA-UK.CO.UK 16-17 AGENDA LAS VEGAS USA TRADE WWW.AGENDASHOW.COM 17-19 MAGIC LAS VEGAS, NV USA TRADE WWW.MAGICONLINE.COM 19-22 MAZDA SNOWBOARD JAMBOREE STONEHAM UK SNOW WWW.SNOWJAMBOREE.COM 21-22 AIR & STYLE LOS ANGELES-CA USA SNOW WWW.AIR-STYLE.COM 21-22 VALLEY RALLY VANS PENKEN PARK MAYRHOFEN AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.WORLDSNOWBOARDGUIDE.COM 23-1 US SNOWBOARDING GRAND PRIX PARK CITY- UTAH USA SNOW WWW.USSNOWBOARDING.COM

MARCH 2-7 BURTON US OPEN VAIL – CO USA SNOW WWW.BURTON.COM 7 WHITESTYLE OPEN MÜRREN SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.AUDISNOWBOARDSERIES.CH 9-11 SPORT ACHA LYON FRANCE TRADE WWW.SPORTAIR.FR 14 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLDTOUR ALASKA USA SNOW WWW.WORLDSNOWBOARDGUIDE.COM 19-26 BASELWORLD BASEL SWITZERLAND TRADE WWW.BASELWORLD.COM 28 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLDTOUR VERBIER SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.WORLDSNOWBOARDGUIDE.COM

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ONE EYED MONSTER

#74

CAPITA’S DEFENDERS OF AWESOME 2 MOVIE PREMIERE, LONDON

Kristian Barr from Snowboard Shop & Rich Wilder from The Riders Lounge

CAPiTA President Blue Montgomery & Jonothan Rogers from The Riders Lounge

Grace Knee - Canoe Inc. Stephy Easter - 2 Seasons

Ben Rumney (back left) - Sputnik, Tom Smith (back middle) - SS20, Burton’s Dan Crichton, & Chris Allso with Sam Clark from Snow&Rock

Sam Taylor from Surfdome, Mat Malcolm from Work Hard Ride Nice, Neil Philips & Vans’ Oli Culcheth

Team Pic - Andy Iseam - Kin, Petros, Hayley, Sean Ashyby - O’Neill Sales Account Manager, Izzy Keene - sales, Maria & Natalie from The Poolhouse - UK O’Neill PR

Oakley’s Sonja & Jan

Team Oakley happy after a successful premiere

O’NEILL’S JEREMY JONES HIGHER PREMIERE, LONDON

New 32 EMEA Brand Manager Dale Taylor with TSA’s Chris Shannon

Sam Nelson, Dragon European TM and Petros from O’Neill

OAKLEY’S ‘SNOWBOARDING- FOR ME’ PREMIERE, INNSBRUCK

Eero Ettala & Oakley’s Kathi

Eero Ettala and Oakley’s Alex

STANCE - UNCOMMON THREAD TOUR LAUNCH, LONDON

Candy Harris, Heath Walker, Chippa Wilson, Mark Choinaire, Zio Ziegler and Brett Siriani

Stance EMEA Marketing Manager Heath Walker & artist Zio Ziegler

Stance Founder Ryan Kingman gets procedings underway

Tristin D’Andrea, Candy Harris, Zio Ziegler, Laura Fairweather, Sam Nelson, Myles Hutchins and Schoph

DC’s Stefan and Gerald

Head’s Max & Nicole

Team Nitro - Thilo, Manu, Emilio, Philipp and Fabian

McNair girls with the man himself, Neil McNair

Sputnik Store Manager Charlotte Strachan & shop staff Ben Rumney

STUBAI GLACIER OPENING

Arbor Snowboards’ new brand manger Bernd Pösl

UK SKI & SNOWBOARD SHOW, EARLS COURT, LONDON

British Snowboarding - Noble Customs’ Sam Noble & TSA’s Jeremy Sladen

80

Dragon’s EMEA Marketing Manager, Craig Smith with impressive window display at Sputnik Store

SURF LOUNGE 1-2 OCT SEIGNOSSE