SOURCE Issue #56 (dec/jan)

#056. dec 2011. €5

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

PRAY FOR SNOW : WINTER IS HERE! AW12 KIT PREVIEWS : AW12 Boots, Bindings & Streetwear NEXT GENERATION : get the mini shredders on board BIG WIG INTERVIEW : SkullCandy's Aaron Behle

Plus: Brand Profiles - Lobster, Swox & RVCA, O'Neill 60 & Skate Videos

STAFF English Editor Jojo Cook jojo@boardsportsource.com Surf and French Editor Iker Aguirre iker@boardsportsource.com Snowboard Editor Rémi Forsans remi@boardsportsource.com Skateboard Editor Holger Von Krosigk holger@boardsportsource.com German Editor Stefan Dongus stefan@boardsportsource.com Art Director Owen Tozer / MadeUp owen@boardsportsource.com www.thisismadeup.co.uk Design Assistant Roddy Bow Project Manager Harry Mitchell Thompson harry@boardsportsource.com French Editorial Assistant Denis Houillé denis@boardsportsource.com Web & News Editor James Dalzial james@boardsportsource.com Proofreaders Jo Fairweather, Insa Muth, Marie-laure Ducos Contributors Remi Forsans, Tom Wilson-North, Remi Forsans, Nicole Coryton, Luke Van Unen, Dirk Vogel, Leo Krajewski, Gordon Way, Uwe Ballon, Franz Holler, Fabien Grisel, Yuri Kolobov, Asier Zabarte.

Jobs and Distributor Services Digby Reed Digby@boardsportsource.com Advertising & Marketing Clive Ripley clive@boardsportsource.com Germanic Markets Advertising Kone Heigl kone@boardsportsource.com +49 (0) 89 5526 0915 Production Manager Roddy Bow production@boardsportsource.com

056

On The Cover: Jan Sallawitz, Marketing/PR, EVOC. Diavolezza, Switzerland

HELLO

CONTENT

We enter the new winter season with our European economies in dire straits.

P.15 News

The Eurozone is in chaos and we have witnessed inconceivably swift developments that have seen French and Greek Prime Ministers pack their bags overnight. Once again, it is up to the masses to tighten their belts to compensate for the acts of the richest 1%. And where does this leave us, dear readers? The answer is as bearers of the riches that no one wants to deny themselves – pleasure, emotion, memories, shared passions – it is these intense sensations that boardsports enthusiasts know so well, and what fuels the stoke despite of the dramas happening around the world.

Which leads us to this issue, our first Winter 2012/2013 issue – new season, new product stoke. Our Boots and Bindings Previews (p.25 & p.33) should have you salivating, and hopefully our Streetwear Preview (p.41) will work you into a sweat. And if you’re wondering, ‘where can I test out all this cool new shit?’ then check out our On Snow Demos Tour (p.21) for news on next year’s kit tests. And for our most important customers, the mini-shredders, we ask some of the industry’s most senior veterans what’s been done to attract the new generation into the sport.

One company who the crisis doesn’t seem to effect is Skull Candy, and we talk to their Vice President of International, Aaron Behle, in the Big Wig Interview on p.46. We also tip our hats to O’Neill, who celebrate 60 years of business in 2012 (p.17) and talk helmets and protection on p.49. What’s left to say, we hope you enjoy the issue, we wish you a plentiful winter and congratulations KS11!

P.17 O’Neill 60th P.19 Bright Preview P.21 On Snow Demo Tour P.22 Retailer Profile P.25 Snowboard Boot Preview P.28 Skate Videos P.33 Snowboard Bindings Preview P.37 Kid’s Snowboarding P.41 Streetwear Preview P.46 Big Wig - Skull Candy P.49 Helmets & Protection P.54 Best Sellers P.56 Brand Profile – RVCA P.58 Brand Profile – Lobster P.60 Brand Profile – SWOX P.62 New Products P.64 Market Intelligence P.76 Opportunities P.80 Events

Accounts Manager accounts@boardsportsource.com Publisher Clive Ripley clive@boardsportsource.com Published by Extreme Sport Business 22 Friars Street, Sudbury Suffolk, CO10 2AA. UK www.boardsportsource.com

Boardsport SOURCE is published bi-monthly. © Extreme Sport Business.

All Rights Reserved

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INDUSTRY news DAKINE LAUNCHES OUTERWEAR

Mountain tech-experts Dakine are moving into the outerwear market for the 2012/13 season. The long-term objective is to offer a full Dakine snow range of packs, bags, accessories, base layer, socks, technical fleece, gloves, as well as outerwear. As one of those rare brands that has credibility both in the ski and snowboard markets, retailers stocking Dakine outwear will be able to offer the products to both sets of consumers, making it a particularly attractive store option. The European division of Dakine have been pushing for his move for a while and been instrumental in making it happen.

NIKITA MOVES INTO HARDGOODS

Following on from last season’s successful K2 snowboard and binding collaboration, Nikita is going it alone and is now moving into the hardgoods market launching a snowboard line for the 2012/13 winter with binding and boot lines on the way in the future. Next season’s launch will see an all mountain freestyle board as well as a slopestyle model, and coming out of the Elan factory the boards are sure to be full of tech. Look out for them at the ISPO tradeshow.

MPORA LAUNCH GEAR SITE

Action sports published Mpora have just launched Mpora | Gear: combining their many titles as well as hundreds of ‘Mpora experts’ from their audience to create a platform for users to review and compare products easily online in a ‘trip advisor’ type fashion. The ‘Mpora experts’ will be taken to exclusive product and retailer launches to enable them to give a genuine account of the product’s capabilities for the Mpora | Gear audience. Darryl Newton, MD at Mpora explained the benefits to retailers. “We’re giving small independent retailers free online advertising for their input and reviews: these guys are the lifeblood of the industry and have amazing expertise and technical knowledge that is massively valuable to shoppers.”

LALEMANT JOINS VOLCOM

Volcom Europe has hired Phil Lalemant as European Marketing Director for the brand. His career started as a pro snowboarder in the nineties, followed by a nine-year stint at Element, which he joined just after the Billabong acquisition in 2002 and where he ran the European marketing and additionally the EU Plan B marketing since 2010. Phil will work alongside former Marketing Director, Mike Mailman, who has been promoted to EU Creative Director. Phil will be concentrating on managing the operations of the marketing department, while Mike will be in charge of providing the conceptual aspects that support the future marketing plans.

PROMOTIONS AT QUIKSILVER

Craig Stevenson who has been with Quiksilver for nearly 20 years has been promoted from the Americas Region President to Global Brand President and COO of Quiksilver Inc. Stevenson has moved his way up through the company from National Sales Manager in Australia from 1992 to 1999 and has occupied positions including: South Pacific President, Global Brand Manager, and Managing Director for Quiksilver Australasia during his time at the company. Filling his shoes is former Quiksilver Americas COO, Rob Colby who has been with Quiksilver for nearly a decade.

ALL CHANGE AT NITRO

Nitro snowboards are back under the control of snowboarders after founder Tommy Delago, his partner Sepp Ardelt and two other financial investors bought back shares from the Tecnica Group. Happy to be back in the driving seat, no major changes are anticipated beyond the recent re-organisation of board production that will see Taiwanese company Playmaker taking over manufacturing and investing heavily in their machinery and staff. Delago is confident that Nitro will continue to deliver cutting edge products.

ASP CEO BRODIE CARR STEPS DOWN AFTER KS11 HITCH Kelly Slater was recently prematurely awarded his 11th ASP World Title causing much disarray within the surfing community, and consequently CEO of the ASP Brodie Carr gave this statement: “It is my duty to accept responsibility for the recent calculation error that resulted in the premature crowning of Kelly Slater’s 11th ASP World Title. The determination of the ASP World Title is the most important moment in professional surfing. Ultimately, the responsibility for every activity within ASP lies with me. Therefore, I have elected to resign my position as CEO.” In the end Slater did win his prestigious 11th World ASP World title on Sunday 6 November, yes that's correct the 11th, at Ocean Beach.

NEW BRAND MANAGER ELEMENT EUROPE Julien Duval has been appointed Brand Manager at Element Europe.

Originally from France, Julien started his career at C1RCA Footwear and Apparel in the United States, where he quickly climbed the ladder within international sales and marketing, ending up as Global Marketing Director. He later returned to Europe, where he further pursued his career as Marketing Manager for C1RCA. After ten years of marketing, sales and distribution experience, Julien adds a wealth of expertise to Element Europe.

VANS’ CO-FOUNDER JIM VAN DOREN PASSES AWAY Recently Jim Van Doren who passed away aged 72, after battling cancer for four years. Jim, along with his brother Paul and friend Gordon Lee started the iconic skate shoe brand back in 1964 and Jim held the reigns of the company from 1976 to 1984. “Jim Van Doren will always be remembered by Vans as a great innovator and the mechanical mind that, joined with brother Paul’s retail acumen, Gordy’s shoe manufacturing and administrative expertise, and Serge’s international sourcing and financial means took us from that single store to national prominence.”

For up to the minute news goto: www.boardsportsource.com

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news feature

o'neill Celebrates 60th Anniversary When surf enthusiast Jack O’Neill created the world’s first wetsuit in 1952, it was the start of a legacy including milestone inventions such as the boardbag, the roof rack, and the surf boot. In 1971, Jack’s son Pat O’Neill introduced another game changer with the surf leash. Fast-forward to 2012: O’Neill is a leading international lifestyle brand distributed in 85 countries with a current annual global turnover of over $450 million and an estimated 700 employees worldwide. The wetsuit division remains based in Santa Cruz, California, while the apparel division is driving new innovations at its head office in Warmond, The Netherlands. To mark O’Neill’s 60th anniversary, SOURCE spoke to Eppo van Berckelaer, Global Marketing Director at O'Neill about the journey so far and the road ahead. By Dirk Vogel.

Eppo, how is O’Neill approaching its 60th anniversary?

Like any anniversary it is a moment of reflection for us – a moment to look at the past but also to look forward. We are looking at what inspired us over the years and use it to move forward. Especially how Jack started the company because he wanted to stay in the water and surf longer. So we still want to develop products that help riders do what they love, and be able to do it longer.

So innovation is still the driving force for you?

Well, “innovation” is used a lot in the world of sports these days. We don’t innovate for innovation’s sake but only if it makes a difference for the consumer. We call it “innovation with a purpose”.

Recent O’Neill innovations include the first GPS-enhanced NAV jacket in 2008 and the first four-way stretch board short, the Hyperfreak in 2009. What will be next?

Next year we will be releasing the Hyperfreak XT2 a lightweight 4-way stretch board short with a silver fibre (X-Static) fabric that has previously used as a medical product. It’s an anti-microbial material that kills the odour, even if you don’t want to change shorts every day. We’ve also just released the Superkini, a new bikini that incorporates nano fabric so it stays on even when a girl jumps in the pool or falls off her board.

SNOW IS ONLY FROZEN WATER

Early on, O’Neill supported snowboarding and brought the sport into Europe as one of the first major snowboarding World Cup sponsors in 1987/88. How do you approach this segment?

Any of the products a company makes, you have to be fully dedicated – or not go there. Our involvement with snow started in 1986 when the first snowboard events were organised. Over the past few years we have set out to be just as good in snow as we are in surf. For three years now, we have been working with a dedicated design team only for snow apparel.

Is it hard for brands to balance both worlds – surf and snow?

We are a very credible surf brand and we believe we can also be credible in snow because we come from Northern California. There are lots of mountains here and both segments are part of the lifestyle. Jack said it perfectly with the “Snow is only frozen water” campaign line in the 1980s. We have the roots, but it also takes an investment in the sport

pic: O'Neill

and the designers. We also work closely with our athletes on product development like the new signature jacket developed with Jeremy Jones.

How do you position the snow line?

When you buy any wetsuit from O’Neill, even at a mid-price level it will always offer the warmth and flexibility and the kind of quality we stand for as a brand. So when you get an O’Neill snow jacket, you will always get a technically reliable product. We also want to be younger and more outspoken than the technically advanced outdoor brands. Sometimes we also take a technique from a wetsuit into a snow jacket, for example Firewall insulation.

THE FUTURE

Jack O’Neill is also credited with opening the world’s first surf shop on San Francisco’s Great Highway in 1952. How do you see the situation in core retail right now?

The independent retailers are crucial and they are under pressure right now, especially with online retail today. But especially for semi hard goods like wetsuits they are the lifeblood of our industry and we need them to keep going. Being in all the surf stores gives us credibility and our retailers provide important feedback and push the sport ahead.

How do you support core retail?

We involve them in initiatives like our “Inner Circle” program during The Evolution in Davos and events such as the Psycho Tour where core shops get to see and test new products. It’s hard to show return value in numbers but these are the things we like to do to stay connected to where things are happening.

And what about the book project?

Our former art director Drew Kampion, who later became a writer, always kept notes throughout company history, so next year we will be releasing his biography, Jack O’Neill: It’s Always Summer on the Inside. It will feature many different pictures from the past. It’s also a big inspiration for us here at the company by making us realise that we are part of something bigger. We are part of this story and it is our chance now to add another chapter, and keep going for sixty more years.

Thank you for the interview, Eppo.

For up to the minute news goto: www.boardsportsource.com

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trade show s

TRADE SHOW PREVIEWS BRIGHT TIME 19-21st January 2012 www. brighttradeshow.com

Top of the what’s new pile is the long needed Bright European skateboard awards, yes you read this right Europe is going to have its very own skateboard gong show.

BBB HIGH FIDELITY 18-21st January 2012

www.breadandbutter.com

Having passed its 10th Anniversary BREAD & BUTTER continues to be one of the biggest draws around for fashion clothing buyers.

Having passed its 10th Anniversary BREAD & BUTTER continues to be one of the biggest draws around for fashion clothing buyers. A forty-minute cab/courtesy bus ride from Bright takes you to Templehof Airport, the home of BREAD & BUTTER. BBB is on the 18th-20th January, starting two days before Bright and overlapping for just a day. So if Bright is your priority, then visit B&B before the Bright show starts or during the first two days. This year’s marketing slogan ‘High Fidelity’, promises much with highlights such as the newly integrated area concepts D.O.C.K., Treasury, the L.O.C.K and the Fire Department – an extension of the L.O.C.K. D.O.C.K. (or the Department of Contemporary Keynotes) reveals the new niche area of premium grown-up streetwear labels, image-captains, selfruling designers and market-leading brands. TREASURY is a space given to the rising evolution of accessories within our contemporary clothing and lifestyle culture. FIRE DEPT- the old Airport fire station has now become the platform for a community of brands committed to product awareness and LOCK (or Labels of Common Kin) share their affinity for craftsmanship and their valuation of authenticity.

New tradeshow visitors are recommended to register online and are free of charge before the 6th January with tickets sent via mail. Action sports brands at the show include Addict, Body Glove, Forvert, Hot Tuna, Makia, Loreak Mendian, Urban Ears, WeSC, Airwalk, Bench, Circa, Abbey Dawn, Skull Candy, Iron Fist, Nixon and Twothirds.

The 14th Bright will be with us soon and the Bright crew have been hard at work on new ideas to keep the show at the forefront of the winter event calendar and a key stop in Berlin Fashion week. Last summer, the leading European tradeshow in streetwear, sneaker, fashion and skateboarding attracted more the 15,000 visitors from Europe and the rest of the world and the organisers are confident the Winter 2012 Edition will see a further increase. With its full roster of over 300 skate and street brands, far too many to mention, Bright has still managed to squeeze in a couple of new exhibitors including Neff headwear, Salomon and New Balance. The show is now established with the international crowd, with visitors coming from more than 56 countries, with France representing the largest portion of European visitors, followed by Brits, Italians, Swiss and Austrians.

Top of the what’s new pile is the long needed Bright European skateboard awards, yes you read this right Europe is going to have its very own skateboard gong show. Presented by by Kingpin and Mpora.com this is the first ever event in Europe created to celebrate the people who are making the skate community move and progress. Held on Friday 20th Jan, the gala event, with suitable black and whites will feature nine awards, including Kingpin Skater of the Year, Best Photographer, Best Cover, Reader’s Choice and will be given away by a list of legend and icons. It’s limited to 450 invites, so make that call!

As its winter no exterior events, so no outdoor Bright Festival or skate plaza to keep us all entertained, you will just have to wait till summer for those beer and skate sessions in the sun. Instead you have ArtBRIGHT, which will add a little dirt and entertainment to the classic clean fun game ‘Crazygolf’, with nine courses designed by nine different international artists. These designs/sketches will be transformed into an accessible playground that basically will take over the ArtBRIGHT space. The mix of art and entertainment will result in certainly a different-kind spectacle that will mix urban/street art/fun. The whole space should certainly be a major hotspot and chill-out area of choice.

This year’s ALL TOMORROWS area will be bigger with a larger selection of brands and contain brands breaking through into the scene with a handpicked selection of new designers and creative labels. Inspired by Nico’s song - The poor girl is not about money, but about creativity - it is about the clothes you are proud to wear.

So if skate or street is your business then head to the infamous Bright location of the House 18 of the former Headquarter of the defunct GDR Ministry of State Security in Berlin Lichtenberg. See you there.

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industry events

on snow demos 2012 On snow demos are a great way for retailers to test out the latest products while allowing brands to show their future lines potential in an on-snow environment. In 2012, the European Snowboard Demo Tour consists of three leading demos: Snow Avant Premiere (France), Pro Shop Test (Italy) and Shops 1st Try (Germany), so what are you waiting for? This is truly what’s known as combining business with pleasure…

Snow Avant Premiere La Clusaz January 15-17, 2012 - Alps Peyragudes February 5-6, 2012 - Pyrenees Last winter the Snow Avant Première celebrated its first decade by organising Sportair’s largest ever business-to business on snow demo, showcasing over 50 brands. Previously aimed at the French market; SAP has adapted to fit its European neighbours’ snowboarding needs by attracting more than 340 shops from five European countries last year. This season the event will increase its presence on the market with two shows: one in La Clusaz in mid-January and an early February show in Peyragudes.

The Snow Avant Premiere gathers the whole industry on the mountain allowing them the best environment to test out new snowboard: shape, flex and core while also allowing them to get an overview of more than 2,000 brand new products such as goggles, helmets and outerwear collections. At the end of the first day’s demo in La Clusaz, Salto’s pub is putting on a buffet and DJs into the wee hours of the morning. The invitation per shop is: two event passes, two ski passes, two meals and two SAP party passes. It also includes free shuttles from Geneva airport to La Clusaz, which is only 40 minutes.

Shops 1st Try

Pro Shop Test

Venet (Landek) 15-17 January, 2012 - Austria

Monte Bondone 22 -24 January, 2012 - Italy

This on snow demo focuses on retailers from Germany, Austria and the German speaking area of Switzerland. The show gave away all limited free exhibitor stalls within the first few days of their release this year, highlighting the demo’s popularity in the German-speaking corner of the world. 170 shops have already signed up for the upcoming event and 58 brands are down to showcase their 2012/2013 lines. Shops 1st Try gives brands the chance to display their newest products to retailers on the snow where they can test products including boards, boots, bindings goggles before they commit to buying. This year’s official ‘party partners’ are headphone giants Skullcandy who will be hosting a range of parties including their Carnival at the Tramser Hof Hotel and the Skullcandy Party with DJ act Mortal Kombat Sound & Demograffics. Improving on last year the Shops 1st Try have also increased the indoor test area this year by adding a cafe and chill out area. Every visitor to Shops 1st Try will guarantee free entry to ISPO in Munich the week after.

Monte Bondone in Italy plays host to the second annual Pro Shop Test on snow demo where it provides a meeting place for businesses to connect with one and other to show the latest innovations in snowboard technology for the 2012/2013 season to the Italian market. The demo comes in the form of a three-day event for shops, distributors and the media creating a networking opportunity to support and promote the growth of the market. This season the Pro Shop Test is looking to increase on last year’s figure of 104 to over 130 shops attending the event where last year nearly 500 snowboards and 425 sets of bindings as well as a whole host of goggles, helmets and freeski products were tested. After day one’s testing, guests are invited to attend a session to increase their online skills with a workshop on ‘how to increase online sales’ followed by a tasting of local danger juice Grappa. And after the second day of testing the first ever Italian Snowboard Industry Awards will be presented to those outstanding performers in the Italian market at the Hotel Montana. Every invited shop will receive the following deal for free for two people: welcome kit, one night hotel accommodation, meals, 2-day lift ticket and guest pass for all events and parties.

See more at www.shops.first.try.com See more at www.snowavantpremiere.com

See more at www.proshoptest.com

For up to the minute news goto: www.boardsportsource.com

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retailer profile

SNOWPARK TIGNES “Snowpark was born 10 years ago, when freeski and freestyle snowboarding really kicked off”, explains owner Regis Boucher. “There was no freestyle shop in Tignes before and we had the opportunity to buy the space and to create the shop, so we did. Myself and my wife Cathy are the owners and I have lived in Tignes since I was four years old and I’ve spent my life on skis and boards and I was a ski patrol until 2001. “ What is the product mix of your store?

The shop is a mixture of ski, snowboard, skate, telemark, technical stuff, casual and fashion wear. It is really difficult to give a percentage, because one season we will sell more boards than skis, and the next year it will change again. Every season is different so there are no rules. We split our shop 50/50 between hard and soft goods and I would say our products favour skiers more than borders by a ratio of 60/40. Skateboarding takes up maybe 0.5 % of the business.

What percentage of your sales are from online business compared to your in store sales?

Online is a really new business for us and as we are new to this. The competition between the major brands is so intense already that, for us, our online business is really only used by the customers who have already shopped with us before.

Do you sell mainly to locals or tourists?

Half of my customers are locals and the other half are seasonaires. As we are a specialist shop we don’t get your regular kind of tourist buying from us. We deliver products to people who know what they are looking for already and we then help refine their search with our knowledge, on the whole we get very few beginners.

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

I think a physical shop is always better than an online store because people need advice when buying something in our line of work. If you do

your job with passion you need more than just an online store, which is mainly there to make money. When you sell a set of skis, a board or goggles, you have to share your knowledge with your customer to share your passion. And this is the great thing about having a physical store.

Is business up or down on previous seasons, and what are you doing to maintain your growth or to reverse the decline?

Business is pretty much on par with last season’s figures but I think in order for us to maintain growth being professional is essential. We have to use our experience and knowledge to ensure

“As skiing has become very popular we’ve found it important to give our customers what they want by deciding to move from mainly snowboards to also specialise in freesking.” that what we stock in the shop is right for our customers. The final part of continuing our growth is adapting to the times and ensuring our online store provides customers with what they want and, unfortunately, this may be the key to helping us survive in the future.

What is the biggest challenge an independent retailer faces today and how do you meet that challenge?

At the moment the biggest challenge facing most independent retailers is to stay alive. Knowing what sells to the biggest percentage of our market is a constant. To survive and to do well people have to trust our knowledge and know that we provide the best products around, which means we must constantly improve our products, and ensure our product knowledge is the best around. The biggest challenge in retail is getting people through the front door.

What have you done differently to tackle the new winter season?

As skiing has become very popular we’ve found it important to give our customers what they want by deciding to move from mainly snowboards to also specialising in freeskiing. This means we are now importing from different countries such as the US, Canada, Poland, Sweden and Italy.

We’ve got high hopes for this winter.

What does the X Games bring to Tignes?

The X Games brings so much to Tignes. First of all, a huge party for three days. The TV coverage from Canal+ is amazing for Tignes and it attracts great attention to the town and obviously being a freestyle event, attracts our target audience. It’s also a great means of advertising for the resort.

The X Games is cool but if the resort could ensure the quality of the snowpark remained the same as X Games week all the time then it would be much better for our freestyle scene.

Snowpark, Galerie du Palafour, 73320, Tignes Le Lac, France / Tel: + 33 479 06 55 00 / www.snowpark-shop.com / Email: contact@snowparkshop.com

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trend report

s no w bo a r d boo t s TREND RE P ORT 2012/13

The boot market is in better shape than it has ever been. Vast leaps forward in comfort, warmth, waterproofing, flex and cushioning have made today's boots way better than before and anyone lumbered with old-school style moonboots will soon be peer pressured into updating. 2012/2013's boots are sublime - attention to detail, skyrocketing technologies and some awesome aesthetics are on hand from all the major players. Although it looks like you might have to take a little time getting to know the new lacing systems. Tom Wilson-North ties the knot in our 2012/2013 Snowboard Boot Preview.

KEY NEW MODELS There are nips and tucks to everyone's line, making way for some seriously exciting new SKUs. The unpronounceable Zoom Ites barge in at the top of Nike Snowboarding's range; they're premium, feature-packed boots with the all-new Dynamic Adjustable Flex system, which lets you adjust the flex of the boot on the fly. Burton launch the Chloe and Jet, two new models with the inner liner fused to the outer shell. The process is called Phantom and promises effortless entry and exit. Deeluxe build on the success of this year’s Spark freeride boot with a Xavier de la Rue endorsed model called the Spark XV, which features, finally, crampon welts at the back for when they park gets really icy. They’re also bringing out a new signature model for Salt Lake jibber Dan Brisse; it’s a very customisable, high-end freestyle boot with a cool graphic treatment. DC launch the Terrain, a highend backcountry boot developed with Travis Rice and Torstein Horgmo.

There’s a new high-end freeride boot from Flow, and a lovely new model from the continuing 686/New Balance collaboration. The boot's called the 1971 - it’s short, compact, very light (thanks to an all-new squidgy liner)… and so comfortable you’ll find their boot guy Michi Bretz rocking a pair round the office most days.

THEMES & COLOURS Cows beware; there’s a lot of leather out there for 2012/2013. DC, Northwave, Flow, K2, Deeluxe, Burton, Nike; nearly everyone will be using this proven material, treated with coatings or funky distressed-look processes. But it's

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not all bad news for Daisy; skate shoes remain another major influence on in the boot sector, and there’s plenty of classic denim knocking about.

“Things are mellowing out and going the way of the clean, simplistic skate shoe. Overall prints and ‘80s mania is either coming to a close or trickling down to the lower price points,” sighs Forum’s Holger Blomeier with relief.

Colour wise, look out for plenty of muted tones like navy, cognac, grey, dark green and wine. ThirtyTwo’s Brand Director Brian Cook agrees; “skate and athletic colour tones are hot right now, with pop colours. And of course those tonal colourways are always great sellers”. Finally, note we’re seeing women’s boots slim down significantly – perhaps a knock-on trend from the cute, skinny skate-shoe look which was so hot during the summer of 2011.

LACING SYSTEMS TIGHTEN UP Whilst traditional laces remain popular in the US, the European boot closure preference is definitely quick-lace, with cords or cables. And more manufacturers are catering to our lazy, one-pull needs. “Regular lacing is just becoming less important. Even though lace-up boots offer great fit adjustments, they are just not comfortable to lace up,” says Head’s Peter Wirthenstaetter. There are some very-innovative (i.e. practise before the clients arrive) new lacing solutions for 2012/2013. Salomon’s intuitive new Sure Lock lacing system throws the rule boot out the window, which has got their boot product line Manager Nina Eriksson all fired up. “With just one pull and a flick of the switch you’re totally locked in,” she gushes. “It’s fluid, easy to use and very strong and secure.” Vans release their smart

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trend report

“Today, snowboarding is progressing at a phenomenal rate, and with this progression comes everincreasing abuse and wear on the human body.” Brian Cook, ThirtyTwo like “double suspension for the heel,” according to their chief designer Michele Piazza. Back for 2012/2013 at Forum is their Glory Sole (groan) with Simmer Down Technology, which has got a big glop of their FGel in the outsole of the heel and a naturally canting sole inside for added cushiness.

And DC treat the top of their line to a generous helping of bouncy Impact G gel – the stuff that holds its properties regardless of the temperature - in footbeds and soles.

SUPER-FREAKOLOGICS The eco scene has been quiet for a while – consumers only demand their principles when they can afford them, after all – but luckily for ‘ole Mother Nature things are moving greener. More and more brands are shunning PVC, which is a good thing because it is bad for the planet. Northwave are using more expensive but way greener recycled PU throughout their whole collection, Nike are employing more and more peroxide free rubber and Vans will be using water-based cement instead of petroleum-based glues. Which are all great, great things; but as Deeluxe's Mathieu Perez puts it, “Overall we are not at the point that we can bury our boots, board and bindings in the garden. Eco awareness starts with your transportation to the mountains and your behaviour out there.” Hook up the Prius, lets’ head to the hills.

EASY-ON IS BIG Companies have wised up to the fact that the easier it is to put a boot on, the more likely it is to walk itself to the cash register. You'll find smooth linings at Nike and Northwave, inSlick entry points at Forum, extra-wide collar tops at Head and a entirely re-thought boot entry throughout the line from 32 plus intuitive tightening from Salomon and K2. It's good to know these things are getting better at selling themselves.

Hybrid lacing system, which puts the Boa cable in the in-step area to make sure heels stay put; find it on their new mountaineering-inspired Infuse Boot. There’s going to be a new Speedlacing device from Head, which has a solid-looking metal locking unit at its heart. Ride are pushing their speed lacing system out to more and more models, and Burton adjust the proven SpeedZone with an innovation called Speed Dial, designed for riders who prefer to twist instead of pull tight.

CONCLUSION We're finally moving away from the Black Wall Of Doom over in the boot corner; looks like 2012/2013 will see more interesting tones and – shock, horror - pop colours that will encourage customers to grab product off the walls and shove their feet into them. The new lacing systems are going to be a blast and the boots are going to ride cushier than ever thanks to all the technical dampening systems sucking up the bumps underneath you.

MATERIAL MATTERS With an average of over 150 separate pieces (per boot!), there are plenty of bits pieces to lighten, loosen, tighten and cushion. And we’re seeing big steps forward in the use of space-age materials for 2012/2013. Vibram has been a hit for Burton, Deeluxe & K2, now the material's proven gripability wins it a place under certain Northwave soles alongside the brand's unique new carbon-reinforced nylon. Elsewhere, Deeluxe are using the wind-proof, waterproof and breathable Sympatex membrane on their highend models and you’ll find a new bamboo-charcoal interior on their men’s liners. DC will be making their mesh fabrics more durable and integrating their breathable Aerotech stuff into the fibres. Finally, Burton are putting their brand new S4 Bombshell (Start Strong, Stay Strong) material into the uppers of the SLX to keep this premium favourite ‘reboundy’, responsive and durable.

Let's not forget that the boot corner is the one place where we can really connect with our customer base. Any Joe can chat boards for ten minutes to a guy who will go out and buy it cheaper on the web, but once you're in the trenches, surrounded by boxes, on your knees with a cheesy foot in one hand and an EMU heat moulder in the other, well... you're building trust and scoring points. Only a total douche-bag would dare buy the boot you've lovingly fitted him into elsewhere, so do the right thing and talk your new convert into buying a binding and a snowboard to do that boot justice.

Boots is where you build loyalty and win customers; it's a key part of any snowboard shop, and deserves to be done right. Right brands, right buy, right people.

CUSHIONING & SHOCK ABSORBTION “Today, snowboarding is progressing at a phenomenal rate, and with this progression comes ever-increasing abuse and wear on the human body,” says 32’s Brian Cook. Lucky our boots are here to protect us then. Let's face it; with people going bigger than ever, big changes have needed to happen in cushioning for a while. 32 will get the job done with their patented Sole Tech System G2 Gel, which they'll mix with EVA to provide dualcushioning under-heel. Northwave have invested heavily in this area too; they’ve evolved their current Crossbow outsole to the point where it feels

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A final note; expect price-points to rise slightly for 2012/2013. That's to do with China, which is where the majority of the world's snowboard boots are manufactured. “Before, it was because it was cheap,” explains Nidecker's David Fernandez. “Nowadays it's not just that. They've got the knowledge for good boot production. We are currently fighting to keep price points at the same level, but due to the social and economic situation in Asia, it's difficult.” Invariably prices are going to start creeping back up, with rising highs at the top-end. This isn't bad news, but savvy consumers (read: all of them) want more for their money. This has driven a huge amount of intelligent design on new feature, which will finally be seeing daylight in 2012/2013. Who knows; with all these great boots coming out, those clients might trade up from those musty old moonboots after all.

market insight

The evolution Will Not Be Televised Online Skateboard Video Trend Report 2011

pics: Sole Technologies

Once regarded as the future, skateboard videos on the Internet have now become the status quo.

Hundreds of new clips are hitting the Web every day, and the audience is always hungry for more.

Our SOURCE Trend Report shows how leading skateboard companies are feeding the online video monster. By Dirk Vogel.

Back in 1994 when early skateboard websites like Tumyeto.com began hosting the first clips, online video was an exception – and a miracle. Our 56K dial-up modems would bleep and stutter endlessly to download just a few seconds of footage, but we were hooked. And we wanted more.

Fast-forward to 2011: Skateboard companies are now reaching millions of viewers worldwide, who can access new video content instantly via highspeed Internet connections as soon as it goes online. Highly anticipated clips like Torey Pudwill’s Big Bang, released in July 2011 by Plan B skateboards, generate over 350,000 views within weeks of their release on YouTube alone.

The driving force for brands, of course, is advertising: “Online video adds another dimension to where you can take your campaigns. It is an addition to print ads, newsletters, whatever. The mix has changed as we’ve learned more and will change as we discover new uses,” says Simon Wilson, European Web Media Coordinator at Element.

A GROWING AUDIENCE Over the past few years, the audience – or number of potential “contacts” in advertising lingo – reached by online skate videos has grown exponentially thanks to five major factors: 1. Proliferation of broadband Internet access. High-definition video streaming requires fast connections. In 1999, only 0.2% of European households had access to broadband Internet. Now the number is at 30% according to the European Commission, whose Digital Agenda aims at getting it up to 50% by 2020.

2. Online video hits smartphones. More than 28% of young people between the ages 15-24 in Europe now own a smartphone; a whooping 47% do in Italy. YouTube counts more than 200 million views per day from mobile viewers and many skate brands offer their own smartphone video apps.

3. Spread of HD recording devices. Short clips of skate tours can now be shot “on the side” with digital SLRs or team riders’ iPhones. Viewers love these little snacks: The popular ‘Mini Top 5’ videos by Crailtap.com (Girl, Chocolate, Lakai etc.) rack up over 20,000 views within hours.

4. Free videos on content aggregation websites. Free platforms like YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook have found their skate-specific counterparts in sites like Hellaclips, MPORA (with over four million viewers per month) and The Berrics, not to forget video sections on skate magazine websites.

5. Commercial online platforms for paid content. Companies can still charge money for full-length productions on platforms like iTunes or the Playstation Network. And it’s cheaper for viewers: Emerica’s Stay Gold video costs €9.99 on iTunes, compared to €25.00 on DVD. A RECENT SHIFT Leading skate companies confirm that the massive push towards online video is a recent phenomenon. Says Nick Street, Marketing Manager EMEA Vans, Reef & Pro-Tec: “We started to produce content specific to the Web only around 2006/2007. But it's really the last three years that we are using this as a key marketing initiative and allocate specific resources to the content creation for online videos.” Globe’s CEO Matt Hill concurs with this, “I would say the real inflection point was about three years ago. That was when something that got a push online was talked about and seen as much as anything on mainstream traditional media.”

These observations are inline with current online statistics. In 2005, YouTube only counted eight million views per day – now the site is at three billion(!) views per day according to the Pew Internet Project. Watching videos currently accounts for 46% of all online traffic during peak hours according to broadband analytics firm Sandvine. And that’s just the beginning: the company expects video traffic to reach a 60% share before the end of 2011.

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pics: Vans

market insight

Globe’s online TV channel – Globe.tv – has been successful for several years now and Vans has recently connected their channel – offthewall.tv – to a new app for iPad, available for free.

QUALITY PRODUCTION Viewers are not only watching more skate videos online, but quality levels have gone up as well. One new phenomenon is the full online pro video part, pioneered by Gravis Skateboarding with the Dylan Rieder video released in 2010. By now, the almost eight-minute segment – released for free – generated almost 350,000 views on YouTube and inspired countless follow-ups, including pay-per-view parts for Plan B’s Paul Rodriguez on iTunes and Shane O’Neill at The Berrics.

Nowadays, companies are allocating considerable production resources.

Simon at Element says, “Everything is done through on-staff filmers and a network of trusted freelancers. We’re not going to compromise on quality or risk losing the brand identity.” Wilko Kuipers, Online Asset Manager Europe at Sole Technology (etnies, éS, Emerica, Altamont) says: “We have a film department at our office in the US but for our European projects we work with a group of talented freelancers like Dan Magee, Henry EdwardsWoods, Jean Feil, Bob Joosten, and others.”

Matt Hill at Globe says: “We have a significant background in feature film, television and other video production so this transition has been relatively easy for us. Our partner company Whyte House Entertainment was one of the first in the online world so we have that in our DNA.” Nick Street at Vans says, “So far we have two full-time filmers that have worked with us over the past four years and are employed to be 90% in-house. In addition, we will bring in different people depending on the production.”

MARKETING Matt Hill at Globe says, “Online is now our number one priority and the most complete way to communicate our brand message!” Meanwhile Nick Street at Vans says that online videos are now an integral part of the marketing mix but have “not replaced the traditional activities.”

Kelly Bird, Brand Manager at Lakai says, “We haven't shifted a big chunk of our marketing dollars from print to video, primarily because we never had outsized print budgets to begin with. We've always been partial to video, so the only real difference now is the delivery method.”

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION Speaking of delivery methods: Once a clip is produced, seeding it over the Internet is easy. “We put everything on YouTube and then link it through our websites, Crailtap and Lakai,” says Bird. “We also stepped into the 00's recently and got our Facebook game up to date, so now we're doing a lot more there as well.” Wilko at Sole Technology outlines a similar approach: “We mostly use YouTube and Vimeo to host the videos and distribute it via our Facebook pages and websites. Using Facebook and Twitter will make sure the videos spread virally in no time.” Globe’s online TV channel – Globe.tv – has been successful for several years now and Vans has recently connected their channel – offthewall.tv – to a new app for iPad, available for free.

The skateboard media will often host clips without charge. “Most videos are not run as paid advertisements,” says Holger von Krosigk, Advertising Director at Place magazine adding: “Brands know that the media will use a good clip, no matter if the brand behind it will buy ads or [online] banners.”

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On the other hand, Holger points out, “The ‘pre-roll clips’ are a different story, like the ones you see at The Berrics before every clip. But I couldn’t tell you about the cost. Surely print ads today are still more expensive than a one-month presence with a clip.”

TRACKING SUCCESS Next to cheap distribution, the single biggest allure of online initiatives is their transparency: “Measuring of ROI plays an important role, too, as we can analyse the viewer statistics, something that traditional print and PR outlets cannot offer,” says Nick at Vans. This kind of tracking can go quite deep, Simon Wilson says, “With newer statistical tools [you can] see for how long people are watching your video and at what point they leave.

There’s always something to learn from every release.”

So when is a video considered successful? “We don't have a set formula to classify a video a ‘success’,” says Nick. Kelly Bird at Lakai has his own ideas, “The amount of your ideas that get borrowed by ad agencies is a good way to gauge it. We've had a pretty good success rate by that measure!”

Meanwhile Matt Hill at Globe points out that general view counts are only part of the story: “Viewership that comes from relevant sites such as media partners is more valuable for sure, but when we have the more mass ‘home runs’ with tons of hits, you are stoked that much of the message gets out there well beyond the core.”

WHAT’S NEXT? With the trend toward (free) online videos, are commercial company videos on their way out? Those in the know are saying: not yet! “It's harder for brands to make the investment in full-length company videos, so when the right brands do make that commitment, I'd like to think people will still pay for them,” says Kelly Bird. Simon at Element adds, “In certain situations putting a price on something gives it added value which, if there’s enough anticipation will drive people to premium content.”

Everyone agrees that direct digital distribution – both free and pay-perview – is the way of the future. Internet-connected TV looks promising and Etnies has partnered up with Samsung in Europe for a video application within Samsung Connected TV, rolled out by late 2011 in the Benelux and the rest of Europe in Spring 2012.

The digital revolution may leave behind two losers: “Regular” television, where according to Nick Street often “the sport and its credibility are jeopardised for making 'mainstream' TV.” And secondly, as Matt Hill at Globe points out, “DVD sales around the world have drastically declined and so of course you will sell less DVDs.” Many companies are no longer offering free DVDs bundled with magazines.

“Once they’re out they end up on the Internet anyway,” says Wilko at Sole Tech, “so we rather offer them straight to the Internet on our preferred channels with a better way of tracking the views.” And there will be plenty of views to track this season with upcoming bangers like Steve Forstner’s Gravis part and Nyjah Huston’s Element 11/11/11 video. This revolution may not be televised, but you can stream it to your computers, iPhones and Internet-ready devices. Stay tuned!

trend report

s no w bo a r d b i nd i n g s TREND RE P ORT 2012/13

The binding market has been pretty static for a few years. Same old colour palettes, shapes, buckles, designs and theories. Fortunately, 2012/2013 sees some big investments and things are shaking up, with little companies doing big things - new materials, fresh colour codes and inspired baseplate ideas.

Innovative approaches, more comprehensive lines, less filler. Cancel the order for the 200 pairs of cheap black bindings that you've already pencilled in and set fire to the order form, because the 2012/2013 binders are more mouth-watering than ever before. Tom Wilson-North checks it out.

TWO KEY NEW COMPANIES Two new companies are stealing the show with their much-hyped gamechangers in binding design. JF Pelchat's Now Snowboarding will be unveiled at the ISPO show, a project developed in his mad-scientist garage in Squamish over the last ten years. Now it's ready expect a binding heavily inspired by skateboard truck construction that'll make riding “effortless, pain free and more fun”. Underfoot and torsionally, they'll be forgiving, comfortable and plush; toe-to-heel they're just as good as a traditional binding. In fact, the weight-transfer properties of this thing are so efficient that Pelchat had to reduce the size of the highback and incorporate a special hinge to make the things a little easier. Lasers? Skyhooks? Wait and see.

All we know so far is that a whole bunch of respected pros including Devun Walsh and Jeremy Jones won't ride anything else.

In the second carriage of the binding buzz train are Switchback, developed by innovative snowboarders Bataleon. The idea here is a funky toolless component system using thousands of pre-set stiffness and colour options. It feels a bit like Nike ID trainers, or a made-to-measure suit, and everyone except our stock-control guy likes it. As Product Manager Cleay Perham puts it; “Back in the day we would make our own perfect Frankenstein binding, highback from brand X, buckles from brand Y and baseplate from brand Z. That where the concept came from; now we're offering the potential to create in-store a one-off binding that looks unique and is perfectly suited to your own riding”. They've also come up with a clever unique pillar-free highback to finish the thing off. It's got

us very curious and eager to see; we can't wait to take plenty of sneaky iPhone pics up close and personal at ISPO. NEW AESTHETICS Bindings don't just have to be revolutionary to sell. They've also got to look too good to pass up. 2012/2013 sees some clever ways that the industry is going to help here. Forum play the nostalgia card with influences from American post-industrialism, using iron oxide (rust) in the Republic paintjob, and Factory Records - think Joy Division and New Order - on the Shaka.

Burton's Hardgoods VP Scott Barbieri won't stop talking about their graphics, specifically the autumn colourway on the 2012/2013 Lexa and Lexa EST. “We've used about every trick in the book on this one”, he says with a proud grin. “Hydrographics, paint fades, multiple clear-coat finishes and more to make them one of the raddest looking women's bindings we've ever made. And that's just the tip of the iceberg”.

Flux's 2012/2013 line blows out their 20th Anniversary candles, so expect some bold and vibrant looks. Want to go crazy with some of the sickest colours? Take a look at Ride's Fanken colourways. And if all those hues are making your eyes go funny, never fear, there will be plenty of clean, monochrome tones. Some of our favourites are in the Roxy and K2 ranges, and all over the Drake line. “We really support the revival of the old-school palette and minimal, clean graphics”, says product manager Davide Smania

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“The binding is like a car tyre, it's here to transmit the energy from user to snowboard. Using bad bindings is like using a flat tyre; you need to input much more energy to get the same result” David Fernandez, Nidecker that there will be a new strap configuration and all-new buckle system.

Rome have used 2012/2013 to consolidate little construction features.

Co-Founder and Product director Paul Maravetz, “The focus has been on improving performance and durability. For all our ankle straps we’ve developed new internal padding materials that feel better, return more energy and will maintain their integrity through multiple seasons, our buckle build and assembly tolerances have been tightened up and we’ve developed a new stitched open-toe design for our 390 and Mob series bindings.” The small stuff counts.

HIGHBACK UP & BUCKLE DOWN Nothing screams “buy me” more than a cool-looking highback, puffy strap and clicky, strong-sounding buckles. There's a new highback on the Forum Keeper, new plastic baseplate on the ROCK-it ROLL from Roxy, new buckles throughout the range at K2, a Thin Fit toestrap from GNU, new straps at Drake, new baseplates and micro buckles from SP and cool new asymmetric highbacks from Volkl.

of the low-key solid-colours. “The trend at the moment is to provide a clean look in order to match with as many snowboard decks as possible”.

MATCH OR MIS-MATCH? Ahh, the matching look. That happy coincidence of random boards matching other companies' bindings that seems to quite co-incidentally happen year after year. Undoubtedly a lot of Pantone references get exchanged in hushed Skype calls during product development time. But if a company makes both the boards and bindings, they really ought to go together, right? Well, not always, according to Flow’s sales and marketing guy Jens Hartmann.

“We always design our bindings so that they can go with boards in our range”, he says. “But we rarely do super-matchy stuff as it does look weird sometimes”. True, although big players Salomon, GNU, K2, Burton, Volkl and Head will be playing the go-together card so their bindings look like a genuine extension of their decks, which creates an easy complementary sale for us down on the shop floor.

NEW CONSTRUCTION IDEAS It's not just colours that'll sell a binding, though. Nidecker binding guru David Fernandez puts it brilliantly, “For me, the binding is like a car tyre, it's here to transmit the energy from the user to the snowboard. Using bad bindings is like using a flat tyre, and you need to input much more energy to get the same result”. To make binders better, we're seeing a couple of pretty cool new technologies. For example, there's more widespread use of urethane. For years championed by the crafty Flux designers, and last year adopted by K2 on the Tweakback highback, Drake will now use urethane on their jibbier highbacks, taking advantage of the extreme flex that the material offers; it's great for park riding.

Salomon introduce a new technology called ShadowFit. This redesigned, flexible heel loop will shave weight and helps to promote lots more lateral flex and a ton more board feel. Find it on their new high-end freestyle binder and, whilst you're browsing their range at ISPO, make sure you sneak a peek at the all-new Airbed heel cushioning system they've got on the new Hologram.

Meanwhile, Flow are hinting at a completely new binding design, bringing comfort, easy of in/out and performance to “a completely new level”. Since their gear is pretty on-point already, we're excited to see what product line manager Lucien Vink and his team have in store. All they've let slip so far is

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Look out for new highbacks on Union's updated Contact and women's Milan model. On the subject of the Italian-American binding experts, they'll be bringing out a new premium model in 2012/2013 called the Charger; as the name suggests, it's the stiffest in the range and is for riders who “ride stiff, cambered boards and like to haul ass”, according to marketing guy George Kleckner.

Burton launch a new model called the Bootlegger, with a new Smackdown toe strap. This over-centre buckle and strap design promises to remove the 'ratcheting down' part of the strap in process, saving time. There's also a new highback called a KickBack Hammock; it's a refinement of the Heel Hammock we saw last year, with a bit of suspension built in. Burton also trickle their Re:flex baseplates further down the range, putting them underneath the midrange Custom and Stiletto models.

BINDINGS THAT SELL THEMSELVES Whilst a shelf of great bindings with some cool-looking posters around them is a first step, it's not always enough to make the things fly out of the store. Binding companies will be doing more and more behind-the-scenes to help them sell; K2, for example, are providing an entire in-store LCD display preloaded with videos explaining the features of their bindings.

And when you open the Nidecker delivery you'll find a pretty cool piece of POP – it's a skateboard-sized mount to help extol the virtues of their Fastec system. And over at Flow there will be branded hang-tags in the box acting as 'silent salesmen'.

CONCLUSION Things are looking good. In spite of the usual grumblings over increased raw material prices, the established players continue to invest, develop and consolidate with some cool new ideas and upgrades. Then there are these potentially game-changing companies out there, both with pretty revolutionary new tech that's bound to shake up the binding sector.

If anything, this hype we're going to see will renew interest in bindings and cause customers to think about upgrading. Perhaps the lowly binding will resume its rightful place as a key piece of gear, a considered purchase selected on merits other than what the thing looks like and how cheap it is.

What does that mean for your order? Well, I'd say this year's buy is looking like a balance between brand-new and already-existing; as we clamber warily out of a couple of tricky hardgoods years, perhaps it's time to start taking some risks again.

market report

THE NEXT GENERATION WANTED: YOUNG SHREDDERS ON SNOWBOARDS

Harry Duke Moran beats his dad by 15 years to his first published snowboard photo.

Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month is a U.S. initiative that aims to motivate 150,000 adults and children into taking up snowsports in January 2012 (compared to 75,000 in 2011). Now in its fifth year, LSMM organisers are supported by recreation orientated Government agencies and initiatives as well as travel and tourism offices and other outreach programs. This excellent initiative stirred much debate here at SOURCE HQ regarding the ‘kids in snowboarding’ situation. How is our beloved sport progressing with its uptake of new generation of athletes? This is, afterall, one of the most important challenges we face. Text and interview by Remi Forsans.

As such an interesting topic requires specialist knowledge, we decided to interview key people from the industry including: Drew Stevenson (TTR), Marco Sampaoli (World Snowboard Federation), Muck Müller (Munchie Konsilium), Andi Aurhammer (Nitro) and Andy Threimer (K2 snowboard).

Let’s start by understanding how snowboarding has evolved from its beginnings.

Drew Stevenson, founder of the TTR, thinks that several initiatives implemented over time have indeed encouraged youth participation. “Some were introduced by companies (e.g. Burton’s 'Learn To Ride'), others by event organisers (ISF Junior World Championships, WSF World Rookie Fests etc.) and some by administration systems (Swedish, Norwegian and Swiss snowboard schools) have done a lot for the sport. A lot of schools offer good junior snowboard lessons and various other independent organisations have been known to offer the same, at one time or another.

But I would not say there has been a onetime comprehensive or coordinated movement across the board.” Marco Sampaoli (WSF) however, feels differently: “Something is moving: very often initiatives come from a brand or a national snowboard association more than programs on an international scale. When we started the World Rookie Tour seven years ago there was almost nothing for the kids and the World Snowboard Federation established

a high quality international tour for youth, based on a strong foundation of local events organised by the National Snowboard Association and clubs to select their best youngsters.”

Andi Aurhammer (Nitro) thinks that in the past nobody really focused on the ‘kids’ market, because it was such a small scene. “There was the rumour that kids should not start riding snowboards before the age of 13, as their bones might not be strong enough, I guess the skiing industry came up with that.

Since a couple of years now the industry has realised that the kids market is probably the only segment that’s growing, therefore a lot of investments have started to be made on the product side of things. The variety that’s offered on the market is pretty good at the moment.” Andi’s view is also shared by Muck Müller (from boardsports marketing agency Munchie Konsilium), “From my point of view; until about 10 years ago nothing had been done actively.

Kids just somehow used to ‘dig’ snowboarding because it was revolutionary and the only alternative to classic skiing.” Muck continued, “From an industry point of view, the support for kids at the start was pretty poor. Proper equipment for children was difficult to get hold of. There were only a few brands taking care of the kids. Then some of the early snowboarders went back to skiing again because of their own kids or wives. So snowboarding has been fighting on two frontiers: losing some old dogs to skiing, and now

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battling with kids choosing freeskiing over snowboarding. So eventually, Burton started a really good project and provides products for beginners with their LTR Range and concept. K2 has had their ‘Kids’ line for three or four years now which works out pretty well.”

Despite a solid image, there is still a loss in participation: why are kids not as attracted by snowboarding anymore?

Drew thinks this is a broad statement that has a lot of complex influences: “Not unlike skateboarding, snowboarding went through a massive growth period and changed the face of mountain usage. It broke down a lot of the traditional images related with going to the mountains, while creating the feeling of being part of a new movement for its participants. Today it is accepted as a mountain sport and seems to be going through a cycle, similar to that of the skateboarding experience. There are now other options out there as well: the development of freeskiing has obviously cut into the number of snowboarders by giving this part of skiing a similar (if not identical) image to snowboarding. There are a lot of other factors you could take into account as well like, consolidation of the industry, the loss of a large number of snowboard stores as the bigger department stores have created hard-to-match prices, the cost of snowboarding (as compared to skating or surfing) particularly in harsh economic times and for sure poor snowfalls for a couple of years in Europe.”

Marco confirms that snowboarding obviously has big potential for attracting kids to the mountains. “Lifestyle, boardsports, freedom, and traveling are all elements that make our sport unique. And the kids just love it for what it is. The more we, as a community, will be able to communicate and offer opportunity for our kids to try the sport, the more new kids we will have”.

Andy Threimer (K2) says that addressing the price factor is key. “Cost is a big issue for parents; therefore we developed a kind of ‘pool’ program.

Parents pay in once and are able to choose new/used gear for their kids every year, as their kids grow bigger. This helps keeping the kids interested in snowboarding and this way the parents can afford it. Schools should look into it more and create programs for kids that allow them to progress in snowboarding. Shops should come up with clever ideas for parents so that they can afford the gear for their kids.” Adds Muck; “I guess due to costs, parents are not doing as much wintersports any more with their kids and other activities might give their kids a ‘cool’ status within their crew such as having an iPod.” Andy Threimer thinks people are still interested in snowboarding, “We just miss the drive we had some years ago. Business is becoming tougher, and not only in snowboarding. I don’t think the image is that solid - it’s much broader than it used to be and that might make it even harder for people. We are not the cool, ‘freaky’ lifestyle sport anymore. Snowboarding covers every spectrum from freestyle punk to backcountry extremist.

Lawyers, school kids, parents, grandparents: everyone can snowboard these days. We kind of lost the hype - which is absolutely normal. When non-snowboarders see snowboarding footage nowadays they no longer get the “wow, that’s totally new – I gotta try it” vibe that used to attract so many new participants. They usually know of it already, there’s so many other possibilities to fill your leisure time and snowboarding is just one.”

What can ski resorts do to promote snowboarding better?

“They are actually doing quite a lot: like development of decent parks, many with smaller lines for younger or beginner riders. There are a lot of specific concepts, which mountains could look at. But it would be difficult to identify one or two,” Drew tells us. Andi Aurhammer expands on this, “I think ski resorts should work closely with the schools and try to get the kids on the slopes for a reasonable price. Investing in snowparks is one thing, but there should also be way more courses offered for beginners.

There is a lack of snowboard clubs if you compare it to skiing. Therefore their parents force the kids to stick with skiing because a second set of snow gear is quite expensive.” Muck echoes this, “There are many ski resorts where it is not possible to buy a lift ticket for the beginner slopes”.

On this point Andy Threimer adds, “Honestly, what they need to do is get their prices on a realistic level. It’s getting to a height where I cannot see

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“Snowboarding has been fighting on two frontiers: losing some old dogs to skiing, and now battling with kids choosing freeskiing over snowboarding.”

Muck Müller, Munchie Konsilium.

“Cost is a big issue for parents; therefore we developed a kind of ‘pool’ program. Parents pay in once and are able to choose new/used gear for their kids every year, as their kids grow pic K2 Snowboards

the average consumer being able to afford lift tickets. They need to come up with special programs, offerings, group discounts, pupil/student/family discounts - real discounts that are obvious and remarkable. I think they can do as many events and stuff as they want, but as long as the extreme prices continue to climb every year - they will start to get into trouble.

There are already offerings for longer stays (one week). But it’s more the day-to-day people that drive for two hours to go shredding for only one day that I have in mind.”

What can the brands do?

On a more positive note, Drew has a lot to say for the ever-increasing quality and range of equipment available to younger riders. “This was not always the case, and particularly with the quality in the rental market. Any brand taking a serious look at introducing youth development programs individually is part of a large organisation with marketing, communication and development investments which, depending on the sell-through, may be very hard to justify for smaller brands. However, any program designed to promote first time usage, adoption and/or retention of riders to the sport obviously has benefits to the sport long term.” Marco shares this opinion: “Brands should be organising and supporting more kids’ projects like beginners’ day, free camps, kids’ events and youth competitions. They can also push the shops better than anybody else to put some more effort into the organisation of kids’ projects”.

From an industry stance, Andi Aurhammer thinks the responsibility for brands should be to offer a greater variety of products at a reasonable price. “Additionally they can try to organise some kids’ events. Get kids on the mountain and let them try out their gear for free.” Andy Threimer backs this point up and looks at ways in which we can drive forward with, not only kids, but every aspect of snowboarding. “We need to keep the sport fresh and extraordinary; the original spirit has to be transported. Get on the mountain with friends and feel the freedom of sideways snowsurfing.

It has to be open to anybody - no question - but perhaps it shouldn’t be limited to consumption only. What I want to say is that of course brands try to do promotion for their brand only, perhaps it is sometimes too obvious that everybody wants to sell the hell out of it… I think WSSD is a great initiative and we were super-successful with our version last year. We invited every snowboarder to ride for free on a night slope. That’s it. What more do you need? Come by with your friends and shred for free.”

What can be done by organisations/federations?

Drew, who knows a thing or two about competitions, thinks that organisations and federations should introduce junior or aged based ranking systems or age based options. “There is a lot of work that could be done there. The WSF and the nations behind them have been putting a lot of work into these areas. It will be interesting to see what the inaugural youth Olympics comes out like.” Marco’s of the same viewpoint: “Push the clubs

bigger. This helps keeping the kids interested in snowboarding and this way the parents can afford it.” Andy Threimer, K2

'The Duke' checks his wax job

and the snowparks to work more on kids and as well organising a national rookie series of competitions to scout for the next star of snowboarding.”

Muck rounds off this part of the debate, “I don’t know if they are doing something already - but if not maybe they should not only concentrate on the competitive side of snowboarding but also push the fun side of it and include taster lessons in every event/competition they are doing.”

What is already being done in the sport?

Marco is hopeful: “Something is in the air. Seven years ago there was only the WSF World Rookie Tour and a few other individual initiatives. Today there are more kids’ projects: the events joining the World Rookie Tour are increasing, more and more organizers and brands now understand the importance of putting energy and resources into youth programs.”

Muck also recognises the efforts being made: “There is some stuff from Burton: not only their LTR concept, but they have two or three other things they are doing already or at least have in their pipeline. K2 also has a couple of programs around their kid’s boards. EuroSIMA is doing the WSSD. Blue Tomato is doing the Blue Tomato Kids Day. HIGH Five by Millhaus and Boris Schmelz from the agency Reckenwind are examples of more social projects being created within the scene. ISPO and Munchie Konsilium gave birth to the SHREDIVATE! Project – this recognises people, companies, federations, shops and agencies who are doing something to get new people onboard. These parties get a space at ISPO to display their efforts and some media work is also done for them. This is still just a drop in the ocean. There are concepts in the pipeline to expand the SHREDIVATE! Project, but it would need companies to support it.”

What are the risks if things don’t progress?

Drew believes there must be a positive mental attitude if things are to progress: “I feel there is sometimes a certain element of a self-fulfilling prophecy in some of this. It’s not the case that nothing’s being done. It is also fair to say that more coordinated work could/should be done. A good snow season would be a good start for everybody.” For Marco, freeskiing has started to take over a big quota of youths previously into snowboarding, but he believes snowboarding may even benefit from this as kids decide to take up snowboarding off the back of freeskiing. Andi Aurhammer, however

notices the danger should this not happen: “The risk for sure is to lose the interest of kids and therefore start the elimination of the sport.”

Seen from a larger scale, Muck guesses we are only talking about the situation in Europe. “The US is totally different. I think snowboarding there is way bigger. In Europe, we’ll lose our sport to the FIS and it will just be a discipline if we do not start getting people onboard with the right lifestyle.

Snowboarding is too big to die. This is for sure. But it may not live on if we do not continue to entice young shredders.” We’ll leave this disheartening possible outcome from Andy Threimer as a warning to anyone who cares about the future of snowboarding. “The risk is we do not get enough people to ride, therefore turnovers shrink and more and more retailers go out of business, then the brands drop out and finally the progress of the sport and gear is slowed down to a halt. We’d be left with only a handful of suppliers that would most likely throw exclusive high priced items or the absolutely cheap items at the market… the heart of the sport would be gone.” Such a dark vision must be avoided at all costs. We need to unite as an industry, with the resorts, with the federations and organisations and protect the future of our sport.

The next edition of World Snowboard Day is on the 18th December 2011 www.world-snowboard-day.com

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trend report

AW 1 2 S k at e & Streetwear Preview Once again it’s time to do the pre-order Hokey Pokey: put one style in, pull another style out, then you turn it all around… It’s exciting, but can sometimes feel like a gamble. Here we’ve collected streetwear insights from some of the most ubiquitous brands to bring you an overview of what’s to come in AW12. With this, dear retailer, go forth and pre-order with confidence! By Luke van Unen.

pic Makia

SETTING THE STAGE It can be as painful as listening to a cheese monger describe some new blend of the yellow stuff when all you want to do is melt it on toast for breakfast, but if you can bare the pain to consider what’s being expressed it can reveal a deeper appreciation and more thorough enjoyment. Fashion descriptions often use words normal people never actually say out loud, seeming to describe clothing in Haiku. Thankfully, in our boardsports world we’re not overly fancy, so collection themes are almost comprehensible.

The Makia men’s theme for AW12 sets the stage nicely for their collection: “Seamen, Logger & Tailor,” each forming the basis of three categories depending on the style of the item; fresh colours, rougher around the edges, and classic cuts, respectively. Their women’s theme is “Failure is Impossible,” reinforced by the simplicity of their strongest female collection to date; “We wanted to lift our ladies up into the spotlight this time!”

For the Volcom girl, they’re “taking tradition and giving it a little bit of WTF. Classic preppy patterns and styling are interwoven with iconic punk references for a look that is bold, rebellious and Volcom!” At DC, the goal of the AW12 collection is to combine the heritage of the brand with fashion trends. “As a skate brand, we need to keep our DNA but still have to think we're talking to girls who like fashion.”

LRG is expressing “Individual thinking, progressive style, elevated consciousness and positive values. Earth lessons and the colours of the season.” In the first of three delivery groups, they have three lines: United Nations is an Olympic based theme using athletic colours; The Fresh Outdoors brings an outdoor tech and military look; and Fellow Degenerates, “choosing to live a high-end low life – Scumbags Unite!”

Up-and-coming Turbokor talk of doing a clean style, with ethno and folk

elements; a classic urban style, raised to the rank of fashion. “Turbokolor will be always inspired by art, so it is now too.” The theme for WeSC is still in development at the time or writing, but we can expect inspirations of “love, gangs, hate and passion. It's gonna be a good one.”

SHADES OF WINTER “Mere colour, unspoiled by meaning and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” True enough, Oscar Wilde, however allied with the form of clothing colour can communicate the soul of the wearer, expressing mood and personality in an instant.

The most prevalent colour emerging for AW12 is blue; the only colour, they say, which maintains its own character in all its tones. Almost without fail, each brand response gave it prevalent mention, or as Forvert confidently states, “All kinds of blue.” DC go as far as to declare that “Navy will be the new black next winter.”

The Element male can look forward to “Classic combination of navy, offwhite and Chilli Red, broken up by rusty mid tones. A rich, saturated palette, cemented with muted nature-inspired colours, but also washed-out, desaturated primary colours.” Etnies informs us that “Chocolates, Kakhi and Forrest Green are strong and dominant colors for Fall12, and can be found across our collection.”

Altamont are headed for “Cooler blues and greys, mixing with rust and burnt orange colours.” On top of this, they will be taking the dye treatments Altamont is known for and applying them to different categories – wovens, for example. They also see more colour in bottoms, and “season-appropriate pop colours throughout the bottoms range.” Fallen, of course, kick off with black, but go on to list “army green, oxblood, deep blues, off-white, and heathered colours. These traditional colours are then brought to life by

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trend report

Tr e k k e r | E x p e d i t i o n C o l l e c t i o n

U n d e r s tat e m e n t i s o f t e n t h e s t r o n g e s t s tat e m e n t, a n d to n i n g d o w n i s c o m i n g u p. including small, understated hits of contrasting colours.”

For the femme fatales, RVCA will be showcasing “Cognac browns and Bordeaux, with warm tans highlighting the black/navy/grey/natural basics.”

Through slightly more creative expression, Nikita identifies “Rustic Brown, Blue Nights, Smoked Pearl, After Dark, Rosewood and Sudan Brown.”

Volcom will be presenting cool neutrals mixed with rich autumnal colours for the girls say; “This is going to be supplemented with some electric brights which we are calling ‘Rock the Block!’” Planet Earth will also be keeping it alive with colour, utilising “bright greens and blues with deep wine tones and clean neutrals, with bright contrast pops in all colours.”

Element Eden, in keeping with the natural vibe of the brand, will be working with “warm, earthy tones and a nature-inspired palette, with some geoethnic, artisan patterns.” In a similar direction, Makia females can also look forward to Earthy colours; “We found this beautiful twist of a rusty brown color that really gives a jacket, for example, a nice fall /wintery feeling to it.”

STREETWEAR

SILHOUETTE FOR THE SEASON Thankfully we have moved on from the Iggy Pop skinny jeans – at least collectively as a scene – and emerged into what is the most elegant that streetwear has ever been. Little fear, methinks, of looking back on photos of now with a cringe and a “What was I thinking?!” That is, of course, unless you’re on the forefront of cool, looking like Steve Urkel…

pic Makia

Cuts and shapes for AW12 are “Cleaned up and more wearable on the legs,” describe Emerica, which largely summarise what’s to be expected across the board. “Classic styles with an Emerica twist added to the mix.

We strive to remain consistent in our offering, while always taking some chances with some collection pieces … they may not book as well as the classics but they create and maintain our intended brand image.” WeSC will be presenting “Simple silhouettes, old styles and materials meeting contemporary ones - creating a fusion with references that are as relevant as they are good looking.” Altamont is also working with “Older style silhouettes… and smarter, more mature cuts in general.”

While Forvert mention “multilayer” as being a driving silhouette for AW12, Hurley similarly talk of “Slim (not skinny) bottoms with looser tops,” a look that has been growing in popularity with the modern male over the last few years. They see more clean lines moving forward, “from apparel to hairstyles.”

For their much-anticipated apparel launch collection, core skate brand Fallen say their “AW12 trends will be evolutionary, not necessarily revolutionary.”

We can expect “Classic fitting tops and straight fitting bottoms. Cuts and silhouettes are pretty conservative, not swaying too slim or relaxed, but tailored with an emphasis on fit and function. This allows one to adapt the same styles in numerous situations and create a timeless look that will last across multiple seasons.” Bingo!

pic Nikita

“Knits and t-shirts are getting wider and baggier for women season by season, and pants are getting slimmer,” say Makia. “Oh, and denim is back in business. Big time.” However Volcom girl predicts, “There will be some twists on the classic silhouettes, together with more flared trousers.” This is also echoed by Nikita’s list of terms to describe what’s coming: “Short on top of long. Oversize on top of slim. Loose fit bottoms to go with long tops and short jackets.

Lots of layering!!”

Translating this into a feminine look, RVCA envisage “Sheepskin jackets and chunky Grandad knits worn with super-slim velvet cord pants with zipper details. Combinations of pleated maxi skirts in sheer fabric and leather motorcycle jackets. Mixes of urban proof parkas and glamorous lurex sweater dresses. Loose fisherman’s knits on a ultra-feminine safari printed satin shirt are perfect to team with a ‘grunge wash’ skinny denim.”

g r a v i s f o o t w e a r. c o m

pic Nikita

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trend report Style is about making something your own and this DIY spirit is an integral part of the Vans brand.

THE SUM OF ITS PARTS We all pick and choose elements of fashion to create our own style, so spying the key underlying trends and vibes within the season’s overall looks can give us an informed perspective from which to build a more complete picture of what’s to come. Understatement is often the strongest statement, and toning down is coming up. As we’ve been witnessing over more recent years, visible branding is lessening and pigeonholing a definite style is becoming more difficult. Emerica identify “more modest branding on printable – i.e. small left chest hits, as opposed to oversized prints.”

Makia, too, say that in AW12 they will “Run even further away from splashy logos! Keep it simple, keep it minimum.”

Another trend that is continuing to emerge with strength is performance features in ordinary attire, or as Etnies puts it “Performance-driven lifestyle clothes… Nice sophisticated styles with a technical feature are the future on the streets. After all, looking slick and still staying dry is what you need in Fall.” In the same way Analog have a collection that “blends street styling with mountain functionality, with waterproof coatings and on-snow functional detailing.” Vans term this direction “Back to the Future” – classic lines/designs with hidden technology. With all of the outdoor/workwear influence we’ve been enjoying in streetwear recently, some associated functionality could be just the ticket. Vans are also looking towards some more personalised items to allow the customer to really make their own personal style statement. For the ladies they will be working with a little DIY – customising and customer interaction. “Vans is taking the lead on this. We have tees, skinny denim, a backpack, trucker hat and a belt that are meant to be customised. Each will come with instructions or a QR code that will take you to a DIY tips video linked to that particular item. Style is about making something your own and this DIY spirit is an integral part of the Vans brand.”

LOOK OUT FOR Although anything can happen in fashion before next autumn, it always helps to look at what’s available now with a view of what looks solid to continue. This blessed winter that we find ourselves enjoying has some strong commonalities that one can use to bolster confidence when preordering for coming seasons. KR3W says there is a strong use of denim in their collection, through jeans, shirts and jackets, accessorised with fingerless gloves and beanies. Keeping warm is definitely on trend this winter, which definitely won’t be discontinued for next.

There are some seriously exciting key pieces dropping next season! Notably, keep your eyes peeled for some interesting styles in tweeds, knits, parkas, fleece, chords and denim. Snap-back caps received strong mention, as did outdoor influences and styles, in both look and functional features. For the Nikita AW12 collection, they highlight: Big jackets with Sherpa lining. A lot of knitted sweaters in different cuts; long, short, slim, oversized. Relaxed pants that are great for chilling in, doing yoga or even for going out. More denim in other categories than just jeans, like dresses, coats and shirts.

Reversible shirts and dresses in mohair, alpaca wool and angora. Cotton carbon and other new knitted cotton fabrics.

WeSC are excited about their tweeds, knits, denim, fleece and more materials making for interesting pieces and styles that are “sleek, functional and generally good-looking with cuts and detailing that incorporates the new into the old heritage and distinct styles.”

In terms of what’s been selling well and set to continue, there are a number of items that look to be breadwinners on the retail floor next autumn/ winter. Chino pants have become an almost permanent resident in both summer and winter collections for most brands, and don’t look ready to vacate any time soon. Non-denim bottoms in general can be expected to continue strong.

To keep you toasty there are some smart jacket styles we can look forward to continuing. Parkas have re-emerged on trend over recent cold seasons,

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pic Makia

and will remain for the coming winter. But don’t expect anything like that stinky old thing you spent your childhood destroying! Expect some interesting linings and exciting details to make these items special.

The ever-favourite Duffel coat, a classic born from the namesake town in Belgium, will remain on the style menu for AW12. Design tweaks and variations in tailoring will provide more fun in selection, but the smartness of look is the irreplaceable key feature keeping this gem selling through.

ACCESSORISE! An outfit without accessories can be likened to a dinner without drinks – it’s nice, but a bottle or two really carries it off! And when Old Man Winter comes a’biting on your ears and fingertips, you’ll really want to add a few more items to your getup. Altamont know this, which is why their accessories range for AW12 is built around beanies and hats. “Most of your body heat is lost through your head, so I would keep warm with simple beanies in solid colors like the A. Reynolds signature beanie. Then maybe throw in a few custom print canvas and flannel camp hats like our Hounds hat.” Forvert, too, see the prevalence of wool scarves and beanies, as well as snap-back caps and kitbags. On the subject of accessories Emerica simply predict “Two words: drinking socks!”

For the ladies, Nikita say that big PU/leather bags are must, as well as knitted arm-warmers, legwarmers and scarves. Element Eden insist on “waistband leather belts”, also adding the classic Fedora hat with an extra-wide brim. Volcom girl will be presenting “fresh accessories on our garments, such as a removable bow.”

Fallen Apparel note that “While durability is not a differing trend, the importance designers and brands place on it will be under more scrutiny, because skaters put their clothing through harsh experiences... Nobody likes it when their product come apart.”

Makia are also keenly aware of the bigger picture; “Here at Makia we've been trying to read the world’s financial situation when designing our collection, really putting a lot of effort on designing products that are easy to buy both into the store, and out from the store. Also, products that last for a bit longer in both style and quality.”

There is a lot to look forward to for AW12 skate/streetwear, with our boardsports brands working harder than ever to bring us what we really want to wear, and therefore what you can really sell. With that, dear retailer, step confidently onto the pre-order dance floor and shake it all about!

bigwig interview

"Before Skullcandy, consumer electronics were always very much about utility, and we succeeded by making a personal connection" In terms of marketing and events sponsoring, what is the message Skullcandy is sending to boardsports?

We were born in boardsports and we will always be firmly planted here. This is where our most valued customers are and we will always be rooted in that scene. Our biggest category is skate, followed by the key pillars of snow and surf. And we also work with peripherals like motocross and wakeboarding.

a a r o n b e h l e s k u l l c a n d Y

i n c .

Launched in 2003, action sports audio equipment brand Skullcandy has experienced a meteoric rise to the top. The company first turned heads when founder Rick Alden introduced the Skullcandy Portable Link, a technology that enabled boardsports enthusiasts to listen to their MP3 players while simultaneously operating their mobile phones.

Since then, the Utah-based company has evolved into the smartphone age with constant innovation and its signature blend of action sports and music. Athlete and musician endorsements include Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, Terje Haakonsen, The Helgasons, Mick Fanning, Lizard King and Pierre Luc Gagnon, to name but a few. On July 20, 2011, Skullcandy took the leap from city streets to Wall Street with an initial public offering (stock market symbol “SKUL”).

Drawing on a quarter of a century experience in boardsports, Aaron Behle, Vice President of International, explains the current state of the industry, the importance of staying close to your customers and the future of Skullcandy.

Interview by Dirk Vogel.

THE COMPANY Please briefly introduce yourself and your background in boardsports.

I started working in boardsports retail at age 16 at a surf shop in California.

After earning my B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, I worked in finance for four years at Deloitte and Touche, a leading audit and consulting firm. In 1996, I was given an opportunity to leave finance to work for Oakley as the International Brand Manager. I held this role from 1996 to 1999. From 2001 to 2005, I was Vice President of International for Reef and then returned to Oakley to work as COO of Oakley’s core eyewear brand Dragon Alliance. Throughout my career, my main focus was always on international business, which brought me to Skullcandy in September 2010 when they were building out their international team.

It may well be said that Skullcandy has established ‘action sports headphones’ as a full-fledged retail segment. How did the brand achieve this?

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Basically, by creating a very strong personal connection with our customers.

Looking at other technology companies, the best analogy is probably Apple, who built this very personal connection to their customers. Before Skullcandy, consumer electronics were always very much about utility, and we succeeded by making a personal connection.

Many companies have followed your lead by launching their own boardsports headphone lines. How do you stand out from the rest of the pack?

We try to stay as close as possible to our customers and solve their problems by keeping in touch with their needs. One great example is our new active ear bud model called The FIX, which we released this year. The FIX solves the problem of ear buds falling out of riders’ ears for a major improvement.

Another important factor is that we only focus on audio headphones. This is our only category, unlike other competitors.

What has the recent IPO in July 2011 brought the company?

It has given us a stronger balance sheet and enabled us to make deeper investments in product and international expansion. Our brand has made a great emotional connection with our customers right out of the gate, and the next evolution will be more cerebral with the connection we make through product innovation. This means substantial investments into our product engine; investments in our teams in product design, acoustics engineering and a team in China focused on quality control and assurance. You have to innovate in order to stay ahead.

THE INDUSTRY What is the current state of the industry in your opinion?

Boardsports are constantly evolving. If you plotted the highs and lows of economic development, across the board we are definitely in what is called an “innovation cycle” right now. You can see it in boardshorts in the surf category and you can see it in skate shoes. At the moment it’s all about how to create more value for customers and how to solve more problems for them. This always happens. This is an important part of evolution and it forces everyone to try harder.

How do you support boardsport competitions and the overall image of the sports?

The freestyle.ch event in Zurich is probably the greatest example. We had a very successful event this September, weaving together boardsports culture and athletes with the all-important thread of music. We also signed on as the official music partner for FISE in Montpellier, France and are presenting sponsor of the CPH Pro in Copenhagen, Denmark. We continue to focus on events of all sizes, all the way down to retail-specific events, but also global events such as Hurley Pro, where we are official audio sponsor and presenters are using Skullcandy audio headsets.

We are currently noting a trend among boardsports customers to “focus on essentials,” such as boards and shoes. How do you convince them to spend extra money on accessories such as headphones?

One of the most compelling things in our category is that we build accessories for probably the

single most important item anyone has right now: their smartphone. Bear in mind that this wasn’t even an option about 10 years ago. Today, kids are no longer watching sports on TV or listening to music on their home stereo. Now that everything is available on smartphones, the challenge is to provide a high quality audio experience on the go.

On the product side, it’s no longer about one-way audio functionality, but we offer enhancements like microphone functionality and control, for example our premium products are equipped with advanced microphone functionality for all Apple products.

RETAIL It is often difficult to convince a retailer to pick up an accessories brand. What do you do to convince them?

First of all, our category is unique as it is not set on seasonality, it doesn’t matter if it rains or snows.

In turn, we do not present the same inventory risk as most seasonally driven businesses. And we support retailers with displays and listening stations because the customers want to be able to test the products. This in-store experience is critical when it comes to experiencing the audio quality and the sound range. We offer ‘passive’ listening stations where customers can plug in their own phones, and ‘active’ ones with a tablet device where they can navigate the music while testing the headphones.

What’s the secret to selling specialized entertainment technology in boardsports retail?

Our most successful retailers make sure they know their customers and select the right products to merchandise to them. There is a wide range of products to choose from now, so a focussed plan is key. Successful retailers are able to tell our story, like, “Here is what Skullcandy is and what their products can do.”

The FIX ear buds are a great example; customers can try them on and experience the fit and audio quality for themselves.

How do you support your retailers?

By making sure that we are supporting local events and by offering customised products to fit our retailers, so that the merchandising mix is specific to their store. We also support a large number of local kids, especially younger kids early in their careers. And we are doing lots of events with our key accounts, including the social media-driven ‘I'm With the Band’ photo contest for shops in France. Also the ‘Skullcandy 10/10 Tour’ through Germany and Austria, a retailerfocused skate park tour visiting 10 cities in 10 days to bring live DJs and music, BBQ and free Skullcandy gear to local skate parks.

In your opinion, what are the main challenges that boardsports retailers have to face right now?

The reality is that “specialty retail” is meant to be special. So it’s important to make an effort towards creating a special experience. This is challenging because the market moves very quickly and a lot of the time it’s about price and the Internet is also making it difficult. But it is key for specialty retailers to make themselves a destination and to attract people to their stores. This can be achieved by telling a unique merchandising story and also through customer service. Kids want to be directed, educated and supported.

OUTLOOK What can we expect from Skullcandy in the near future?

Our most important goal is to connect more closely with our customers. In terms of brick and mortar stores, we want to get closer to retailers and help them tell deep product stories through unique product presentation. For 2012, we will be driving a marketing strategy centered more closely on our products. You can already see it this year with the Aviator and FIX models and the Mix Master; a professional DJ headphone released this holiday season. We have recently set up a European office in Zurich and are in transition from our former master distributor in Europe. We are building a new European team right now, to be announced around ISPO time in 2012.

What should the boardsports industry do to ensure growth over the next decade?

Continue to lead with passion and make sure people are focused on innovation and telling a special story. This means taking risks, but you cannot have return without risk. Admitted, it’s hard right now because things are difficult. But if you dare, you will be rewarded.

What would you recommend to a young entrepreneur who wants to get into boardsports?

Follow your passion and work hard – there are no shortcuts – while pushing yourself intellectually as much as you can. I encourage everyone to at least understand the basics of finance, no matter what segment of the business you work in. And even at age 40 like myself, force yourself to get out there and get on the mountain and in the water and stay active.

What decision have you taken for your brand of which you are the most proud?

It’s all about the people and one of the great things we have done at Skullcandy is create a great team that really enjoys working together to solve problems. So it’s not about me, or the founder, or the CEO. At the end of the day, I’m fortunate to be part of an incredible team of people.

Thank you Aaron for the interview.

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market analysis

Protective Gear: Sell it!

Helmets and armour have become part of the equipment arsenal for most of us. However, with almost 50% of snow sports participants still not using or owning a helmet, there’s immense potential for the smart boardsports retailer to generate some strong sales this winter. Luke van Unen reports.

It would seem that wearing a helmet on the mountain or in a skatepark is no longer seen as un-cool as rollerblading; perhaps reinforced through high-profile accidents hyped by the media, or perhaps from sports celebrity influence through televised competitions in which everyone rocks a lid.

This is fantastic news for the smart boardsports retailer who, through the great margins on offer, can utilise shop space and maximise sales with the following facts, figures, and insights from some of the leading protective equipment brands in the business.

MARKET EUROPE The European Standards EN1077 and EN1078 specify requirements and test methods for snow and skate helmets respectively: construction including field of vision, shock absorbing properties, retention system properties including chin strap and fastening devices, and labelling. For protective gear such as body armour, the CE mark indicates conformance to the specific safety standards for that item within the EU. A 2011 report commissioned by the EU’s Prosafe organisation estimated that approximately 65% of all helmets on the European market are imported – the main exporters being China and Taiwan. The majority of those helmets produced inside the EU are manufactured in Italy, Germany, Czech Republic and Spain. Solid European sales figures for the sector are typically illusive, market value estimates from within the industry varied for snow helmets, but reached ¤200 million. None ventured estimates for skate.

It’s often postulated that wearing protective equipment can lead to behavioural changes (read: increased bravado) due to a heightened sense of safety. However, studies have in fact shown that wearing a helmet, for example, has very little influence on one’s willingness to take risks, while at the same time providing significant protection. In Europe, an increasing number of core snow sport participants now use helmets; in the 2008/2009 winter, a usage rate of 37-65% was recorded (Swiss Council for Accident Prevention). What’s more, skiers and snowboarders under the age of 35 run almost three times the risk of suffering a head injury than those older, with the risk of head injuries in men being 2.2 times higher than in women.

The European Injury Database (IDB) records around 300,000 injured skiers and snowboarders requiring hospital treatment each year. Of these, 15% are head and neck injuries (data recorded 2003-2009), with brain injury being the primary cause of death in accidents on pistes. A further 15% suffer from torso/spine injuries. So by using a helmet and a back protector, you’ve just decreased your chances of hospitalising injury by a third! Another 20% of snow sport injuries are to the shoulder and upper arm; additionally wearing more comprehensive torso armour can potentially reduce said risk

pic TSG

by 50%! If you can’t sell an active boardsports consumer some protective equipment with figures such as these, perhaps they weren’t really listening.

Or perhaps you could use a little more product insight. Read on.

SALES PROPOSITIONS Even though each product has its own ‘unique’ list of Unique Sales Propositions, so often we take these for granted and sell/promote based on our own favourite features. While it’s always important to personalise your approach to give an honest presentation, knowing the intended key features of each product is vital. Commonly companies espouse that their products exemplify the latest technology, most insightful innovation and greatest value. Helmet brands in action sports seem to tick these boxes boldly, although they go further to include the key aspects of weight and fit – both of utmost importance in personal safety equipment.

When it comes to body armour, similar fundamental criteria naturally apply, as well as breathability, washability, flexibility and reusability, i.e. following a decent slam. This last point is crucial, for both armour and helmets – POC estimates that up to 98% of the market is filled with helmets that are “one crash only”. Unfortunately there is no approved test to regulate this; the best you can do for your customers is to stock only certified protective equipment. Bliss notes that it is also essential to choose equipment that performs through a large temperature range (-20°C to +40°C), without losing structural integrity and protective properties.

However, the obvious personal value of protective equipment may not be immediately apparent to the average consumer. For this reason Amplifi say; “We are not telling our customers to buy protection because it is ‘safe’…

We focus on the needs that individual customers have. That is why we offer different protection systems and let the customer make the decision.”

‘TECHKNOWLEDGEY’ Beyond the essential features near enough standard across the category, technological innovations are a clear way to differentiate between products and brands. When looking at helmet tech, there is a definite basic starting point: construction. And it boils down to in-mould versus hardshell. “Most of the helmets currently on the market still rely on a now very aged production technique called in-mould,” explain the guys at Bern. “This process combines EPS foam with a thin outer skin for a fairly inexpensive manufacturing process. In Europe, Bern focuses on a hardshell construction which utilises a hard outer shell.” These ABS plastic injection-moulded hardshells are slowly becoming more prevalent, arguably being safer and more durable. Giro inform us that the main difference you’re looking at

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market analysis

should be looking at helmets and goggles as a system they are selling. This means merchandising them together and encouraging people to try them on together.” Pro-tec, arguably the first helmet brand in this category, have even made a retailer Goggle Compatibility Chart. Partnering with leading goggle brands they orchestrated a fit test, identifying a positive connection, gapless fit, no hang-up points, complimentary helmet to goggle shape and ventilation. “The consumer will leave the shop happy and the shop can create an automatic add on sale.”

“If you have a customer looking at goggles, introduce a helmet to the conversation.

Shops should be looking at helmets and goggles as a system they are selling. This means merchandising them together and encouraging people to try them on together.”

Giro

pic TSG

a weight and ventilation benefit here (in-mould) and a cost benefit here (hardshell).”

Pushing shell technology into the future, Sweet have developed new constructions previously unseen in this category. For example, their Hybridised Carbon helmet – a carbon fibre/thermoplastic autoclaved composite – is possibly the most advanced helmet shell out there.

Tech innovations to look out for beyond the basic construction can be highlighted specific to each brand. Here are a few of our favourites: - Nutcase have a brilliant, one-handed-operation and no skin-pinching helmet fastener – the Fidlock Magnetic Buckle. Great when lighting up or on the phone.

- TripleEight say that their SweatSaver liner was groundbreaking; “It not only makes our helmets extremely comfortable, but absorbs moisture so sweat doesn’t drip into your eyes when skating. We also treat it with an anti-bacterial to help keep the stink out, at least longer than usual.”

- Salomon deal with a sweaty head another way, through TSC ventilation (Thermo Control System); “TCS combines the best of all regulation technologies to keep your head dry and happy under any weather or practice condition.”

- Over at POC, a key tech feature of their helmets is MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System); “In an oblique impact the outer shell can rotate outside the inner shell, thus absorbing the rotational forces that would otherwise be absorbed by the brain, causing hematomas or concussions.”

A key issue now is goggle-helmet compatibility, say Giro. “If you have a customer looking at goggles, introduce a helmet to the conversation. Shops

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KIDS Although Bern feel that the helmet market here in Europe is quite strong, skate is taking more time than snow due to a more entrenched un-cool factor. “But that is really breaking down now as skating continues to go mainstream and attract younger kids. The proliferation of skate parks, most of which require at least helmets, and some helmet laws, are also making a significant impact.” Several countries in Europe have enforced helmetwearing laws for juniors on the mountain. However, the regulations are not altogether enforced or permanent. The law in Lower Austria, for example, which only came into effect in 2009, expires at the end of the 2012 winter, pending evaluation at that time.

But with confidence in the continual use of helmet usage, Smith now produce a junior combo: Galaxy Goggle/Cosmo Helmet. “This is a fully integrated goggle and helmet for the young riders.” Smith have the advantage of producing both goggles and helmets, ensuring perfect fit while maximising both style and performance across their ranges.

Maik at Titus informs of a retail innovation that matches their largest consumer group for helmets and protection: beginners, aged 6-12 years.

“Beginner sets or ‘kids sets’ -skateboard + helmet + kneepads + ellbowpads + wristguards – sell very well for a special price… To me helmets for kids is a must. I know, having a nine year old daughter.”

And just as important in many action sports settings is protective gear for the growing bodies. Amplifi produce cuts and sizes for the kids in their body armour range, which is correspondingly as robust as the adult product; “The kids stuff is fun but uses the same technology as the adults!”

SALES ASSISTANCE In terms of recommendations to increase sell-through, Forcefield say it’s all about location within the shop; “If the body armour is located near changing rooms it’s a reminder to customers and staff to try jackets and pants with the armour.” A brilliant way to encourage customers to engage with the product!

Staff education on product is especially important with safety gear.

TSG say that sales assistants need to get technical; “Especially at the skateshop, it’s the mums and dads buying the product, not the kid. They are interested in stuff they can measure and understand in a logical way, like tech-specs, test results, etc.” Knox, noting back protectors as their best selling protective item, feels that the general snow sports consumer is “woefully uneducated” when it comes to protective gear. “We believe consumers are guided by the retailer, but if the retailer is not convinced or thinks it’s only for aggressive boarders then consumers will not believe protection is necessary.”

Demon, who make over 90% of their business through specialty boardsports accounts, see increased sell-through when there is a wider range of product displayed. As if to reinforce this Addicted boardshop, with two stores in Lyon, feels that suppliers can assist retailers to increase sales with improved merchandising, “particularly the way items can stand on the shelves /slatwalls, and still be easily tested by customers.”

No matter how it’s achieved, there’s an undeniable opportunity to equip your customers with some additional safety gear this winter. “We see body armour as being positive for the retailer,” say Forcefield. “Not only by adding extra sales, but by keeping the consumer fit and actively participating in boardsports which means they are more likely to return to that retailer.”

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H EL M ETS

HAMMER J A C KE T

100% AUTONOMO US

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BERN

CP

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DEMON

DEMON

DEMON

GIRO

GIRO

GIRO

K2

K2

K2

POC

POC

POC

PRO-TEC

PRO-TEC

PRO-TEC

- 100% TECHNOLO GY - 100% PERFO RMANCE

Tore Holvik Sunset 540 m ute!

www.sweetp rotection.com www.boardsportsource.com

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QUIKSILVER

QUIKSILVER

QUIKSILVER

ROSSIGNOL

ROSSIGNOL

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ROXY

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SCOTT

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SLYTECH

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B EST S E L L E R S In this issue of Best Sellers, British retailer Dave Noble’s speaks of increased sales in backcountry products, and Black Cats (France) is one of the lucky stockists of the new Lobster snowboard brand. An in Germany, Concrete Wave is stoked about their imminent shipment of the new sought after Rayne Longboard brand. skate

SKATE

SURF

Concretewave

Nozbone

Zuma Jay Surf Shop

What is your best selling single product at the moment and why?

The Cologne-based longboard company Wefunk, because they have the flexibility, clean design and are good price, which customers are looking for at the moment.

What is your best selling product?

Nike Janoski Blacks shoe. If you look at any popular skate spot, you’ll see most skaters are wearing this shoe. It’s original, a good skate shoe and has a nice shape.

What is your best selling single product?

The Xcel Infiniti Drylock 5mm winter wetsuit.

Xcel have again won the Sima awards for the third year with this suit.

Cologne, Germany Open for: 6 years www.concretewave.de

What is your best selling category and why?

The longboard boom has been huge over the last two years and we have one of the biggest selections in Europe. We’ve got over 200 decks, more than 200 types of truck and over 200 wheel types. This, combined with our knowledge, makes us the people to go to.

Which upcoming brand would you like to stock in the future?

Rayne longboards is not a new brand but it is really exclusive in Germany due to bad distribution.

Now Rayne has a new distributor and we will get the first shipment very soon.

What can brands improve on to support independent retailers?

We always need promotional stuff like stickers or catalogues to give to our customers. Younger customers especially are always happy to get something for free.

What's your view on buying in-store compared to online?

At the moment we sell more in-store than online because the prices are totally the same. We have a lot of test boards and the customers get expert advice. But not every customer has a good skateshop in their city.

How confident are you for the coming winter?

If there isn’t much snow we continue to sell longboards and skateboards here in Cologne. We are a 100% skateshop and sell the same stuff throughout the year. The business this year was really good so I haven’t been stressing about the coming winter.

Paris, France Open for: 8 Years www.nozbone.com

What is your best selling category and why?

Hardgoods. Recently there’s been a comeback trend meaning more people are getting back into skating so they need a new deck; we’re also seeing a lot of young kids taking it up too.

What can brands improve on to support independent retailers?

Help us animate the local scene by supporting our events, and be more involved in the local scene.

What's your view on buying in store compared to online?

Human contact is so important but we find that quite a lot of the time when we have online orders we have phone or email contact to insure they have the right product. We are not a big mail order company so we are quite close to our clients. On the other hand lots of customers use our website as a big window, they check if what they want is available and come by the shop to buy their products directly when they’re in our part of town.

How confident are you for the coming winter?

The back to school period was quite slow and these days it is difficult to have an idea about the future with all this financial mess. Plus here in France it will be the presidential election in few months and we’re used to bad business during that period. Hopefully that proverb will be put to bed this time around though.

Bude, England Open for: 30 Years www.zumajar.co.uk

What can brands improve on to support independent retailers?

Brands need to be really proactive with helping the independent retailers. Not just selling them the goods in a pre-sale every six months. They have to provide an efficient service and hold stock of all the best selling lines rather than relying on the retailer to hold large stock. Selling out to every shop within an area just to maximise their sales kills the small retailer. They need to regulate the online shops to make sure the larger retailers aren't pricing the smaller independents out of the market.

What's your view on buying in-store compared to online?

It gives the independent retailer a window to the world. Specialist retailers like us appeal to our customer as they have a chance to study online and get a feel for our products. We are starting to see the customer being less impulsive when buying and researching far more in depth to make sure what they buy is right.

How confident are you for the coming winter?

It's going to be another hard winter no doubt, however, if you offer a good quality service and great product range people will continue to spend and come back to where they get good service.

I think it is important to stay confident. Try not to listen to the news and global problems but concentrate on what you do well and be positive.

That positivity will then cross over to your customers too.

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B EST S E L L E R S Retailers... Would you like to be featured in Best Sellers?

Email clive@boardsportsource.com

SNOW

SURF

SNOW

ShoreWater sports Dave Noble’s East Whittering, England Open for: 30 years www.shore.co.uk

Loughborough, England Open for: 28 Years www.nobleboards.co.uk

Black Cats

What is your best selling category and why?

We’re a very seasonal store down here and because during the summer we’re very busy due to the surf, we sell mainly t-shirts and hoodies, whereas during the winter we sell a lot of winter jackets and snow gear.

What is your best selling single product?

Airhole facemasks hands down, they have a massive selection of colours and styles but ultimately they keep your face warm when boarding and the patented hole keeps the mask dry.

What is your best selling single product at the moment and why?

Last season our best selling product was our signature Black Cats beanie. The price is relatively low which makes it affordable for seasonaires and it also gives them an identity which others round town can relate to.

Which upcoming brand would you like to stock in the future?

I think having Nike 6.0 is a benefit to any business.

They just keep growing from strength to strength just like other up and coming brands. I think this is due to their amazing advertising campaigns, which give them such a great image among all parts of the action sports scene.

What is your best selling category and why?

Snow sports equipment, especially backcountry equipment from Ortovox and Movement skis.

It seems our customer base is maturing and spending more time away from the pistes, so the demand is growing for the equipment to make sure they’re as safe as possible while they enjoy the powder.

What can brands improve on to support independent retailers?

Brands are very good with keeping us updated with plenty of point of sale advertising equipment, which is very beneficial for us. There’s the ageold cry for lowering prices, which would be very nice. But I think that brands need to push their team riders to get more coverage which would then in turn help us to sell our products to our customers thanks to the recognition.

Which upcoming brand would you like to stock in the future?

ABS airbags, over the past few seasons we’ve spoken to many guides and backcountry professionals and we’re now 100% confident that airbags save lives. ABS is the most respected of the air bag brands out there and worth the money.

What's your view on buying in store compared to online?

Our online shop does very well for us during the winter due to our quiet months here. But I think our online store and physical store definitely complement each other well. The website is our window for people to see what we have, and then we have people coming from many miles away to come into the store and pick their product. The obvious advantage of in store versus online is the product knowledge of staff.

What can brands improve on to support independent retailers?

Staff training or training manuals are priceless; if the staff don’t know about the brands/ products they’ll never be able to sell them confidently or correctly.

What's your view on buying in store compared to online?

It’s always nice to have a look at and touch the product you’re looking to buy, plus in store you’ll get advice from people who know what they’re talking about.

How confident are you for the coming winter?

It’s been a tough few years for retailers but those that provide a good service and buy wisely shouldn’t have a problem. As ever weather conditions in the UK and Europe will have more of an effect on sales than the economic crisis: we’re quietly confident here and are pretty sure we’ll have a good season whatever.

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Tignes, France Open for: 7 Years www.blackcats-tignes.com

What is your best selling category and why?

Streetwear is what we sell the most of. With Tignes being the home of the European X Games, we have some pretty style conscious people coming here and this is where they like to spend their money – on making themselves look cool by keeping up-to-date with the latest fashions.

Which upcoming brand would you like to stock in the future?

Next winter we would be honoured to stock the Helgason brothers’ new snowboard brand Lobster. Their individual design and revolutionary board technology is incredible.

What can brands improve on to support independent retailers?

We believe that brands could help smaller retailers in a couple of ways, firstly by helping to push us forward with top notch in-store advertising features and secondly, on a more practical note, it would be nice if every once in a while they would take back some of our unsold stock.

What's your view on buying in store compared to online?

When a customer buys in-store they have access to the knowledge of shop staff that are always well trained in their product’s knowledge. You also get a warranty service in a shop, which cannot be rivalled by an online store.

Retailers... Would you like to be featured in Best Sellers?

Email clive@boardsportsource.com

brand profile

rvca RVCA was founded in 2000 by Creative Director PM Tenore who wanted to create a platform that combines art, music and modern lifestyle in a special way. Interview with Frank Voit, General Manager RVCA Europe.

Please give an overview on how and why the company began? Transcending the boundaries of traditional action boardsports apparel, RVCA was brought together by a group of like-minded individuals from various subcultures, to provide something of substance and culture and above all, doing it with integrity and as a united family.

How has last year's acquisition through Billabong affected the brand?

RVCA will always stay true to its roots, but it can especially benefit from the synergy the takeover offers, such as sourcing, distribution and retail.

GSM is very experienced in acquisition, and it respects and remains loyal to brand spirits.

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

The driving force behind RVCA is PM Tenore - the founder, brainchild and Creative Director. Having begun his career in fashion and the arts at the age of 15, Tenore has an appeal that naturally draws people to him.

What is the company ethos?

“It’s a rare thing to get commerce and community working simultaneously,” says Tenore, “It’s the balance of opposites.” RVCA in essence is redefining the way the market views art and fashion as represented through the balance of opposites and how they coexist: water, oil; air, land; destruction, industrialisation; art, science; foreign, domestic; order, chaos; past, present.

Free from passing trends – products appearing as a natural on the shelves of boutiques as on those of a local skate shop.

How important is the Artist Network Program (ANP) and is it represented in Europe?

RVCA’s ANP has always been on the forefront of the brand. A venture established to showcase the talents of accomplished, as well as unknown artists, who inspire our generation and push the limit of creative excellence. The ANP -

Artist Network Program is the foundation from which RVCA was born. It showcases the true essence of the balance of the opposites and matches contrasting personalities and talents.

One powerful marketing tool we have is the ANP Quarterly - an arts magazine published by RVCA that focuses on a broader sense of art and community. The magazine is edited by Aaron Rose, Brandon Fowler and Ed Templeton and is distributed in selected bookstores, galleries and concept stores all over Europe.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

For RVCA, it’s all about today, tomorrow and life as the big picture. It is about inspiring our generation, providing something of substance and culture and above all doing it with integrity and as a united family, a close-knit community. It’s not just about clothing; it’s a chosen lifestyle.

How do you support athletes and boardsports?

We sponsor our own successful international surf and skate teams but also support artists through their Artist Network Program.

What other marketing are you running?

Content, community and collaboration – these three words make RVCA what it is. Content as in creating, participating in, documenting and sharing interesting experiences; community as in developing a sense of community, introducing others to it and humbly learning about others; and collaboration as in sharing experiences, talents, and efforts with like-minded individuals, groups and brands. These forces are translated in to events, exhibitions, surf and skate trips, etc and are driven through PR. What is your company approach to CSR and sustainability?

PM Tenore’s vision has always been to create the brand as a platform, giving members of the ANP, our surf and skate teams the opportunity to reach an audience and share their talents. We’ve

always made great efforts to support individuals and subcultures on an authentic level that in turn allows them to inspire us all. In many cases, this has involved supporting non-profit organisations and individuals that may have the chance to achieve their goals.

Why should retailers sell your brand?

When you buy RVCA clothes, you are also buying a lifestyle - and it is the lifestyle that defines the brand story: the fact that all of RVCA’s subcultures are of equal relevance - skate, surf, art, music and fashion. This vision and PM’s enthusiasm and passion for bringing together such like-minded individuals within these subcultures - from skater to model - is reflected in the people that work and collaborate with RVCA, but also in those that wear RVCA. What do you see for the future of your company?

RVCA’s spirit has already spread immensely in the US. We strongly believe that this will happen in other regions too, especially where a growing community already exists, such as in Europe and Australia.

What do you see for the future of the industry?

Many subcultures have evolved out of the boardsport industry and vice versa, making it more of a lifestyle than anything else. As long as the industry continues to keep itself interesting as a lifestyle and the tendency of evolving subcultures remains, RVCA has a bright and positive future ahead of itself.

Where can we check out your products/videos/ stuff? www.rvca.com facebook.com/RVCA www.rvca.com/Europe facebook.com/RVCAEurope www.rvcaanpq.com

RVCA EUROPE, 33 Avenue des Tisserands, 40150 Soorts Hossegor, France / T: + 33 558 43 46 36 / E: kathi@rvca-europe.com 60.

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brand profile

S D R A O B W O SN The Helgason brothers have smashed their way onto the snowboard scene and now the young Finns have created their own snowboard company: Lobster, the only brand licensed to incorporate Bataleon’s innovative TBT technology into their boards.

Could you tell us how Lobster started?

We always wanted to be on the same team so we could ride more together. So when we were both in the middle of renewing our existing board contracts we tried our best, but no brand really wanted to get us both on board. So we decided to make our own brand. We wanted to release a board for the X Games for media hype because we were too late for ISPO and SIA. We decided on the name, designs and graphics, and we managed to get two board prototypes in time for the second day of X Games practice. We where stoked on the shape straight away but we continued to work on the flex until it was perfect for us.

a park board for girls, perfect for every type of riding. Next season we're adding ‘The Freestyle Board’ and ‘The Youth Board’ as well. All our boards have triple base technology (TBT), which is unique as we're the first company licensing the technology. We’re really hyped on TBT. We always liked our boards with camber so you still have the pop, but we also like the buttery-ness and fun of a reverse camber. With TBT we have that perfect combo of both so it fits us perfectly.

Who's on the team, and do you have any names in the pipeline?

We have some sick riders: Anne-Sophi Lechon (Fra), Johnny Russel (GBR), Ville Hietalahti (Fin) and Adam Granquist (Swe). We are working on getting one or two really big US names on board but we can’t go public with that yet. We are not stressing too hard on the team right now. We want to make sure the board line is exactly where we want it to be first.

What makes Lobster different from its competitors?

It's not normal to start your own board brand when you're at the beginning of your career. You can see in the graphics, website, image etc. that we do things exactly the way we like it and don't really care about what others say. Our limited edition STD graphics for the Jib Board got banned from shops in the US and UK. It had to be delivered with a sock to cover the graphics in stores and we heard from shops that kids came in just to see the graphics. We are also the only brand that is allowed to licence the TBT technology, which makes us different as well.

What type of terrain are Lobster boards best suited to, and what is the technology in them?

It's really simple and easy, you can just look at the name of the board and understand what it's for.

‘The Park Board’ is perfect for every type of riding; ‘The Jib Board’ is super soft and buttery and is perfect for jibbing. Then we have ‘The Girl Board’,

Why should retailers stock your boards?

We just do it the way snowboarding should be, more fun and less serious like the industry used to be back in the days when magazines like Blunt ruled in snowboarding. Now it's getting too serious and a lot of brands are doing it the safe way. You won't see Lobster play it safe anytime soon. We

personally approve every Lobster stockist. We said no to a lot of shops and chains this year and only supply the ones we're stoked on. So if you have our boards you're one of the privileged.

With the high level of riding you (Eiki & Halldor) are at, where can we expect to see you and the brand in the next few years?

Our plan is to keep on going and see what happens and have as much fun with the brand as possible. I guess the brand will develop with us and the rest of the team as well. Now we have the perfect boards to ride, but with more riders we'll have more input which will make us grow further. Luckily we have people who take care of the business side, which we don't know anything about (production, finance, distribution, sales, etc.), but we are 100% running everything that involves marketing, team, product development, graphics and image of the brand. We have actually been working on more stuff and will launch a new binding company next year as well. Look out for that at ISPO this year.

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

To check out the boards go to www. lobstersnowboards.com. You will find a lot of team news there but to stay updated on what we're doing check out www.helgasons.com and join us on www.facebook.com/helgasons.

Kristoffer Hansson Dot Inc LTD, Unit 1D, Leroy House, 436 Essex Road, London / T : +46 70 521 71 81 / E : kristoffer@dotinc.eu 62.

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flexible wood manly package

welcome to the team phil

// INTRODUCING THE PLATOON Oversized for your pleasure. The bigges cleanest, most modern goggle we make

brand profile

swox SWOX - short for Sun, Water, Oxygen - is a young, aspiring sun protection company based in Munich. Having developed a unique range of products for the boardsport industry, SWOX have been on the market for just a few months and things have been developing quickly…

Where does the company come from and how did it start?

It all kicked off in September 2008 when I asked myself if I wanted to lead an “ordinary” life working as a manager for Playboy Magazine, living and working in Germany, OR if I wanted to follow my passion and dreams. I had a good job, I had a great boss, my colleagues appreciated my work and I liked what I did, but somehow I had the feeling I had to change something and that straight away! I wanted to go to Australia. Three months later I quit my job and traveled to Australia. I was very lucky, as in the first week in Sydney I met Tim Peltz, a German doctor who had moved there to follow his passion, surfing. He showed me around, took me to all the amazing surf spots on the east coast and inspired me with his lifestyle, next to the beach, leading the life he wanted. Surfing is one of the best things you can do for your soul but one of the worst things you can do for your skin and your eyes. I felt it every day in the water, exposed to the extreme sun in Australia. The sunscreen I used ran into my eyes and I could barely see. Then I started to think about SWOX – Sun protection for surfers with no shortcuts, products that work, nothing more nothing less.

With Tim as a doctor and passionate surfer I had the first friend involved.

Who is involved with the brand and what are their roles?

I am the CEO overlooking the whole thing, but I have a very experienced team around me. Dr. Tim Peltz is responsible for R&D. Ralph Kenke in Sydney is responsible for the graphic design and makes sure corporate identity is met in whatever we do. Vroni Winsi designs our surf and snow clothing line, while Ferdinand Kunzl joined us this year from Innsbruck, to take over the position as project manager. He is responsible for merchandise and inventory control. Right from the start there is also Andrea Socher and Daniel Tan who formed the company with us. The two

support us with financial issues and distribution questions whenever they can.

What is the ethos of your company?

It’s quite hard to bring this into a short form, but I will give it a try: Stay Salty! We believe in getting there early. We savour in the moment the sun filters across the water. We aspire to connect but never conquer. We appreciate the calm but understand the chaos. We seek a life of exhilaration and exhaustion. We believe in skin first made coarse and then smooth by sand. We long equally for the sting and the sympathy of the water. We submit to the rise and fall and rise and fall. We believe in being the last to leave. Then going right back to the beginning.

What is different about SWOX? The big idea came from surfers knowing the needs of surfers. The passion for outdoor sports was matched with the frustration with most sun protection products, which were never designed for extreme conditions on the mountains or the sea. That’s why we got together. And because we know there is no substitute for expertise and experience, our entire protection system was developed in conjunction with both, medical researchers and professional athletes. With no compromises and no shortcuts, we believe there is no better way for you to stay protected.

What sets you apart from the competition?

Interesting question. Having developed our sun protection capsules as a food supplement that protects us from the inside, I guess, we have a different approach to the whole sun protection topic. We only produce and sell products that protect us from extreme sun exposure, be that creams, capsules, hoodies, caps or t-shirts.

Another point would probably be the fact that we produce everything in Europe.

Do you support boardsports and athletes?

Yes, we support a great team of riders. In surfing we work with European top surfers Cannelle Bulard (FRA) and Marlon Lipke (GER) as well as Tao Schirrmacher (GER) who is a Munich local. In snowboarding we’re working with up and coming superstars Ethan Morgan (GER), Silje Norendal (NOR) and many others. We are proud to be able to support them and if we would not, we would probably not be authentic. Our latest addition to the team is Mirjam Jaeger (SUI) who is one of the best freeski girls out there.

Why should retailers sell your brand?

The most important reason would be that we make high quality products, developed with passion from surfers for the needs of surfers and our company ethos, the passion behind it. But SWOX is not only producing top-level sunscreen, it is also a brand, which has a really good image and appeals in terms of marketing and style.

What arguments should they use for selling your products?

The big idea was to develop a facial sun cream that would be absorbed easily and quickly and would not run into the eyes. Our creams were developed for extreme conditions. A team of professional athletes and medical researchers created the perfect combination. SWOX also has no bad ingredients: No fragrances, no oils, no parabens, no allergens.

What‘s planned for the future?

Business wise we plan to launch in the US market as well as Asia/Pacific. We are also developing a new easy to apply sun body cream with SPF20, which we are planning to introduce next summer.

Our plan is to stay as passionate about our vision and message too and to educate kids and grownups about how important sun protection really is.

Where can we see your products/video/etc? www.swox.com or www.facebook.com/swox.surf

Aventinstr. 14, 80469 Munich, Germany / T : +49 89 80 912 974 / E : info@swox.com / www.swox.com 64.

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01. Ride: DH2.6 Art Director of Marketing for Volcom, Mike Aho, has lent his artistic talents to Ride for their DH2.6 board. As well as comedy graphics the DH2.6 has all the features that have put Ride at the forefront of snowboard technology. Its micro-camber between the feet offers great response, pop and landing stability while a minor rise in both tip and tail minimise edge catch. All this plus Ride’s Slimewalls®, Pop Rods 2.0® and Membrain® top sheet. www.ridesnowboards.com 02. Globe: Bantum Globe’s new Bantam plastic skateboard is a throwback to the 70’s coming in 12 different colourways. Even though the Bantam’s made of plastic it doesn’t compromise any ride-ability or performance thanks to Globe’s trademarked S-Trac moulded grip. The board uses a high spec Globe wheel pressed with ABEC 7 bearings, takes 924 pounds of pressure to make it touch the ground, and Globe are so confident of its durability they give a life time guarantee on every set of trucks sold. www.globe.tv 03. Urbanears: Plattan Quilted Edition This is the first headphone in Urbanears new ‘Edition’ series. They feature a padded headband and comfortable ear cushions that are quilted with the same kind of material you’d find in a comfy jacket. The Zound Plug feature allows a friend to plug in and enjoy the same music and the whole headphone set can be folded down to the size of a fist for ultimate mobility. www.urbanears.com

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04. C1RCA: The Griz: Emmanuel Guzman’s Signature collab shoe with Aerocush ™ Technology and Santa Cruz Emmanuel Guzman’s signature shoe debuts C1RCA’s special compound of PU foam which allows for a cushioning midsole inside a vulcanized shoe, which was previously unheard of due to the high heat during production. The result is a great looking shoe providing unsurpassed comfort and heel protection. www.C1RCA.com 05. Chiemsee: Accuzzi in Denim optic A genuine denim optic combined with numerous functional features perfectly equips all snowboarders for their joyride. Equipped with 5,000mm waterproofness, this snow pant braves all weather challenges while the baggy cut assures maximum flexibility and comfort. Moreover, 30cm ventilation flies, along the mid thigh, will always keep you cool. www.chiemsee.com

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06. Osiris: The Chaveta The Chaveta is a Team Collective Model with unique skate styling and a slimmer profile. It introduces the Osiris CLD VLC Construction and features T3 Tech (protects against toe impact and provides better fit), RX Insole (upgraded dual density insole), and OG Cush (reduces weight and increases flexibility and comfort). www.osirisshoes.com

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www.boardsportsource.com : for more exiting new products

market intelligence

Germany 2011 – What a year! A whirlwind of events: bank defaults, Tsunamis, Arabian revolts, Greece, Osama and Gaddafi, Wiki leaks, the Royal Wedding, bailouts, Amy Winehouse and Steve Jobs. The OCCUPY movement goes global, global population reaches seven billion!

Through it all, the German economy remained strong, despite a short dip for the stock market (the DAX) to just above 5,000 points in September.

It came back with a vengeance only a few weeks later, when the German government and its’ allies agreed on a bailout plan for Greece, rising more than 25% to over 6,400 points in November. Accordingly, the Institute for Economic Research (IFO) financial climate index also climbed back. Crisis averted. At the end of the year, the German Minister of Economy, Philipp Rössler concluded, “The German economy is doing well.” Consumer optimism on the Association for Consumer Research (GfK) has also been steady throughout the second half of the year. Looking ahead, signs are positive, while inflation remained moderate in 2011, disposable income of German households grew by 3.2% and is expected to stay at 2.9% in 2012 – the biggest increase since German reunification.

A comprehensive assessment of 2011 in boardsports is difficult. Initially, distributors and retailers predicted a more positive year, but then came the unseasonable weather. “Both spring and autumn weather really messed with our plans and the warm, late summer ruined early winter sales,” says Bernhard Burger at 5ive stores, Kempten in the South of Germany.

The situation is less clear for distributors according to Jörg Ludewig, co-owner at Urban Supplies and Jefferson distribution companies in Wiesbaden. “It’s hard to say... until September it was slightly better than 2010, then October was just ghastly. Although the weather was superb, sales really dropped. Hard to say why, but it can’t have only been the weather.” Ludewig also pointed out, “As a distributor, we only notice when the shops stop restocking which can be a while after they’ve started to get quiet.”

A MIXED PICTURE Feedback from retailers on their overall 2011 business varied significantly.

Sven Eckert, owner at TX SPORTS GROUP in Nuremberg said, “It was very mixed overall; unfortunately there is way too much product on the market. Also, aggressive online platforms are finally taking out classic retailers.” Bernhard at 5ive said, “We are looking back at 2011 with mixed feelings. For the most part, we met our targets in all stores, but only had good growth in our fashion store.” As an explanation for this divergence, Jörg Ludewig offered, “You have this weird situation in the market where the big ones will get bigger and small ones get smaller. It’s not the core shops making the biggest profits right now but the mail order services, large chains and larger stores with bigger selections and sales floors.

Although, there are also smaller retailers with good sales.”

No matter whom you ask, there’s a growing sense of anxiety. Bernhard Burger warns, “The going is getting tougher overall. With vertical chains opening one store after the other, online stores pulling significant sales into the virtual world and the increasingly fast-changing fashion trends: we have to brace ourselves for different times.”

2011: Trends by Segment Skate: Kept afloat by hardware. Although the influx of new beginners has somewhat died down according to Daniel at 540. “A healthy German scene has gained traction and guarantees a constant level [of sales].” Daniel points out that US pro decks around ¤70 are increasingly “collecting dust” on the shelves, while local and European brands are moving in numbers.

Kay-Uwe Lorck at FU2 store in Leipzig confirms that decks around ¤50

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By Dirk Vogel

are the strongest category. Longboards have proved a saving grace for many stores, while skate footwear made a comeback in 2011, especially Vans and Etnies.

Surf: Fashionable accessories. The core surf scene in Germany remains a small, die-hard cluster, while the masses gravitate towards the surfinspired lifestyle – meaning surf fashion. The market for board shorts and apparel remains oversaturated, while surf business also suffered from unpredictable weather this summer. Among all water sports, wakeboarding emerged as the most promising category, buoyed by aggressive growth of cable parks across Germany: now there are in excess of 100 facilities.

Stand-Up-Paddle Boarding (SUP), often heralded as surfing’s ticket to mainstream success, has yet to break through.

Snow: More quality, but highly weather-dependent. While core snowboarders proved willing to pay more money for better quality and innovative features, dependence on weather reared its ugly head for the snow segment in 2011. According to Bernhard at 5ive, “a way too warm September meant a mediocre start for the autumn/winter without much movement in snow apparel.” Sven at TX SPORTS confirmed the bad start, “Look at inventory levels... not much happening. Maybe if we get constant two-metre snow levels from November to March, things will look up.”

Daniel at 540 expects winter jackets to be a big affair: “mostly street wear-style, but also sporty and functional and less fashion-oriented.”

THE FUTURE OF CORE RETAIL Judging from retailer feedback, core board sport stores in Germany are currently at a crossroads. Pat Lindenberger at Ground Zero in Worms reported, “I closed down my store front in May; it was my way or the highway.

I want skateboarding to be fun again.” Kay-Uwe Lorck at FU2 in Leipzig has closed his downtown store to reopen in October at the indoor skate park in town. “I had to take this step, because a core shop can’t survive on hardware sales alone. Apparel sales had dropped by almost 80% and with the low margins for hardware, you just can’t win.” In the bigger picture, Kay-Uwe said, “As a core shop you have to compete with online platforms.

A large number of customers order stuff from the Internet, but will come by the store if they need answers and guidance about skateboarding. Many kids don’t understand that you need a local store to build a scene and keep it alive.” Sven at TX SPORTS is also feeling the heat from online retail, “This year has been worse and there is no improvement in sight, unless they shut down the Internet for an entire year.”

One recent trend has been for core shops to focus on smaller, more exclusive brands – leaving the big brands for online retailers and chains.

Realistically, that has its limits, Jörg Ludewig pointed out: “The online platforms are only pushing brands that are really selling. That doesn’t leave much that no one else has for core shops to pick up. Plus, if the big boys aren’t selling it, chances are, nobody wants it!”

Meanwhile, leading core stores are taking measures to stay afloat. Such as Sven Eckert who realises what needs to be done, “lower operating costs, reduce staff, make no orders for in-between collections, make more conscious purchases, and gradually fade out brands available online.” At 5ive stores Bernhard Burger said, “It’s ever more important for us to drive innovation, responsiveness, service and style, to offer our customers the best possible shopping experience.” As a qualifier, Bernhard added: “But in the end, we should be glad that skateboarding and snowboarding have become as big as they are.” Amen to that, and a Happy New Year 2012, everyone!

market intelligence

france There were times this year when it appeared as through the Euro wouldn’t make it, and worse were the times when it appeared as though Greece might pull the Union to it’s knees. Although Europe continues without a single fiscal mechanism upon which our shared currency can legitimately exist across the continent’s disparate economies, all of Europe has come a long way in the recognition of collective responsibility that sees the Euro continued presence far more certain than even at the beginning of 2011.

SKATE Skate hardgoods has been the consistent top-performing category throughout the year, and as the pulse of the industry this indicates that skate in France is in great health. Jean-Marc Vaissette of V7 Distribution confirms this also, and given the powerful list of key skate brands that they supply, this is reassuring indeed! “It is pretty healthy in the sense that there are many skaters, and many skateparks opening, etc. but I think it’s suffering because of the economic situation, the lack of consumption at the retail level.” However, many shops confirm that skate sales year-on-year were up on 2010.

Skate footwear saw a good comeback in 2011, with some more streetwearorientated shops identifying shoes as their strongest category. Click Skateshop in Nantes for example, although this is a reflection of the shop’s inventory. When asked of the top selling product of 2011, Gus Barba, General Manager of the BTR Shops in Carcassonne, Narbonne and Perpignan, promptly responded “The Nike SB Janoski in all colours.” Simple. However, Jean-Marc feels that rather than the category having improved, it’s more that “There are still many people willing to buy shoes from skate and action sport brands, and also some brands obviously succeeded in becoming trendy, and appeal to non-skater customers, that’s why the category is doing good for the retailer.”

Although still slow, as it has been over the last few years, skate clothing has showed signs of picking up through 2011. For Bank's Sk8 & Jeans in Mont de Marsan, this was easily their best performing category for the year, although again perhaps reflected in inventory. In talking about educating customers of brands, pros and technologies, Jean-Marc recommends for the skate retailer that it’s the same idea for shoes: “Keep some space (and $) for the “real” skate brands to distinguish yourself from the “mainstream” sporting goods stores!” Or as Gus at BTR put it, “Stay authentic.”

The new Europe is emerging, albeit with a tightened shoestring belt. This was a key factor noted for business success in 2011. Julien from Transfert Skateshop in Bordeaux informs that the greatest lesson of 2011 for him was “Carrying just enough stock with a minimum pre-order. It was what saved me this year!” Looking forward with optimism to 2012 he’s happy to announce that this will be the shop’s 14th year of business. Doesn’t that bring a smile to your face?!

SNOWBOARDING After a fairly standard 2010 autumn with reasonable sales results, everything picked up at the start of December with premature snowfalls that reached the valley floor. "The number of visitors to the shop rose significantly, as did equipment sales. This weather provided us with quite a high turnover until the middle of January, adding to the good sales we normally see anyway for this period" rejoices Romain, manager of ABS in Lyon.

This enthusiasm is much more apparent in the towns than in resorts, where footfall was still low at the start of December and where the snowfall did not have so much of an impact. Mickey Snowboard in Luz Saint Sauveur (Haute Pyrenees) even laments that "sales at the start of the season weren't any better than normal up here and from January onwards, the

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By Iker Aguirre, Lucy Paltz, Luke van Unen.

sales that the shops in the towns ran made for patchy results." The winter was complicated for the stores in the mid-altitude resorts and then they took an all round turn for the worse, when sales plunged at the end of January, even in the towns. In the main alpine resorts the results are a bit different, thanks to a wealthier foreign clientele. In Val d'Isère, the boss of the shop MistyFly reminds us "the British and Scandinavian customers have a higher budget than the French and are also interested in top-of-therange equipment and outerwear collections. This allowed us to maintain a stable turnover this winter."

After a mixed 2011 winter, how will 2012 be? At ABS, as at Boardstore Shop Toulouse, they admit to having ordered less, or at best, are planning to restock later in the year. Prudence generally prevails because "with the current economic situation, customers are changing equipment less frequently and analyse (their purchases) more." That's reflected too, in what the brands are sensing. Guillaume from Nitro confirms these "mixed pre-orders", but puts forward a solution: open up new markets. With big new clients on the rental market, Nitro has managed to make the best of a bad situation and have even had an increase in their sales figures. When times are hard you have to stay active to stimulate and encourage the customer base. The ABS Lyon method? "We try to stoke up the local scene through events and movie premieres to create interest.” Getting involved and boosting the local scene is definitely the best way of waiting for the snow. And for customers!

SURFING Apart from what has already been mentioned (weather, uncertainty, cautiousness of shops, etc.), which we know has had its influence on this market, surfing as a sport has never been so healthy. Passion for the sport is strong, spots are overrun and equipment sales are going well.

With regards to board sales, "2011 was a good harvest despite an odd season. The beginning of the season started off strongly - as much for the entry-level boards as for boards in the €600 and upwards range - thanks to the school holidays, the good weather and the consistent waves. July/ August showed a weaker turnover, some products even seeing a fall in sales because of bad weather conditions and lack of swell.

To talk trends, each price segment has 2 or 3 leading brands that have retained a good rate of sale throughout 2011. “Under these circumstances, it is more difficult to push brands that are lesser known or positioned between two categories, such as not too expensive, nor not too cheap," explains Stéphane Boully, manager of Surf Station in Bidart.

The increase in strength of products made in China is noteworthy, putting pressure on the prices that importers, as well as shapers themselves, have to work with. The latter in particular are suffering from margins being gnawed away. The big shaping workshops, Euroglass, Surf Odyssey and UWLI have come out particularly well though and have reinforced their position as leaders. Operating silently, but intelligently, another player in this market is Viral Surf, who over the years has become a veritable hub for surfboard production. A final mention goes to the popularity of certain moulded board brands like NSP in the entry-level and Surf Tech in the upper range.

In shoes and clothing, while boardshorts sales were acceptable because of the increased footfall at surf spots, clothing sales suffered. "Consumers have less money to spend and are making sure they buy the equipment they need to keep surfing before anything else - especially clothes - because these can be worn season upon season without needing replacement or really going out of fashion," explains Colin Lagrange, boss of Freestyle, Anglet.

market intelligence

UK

By Gordon Way, Ultra Sport

Honesty is important! I don’t mean ‘stealing’ honesty or ‘lying to your Mum’ honesty. I mean being honest with the people you do business with. Honesty applies to the governments too – like it or not, in the UK we have the Coalition and this week (Week 43) all the ‘wonderful’ governments of Europe have ‘saved the day’. The hell they have. I don’t feel an ounce of honesty coming from any one of our politicians. At what point do politicians become misleading, wanna-be-elected machines?

All I know is that we - in the real world - have to keep our heads down and get on with the day job. We are powerless to influence those that carry so much power – so we just have to get on with the job in hand, try to make a living and enjoy it as we do so.

Where’s my good news? I did promise that I would always be looking for good news. Well it is coming, but first I love this quote from the CBI, “retail sales down less than expected”, they go on to say that “the decline has stabilised”… so it’s still a decline, but not as bad as we (they) thought.

To line you up for the good news so that it feels better, I should highlight the following statistics: • Department store sales fell at their fastest pace since May 2010 • Clothing sales fell at their fastest pace since March 2009 • Footwear and leather suffered their biggest falls in survey history OK – ready for some good news?

• Grocery sales were up • Furniture and carpet sales were up Best of all • Sales of recreational goods were up Overall in fact, according to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), UK retail sales rose 0.6% in September, which seems at odds to the CBI quote! So we’ll run with the ONS, which is good news indeed as this has more than reversed the 0.4% drop for August! There’s more and this is where it starts to get really interesting. There was a small, but perceptible shift in sales away from the big box and chain stores to the independents. What happened there then? Keep it coming Mr. and Mrs. Consumer – keep it coming! You can buy from someone other than Tesco! (I don’t mean to single out Tesco, but seriously? How big can they get?)

Talking to the independents, we can get a clearer picture of what is going on in our own backyard. A major surf shop in North Wales (who would like to remain anonymous) had this to say, “An okay year all things considered” and confirmed that my last article, where I suggested that my September visit to Polzeath in beautiful weather took place during what would be the ‘last kick to the season’ was just… wrong. The warm weather has stayed with us… “They were in the water in shorty wetsuits yesterday”, (27th October) “and whilst the holidaymaker is not spending money at this time of year, the surfers are, we’ve still got the footfall and they’re still spending.” As for 2012 he is not overly excited, more “mildly optimistic”.

Overheads in check, staff numbers down, footfall about the same, but spending power down, is a reasonable summary for 2011. A quick glance at the ‘For Sale’ boards in the local town where holiday homes make up

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the majority, and at the dried up waiting lists for the Caravan Parks, and we have a pretty clear picture painted for us. The specialist core store is fairing better than a lot of businesses.

Heading North of the border, things are still going well for Brian from Boardwise who’s not complaining although he’s slow ‘not to complain’ if you get my drift. Ask him how things are and he contemplates the question for a while. It seems like he is afraid that the answer may break the spell. “It’s okay, turnover is up, it’s not great, but it’s… okay.”

Brian feels like a lot of us feel, “the customers are scared to make the purchase. They’re all frightened to spend and make that commitment.”

What about the summer? “It just did not happen. The sun did not shine, the surf did not arrive so now we’re full on ready for the winter, buried in new stock and [deep breath in] waiting for the season to kick in.”

After many years of shoddy snowfall, the last two seasons in Scotland have not been half bad – in fact, pretty good by Scottish standards. Brian can feel optimism about another good season ahead from his customers and that is driving a few early sales. There is still though, an underlying hesitancy in the main. “I hope that their optimism proves to be right”.

What’s hot and what’s he looking forward to? “Technical sales” Brian relates, “customers are better educated and now fully appreciate that spending money on a technical product will bring them benefits. It started last year and I feel it’s going to continue this year – proper layers, fleeces at £150 – the ‘in the know’ customer will spend that money if they know there is a real advantage.”

On our around-Britain trip, we now dip back South, but far north of the Watford Gap, to Manchester and Paul at NOTE. They’ve had a really good year. “We’re up quite a lot” and he sounds surprised at his own success, “clothing and trainers have been really good, but nothing has actually been bad. Our online business, which we introduced last year, is developing well.” At 12-years-old at their current location in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, they know what they’re talking about.

“I’m also pretty positive about 2012” he continued, “we have increased our supplier orders and I’m really hoping to see something like a 25% increase for next year.” Paul highlights the influence of skate on fashion together with a significant musical influence to be what’s keeping him positive. “I can sell snapback caps all day long, all due to the rapper influence.”

Heading further back south to our capital city, London in fact. I spoke to Jonny from 47º who, as you might expect, has confirmed that due to the warm weather, winter is yet to get fully off the ground. “It’s a slow start for sure,” says Jonny, “but I’m still optimistic for the season. We’ve bought deep into a few key brands and we’ve got some good exclusivity on ski. I feel that our customer base is simply waiting for a cold snap – then we should start motoring.” As for predicting for 2012, “there are just too many unknowns, but once again, I am quietly optimistic. Ask me in a year!”

It seems that quiet optimism is the overall feeling and this, coupled with complete uncertainty about 2012, is no real surprise. The really good news then is that we certainly seem to be doing better than a lot of other industries and there is optimism out there.

Chinese Proverb: To open a shop is easy; to keep it going is an art. We should all take up art lessons.

market intelligence spain By Asier Zabarte

italy By Franz Hoeller

Surf hardgood sales are generally continuing for surf retailers, even with the onset of autumn. On the other hand, textile sales are falling at an average rate of 10% on the north coast, to about 20% in the southern regions and this bears a close relationship with unemployment rates in each area. “The late beginning of autumn has delayed seasonal textile sales by around 40%” said Sito Busto from SLH Industries, who cover both coasts and the main cities. Cristina Fernandez of Slash Boards, the hardgoods side of the same company, told us that even if short boards are selling in a similar way to 2010, they are concerned about the population’s decreasing budget. For instance, wetsuit bestsellers during 2011 were in the 240€ - 290€ price range and it was much more difficult to shift high performance wetsuits over and above 300€.

Let’s start as usual with an economic and political update. There’s so much going on right now that it is not always easy to point out the most important facts. The European Union is putting a lot of pressure on Italy right now and the government, under the direction of Silvio Berlusconi, has to develop some serious plans to reduce debt now and also work out plans to grow the economy over the next few years. This is not easy and is made even harder at present by the opposition party trying everything to force Berlusconi into having government elections earlier than normal. These ups and downs in government are not helping the economy grow, as it makes consumers insecure and companies afraid of investing new money.

Several banks have also been downgraded by the major rating agencies and getting credit seems to be a lot more difficult than it need be.

This much is clear; we do not have the same budget as a few years ago and due to this we have to get smarter with our purchasing decisions.

This is probably the only positive aspect we could find in all this. Brands such as Patagonia, who have recently opened their store in Donostia - San Sebastian, do their best to provide longer lasting and high quality goods.

If you make an investment in them, the brand ensures it will be worth it.

Lolo Fondo, the store manager, told us "the whole Patagonia range is a great investment for the customer. Sales may have been slow to increase because of the economic panic. People are waiting for the moment to combine some savings with a celebration and invest in a long-life product.

So, for the end of 2011, we expect an increase in sales.” Could this change in the perceived value of goods mark the end of the old price first model?

The winter season has started very slowly for the boardsport business.

October was extremely warm and so customers hadn’t got into winter mode. Bad for the retailer maybe, but good for many distributors as, due to production problems in China, they were late with shipping their outerwear.

Overall however the year ran smoothly, most shops agree that sales stayed flat compared to last year and now, how the winter season fares depends on the weather. If snow falls early then hardgoods and outerwear will sell and some growth in turnover can be achieved.

Retailers are facing a very hard situation right now. Snow retailers in many cases are already struggling to afford to stock hardgoods. “You must manage a stock of hundreds of boards to make it worth while, due to the low margins” says Konrad Lindner from Contracanto in Vielha. When companies leading the market push ahead with their strategies, it is very difficult for core retailers not to be sucked into the vortex. They’re all individually trying to find a solution that might work for them.

“New brands are necessary for a healthy market. Those retailers that can manage the risks, have the choice of promoting new brands, but often the key for surf retailers is keeping to hardgoods”, says Adur Letamendia from Pukas. The product experience that wise retailers can offer their clients improves results and allows them to compete with low-price distributors.

That’s the way Soul Surfboards from the southern region is reaching the wider public, “we’re trying to spread the brand around to people, sharing the surfing knowledge that just wasn’t around for us during our youth” said Jesus Ruiz. That’s the way people get hooked on an experience, which helps the market.

2012 is expected to be hard for most retailers, as it’s going to be a period of high unemployment. They are all searching for ways to minimise costs and improve their business. So is there a way to help the core stores who are continuously generating culture and lifestyle? There’s no clear answer. Possibly geographically positioned tourism plans supported by local governments are part of the answer. “Surf camps and schools are becoming a great showcase for the industry, as they have become the perfect field for testing and experience”, suggested Lurta Nicolas from Barrika Surf Camp. Let’s hope something helps.

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Looking back on this year’s trends there are a few worth a mention. On the hardgoods side, longboarding became very popular and surfing has become the number one holiday activity in the boardsport community. Shoe trends were, for sure, slimmer and more boat shoe style sneakers, but the bigger styles still have their fans and continue to create good turnover.

Strong clothing trends were shirts and chino pants, but overall it is one of the hardest categories to handle as the trends change quickly and the competition is high, especially in the young adult consumer category. The younger customers are still easier to predict as they focus a lot on logo prints and they normally buy the brands that market themselves well.

A future trend for winter 2011/2012 is definitely freestyle skiing. Lots of core snowboard stores are already carrying skis; the most popular brand right now in this segment is Armada. As for snowboarding trends, Nike snowboard boots seem to be attracting a lot of attention and many consumers are down to try them out, it seems their marketing effort is bearing fruit.

As a preview for next year, news is circulating of a new boardsports tradeshow, held in Reggio Emilia in April 2012, going by the name of Sport & Street. It will also have all kinds of side events and action that should attract a lot of people from our industry. Good luck to the organisation and hopefully it will be a blast.

Some distribution changes have occurred within the Italian industry this year; here are some of them. Blue Distribution from Verona had two new additions this year, by way of Hurley Surf and Dickies Work wear. Fresco sales agency is the new distributor for mini speaker brand Music Monster and remains the exclusive partner for Lakai limited footwear, which is now handled through Girl. Fresco is now also taking care of Diamond Footwear, a new footwear line focused on lifestyle sneakers using high quality materials. In the snowboard industry, distributor Wood Morning from Rome now deals with Yes and Lobster snowboards, founded by the Helgason brothers. That’s all for this issue, hope to see you all at the upcoming tradeshows around the globe.

market intelligence AUSTRIA By Michael Reinwald

switzerland By Fabien Grisel

In Austria, the outlook for actual economic growth for 2012 has been cut in half by specialists at the WIFO as well as the IHS. Meanwhile, both are maintaining their prognosis for 2011, the WIFO expecting 2.9% growth, the IHS, 3%.

It's hard to stay positive when summing up the year 2011. Times are hard, really hard. Some have even taken the line of hoping that next winter will be just as bad as the last so that absolute 'cleansing' takes place, amongst retailers as well as distributors. In this scenario, only the strongest will survive while others will have to shut up shop and the purified market will start all over again on a solid base.

In September 2011 inflation was sitting at 3.6% according to ‘Statistik Austria’ compared to 3.5% in August and 3.5% in July. That means this September had the highest inflation since September 2008 (3.8%).

Petrochemicals remained the main cost drivers (+18%); without them, inflation would have been at a mere 2.8%. The cost of living space, food, restaurants and hotels also caused a spike of price levels.

Based on these facts, together with the endless talk of crisis in the media, you’d get the impression that 2011 was not a good year for retail.

Actually, feedback from retailers around Austria paints a different picture: that consumer behaviour in boardsports remains unaffected by the crisis and stable throughout the country. Accordingly, revenues for 2011 have remained comparable to the year before.

The start of the year with its unseasonably warm weather threw a curve ball to retailers, but spring proved positive for most. At Surf Hammerschmid in Gmunden, for example, inventory taking was not necessary as there was no stock left on the shelves. At the start of the summer season, weather conditions were atypical, which meant retailers had some difficulty selling typical summer products such as board shorts and flip-flops. These only sold during the sale season. Sunglasses are becoming more difficult to sell, as cheap fashion glasses are widely available to consumers. In the backpack segment, Tim at Fame in Vienna mentioned the market was suffering from over saturation because of intense distribution of some brands. However, the drop in these segments could be compensated for by skateboard hardware sales, which once again, proved rather stable. The longboard trend is still on the rise and many retailers are expanding their selection banking more on this area and its’ current popularity for next spring.

August and back-to-school sales proved slow, but October, with excellent sell-through of winter sports goods was kind to our retail environment. In the snowboard segment, new rocker boards are driving sales and videos like ‘The Art of Flight’ are making Lib Tech fly off the shelves, said Tobi at Sajas in Vorarlberg. Freeski is a hot topic for many retailers and touring has been revitalised by split boards, which, as long as there is enough snow, will be big movers this season according to Andi Wurmhöriger at Blue Tomato. Most retailers are rather cautious about predictions, as the amount of snow that will actually fall is anyone’s guess. Most are hoping for plenty of powder – not only to drive sales, but also for their own enjoyment.

Many retailers have cut budgets for their 2012 pre-orders and want to rely more strongly on instant inventory restock while getting rid of less important brands. Core retailers are looking to make the most of their specific strengths in order to step up against large-scale retailers and the increasingly heated competition on price points in many places. “As a retailer, you have to make yourself increasingly familiar with the cuts and collections, which we have actually been doing all along.” said Adi Rauscher at XDouble in Innsbruck. Many retailers are already offering inexpensive alternatives to high-priced items.

In conclusion, as long as this winter isn’t the worst in a long time and the world economy doesn’t fall into the abyss, the boardsport business can look forward to a positive year 2012.

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Most people do not share this rather extreme vision and are hoping for a really good winter. Lord knows, we need one. Of course, we can always bring up the problem of the weak Euro against the franc that still hasn't been resolved despite an intervention from the national bank, but all the focus has now turned towards the weather and the eagerly anticipated snowfalls. According to Francois Kohli from Cornershop and McBoard in Villars, simply getting good conditions could be enough to reverse their fortunes. This is because the number of day tickets, mainly bought by people living close to the resort, was in clear decline last year due to the pitiful conditions. An increase in tickets alone could limit the damage, offsetting the possible no-show of foreigners, for whom Switzerland has become way too expensive. He has his fingers crossed and is staying positive, counting on his compatriots to stay and ride in Switzerland.

Current figures however, are not exactly encouraging. Statistics from the Swiss tourist board show an 8% drop in hotel reservations at Swiss resorts this winter compared to the same time last year. This is due to a boycott by certain nationalities that normally come to our country. The English media was particularly cruel, warning its fellow citizens to avoid Switzerland this winter. Moreover, the Swiss media provided their not so helpful contribution to this critical situation by incessantly going on about how everything is better value in neighbouring countries. Perhaps we will see reservations fleeing across borders, even from Swiss citizens, towards the Eurozone, into the Austrian or Italian Tirol for example.

As already discussed in previous editions, the strong franc continues to just about choke Switzerland. It has reached such a point that the experts are predicting a recession for the start of 2012. For our industry, another factor has played a huge part and I am forced to refer to the disastrous weather conditions. The seasons were completely distorted and out of sync, the winter was hot and without snow, the spring arrived before shops were equipped for it, the spring and start of summer were mediocre and did not inspire people to go out and buy. The true summer started in August when everyone had sales on and the autumn was abnormally nice and warm, which considerably affected the start of winter equipment sales. All in all it was a total shambles and looking back, we realise that we couldn't have done any worse.

We can clearly see the closing stages of the desperate cycle we are in, these days the shops do not have the means to cover their outlays, so they are closing down. Chains of big stores are reducing their stock and are limiting themselves to versatile, but few staff, while importers and other distributors are laying people off, keeping on the minimum possible workforce. Basically, we have arrived at a turning point and whether we like it or not, only the strongest will survive.

market intelligence russia By Yuri Kolobov

portugal

A good friend of mine imparted some conventional wisdom. “Stay positive!” he said. To be honest, it was not that difficult to follow his advice during 2011. The Russian economy showed positive growth almost all year. The only time slight turbulence was felt was at the end of August, caused by the volatility of the Ruble. We’ve also learnt this autumn (quite some time before official elections), the name of the next President of Russia. What’s the guy’s name again? Hmmmm, wait, it’s coming to me…

Economic events that have an impact on the Portuguese economy and business environment are happening at a mind-boggling speed. No one knows what tomorrow or even the next few hours will bring and this continues to take its toll on consumer and business confidence. It’s as if anyone in Europe sneezes, Portugal gets a cold.

As far as 2011 highlights, I’ve collated the most important news for your perusal: • Retail business has stabilised, however we suffered two more bankruptcies this year. The oldest shops NOG Moscow (Non Olympic Games) and Adrenaline shut their doors last summer. I recently found an old article from Transworld Business about these two stores, with a big interview talking about their plans and ambitions. Now both are history.

• Along with Adrenaline, the parent wholesaler Kvant also shut down operations.

• Circa, formerly at Dwindle distribution has changed distributor.

• Freestyle distribution is also balancing on the edge. Sole Technology terminated their contract with them and have changed distributor for the second time in two years.

• Skvot skateshop together with the parent company Sport Style have now got all the brands mentioned above under its roof. They’ve got it all!

I propose a company name change to Skateboard Shelter. You guys are rocking it!

• Generally, the trend of the bigger becoming bigger and the smaller ones shrinking to nothing is still what’s happening in the industry. Sportmaster is about to open 45 new stores at the end of December. No other company can come anywhere close to their massive 300 retail stores. Now they’re also introducing a new concept called PRO shops, which stock a wider assortment of skies and snowboards. The first three are already up and running.

• The biggest Moscow board shop, Trajectoria has moved to a new location.

The good, clean design of the new store together with the fact it stocks the largest range of goods, is making it the best store in town.

• Ekaterinburg leading action sports retailer, Forum, also opened its doors after a complete renovation and with an extra 300m2 of floor space.

• Burton built three snow parks: in Moscow, Ekaterinburg and St Petersburg at the beginning of the year. Shapers have already started working on some new parks and they promise to open six all in all, by adding ones in Novosibirsk, Novokuznetsk and Samara. There will also be a series of events organised there during the season.

• Quiksilver, Burton and Red Bull are pretty much the only companies constantly investing in snowboarding these days. Quiksilver and Red Bull held an amazing event in St Petersburg last spring.

• DC sponsored the spring camp in Kirovsk in May. • Volcom Stone’s distributor brought their event ‘Wild in the Parks’ to Russia. It was first time ever it was held in Russia and took place in the famous Gorky Park in downtown Moscow.

• The Burton premiere of the movie ‘Standing Sideways’ gathered 1,700 snowboarders into one of the biggest cinemas in Moscow. There were also premieres held in Ekaterinburg, St Petersburg and Kiev, Ukraine.

This list could go on. It is obvious that there is a lot happening in the market.

The general mood is positive and the bankruptcies mentioned seem to have been an echo of the previous years, rather than a sign of the current one.

Oh yes, of course! His name is Putin! Vladimir Putin. How could I forget!

By Helder Ferreira

According to a recently released study, retail sales will fall 8% in December, which seems a fairly optimistic rate as far as I am concerned.

Considering the new tax on the Christmas subsidy – 14th wage – and the already decided cuts on public servant wages in 2012, an 8% decline in retail sales doesn’t seem so bad. With all theses cuts and an extremely tight Government budget for next year (with more tax increases also), I would be surprised if sales on apparel and low priority products fall by anything less than 20%.

Throughout 2011 it’s clear the uncertainty and fear about the future that plagued the population was reflected by the difficulties felt in retail.

The sentiment among retailers, their experience of 2011 and their future prospects for 2012, is varied. There are surf shops such as The Surf Project in Carcavelos that, according to its owner José Manuel Braga, had a good year, especially spring/summer, and autumn hasn’t been as bad as expected either, mainly due to September and October’s warm weather.

In his opinion, the surfing market is still growing and sales of wetsuits, surfboards and accessories reflect it. For 2012, he said he can’t make a judgement on what will happen next. The uncertainty is so great that neither he nor anyone can project anything.

The owner of Trunks Store in Porto, feels he can’t complain about the year that’s ending, he opened a third store last June, which is selling according to expectations. He said he isn’t reducing orders or inventory for 2012 because the economic crisis will take a toll on the most fragile businesses reducing retail competition. So he’s confident his business will thrive despite the economic conditions. Ruben Costa, owner of Skills skate shop in Braga said that his sales were growing until the economic crisis exploded in the media. It was as if all of a sudden people were attacked by a fear virus and sales retracted in the blink of an eye. He hasn’t seen a difference among dedicated skateboarders who keep buying goods and skateboarding as they always did and are actually in increasing numbers.

The issue is the average Joe, who used to purchase skateboarding brands and who is fading away, with occasional peaks. For 2012 he doesn’t know what to expect, but plans investing on events and marketing. He had a curious, but apt expression; right now he’s taken a fighter’s stance, spread legs and fists at the ready. “If there’s a fight to be had, bring it on. There’s no reason to fear anything.”

After a difficult year, some retailers are cutting inventories, purchases and expenses; others have a different vision and figure that with all these issues there will be some who fall by the way side. So, they keep their orders and inventory, expecting the demand to stay flat or even grow in their stores since there will be less competition. The difficult part will be to beat the gloomy sentiment and uncertainty. The latter is the worst part of the crisis, with all the unknowns the market is facing right now and the speed with which the bad economic and financial news seems to be happening. Let’s gear up for the fight then.

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