EuroSIMAg - number 17 by EuroSIMA

QUARTERLY • WINTER 2019 •

N°17 05

A new tool to boost sustainable innovation

Gabe Davies: “We can make a difference”

Tech for good, or finding meaning in technology

KEY FIGURES

+ 3%

he annual growth rate forecasted for the European summer action sports market until 2020.

Source : EUROSIMA/NPD. — Research carried out by the marketing research firm NPD Group for EUROSIMA and based on a panel of retailers and online consumers.

EUROSIMA IN ACTION

L A N D S O F I N N O V AT I O N

BEHIND THE SCENES

TA K E - O F F

# E U R O S I M A F A M I LY

A new tool to boost sustainable innovation

Gabe Davies: “We can make a difference”

Tech for good, or finding meaning in technology

Flashback

©SaltyCom’

©OutdoorSportsValley

©SaltyCom’

EUROSIMA IN ACTION

JOIN US AT CAMP DE BASE

INVESTING TOWARDS THE FUTURE FOR YOUR COWORKERS

CUSTOM COVERAGE FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES

MEETING NEW TALENT

Outdoor Sports Valley invites you to join them at the 2020 Ispo trade fair in Munich from January 26-29 by exhibiting at the “Camp de Base”. This option is an all inclusive solution to exhibit your products or services in shared space, which is specifically designed for the outdoor industry. In addition, by exhibiting through the “Camp de Base”, you will enjoy a variety of additional complementary services (food, logistical and administrative assistance…). To find our more: www.outdoorsportsvalley.org

Each year EUROSIMA encourages Action Sports businesses to put their mandatory learning tax to good use in favour of association partners such as the Académie Basque du Sport, CNPC Sport, Ecole Supérieure de Design des Landes, ESTIA or the University of Bordeaux. This mandatory tax, which is due before March 1st, 2020, provides funding to technological or professional training institutions of your choice.

Since January 1st, 2016, all businesses, including very small businesses, must offer their employees group health coverage that complies with certain conditions. To help you with this task, EUROSIMA has joined forces with Mutuelle Prévifrance to provide custom options for professionals within the Action Sports industry, at preferential rates. To discover the offer: info@eurosima.com

Mid March 2020, EUROSIMA and the employment agency Pôle Emploi of Saint-Vincentde-Tyrosse will be once again organizing the Surfing Job Fair in Hossegor. For the 3rd year in a row, participants will be able to present careers and jobs from within the industry as well as the corresponding training options to future professionals. Business with current vacancies will also be able to sit down and meet with potential applicants. For more information: www.eurosima.com

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A NEW TOOL TO BOOST SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION Since 2015, EUROSIMA and the Communauté d’Agglomération Pays Basque have been working together to boost the competitive advantage of aquatic, nautical and action sports businesses in the area. The territorial institutions have set their sights high by aiming to establish the Basque Country as the benchmark for eco-design, manufacturing and large-scale testing for innovative products and services within the industry. To that end, specially equipped premises were specifically designed for sustainable innovation and recently opened their doors in Saint-Jean-de-Luz last October.

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The official name of the premises will be announced shortly but the large space spread over 1500m2 of refurbished buildings located in the former Quiksilver buildings in the Jalday business park, is already offering its various services to businesses of all sizes. The offer includes a new generation manufacturing workshop as well as a business incubator.

BOOSTING DEVELOPMENT FOR INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS On the second floor of the building, the Business Incubator offers 50 private offices in open space. “The incubator welcomes young entrepreneurs who need assistance to develop their business projects; but it is neither a co-working space nor simply business rental offices!” specifies Aline Frésier, Project Manager for the Economic Development of the Communauté d’Agglomération Pays Basque. To apply for access to the premises and its services, you need to be a project carrier or an innovative/

sustainable business creator linked to the ocean, with a business that has been created within the past 2 years at the most. The application process includes identifying and reviewing the needs of such profiles by the Project Manager. The project carrier or entrepreneur then presents the application to the Agreement Committee, which includes a team of representatives from the Pays Basque metropolitan area, elected representatives, a chartered accountant as well as innovation specialists and a EUROSIMA representative. Once the application has been accepted, the candidate can then join the incubator for up to 3 years, with access to a variety of services to help launch the business in the best possible conditions: affordable work space (624 €/year), custom assistance from local experts, training designed to develop innovative businesses, various events, special access to a prototyping workshop, meeting rooms…

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MAKING A PROTOTYPE, NOW AN OPTION FOR ALL The key advantage of the building is without a doubt the 200m2 of manufacturing workshop space open to all types of entrepreneurs, thus providing access to manufacturing tools and processes that historically were reserved for industrial-size entities. In a single location, it includes all the necessary ressources to create a project from A to Z and therefore move a lot faster from a simple idea to a tangible object. No specific skills are required: “Total beginners can use the workshop. The objective is to learn while building. We train people to use the machines and make their prototypes so they can come back to the workshop later, whenever they want to and work on their own” explains Aline Frésier. The workshop offers 5 specific creation stations. The “3D Printing” station allows production of rigid or flexible parts, such as moulds. The “electronic” station allows users to weld electronic systems and to program. The “workshop” station provides a cutting machine as well as a laser etching machine (to which will soon be added a milling machine) to cut and assemble hard materials like wood, metal or plastic. Work around lighter materials for apparel such as cotton or ever more complex fabric like elasthane or even the need to use fabric for heavier creations such as bags or accessories (backpacks, kites, tents, leather bags, neoprene wetsuits…) will take place in the “flexible materials” station where users will find sewing machines, stitching machines and necessary tools for sublimation. Finally the fully equipped “photo studio” station (cameras, tie microphones, backdrops, flashes…) will enable users to make their own packshot products as well as video or photo products.

Interested in finding out more? Contact Aline Frésier a.fresier@communaute-paysbasque.fr or at +33 (0)7 61 19 20 87 or go to www.technolpolepaysbasque.fr

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GABE DAVIES: “WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE”

Originally from Tynemouth in the North-East of England, Gabe Davies is one of those intrepid adventurers to have braved the cold northern waters. While his school buddies were all going crazy over football, Gabe dreamt of becoming a pro surfer. Thanks to his parents’ support and his own dedication, he gradually made a name for himself early on and was spotted by Quiksilver, a brand he would spend 20 years working with. A fervent environmentalist to the core, in 2013, he joined Patagonia, where he found a true calling.

HOW DID GETTING SUPPORT FROM A BRAND AS SIGNIFICANT AS QUIKSILVER MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR YOU? I won the national Under 16s and then my first pay check came in just as I was deciding to either go to University at 18. With that support, I booked a ticket to Hawaii and chased the dream of surfing some really big waves. That journey lasted over 20 years, and culminated with pioneering waves like Mullaghmore, and being part of the first tow surf scene of Europe and some XXL big wave award nominations. I started with Quiksilver when it was just a handful of people in a small warehouse; I saw the growth of that company when it was really the coolest team to be part of.

was the most important thing to me and my family. The environmental work by inspiring groups like Surfers Against Sewage, was just as inspirational or as important to me as pro surfing and performance in the water. I didn’t see the surf industry taking that environmental movement as fast, or as forward, as I’d have liked.

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GABE, WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR PASSION FOR SURFING? Diving into the North Sea was a world away from my football mad school and it gave a totally different perspective on the world. Surfing was so underground, we were a secret tribe, with a full coast to explore. We were following in the footsteps of some very inspirational and colorful pioneers. YOU TURNED YOUR PASSION INTO A CAREER. HOW WAS THIS CALLING BORN? There were some great surfers in my generation, and the British surfers were taking European titles and were a stronger force in the competitive scene than they are today. As a young surfer I was pushing myself to make a mark in that world. Sponsorship allowed me a pro surfing career, which on paper, what was once an outside chance, actually become a reality.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO STOP YOUR CAREER AS A PRO SURFER? Towards the end of my time at Quiksilver I saw some of the best people leaving the company, and I began to question the bigger reasons for being based in South West France and what

WHAT DID YOU DO NEXT? Having friends like the Malloy brothers, aligned with Patagonia, an outdoor brand, which was doing more good than any of the surf companies had ever done was an eye opener. At the time the brothers stepped away from Billabong and Hurley to grow Patagonia surf. I was lucky enough to be in the right place, at the right time, when the European team was looking for someone to grow their Surf category at sea level, to complement the reputation they already had in the mountains.

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TODAY, YOU WORK FOR PATAGONIA, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT AND WHAT YOU DO? My role sits between marketing, sales, product and the environmental groups that have a surf focus. I support our sales teams and wholesale partners who represent Patagonia. We want long term relationships and sustainable growth. We’ve all seen the surf industry go form boom to bust, or brands lose their roots and their core values. My role is to engage Patagonia Surf with likeminded surfers to deliver our mission statement, and to make positive change within their communities.

HOW CAN WE EACH BE MORE RESPECTFUL OF OUR PLANET IN OUR DAILY LIVES? We can all take responsibility around how we can make a difference. This isn’t about a beach clean or reusing plastic bags, we need large scale change. We, as a surf Industry have numerous choices every day that can all make a positive impact. Who is your energy supplier?

PATAGONIA'S MISSION IS TO SAVE THE PLANET. ISN'T THAT A LITTLE AMBITIOUS? Ha-ha, yes, it is very ambitious, but it is also deadly serious. Our mission statement: “We Are In Business To Save Our Home Planet” is central to every major decision. The stakes have never been higher, with the climate crisis leading to imminent tipping points, consumption and reliance on fossil fuels is driving our society over the edge. We can’t go on the same as we have been, or our kids planet will be trashed right before our eyes. Patagonia has always focused on building the best products and making the least impact on supply chains and supporting environmental groups, but we also need to change systems and industries, and come together on the solutions. Do they use renewables? Using organic or recycled materials over raw materials is an easy win – Patagonia has proven that it doesn’t affect quality of product, and is fully transparent about where our gear is made. Any company can add in Fair Trade Certification if you use our supply chain partners. If a product is designed to be used for a longer life span, or designed to be repairable, then

it’s even better. Use your buying power as individuals or as an industry to make choices that are positive. Solely seeking profit will have an unwritten cost, either on the skilled people that work in the supply chain, or the environmental cost of using cheaper products that ends up in landfill. Doing good, is also good for business.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Use your buying power as individuals or as an industry to make choices that are positive.

IN 2016, PATAGONIA WON THE EUROSIMA INNOVATION OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR THE YULEX WETSUIT. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT IT? It’s been a journey, Yulex natural rubber wetsuits has been over 10 years in the making. It started when Yulex Corp came to us with a sustainable rubber that would replace Limestone or Petro chemical based neoprene in our suits. We always knew Limestone was not the answer. If you could avoid it, why would you want to, quarry lime stone from the ground to make a wetsuit? Or use Petro-chemical as the largest ingredient of your wetsuit? It is not sustainable, not environmental in any way. We just had to make a natural rubber suit that performed as well as other suits on the market, and make a suit that would last longer than other suits, to prove it could work. Our current suit has had over 200 materiel trails and surfs great. Natural rubber performs

better than any synthetic rubber and saves 80% CO2 per suit. The rubber is fully sustainable, the Hevea trees, which are FSC certified by the Rainforest Foundations, grow and provide rubber for 35 years. Yulex rubber is open to all, and the more brands come on board, the cheaper the raw material will be.

PATAGONIA DECIDED TO DONATE THEIR 5000 EURO-PRIZE MONEY TO THE ASSOCIATION SURFERS AGAINST SEWAGE. WHY, AND WHY CHOOSE THAT ASSOCIATION IN PARTICULAR? It was a natural fit. We grant 1% of our turnover to environmental groups as a way of self-taxing our own impact. Anyone can sign up for “1% for The Planet” organization. Surfers Against Sewage do incredible work at government level, all the way down to community beach cleans and plastic free schools. They are constantly making progress and have been doing inspirational work since I very first met them.

Read the full interview of Gabe Davies on our blog www.insideurosima.com

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HOW SURFING IS DEVELOPING? (WAVE POOLS, THE OLYMPICS...) So, this is the future, whether we like it or not. I think the Olympics need surfing more than surfing needs the Olympics. The positive I see, is that hopefully some of the young European surfers can access support from national sports bodies to compete on the world stage, as part of the Olympic funding cycle. Wave pools are also way to progress surfing performance and accessibility, and for the surf industry to expand, but as good as they are now, wave pools will never beat those amazing natural moments we love surfing for. If these developments can in some way inspire the industry to become more sustainable, or for surfers to appreciate nature and protect their own beaches is yet to be seen!

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TECH FOR GOOD, OR FINDING MEANING IN TECHNOLOGY Nowadays, companies are gradually becoming the object of collective interest. No tech company can be created without consideration for social and environmental issues. This steady trend referred to as “Tech for good” is also confirmed in the newly EUROSIMA sponsored startups.

SHAKABAY REVISITS HOW WE TRAVEL

Adrien Mangeot.

Recently settled at Olatu in Anglet, the surf-trip booking platform Shakabay have managed to establish itself as one of the latest musthave tools to prepare a surf-trip stress-free while contributing to environmental and social organizations.

Put simply, it’s a free service allowing travellers to book accommodation near surf spots or wherever they plan on practicing their activity (surf classes, boat trips, diving, yoga, skateboarding…) depending on their choice of offer and destination. © EUROSIMA/Robin

Everything is designed Whether a seasoned to make planning for or beginner surfer, all your trip and enjoying types of riders will your vacation and enjoy the key assets experience easier. The Adrien Mangeot, Clémence Allain and Julien Feugeas from Shakabay of Shakabay, which search engine allows are the experience and you to focus on the encounters the Shaka best surfing destinations (kite, SUP…) according Family can provide through a well-developed to your preferences, relying on over 500 certified community of ambassadors and enthusiasts with professionals. common values and who share their good deals and ideas on the platform. There are no bad surprises to be expected upon arrival for travelers who use the platform: “To make the trip even more meaningful, our ambition is to “Shakabay ensures that the payment gets to the right place, be able to donate a percentage of the price of the trip to social with offers and service providers that have all been validated or environmental projects that would be chosen by vote by the by our community of users. If necessary, we cancel the trip Shaka Family. We’d also like to be able to give the travellers and give a refund, free of any fees or charges up to a few the option to offset their carbon footprint when they book the days before departure” explains Shakabay cofounder trip” concludes Adrien.

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I CLEAN MY SEA TAKES ON PLASTIC POLLUTION

then map everything that is moving at sea in order to predict the waste trajectories. This data is then sent in real time to the collection ships.”

“The I Clean My Sea plan of attack relies on three elements: participative detection of waste at sea through the app, collecting and transforming waste for reuse” says Aymeric. “The idea is quite simple: imagine you’re walking along the coast, you see some plastic floating in the water, you take a picture with the app and that’s it” explains Aymeric. “We geo-localize the object and

75% of the waste found at sea is plastic, which represents 8 million tons per year. The consequences for the environment, for biodiversity and health are quite simply catastrophic. In order to try and stop this plague, oceanographer Aymeric Jouon created the smartphone application “I Clean My Sea”.

Aymeric Jouon, founder of I Clean My Sea

Aymeric has planned for every last detail, “small boats that are in the right places will come and collect the waste and sort it. We use boats that are energy efficient and that are placed near river mouths where 80% of waste winds up, which allows us to be as efficient as possible.” Once the waste is collected, it is sorted and sent for recycling and reuse. Thanks to the EUROSIMA sponsorship program, both companies will enjoy custom assistance, which should help their businesses grow through long-lasting local contacts and help them develop their network.

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FLASHBACK…

Aymeric Jouon of I Clean My Sea and Adrien Mangeot of Shakabay, winners of the EUROSIMA sponsorship program, surrounded by their sponsors EUROSIMA, the Crédit Coopératif and Sofitech

Sylvain Fleury, Mylène Wang and Léo Bouffier of HEXA Surfboard, happy winners of the 2019 Call for Innovative Projects launched by EUROSIMA and Outdoor Sports Valley

FMX Champion, Charles Pagès and EUROSIMA Director, Franck Laporte-Fauret at the “Seashells and crustaceans” themed Waterman’s Ball

The Surfhardware International Europe team, who received the 2019 Innovation of the Year Award for their latest innovation, the FCS Freedom Leash

Surfing legend Lisa Andersen surrounded by longboarder Zoë Grospiron and surfer Vahine Fierro at the Waterman’s Ball

Joan Duru, European Surfer of the Year at the EUROSIMA Surf Industry Awards Ceremony

Current EUROSIMA President, Jean-Louis Rodrigues with his predecessors, Frédéric Basse and Wilco Prins at the Waterman’s Ball

Longboarder, Zoë Grospiron and Roxy Global Brand Manager, Emilie Souvras, who were invited to speak about “Women in Surfing” at this year’s Surf Summit