SOURCE 73 (oct/nov) ENGLISH VERSION by BoardsportSource Magazine

BOARDSPORT

ISSUE #073. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014. €5 BIG WIG INTERVIEW: JART SKATEBOARDS CO-FOUNDER IGOR IRAOLA TREND REPORTS: SKATESHOES, LONGBOARDS, ACTION SPORTS CAMERAS & GADGETS

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

SUP & COLD WATER SURF MARKET REVIEWS

PLUS: NEWS, BRAND PROFILES: NECTAR, C-SKINS, SPARK R&D AND MUCH MORE…

HELLO #73

Editor Harry Mitchell Thompson harry@boardsportsource.com

We Got This

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 De Merwe chelsea@boardsportsource.com Proofreaders Insa Muth, Marie-Laure Ducos, Chelsea van der Merwe Contributors Dirk Vogel, Stefan Dongus, Asier Zabarte, Benoît Brecq, Gordon Way, Fabien Grisel, Franz Holler, Miriam Deller, Jade PersaudWalters, Daisy Maddinson, Anna Langer, Holly Gear, William Maddinson, Samuel Peek, Chelsea van der Merwe. Advertising & Marketing clive@boardsportsource.com Accounts Manager accounts@boardsportsource.com To Subscribe www.boardsportsource.com subs@boardsportsource.com Publisher clive@boardsportsource.com Published by ESB, 22 Friars Street, Sudbury, Suffolk, UK CO10 2AA Boardsport SOURCE is published bi-monthly © ESB. All Rights Reserved www.boardsportsource.com

At BoardSport Source we have always encompassed the three original boardsports - surf, skate and snow. For this issue we’re pushing those parameters into a boardsport seeing somewhat unprecedented growth in the summer market; Stand Up Paddle, a sport that doesn’t require waves or wind and can be done in land-locked countries. We have a market overview (p.35) that looks into how SUP can offer boardsports retailers a new sales opportunity. SUP won’t be for everyone, but those who do sign need to know their stuff. Similar to longboard skateboarding and backcountry snowboarding, it is a specialist area and requires employees with extensive knowledge to sell the products. Meanwhile back in the ocean, surf spots are becoming more and more crowded; the search for empty lineups is taking surfers to colder climates and in Source #73 we take a look at the Cold Water Surf market (p.14). Cold Water Surf no longer means surfing California in winter - it means surfing places such as Scandinavia, the UK & Ireland, where not only

is the water temperature cold, but air and wind temperatures give added chill. Endemic surf brands are now creating product for use both in and out of the water to meet Cold Water Surfers’ needs. Source readers will have noticed our recent increased infatuation with ‘the product’. Being Europe’s only trade/b2b boardsports magazine, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to up our product trend report coverage to equip our retail readership with the essential tools they need when writing seasonal order sheets. This issue our Skateboard Editor, Dirk Vogel looks into what’s popping in the FW15 Skateshoe market (p.18) and follows up on last issue’s Crusier report with a detailed look into Longboard trends for 2015 (p.26). Similarly German Editor, Anna Langer grabbed the action camera market by the horns and has reports on what’s trending for 2015 in both cameras (p.49) and action camera accessories (p.50). Up & Riding Harry Mitchell Thompson Editor

CONTENT 10. NEWS

49. ACTION SPORTS CAMERA TREND REPORT

13. RETAILER PROFILE – CIVILIST, BERLIN

50. ACTIONS SPORTS GADGET TREND REPORT

14. COLD WATER SURF ARTICLE

52. BRAND PROFILE – SPARK R&D

19. SKATESHOES AW15/16 TREND REPORT

54. BRAND PROFILE – C-SKINS

24. ACTION SPORTS IMAGE MAP

56. BRAND PROFILE – NECTAR

26. LONGBOARD 2015 TREND REPORT

58. NEW PRODUCTS

32. BIG WIG: JART CO-FOUNDER IGOR IRAOLA

61. GREENROOMVOICE

35. STAND UP PADDLE MARKET REPORT

62. MARKET INTELLIGENCE

40. SKATE BRAND I.D

68. JOB & DISTRIBUTOR OPPORTUNITIES

42. RIP CURL – DARING TO RE-LAUNCH

70. EVENTS

44. RIDE O’METER

72. ONE EYED MONSTER

46. THE SCIENCE OF BUYING

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INDUSTRY NEWS

FINISTERRE LAUNCH CWS LINE AND WETSUITS

VISSLA TEAMS UP WITH PREMIUM JAPANESE WETSUIT MAKER BEWET

Finisterre have launched their technical apparel line (AW14) and first wetsuit line (AW15), both based around the founding Finisterre philosophy of chasing cold, un-crowded waves. Their CWS (Cold Water Surf) technical apparel line includes features designed with the cold water surfer in mind – wider pockets for cold hands, technical water/wind proofing, and all made here in Europe. As for the wetsuits, Finisterre are working with Mat D’Ascoli, formerly of Xcel wetsuits and the design focus has been on lightness in the water, ease of entry/exit, quick drying time and durability, as well as the use of environmentally friendly fabrics where possible. The wetsuits are scheduled for release for AW15, but Finisterre are inviting surfers to take part in the Wetsuit Tester Scheme, which starts this November. Testers will have the opportunity to buy a suit at a special test price, put it through it’s paces during AW14/15 and take part in feedback sessions at the end of the winter.

For its first line of wetsuits, Vissla is collaborating with premium Japanese wetsuit maker BEWET. All wetsuits are hand made in Japan, their polychloroprene is made of limestone and BEWET does not use petroleum. The limestone is sourced in the Kurochime Mountains area in Niigata, Japan. The entire BEWET factory process is self-sustainable and eco friendly thanks to the intricate methods they employ, including the use of corn oil as a softener instead of petroleum additives. The factory itself is powered by 60% solar power, and 100% on sunny days!

NIKE REPORTS 15% GROWTH IN Q1/15 AND CONFIRM EXIT OF SNOWBOARDING

BRANDWAVE MARKETING NETWORK B EVENT, LONDON Brandwave Marketing’s first Netwok B event created an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and brands, through an open forum for conversation. With the theme for the first event ‘Facilitating Collaborations’ Brandwave wanted to bring brands together, to think about how they could actively collaborate, by working together to create better products, marketing communication and content with further reach and a harder impact. Over 100 guests from the most forward thinking and respected sports, automotive, marine, tech, nutrition & FMCG brands attended the evening in central London.

Nike reported net profit of $962 million (up 23%), while global revenues increased 15% to $8.0 billion in Q1/15 from $6.97 billion in the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share climbed 27% to $1.09, while worldwide futures orders grew by 11%, or 14% excluding currency changes. The company also confirmed their exit from snowboarding: “The current Holiday ‘14 Nike Snowboarding collection will be the final at retail,” Nike spokeswoman Jenna Golden told XGames.com. “Nike SB will focus its innovation, design and marketing resources on its biggest brand driver and growth opportunity, skateboarding.” An official statement read: “We will continue to support Nikesponsored snowboarders and skiers with promotional and competition gear through the end of their current contracts. We will not be moving forward with any Nike snowboarding sponsored events,” but that the brand, “will continue to develop a Nike branded goggle line.”

The first ever Nordic Surf Film Festival will be held October 3-4, 2014 in Helsingborg, Sweden. The event is put together by professional surf photographer and California expatriate Jeff Flindt. The event will bring a touch of surf culture and showcase the Nordic surf scene.

BRUNO SÄLZER ACQUIRES 15% OF BENCH AND BECOMES CEO AND CHAIRMAN & NATALIE SUESSMANN APPOINTED CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

SANUK APPOINTS HOLYSPORT AS EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTOR IN BENELUX, FRANCE AND THE UK

Dr Bruno Sälzer will become CEO and Chairman of Bench on December 1, 2014. He will also acquire a 15% share of EMERAM Urbanics Holding Ltd., which owns Bench. Bench continues to strengthen its management team, with Natalie Suessmann assuming the newly created position of Chief Marketing Officer. Based in Munich, she will be responsible for marketing, communication, e-commerce, and licensing for the lifestyle brand, which is present in 26 countries.

FIRST NORDIC SURF FILM FESTIVAL AT RÖDA KVARN IN HELSINGBORG, SWEDEN

Sanuk has appointed Holysport as their distributor in Benelux, France and the UK. To support going live in these markets, Holysport have appointed a sales team managed from its head office by its European Sales Manager, Liam O’Shea. The team will include sales reps and agents in the regions as well as collaborating with Stairss Distribution in Benelux.

NIXON OPEN FIRST BRAND STORES IN GOLDEN VIKING SPORTS ACQUIRES WORLD PARIS AND LONDON Think action sports watches - think Nixon. Since their unshackling from INDUSTRIES FROM SEVEN WELLS LLC. the GSM company over two years ago, Nixon have been working away Golden Viking Sports (subsidiary of INA International) has bought skateboard brand World Industries, with brands including World and Flameboy vs. Wet Willy. Outside the USA, it’s business as usual, with the company looking for licensees and distributors in select countries. 10

quietly, with important personnel appointments throughout the company to bring the focus back to the product. Nixon has opened their first brand store in Paris in September with their second opening a few weeks after in London.

#73

BILLABONG APPOINTS NEW GLOBAL VPS OF GLOBAL SUPPLY & SOURCING

LIB TECH SURFBOARDS ARRIVE IN EUROPE

Billabong COO Jeff Streader announced two key appointments on his global team. Randy Mikko Royce has been appointed to the role of Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Kitty Ho has been appointed as Vice President of Global sourcing for the Billabong Group of companies. Randy has over twenty years experience in product development, global sourcing and strategic supply chain implementation. He will be responsible for leading their global sourcing, product development and R&D functions worldwide. Kitty Ho has more than thirty years of experience in product development, manufacturing, sourcing and divisional management.

Lib Tech’s award winning surfboards are now distributed in Europe, with an HQ setup in Munich. Mike Olson has been heading up their surf program. Jeff Henderson helps him with CAD/shaping and running the day-to-day. Annette Veihelmann and Peter Saari work on all the design, branding, print material etc. Jami Davis heads up the surf marketing and Ryan Carlson out of Huntington Beach is their Pro Team Coordinator/ Social Medial Manager. Dan McNamara leads the sales program. Lib Tech’s snowboards are known for their banana camber technology and their innovative Magnetraction edges: for their surfboards, you can expect a very eco-friendly look with non-ozone depleting foams in use. All foam offcuts are recycled and the brand has eliminated all sanding steps. Lib Tech surfboards were voted the best travel boards by Outside magazine thanks to their durability. And as for performance, these surfboards have a unique ride that is neither like polyester nor epoxy and are fast, smooth and responsive.

AMPLID GMBH APPOINTS INDUSTRY VETERAN GREGOR COMMON AS HEAD OF SALES Amplid has announced that industry veteran Gregor Common will be joining its Fischbachau team as Head of Sales. Gregor will begin his new role in September and was previously involved with Arbor as European General Manager.

BILLABONG SELL SURFSTITCH & SWELL Billabong have sold their Ecommerce websites SurfStitch (Europe & Australia) and Swell (North America). Billabong had previously announced this year that it was shifting towards a direct-to-consumer ‘omni-channel’ model across all regions. The company sold its 51% stake in SurfStitch and its 100% of Swell. Both Ecomm sites were bought by a consortium of investors (SurfStitch Consortium), which includes SurfStitch founders Justin Cameron and Lex Pedersen. Billabong claim they will receive A$35 million from the deals.

GARY WALL TO LEAD MARKETING FOR QUIKSILVER & ROXY Quiksilver’s Chief Marketing Officer is leaving the company. Nine other positions in marketing were eliminated. CMO Nick Drake joined the company in July 2013 from TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles, where he oversaw the Adidas, Gatorade and Visa accounts for the advertising agency. Garry Wall will lead marketing for Quiksilver and Roxy globally from France, replacing CMO Nick Drake.

AMER SPORTS OPENS BRAND STORE IN HELSINKI Amer Sports Corporation opened a globally unique Amer Sports brand store in Helsinki. The store will offer a comprehensive selection of products representing Amer Sports brands. The sales area of the store is 280 square metres and it is located in the Amer Sports headquarters in Helsinki. The offering of Amer Sports brand store includes sports and lifestyle products of Salomon, Wilson, Atomic, Arc’teryx, Mavic, Suunto, Bonfire and Nikita for running, hiking, cross-country and alpine skiing, snowboarding, tennis, golf, climbing, cycling and swimming,

STANCE EUROPE APPOINTS COFFIN ON CAKE FOR UK PR Stance Europe has appointed UK PR Agency Coffin On Cake to handle their UK communications strategy and all UK press and brand enquiries with immediate effect. The appointment will see the London agency support Stance with developing their brand awareness throughout Europe and drive their upcoming brand activations, including the launch of their official European Launch tour in London, October 20 at The Dalston Department Store.

ASP CHANGES NAMES TO WORLD SURF LEAGUE FOR 2015 SEASON The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) has announced that in 2015 it will change its name to the World Surf League. In a letter to the surfing community, CEO Paul Speaker explains that the change is happening because the new name will help bring the sport of professional surfing to more fans, athletes and partners worldwide. The ASP will continue to operate under the existing name until the end of 2014 and in January 2015, will begin the season as the World Surf League.

KELLY SLATER’S NEW BRAND OUTERKNOWN LAUNCHES On April 1 this year, Kelly Slater announced his departure from Quiksilver. Despite first doubts that the news may have been an April fool’s prank, the 11-time World Champion confirmed his decision to leave the brand he had been with for 23 years. Slater’s new brand is named Outerknown, and John Moore, who he worked with previously for a short spell under the VSTR label, will be Product & Brand Manager for the new label. Slater will be promoting a brand that is ethically and environmentally conscious under the Kering umbrella.

retailer profile

RETAILER PROFILE Civilist is a skateshop based in Berlin who believe skater-owned brands are putting the fun back into skateboarding and are even putting time into developing their own brand. They also have established a shop collaboration with the Nike SB store from next door. How did Civilist start and what was the reason for opening the shop? Both of us, Alex Flach and Andreas Hesse, worked for Lodown Magazine back in the day. Sitting in Lodown’s gallery one day we thought that a physical store was missing in Berlin that shows interesting brands from skateboarding and streetwear. We also wanted to have a social space where Berlin residents as well as the international crowd could meet during their daily routine for exhibitions as well as for launch events for music and print media. Luckily, we had all the contacts at brands. We found the space in Berlin-Mitte in September and opened the store in early December. Since our opening we’ve kept it the same way, and we really know the people behind the companies. Without that advantage, it wouldn’t have been possible to come up with our kind of store. What’s the local market like in Berlin these days? Crowded, especially in the district of Mitte where we are located. Many new stores are also situated here, probably too many. We see just how much product is poured onto clients. In my opinion the brands should limit their amount of accounts to keep it special, and make the stores stand out. Shops are becoming streamlined with identical products. How did the shop collaboration with Nike SB come about? We asked them to join us, as we’d already worked together before: a Nike SB bar during Bright trade show, a keinemusik record/shirt release and a one night lobster-bar. For about six months we had the Stüssy pop-up store. Our intention was to come up with a permanent use for the venue because we were getting bored of redecorating the store over and over again. So we asked Nike SB to join, and to help us build the interior, which is a tribute to our favourite skate-spot Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie. What products have been selling particularly well over the past few months? For shoes Nike SB, Vans Syndicate, Palace and Reeboks have been selling well. In terms of clothing: Norse, Palace, Fucking Awesome and Civilist are on top.

What do you do to stay ahead of the competition? We sell our own beer and vodka! We try to get our audience drunk. But it’s actually our long-term relationship we have with the brands and the people behind them that keeps us ahead of the competition. How do you use social media to pull people into your stores? Basically, we are using all channels the way we would like to see from a store we’d follow. First: it shouldn’t be too serious. Second: not too many pictures of products. Third: pictures with our bench in front of the store. We would like to receive benches from all of our brands. We need barricades. One day we want to stop the traffic in our street completely. What you feel are the benefits of having a physical store over purely an online shop? We don’t know yet. Our online store is just about to be launched. However, Civilist is more like a youth club, social room or a dive bar. It’s all about meeting, talking, exchanging ideas and having a good time. So for us the actual store is the most important thing. The online store should work as an extension to introduce the brands we are working with, the ideas we are having and this particular feeling we’d like to show in our store. What up-and-coming trends do you see coming in the future? Skateboarding-wise, it’s one of the most interesting times since the early 90s. While you have circus events like Street League Skateboarding or Game of Skate on ESPN, the DIY aspect of skateboarding is getting bigger again - maybe as a part of a counter movement to the mainstream boringness. Skater-owned brands like Palace and Fucking Awesome are putting the fun and riot back into skateboarding. The best thing happening now: kids are building their own skate spots out of concrete. Talking about trends in general: it’s getting even more diverse, not that one-dimensional anymore. Not only heritage, but sport specific and functional garments. Some clean stuff mixed with loud and aggressive items.

CIVILIST,BERLIN, GERMANY WWW.CIVILISTBERLIN.COM 13

photo: Al Mackinnon, finisterre

cold water surfing

THE ENDLESS WINTER

The surf industry is managing to turn the less-than-glamorous reality of surfing in cold waters into a potential growth market by combining the values of surf culture and the outdoors. Cold Water Surfing, endless winter. By David Bianic “An ode to the sun, sand, bodies and waves” is how Times Magazine started their review of Endless Summer in 1966. Unwillingly, with this cult film Bruce Brown encapsulated the image of surfing in a cliché quest for a perpetual summer that would define the modern imagery of surfing. Carefree, eccentric, colourful, the Endless Summer surfers also became the icons of an emerging industry. The movement was characterised by clothes expressing exoticism and a certain post-surf languor. At the time, the pursuit of an eternal summer was borne of a climato-technical reality: the almost total absence of wetsuits amongst northern hemisphere surfers where the seasons are more pronounced. Almost half a century later, after being sought, found, then lost, surfwear is coming back to its roots that stretch back to the sixties as we have noticed over the past 12-18 months here at SOURCE. A BREATH OF FRESH AIR Over-cautious, the industry’s big guns only lately dared to tackle the realities of surfing in cold water head on. Only O’Neill clearly distinguished themselves by levering the Santa Cruz-based brand’s Northern Californian geographic heritage through creator-icon Jack O’Neill. In the same way, surf media needed a breath of fresh air at the start of the new millennium as it was saturated by iconography

based on palm trees, boardshorts and clear waters, which had become a deep annoyance. Exoticism took on a new face with a new surge of surf trips to the wild spots of the northern hemisphere such as Ireland, Scotland, Lofoten, Iceland, Alaska… Various sporting events followed this, contributing to establishing a trend for Cold Water Surfing (CWS): the aptly-named Cold Water Series, created by O’Neill (a circuit of the WQS) as well as the Nixon Surf Challenge held in Norway and more recently in Kamchatka on the eastern edge of Russia. The response from the industry on the technical market was swift: R&D efforts on neoprene gave rise to warmer, more supple, more everything wetsuits, and to heated models and accessories (the Rip Curl H-Bomb, Quiksilver’s Heat Vest). As proof of this craze for Cold Water Surfing, neoprene sales have enjoyed a notable boost but most of all a second wind. “These days winter wetsuits are purchased all year-round which translates into better revenue in summer months”, affirms Mike Pickering, commercial director at GUL. “Thanks to this CWS trend we have been able to stock winter wetsuits all year round, this means models with high added value”, explains Mike. This trend for more consistent sales throughout the year is also confirmed in the south with wetsuits from the French brand Madness proving successful: “More people are surfing and not just in summer.

cold water surfing

“We have noticed that sales from the Adventure Series collection were directly related to wetsuit deliveries.” Jan Lindeboom, O’Neill

Naturally the neoprene market is improving with more and more surfers in the water in winter,” explains Benoît Brecq, marketing director at Hoff Distribution who are behind the wetsuit brand. Perhaps even more so than in summer, the search for quality products is more intense; surfing in cold water holds no place for mediocrity. In this way CWS has naturally pushed its clientele towards the top-ofthe-range segment. “We’ve certainly noticed more and more surfers spending their hard earned money in the winter to go all out and buy a top of the range suit and then for summer use making do with maybe a mid range suit”, confirms Mark Brown, C-Skins Technical Director. On the same page, he noticed that the winter time is when surfers do their homework and make highly informed choices when it comes to wetsuit purchases. Even Madness, whose positioning is mostly around the entry-level, can attest to the good health of premium wetsuits: “As for the top-of-the-range, our Unlimited is selling pretty well, particularly thanks to its faultless quality and ultra-competitive price”, confirms Benoît. RELY ON LOCALS Winter neoprene R&D has also become the focus of brand marketing. In order to point out the unnatural link between customers and wetsuits made in Asia, the development of these models is associated with a more local dimension: “The cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean are our laboratory and we spend as much time in the water to improve our wetsuits as we do in our design offices,” Mike from GUL proudly announces. “Getting the products tested by the team is the only true way”, affirms Tom Ellyat, Marketing Director of British neoprene and clothing brand Osprey. The same rings true for Benoît from Madness: “Our riders spend hours and hours in the water. As a result, a lot of people see them and become interested in our products.” The same goes for the general exposure from the Malloy brothers’ surf trips to the Antarctic or from French female Lea Brassy’s trip to Iceland and Norway that were worth all those pages of advertising for Patagonia. Field testing becomes advertising. Finisterre will combine the two by selling 20142015 winter test models at discounted prices and getting people to participate in feedback sessions that will help them finalise next year’s autumn-winter models. O’Neill have put in place an online platform dedicated to the technical aspects of their products: “In three clicks of your iPhone, you know more than your average surf shop vendor (they’ll appreciate that!).” The wetsuit brand C-Skins aren’t shy of going to great lengths with their Deep Freeze Tests wind tunnels: “We are using temperature detecting thermocouples to record internal body temperatures as well as infrared cameras to measure surface heat loss”, explains Mark Brown, C-Skins’ technical manager. With a limited budget to get across to surfers what goes into making their wetsuits and accessories, they had “to get imaginative” and spent “countless hours producing more in depth website information as well as online video campaigns and insider information”. A SPECIFIC RANGE This movement has provided the means for companies who have dedicated “heart and soul” to Cold Water Surfing to emerge. Amongst them is Finisterre, a brand with meaningful geographic roots in St

Agnes, Cornwall, England. “The company was founded by cold water surfers in order to meet the demands of people wishing to travel to world class waves located in cold environments. If, in the middle of January, you don’t have the right clothes on an island in Norway or in the Hebrides, you won’t survive and that’s where Finisterre comes in”, says the brand’s Marketing Director Ernest Capbert. Ernest puts his finger on one of the special things about Cold Water Surfing, even though there have been thick wetsuits for cold water for almost half a century, they were built for surfing in northern California or Australia, destinations where the temperature of the water can drop to under 10 degrees but with a temperate, if not warm, climate outside. “CWS requires two types of product: clothes for living in these wet, windy or glacial places and products for surfing there”, sums up Ernest Capbert. Pretty well mapped out, Cold Water Surfing’s neoprene range is a business that is rolling. For now as well as for the future, the real issue lies in the clothing market: “If you take a look at the products made by surf brands for CWS, the quality standards are far from adequate. The places where Cold Water Surfing happens require bomb proof products and as a result surfers are turning towards brands outside the (boardsports) industry to find this kind of item,” reveals Ernest. Indeed, either surfers turn towards reputable outdoor brands in the same mould as Patagonia, or they pinch from the ski/snow range of boardsports brands: “Luckily we have been in the snow market for 25 years”, rejoices Jan Lindeboom, senior product manager of O’Neill Europe. “Our technical teams have spent their careers making jackets for snow, they are specialised in insulation and ergonomics, in impermeable puffers, clothes that breathe and other waterproof stitching. Of course, it’s more work but it’s also much nicer to do.” WHEN OUTDOOR MEETS SURFWEAR Most surfers don’t want to walk around with flashy, oversized snowboard jackets on their backs… At O’Neill, the response was pretty original, to fuse two internal design teams together, snow and surf to come up with new technical clothes. “This new department produced our first Adventure Series collection three years ago,” a range whose turnover has doubled each season. “It now represents 10% of our turnover, we should have started earlier,” smiles Jan from O’Neill. Other big names from the industry such as Patagonia didn’t take this route, preferring instead to rely on existing products that already appeal to an older clientele who don’t need to identify themselves with the ‘surfer’ style or who even want to distance themselves from it. “Patagonia has made a name for itself by producing the ultimate products for extreme conditions in the mountains,” reinforces Gabe Davis, surf manager of Patagonia Europe and renowned surfer who grew up in the cold waters of Newcastle. “For us it’s easier to borrow from our other technical ranges- mountain, trail or even fly fishing and to offer specific products to cold water surfers,” adds Gabe. Proof of the CWS phenomenon if we need it; clothing sales are intimately linked to neoprene: “We have noticed that sales from the Adventure Series collection were directly related to wetsuit deliveries”, explains Jan Lindeboom at O’Neill, “especially January-

“CWS requires two types of product: clothes for living in these wet, windy or glacial places and products for surfing there.” Ernest Capbert, Finisterre 15

cold water surfing

February and August-September.” O’Neill also state that they sell jackets and fleeces all through the year, making an increase in jacket sales in summer of over a million Euros per year. “Of course, these products are more expensive but consumers are prepared to pay a few more Euros for a nice jacket that keeps you warm and dry, especially if it lasts more than one season.”

“Cold Water Surfing is not a fad or a seasonal market”, concludes Gabe Davis from Patagonia, “it’s about providing products suited to the places where people want to surf and sometimes the best waves are in glacial regions”. While surfwear brands have managed to build their success on the image of surfing in tropical places, everything points to Cold Water Surfing opening up new opportunities for growth. You’ll just have to throw caution to the wind, down to business!

“These days winter wetsuit are purchased all yearround which translates into better revenue in summer months.” Mike Pickering, GUL

photo: Al Mackinnon, finisterre

FROM ALASKA TO AMSTERDAM Just like the traditional surfwear market, sales are not limited to core participants and we are now seeing fashions from CWS reaching a much wider audience. The values associated with CWS speak to these clients: “Even non-surfers wear boardshorts on holiday. It’s the same for Cold Water Surfing, non-surfers appreciate values such as travel, nature, living off the beaten track and the beauty of surfing in cold water on perfect pristine waves,” affirms Ernest from Finisterre. O’Neill confirm this CWS knock-on effect amongst the wider public: “If you show an image of our team Rider Damien Castera in the rain on a beach in Alaska, everyone understands that if you wear the same jacket in town then you’ll stay dry and warm. In truth we sell this type of jacket in large numbers in shops in the middle of Amsterdam and the big towns in Germany”, adds Jan Lindeboom.

A COLD SNAP FOR ISPO At the winter edition of ISPO Munich 2015, the tradeshow will officially launch a B2B platform dedicated to Cold Water Surfing in association with EuroSIMA. The brands of the sector will obviously be taking part as well as athletes, bloggers, designers and artists, all gathered to highlight the richness of CWS culture. For the president of EuroSIMA Fred Basse, “the future of surfing pristine waves rests in cold water destinations and this platform allows us to share our technologies to drive it forward.” The idea behind this initiative is to find new prospects through CWS technologies and products while distinguishing it from the saturated surf fashion market. The CWS space will take the form of stands assembled around an exhibition space and bar.

photo: Al Mackinnon, finisterre

THE VOICE OF THE NORTH

Mathieu Turries, a Frenchman living in Sweden is editor in chief of Nordic Surf Magazine with its telling tagline: “No palm trees”. In recent years we have seen an expanding (hard)core group of surfers in northern countries. “One of the catalysts of this seems to be the technological boost to wetsuits in recent years”, affirms Mathieu. “Most of the time when you have waves here, you also have 50km/h winds. And if it’s -5° outside, the combination of cold and wind quickly becomes shocking! Another factor in the boom of northern surfing resides in the fact that Scandinavians travel a lot in winter: “The nights are really long and the need for a break in the sun is pressing…” That’s why Scandinavian surf camps are popping up all over the world, “a concept that seems to please lots of Scandinavians.” When we asked how many retailers profit from this boom in participation, Mathieu responded: “shops who went for equipment over clothing are much stronger now. However, recently we have seen a comeback from clothing.” A bit of déjà vu perhaps?

photo: Anthony Acosta / Vans

trend report

WINTER IS COMING

SKATEBOARD FOOTWEAR TRENDS FALL/WINTER 2015/16 Battling to learn a new skateboard trick is hard enough. But once November brings rain, snow, and frosty temperatures, the going gets even tougher as the tough keep going. Here’s how skateboard footwear companies are catering to the specialized needs of European skateboarders for Fall/Winter 2015/16 season. Trend report by Dirk Vogel. California, the birthplace of modern skateboarding, is famously blessed with sunshine year-round. But across Europe, seasonal differences are more pronounced, and skateboarders have always needed to adapt to cold weather paired with heavy downpours. On a positive note, skateboard companies are well aware of climate differences. “We try to keep in mind that not everyone in the world has the same climate as Southern California. So we consider the different types of meshes and textiles we use to provide seasonal benefits like weather resistance and warmth. In addition, we have started introducing seasonal silhouettes that cater to the inclement weather,” said Bryon Schroeder, co-founder and creative director of upstart shoe brand FILAMENT. At footwear mainstays Vans, Juss Apivala, Action Sports Product Manager EMEA, is on the same page: “In most places in Europe skating is fairly seasonal. Fabrications and colour palettes play a role in ensuring the product remains relevant and desirable even during the colder times, and when combined with some of the tech within the shoes, they help make the product a little warmer and better for enduring the elements.”

PRICING AND COLLECTIONS From a market perspective, endemic shoe brands are approaching FW15/16 without much temperature change on the price point barometer. In terms of SKUs, most brands follow the same strategy outlined by Romy Bertrand at Element Europe: “Less and better!” Speaking on the issue, Sam Culshaw, European Sales & Marketing Manager at DVS, said: “Our SKU count has remained tight so as to be efficient as possible with every product we offer, that said we have increased our offering in our winter boot program, in which DVS has a long and rich heritage. It’s a major growth trend.” Given the ongoing economic freeze, the next cold season continues the long-term focus on proven performers. “We make sure to offer shoes which sell longer than just six months instead of coming up with something new every few weeks. Why change a running system and force the retailer to drop the price because of a complete new range of products coming in?”, asks Jochen Bauer, co-founder of Europe’s longest-running endemic footwear company, SYKUM. Retailers need to embrace cold weather season with a broad range of styles, while keeping in mind that performance requirements never 19

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photo: Dekline

elements.” Romy at Element: “We’re bringing more full grain leather into the skate line, while introducing action nubuck, fused suede leather, and also sherpa and woven liners.” On a similar note, Kevin Furtado at Dekline Footwear announced, “more treated suede, and leather make ups for the Fall/Winter season. We are helping retailers by telling compelling stories with water-resistant materials and warmer linings, which can help make that sale.”

change. “The skate consumer doesn’t want to radically change his footwear look just because it gets cold, no matter what logic says. So retailers need to work with the skate brands to make sure they have the necessary offering across their best-selling skate styles,” notes James Appleby, European marketing manager at Etnies. BOOT UP FOR LOW TEMPERATURES At the same time, –20°C weather calls for something more rugged than vulcanized low-tops. Setting the hottest trend for FW15/16, brands are giving their shoe collections the boot, literally. “For Fall ‘15, we are offering styles such as the Motely Mid fur, which takes an iconic skate style and updates it with a faux fur lining and removes vent holes for improved heat retention. Also the premium Daley and Nomad boots, which are super comfy shoes, with both using premium upper materials on Vibram soles,” said Matt Wong, president of global product at Globe. Osiris also keeps skaters covered, says global marketing director Hans Molenkamp: “For our cold-weather countries, we have a Shurling pack, featuring our NYC.83 high-top with a shelling lining and hiking boot trim items. Keeps toes all nice and toasty!” James Appleby at Etnies announced: “We have winterized many of our skate footwear so that they have gusted tongues, fleece lining and fleece foot beds for extra warmth as well as some coated materials to make them weather friendly. We offer a variety of styles from winterized skate silhouettes, to heritage inspired boots, to trend-relevant full grain leather boots.” No stranger to boots, DVS proclaimed: “DVS has been leading this part of the market for the last 10 years and our collection for 14/15 is the best yet. We have a great mix of product in our winter boot collection including signature product from the likes of Mark McMorris, Eero Ettala, Marc Frank Montoya and John Jackson.” RUGGED MATERIALS While the time has come for floral print canvas low-tops to hibernate in the back of the closet, FW15 materials focus on “enduring the

At DC shoes, winter designs start with: “using suede as the upper of choice then exploring towards warm materializations on specialty woven and wools is one of the solutions.” Antoine Soulé, DC Shoes EMEA Footwear Product Line Manager continued: “Another would be the seasonal colour choices. The Sherpa plus shearling lining has been a great seller for us the last three winter seasons and does not seem to trend down.” Peter Frericks, Sales Director EMEA at C1RCA said: “We will offer a new style called Lakota with fur lining, also some other styles with oiled suede for water resistance. Some of our best sellers like the Hesh will also have special winter lining such as Fur and Teddy.” As a word of advice to retailers, Ben Childs, EU Product Manager Footwear SUPRA, says: “Place your buys based on the consumers needs for the region. Look at more suede and leather and, if the shoe needs to be canvas, maybe look toward more waxed canvases.” Speaking of canvas, Juss at Vans announced: “We developed a skateable canvas, which has been really popular. It’s a Duracap fused canvas, which makes canvas shoes last much longer than regular canvas. In places of high wear, it’s all about durability and grip.” On the same note, Kevin at Dekline is looking forward to offering the Jaws pro model in, “wax suede and with a wax canvas upper.” Canvas also provides a viable alternative to leathers for the growing number of vegans in skateboarding. Upping the ante, SYKUM recently introduced denim to their collections, and Macbeth footwear stays true to their company ethos: “We work very hard each year to find ethical, vegan mock leathers and this year we have been able to source some amazing fabrications for our AW14 collection. The introduction of our mock Fur for AW14 is also really exciting,” said Robin Coleman, Macbeth Sales Manager. SUBTLE PRINTS & COLORWAYS In the apparel segment, colour palettes continue trending towards monochromatic outfits from head-to-toe. Footwear colourways are playing a supporting role, with an emphasis on seasonal tones. “Our upcoming colour themes focus on Fall, including brown, navy, grey and oxblood,” said Peter Frericks at C1RCA. Jochen at SYKUM is banking on, “basic colours like black, navy or grey, but on the other hand we bring bright colours like red, yellow or lake into the line. For 2015, we’ve added pool (turquoise) and desert (tan) to our colour palette which came out really good.” Full prints remain a hot topic this winter, shedding their summer skin

“We work very hard each year to find ethical, vegan mock leathers and this year we have been able to source some amazing fabrications for our AW14 collection. The introduction of our mock Fur for AW14 is also really exciting.” Robin Coleman, Sales Manager, Macbeth. 20

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“We have some pretty rad twill and herringbone materials coming into the mix. It’s also how you treat and apply the materials. We have some nice perforated options and tooled leather executions that gives a nice hand to the material. It’s all about details.” Juss Apivala, Action Sports Product Manager EMEA, Vans

for seasonal updates. UK-based action sports footwear brand Odessa offers their best-selling mid-top vulc model, the Jag, in combatinspired camouflage patterns – including urban digital camo, and a British woodland green limited edition – and houndstooth versions. Ben at Supra is looking forward to introducing, “geometric prints on sublimated nylons. These details will be found on lining stories and even exteriors.” Without spoiling the surprise, Antoine at DC Shoes, “can only unveil that we are introducing High Abrasion Screen Prints unseen from the competition yet.” Slowly but surely, textured fabrics are taking the place of colour accents and printed patterns. Bryon Schroeder at FILAMENT confirms: “For FA15, there is a little less emphasis on colour and more on texture. Of course, suede and leather are ever-present, but we are introducing more textures even in those materials.” Confirming the trend, Juss at Vans said: “We have some pretty rad twill and herringbone materials coming into the mix. It’s also how you treat and apply the materials. We have some nice perforated options and tooled leather executions that gives a nice hand to the material. It’s all about details.” HIGH ON MID-TOPS Driven by the resurgence of skateboarders in their mid-to-late thirties, skateboard shoes are offering increased support with a notable spike in mid-top and even high-top models. For the upcoming winter months, Jochen at SYKUM advises retailers to offer, “a larger range of mid and high-top skate footwear in their assortments.” Romy at Element also encourages buyers to, “be clever on their mid-top offer.” Following the trend, James at Etnies revealed: “The HighLITE will launch with a supporting mid-top version as well.”

Most of all, retailers should embrace winter not as a challenge, but a chance to shine, says Bryon at FILAMENT: “Build more indoor skate parks! In all seriousness, it’s hard. I grew up in a colder climate, and those months of rain and snow are brutal. Back then, we used to skate in parking garages. I think most European accounts understand this challenge as they usually offer a more diverse range of footwear than skate shops in the US. From another perspective, we see that as an opportunity!”

FALL/WINTER 2015/16 SKATEBOARD FOOTWEAR TRENDS AT A GLANCE OUTDOOR SHOES. Boots and “winterized” skate models keep riders warm en route to the skate park, where they slip into performance skate kicks.

Early adopters of mid-top styles, DVS keep the innovations coming, said Sam Culshaw: “The Torey 3 is a new and original design, a mid top that features a Velcro strap across the laces. This was designed in close cooperation with Torey’s specific needs and style preference.” Newcomers FILAMENT are also playing along: “We have a new midtop silhouette that has evolved from the Shadow. It’s a little more progressive than what we have done before, featuring external heel support and instep articulation.”

CRUELTY FREE. Leather remains the undisputed king of winter footwear, but vegan options like mock leather, denim, mock fur, and waxed canvas provide animal-friendly alternatives.

Taking things into high-top territory, Robin at Macbeth said: “The London high-top has really taken off and the introduction of the Furlined version has been really helping bridge the gap from the warm Southern Cali skate look into the European winter feel. The Reed is a new mid-top and has its debut for this AW season.”

TEXTURES ARE THE NEW PRINTS. Interesting fabrics add subtle details and perceived value, including twill, herringbone, and tooled leathers.

Widely considered as the pioneers in “extra high” -top shoe design, SUPRA is seeing continued success with their Vader and Skytop models. For next season, Ben at SUPRA said: “We adapted our vulcanised technology to give it a longer life span ‘on board’. In turn, this has created some interesting visual stories.” Also known for pushing the envelope in the high-top segment, Osiris is updating their range with, “soles with unique use of Phylon midsoles, shoes with neoprene internal socks for ankle support. Our FLEX VULK tooling that is an actual cup sole that is designed to look and feel like a vulcanized, its drop in midsole allows us to use different insole thicknesses and compounds to achieve different feels and price ranges,” said Hans Molenkamp. Globe caters to performance-oriented 22

customers by offering, “a new Nitrocel sole in the Mahalo Lyte. It combines our Nitrocel airbag technology with an injected EVA midsole, to bring you a superlight sole with impact control where you need it most - under the heel.” OUTLOOK Ultimately, retailers continue to play a key role when it comes to making sure that frosty temperatures don’t freeze up the local skate scene. According to Jochen at SYKUM, core shops can play their part, “by motivating people to skate even in the winter time. For example with weekly bus trips to indoor skate parks and monthly skate video nights to keep the kids motivated to skate.”

SEASONAL PRINTS & COLORWAYS. Fall/Winter palettes focus on solid tones of black, brown, navy, grey and oxblood, while full prints receive seasonal treatments such as camo, houndstooth, and geometric patterns.

MID-TOPS KICK INTO HIGH GEAR. Across the board, mid-tops occupy increasing amounts of shelf space, as comfort and ankle support emerge as key criteria. WINTERIZATION. Proven skate styles endure the elements updated with insulation, weather-proof uppers, and plush inside lining, including faux fur. Matt Wong at Globe: “We continue to up-spec our range with more premium materials with a rugged feel – whether that be in premium leathers, nubucks, or even faux fur linings.” PERFORMANCE KNOWS NO SEASONS. The go-to shoes for shredding remain unchanged – performance features such as shock-dampening insoles and durable uppers matter year-round.

THE ACTION SPORTS IMAGE MAP©

A MARKET POSITIONING MODEL BASED ON CORE VALUES THAT WILL ENHANCE YOUR BUSINESS As a unique positioning model, the Action Sports Image Map© combines all relevant core values held by the action sports community into a defined set of actionable values. It provides a matrix of the four major dimensions that can be used by brands, shops and athletes for their own positioning, as well as analysing their competitors and the overall market. *Please note: In this article, the ASIM© is presented as a theoretical approach for brand positioning. For demonstration purposes, we do not name any specific brands, athletes or shops. Today’s action sports marketplace has become more challenging and competitive than ever. The battle for market shares is putting increased pressure on successful marketing communications. Strategic brand positioning is now a major prerequisite for driving successful and competitive initiatives. Without clear positioning – including answers to questions such as “What does the brand stand for?” and “What kind of image do end consumers associate with the brand?” – brands are bound to get lost in today’s age of communication overkill. Ultimately, the goal of brand positioning is to be the first choice in mind among their target consumer demographic. But what’s the best approach for boardsports brands? Generalized marketing literature can provide only limited assistance, as most models and concepts are intended to be universally applicable to the mass market. This is especially true when it comes to brand messages and the related images and values driving our highly culturally sensitive market. There is a theory that in our ever-changing, dynamic market; the best a brand can do is to focus on core values instead of chasing after trends. Trends come and go, but the core values will 24

always remain the same and prevail. By analysing all relevant core values and placing them in the context of today’s action sports culture, our agency has identified four main dimensions into which all major brand values can be divided. The Action Sports Image Map© (ASIM) displays an assortment of all relevant values in relation to the following four main dimensions: SPORTS PERFORMANCE – Includes values that are rational, quantifiable and objective in nature. These are values based on “hard data”. Applying Sports Performance values to tricks/manoeuvres, puts a focus on how “big” a stunt was in terms of height, distance and staircase steps cleared etc., and not the stylistics of the trick. AGGRESSION – This dimension subsumes the rebellious and “against the law” aspects of action sports, and a certain attitude. CREATIVITY – All aspects relating to art and style. Applied to riding technique, stylistics of a trick are more important then progressiveness in a Sport Performance sense. Generally, these values tend to be rather subjective and non-quantifiable. HARMONY – As the counterpart to Aggression, this dimension

represents emotionally charged, spiritual aspects such as ecoconsciousness and nature, among others. In order to better understand the ASIM©, readers need to be aware that there are a few commonly held values that are more or less shared by all action sports participants, regardless of what end of the spectrum they gravitate towards. These underlying values are: INDIVIDUALITY – An important value for anyone involved in this industry. At some point we chose action sports over traditional sports. EXCLUSIVITY – Or rarity. We assume that people in action sports are here to do something special rather then following the mainstream. AUTHENTICITY & CREDIBILITY – “Keeping it real” is fundamental to being involved in actions sports. PHYSICAL EXCELLENCE on a certain level – creativity and style are not enough, you also need a certain level of athlete ability. FRIENDSHIP & CAMARADERIE – everyone loves to hang with their buddies; crews and teams are important in action sports. PASSION – we assume that most people in our industry are very passionate and living their passion 24/7. FUN – what attracted us into this industry and continues to drive us ahead. Also keep in mind: Sports like surfing and skateboarding were mainly considered as the domain of outlaws and rebels at first. Some even say they were conceived by misfits, aimed at people who don’t subscribe to social conventions. Snowboarding also butted heads with the ski industry in its early years. Many of us remember when there were NO SNOWBOARDING signs at the lift – labelling snowboarders as rebels. The competitive side of action sports only grew many years later with events getting bigger and bigger, including the X Games – first introduced as ‘Extreme Games’ – in the mid ‘90s, the ASP tour as the world series for pro surfing, the debut of snowboarding at the Olympics and Street League as today’s big arena contest in skateboarding. From the perspective of the ASIM©, the commercialization of action sports over the decades added additional aspects especially the images of Sports Performance. However, it is important to remember that the whole rebel, ‘outlaw against the establishment’ aspects – including all those images mapped under Aggression – are deeply rooted in the DNA of action sports. It’s a crucial factor that distinguishes action sports from traditional sports. Therefore, it’s impossible to say that certain aspects – like Aggression VS Performance – are more important today than others. So where does your brand fit in? By utilizing the ASIM©, brands can map their very own brand position through the values addressed in their brand communication initiatives. By correlating the position of values from different areas, each brand can arrive at an individual graphical shape that reflects its position. Once this unique position is defined, brands can proceed to analyse all activities past and present in how far they line up with the brand message. The model also allows for mapping your competitors’ offering to see their current position, and even make comparisons to their initial brand message. The ASIM© also allows for identifying niches in the market by asking: which relevant value aspects are not yet occupied by a competitor and are free to be taken advantage of? For instance, it comes as no surprise that corporate brands are most likely to avoid Aggression as a dimension, since all aspects of anti-establishment and outlaw attitudes tend to collide with their corporate compliance. Therefore, these bigger brands tend to focus more on Sport Performance and the Creative side of action sports; the objective and measurable side of the spectrum. It’s also no secret that the scope of values subsumed under Aggression offers great potential for smaller and independent brands to differentiate themselves from those bigger, corporate brands. There are numerous

small brands playing this card quite successfully. When it comes to the effectiveness of brand communications, the following rule of thumb emerges: The more a brand is positioned on the edge of one of the main dimensions and the fewer total number of core values it is focusing on, the clearer and easier to understand the resulting message will be to the end consumer. THREE GENERAL TYPES OF ATHLETE ATTITUDE In the ASIM© model, we also identified three predominant prototypes of athlete personalities, together with the type of attitude these athletes are representing: 1. the athlete, 2. the rebel and 3. the artist. These three prototypes can be found across skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing, although their percentages in the overall mix of protagonists varies from sport to sport. Snowboarding and surfing are by default more connected with nature and aspects of Harmony than skateboarding as a practice predominantly found in urban environments with more focus on aspects of Aggression and Creativity. DISCLAIMER As a model, the Action Sports Image Map© represents an adaption of values taken from Limbic®, a psychological concept that locates general values held by human beings in a specific spectrum according to neurological research. ASIM© is also supplemented by over ten years of practical experience from operating a marketing agency specialized in action sports (fine lines marketing), as well as my academic background in marketing and first-hand experience from my career as a professional skateboarder. This article marks the first publication of the ASIM© and at this stage, the model does not lay claim to being scientifically proven yet.

THE ACTION SPORTS IMAGE MAP AT A GLANCE - This image / value map can be applied to different areas of our industry, including athletes, shops, brands, all different types of action sports, music bands etc. - Brands that place themselves somewhere in the middle while covering a “little bit of everything” are having a hard time making an impression in the end consumer’s mind. - Less is more. The brand message needs to be clear and easy to understand. Try to focus on addressing less values so your brand message is easier to understand. - Successful brands that are standing out against their competition are found to have a clear brand message and their communications are aligned with relevant core values.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Veith Kilberth is a former professional skateboarder with a 5-years degree in Sports Science – specializing in economics and management. He is co-founder of fine lines, an action sports marketing agency in Cologne, Germany. Their list of clients includes: Nike SB, Red Bull and Skullcandy, among others. For further info and inquires please contact: v.kilberth@finelinesmarketing.com www.finelinesmarketing.com

photo: Arbor

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PLAYING THE LONG GAME LONGBOARD MARKET TREND REPORT 2015 Driven by turbo-charged innovation, companies in the longboard segment keep raising the bar with unique constructions, designs, and materials. And they’re only getting started. Trend report by Dirk Vogel. Whoever said that the evolution of skateboard hardware is stagnating needs to take a long, good look at the longboard category. The segment of boards above 34 inches in length is currently experiencing a surge in technological breakthroughs, alongside cultural maturation into a diverse platform for different uses and riding styles.

THE MARKET: LONG-TERM PROSPECTS Speaking of growth, the overall consensus in the industry is that longboards are really only getting started. Brands, retailers and distributors participating in the first Boardsport SOURCE Magazine European Skateboard Hardgoods Market Survey expect an average 20% sales increase in the longboard segment in 2014.

It’s a broad church, says Andreas “Maui” Maurmeir at Sector 9 Europe: “There is no typical longboard user… that is the magic about it. Everybody can have fun on the boards and can get a good sensation out of it.” Accordingly, the days of serving a large number of customers with a few one-size-fits-all models are long gone. Maui notes: “Their needs are getting more and more precise. But these diverse needs are very well reflected in our line-up and segments of product. That’s why we have over 45 different board models.”

This projected growth continues what has already been a steep increase in the segment over the past year. “We’ve seen substantial growth in Europe over the last 12 months. I don’t want to get too specific, but it’s in the 30-50% range,” said Chris Brunstetter, marketing director, The Goldcoast Skateboard Co, USA. On a similar note, Bernd Pösl, European brand manager at Arbor reports: “There’s still a huge demand on the market. We rose the business by almost 35%.”

This brave new world of longboard variety may seem overwhelming from a retailer’s perspective at first, but Pablo Castro at Loaded Boards in Los Angeles said: “Your average longboard enthusiast usually has an idea of what product suits their style in the vast amount of gear available today. There is a board for anyone whether you’re a hybrid – big board and soft wheels – freestyle skater, cruiser and commuter, long distance pusher or a downhill high-speed adrenaline junkie. Longboarding is still in a growing, maturing state with many different disciplines which fall under a catchall term of ‘longboarding’.”

Asked about the biggest markets in Europe, brands queried for this article pointed out France, the UK and Czech Republic, with Germany as the unanimous number one: “We would have to say Germany. Longboarding has become very popular and many people are getting on boards for the first time which is great for keeping the market alive,” said Ali Crichton at Mindless Longboards. Karl Martinez, DStreet Director notices: “Each country in Europe is slightly different to each other. For example in UK we sell a lot more cruiser boards under 30”whereas in France and Germany we sell a lot more longboards over 40.”

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“There is no typical longboard user… that is the magic about it. Everybody can have fun on the boards and can get a good sensation out of it.” Andreas “Maui” Maurmeir at Sector 9 Europe

PRICING: UPWARDLY MOBILE Overall pricing structure in the longboard segment gravitates around healthy mid-levels with good margins for retailers, with upward mobility into the premium segment. Benoit Brecq at longboard specialty suppliers HOFF Distribution says: “After the crisis, final price is more and more important. People are looking for maximum price that they can’t overhead.” Closely in line with most brands featured in this article, Benoit breaks it down as follows: · · · ·

Longboard completes around ¤150–200 Decks around ¤75–80 Trucks around ¤60–70 Wheels around ¤50.

At the same time, boards in the premium segment can go beyond the €300 threshold, as illustrated by Maui at Sector 9: “The Bamboo Series is in between ¤200 and ¤260 per complete and the Sidewinders Series is in between ¤230 and ¤310.” Likewise, components are trending towards the high-end, said Richard Auden at Vandem MFG: “Higher end wheels up to ¤75 can also work if they are really decent. Forged Trucks have been massive for us this year and we see other brands coming online with them soon.”

At the same time, price points are of course also a matter of brand positioning. Kevin Kennedy at Gravity Skateboards says his brand likes to, “stick to making fun, functional but affordable boards and wheels. Everyone wants the best deal possible, but a top of the line setup that can handle serious riding is in the $225 range.” CUSTOMERS: LIFESTYLE VS. PERFORMANCE When it comes to customer motivations, longboarding is divided into two camps, said Bernd at Arbor: “Specifically performance-oriented riders are still the smallest demographic – these skaters are very precise on what they want to ride. People looking to cruise and have fun are still the largest demographic we sell to – they are not focused on the technical aspect.” But make no mistake: Although hardcore riders only account for a fraction of the market, they represent repeat business. “The die-hard longboarders out there who actually call themselves ‘longboarders’ tend to have multiple boards, ride regularly and are more in tune with the downhill and freeride movement,” said Nate at Landyachtz. Borja Iriarte at Jart Skateboards is on the same page: “Even if the lifestyle and fun market is still bigger, there is a huge performance and competition market. Brands know that and now offer all kind of boards, not just regular ones but also tech boards that include new materials, special shapes.” A word of caution to retailers eyeing the performance demographic comes from Richard Auden at Lush/Sabre: “For the core market, retailers need to know what they are talking about. A lot of retailers don’t and as such are not taken seriously by an increasingly informed and educated market. With so many product options out there, focused purchasing is also key.” 28

photo: Arbor

Nathan at Origin said: “Our Atlas truck was released this year at a slightly higher than average price of $58.95 to an overwhelmingly positive response due to significant feature benefits.” Meanwhile, Nate at Landyachtz is stoked that, “Bear Trucks are doing great at ¤65.”

Nuno Fonseca Director for Europe Maui and Sons agrees that shop employees have to know their stuff: “Retailers that have employed longboard riders that can carefully explain the features of the product will have the edge. The longboard has to be treated like a bicycle or a car, explaining the features is so important and most retailers know that.” SHAPES: HYBRID STRAINS Similar to recent trends in the cruiser segment, where ‘cross-over’ boards with trick capabilities are on the rise, longboarders want multipurpose shred sticks. “One trend currently is the ‘skate everything’ movement. More often skaters are looking for hybrid styles; something you can use downhill, in the park, and for commuting. Not everyone has the resources to build quivers, so skaters are looking for boards that can be used in various skate settings,” said Bernd at Arbor. Pablo at Loaded calls it, “The do-it-all board. Most companies have a feature driven design with the intention and function for any riding style you want to throw at it. Flattened minimalist kicktails, aggressive concave, rockered profile and multiple wheelbase options are some key features found in your do-it-all longboard.” Along these lines, Ali Crichton at Mindless said: “Skateboarders are now also getting in to longboarding and are looking for boards that are capable of doing flip tricks as well as riding bowls and hills.” On the level of overall line-ups, it’s all about offering the models to suit a diversity of needs, said Scott Howes at Dwindle/Dusters: “The drop-throughs and drop-downs are one of the most successful shapes and as for technology we have added some interesting things to the line like a super light carbon hollow core longboard, a fibreglass

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“We’ve seen substantial growth in Europe over the last 12 months. I don’t want to get too specific, but it’s in the 30-50% range,” Chris Brunstetter, marketing director, The Goldcoast Skateboard Co, USA.

slalom board and some performance driven downhill shapes.” Asked about the hottest board construction, Borja Iriarte at Jart Skateboards – also a brand with their own woodshop – said: “I guess the most demanded boards now are freestyle decks with drop-through included.” MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTIONS: KEY INNOVATIONS When it comes to materials and constructions, the first thing to keep in mind in the longboard segment is woodshops. While the majority of regular, popsicle-shaped decks on the shop wall come from a handful of factories in China, a growing number of longboard companies rely on in-house production. It’s a tradition: Sector 9 has been pressing boards at their San Diego woodshop since spearheading the category in 1994. Globe and countless other labels – large and small – are perfecting their own blend of laminates. Matt Wong, President of Globe’s product division has this to say on the matter: “In wood, Globe is definitely making a push in higher-end finishes and materials. The reason we are developing in this area is to differentiate our products from others in the market, and to also showcase the quality craftsmanship of Globe hardgoods. For example, The Cutler and The Acland styles feature beautiful walnut wood grain with mother of pearl inlays (inspired by guitars), and our Spliced Series uses a mixture of thick splices of ash, walnut, and cherry wood and are limited to 300 of each style globally.” Upscale wood varietals and finishes are the calling card of GoldCoast, says Chris Brunstetter: “Our best selling designs showcase the material first. Our exotic wood models, bamboo, walnut, and zebra wood, are consistently in our top sellers. We use really minimalistic design on these boards, to accentuate the natural beauty of the wood. A new top shelf finish for GoldCoast in 2015 is 3M reflective sidewalls and wheel wells on our decks.” This goes in line with leaving some materials behind, Chris added: “Plastic is not something we’re interested in any more, as it’s become such an oversaturated category in itself.” Karl Martinez from DStreet, who have seen tremendous growth since their inception two years ago and are launching into bamboo for 2015: “Canadian maple remains our staple, plus we are just about to launch a bamboo line. Our polyprop cruiser business is still performing really well.” Meanwhile, Nate at Landyachtz said: “Maple is still the best material for skateboard construction. We are working with fibreglass composites in higher end models and bamboo is still a staple in the pintail line.” Rich at Vandem also agreed that, “the general move away from Maple at the higher end has continued.” On that note, Ali at Mindless observes: “Top shelf materials and finishes are becoming prevalent – our new board Nyoka Flex has fibre laminates, fibre discs around the trucks for reinforcement and sublimation printing.” Innovation also extends to the wheels segment, where Maui at Sector 9 announces: “Be prepared for a killer wheel line-up in 2015 in terms of sliding, speed and control. The Skiddle Wheels will leave coloured ‘thane lines on the asphalt during the slide and the Marshmellows are the smallest Slide Wheels ever, so they can be set up on all kind of skateboards.”

OUTLOOK Longboarding is here to stay as the evolution on a cultural and technological level continues. Frequent events and grassroots activities across Europe are growing the scene together with platforms such as the Longboard Forum at ISPO. “The longboard embassy at ISPO has been a catalyst for growing relationships and friendships within the industry and has led to a significant amount of synergies between brands, shops and distributors,” said Pablo at Loaded. Retailers looking to play the ‘long’ board game will find a thriving market alive with innovation and enthusiasm. Matt Wong at Globe encourages retailers to go all-in: “I think a big part of it is getting committed to the category – dedicating floor space to displaying product, being prepared to pre-book, and keeping track of sell-through and making sure they reorder regularly to take advantage of good sales.” Borja at Jart also encourages grass-roots activism: “The brands should support more longboard events. Not just big competitions or world championships, but also small town events.” Kevin at Gravity advises skate shops: “Carry a variety of reputable brands and not just those who gives you the best deal or bros who are down with you the most. Make sure they have employees that truly love to skate and are knowledgeable about it.”

LONGBOARD TRENDS AT A GLANCE Next level diversity. The longboard community is not only divided into core VS casual practitioners, but a wide range of riding styles (downhill, freeride, race, freestyle) manifests in board choices including drop-through, freeride and pintails. Best of both worlds. Longboard shapes are trending towards “hybrid” boards around 36 inches length to “skate everything” – streets, parks, downhill, etc. Premium exotica. With maple still reigning supreme and plastic fading fast, the premium segment sees brands perfecting their own exotic wood blends and inlays (bamboo, walnut, zebra wood, fiberglass, carbon) at their in-house woodshops. Hitting the sweet spot. Most of the action for longboard completes is in the mid-levels around ¤150–200, while premium boards (bamboo, technical) sell beyond ¤300. Premium components. Customers are willing to pay top prices for upscale components such as forged trucks and state-of-theart wheel formulas, even beyond ¤70. Know what you sell. Retailers looking to sell ‘serious’, technical longboards better have the expertise to back up their offering. Casual is king. The majority of the business remains with ‘fun’oriented customers. Keeping this group stoked is key, said Ali at Mindless: “We need to be careful to keep longboarding inclusive and ensure other sports enthusiasts feel like they can access longboarding.”

BIG WIG INTERVIEW

IGOR IRAOLA HLC DISTRIBUTION JART SKATEBOARDS By Dirk Vogel In the early 2000s, the European skateboarding scene ignited with a battle cry that was heard across the world: “Europe! Europe! Europe!” Skateboarders in the ‘old world’ no longer wanted to play second fiddle to skateboard brands based in California – the dominant cultural hotbed at the time – treating Europe as nothing more than another foreign market. A new wave of European skateboard companies emerged, providing a real alternative to U.S. brands together with a chance for skateboarders to turn pro without making the mandatory pilgrimage to the States. But one thing was crucial for the European skateboarding scene in order to become fully emancipated from the U.S.: Skateboard manufacturing right here in Europe. This was easier said than done, and even today, wood shops are few and far between across the continent. Except for Spanish brand and manufacturing powerhouse HLC/Jart Skateboards, the company founded by Igor Iraola with his two brothers Iban and Ander. The trio made their first skateboard decks in their garage as early as the year 2000. Asked about his motivation, Igor said it was all about passion in those days: “The first steps were simply getting into skating and surfing and then deciding that we wanted to fulfil the dream of making a living doing something that we really loved and believed in.” Today, the company based in the town of Irún in the Basque Country is capable of producing over 20,000 skateboard decks per month, using only premium USA Hard Rock Maple wood while complying with Good Environmental Practice guidelines. In this issue’s Big Wig Interview BoardSport SOURCE spoke to Igor Iraola about building a truly European skateboarding company from the ground up, and the most important lessons along the way.

Igor, please tell us about when you started the company and some major milestones in development along the way. We made our first deck in my garage in the year 2000 and ventured out into the industry in 2002 after plenty of trial, error, tears and sweat. The key has been having a united team of hard workers who have always given their all towards the common goal. We, the three brothers, got together with our dad and a good friend of ours – skater of course – Iñaki Huegun as the designer, believing in our project without checking the time or looking back, loving what we were creating, with ¤9,000 in the kitty between all of us. We always took on board what we learnt from the first bolt, varnish gun, hydraulic cylinders, second-hand machinery fixed up and given new life and even screen printing by hand 15 years back. And of course tough testing on our own material, promoting, marketing and finally selling. What is the current capacity for production, in terms of boards per month, and how many people work at the factory? Just about fifty staff on payroll and thousands indirectly involved with the Project HLC. We’re capable of producing a minimum of 18,000 boards a month between complete set-ups and decks. What were some of the biggest lessons from running your own company? Respect and good communication between workers, riders and clients throughout both the good and bad times. It’s really important to keep changing with the times, innovate without sacrificing the level of top quality and following through with the product until it reaches the end of the line: the skater.

Competing with Asia is complicated and different. In our factory, most of us are skaters and surfers, or used to be, and know what we want and need. Our friends [at company] Pukas produce the best surf boards in Europe, if not in the world, and are also based here in San Sebastian. So you could call this a ‘mini California’!

FOCUS ON QUALITY To anyone that doesn’t know, how would you explain the most important factors about producing quality skateboards? Manufacturing a skateboard of good quality isn’t so difficult. The tricky part is producing thousands of the same quality and never having a falter in quality – which is impossible as we’re only humans. The prime material has to be top notch; good machinery and technicians are a must. And then there’s a few tricks of the trade that I’m sure you won’t blame me for keeping to myself (laughs). Where do you source your wood and raw materials? Mostly from the U.S., including wood, glues and even resins. The rest here at home in Europe and a bit from Asia. The wood comes from the U.S. and Canada but the company we deal with is American. The well-known brands from the U.S. and ourselves use the same prime material making it possible to produce top quality 100% guaranteed. Which companies do you make boards for? And what custom options do you offer? We manufacture for loads of companies around the world, loads! Jart, Death, Warriors, Route One to name a few ,and plenty more that have agreements of confidentiality with us. Good clients who want to get on and share our passion for work professionally done. We offer all sorts of board compositions, personalised wheels, laser print, fibre technologies, epoxy, acetates and all the new technologies. In today’s globalised economy, you are directly competing against mass production in China. How do you set yourself apart and what are your thoughts on outsourced production to China? We invested in robotic technologies and such to be able to produce with less manpower, thus being more competitive. We also concentrate a lot on our own brands and products. That said, making skateboards does involve a lot of hands-on labour. Competing with Asia is complicated and different. In our factory, most of us are skaters and surfers, or used to be, and know what we want and need. Our friends [at company] Pukas produce the best surf boards in Europe, if not in the world, and are also based here in San Sebastian. So you could call this a ‘mini California’! Apart from that we’re always trying to improve our product and over there in China you don’t know who is manufacturing your goods. I do have to acknowledge that there are skaters and core companies also working well over there.

The trick is to believe in this sport from a shop and brand’s perspective, not just a fashion. Support our clients through thick and thin, give them the tools and support needed and confidence in the market. For the final client, the skater, it’s about durability and the guarantee of high quality. As a hardgoods manufacturer with your own labels, what are your thoughts on shop decks and blank boards? No comment on blanks, but on the flip side we presume everyone can afford ¤50 for a board which is not the case, especially in these hard times, it’s a shame that the designers’ art doesn’t make it to the street. Since I can remember, boards have come with graphics, but my first board was like a Penny without graphics, just a company logo. Shop boards are done in factories all over and it’s a good way to promote a shop although it does hurt brands that don’t manufacture their own boards as they don’t profit from manufacturing them, plus they cut into their sales. But I respect them 100%. OUTLOOK Looking around, what are the major challenges in boardsports right now? Challenges: To stay strong in the market and keep on innovating which is tough, but not impossible. Opportunities: The same as always, the best at the game will be the ones who stay on the right track. In terms of research and development, what kind of technologies is Jart currently pushing in the hardware segment? And what’s next? We’re using and researching new technologies every day both in short and long boards and are happy with the results. At the moment the cutting edge is with short boards and something very technological is about come through. What do you expect for the European skateboarding scene in the future? I hope it continues the way it’s going, enjoying itself and the sport which is healthy, and that good people involved in the sport or way of living continue to be in the driving seat. Any greetings and shout outs? We’ve worked on HLC skateboard distribution for 15 years and friends like Igor Dominguez, Peta, Poty, Kote and more continue making a living in this industry that we love so much and we’re not done yet! Thanks a million to everyone for the support over the years and for those to come... Let’s keep it rolling! Thank you for the interview, Igor.

A EUROPEAN LABEL How do you convince retailers to support quality skateboards “Made in Europe”? What sets Jart apart from the rest? It’s not a case of convincing the client, they’re already convinced! Many years have passed since we started and relations are better than ever.

“I hope that the lessons of constant compounded growth and the relative lack of attention paid to distribution have been absorbed, which will lead to a smaller, more sustainable surf market. And from time to time when the macro trend of ‘surf cool’ comes around as it always does, I caution brands to treat that as a windfall gain and leverage existing resources as much as possible to avoid creating extensive fixed overheads.” 33

photo: Bo Bridges

market analysis

$UP : GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Year after year, boardsport industry professionals and SUP aficionados worldwide have unanimously agreed that Stand Up Paddle boarding, is the fastest growing watersport in the world. The outlook for 2015 is that its popularity is still in an accelerating phase and to many industry insiders, this is only the beginning: very accessible, with the only consumer drawback being the cumbersome size of the board, the SUP market has been shifting. The reality is that in Europe some 60% of the boards sold in 2014 were inflatable models. On the technology side, we’ve seen some of the first SUP patents have been granted and this report will review the latest innovations. This 2015 European SUP market trend report was compiled with the help of the following brands: Starboard, Red Paddle Co, RRD, Laird Standup, SIC, Fanatic, NSP, Bic, Surftech, Mistral, Airboard, Hobie, Coreban, Lokahi, as well as SUP distributors, SUP specialty retailers and other SUP industry professionals. Report by Robert Etienne. EUROPEAN MARKET SIZE ESTIMATES Asked about the size of the market in Europe, the participating brands are very cautious, as no dependable industry figures are available. Our estimate is that the three leading European markets combined account for some 65% of the units sold, or 49,000* boards. The remaining European sales are much harder to estimate, since some countries’ figures, in less mature markets are generally quite vague. These factors being taken into account with the average figures received from the participating brands, it can be roughly estimated that the total sales of SUP boards in Europe are in the range of 75,950*. Benoit Tréguilly – Bic Marketing & Communication reports: “We would estimate the European SUP market to be approximately 90,000 boards per year (+/- 10,000 boards). Unfortunately such estimates are generally very hard to make, as few brands and organizations publish their sales figures. If we were to take an average retail price of approximately ¤750 per board, with inflatable SUPs pushing the average market price down significantly, this would give us a market valuation of approximately ¤67 million per year. And this figure is not including the associated accessories: paddles, leashes, bags,

sportswear… etc.” When asked if the market was growing outside of Europe, Benoit was quick to answer: “At Bic we are currently selling SUPs in over 90 countries.” This gives the boardsport industry some interesting growth perspective, especially for the few brands that have well oiled distribution networks across the world. THE DRIVERS BEHIND SUP’S SUCCESS IN EUROPE Jens Hartmann of SIC Europe, gives some insight of how windsurfing brands have been able to jump on the SUP bandwagon very quickly and compared to many US based SUP brands they have well organized distribution networks set up during the windsurfing glory days. “The windsurf brands who have diversified and included SUP boards into their network system have experienced success. The dealers needed new business due to the shrinking windsurf and kite market; for example: Starboard, Naish, Bic and JP. It has not been the pure SUP brands that have driven the growth in Europe. The pure SUP brands that have a certain potential, and are pretty strong in the USA struggle in Europe - mostly because of weak infrastructure.” 35

market analysis

“The number of events at a local/national level has been increasing dramatically, resulting in more coverage for the sport, whilst the general media has also pushed the sport more than before.” Karin Gertenbach, Head of Marketing at Fanatic International

Karin Gertenbach, Head of Marketing at Fanatic International says: “The number of events at a local/national level has increased dramatically, resulting in more coverage for the sport, whilst the general media has also pushed the sport more than before.” Steve West, Mistral International Brand Manager attributes this meteoric rise to SUP’s: “Easy entry and especially due to the inflatables - the Med in particular as a body of water is ideal for SUP. Enticing female participants has also been crucial to the sport’s continued expansion – women in the fitness industry in particular have seized upon the SUP fit concept.” SUP specific retailers have been opening in the many densely populated cities across Europe that have nearby lakes and rivers, and in many south-facing countries that have coastlines. This trend is due to get even stronger over the coming years, since more and more people are getting into the sport. TOP SELLING AND CATEGORIES TO WATCH: All-Round SUP: Caren Forbes, Starboard Intl SUP Marketing Manager comments: “Our all-round range is still our best seller. People of all ages can paddle our all-round range, especially the Whopper at 10’0 x 34” in our composite and our 10’0 x 35” Astro inflatable boards. It’s the accessible models that drive the majority of the sales. Something illustrated by John Hibbard, Red Paddle Co Founder: “The sport of course has its extreme and elite elements but it has been the family paddler, general fitness customer who has created most of the business and they are buying boards in the 10’6” - 12’ range.”

Downwinder: Even if this category is considered super niche, it has a fun factor that creates addiction once the first bumps are ridden. The best selling models such as the SIC 14’ Bullet are also available in a version with integrated rudder steering systems. Even if considered a niche segment, race boards are often what sets a connoisseur specialty store apart. They’re able to specifically inform the customer on the advantages of a particular board, the widths best adapted to the individual’s weight and riding ability, as some brands now provide up to three widths in their line of 12’6 and 14’ racing boards. Also not to be forgotten are the fitness/yoga specific boards that are rapidly rising in popularity. KEY TRENDS IN SUP CONSTRUCTION Since the rise of the inflatable category, much research has been undertaken to increase longitudinal stiffness. One of the brands that have found ways to do this is Red Paddle Co, pioneers in the inflatable

photo: Airboard

Touring: Wider displacement hull style boards with all kinds of hooking devices and cargo net fixtures are on the rise again. Ideal for middleaged heavier users who want to go out on the lake for a few hours in expedition mode, for fishing or even for a relaxed scenic workout. “If we compare Europe with the USA, which is probably at least five years ahead of Europe in the SUP trend, the touring hardboard market is a significant part of the latest trends and overall sales”, confirms Bic’s Benoit Tréguilly. market and certainly the first company to embrace the category in Europe. They’ve been looking at ways to improve the performance of inflatable boards since their launch in 2008 and to this day that’s all they make. In September at the European Paddle Expo in Nuremberg, Red Paddle Co. was awarded the ‘coolest gear of the show’ award for SUP. The judges specifically recognized Red Paddle’s patented Rocker Stiffening System as being a leading example of innovative design in inflatable SUP technology. Roberto Ricci President & CEO of Ricci International is clear and concise: “Better, lighter and more precisely shaped inflatable boards. I am a strong believer that the success of SUP entirely depends on the inflatable boards.” Fanatic International’s Karin Gertenbach goes on to confirm the utmost importance of inflatable SUPs to the market: “Our most exclusive construction is Innegra Carbon, which we use in our ProWave & AllWave LTD boards. Also the key trend for sure is the Inflatable Technology – we offer two different constructions: Double Layer Drop Stitch for our Premium models and Stringer Technology for Standard models.”

market analysis

When asked if the demand might now weaken after many years of sustained growth, Markus Schörling, Red Paddle Co.’s German Distributor, grinned as he said that his pre-books have never reached such numbers before and that he was forecasting a sales increase of over 50% for 2015.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE INFLATABLE SUP In Germany, the leading country in Europe in terms of inflatable SUP board sales, they have a market share of 85 - 90% inflatable and only 10- 15% hard boards. At Paddlexpo, I caught up with Markus Schörling, Red Paddle Co.’s German Distributor. He was motivated to get into the inflatable market early and his sales have been doubling every year for the past three seasons. When asked if the demand might now weaken after many years of sustained growth, Markus Schörling, Red Paddle Co.’s German Distributor, grinned as he said that his pre-books have never reached such numbers before and that he was forecasting a sales increase of over 50% for 2015.

“We sell roughly 50% inflatable 50% hardboards. However this figure differentiates at retail (much higher % with inflatables) but we kit out lots of schools and SUP rental centres who want hard boards” comments Benoit Brecq, Marketing Manager at Hoff for Surftech/NSP/ Ari’i Nui. Joe Steiner, Airboard CEO: “Airboard are not from the surf industry, therefore we fully concentrate on inflatable SUPs. We see an increasing demand in sturdy boards for those who like to paddle on rivers, but there’s also a good demand for lightweight touring SUP’s.” And Fanatic International’s Karin confirms their interest in this section of the market: “Fly Air Inflatables are growing constantly, for 2015 we offer 19 different models in this segment: Race, Touring, All-Round & Kids.” THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INLAND WATERWAY MARKET & ITS NICHES As the sport matures, it is not so hard to envision where the growth of the sport will potentially go. All you need to do is look at some maps: Finland, far to the north with its countless stretches of water or the 1,500 lakes in Switzerland. The inland market has the potential to grow exponentially and in some markets it already is. Caren Forbes of Starboard: “The inland market is growing fast, and we expect it could be 50% of sales in the next four years. Gary Van Rooyen, CEO at Careban International sees the inland market as: “Huge potential – every waterway will be exploited!” Sylvain Aurenche of Lokahi SUP confirms: “It certainly grew over the past year. It brings new faces to the sport. Yoga boards - how can it be more magical to train on a crystal-clear fresh water surrounded by mountains? Lakes are everywhere, rivers go through every country.” FUTURE SUP TRENDS “Hopefully nothing too extreme!” says John Hibbard, Red Paddle Co. Founder and adds: “That may sound odd but it is this pursuit of ever more technical performance from equipment that has led to the rocky paths of many sports. SUP for most people is a destination driven sport; paddling somewhere and enjoying the outdoor air and fitness benefits. This market is easily put off by over specified technical product and extreme performance marketing. While there is of course 38

photo: Airboard

Benoit Tréguilly of Bic goes on to say: “For sure inflatable SUP boards are a strong trend currently given their ease of use - roll it up in a bag and store in a small space or in the back of your car. At approximately €700-€800 retail for a premium construction board (double layer), they have an attractive price as well for the average consumer.” Robert Ricci President & CEO of Ricci International continues the notion: “60% inflatables - 40% composites. It will be 70%-30% within the next 2-3 years.”

room for the high end of the sport to develop it should not be done at the expense of the mass-market consumer. At Red Paddle Co. we are focussed on providing the best equipment for people who want to experience the joys of getting on the water and paddling with friends and family.” Byron Seeger, Laird Standup’s Brand Manager explains how inspiration from snowboarding sparked innovation: “Laird Hamilton, while riding a snowboard with serrated edges has revisited the concept for SUP with the Surrator model, new for 2015 featuring Patent Pending Rail Traction design.” Joe Steiner, Founder & CEO of Fun-Care AG believes: “That the inflatable SUP market will grow rapidly and production capacities will push limits. The hardboard market will benefit from this as well, as many SUP surfers that started on an inflatable SUP, will eventually look into hardboards, especially for competition racing that will become a new Olympic sport category pretty soon.” OUTLOOK Asked about the growth of SUP, many companies are projecting uninterrupted growth for the next six to eight years! One only has to look at windsurfing sales in Germany in the 80’s - the sport literally exploded and can give some indication of what potentially lies ahead in terms of volume for those who are prepared. In the top selling years in German windsurfing, the annual sales exceeded 100,000 boards a year. All that is hoped is that lessons were learnt from its subsequent collapse and that the SUP sport remains accessible, that SUP retailers welcome the newcomer from the mainstream and that these customers are well taken care of and accompanied in a friendly, professional way to make their first SUP experience unforgettable. This may also be the first time that they set off on their first watersport experience.

*Disclaimer: These numbers are estimates from participating brands, distributors, as well as SUP industry professionals. They are an indication of the size of the markets and should in no way be interpreted as being the precise size of the market.

SKATE BRAND VISUAL I.D From naked chicks to Marijuana leaves to flowers; how do skate brands’ visual identity of their hardware and apparel affect sales from a consumer and retailer perspective? Creative Director of Brandwave, Samuel Freeman, takes a look into this visually noisy industry. It goes to say that skate brands have very different ideas when it comes to brand image and general hardware and apparel aesthetics compared to other sport markets. Each major skateboard brand has a unique image, not to say other brands in other sports don’t, but these guys have greater extremes of visual design, and appeal to very different audiences. The demographics of the skate industry are vast, from pro skaters to kids wanting their first setup for Christmas. With such an extensive variety of designs, how does visual identity directly affect sales and also getting product into stores? Well, there are a few categories of design that brands fall into that can help us explore this. DEATH TO ALL This is your utterly hard to the core. It’s usually the guys you see purposely pissing the police off, or smoking a massive joint on camera. Skulls, bullets, naked chicks, grungy typefaces and black and red. Most of these guys have reigned it in a bit since I was a kid to be honest, but it’s usually a dark grungy looking website with someone holding their middle finger up at you on the homepage. Fair play, but they’re not making it easy on themselves. You think little Timmy’s mum is going to buy him a skateboard with a giant flaming skull on it, or more importantly, do you think Billy Bob’s local skate shop is going to want to stock it? That’s not to say that these guys have bad products at all, they just appeal to a very different market and may find it harder to get their product into specific stores. WE DON’T LIKE BMX’ERS OR BLADERS Stepping down a notch on the ‘rad’ scale, we have the seasoned skaters smashing their boards to pieces because they messed up a kick flip. Lupe Fiasco will most likely be playing on someone’s phone as everyone tries to get rid of the lonely kid on a BMX. Creative

illustrations, bright colours, clean typography and a much stronger focus on rider approved or endorsed products. You’re still going to find the Jamaican colours and ‘do not enter’ signs but at least it’s not making your eyes water. These are the kind of products you are more likely going to find in your local skate shop. Inviting looking branding and universally friendly graphics are going to be a hit with anyone and any shop. THE ASPIRATIONAL There is always the aspirational brand in every sport, and in my opinion, these are the guys that really make it big. With a core focus on amazing looking apparel and hardware, all their effort goes into making their products look cool. These are also the guys that you might see collaborating with designers or illustrators, producing look books and their designs consisting of pastel colours, subtle patterns and always keeping a strong social presence and interaction at all times. You can’t really get away from these guys which means they must be doing something right, and its not only the skate market that their products creep into, meaning their brand presence is ever growing. This stuff sells itself to some extent. THE RETRO From a time gone by, you can’t forget about the retro guys, keeping the heritage alive in old school hardware. You also find the handmade brand in this category too. Fluro patterns, pastel colours, hand written typography, wood grain and 80s pop art is the visual image behind these brands which make them so popular in the ever growing market to keep the old times alive. The fact is, to a lot of skaters the aesthetics of the hardware and apparel are more important than the performance or technical WWW.BRANDWAVEMARKETING.COM

features of the product, so the visual identity of a brand is key to making sure you maximise sales and turn stock season after season. Design is, and always will be subjective. Finding the right balance between brands staying core to their ethos and tailoring their visual image to maximise sales isn’t actually as hard as it sounds. Narrow your market, narrow your success and essentially, affect sales. I’m sure little Timmy’s mum will appreciate it.

DARING TO RE-LAUNCH Branded T-shirts for €11 readily available, outlet stores popping up like mushrooms, discount strategies, private sales to meet quarterly objectives, -50% promotions every week on the Internet...Are we digging our own graves? Rip Curl are saying enough is enough! By Iker Aguirre. Historically one of the major leaguers, Rip Curl Europe has had the courage to re-launch and, in so doing, accepting the foreseeable losses related to refining its distribution strategies. “We were challenged by the owners of the brand,” explains Wilco Prins, European GM. “We had to mould Rip Curl back into a great brand”. Quality took the upper hand over quantity. “We revisited brand values proclaimed by its founders all those years ago and adapted the business model to be true to those values to make Rip Curl into a brand that can stand the test of time.”

recalls: “The plan of action was to protect the Rip Curl brand and its products, to get a neat brand that isn’t over-distributed with discounts all over the place. We had to protect the Rip Curl brand, products and clients so that it remained appealing. So first of all we refined our distribution to reduce or even terminate the frequent discounts on certain networks, especially the Internet.”

“The first decision was to regain control of supplying the market with what we wanted to by concentrating on our surf products with high added value and limiting the quantities sold to minimise clearance situations as best we could.”

“The second stage was to have fewer discounted products in circulation despite pressures from the market for small prices. To affirm our mid to top-of-the-range position we had to limit the products put on the market at low prices. That’s what we did by working on our product mix. This led to us losing some commercial deals.” It was a risky gamble. In the short term their competitors were favoured and retailers went to stock up elsewhere. But such was the price to pay in order for them to return to being a sustainable brand.

Another key point was “to decide on a turnover size that suits Rip Curl Europe and its shareholders while maintaining respect for the brand’s positioning and strategic road book” rather than growth at all costs.

Yann Tschumi recalls: “It was tough because we had to change our working habits to make a comeback plan”. And Wilco Prins adds: “If an order is unnatural, we don’t take it any more.”

It was important for the brand to start again from its original purpose; above all to be considered the ‘Ultimate Surfing Company’ and to focus on providing products for surfing and its derived activities. Rip Curl is not a fashion brand but an authentic surf brand. Surfing and Rip Curl may become trends themselves but at the same time Rip Curl must not follow fashion’s trends or risk becoming a ‘me too’.

“We lost clients and we lost orders because we didn’t make sufficient reductions. But at the same time, within the client base we wanted to keep - mainly surf shops and sport shops - we gained clients. And right now our balance sheets are positive,” as Wilco Prins reminds us: “It was a huge challenge and we’ve managed to build phase one! Today with less turnover we have better margins and we have improved Rip Curl’s profitability this year.” Now we have to consolidate and build the trust of our client base to ensure healthy and constant development for Rip Curl.”

You got it, it’s not about turning your back on the opportunities the fashion market presents but don’t let it control the game because it is both cyclic and volatile. “It was important to give retailers real reasons to buy Rip Curl again,” Wilco explains, and for this, distribution had to be refined. A relaunch had to be chanced. Like most players, the brand reduced their collections by 40-45%. However, the originality of their approach really lay with the fact that they took risks in their positioning and distribution strategy. Yann Tschumi, European Commercial Director

“It was all a question of positioning,” adds Yann Tschumi: “A return to basics, to the technical, the foundations of our ‘raison d’être’. We then had to make sure that our products were sold at the right price, in the right place.” And what happens to the excess stock? “There’s less of it than before and we only de-stock through our wholesale clients, our three outlets stores and during the sales, once a year.”

It’s not about turning your back on the opportunities the fashion market presents but don’t let it control the game because it is both cyclic and volatile. 42

MALE

01. Michel Bourez 552,572 ¤

02. Nicolau Von Rupp 414,804 ¤

03. Benjamin Sanchis 402,267 ¤

04. Jeremy Flores 346,560 ¤

05. Kepa Acero 296,453 ¤

02. Pauline Ado 119,454 ¤

03. Johanne Defay 83,782 ¤

04. Maud Le Car 54,740 ¤

05. Lee Ann Curren 38,358 ¤

FEMALE

01. Justine Dupont 201,089 ¤

EXPOSURE VALUE (¤) : TOP 5 EUROPEAN SURFERS. REGION : GLOBAL. PERIOD : AUGUST 2013 - JULY 2014 PRINT

WEB

ONLINE VIDEOS

EUROSIMA TEAMS UP WITH RIDE O’METER TO AWARD EUROPEAN MALE & FEMALE SURFERS OF THE YEAR 2014. For the second time in its Industry Awards history, EuroSIMA teamed up with Ride O’Meter, a unique media-monitoring platform, to present the prestigious award based on the annual exposure value of European surfers in the boardsports media worldwide. This year’s surf media panel is composed of 50 magazines, 70 websites and six online video platforms, and covers the exposure of riders between August 2013 and July 2014 in Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and South Africa. Justine Dupont and Michel Bourez, two of Europe’s top athletes ended atop a high standard field of surfers including Pauline Ado, Maud Le Car, Nic Von Rupp (2013 Eurosima Surfer of the year) and Benjamin Sanchis to claim this year’s prize. Boosted by historic big wave winter sessions and some impressive performances in the first half of this year’s ASP World Championship Tour, both Dupont and Bourez’s media visibility has gone through the roof. Accruing a mix of advertising, editorial and video exposure worth ¤201,089 for Dupont and ¤552,572 for Bourez in advertising equivalency value*. Ride O’Meter’s Surf Analyst Thibault Setoain shared his thoughts on Michel Bourez’s impressive year: “After 5 years on the elite world tour, Bourez cements his place in the ASP’s top 10 surfers in the 44

world. Feared by his peers, ‘The Spartan’ sets new standards in power surfing and has gained some significant fan and media support thanks to his charming personality. From Western Australian reefs to Rio beachbreaks, Bourez showcased his talent and the diversity of his skills to secure two early wins on the 2014 ASP WCT, building confidence along the way. Proud Tahitian & European surfing ambassador, Michel has had his best season so far and is in good shape for the challenging Hawaiian closing contests.” In the female category, super-skilled French surfer Justine Dupont, hailing from Lacanau, was crowned for an exceptional season that saw her earning over 46 pages of print coverage, 96 online clippings and over 900k views of her videos while taking on monster winter waves around Europe and becoming the first female surfer to charge French outer reef BELHARRA. “I’m stoked to take my second consecutive EuroSIMA award. It means a lot for me after another amazing season with some great challenges in big waves. Thanks to my sponsors and the Billabong Adventure Division, I’ve surfed the best waves in the best conditions possible! I’m really grateful to the media who keep pushing and following me too. It feels really great to get recognized by your peers, especially knowing there are proper facts and figures behind that.” 23-year-old Justine Dupont said. • Advertising equivalency value refers to media kit for print & web press and in-stream advertising cost for online videos (rate per views).

BOARDSPORTS EXPOSURE ANALYSIS / SNOWBOARD Ride O’Meter started tracking online videos in January 2013, providing a unique series of analytics for brands, riders and events on their online video exposure.

Aimee Fuller and Nicolas Muller ended atop a high-standard field of snowboarders including Helgason, Ruf, Morgan, Grilc, Rukajarvi, Hamm, Sadar and Norendal to claim the season’s ranking.

In snowboard, surf, skateboard and now ski, Ride O’Meter identifies online videos coming from a gallery of over 200 websites and video channels, embedded in the eight main video players: Youtube, Vimeo, Mpora, EpicTV, Transworld, Thrasher, Zapiks and DailyMotion. Each video being referenced, analyzed and timed part by part, identifying each rider, brand or event featured. The automatic tracking system gathers analytics on a daily basis, including number of views, number of likes/dislikes and comments for each video player. This unique analysis methodology gathers a total number of views for each rider/ brands/events as well as Ride O’Meter’s trademarked ‘Cumulated Audience’, which is calculated by the number of hours of video exposure, combining the length of each part to its related number of views on each video player.

In the female category, British slopestyle rider and Olympic national team member Aimee Fuller was featured in 25 video parts, for a total length of 30 minutes, and leveraged her video audience through a series of Red Bull webisodes, as well as some Roxy team videos throughout the season. Her total audience reached over 227,000 views and 7,961 hours.

To kick off the snowboard season, Source and Ride O’Meter decided to highlight the video exposure of European snowboarders (female and male) over the 2013/2014 Season. More than 500 videos per month have been analyzed and tracked between August 2013 and July 2014.

In the male category, boosted by a mind blowing and style-mastering part in Nike snowboarding’s production Never Not, gaining more than 4.6Million views for 44 different sections and a total of 232,562 hours, Nicolas Muller is the online video sensation of the season. “Without a doubt one of the most talented and stylish riders of his generation, Nicolas Muller impresses every season. His thrilling part in Nike’s Never Not movie showcased all his skills and style. He keeps inspiring loads of riders, including the coming generations, and shares his unmatchable smile, attitude, faith and passion in the snowboard original’s spirit.” Ride O’Meter’s Snowboard Analyst Niels Hummel commented.

1. Ranking TOP 5 Male Rank World

Rank Europe

Name

Cumulated Audience

Total Views

Nb Video

Average Views

Total Part

Nicolas Muller

232,562 hrs

4,627,299

105,166

2,275s

Halldor Helgason

194,239 hrs

4,925,259

54,124

5,710s

Gigi Ruf

169,254 hrs

2,685,240

95,901

2,465s

Ethan Morgan

49,121 hrs

3,494,575

85,234

1,871s

Marko Grilc

45,810 hrs

1,190,753

62,671

2,325s

Torstein Horgmo

36,047 hrs

2,788,264

45,709

3,626s

Stale Sandbech

35,671 hrs

2,696,231

36,436

3,963s

Gjermund Braaten

33,113 hrs

2,140,881

85,635

629s

Jussi Oksanen

32,112 hrs

1,247,078

207,846

431s

Terje Haakonsen

24,847 hrs

1,435,748

26,105

1,990s

Name

Cumulated Audience

Total Views

Nb Video

Average Views

Total Part

2. Ranking TOP 5 Male Rank World

Rank Europe

Aimee Fuller

7,961 hrs

227,043

9,082

1,769 s

Enni Rukajarvi

5,645 hrs

218,683

15,620

471 s

Sascha Hamm

3,783 hrs

101,483

25,371

726 s

Cilka Sadar

2,642 hrs

152,296

50,765

127 s

Silje Norendal

2,488 hrs

429,297

12,626

1,278 s

Marion Haerty

2,061 hrs

137,021

7,612

1,148 s

Sarka Pancochova

2,020 hrs

1,485,408

59,416

788 s

Nicola Thost

1,854 hrs

25,556

8,519

498 s

Isabel Derungs

1,641 hrs

262,451

20,189

427 s

Cheryl Maas

1,529 hrs

24,748

8,249

328 s 45

photo: Bernhard Burger

THE SCIENCE OF BUYING 5ive first opened a store in 1996 in Kempten, Germany and now operates five stores across the city. We spoke to Bernhard Burger about how he fills out his order sheets and what process he goes through to find new brands. How long have you been a buyer for your store and how did you end up in this position? We started out in 1994 selling spray cans and clothing out of our living room until we opened the first store in a rear courtyard space in the town of Kempten in 1996. I’ve been involved since then in various roles, including purchasing. Looking back at the past seasons, what have been your biggest lessons on writing orders and selling products? During those times when online stores were still a rarity, core skate shops still provided the cornerstone of the scene in each city and the ‘boardsport lifestyle’ attracted customers across all social strata to the store. This caused us to become a bit uncritical in our buying decisions over the years, just following sales growth and raising budgets year by year while banking primarily on the cash cows. In the process, we lost sight of the details and ‘small’ brands. In face of the changes in our industry over the past years we have gone back to the roots, approaching ordering cycles with more motivation and openness, but also a critical eye. Since our brands are facing tough competition from vertical retailers such as H&M, Zara, Primark etc., we are more focused on our own brand, 5ive. This means buying more according to themes and mixing prominent with lesserknown brands following the motto: “If our buying and sales team likes something, our customers are bound to love it as well.” If you could ask brands for support, what would it be for (ordering process, SKU counts, marketing support)? We’re pretty content as long as brands are focused on their core competence and their roots, while giving back to the scene by sponsoring events and riders. Retail marketing budgets have been increased across all brands for a while now, so thanks for that! For smaller shops like ours, segmenting collections also makes sense at a certain size. Over the past years, have you changed your brand line-up and main brands? While some retailers started to branch out into retail chains, we have decided early on to spread the business across multiple

foundations. At the moment we operate five stores in the same town with different concepts, from skateboarding to streetwear to fashion. So for example in the skate shop, we only carry brands that are relevant to skateboarding or snowboarding. Brands that are more streetwear-oriented such as Obey, Revolution, Minimum, and Nike Sportswear – which are working very well right now – can be found at our streetwear store. We’re working on cultivating the ‘best of each segment’ at our respective stores. What’s your process for finding new brands for your stores? Our staff is really involved and likes to travel to get new impressions and be involved in the scenes while keeping an ear to the street and feelers out on the Internet. In-line with our various store concepts, we are also visiting a number of tradeshows that always bring up new things. Do you have any advice to upcoming brands on how to be attractive to retail buyers? Make a virtue out of necessity and try not to look left and right too much but go your own way, even if it gets bumpy sometimes. Nobody wants to see the fiftieth collection in the exact same style. You also need a stringent, long-term distribution strategy covering all the needs of various channels. Which tradeshows do you attend and how important are they for your decision-making? We still rely heavily on tradeshows and can always be found at ISPO in Munich, Berlin Fashion Week with Bright Tradeshow, Premium Exhibition, Bread&Butter, Show&Order, Capsule and Seek. At varying intervals, we visit CPH in Copenhagen, Micam in Mailand, Who’s Next in Paris and GDS/CPD in Düsseldorf, as well as SIA in Denver. Agenda is also on our calendar for next year. What techniques do you have for putting together your order sheets? Our approach is pretty old school. Next to ERP, good old Excel is helpful for approaching ordering rounds, as well as our camera and a healthy dose of gut feeling. Currently we are looking for a new ERP system to cover our needs in terms of sales, buying, etc. in today’s market. We’re open to suggestions!

photo: Gopole

trend report

&… ACTION! Whether you’re at the beach or in the mountains - every one and their mum seems to have a little device stuck to their heads, chest or board. How big of a trend action and sport cameras have become is no secret anymore, but what are the trends inside the trend? By Anna Langer GENERAL TRENDS Over the last couple of years, action cameras have established themselves as prime accessories in our industry and other (action) sports, with the trend developing far beyond that. “Nowadays, action cameras appeal to a much wider target group. Grandparents shooting their grandchildren’s first steps, dog owners who want to experience their pet’s perspective: many people use our camera to shoot their every day adventure,” explain Garmin with Ion adding that “video taking is going beyond just the thrill seeker”. Rollei even expect up to 25% growth in Germany alone. Especially paired with expansion of social media, as Contour add: “The market is continuing to grow rapidly as more and more people adopt social media and integrate sharing videos of their adventures.” Drift predict action cameras to take “market shares from regular camcorders” but warn that this will make the market “very competitive”, with “too many actors trying to get a cut of the cake.”

manuals before shooting the first clips” (Garmin). “Let athletes focus on their sport” say Contour and are backed up by Drift’s customer feedback: “people prefer a small, easy to use and feature rich camera over top video quality” that is complicated to handle. Hence most brands aim to “strike a balance” between size and quality, which “are both very important aspects” (Rollei). HD filming has already become a standard and is featured in all models of the brands interviewed. Frame rates vary between 60 and 120 frames per second in different resolutions, with Rollei, Sony and GoPro stocking up to Ultra High Definition (4096x2160 and 2704x1536), the latter offering twice the performance with their new GoPro Hero 4 released this Autumn with a new processor for faster frame rates and improved image quality.

Since cameras have become “more of a fashion accessory” than just a recording device, and HD is offered as standard, looks are becoming important too. Back in the day, “it didn’t use to matter how silly someone looked because they were happy to just be able to record. Now that it’s mainstream, getting the camera looking good while you are wearing it, and getting them ‘out of the way’ is key,” says Contour.

Except for Contour, who just released the world’s “easiest to use” camera with their new Roam 3 that is waterproof to 30 feet, “maintaining simplicity”, most brands use small, 1.4’’-2’’ displays to preview framing, change settings, check status and maybe even playback footage. With or without, these functions can also be controlled via smartphone and the respective app, which all brands offer for free, some even including a desktop version with editing features (GoPro, Garmin, Sony & Contour). Through the respective app, the phone also turns into a remote control, starting or stopping the recording and changing settings. All brands (excluding Contour) include them or offer as optional extras. Drift work with radio frequency instead of Wi-Fi, to save battery life, and Garmin’s little helper is “water resistant for up to 10 meters”. Rollei’s remotes have a reach of up to 40 meters and Sony packed theirs up in a neat little “waterproof wristwatch-style” device.

TECHNICAL FEATURES Increased connectivity is a feature many brands are experimenting with. With the world being ruled by smartphones and tablets, devices need to be compatible with as many others as possible. “We build WiFi and ANT+ interfaces into our cameras so that they can interact with other devices” state Garmin. Their Elite model even has a GPS module and also Ion expand on their GPS line. Simplification is another big trend, “since nobody likes to study big

OUTLOOK The market for action cameras is growing strong with no end in sight, as GoPro conclude: “The performance of wearable and gear mountable cameras is constantly improving at a rapid rate.” Garmin see a big future for accessories: “There are a number of different usages and adventures that can be recorded – and all users need the right equipment to suit their habits.” A first insight into what that might look like can be found (See page 50).

Size and quality continue as vital factors, although the “race for more pixels” (Drift) and more compact products (Sony) brings other features into play as well. Like battery life, that is essential to use the camera in the first place. Hence GoPro are not only “constantly innovating to introduce even sharper images, higher frame rates and resolution” but also “improving battery life.”

photo: SPG

trend report

CAMERA ACCESSORIES TREND REPORT With Action Cameras firmly established on the market, the future for development in this segment seems to be in the accessories. So we took a deeper look into what is available and what we’ll be drooling over in the near future. By Anna Langer The market for Action Cameras is still growing (see page 49) and the one for accessories is really only just taking off. Sony sees “a desire for people to capture more of their lives than ever before,” and expect “to see more flexibility and ways to record so that any activity can be recorded in ultra-high detail.” Ion agree that “video taking is going beyond just the thrill seeker” and SP also think that the future is in creating “handy helpers for your outdoor filming to get the best footage out of any situation!” MOUNTS One of the most popular categories are accessories that facilitate “selfies” and let people film themselves doing their stuff. The Drift Monopod, the Rollei Arm extension, the GoPole Reach (that now collapses down to 35cm), the SP POV poles and Remote Poles or the XSories’ Me-Shot Deluxe, “the perfect accessory to take the best selfies, with its telescopic pole combined with a Phone Holder and a Bluetooth remote to take pictures at distance”. GoPro introduce a new “3-Way mount that can be used as a camera grip, extension arm or tripod”. Suction mounts are increasingly popular as well, as they can be easily taken on and off (Drift). Contour continue their rail mounting system that allows their cameras “to sit flush against helmets, boards, and pretty much anything else you would want to mount it on and also prevents the camera’s from moving or rotating unintentionally.” GEAR Demand for equipment that is not used for filming but for the camera itself is growing as well, as is the choice of items to meet them. XSories, who are specialised in this area, have a whole array of new gadgets coming out this winter and next summer, like the U-Float unsinkable camera grip or the Power Capxule soft case with integrated “power bank that eliminates guesswork and ensures you’re fully loaded and ready to shoot.” SP offer extra power through their “Powerbar Duo” too, a “mobile powerbank which charges two GoPro Hero 3 batteries and also another USB device simultaneously.” 50

CAMERA BAGS Despite most action cameras already coming in a waterproof housing, cases that improve the durability are in demand as well. Drift mention their case that increases waterproofness to 60m as one of their “must haves”, as do SP with their Aqua Case. Carrying cases are increasing as well, like the SP POV or the GoPole Venturecase. Both are specifically tailored to the GoPro, although most mounts and accessories are equipped with universal heads and standard 1/4in x 20mm mounting systems (Drift, Rollei, Xsories, SP). Contour and Sony even use SLR heads on their cameras so you can mount their cams on any classic tripod or other classic photo gear. DRONES Probably the most progressive and exciting of accessories have only started developing recently though: drones that take your camera to the sky to film you from a birds-eye view While there are a bunch of helicopter devices available from other segments for example gaming and the model aircraft sector, Airdog have now launched the first autofollow drone for GoPro cameras that, as the name suggests, follows you on your endeavours autonomously. In turn they’re also developing a “software based and community driven obstacle avoidance solution to define a 3 dimensional ‘no-fly zone’” to make sure the drone doesn’t hit anything while following you. The AirDog app will allow users to upload zone plans they created and also download maps for wake cables, bike trails, MX tracks and snow resorts. OUTLOOK There is a lot going on in the accessories sector and there is definitely no end in sight. Besides more and more specialised devices for specific sports, angles or uses, “in App add ons” are a possible development that has barely been touched yet, according to Drift. Xsories also mention that the “tendency in the last two years has been towards increased instant sharing” and see future developments in accessories that facilitate connecting and ability to share with cameras. “We speak about the ‘Prosumerisation’ of the photo fan.”

BRAND PROFILE: SPARK R&D The growth of the backcountry market in winter sports is no longer a secret, and one of the brands who have been there since early on is Spark R&D. They make lightweight, easy-to-use snowboard bindings for splitboards. We’ve profiled Spark with Owner/Head Designer Will Ritter and Sales & Marketing Manager, Todd Hogan Please give an overview on how and why the company began? WILL: The first time I went splitboarding I was totally stoked! Goodbye snowshoes. But even from the first day, I could tell that to ride more like my solid board, a splitboard specific binding was needed. At the time there was nothing available. I was working as a product design engineer so I had access to most of the tools and manufacturing to give my own bindings a go. The day I rode my first prototypes the difference was staggering. Stiffer, lower, lighter and my split actually felt like a snowboard! Later on that year I jumped off from my day job and started Spark R&D. Who is on the management team, and what are their backgrounds? TODD: Probably the most important thing to understand about the Spark team is that we are a small, family-owned and operated business. The owners are Will and Becca Ritter. Will, the founder, has a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering; and Becca, the CFO, loves Quickbooks, Excel and other nerdy things. The rest of the management team is really a collection of snowboarders who happen to posses the skills necessary to help Spark run and thrive: Matt McKee, our new COO has a long background in the snowboarding industry; Todd Hogan, Sales & Marketing, comes from the retail world and has spent most of his life living in ski towns; and Kory Graham, Production Manager, continues to do things on a snowboard: someone of his age probably shouldn’t.

BRAND NAME: SPARK R&D 52

Machining Manager Ryan Leadbeater figured out a few years ago that it’s way less expensive to get rad on his splitboard than his snowmobile; and Anodizing manager Jon Wareham could power the building on his splitboarding stoke alone. Please explain how the split R&D system works. TODD: Spark R&D is a splitboard binding and accessory company. First and foremost, we design, test, and manufacture high-quality, durable, hassle-free bindings for splitboards. Our newest bindings - the AfterBurner and Magneto - feature what we call the Tesla System. The baseplate of our Tesla System bindings is a platform that integrates the touring brackets, climbing wires, and optional crampons into one fully self-contained, pinless system. The clean, simple design gives splitboarders a hassle-free backcountry system with no unnecessary moving parts. It really is revolutionary! And so fast to transition between modes: For riding, flip the toe ramp up, slide the binding on to your board, flip the toe ramp down. For touring, flip the ramp up, slide the binding into the touring bracket, and flip the ramp down. It’s that easy. Backcountry business is growing…how do you plan to stay ahead of the game? TODD: There are more people in the backcountry today than ever. And within that market, splitboarding growth is the most explosive. It’s our job to continue to innovate: To design and manufacture dependable, high-

TEL: 1-866-725-2085 EMAIL: TODD@SPARKRANDD.COM

quality gear that makes splitboarding easier, safer, and ultimately more fun. If we continue to do that, everything else will fall into place. What do you find important about the European market? TODD: Europe is an incredibly important market for us at Spark. The snowboarders in Europe embraced splitboarding from the very beginning and they have evolved and grown right alongside the expansion of splitboarding itself. The quantity and quality of riders in Europe is unparalleled, never mind the terrain and access to it! What do you see for the future of the industry? WILL: While growth in the last few years has been explosive, I really feel like we will see long term steady growth similar to what we saw in AT before the backcountry craze hit. Shredding powder is a lifetime sport; I will be splitboarding with my grand kids. We serve a great demographic that is passionate, mature and far more concerned with performance than chasing trends. I imagine the roster of splitboarding companies will continue to grow, and will be more stable than what you see in snowboarding. Where can we check out your products/ videos/stuff? (web/facebook/etc) Website: https://www.sparkrandd.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ sparkrandd Instagram: http://instagram.com/sparkrandd/

WEB: WWW.SPARKRANDD.COM

BRAND PROFILE: C SKINS C-Skins are a European cold-water wetsuit company with offices in both the UK and Australia. Going about their business for over a decade now, the brand all of a sudden seems to be exploding on to the international scene giving the well-established brands a run for their money. Interview with Brand Manager Mark Brown. Please give an overview on how and why the company began? After several decades in the wetsuit industry Carey Brown, my Father, felt 1997 was the year to make a fresh start. He wanted to start a wetsuit company that specialized in keeping surfers warm in the cold waters of Europe. Carey had got tired of his previous company’s lack of focus towards surfers and decided the time was right to set out and create a company with a much more focused drive towards the needs of cold water surfers. We’re here to keep surfers in the water longer, to help them perform at their peak and in any conditions.

independent family owned company and this is why we believe so strongly in supporting the surf shops that have helped us grow – many of them are bricks and mortar retailers.

Mark Brown - Brand Manager, Owner and Wetsuit Designer – I joined Carey shortly after education and surf travel. I now focus on day-to-day management of the company and C-Skins Wetsuit development.

What sets you apart from your competitors? For a start there are no other core independent wetsuit brands out there anymore. The way in which we approach design also sets us apart – we have a very user centred approach, we’re always thinking how we can increase a surfer’s performance, warmth and overall enjoyment of surfing – we always remember that in design ‘there is more than one way to do it!’ – By looking at design from different angles we can approach design differently. We have also always had key consideration towards quality. Over recent years we have seen more and more companies sacrificing quality by using poor materials and cheaper manufacturing processes all in the pursuit of a good price point. We have always believed that consumers will find a quality product, so we will never stray away from this ethos. As well as quality, innovation is also key for us – whether it be our new FutureFit or one of our new material innovations like DryKnit lining, Power Seam or H2X Dry Flex neoprene, we see it as instrumental to our brand development.

What is the company ethos? Last Longer. C-Skins Wetsuits has and will always be focused on maximizing your time and performance in the water through fit and material innovation. We’re very proud to be an

Another advantage we have is that there is no longer any other wetsuit companies out there that are owner run and managed – independent, if you like. C-Skins Wetsuits is our passion and so the focus and dedication

Who is on the management team, and what are their backgrounds? It’s a Family thing: Carey Brown - CEO & Owner – Co-Founder of Europe’s first wetsuit brand in the 70s. At the age of 17 he started gluing wetsuits together in a garage for a company, which by the mid 80’s was turning over in excess of £10 million in wetsuits with Carey acting as Managing Director.

BRAND NAME: C-SKINS 54

WWW.C-SKINS.COM

towards the brand never falters. This means that we are super productive and we have continuity in our company from all directions whether it is in the design, the sales, the supply chain, the customer service or decision making in general. What other marketing are you running? FutureFit Test Centres have also been rolled out across Europe, enabling surfers to test out our wetsuits before purchase – this shows you how much we believe in our products. Try one out! Why should retailers sell your brand? We’re a young brand bringing new ideas to the wetsuit industry and being purely focused on producing the world’s best surfing wetsuits. It’s always key for store owners to receive solid supply and excellent customer service which is why we’re stoked to be working with some of Europe’s finest distributors and agents. What do you see for the future of the industry? The industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. It’s grown up. Retailers and consumers alike are more and more educated about the products they should be stocking and the brands they are supporting. We see many retailers becoming more dependent on fresh new brands to revitalize their stores and keeping close to heart the things that make the surf industry unique.

BRAND PROFILE: NECTAR Nectar Sunglasses began life with two college buddies selling custom-design wayfairer sunnies to fellow students. Their motto ‘live the sweet life’ resonates with Millenials and the guys at Nectar are experiencing great success on both sides of the pond. Please give an overview on how and why the company began? Nectar Officially began in 2013, but the idea started a few years earlier and finally it came down to just making it happen. While in college we sold basic wayfarers that had our college name and year on the sides of the arms. After the first batch that we sold, we saw the incredible demand for this style of sunglasses and we knew then we needed to make higher quality frames while still maintaining the low price point. We wanted to create a brand around the lifestyle that made people feel and look good while not crushing their bank accounts. The classic frame that we used to introduce the band is perpetually in style and looks good on just about everyone. As the business started to grow we saw many of our customers buy multiple pairs at one time to wear with different outfits or occasions. The main focus of our brand is to enjoy the sweet life and embody the lifestyle that the brand promotes. What sets you apart from your competitors? We believe that a brand is only as good as the people behind it. Our marketing strategy is simply our personalities. I think people can truly see that we are normal guys that make a killer product. We have grown up with action sports and having that understanding when talking to our customers or athletes really makes them connect with us as individuals. To us, being able to live the brand we sell is incredibly important for so many reasons. We have seen other new brands sprout up that BRAND NAME: NECTAR 56

are mimicking our branding techniques but have not gained much traction. I accredit that to our quick and reliable customer service and branding efforts. The brand message “live the sweet life” is something that is universal and each customer creates his or her own connection with Nectar. Most $20-30 sunglasses are rack brands we are not. The packaging we designed for our product is extremely clean and simple and is aesthetically pleasing. We put a lot of emphasis on the presentation of the brand and the products we provide. How do you support athletes and boardsports? We strategically sponsor many specific boardsport events that we feel are best fit for our brand and will also give Nectar the most exposure. Our group of athletes continues to get better and better every day. With hundreds of emails a week in regards to sponsorship, we have chosen the top and most influential athletes in their areas of the world to represent our brand. We support all of them through our products and funding to help them continue their careers living the sweet life. We give our products to the most epic of athletes who test them and give us direct feedback so we can continue to pursue better products. What other marketing are you running? Mostly our marketing consists of organic, guerrilla techniques. Our fans are loyal and EMAIL: INFO@NECTARSUNGLASSES.COM

also help spread the word through social media platforms. We also rely on creating great content for our fan-base to enjoy. The content that we are producing at the moment is top of the line and we are bringing in even more top videographers to expand ‘the sweet life’ feeling. Our top athletes help in bringing the brand to new eyes that haven’t seen the name before. Mostly though, we rely on wordof-mouth to bring awareness to the brand. Why should retailers sell your brand? Our price point is extremely popular and the quality and packaging is better than any other competitor. We are not a rack brand and our brand is something that all of our customers truly feel and relate to in their own way. Our stand can be hung or put on a counter top to maximize space and revenue. It’s insane how fast we move them...we can’t keep them all in stock! What do you see for the future of your company? We have new technology in the works that nobody has done...very exciting stuff! New frames and styles will be in for 2015 and we will expand into other accessories as we continue to immerse ourselves in the industry. Where can we check out your stuff? www.nectarsunglasses.com - we are currently redesigning our entire webstore! And then follow us on Instagram @nectar and Facebook at @nectarsunglasses

WEB: WWW.NECTARSUNGLASSES.COM

NEW PRODUCT #73 01.TSG PASS HELMET The Pass longboard helmet features a compact shell and an aerodynamic design. Its CE and ASTM F1952 certified construction provides ultimate protection. The spherical curved visor with scratch-proof, anti-fog coating guarantees optimal peripheral vision. Nose vent ports together with an exhalation fogging blocker above the mouth pushes exhaled breath down and out of the helmet. www.ridetsg.com

02.URBAN BEACH AW14 TECHNICAL COLLECTION The AW14 Technical Collection is distinguished by attention to detail such as fully taped seams and up to 10,000mm/10,000mm outer shell technology. This collection employs a ‘Dark Rider’ colour palette; a progressive colour story based on a futuristic world of active sports. www.urbanbeach-surf.co.uk

03.UPPERCUT DELUXE CHRISTMAS RANGE Stuck for a gift idea for the man who has everything? The team at Uppercut Deluxe, the modern, yet traditional approach to men’s grooming, have the answer with the release of a range of new products ahead of Christmas. The range includes the ultimate military style canvas wash bag pre-filled with Face Wash, Shave Cream, Aftershave Moisturiser and a Toothbrush. www.uppercutdeluxe.com/uk

04.PENNY PENDLETON SKATEBOARDS Penny, the original plastic skateboard brand, have teamed up with Don Pendleton, an American artist whose unmistakable organic cubist creations have graced skateboard decks for close to 20 years. The result is an epic range of three 22” Penny Pendleton skateboards with custom graphics and Penny grip tape. www.pennyskateboardsonline.com

05.SP-GADGETS POV LIGHT SP-Gadgets is introducing the most versatile, waterproof LED video light with integrated GoPro mounting system. Underwater (Waterproof to 40m), on land or in a poorly-lit room: the POV LIGHT will brighten up your environment for from 300 Lumen for 2h to 20h at 60 Lumen. Features: Portable waterproof video light, Multiple lighting modes, Wide angle beam, Integrated GoPro mounting system and Aluminium cooling head. www.sp-gadgets.com

VONZIPPER.COM

J O H N J A C K S O N I N T H E F I S H B O W L || S I G N A T U R E H A P P Y C A P S C O L O R W A Y

OWL OUTDOOR WASTE LAB - CREATIVE RECYCLING. EVER HEARD OF THAT? When we think about manufacturing a more responsible product, we have to think about what happens, when its first use is over. And what about all of the faulty, third choice garments, the samples and the returns from the customers? By Cira Riedel/ GreenroomVoice Based on the fact that 5.8 million tons of fabric-waste are discarded by Europeans every year and only 25% is recycled, we can easily imagine that it’s time to find more sustainable solutions (Friends of the Earth 2013). Thus, the concept of circular economy** is a great option. Too many products and materials in the textile industry are going to the landfill or the incinerator. OWL- Outdoor Waste Lab provides a much better end of use option. OWL is an emerging platform created by three companies: Wood Stock Creation, Claire Alvernhe and AIR – Consultancy for Responsible Innovation. They shared this vision and started the brand OWL offering a creative and tangible solution to the Outdoor and Surf textile industry to manage their waste. OWL is also an extended team of stylists, designers and graphic designers in constant evolution depending on projects. For this interview we spoke with Benjamin Marias, Founder of AIR. Who are your clients and where are your resources coming from? OWL collects end-of-life products or materials (customer returns, samples, third choice, etc.) from apparel brands. Then, OWL sorts, selects and creates useful and unique objects while preserving each product’s own history. If a jacket has a rip for example, OWL will not try to cover it up or make it invisible. It will simply be repaired. Eventually, OWL assembles different materials and manufactures products that will find a second life. There are two channels of distribution: either the product goes directly to the consumer via ETSY (Internet platform dedicated to handcrafts, member of B-Corporation), or the brands have the possibility to buy back the products. For example, we make 150 small bags and 50 iPhone cases, which the brand can use for their team, their salespeople or as a press kit. All this is done in our region, the Haut-Savoie in France. When the quantity becomes too much for our operation we engage a social workshop, where unemployed people can gain new skills. Thus, OWL offers outdoor and surf brands to buy these “new” products derived from the ‘creative recycling’ process. Current OWL partners include brands like Millet, Patagonia, Picture Organic Clothing and more to come! In terms of the reused or the recycled materials where are the biggest challenges? First, working with variable raw materials leads to a constantly

renewed product design. So, a lot of time is dedicated to design the prototype and testing in order optimize the use of the material to make new products. Secondly, we always ask for clean and dry end-of-life products. So we minimize the risk of bacteria or other unwanted stuff. Regarding quality, so far we have only worked with technical products from outdoor brands where quality standards are very high in terms of materials. It makes our work easier. To conclude on this point, our biggest challenge today is to secure the collection of products and materials. In short, we are constantly looking for products and materials to recycle. You are right at the beginning of your project. How many tons of waste are you planning to keep out of landfills? We don’t know exactly the volume of products or materials that are thrown away each year by the brands. However, we know this waste stream is a growing burden for them. OWL offers a simple solution to those brands that want to get rid of their waste in a sustainable way. We also know that in most of the European countries the price for land fills are increasing. In some places this practice has already been banned by the European Commission. In general, waste management will become more and more expensive for brands within the next three years. Which country is the most advanced in your opinion? I don’t think it’s about a particular country. However, Europe is leading on the topic, in comparison to Asia and North America. Outdoor and Surf brands are also more active due to their strong connection with nature. www.outdoorwastelab.com ** Circular economy: generic term for an economy that is regenerative by design. Materials flows are of two types, biological materials, designed to re-enter the biosphere, and technical materials, designed to circulate with minimal loss of quality, in turn entraining the shift towards an economy ultimately powered by renewable energy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation)

“In general, waste management will become more and more expensive for brands within the next three years.” Benjamin Marias, AIR 61

MARKET INTELLIGENCE UK By Gordon Way What noise does enthusiasm make? This winter is going to be a good one! Precipitation levels (rain to you and me) have been high around the Alps. The Gentaine flower is growing at higher altitudes. So it’s going to snow! There you have it – it’s going to snow. I recall the mice coming in early and the onion skins being thick and now, thanks again to Olly Lambourne of Mountain Mavericks, we have another gem from folk lore – yep – if the Gentaine flower is growing high in the mountains then the future temperatures will be low and the precipitation should be snow not rain. So, for sure, a good winter is coming. Remember – you read it here first. As for the forecast in the UK – business, not weather - it’s all looking pretty good. Unemployment down. High street spending up. Industrial production up. On the bad news front real wages lagged behind inflation and wage growth forecast for this year is forecast to be just 1.14%. That’s not going to encourage anyone to splash their hard-earned cash. So what about our business? Enthusiasm and Optimism are the watchwords. Maybe a little caution thrown in for good measure. Last night I attended the Network B event in London. Organised by Brandwave Marketing it was tagged as an event with the emphasis on ‘facilitating collaborations’. It was a fun and informative evening, good for networking and best of all good for catching up with long lost colleagues from the industry. At the end of the evening, as I pedaled away on my Boris Bike, the one thing I took with me, still ringing in my ears, was the loud sound of enthusiasm. Talking, talking, talking – loud talking. It was great to see (and hear) the enthusiasm and optimism that keeps us all going. This enthusiasm, coupled with a fair wind, good snow and a growing economy may just be enough to delivery another great winter. Jeremy from TSA is always one to make your ears ring – this time I caught him in his car (hands free of course) belting down the Motorway. “It’s too early to tell how the season is going to be. The summer months were tough because we had no stock to sell – it had all gone!” Despite not having any stock to sell Jeremy is still very upbeat about the market: “There are some really good early signs. September looks like we will be up on forecast and up on last year. Both youth and women’s interest is up - a great sign. The Olympic fall out is still with us and entry level interest is also high” Indeed Jeremy is so pumped up about the entry level market that he is now bringing into play a plan he had more than three years ago to produce a “Welcome to Snowboarding” pack. This booklet will tell beginners all they need to know about snowboarding and will be given away free at all the TSA shops, plus slopes and resorts. “It’s something I wanted to do years ago but it just did not seem worth it. Now is the right time. There are people really interested in getting into snowboarding and this is just something to make their journey a little bit easier” I asked Jeremy about the rumours about a certain major international brand said to be exiting from snowboarding and also about the Scottish Referendum. On one subject he was indifferent and on the other he was “stoked”. “Their departure will not make any difference to us at all and I have no doubt that a certain other brand 62

will follow suit – again not making any difference! I was indifferent when they came into the market and I am indifferent as they leave but thanks to them for their marketing dollars. As for the Scottish decision I’m stoked. I lived in Scotland for 10 years and I could not believe some of the complete and utter BS I was hearing. Thank goodness common sense prevailed” As to the future? What about expansion plans for TSA? “Ellis Brigham [owners of TSA] are an expansive company but I only want to expand TSA if the stores have the space to do it. I cannot do it half-hearted” And that is Jeremy all over – he cannot do anything half hearted … by half! So by Jeremy’s answer you will have noted that the United Kingdom is still the United Kingdom – including Scotland. The referendum goes to prove that there is life outside London and England and I’d like to add my own personal thoughts, and those of my Aberdonian Mother, to Jeremy’s – we really are better together. Next call was to Matt at Absolute Snow who was pretty upbeat. “On the back of a great season last year we look set for another good one this year. Summer business has been positive. Not exponentially up on last year but very healthy – and certainly when you compare it to two years ago when we were at best flat and at times considerably down. For the coming winter we’ve bought and planned for good growth and the early signs are that it’s the right decision.” Absolute Snow are also involved in Skate but Matt admits to having some issues in that area: “We lost our skate man and have yet to replace him. It’s vital to have someone focus on the sport and we have really not given skate the attention it deserves. This is being rectified and we should get skate back on track - just as soon as we have the right person in place. We’re still looking so if you’re a skater and fancy a job with Absolute then now’s your chance!” Next stop was up to the Lakes and the ‘Sick and The Wrong’. The owner, Steve, set up store in 1993 and focuses on snowboarding and paragliding. “We’ve had a great summer but mainly down to the paragliding side of the business which is being driven by real innovation encouraging people to part with their hard earned cash. There is money about, people are more confident with job stability and they are more prepared to part with their cash” But what about snowboards during the summer? “It’s getting harder and harder to shift last years kit – the days of knocking 25% off and watching it fly out the door are long gone and you have to work much harder to clear the shelves. I’m pretty sure this is nothing to do with the economy. It’s down to the lack of innovation and a bit of cynicism amongst the customers about what is new and what’s not new.” Steve has actually been very cautious for the coming winter and planned for flat sales. That said he is more optimistic than a year ago. “With some shop closures there’s more cake to go around and I feel confident that people really want to shop from niche stores and talk to real people. Who wants to buy a snowboard mail-order – where’s the pleasure in that? Come in, sit down, grab a seat, have a coffee and let’s talk snowboarding” Put the kettle on.

MARKET INTELLIGENCE GERMANY By Anna Langer After the temperature and precipitation roller coaster in the previous years, 2014 is marking a sad highlight so far and seriously questions if classic seasons aren’t completely out-dated. 25 degrees and sunshine in February, 15 degrees and rain in August. In the south of the country this month that used to be the peak of summer, saw only four full days without rain. Yet it almost seems as if retail and customers alike are used to it already, or are at least making the best of it. At least that’s what the German Trade Association suggests, who confirm their “sales forecast of +1,5% for the retail industry 2014“. However this is also due to 17% profits in E-Commerce, with many inner city retailers complaining about “a strong regression of customer frequencies“. This is mirrored in the business climate index, measuring retailers’ expectations on business developments, which also declined to its lowest since July last year as Stern Magazin reports on their website. Boardsport businesses, which depend on cold temperatures and snow as much as on the warmth and dry days, both at the right time, should be suffering especially hard, one would think. Fortunately the experience seems to be contrary. Especially skate was on the rise again in 2014: For online giant Blue Tomato, who opened eight new shops in Germany in the last year, sales were even “above expectations“ and also Core Skate Shop 540 in Kaiserslautern reports positively: “Skateboard hardware is going well despite the circumstances, with high demands for skate decks within the 50€ range”, owner Daniel says. “The hype in longboards and cruisers is staying strong, growing stronger even.“ This, too, is confirmed by Blue Tomato Sales Manager Andreas, and capped off: “We did plan for a lot of growth for Longboards & Cruisers, but we never expected how massive that turned out in the end!“ Daniel happily noted that “it’s not just about the looks anymore but quality as well“, something he is actively pushing in the 540 shop. “Expansive consulting is able to contrast the push for ‘cheap cheaper cheapest‘.” For Blue Tomato surf and snow were also positive this year, especially hardware that sells better than soft goods, except for beanies, which were a great seller. Yet this wasn’t true with Daniel and the 540: “Even the hoped for run on beanies failed to appear. Luckily we anticipated a mild winter and were (again) right: sales of winter jackets were at lowest levels, hence seasonal goods have become almost completely irrelevant.“ Crew neck sweaters and long sleeved shirts on the other hand were in high demand and even overtook the popular hoodie category. Blue Tomato on the other hand was disappointed with shirts but stoked on shorts, which 540 didn’t sell so well “thanks to the non-existent summer“. T-shirts and tank tops worked great for both though: “year round products like shoes and tees are great, especially tanks – striped, heather or uni-coloured with big prints. Shorter fits would have appealed to customers as well, had we had any on offer,“ says Daniel. He sees a strong a trend in heather looks in general, just like tie-dye and floral

prints that have become a standard already. Grey jeans on the other hand were really slow contrary to expectations, as was raw denim. “Strong were all washed (blue) styles and black. Preferably up to 50¤, maximum 60€. The mid-price-segment vanished, making room for high prices models (99¤-129¤)“ in the 540 shop, even though “sales figures for the latter are far behind the easy-to-sell, cheaper jeans“. Both shops had little success with headphones over the last couple of months, 540 even got rid of on-ear-models altogether, “the hype is history.” Numbers also went down on speakers and jewellery, as Blue Tomato reports. Andreas is also a little disappointed with the offer for female customers: “The women and youth categories aren’t offered at all or only very weakly by a couple of brands, which is a real shame.“ Especially as Daniel reports how sought-after small sizes are in 540: “The target group is getting younger again, which is definitely absolutely positive. Hence sizes like kids large and extra large as well as regular extra small can’t be missing in-store. Same goes for shoes in smaller sizes (36-41) and also Skatedecks in 7.5’ and 7.6“ are beginning to be sold again.” For women on the other hand it could also be somewhat of a shift in assortment of products, with more and more brands launching fitness-oriented “Active Wear Lines“ which are especially in demand during summer, as Blue Tomato reports, happily noting that “a lot of brands have a great range for that.“ This indicates that next to the urban ‘hipster look’, that almost took over the style for a while, as Daniel’ says: “skate shoes stay hip(ster)” showing, sporty styles are coming into fashion and demand again as well. The sporty inspired “College Trend varsity styles in snow wear will continue,“ as well, thinks Blue Tomato, and also “half-zip-jackets in men’s snow wear” confirming this trend. One trend that seems to have grow out of fashion though is the fierce competition between online and stationary retail. Blue Tomato says that “the expansion in Germany helped grow both channels, online profits from stationary retail and vice versa.“ 540 admits that online competition means more work, but Daniel knows that it’s successfully invested time. “The internet age calls for a lot of engagement, you have to cater to lots of individuals, sometimes very special customer requests. But it’s really worth the effort: everyone who puts their shoulder to the wheel here are able to gain new customers.” He warns, however that: “existing customers must not be neglected either! Sales in a core shop require more than ever: knowledge, entertainment and social engagement at the same time. The job of retailers, traders and businessmen should get a little redefinition, at least for our industry,” he muses. And adds, with a wink: “No biz like show biz”.

MARKET INTELLIGENCE FRANCE By Benoît Brecq In recent months activity has dipped on the French boardsports market in general. Sales forecasts and consumer intentions also indicate that this slump is set to continue. Sales have clearly fallen, now finding themselves well below their average level. So many factors have contributed to eroding the morale of our final consumers: difficult weather at the start of summer, disgraceful political announcements and decisions from our government and increasing unemployment. However, the general outlook has only been slightly tarnished, suggesting that shop managers are only moderately pessimistic about the overall market situation. This summer was complicated in France for our market but we all expect the back to school period to go well. The weather is already encouraging and right now shop visits are on the up.

In Shoes the marketing power and innovation forces of the sector’s big guns seem to be having an effect on sales. Alexis tells us “Nike, Vans and Adidas make up most of in-shop sales”. Olivier adds Converse to this roll call.

With an increase in SUP race events, race boards are taking more and more market share in the SUP sector. Furthermore, with the lack of waves this year, SUP hire has seen real success as Tim Creignou from the Rip Curl Search Store/ John Larcher, Anglet confirms, “This summer has been particularly poor for waves which naturally led to a growing demand for SUPs”, in addition he notes that “SUPs are starting to sell in shops but it’s mainly on the rental side of things that we see an increase this year.” This draw towards SUP meant that the wider public were introduced to the discipline this season and the weight of the market now stands on inflatable and flat water SUPs. With the lack of big waves also generating a tendency towards “Vintage” and “Retro” surfing you could see a renewed interest in longboarding. Today even the good shortboarders are equipping themselves with a longboard to make the most of the calmer summer conditions. In terms of neoprene, Tim also noticed a bit of a change: “bright coloured wetsuits started to sell amongst the 12-20 year olds as well as adults...” Lastly he adds, “September 2014 has been similar to 2013, which is really encouraging considering the lack of waves compared to last year.” These good figures are explained by staggered holidays, more pleasant weather and an increase in vacations in the first 10 days of September.

Alexis and Olivier talk about Magenta, Palace & Polar in particular. Olivier says: “Top-of-the-range skate sales, decks and wheels are driving the market forward. We can see a slight decline in entry-level street skateboards.” This trend ushers people towards independent shops and a return to authentic skateboard models or those with limited distribution. Olivier talks about going “back to the roots”.

On the urban scene, it seems as though shops that have a technical corner or specialise in shoes have seen their turnovers rise during this back to school period. Alexis, Owner of the shop Nozbone in Paris confirms that: “The start of Back-to-School is in line with 2013, on the rise basically. And it is indeed hardgoods that are pushing our turnover upwards.” This trend is backed up by Olivier Faissolle, owner of the shop Workshop in Bordeaux, also for him “Hardgoods and shoes are holding up very well, we can even see a slight increase in sales of these products.” He adds: “clothes are unfortunately regressing, we have strong competition in T-shirts and trousers from shops like H&M and others.” Indeed, clothes do seem to be considerably down. In some shops they only represent 20% of turnover. “Hipsters prefer to dress in H&M or American Apparel favouring No Branding to leave space for branded accessories like caps and shoes...to position themselves in relation to others...” clarifies Olivier. Olivier and Alexis agree in saying that there is less and less space for the bigger labels who only represent 15-30% of overall business. “Today we are noticing a drop in sales of big name shop brands and in return final consumers are coming back to the independents for the choices they offer”, confides Olivier. When it comes to technical gear they favour small authentic labels like Santa Cruz, Thrasher, Brixton, Huf and Quiet Life. 64

On the “Hardgoods scene, Olivier notes: “A slight drop in plastic cruisers was made up for by an increase in wooden Cruisers who according to him are “simpler and more practical to skate”. In “Street Skating” the trend seems to point more towards the European brands and more - specifically to brands from Northern Europe (England and Scandinavian countries) who set themselves apart through their creativity and graphics.

On the snowboard front, the season is steadily lifting off after the summer sales of last season’s gear. The end of summer teasers and video launches from numerous brands seem to have had their little effect on the clientele and there’s noticeable interest from customers about the new stuff coming into the shops at back to school time. Tim, owner of the shop AllBros in Toulouse tells us: “I think that clients are coming into the shop slightly earlier than last year and we are noticing real interest in what’s coming in 2015.” In Hardwear, and more accurately in boards, he confirms the trend of recent seasons: “Burton remains the leader, although there is significant interest in brands such as Nitro and Ride. However the most on-point customers are attracted by smaller brands such as Capita who have a really good team and shift well.” For Tim, Boots are still something to consider when it comes to in-shop sales: “Contrary to boards, where customers look for the best prices on the web, people will come in to the shop to try boots on. They are expecting advice from the shop assistants and that’s when we really have a part to play.” He adds: “The protection section is working pretty well at the start of this season, especially helmets because of the Schumacher effect no doubt”. In technical clothing it seems like the trend is for street design and cut with urban colours like Navy, Burgundy or Khaki…”Here there’s less brand effect”, says Tim “People are going for the look and the price”. Even still he admits that Picture remains quite a sought after brand in the shop despite a slight drop in appeal in recent months. Finally all accessories are going well and brands like Neff are on a roll. It seems as though the majority of independent shops prioritise their physical shop and customer service. This service and the attention paid to the customer seem to be what they want to base themselves around when taking on the big guys. Selling online really needs a separate team entirely and therefore requires a large investment from a shop and the return on investment is not always guaranteed in the Internet jungle. Back to School is taking off and the season seems promising. A sign for the winter to come? Stay tuned…

market intelligence

SPAIN

By Asier Zabarte The Spanish economy has finally begun to create jobs, which is the first positive figure since 2008. The IMF has upped its growth forecast for Spain during 2014 and 2015, expecting a growth of 1.2% and 1.6% for GDP, respectively. A report from government also recognizes that the Spanish economy strengthened its recovery in the second quarter with a growth of 0.6%. On the other hand, the new IMF forecasts indicate that the Spanish budget deficit will be reduced gradually, although insufficient to meet set pace goals. The ‘significant slowdown’ in annual terms of exports and imports increase in rates close to 4% and the negative imbalance of Spanish accounts for 2014 will be 5.7% of GDP. Julio Arnau owns the Skate Shop FTC Barcelona, now in its forth year. Most of his stock is made up of Western Edition (10-15%) and FTC (30%). Sales are growing, both hard goods and apparel, on an average of 10% since he first opened and he expects the same for next season. “I hope during winter that sales won´t drop - Spring is always a great season to visit BCN, so expectations are good for next year. Our core target is between 20-30 years of age. Mostly males, who respond to an offering, which is based in quality and highperformance. Polar is doing it so right; so easy to ride and it brings a good feeling to everyone.” Cesar Neves is a 33 years old Brazilian surfer who arrived to Barcelona at the age of eight. He has owned Box Barcelona for 15 years and here are his thoughts on the scene : “Here in BCN, the people who really surf - they come to Box. Anyway, this year we noticed lot of women coming into our two-floor megastore, usually looking for bikinis and wetsuits. Accordingly, Insight and Billabong´s Capsule are the best sellers. Sales are not as big as four years ago but we attend a wide target that makes a 10% growth possible in both surfwear and boards. Men still buy twice the amount women do, and best sellers for the guys are Hurley´s Phantom boardshorts and Fusion wetsuits. Moor surfboards are also doing quite well. We expect to keep growing at this pace.” Maria Alonso and his brother Manu own Teiron in Galicia. “Making textiles work is a hard game; even with a wide ranging consumer base as we do (8-50 year olds). Except for New Balance, which was the best seller this summer – just the best pieces from each brand work well,” explained Maria. “Sales grew 20% in apparel and shoes, and accessories dropped by 30%. This is rare, I have never before men´s wear working so well. Anyway, distribution and brands should bring us the key for teamwork.” Borja Santiago from Welcome Skateboards in Madrid, a core skate retail celebrating its ninth anniversary this year with the most visited welcomesk8.es site in Spain brings us a motivating overview of the market. “We grow every year because we´re alive everywhere; I mean events, online, every network, at the skatepark – everywhere. We expected to grow 15% to last year, thanks to wide offering and professional staff. Brands appreciate core stores launching events and good teamwork - and that´s what we give them. One of our worries is that sometimes the margins are so small, and yet the technical details so great and hard to explain, that we are wasting our time. Apparel sales dropped 10%, except for exclusive wears and brands such as Grizzly. In boards, we sold out of our stock of Capitol Skateboards, but don´t worry, they will be re-stocked”

ITALY

By Franz Josef Holler What can I say - our economy still isn’t growing as it should be. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is giving his best but it doesn’t seem to be enough. The economy overall still struggles and the pressure from the EU and the opposition parties in the government is growing. There are too many new tax laws, too much bureaucracy, business overall seems too difficult to handle right now and that means that new entrepreneurs especially are afraid to start a business and give life to their ideas. We need to make things simple again as that would give our economy the push it needs. The biggest problem overall is the Italian underground ‘black economy’ that has grown to a volume of 200 Billion Euros, which is approximately 11% of the Italian GDP -scary numbers, but the harsh truth. The boardsports and streetwear season market had a mixed spring and summer season. With the internet having created a customer base that seems to know very well what they want to buy. Shop owners nowadays have to focus a lot on what the end consumer asks for and good end consumer marketing from the brand itself is key for good sell-through. Shop owners also pay more attention to how a brand evolves and acts in the market as it has become crucial to achieve good results. The winter season is just around the corner but the mood of the retailers is not very positive overall, especially in outerwear and snowboard hardgoods. A reason for that is the weather situation as it plays a big role and seems the most discussed topic right now; everybody is insecure and are saying we need good snow and a freezing winter. It’s a must, as otherwise we will not gain the sellthrough we need as the mood of the customer has to be good and the demand of the product needs to be there. Some feel too much pressure, as they feel too many discounted snow products are on the shelves and are online already in September. This causes them to lose sales and on the other side of things, are not happy with the margins that they get out of it. They feel that the sport is still performing strong but that the consumer is more careful and pays more attention to the price than ever before. Overall the scene is doing well, freestyle sports gain fans from all ages and overall get more attention from media, which makes it easier to build snowparks and skateparks as the support from the municipality and state improves accordingly. Store owners all over Italy recognize that customers often buy into products but they have no clue what is behind them. Story telling is again very important as a hype of a brand can fade away very fast but the history of what they did remains. It´s extra work but it has to be done. Talking about skate shoes and sneakers, a famous Italian radio station asked teenagers about different brands and where they come from. Asking the kids about the JORDAN BRAND from Nike, a large percentage named Jordan as a very famous rapper from the US but they had no clue that Michael Jordan was a basketball player. This is a perfect example of not knowing the story behind a trend. Gaining a good regular customer base is very important for stores these days as they are their daily bread and that means that their store is not reliant too much to products that are only hyped for a certain time period. Stores agree that being authentic and having a cool image will keep them alive for many years as chain stores cannot replicate this.

market intelligence

SWITZERLAND By Fabien Grisel

Although the lights may have turned green for our country’s economy, and more specifically for SMEs(Small and Medium sized Enterprises) with 69% of them saying they are satisfied with their commercial situation (source: Ernst&Young). Consumption and especially retail commerce are not showing quite such encouraging signs. Indeed many are just trying to keep their heads above the water that has accumulated over the summer. Despite this, summer hardgoods and skateboarding in particular seem to be holding up pretty well, as Balasz Bodonyi from Surfmachine in Bulle reports. Skateboarding is smashing it in all three sectors - longboards, cruisers and skateboards. After a little stock check of the Swiss skateboard market in Autumn 2014, it definitely seems to have the wind in its sails. According to Soerfi, owner of Illumate distribution, retailers are regaining confidence and although the level of prosperity that skateboarding brought in the 2000s is not yet being relived, it is heading in the right direction. Another positive sign he mentions is that some new doors are opening and others are reopening, nonetheless this does not make up for the large number of core shops that have had to close in recent years. Soerfi has identified clear growth in the skateboard market in the last two years and this also holds true for his products, enjoying a very successful Spring/ Summer 2014. Illumate distributes a large number of mostly skateboarding hardgoods brands as well as some softgoods. The deck brands in favour right now are predominantly Creatures, for all wide board lovers, Flip for the brand’s general reputation along with Birdhouse who have resurfaced thanks to a very efficient pro team. As far as wheels go, Bones seem to be way ahead and not only within Illumate’s portfolio but on the Swiss market in general. In the same breath but with an even bigger market share, for their part Bones bearings are undisputed leaders. Independent trucks as well as their clothes brandishing the famous logo are still sure-fire hits for their company, as are Thrasher clothing whose demand is really high right now. To round this off we can note that Habitat have also found refuge under this roof. In a different style, Kartel distribution, created by Karim Stalder concentrates on European products and independent brands. Its main brands are Magenta skateboards, Isle skateboards, Nomad skateboards and Mosaïque Wheels (the wheel brand he started two years ago). His approach is a bit different: promote and develop smaller European brands, which have more exclusive products and more accessible marketing (Team demos, video premieres with skaters in attendance etc) thanks to their close proximity to each other. Kartel has managed to play its cards right and now places a good number of boards with Magenta being the most in demand and selling well in French-speaking Switzerland while struggling to make its mark on German-speaking Switzerland. This now holds the greatest challenge for Karim. Mosaïque seem to be appreciated for their quality and Isle mainly for their designs. The big players of the online skateboard business, like Germans; skatedeluxe and titus or Americans; skatewarehouse continue to pose problems for retail commerce in Switzerland: due to their prices and relatively efficient service. However, this phenomenon seems to be stabilising and the market has neatened somewhat. Dac Sport will no longer be responsible for: Holden, Neff, Makia and Rome Snowboards. However they are adding Vision streetwear. Rome Snowboards has been taken on by Sideshore distribution (SP, Deeluxe, North, Fanatic, etc).

EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTORS REQUIRED

+INFO: NELSON@ALLBRANDNOBRAND.COM

OPPORTUNITIES

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

OPPORTUNITIES

JOBS @ BLUE TOMATO How Blue are you?

Blue Tomato sucht Marketing Mitarbeiter(in) mit Schwerpunkt Online Promotions / Kooperationen / Email Newsletter Was wir bieten:

Aufgaben: • • • • • • • •

Verantwortung für Online / On Site Promotions Startseitengestaltung und Planung der Promotions Kategorie Promotions Kreative Umsetzung der Promotions Newsletter Marketing / Promotions / Analyse Zeiten und Ressourcen Planung Reporting, Budget und Kampagnen Planung Koordination mit verschiedensten Abteilungen bei Blue Tomato (Einkauf, Produktmanagement, eMarketing, Design, …) • Kooperationen mit Lieferanten und Branchenfremden • Führung von Praktikanten

• Abwechslungsreiche und attraktive Aufgaben und Projekte • Integration in ein engagiertes und sympathisches Team • eine überdurchschnittlich hohe Lernkurve und Spaß bei der Arbeit • einen Einblick in die verschiedensten Bereiche des Marketings • Platz für Eigeninitiative und Kreativität • einen Arbeitsplatz mitten in der Boardsport-Szene, mit einer Vielzahl an attraktiven Freizeitmöglichkeiten im bekannten Wintersport-Paradies Schladming

mehr Inf

os ﬁndest du auf www.blue-to mato.com/jo bs

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

Abgeschlossene Ausbildung(en) Bereich Marketing Einschlägige Berufserfahrungen im Bereich Online / Onsite Promotions, Newsletter Marketing und Kooperationen Erfahrung im Bereich Webshop Systeme, CMS, HTML, MS Office sehr gute Deutsch- und Englischkenntnisse in Wort und Schrift; weitere Sprachen von Vorteil Strukturierte, zuverlässige, zielorientierte Arbeitsweise (selbständig und im Team) Sehr gutes Freeski Know How erwünscht Gutes Gespür für aufkommende Trends und Grafiken Analytische Fähigkeiten und Interesse für Zahlen Szenekenntnisse und Interesse an der Snowboard-, Surf-, Skateboard- und/oder Freeskibranche hohe Leistungsbereitschaft, Kommunikationsfähigkeit, Engagement, Eigeninitiative und Teamgeist flexible Arbeitszeiten - Mehrarbeit in den Projekt Endphasen und Ausgleich zwischen den Projekten Führungsqualität innovative und kreative Arbeitsweise

Beginn: ab sofort

Ort: Blue Tomato Shop Schladming

Vollzeit

Blue Tomato ist bei der Quartiersuche behilﬂich. Schick einfach deine aussagekräftige Bewerbung bevorzugt via Email mit ausführlichem Lebenslauf und Lichtbild an:

jobs@blue-tomato.com Ansprechperson: Paul Becker

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

LOOKING FOR:

Product Manager Footwear Vans Summary: Provide product line management expertise for all facets of the product process for the Pro Skate, OTW, LXVI, Surf and Snowboard Boots footwear categories and act as the category/consumer/product/market expert in EMEA.

Unify Brand Partnerships

Key Responsibilities:

Midlands/North Sales Representative (Competitive salary, car & beneﬁts) 

Incorporate, obtain and analyze category construction, consumer profile, product needs and market knowledge. Maintain accurate pricing and costing files



Partner with each Product Territory Merchandiser to land the EMEA distribution strategy

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.



Merchandise EMEA product line for relevant channel of distribution



Collect relevant markets input for the global line development. Identification of market trends, pre-book results

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. 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

and sell-through analysis. Create seasonal product briefs and develop EMEA specific line plans. Track, maintain and communicate all EMEA specific OMU/SMU programs Product Line Planning/Merchandising. Manage seasonal line plan, pricing structure and product creation process, including product flow, forecasting, prices and targeted gross margins. Drive relevant assortment for EMEA key accounts and strategic partners together with local markets (Key Account Managers) 

Champion the Consumer. Identify, prioritize and frame territory consumer trends (insights) as input into the Global product engines to inform and influence the product creation process.



Business/Financial Results. Work with Category Manager to achieve business targets



Presentation/Communication. Create impactful presentations to sell-in the product categories.



Footwear counterparts. Work and communicate effectively with the EMEA footwear designer, the category Product Managers, the Product Line Coordinator and the Global Product team counterparts

Qualifications 

Deep understanding of the Vans brand as well as the action sports and lifestyle industries



Language skills: fluent in English (both written and spoken). Notions of German, French, Spanish and Italian



Willing to travel frequently

would be a plus.

Closing date: 7th November 2014



5+ years of professional experience in Footwear/Action Sports industry



Advanced knowledge of Windows applications (Word, Excel, Photoshop, etc)

Workplace: VF International HQ, Stabio, Switzerland

For further details and to apply, please upload your English CV to:

www.vfc.com > CAREERS > JOBS - EUROPE

brought to you by Boardsport Source & ActionsportsJOB.com

ESURFV/ESKATE N T/ SNOW S #/ TRADE 73 OCTOBER 25-6 QUIKSILVER PRO HOSSEGOR FRANCE SURF WWW.ASPWORLDTOUR.COM 29-2 WOMEN IN BOARD & ACTION SPORTS CONF’ BIDART FRANCE TRADE WWW.WOMENINBOARDSPORTS.COM 1-7 CASCAIS WOMEN’S PRO CASCAIS PORTUGAL SURF WWW.ASPWORLDTOUR.COM 2-3 EUROSIMA SURF SUMMIT HOSSEGOR FRANCE SURF WWW.EUROSIMA.COM 2-5, HOTZONE.TV PARK OPENING AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.HOTZONE.TV 10-12 KAUNERTAL OPENING KAUNERTAL AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.KAUNERTALER-GLETSCHER.AT 16-18 SNOWBOARD GARDEN FESTIVAL GRENOBLE FRANCE SNOW WWW.GARDENFESTIVAL.FR 17-19 MOREBOARDS STUBAI PREMIERE STUBAI AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.STUBAI-PREMIERE.COM 12-23 MOCHE RIPCURL PRO PORTUGAL PENICHE PORTUGAL SURF WWW.ASPWORLDTOUR.COM 24-26 MOSCOW SKI & SNOWBOARD SHOW MOSCOW RUSSIA TRADE WWW.SKIEXPO.RU 24-26 SKI AND SNOWBOARD SHOW NORTH MANCHESTER UK SNOW WWW.SKIANDSNOWBOARDSHOW.CO.UK 25 WORLD CUP SKATEBOARDING MOSCOW RUSSIA SKATE WWW.WCSK8.COM 30-2 SKIPASS MODENA ITALY SNOW WWW.SKIPASS.IT 30-2 SKI AND SNOWBOARD SHOW SOUTH LONDON UK SNOW WWW.SKIANDSNOWBOARDSHOW.CO.UK 31 – 2 SKIEXPO HELSINKI FINLAND SNOW WWW.SKIEXPO.FI

NOVEMBER 12-23 REEF HAWAIIN PRO HONOLULU USA SURF WWW.ASPWORLDTOUR.COM 14-16 O’NEILL PLEASURE JAM SCHLADMING D’ AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.PLEASUREJAM.COM 22-6 TARGET MAUI WOMEN’S PRO HAWAII USA SURF WWW.ASPWORLDTOUR.COM 24-6 VANS WORLD CUP OAHU USA SURF WWW.ASPWORLDTOUR.COM

DECEMBER 5-6 AIR & STYLE BEIJING CHINA SNOW WWW.AIR-STYLE.COM 8-20 BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS OAHU HAWAII SURF WWW.ASPWORLDTOUR.COM 21 WORLD SNOWBOARD DAY WWW.WORLD-SNOWBOARD-DAY.COM

JANUARY 5-6 AGENDA LONG BEACH LONG BEACH USA TRADE WWW.AGENDASHOW.COM 8-10 SURF EXPO FLORIDA USA TRADE WWW.SURFEXPO.COM 19-21 BREAD AND BUTTER BERLIN GERMANY TRADE WWW.BREADANDBUTTER.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 19-21 BIRGHT BERLIN GERMANY TRADE WWW.BRIGHTTRADESHOW.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 NYC USA TRADE WWW.AGENDASHOW.COM 19 SWISS SNOWOBOARD BOX TEST LES CROSETS SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.SNOWBOARDBOX.CH 22-25 WINTER X GAMES BUTTERMILK M’TAIN ASPEN SNOW WWW.XGAMES.ESPN.GO.COM 23-25 PARIS MEN’S CAPSULE PARIS FRANCE TRADE WWW.CAPSULESHOW.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 29-1 BURTON EUROPEAN OPEN LAAX SWISS SNOW WWW.BURTON.COM 29-1 SIA SNOW SHOW DENVER, CO USA SIASNOWSHOW.SNOWSPORTS.ORG

FEBRUARY 5-8 ISPO MUNICH GERMANY TRADE WWW.MUNICH.ISPO.COM 16-17 AGENDA LAS VEGAS USA TRADE WWW.AGENDASHOW.COM 21-22 AIR & STYLE LOS ANGELES USA SNOW WWW.AIR-STYLE.COM 70

XXXXX

ONE EYED MONSTER WATERMAN’S BALL 2014

SURF LOUNGE 1-2 OCT SEIGNOSSE

Billabong Recycle Series

FCS brand new fin range

Greg Long’s speech at Surf Summit

Iker Aguirre (SOURCE French & Surf Editor) speech at Surf Summit

Industry Audience

Patagonia new Yulex wetsuit (made with zero oil)

Rip Curl Technical Range for all seasons

Surfing Lounge

#73

Newtis won the Technical Innovation Prize

Michel Bourrez won the European Athelete of the Year Award

Sylvain Sly Torres (Sector 9 Brand Manager and Adrien Waller Vissla Marketing)

Vissla new 7Seas wetsuits

Vissla revolutionnary coconut boardshorts

Wilco Prins (RipCurl CEO) showing their brand new GPS surf watch

Wilco Prins (RipCurl CEO), Nicholas Lartizien (FCS/Brand Manager), Derek O’neill (Vissla/D’Blanc)

Women in Boardsports Conference

Xline studio 3D Printing technology (Olatu Leku)

Industry Audience