Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margare Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz osh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein, Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hil Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michae 1 5 S P R I NQuatrochi, G ISSUE V OMilazzo, L U M E 4 8 Stephanie I ISSUE 2 Meyer, Kelly Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy,2 0Danielle Michae Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover oel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Ken McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour ohn Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Ta Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz osh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein, Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hil Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett THE YOUNG LEADERSTina WHO AREMatt Weiss Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Wade, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd TRANSFORMING THE INDUSTRY Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michae Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michae Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina
2015 40UNDER40 THE
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Volume 48 I Issue 2
2015 Spring Issue
Publisher I Editor In Chief James Hartford jhartford@sportsonesource.com 303.578.7004 Managing Editor
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SGB, Copyright 2015 is a trademark of SportsOneSource, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by the authors and contributors to SGB are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. SGB is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles appearing in SGB may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher. SGB, Volume 48, Issue 2, (USPS 457-390; ISSN 1548-7407) is published six times a year by SportsOneSource, LLC. 1075 E. South Boulder Road, Suite 300, Louisville, CO 80027; 303.997.7302. Subscription rates: one year $79 (U.S. funds) in the U.S. and its possessions; Canada and Mexico $119 (U.S. funds); all other foreign delivery $199 (U.S. funds). Printed in the U.S.A. Periodical postage paid at Louisville, CO and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to SGB, 1075 E. South Boulder Road, Third Floor, Louisville, CO 80027; 303.997.7302.
For BACK ISSUES, call 303.997.7302 For EDITORIAL INQUIRIES, email SGBMedia@SportsOneSource.com
2 2015 SPRING ISSUE
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Congratulations SGB 40Under40 2015 Award Honorees
2015 SPRING ISSUE 6 Publisher's Letter 8 Contributors 10 Giving Back High Five Foundation Empowers Adventure Sports Athletes 12 Retail Best Practices Jeff Gray, Director of Education, Superfeet, Sits Down with SGB 16 Made In The USA United By Blue – For Every Product Sold, UBB Removes One Pound of Trash From The World's Oceans and Waterways 20 SSI Data Deep Dive: Foot Care and Shoe Care Essentials 26 Footwear Watershoes Evolve with Paddling Population to Increase Retail Opportunity 28 Apparel Sports Bras Evolve to Meet the Needs of Today's Woman 30 Outdoor Hardgoods Sunglasses – Fashion…Meet Function 38 Sports & Fitness Talking Sports Medicine with Three Leading Experts In The Field 44 Accessories Compression Gear and the Elite Athlete 46 Add Now, Sell Now Back-to-School Primer – Retailers Optimize Their Assortments 52 SGB 40Under40 Awards
From Top Left to Right: Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Powered by
SGB Magazine Honors 40 Sporting Goods Industry Leaders Under the Age of 40 94 Industry Calendar 96 I Am … SGB Brian Anderson, Interim CEO, Moji
PUBLISHER'S LETTER
Honoring the Industry’s Best and Brightest The SGB 40Under40 Awards are now in their eighth year, honoring the best and brightest young professionals shaping the future of the sporting goods, outdoor and active lifestyle industries. The tenants of becoming an honoree, and therefore a member, of the 40Under40 remain the same: Leadership, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Energy. To be a leader in the active lifestyle, outdoor and sporting goods industry, you have to be as dynamic as the market itself, fostering positivity and growth while pursuing professional and personal passions. Nothing less will do, and nothing else will continue to foster the kind of talent necessary to lead the most exciting and fastest growing segment we call the active lifestyle. Every year SGB magazine honors 40 of these young industry professionals under the age of 40 who exemplify the qualities it takes to do the job and continue to propel us forward in leadership, growth, innovation, and excitement. And each year, the individuals on our list of honorees embody these qualities and inspire us, and hopefully our readers, to become better people in the process. The 40 individuals honored in these pages and throughout 2015 are recognized by their peers, mentors and co-workers as the best of the best. They are the future of the industry as well as the ones making a difference today in their workplaces and in all of our lives. Their hard work ensures that the sporting goods, outdoor, specialty retail and active lifestyle worlds we live in thrive for many years into the future. It’s been a great ride so far and we look forward to many more. We salute our 40Under40 class of 2015 and wish them continued success.
James Hartford CEO & Publisher The SportsOneSource Group
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CONTRIBUTORS
Aaron Bible Colorado
Aaron Bible is the Managing Editor for SGB magazine. He worked with the magazine previously as a contributing editor covering Bike, Ski and Outdoors. His background includes 20 years of print and digital publishing including time at Paddler magazine, Kickstand magazine, Summit Daily News, Blue Ridge Outdoors and Elevation Outdoors magazine. He lives in the mountains outside Boulder, CO with his wife Jasmine and dogs Peanut and Zoe.
Austin Parker
Utah
Austin Parker is a powder skier and sport climber and no stranger to hauling heavy gear uphill in bad weather. After a less than auspicious college ski racing career, he served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst and electronic warfare specialist. Following his military service, Parker moved home to Salt Lake City to chase deep snow and desert cracks. When not enjoying getting rained or snowed on, he is probably geeking out about the latest apparel fabric innovation or obsessing over shaving the last few ounces off his backpacking load. An amateur fly fisherman and outdoors photographer, Parker always has his tenkara rod and GoPro handy. His work has appeared with Gear Patrol, Active Junky, The Manual, MOTUS, and Carryology.
Bernie Broudy Vermont
Billy Brown California
Billy Brown covers outdoor sports gear, beer, adventure travel, autos, and fitness for a variety of publications. His work has taken him around the world, from canyon running in Jordan and ice climbing in Chamonix to sparring MMA instructors while testing technical office apparel (tie included). The Californian is an avid runner, backpacker and snowboarder and is also a Level 1 CrossFit instructor.
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Berne Broudy is a Vermont-based writer, photographer and adventurer. Broudy writes about outdoor tech, health and wellness, gear, travel and sports for trade and consumer pubilcations including Outside, Popular Science, Men's Journal, Sierra, Women's Health, Bicycling, BIKE and others. When she isn't behind the lens or tapping at her computer, she's either mountain biking or backcountry skiing with dog Ember and husband Mike in tow, or chain sawing next year's firewood.
Charlie Lunan North Carolina
Charlie Lunan is a business news junkie based in Charlotte, NC who enjoys breaking hard news and writing about sustainability, digital marketing and public policy. He has worked for newspapers in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and North Carolina, headed up client communication for a technology company and sold bikes, kayaks and roof racks at a local REI store. He enjoys paddle sports, mountain biking and listening to the birds in his backyard.
Tom Ryan
New York
Tom Ryan has more than 25 years experience as a reporter covering the retail trade. Starting his career as a beat reporter in 1990 for Fairchild Publications, Ryan authored more than 200 front-page articles over a ten-year period for Women's Wear Daily and also wrote extensively for the Daily News Record (DNR) and other Fairchild publications (Home Furnishings Network, Footwear News and Sportsstyle). In 2004 Ryan became senior editor at SGB magazine, the leading monthly trade magazine for the sporting goods industry, and is currently its senior business editor. He has also written for Retailwire.com, Ad-Fax, Apparel magazine, Crain's NY, Multex.com, and the New York Post. Tom resides in the East Village in New York City with his wife Rhonda.
Eugene Buchanan Colorado
Eugene Buchanan has written about the outdoors for more than 25 years, from the Beijing Olympics for NBC to ESPN.com. A former business reporter and publisher/editor-in-chief of Paddler magazine, his freelance career spans The New York Times, Men's Journal, Sports Afield, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Forbes Life, Skiing and other publications. A member of New York's Explorer's Club, his passion for traveling, writing and paddling has taken him to more than 30 countries on six of the seven continents. His first book, Brothers on the Bashkaus, was released by Fulcrum Publishing in 2007; his second book, Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids, was released by Heliconia Press in 2010, winning the gold medal from the Living Now Book Awards. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Steamboat Springs, CO, just a block from the Yampa River.
Fernando J. Delgado Maryland
Fernando J. Delgado is a contributing writer and team business editor for SportsOneSource, and a writer for SGB magazine since 2011. In 2006, he covered the Frederick Keys minor league baseball team as a beat reporter, and he previously contributed to OriolesHangout.com, a website that covers the Baltimore Orioles. The oldest of seven children, Delgado enjoys spending his free time playing basketball and soccer, as well as managing various fantasy sports teams throughout the year. He and his wife Laura reside in the Baltimore area and are expecting their first child in August.
Scott Boulbol Massachusetts
Scott Boulbol lives near Boston, but still calls Boulder, CO home. He co-authored The Trailrunner’s Guide To Colorado, and has covered outdoor and cycling for 16 years for Men’s Journal, Men’s Fitness, Triathlete, TrailRunner, and many more. Also an accomplished athlete, Boulbol ran the Leadville Trail 100 and finished multiple iron-distance triathlons and adventure events.
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Photos courtesy High Fives Foundation
GIVING BACK
High Fives Foundation Empowering Adventure Sports Athletes From funding extended hospital stays and physical therapy, to providing emotional support, coaching and adaptive programs, the High Fives Foundation is an extension of the tight-knit wintersports community. By Austin Parker It seemed like the end for Roy Tuscany when, on a spring ski day in 2006, his life altering crash left him paralyzed with a spinal fracture. Rather than give up, however, Tuscany spent two years recovering and relearning how to move his body. Then, in March of 2008, he stepped into skis again for the first time and left his wheelchair behind permanently. Thanks to friends, local skiers, and an outpouring of emotional and financial support from his home community, Tuscany was able to keep a positive attitude during his recovery. This foundation of positivity and more than a few literal high fives inspired him to not only repay the strength and encouragement lent to him by others, but to create a foundation to educate aspiring athletes about safety and provide monetary aid in the form of medical grants for uncovered treatment to those already on their own road to recovery.
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Begun in 2009, High Fives quickly grew from a small, Truckee, CA-based charity group to an international movement of mountain sports athletes. Their mission to build awareness for injury prevention and provide resources and inspiration to those who suffer injuries has struck a chord with thousands of skiers, boarders, climbers and other aspiring mountain enthusiasts. Programs aimed at increasing the use of helmets and safety protocols in terrain parks, coupled with grants for recovering athletes, helped develop a sense of larger community, and gave donors and partners a tangible impact on not only major professional athletes, but on members of their local communities. Funding High Five's financial profile speaks powerfully about not only their growth since quiet beginnings, but also the impact they have on the entire winter sports community. In 2014, 45 percent of all funding came from individual small donations, and another 41 percent from special events developed by High Fives partners in the industry. More than three quarters of the budget goes directly to program services like the B.A.S.I.C.S. and Winter Empowerment campaigns, all with only four full-time employees. This ratio of funding is exemplary when compared with similar 501c(3) organizations - where often a bulk of funds must be reinvested in marketing and further fundraising efforts.
Programs High Fives B.A.S.I.C.S. (Being Aware and Safe In Critical Situations) program was designed to promote safety and awareness through a series of expert presentations and videos to build up critical skills among winter sports athletes of all ages. The four-part video series focuses on themes ranging from avalanche awareness and personal stories from High Fives athletes to a #helmetsarecool and #knowyourpark campaign. Combined, the video series has more than 113,000 views and 135 athlete presentations and camps since its inception in 2012. A fifth documentary in the series, titled "Choices" is in production now. Perhaps the best known element of High Fives, the Winter Empowerment Fund provides medical grants to athletes on the road to recovery from life-altering injuries, as well as helping disabled athletes pursue new avenues and goals through adaptive winter sports. When tragedy strikes, not many of us think of hospital stays and insurance, but recovery and adaptation to life with a severe spinal or closed head injury often stretches into months and years - and may go beyond what many insurance companies are prepared to pay for. For people like Jeff Andrews, Sally Francklyn, and Jim Harris, High Fives’ board (and thousands of donors) made grants for medical evacuation, physical therapy, sports massage, and alternative treatments a viable option. Based in Truckee, CA, The C.R. Johnson Healing Center provides a local base for High Fives athletes, and is open to the public. Programs range from personal training and classes in yoga, TRX, and pilates, to chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and other alternative healing therapies. Thanks to Tuscany and the center's Coordinator, Steve Wallace, the comprehensive curriculum remains a strong force in Truckee, and a model for the growing "Healing Network" of providers around the country that High Fives works with. To find out more and get involved, visit highfivesfoundation.org. â–
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RETAIL BEST PRACTICES
Jeff Gray, Director of Education, Superfeet
The Man Behind Superfeet University Sitting Down with Superfeet’s Jeff Gray The fit guru, who runs Superfeet University, has been with the iconic insole brand since the beginning. By Thomas J. Ryan
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I
n an all too familiar scenario, Jeff Gray, director of education for Ferndale, WA-based Superfeet, learned about insoles by getting injured. “I was a senior in high school and that year I had torn cartilage and ligaments in my knee and could only ski for maybe half a day on a Saturday and Sunday,” said Gray, who this year will celebrate his 38th year with Superfeet. And like many, the path to insoles was shown through advice from a friend. In Gray’s case, it was Sven Coomer, the acclaimed designer of some of the most iconic ski boots and boot-fitting products in skiing history. The eventual founder of ZipFit ski boot liners, Coomer began with Nordica in the late 1960s amid the industry’s transition from leather to plastic shell designs and came to know Gray’s parents, who ran a junior ski club from 1966 to 1979 in the San Francisco Bay Area called Huski Ski Club. Coomer introduced Gray to a Superfeet Kork footbed at the time the company was just getting started, and he was immediately able to ski all day and his performance was also greatly improved. “Superfeet literally took my knee pain away in one day, and prior to that I was struggling to do a sport I had a deep passion for,” said Gray. When he was 13, Coomer properly fitted him with a Nordica Astral GT ski boot, and the boot “leapfrogged my ski ability a tremendous amount.” He went from “doing okay” in junior racing to achieving a low handicap in NASTAR. “Sven phenomenally increased my ski ability through proper equipment - not just a ski lesson. So that was pretty eye opening,” said Gray. “I thought ski boots were supposed to hurt. ‘If your feet didn’t hurt you, you weren’t doing it right,’ I thought.
So he adjusted my boots and I thought, ‘I better learn how to do this because Sven’s not always going to be there to look after my boot fit.’” Gray began working for the Harry Leonard and Jerry Simon ski shows, which led him to the opportunity to work for Jerry Simon’s skiing mechanic workshops in the 70s with notables such as Fred Schwacke, Doug Killam and Coomer. “I suddenly didn’t have to take a pill to get through the day and I was like, ‘Wait a minute, the foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone’s connected to the shin bone, the shin bone’s connected to the knee bone” - Bingo!,” Gray reflected. Coomer first met Dennis Brown, who established Northwest Podiatric Lab in the early 60s and founded Superfeet in 1977, when he was looking for an orthotic foot alignment for a Nordica ski boot. With Brown coming up with the boot extender tools, Coomer subsequently became one of the original partners in Superfeet. Right out of high school, Gray began working alongside Coomer conducting Superfeet training clinics for ski boots in the San Francisco Bay area, essentially working as an independent rep. At the same time, Gray, along with Coomer and a few others, opened Footloose Sports in Mammoth Lakes, CA. During these years, he also met Chris Smith, Brown's other initial partner who taught podiatric biomechanics at the California College Of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco. In classic start-up fashion, Gray worked for about six months without pay. Any revenue coming in was plowed into getting molds made, purchasing raw materials and creating brochures. Footloose Sports was the testing ground for designs. Gray wound up collecting unemployment and was even on food stamps for a while during the 1979/80 Winter. But he had faith that partnering with Brown, Smith and Coomer would pay off. “I understood why I wasn’t getting paid, and I trusted that I would be taken care of,” said Gray. “And I have to tell you everything Dennis said he would do for me he has done and far more.” With the breakthrough introduction of the Insta-Ski-Thotic, Superfeet orthotics and ski boot fitting systems became the rage of the 1980s. With success in ski, Superfeet found success next in hiking, establishing the insole category at REI and the outdoor channel. Gray crisscrossed the country explaining with a custom fit boot and shoe program for independent retailers "to learn how to use the Brannock device and learn how to measure feet and make hiking boots comfortable so they could finish the Appalachian Trail without blisters, lacerations, fractures or sprains.” Breakthroughs such as the Bauer Supreme 100 in 1979 was followed the next year by the SoftRunner, the first trim-to-fit
insole that eventually became Green, its biggest seller that propelled Superfeet into the run space. In 1993, its ambitious Trim-to-Fit Program launched and Superfeet was gaining wide recognition across outdoor and sports activities. Superfeet University is Born Critical to Superfeet’s success was the founders’ establishment in 1977 of an early education program to offer a clinic to explain orthotic insoles at a time when few knew of their benefits, With the effort eventually led by Gray, Superfeet developed and standardized the fit protocols for retailers use across categories. “We had to teach running, hiking and hockey retailers and everybody else the importance of the fit process,” said Gray. “It wasn’t just, ‘Stand on this Brannock; you’re a nine, I’ll be right back.’ Whether it’s a hockey skate, a hiking boot or a running shoe, it’s the foot, the insole, the sock, the Brannock, and then the shoe. Superfeet was an educational company that happened to produce an insole which changed people’s life and created sales.” Traveling the country from the late 70s to 1988, Gray worked for Superfeet and Footloose in Mammoth Lakes California teaching boot fitting and custom Superfeet fabrication. Gray formally joined Superfeet in 1988 and conducted clinics across the U.S. and Canada on a shoestring budget. After moving into its Ferndale, WA headquarters in 1993, the first Superfeet University was established in 1994. It featured a dedicated training area with a workbench, tools and custom and Trimto-Fit products. Visits and the classes lasting two to three days continue to set the standard for educating retail partners. With education coming from medical practitioners and specialists, stores
and the pervasive ads by Dr. Scholl's, people know much more about orthotics than those early days, according to Gray. What hasn’t changed too much is that people often continue to endure foot pain without taking steps to resolve the cause of the problems. “The first thing people do when they get home is they put their feet up,” remarked Gray. “They don’t put their shoulder up or their elbow up. They put their feet up. We take our foot pain or our feet period and ignore them. We put them in our subconscious until we have a foot injury and we limp to a specialist.” Education also remains a challenge with many misperceptions continuing across the marketplace. One misperception is that the shoe doesn’t need an orthotic because it already keeps the foot from overpronating or oversupinating. Keep in mind these two terms are commonly misused however they are relative terms and there is no basis for measurement. Gray said insoles should be viewed as “timing devices” because they help with the timing and rate at which the bones move in the foot. “Superfeet allows your foot to move more efficiently in the right direction,” said Gray. “It doesn’t stop the foot from moving. It repositions your foot in a healthier position inside whatever shoe you choose and it gets the foot moving in the right direction at the right time for the event you’re doing.” Relatedly, the insole won’t prevent the foot from pronating or supinating, another misunderstanding. “Pronation is a healthy thing and we need it to happen but we need it to happen within a certain timeline and if it passes that timeline it stays there too long, that’s when you’re prone to injury,” said Gray. Ideally, an insole allows the foot to pronate but gets it to re-supinate just
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after heel contact to allow the foot to convert to a rigid lever for push-off. Said Gray, “if you think of soft sand at the beach, your foot steps in that and it stays pronated. The timing is now off and you have to work twice as hard to get out of the sand. So there’s not a shoe in the world that can take the place of an orthotic.” On the other hand, an orthotic doesn’t work without a good shoe, he noted. That lesson was again learned with the recent trend around minimalist running shoes, which Gray likened to many of the running shoes that first arrived in the seventies. Much like the seventies, resultant injuries included Achilles tendinitis, runners knee and stress fractures rather than typical issues such as calluses and corns. Gray believes the industry won’t know the “true impact” of the barefoot running or minimalist craze until after all the research is done but the injuries show at least it’s essential to slowly transition to such shoes. Overall, he likes shoes to be torsionally supportive. “Keep the shoes light but get it to flex where the foot flexes and get it to work with the foot,” said Gray. “It can’t be all about
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lightweight and lower to the ground. Some people don’t have flexibility in their hamstrings and calf muscles, and if you drop that heel too quickly, you can get Achilles tendinitis. If you drop it slowly, it might get rid of it. The best shoe you need is the one that fits and function as well for your biomechanics.” In Superfeet’s clinics, Gray tries to get two major points across. The first is that you can’t guarantee the fit of any shoe, boot, skate etc. at retail without stabilizing the foot. Said Gray, ”If the foot continues to move around in the footwear environment, it’s just bouncing off the guard rails.” The second message he emphasizes is that every foot can benefit from a good orthotic. Depending on the shape and the foot’s biomechanics, an insole can reposition the foot to greatly improve the fit of the shoe. But even a foot with generally healthy biomechanics, it can provide an extra level of comfort. Said Gray, “Superfeet is the bridge that takes that mass-produced product, that shoe, and matches it to that unmassed produced product, the foot.” Despite the struggles of ever-changing retail and getting the fit message across, Gray still loves his job. “I get to change lives every day and it’s not with a pill or a scalpel,” said Gray. “My job is take your foot pain away at whatever effort or cost. And if I don’t do that, I haven’t done my job. So I think I have one of the best jobs in the world because I get to hopefully change the world one foot at a time.” ■
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State & Union features the first United By Blue store-in-store concept and carries the entire line of United By Blue apparel, bags, and accessories.
MADE IN THE USA
United by Blue Manufacturing consumer outdoor products in the U.S. is how one company decided to do something tangible to help clean up the world’s oceans. By Scott Boulbol
M
any businesses and entrepreneurs are united by the almighty green. But Brian Linton, the 28-year-old founder and CEO of Philadelphia’s United By Blue (UBB), wanted to create a brand that was united and motivated by something else entirely: water; more precisely, clean water. “United By Blue will always be focused on water – it's built into our DNA and the very name of the brand: We are all united by blue, by water,” he said. “I don't see us ever looking to focus on other causes because the issue we are addressing with ocean and waterway pollution is just so huge. The brand [launched in 2010] was conceived out of experiences from my upbringing in and around the ocean all throughout the world.”
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“Our generation will redefine business in the coming decades. Causes will be more of a forethought than an afterthought.” – Brian Linton, CEO, United By Blue
But rather than create a business that directly works with water conservation, Linton, along with 26-year-old co-founder Mike Cangi, went an entirely different route – one that could not only help the cause, but could help spread the word about the cause far beyond his own back yard: retail consumer goods. This would allow people all over the world to support the cause through their purchases and spread the word through the products, which cover a wide array of categories from dog accessories to home furnishings to t-shirts to two of their signature products, Bison wool socks and custom Mike Cangi, Co-Founder wood paddles. While their consumers are generally young, outdoor types – typical of the outdoor industry as a whole – this unique model transcends the typical outdoor brand. “We don't categorize United By Blue as an outdoor apparel brand because we are very much more than that. We are an outdoor lifestyle brand, and therefore, everything from shirts to oars to face wash can fit into that,” Linton explained. “Everything we sell is united by our tagline, ‘responsible durable goods,’” said Linton. “Is it responsibly made of responsible materials? Will it be durable and long lasting? One of the most important parts of creating a sustainable product line is making sure the quality is good, so they don't need to be replaced regularly. We make sustainable outdoor products that are designed to explore the world with you, and get better with age.” The market seems to want these “responsible durable goods,” as UBB’s
UBB Bison wool socks "Responsible durable goods"
sales doubled last year, according to Linton, and will double again this year. And they’ll soon be opening another store – right on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, NJ. This location is especially significant, said Linton, “because it will connect us with the ocean. Our flagship store is about one block from the Delaware River, so this connection to oceans and waterways is important.” And like the others, it will house a coffee shop – another of UBB’s favorite “causes.” How it Works UBB bucks the typical model with respect to charitable efforts. Rather than simply donate a percentage of sales to chosen causes, the company takes a more hands-on approach – a getyour-hands-dirty approach. For every product sold, UBB removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company-organized and hosted cleanups. But they don’t just organize. The company’s 20 full-time employees actually do the work. According to UBB PR man Chris Dickey, “It’s what seems to keep them inspired and motived to come to work every day.”
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For every product sold, UBB removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company-organized and hosted cleanups. “So far, we have hosted 118 cleanups and removed over 200,000 pounds of trash from rivers, streams, creeks, and beaches across 21 U.S. states.”
“United By Blue will always be focused on water – it's built into our DNA and the very name of the brand: We are all united by blue, by water.” – Brian Linton, CEO, United By Blue
18 2015 SPRING ISSUE
“By associating a concrete environmental action with every business transaction, we are able to have a measurable impact on this important issue,” the company’s website says. But they don’t do it alone. These cleanups become community events – lead by UBB staff. Social media and web-based event sign ups are coupled with recruiting from more than 400 stores nationwide, and in two UBB brick and mortar stores, plus one they don’t own, that carry their goods. “We accomplish our mission by continuously organizing and hosting ocean and waterway cleanups across the country, bringing together thousands of volunteers to help us pick up things like plastic bottles, tires, cans, appliances, and everything else that makes its way into the aquatic world,” according to their website. “So far, we have hosted 118 cleanups and removed over 200,000 pounds of trash from rivers, streams, creeks, and beaches across 21 U.S. states.” Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. The Philadelphia-based brand has just been recognized by B-Lab – a non-profit that serves a global movement of entrepreneurs using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems – as a “B-Corp Best for their Community” brand, awarded to companies creating the most impact for a better world. Linton hopes the recognition they’re receiving – and more importantly the work they’re getting done – will help drive other young entrepreneurs in this direction. He sees his model as representative of what will be the next wave of socially responsible outdoor brands. “Our generation will redefine business in the coming decades. Causes will be more of a forethought than an afterthought,” he said. “This change has already begun and is evidenced by many of our peers running other exciting and successful ventures. “But it's only just beginning, and it's an exciting time to be involved in what we are doing. I credit United By Blue's success to having an incredible and talented team that is making great product with meaningful stories,” said Linton. “That's what people want. Great product, great stories.” That, and abundant, clean water. ■
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20 2015 SPRING ISSUE
SportsScanInfo Data Dive Foot Care and Shoe Care Essentials While much of the attention at retail goes to the shoe wall, several thriving complementary categories are helping consumers make their footwear last longer, look better and even just work. By Thomas J. Ryan
W
hile much of the attention at retail goes to the shoe wall, several thriving complementary categories are helping consumers make their footwear (and feet) last longer, look better and even just work. On the retailer side of the equation, foot care and shoe care essentials continue to help build margins and improve the bottom line as retailers stress with their staffs the importance of these categories with every footwear sale. The Foot Care and Shoe Care Essentials category, as tracked by leading active lifestyle industry information firm, The SportsOneSource Group, includes a host of niche items such as insoles, rain/water repellants, shoe liners, traction aids and heel cups, among others. The largest segment of this business by a wide margin is Insoles, which accounts for a little more than half of dollar sales in the Foot Care and Shoe Care Essentials category, according to retail point-ofsale data compiled by SportScanInfo (SSI Data), which is managed by The SportsOneSource Group. Shoe Care & Cleaners comes in second, at about 20 percent of sales in the Foot Care and Shoe Care Essentials category; followed by shoe laces, about 8 percent; and Rain/Water Repellents and Traction Aids, which each contribute around 5 percent of sales to the Foot Care and Shoe Care Essentials business. The Insoles business grew approximately 8 percent in Fiscal 2014 but is only up less than 0.5 percent in the Fiscal Year-to-Date period through May 23 (Fiscal YTD), according to the SSI Data. With a variety of newer niche models designed to fit certain foot types as well as to address the specific needs of unique sports and activities, the category has been helped over the years by steadily rising average selling prices.
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The flattish growth in the Fiscal YTD period was impacted by a rare category decline seen in both January and February that can be traced to this year's extended winter. Insoles sales peak in March just as runners start hitting the road and are quieter during the chillier months when many runners hibernate. Sales also suffer as consumers shift to sandals in the summer. The market share leader in Insoles is Sof Sole, which controls over 40 percent of the category in the channels tracked in the SSI Data*. Superfeet, with some of its models such as Green and Orange commanding a premium sticker price, is the second-largest insole brand and tends to dominate in the specialty retailer channels, according to the SSI Data. Spenco is a strong third. By channel, the biggest growth in Insoles last year came via the Internet (+27 percent) and Family Footwear (+31 percent). The Fiscal YTD growth has been boosted by double-digit increases at Running Specialty retailers (RSRs), Chain Specialty retailers and the Family Footwear channel. “The mid-teens growth seen in the insoles is the running specialty channel is the most intriguing piece in the Fiscal YTD story,” offered Andy Annunziata, VP, retail solutions at The SportsOneSource Group. “The RSR channel saw Running Footwear sales fall in double-digits for the 16-week period through May 23 but still posted growth of nearly 15 percent in insoles. The consumer is apparently willing to purchase their shoes on the Internet but must still see the need to get fitted properly for their insoles.” The broad Athletic Specialty/Sporting Goods retail segment (including Athletic Specialty, Full-Line Sporting Goods and Big-Box Outdoor) dominates sales in the insoles category, accounting for about two-thirds of sales. The segment is responsible for the dismal start to the 2015 fiscal year, with sales down in the mid-single-digits. (See Chart.)
Average MONTHLY Monthly SHARE Share OF of SSALES* ales* AVERAGE Insoles INSOLES
May 8.4%
Apr 11.0% Mar 10.0%
Jun 9.2% Jul 7.4%
Feb 6.9%
Aug 8.5%
Jan 6.0% Sep 9.4%
Dec 8.5% Nov 7.3%
Oct 7.4% *Three-Year Average Share Source: SSI Data
YEAR-OVER-YEAR MONTHLY SALES VARIANCE Year-‐Over-‐Year Monthly Sales Variance INSOLES Insoles 20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
MAY '14
JUN '14
JUL '14
AUG '14
SEP '14
OCT '14
NOV '14
DEC '14
JAN '15
FEB '15
MAR '15
APR '15
-‐5.0%
-‐10.0%
22 2015 SPRING ISSUE
Source: SSI Data
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Another segment that posted strong growth last year in the Foot Care and Shoe Care Essentials category is Shoe Care & Cleaners, which grew more than 25 percent in Fiscal 2014 but is also flat for the Fiscal YTD period. “The Shoe Care & Cleaners category has benefited from the casualization of America with many consumers now wearing Casual Athletic footwear and Casual Outdoor shoes for social, work and even more formal occasions,” explained Annunziata. “Many of the products remove dirt and stains from athletic shoes with a few specializing on water-based or oil-based stains and some focusing on treatments such as suedes, nubucks or real or fake leather.” The category also includes staples for waterproofing and other protection, conditioning treatments and controlling foot odor. But the sub-category driving the Shoe Care & Cleaners business recently has been Shoe Cleaners, followed by Disinfectant and then Polish. Sof Sole again dominates the category with its share growing significantly after it acquired Penguin Brands in 2013, according to the SSI Data*. Kiwi is the second largest seller in the category with Hickory Brands coming in third. Seasonally, sales of Shoe Care & Cleaners are fairly steady throughout the year although greater consumer demand can be found during the summer and fall months. The Athletic Specialty/Sporting Goods channel again dominates the business with Discount Stores coming in second and Family Footwear, third in the channels tracked in the SSI Data.
Average Monthly Share of Sales* AVERAGE MONTHLY SHARE OF SALES* Shoe Care &&CLEANERS Cleaners SHOE CARE Apr 11.0%
May 8.4%
Mar 10.0%
Jun 9.2% Jul 7.4%
Feb 6.9%
Aug 8.5%
Jan 6.0% Sep 9.4%
Dec 8.5% Nov 7.3%
Oct 7.4% *Three-Year Average Share Source: SSI Data
Foot Care and Shoe Care Essentials Category Share by Quarter* FY Q1
FY Q2
FY Q3
FY Q4
Insoles
54.0%
57.0%
52.3%
42.7%
Shoe Care and Cleaners
17.5%
22.1%
23.2%
17.8%
Shoe Laces
7.1%
8.4%
8.9%
6.7%
Rain/Water Repellants
5.7%
3.3%
4.5%
8.0%
Heel Cups
1.8%
2.0%
2.0%
1.5%
Traction Aids
4.1%
0.6%
1.3%
13.2%
Other Footwear Essentials
9.9%
6.7%
7.9%
10.1%
* Category as Percent of Overall Essentials Business Source: SSI Data
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The Traction Aids category jumped 36 percent from 2013 versus 2012, but saw a modest decline last year as a warm December crushed sales in the critical gift-giving season. The leader in the space is Yaktrax, a brand that is also owned by Implus, the parent of Sof Sole. Kahtoola came in second. Not surprisingly, the traction category peaks during the icy months. December accounts for about one-third of sales with most of the rest conducted in November as well as January and February. “The Traction Aids sub-category differs from insoles and shoe care in that nearly half of its sales are done in Chain Specialty,” observed Annunziata. The Chain Specialty channel includes retailers with more than 15 storefronts that sell footwear, apparel and hardgoods specific to a particular market such as footwear, outdoor, sportsman's or running. The Internet has also emerged to become a major seller in the Traction Aids category as well. “We find the Internet posting solid growth in categories, brands or products that are not widely distributed,” continued Annunziata. “This may indicate an opportunity for brick & mortar retailers that do not currently carry the category.”
Traction Aids Sales Share by Quarter by Channel* FY Q1
FY Q2
FY Q3
FY Q4
Total Market
20.0%
Outdoor Specialty
12.7%
2.7%
6.8%
70.5%
3.2%
10.2%
Run Specialty
39.2%
73.8%
0.6%
0.6%
59.6%
Chain Specialty Internet
22.0%
2.1%
6.4%
69.5%
20.7%
4.6%
7.9%
66.8%
Ath. Specialty/Sporting Goods
15.1%
1.5%
5.1%
78.3%
Discount/Mass
23.7%
20.2%
24.6%
31.4%
* Quarterly Conrtribution of Full-Year Sales by Channel Source: SSI Data
As specialty retailers continue to have issues this spring and summer with performance running and outdoor footwear sales an additional investment in the Essentials business could be a good move. There are more options than ever to supplement fall/winter boots sales with add-on items like traction aids and retailers no longer have to rely on just the socks category for incremental sales volume. ■ SSI Data does not currently project sales or market share for Walmart, Kmart, Target, Better Department Stores or Footwear Specialty.
Your Source for Sports Medicine Gina Lucrezi Pro-Tec Elite Athlete
Photo by Glen Delman
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FOOTWEAR
Photo courtesy Astral Designs
Watershoes Evolve with Paddling Population No longer are watershoe manufacturers simply targeting male rafters, kayakers and recreational paddlers to meet their footwear numbers. They’re also going after the burgeoning women’s, kids’ and SUP markets to increase opportunity. By Eugene Buchanan
Astral Designs Loyak
26 2015 SPRING ISSUE
W
hile doing so, they’re also continuing to emphasize versatility – creating footwear that works on water, trail and even barstools – as a key design feature, as well as traction enhancements, drainability and lightweight. “Consumer interest in watershoes is being driven by performance, versatility and style/color,” said Chaco GM Chip Coe, toting the company’s new OutCross Evo collection as meeting all three. “Consumers demand watershoes that will perform across a wide range of environments, including instream, in the boat and on the trail.” Kicking off with strategic partner REI in March, its new OutCross collection illustrates the versatility trend by letting consumers choose from its widest range of colors and patterns yet. While still covering its conventional shoe sales bases, NRS is crushing it with its new Crush watershoe, which, originally available in a men’s version, is now also out in a women’s design. “Women’s water shoes make up a relatively small proportion of our overall footwear sales, but it’s an emerging market we believe will show strong growth over the next several years,” said Marketing Manager Karen Woodard, adding that the Crush series was designed with versatility in mind, no matter the gender. “Women paddlers are charging just as hard as the men, and they need gear designed for them that combines fit, comfort, aesthetics with performance. We worked hard to make it a go-to shoe on and off the water.” Woodard stressed that its versatility is key, and that they strived to make it look just as good at the bar as it performs on the water. “We wanted a shoe people could wear all season long and that said ‘boater’,” she said. “It took us a while to bring it to market, but it’s exactly what we wanted.” She added that the women’s version is all-new, as is a new line of women’s specific neoprene shoes. The women’s market, as well as the SUP market, is also important to Asheville, N.C.’s Astral Designs, which has expanded its Spring 2015 collection to include four additional women’s-specific styles in the Aquanaut, Porter, Mary Jay and Loyak. Before this year, Astral’s only women’s-specific watershoe was the Brewess. “Women represent a huge part of the outdoor footwear market and their specific needs and style vary from what works for the guys,” said Astral CEO Philip Curry, whose new offerings are built on a women-specific last.
“We’ll continue to grow our women's category with our product and marketing efforts.” With proprietary G.15 rubber for enhanced grip, the shoes also target the SUP market, excelling in a wide-variety of terrain. Improving versatility and performance, Astral is also now making outsoles with two versions of its new G-Rubber: G.SS, formulated for maximum grip; and G.15, a reformulated standard version combining grip and abrasion resistance in a conformable rubber. All models feature a “relaxed appearance” for off-water use. Applying its sailing background to paddling-oriented watersports, Sperry Top-Sider continues emphasizing grip, style and lightweight construction with the success of its SON-R Sounder, available this spring in the new women’s SON-R Flex. It’s also debuting a line of kids’ watershoes in its lifestyle line, as well as the new Point Breeze collection for women. “Today’s watershoes are influenced by lightweight athletic construction and sporty material details to evolve from basic water socks to allaround footwear,” said VP of Product Lee Baxter. “Our watershoes blend technical outsoles with fast-drying materials, sporty details and all-day comfort.” Teva also hops on the versatility bandwagon by increasing coverage in shoes like its new Evo line. The intent, said designers, is a shoe that works in the water and out on the town afterward. “We’ve maintained our iconic silhouette while fine-tuning the style to offer comfort and versatility on any adventure,” said Director of Product and Design Lorie Pointer. “We’ve added several multifunctional features and kept it lightweight and comfortable for exploring the outdoors or as an everyday option." With a solid handhold in the men’s footwear market, Keen is also increasingly courting women. It now offers women’s versions in most of its watershoe line, including the new for 2015 Uneek and re-designed Clearwater. It’s also placing an increased emphasis on the kids’ market with a slew of new SKUs, including the new Kids Rio, available in sizes for both toddlers and children. ■
Watershoe Sampler Great for all types of watersports, the new Chaco OutCross Evo collection comes in men's, women's and children’s models. All have breathable mesh uppers and employ jacquard webbing with open construction (openness varies with models; the most is found in the Evo 1, and the least is in the Evo 3). Midsoles offer support via Chaco's PU Luvseat footbed, while comfort and durability are cornerstones thanks to strobellasted, barefoot construction with EVA foam layer and nylon support shank. For traction, an EcoTread outsole made from 25 percent recycled rubber comes with 3mm-deep lugs and a siped tread design for frog-like adhesion. $100-$115 (Kids: $55), chacos.com. For cool weather and river SUP paddlers, Kokatat serves up a bootie offering warmth, comfort and grip. The Seeker’s sole is designed to maximize board feel and grip so you don’t slip off your surf, while its single-hand adjustable lacing system with neoprene cover eliminates snag hazards while allowing for precise volume adjustment and fit. $65, kokatat.com. A sock rather than a shoe, the Farm to Feet Blackburg Water Sock is designed to fit inside river sandals to enhace comfort while shielding the tops of your feet from sunburn. Intended to be worn with water-draining shoes, water sandals or similar footwear, it’s knit with a combination of U.S.-sourced nylons and elastic yarns in a unique water-draining design (one yarn used is a PTFE nylon that sheds water, dries quickly and provides UV protection). $16 (low), $17 (quarter-crew), farmtofeet.com. Now toddlers and children can enjoy the same level of protection when paddling or at camp as their parents. The new Keen Kids Rio is a technical, lightweight and “fun-designed” sandal made for land and water. Built for toddlers and kids, this sandal provides a contour arch footbed, added toe protection and soft EVA construction. $34 (Toddlers), $40 (Children), keenfootwear.com. With new two-cord construction, the Keen Uneek molds to your feet for perfect fit. Made from polyester braided cord with nylon core for strength, the cords and free-moving junction let the upper adapt to the shape of foot, providing freedom of movement, security and structure. A lightweight PU midsole with microfiber cover keeps it durable while a high traction rubber outsole with razor siping ensures grip. $100, keenfootwear.com. Three years in the making, the NRS Crush line was designed to offer versatility - featuring surf styling, a sticky, siped rubber outsole, crushable heel for slip-on access, and a quick-drying, DWR-coated canvas upper. It also has a unique glueless shoe box with NRS strap. $80, nrs.com. Teva’s newest multisport shoe the Eva is designed for watersports, running and hiking. Made from breathable, quick-drying mesh with a synthetic upper, it has a lace closure system for easy fit, while a midsole cushion maximizes comfort. For grip, look to its Spider Original Rubber outsole for wet or dry stickiness. $70, teva.com
Chaco OutCross Evo
Kokatat Seeker
Farm to Feet Blackburg Water Sock
Keen Kids Rio
Keen Uneek
NRS Crush
Teva Eva
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APPAREL
Sports Bras Evolve with Market to Meet Women’s Needs As the market for functional, stylish sports bras grows, so does the number of offerings. By Berne Broudy
Photo courtesy Moving Comfort
I
In 1978, Hinda Miller and Lisa Lindahl invented the “jock bra,” sewing together two jockstraps as cups. They refined their design and materials, and eventually turned their jockbra into the first commercially available sports-specific bra - the Jogbra. And for the first time, bras became sports equipment, not just lingerie. Now strongly established in sporting goods, sports bra manufacturers see an opportunity to shave marketshare from Werner, Warners and Maidenform with bras that bridge the gap between lifestlyle and sport. “Women wear athletic wear as clothing,” said Britt Gelineau, product guru at Lululemon. “We are starting to wear bras as clothing too, and that trend is on the up. As women, we’re constantly on the go, and we pack life with us. Our apparel needs to follow in order to serve us. What was practical 20 years ago is not practical today.” In fact, sports bras have become so much the norm at the Lululemon offices that the company’s 800 female employees jokingly instituted “Real Bra Fridays,” when women wear traditional lingerie to work. Manufacturers like Victoria’s Secret are aware of the market opportunity - they’re keeping their lacy bra customers from exploring other brands by offering sexy sports bras. Many have plunging v-necks - not practical for a C- or D-cup runner who needs support, but good looking with enough structure for pilates or yoga. By stepping into the sports bra market, lingerie brands like Victoria’s Secret are pushing Brooks, Moving Comfort, Hanes and other core manufacturers to up their game and make sports bras stylish enough to wear to yoga or running without a shirt, or peeking out from under a tank when you’re running errands.
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The good looks that women want are twofold: the bra itself has to be attractively styled, and the bra needs to make the wearer look shapely, not squashed flat. Luckily, in the past five years, support has evolved dramatically. Ace bandage-like bondage is no longer standard. And even bras for well-endowed women come in prints, colors and soft fabrics that feel good against the skin. The future - in fact the near future - holds serious innovation in bra construction. Designers have subbed silicone for wire, they’ve used bonded fabrics, seamless construction, hidden hook and eye closures, straps that adjust on the fly, and rethought support, so compression is no longer the only option. Lululemon has a bra that heat molds to your body while you exercise, with stiff, bonded fabric around but not on the breast tissue encapsulating and supporting. According to Gelineau, the company will “disrupt the world of sports bras,” with forthcoming innovations from its team of sports scientists, industrial designers, chemists, and physicists. We’re excited to see what they come up with. Most of the bra designers we talked with were searching for better hooks, less thread and baby steps to evolve their bra construction - evolutions, not revolutions. Bras are big business. According to Michelle Ave, Brooks director of merchandising focused on Moving Comfort, “Bras are
Moving Comfort UpLift Crossback (top) and UpRise Crossback (bottom)
Photo courtesy New Balance
“…when a woman finds a bra that works, she will stick with it indefinitely. Bras have more loyalty than footwear.”
the number one growing sport category for apparel - they’re relevant to every woman, doing every activity, every day.” Brooks reports that its sport bras are consistently in the Top 10 best selling styles in specialty running stores, with its Fiona routinely headlining the list. “The bra category doesn’t have any seasonality,” said Ave. “It’s consistent, and the second biggest revenue-driving category after footwear. Once it’s set up, it tracks season after season.” According to retail point-of-sale data compiled by SSI Data, the sports bra market increased nearly 20 percent in fiscal 2014, driven primarily by the national accounts segment. Total sports bra sales were projected to just under $205 million in fiscal 2014, excluding vertical operation such as Lululemon, Title 9 and Athleta. Sales were flattish in the specialty channels, due in large part to the flat business in the run specialty channel. Sales were up in the high-teens in the fiscal first quarter ended May 2, 2015, again driven by strength in the national accounts segment - and the Internet more specifically. "The sports bra sales slow down in the running specialty channel comes as no surprise based on the trends in the channel over the last year," explained James Hartford, CEO and chief market analyst at The SportsOneSource Group, which manages the SSI Data platform. "With females generating more than 65 percent of running specialty sales in recent years, the shifts in their buying trends are going to have a considerable impact on all women's product. As she heads to family footwear or mid-tier department stores for her running shoes, she is more likely to be exposed to additional apparel options." And it has room to grow. But perennial challenges linger, like getting women into the right bra. Best fit isn’t just cup size and bandwidth - though many women buy bras with too big a band and undersized cups. Correct bra sizing is also determined by how a woman’s breasts attach to her body, and on the nature of her breast tissue. For female shoppers, buying a bra in male-dominated shops can be uncomfortable, and historically women have been hesitant to ask for help. Most specialty retailers now have a bigger and better bra wall, and manufacturers like New Balance are working closely with shops to educate buyers and floor staff on proper selection, merchandising, and even comfortable and welcoming changing rooms. New Balance’s Brand Manager for Sports Bras, Audrey Kirkland, asserts that a shop doesn’t have to have female employees to sell bras. “It’s something
anybody can do,” said Kirkland. “When you open the conversation with your customer and she identifies you as an expert in the space and someone who can help her navigate your store’s selection, the gender of the salesperson doesn’t matter.” Manufacturers are getting better at training. Retail employees are getting better at helping. Behind the scenes, New Balance is reclassifying the bra wearing experience to help women hone in on what’s best for them. The company’s new categories are no longer low, medium and high impact but secure - for smaller cup sizes and no or low impact, stabilize - for shaping with adjustability, and control - and fully supportive, fully adjustable in a range of sizes. Jockey has taken a different approach to help a woman find the right bra online. Buy its DIY bra fit kit for $20, and when you order a bra, Jockey refunds the price of the kit. It’s worth the investment for manufacturers and retailers to help women find a bra they love. “Apparel is not traditionally a loyalty item,” said Kirkland. “But when a woman finds a bra that works, she will stick with it indefinitely. Bras have more loyalty than footwear.” No wonder. “The right bra can change your life,” according to Ave. “It influences how you feel and how you move every day regardless of what activity you’re engaged in.” It’s true, whether you’re 16 or 60. That’s why Lululemon created a sub brand, “ivivva,” that caters specifically to preteen and teenage girls. Like Lululemon, ivivva sells online and in brick and mortar ivivva stores, offering complimentary dance, yoga and athletic classes, from hip-hop to Hatha or Highland, helping girls explore their athletic side and build community. Girls are also invited to submit design ideas online or via design rallies/parties where they can try new apparel and give feedback. “In the end, no woman should have to compromise what she desires in her bra,” Kirkland said. “When we achieve that, we’ve succeeded.” ■
- New Balance’s Brand Manager for Sports Bras, Audrey Kirkland
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OUTDOOR HARDGOODS
30 2015 SPRING ISSUE
What’s Trending Now In
Sunglasses Fashion... Meet Function This year’s sport and outdoor eyewear trends aren’t just about being trendy By Scott Boulbol
A
s the sun makes its long-awaited return each spring, outdoor athletes turn their attention toward sunglasses; especially sunglasses that will help them perform in their outdoor pursuits. But more than ever before, those sunglasses look more like their lifestyle cousins. Many remember – and perhaps even rocked – the iconic Oakley Bladez Greg Lemond wore during some of his most successful years as a cyclist in the 80’s. While these may not have been the first sport sunglasses, they’re certainly among the most renowned. The gigantic, goggle-shaped frames covered much of his face while wrapping around the cheeks to block the elements – they even featured adjustable temples and nosepieces. While wearing these today would be seen as ironic, many of the features persist in the sport models today. But along with these technical functions, brands are more conscious than ever now to incorporate some of the latest styles brought over from the fashion world – the nerdy “Wayfarer” style has been huge for several seasons and isn’t stopping, along with “Aviator” shapes and multi-color frames made famous in the 70’s ski scene with brands like “I-Ski.” So while true sport glasses, like the old-school bladed wraparound models, are still available, consumers have ever-increasing choices if they want to get away from that sporty look.
Photo courtesy Smith Optics
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Cliff Robinson, president of iconic sunglass brand Revo, calls these “athleisure” models, borrowing a phrase from the apparel industry. And he should know a thing or two about this trend, as some credit Revo as one of the original athleisure brands, with popular styles, especially for winter sports, in the 80s and 90s. “We see athleisure as an important trend in the industry right now. The sport people want to be more fashionable and the fashion people want to get more sporty,” he says. “We pride ourselves on creating Cliff Robinson, President, frames that people want to wear for both sport Revo and for everyday life.” Smith Category Manager Joe Snyder won’t go so far as to suggest that the typical sport glasses will disappear – they’re still more technologically advanced for the most active pursuits – but he does see fashion models becoming more sporty. “At Smith the two categories are separated by vastly different feature sets and silhouettes. Our performance collection is designed to perform for both top end athletes and enthusiasts alike,” said Snyder. “That said, we do see a trend in the active/ lifestyle segment. This is an area where traditional lifestyle models incorporate features to help increase performance.” Joe Snyder, Category Manager, Smith “Consumers are finding an appreciation for the functional elements of spring hinges, rubber nose pads, temple tip designs that can keep the product on their faces,” said Costa’s John Sanchez, VP of product development for one of the industry’s fastest growing brands. “The consumers naturally want to look great and eyewear is a fashion accessory, but we are seeing more and more that they want to be able to look great and go for a walk, short bike ride, or kick the ball around the backyard with the kids, and not feel like they have to worry about changing out their eyewear.” Along with the features Sanchez mentions, athleisure sunglasses often feature softer, lighter and more flexible frames than their pure lifestyle counterparts. John Sanchez, Lenses are often interchangeable to allow for varied VP Product Development, or changing light conditions, or feature polarized or Costa photochromic lenses. Many are treated with hydrophilic material so water and sweat runs off quicker and cleaner. Nose pieces and temples feature hydrophilic rubber that stays in place better, especially when wet, and can also be flexible for different fit options. Some even feature rubber or silicone around the frames to seal off the lens from sweat and prevent light from sneaking in around the frame, as well as improved airflow to prevent fogging. But what they all have in common – unlike so many of the “classics” – is their fashion-forward designs. Another trend is less about vanity and more about sustainability: Brands are increasingly incorporating “greener” materials, production practices, and missions into their sunglass businesses. There have been some significant advances in recent years, so more brands are already doing this or looking into it in the near future. Whether using bamboo or other sustainable woods, or non-petroleum based plastics, and even biodegradable resins, brands are more conscious about what happens to
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their products when no longer needed by the consumer. One of the biggest proponents is Zeal Optics, whose entire line is made with “sustainable” materials. “All plastics in our sunglasses are bio resins and contain no petroleum,” said Mike Lewis, Zeal Marketing/Team Manager. “This includes not just our frames, but also Mike Lewis, Marketing/ our lenses. AdditionTeam Manager, ally, a select group of Zeal Optics our sunglasses are made from a cotton and wood-based acetate that are the first certified biodegradable sunglasses out there. Drop them in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment like the bottom of the lake or a landfill and they’ll be gone in 18 months.” The market has also seen an influx of small startup brands, who often offer younger, more trendy looks and colors, and sometimes lower price points, with basic technical features. They’re a strong option for those who want stylish looks and at least some tech, like rubber nose and temple pieces, or polarized lenses. Crowd sourced startups are beginning to make a mark in the industry, like Sunski, which used Kickstarter to fund its launch in 2012. While small brands like Popticals and Switch offer unique and innovative options: foldable but sturdy frames for more convenient storage and magnetic lens interchange for easier swapping. Finally, prescription (RX) sunglasses, especially in the sport realm, are increasingly available throughout lines, rather than just a select few models as in years past. Whether it’s a full-blown cycling blade or a casual Wayfarer style, brands are making wide varieties of models RX-able. The traditional clip-on variety is still an option, but more brands are simply making the lenses RX ready, so there’s no bulky, sometimes unsecure clip on lenses to deal with. Some even offer non-RX “reader” inserts, so you can more easily see your computer, or read a map, etc. And like your high-end eyeglasses, these are of course also available in polarized or photochromic options, and also feature strong anti-scratch coatings and hydrophilic treatments as well. Rudy Project On the athletic side is an Italian brand ubiquitous in the running, cycling and triathlon worlds. Rudy Project has long been renowned for its hardcore sports glasses, and while they’re not giving up on that niche, they too have adopted more stylish looks and casual styles, with much of the tech borrowed from the athletic models. The new Proflow ($275 and up) is a
For a more fashionable look try the USA1 ($130). Every XX2i pair comes with a dual-sided screwdriver to keep the frames tight, two cleaning cloths/carry bags, plus a 365-day money back guarantee and a lifetime frame and lens warranty - even against scratches.
Rudy Project Proflow
top-end model, using features from some of the company’s previous flagship models. The new Suspended Hinge Geometry feels strong and secure, and the CarbonCore Chassis may not be the lightest, but it’s built to last. The RX photochromic lens offers outstanding clarity, sheds dirt and water well, and is quick to darken/lighten in changing conditions. Its popular Rydon ($200 and up) is back and is still light and comfortable - and highly adjustable via a flexible nose piece and temple tips. It’s a bit smaller Rudy Project Rydon than typical cycling wraparounds, so there’s a fraction less coverage, but function doesn’t suffer and it’s perfect for smaller faces. Both models are available with their ImpactX-2 lens, which is among the toughest, clearest and fastest-adjusting photochromic lenses available – 25 percent faster, they claim, than the previous Impact-X version. RX options include progressive, bi-focal and even a variety of reader magnifications. But even Rudy has a casual side, and the new Sensor ($150) offers the high-quality lens Rudy is Rudy Project Sensor known for, with a fresh, trendy look. While it lacks some of the aerobic-sport features, the Sensor would work fine for skiing or watersports, and with the multiple trendy color options, wearers won’t feel “underdressed” on the pub or coffee shop patio. All casual frames are RX-able. XX2i Optics Among the best values for 2015 come from RP domestic distributors: XX2i Optics offers high-performance models at much lower prices than its Italian cousins, or most comparable products for that matter. The France2 ($60) is a traditional sport design offering many of the same fit and lens options like polarization, flexible rubber nose and temples, and hydrophilic coatings, plus Grilamid lenses (a common material in higher end products offering good flexibility and strength). But it’s the reader option (three levels of magnification) that sets them apart – even without an RX, wearers with vision issues can read a map or a computer without having to take off their glasses. Multiple bold color options XX2i Optics France2 are offered.
Oakley Even though they still offer models reminiscent of the classic Bladez design, Oakley is also known for its fashion influence. The Jawbreaker ($200-$280), features trademark sharp angles and edges and a bold, fuOakley Jawbreaker turistic aesthetic. The technology is cutting edge, beginning with Oakley’s proprietary “Jaw” interchangeable lens system – among the most secure and user-friendly in the industry. There’s a lens for every possible condition, along with photochromic options for changing conditions. They even borrow the adjustable-length temples from the Bladez, albeit a more advanced version. They’re among the largest frames in the category, and not the lightest, but this means a huge area of protection and outstanding peripheral vision, plus ventilation for anti-fog.
Photo courtesy Bolle
Bolle For the serious outdoor athlete who needs RX lenses, longtime sports brand Bolle 6th Sense Bolle has a strong offering that launched in late 2014. Rather than retrofitting an existing model for RX lenses, the 6th Sense ($600 single vision; $775 progressive) is designed exclusively as an RX sports model, designed for high performance cyclists, runners, nordic skiers, etc. Twenty different lens configurations, with a wide range of prescriptions, mean the perfect setup for most consumers.
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They’re relatively lightweight, and highly adjustable. And the Bolle lens’ clarity and durability are Bolle Diamondback always excellent. Their new Diamondback model ($90-$110) boasts a more stylish design, with a wide, wraparound, full-frame construction for extensive coverage from sun and wind, plus good peripheral vision, although unfortunately there are no polarized or photochromic options. The fit is snug and comfortable, especially for its large profile, and the shield style makes them good for skiing, cycling, and other speed sports. As a lifestyle model they offer a rock-star look, for those bold enough to rock them, especially with the bright color options. Serengeti Another venerable brand, more known for its lifestyle models – and excelSerengeti Sestriere lent lenses – is Serengeti. Their Sport line offers choices for casually active, and more fashionably conservative wearers who want great clarity and light weight, but a little added performance if they head into town on a bike or go for a hike, etc. The Sestriere and Bormio models ($170) feature photochromic and polarized lenses – a rare but desirable combo in many outdoor pursuits. The nylon frames and Trivex lenses are very light and flexible, and it’s easy to forget they’re even on. Revo Revo’s new Straightshot ($200) is an excellent all around model, with contemporary, wide temples, bold graphics and squared off frame, plus non-slip features and Revo’s renowned 8-base Polarized Serilium lens for clear, precise vision in a wide variety of light. Its wrap style offers full protection, despite its lower profile design, and good peripheral vision. With the RX lens availability this is a true do-everything model. For a more urban, trendy look, the comfortable and retro-chic Phoenix ($280), ofRevo Straightshot (top) and fers 6-base polarized lenses for Phoenix (bottom) excellent contrast and clarity. Its modern aviator shape belies its abilities as a solid choice for snow and water sports, and it can be worn all day because it’s light and comfortable. But while the lenses look large, the frame is actually better for women or men with narrow faces. Poc The Swedish brand Poc has been turning heads in sports like cycling – where the wide, rounded frames and wraparound design
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stood way out from the usual shields and blades that have dominated the sport for decades – and Poc Do Flow (left) and Want (right) skiing, with their bold, untraditional design aesthetic, but it’s the functionality that keeps them from becoming just a style brand. The Do Flow ($170) definitely makes a statement out on the town, but it’s every bit a fully functioning cycling or skiing sunglass, with a tight, wrapped fit for maximum protection, and just enough ventilation to keep the fogging down. Injected Grilamid frames are light and flexible, while Ripel anti-sweat and water treatment keeps the nylon Carl Zeiss lenses clean and dry. While not photochromic or polarized, the clarity and color is still impressive, and multiple lens options are available. All are RX-able. The less sports-oriented, highly stylized Want ($150) will satisfy trendy consumers, and it can handle casual outdoor activities too. Best suited for larger faces.
Photo courtesy Zeal Optics
Zeal Optics Virtually every product Zeal Optics makes – including lenses and frames – is non-petroleum and naturebased. From castor oils to cotton, their plastics are less harmful and often biodegradable. But they’re not Zeal Optics Memphis necessarily designed for highly active endeavors. So for folks more into sustainability than hard-core athletic performance, models like the new Memphis ($170) – frame made from 100 percent Zeal Optics Tracker cotton and their proprietary e-llume lens made with no petroleum products – are just the ticket especially if you can rock the look of the many musicians who populate the namesake city! The frames are very light and flexible, but without feeling flimsy, with a polarized lens and 5-barrel hinges.
More active wearers can opt for the Tracker ($120-$140) or slightly less masculine Idyllwild ($120) instead. The Z-resin frames are produced from castor oils, and they also Zeal Optics Idyllwild have e-llume polarized lenses. But these are more flexible and also feature more wrap, sportier looks and sticky contact points. Costa Costa is also among the brands leading the sustainable materials charge. “All of our plastic frames today are bio-based resins. The data we are given is amazing on biobased resins,” said Sanchez. “The quality of the material is better functionally. Costa's bio-based materials can stand the test of time in a larger range of temperatures than traditional plastics. I believe that not just our industry, but as a whole we will see more and more industries migrating to bio-based resins. Castor plant based resins have been vetted and proven to be an amazing first step for us, but we aren’t stopping there. We have in development materials that will bio-degrade 12 months if buried, or if they are at the bottom of the lake or ocean.” While well known on the water sports side of the sports sunglass industry, their recent models can be worn in many outdoor pursuits, with or without water, although perhaps not the more aggressive sports – the glass lenses may not be ideal for those, but they do provide the best clarity of any material. The new Cortez ($170-$250) is marketed for fishing, but the wrap profile, tough co-injected nylon construction, linear venting system and outstanding lenses would be great in the mountains, too. They’re definitely for larger faces, and sport a decidedly masculine look. For the outdoorsy female who refuses to sacrifice the latest runway styles, the La Mar ($150-$170) features a stylish, retro, cat-eye look without compromising on performance. The integral hinges and non-slip nose pads and temple tips offer a durable, comfortable fit, while the same Costa polarized lensTop to bottom: es offer the same clarity and precision. Costa Cortez, La Mar and Pawleys No one would mistake these for sports sunglasses at first glance, but the Pawleys ($200-$280) definitely perform. A snug, unshakeable, uber-comfortable fit belies the retro-chic look of these classic “nerd-looking” glasses, with sticky rubber temples and nosepieces. And while they don’t offer a lot of protection, the lenses are excellent, especially for snow and water. The Tour-de-France may never see a pair in the peloton, but your fellow bike pub-crawlers will be jealous of your look. Smith Smith is another brand that has always been ahead of the curve melding fashion with function. And lately they’re also leading in the sustainable movement: their Evolve Collection – comprised of the majority of their non-metal frame models – is the largest eco-friendly sunglass collection in the world, they claim. Frames are constructed from a 53 percent bio-based material, derived from non-GMO castor plants. The new Outlier XL ($120-$210) is one of those models, and also a great example of a hybrid. With an oversized Wayfarer look, plus sticky temples and nose, lightweight construction, oversized cam hinges and of course Smith’s renowned ChromaPop polarized lens (optional), this is one of the best overall hybrids in our group. Though a tad heavy, due to its large frame, it stays put, providing excellent clarity and contrast,
and offering plenty of protection, even along the sides. It may not be the go-to pair for pure athletic use, but there’s little penalty for choosing this over those shields. Smith chose to keep the traditional clip-on style for its latest RX lenses, the RXODS2 insert (frame $50, RX lens $100) for its PivLock line. It’s similar to their Smith RXODS3 previous model, but with a complete nylon frame for better retention. The lenses are very clear with no visible distortion, and the unit is surprisingly lightweight, although it definitely makes for a bulkier package when inserted into one of the many frames that can accommodate it. The downside of an insert is there are two lenses to look through, which can effect clarity and make it harder to clean especially when out in the field, and it limits peripheral vision. But the upside is, you can choose your lens (on the interchangeable models) for different light conditions and activities, and of course if the frames break or you want new ones, no need to get a new RX lens. Spy Another brand to embrace sustainable and biodegradable materials is the hip skate and ski brand Spy. Select sunglasses, like the ones below, are made with 100 percent biodegradable Plantate - an all-natural plant polysaccharide material, and a portion of every sale goes towards The Keep A Breast Foundation and its mission of informing, educating and inspiring young people to choose non-toxic products to help reduce instances of breast cancer. The SPY Cutter ($220) is what they call, “the most fashionforward and technologically advanced performance sunglass SPY has ever dreamed to create.” The interchangeable lens option, includes their polarized “Happy Lens,” and a ventilation system helps eliminate fogging when used for active pursuits. But the look is definitely not athletic or shield-like, but much more trendy and fashionforward, with a flat brow and Wayfarer style. A similar hybrid, the Rocky ($100-$150), has many of Spy Rocky (top) and Daft (bottom) the features of the Cutter plus small temple openings for leash attachment at a much lower pricepoint. Devised for shaving off ounces and seconds, the Daft is a traditional, oversized rimless shield with an interchangeable 7-base lens, and rubber nose pads and temple tips to keep them in place ($150). Made from Grilamid, this is a pure performance model, and will only be fashionable in the peloton.
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Vuarnet The legendary French brand Vuarnet ($195-$248) brings back one of the original sport styles – ubiquitous on the slopes and beaches and at the crags a few decades ago. The new OO2 is a classic cat-eye shape, but Vuarnet OO2 the optics are anything but dated. The brand’s mineral lenses are renowned for clarity, precision and durability with no distortion like some plastic lenses. And they’ve added a mirrored coating for more flash, plus a polarized option for added contrast. Native Native’s 2015 Flatiron is light and built for comfort. But with the polarized lenses, hydrophilic contact points and Native Flatiron cam hinges, they can easily handle some moderate activity. But the sophisticated flat-brow style will excel all over town after the activities are done and the fun begins. Sunski Generating their original funding on Kickstarter in 2012, the small startup Sunski has carved out a solid niche, with a decided focus on young – the owners are both under 30 – trendy styles, and just enough performance to make the products useful to their fashion-forward but also outdoorsy clientele. But it’s their story – one that seems to be catching on in the industry – that stands out most. “We were fortunate because Sunski Dipsea crowdfunding granted us immediate access to the end customer long before we brought Sunski to the [outdoor] industry,” said Co-founder Tom Stewart. “When we first came to the Outdoor Retailer show, shortly after our Kickstarter campaign ended, we brought a fair bit of momentum which I think proved critical. “We felt an immediate connection between work and play, he added. “The brand almost evolved on its own before our eyes, and now has grown to be basically a pure celebration of nature and time spent outside.” Julbo French brand Julbo began making mountain eyewear in the Julbo Megeve 1880’s, and they’re still going strong offering quality at low prices. They, too, are bringing the fashion trends into sport models like the Megeve ($70), a reissue of one of their 80’s styles. They now have NXT polycarbonate lenses in them, known for their toughness and easy cleaning.
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The Coast ($110-$200), another new style from Julbo trends towards a wayfarer style but was designed for water sports. It employs Julbo's Octopus lens, a hydrophobic, polarized lens that's great for sailing, SUP, etc., plus an integrated detachable cord to keep it out of the water. Optic Nerve Optic Nerve’s Variant ($50, 65, $90) is a strong value for a sports-specific model that just might squeak by as an aggressive lifestyle piece. It’s available in single lens, 2-lens interchangeable, and photochromic options. All have their lightweight, flexible TR90 frames with adjustable sticky nose piece and sticky temple Optic Nerve Variant (top) and piece, plus polarized, injected polycarbonate lenses Kincaid (bottom) On the trendier side, the new Kincaid ($65) has the sophisticated look of higher-end fashion models, while the materials and polarized, hydrophobic lens lend themselves well to light activity. Arnette Another of the more trendy brands is Arnette, and while they don’t focus on high performance for sports, many models will still do the trick, while always keeping the wearer on the cutting edge of fashion. Customization is one of their trademarks recently, with the A.C.E.S. (Arnette Creative Exchange System) collection featuring interchangeable temples and fun lens shades, to mix and match colors. “It doesn’t matter if you're doing a sport or just hanging out with your friends, sunglasses that look good make you feel good, said Joe Freitag, Arnette's Global Brand Director. “There are a lot of people who don't always want styles that have a particularly aggressive or sporty look, or want frames that reflect their personal style, so offering sporty frames with some lifestyle flavor makes a lot of sense.” Their new Tallboy ($100) is a good example. Its wide profile and tall lens offers strong protection for active sports, but the look is Arnette Tallboy decidedly trendy. Grilamid construction keeps them light and flexible. And of course there are lots of color and lens options to make them your own. Popticals The brand with the most-clever name in the bunch, Great Britain’s Popticals has just launched in the U.S., and their foldable frames make them perfect for the active consumer. It’s also another good example of the small startup with a niche’ product. “The inventor, David Porter, was tired of not having a place to put his sports sunglasses, and was unimpressed with how flimsy folding sunglasses were. So he invented the FL2 Micro-Rail System to accommodate those who wanted to wear sports sunglasses but also have a compact, easy place to store them,” said Popticals’ Social Media & Online Content Manager Preston Porter. The Popgear ($180-$200), like all their models, employs the rail system to fold up the frames for easy storage in smaller spaces, like a shirt pocket. They also feature a smooth and slightly broader frame, with a tight wraparound style Popticals Popgear and curved lenses. Wide temples will also protect from dust, debris, and stray light entering through the sides. The lenses are double treated for scratch and impact resistance. While too bulky for more active sports,
Photo courtesy Zeal Optics
these will work well for outdoorsmen and women and on the water, and if you don’t mind the slightly “terminator” look, they’ll work fine around town too. Switch Another small, family owned startup (albeit under larger parent company, Liberty Sport) with a unique product line is Boulder, CO-based Switch, which began about four years ago when, as CEO Anthony P. DiChiara puts it, “My uncle, who has been in the optical design and engineering field for almost 50 years, mocked up a prototype with magnets inserted into the lenses. From there we spent almost two years developing the initial styles and marketing strategy.” Now they have full lines of sport models, mostly focused on water sports and two-wheeled vehicles, all of which feature their proprietary magnetic interchange system, The new Lycan ($120, $180) features a full wrap, wide temples and large lenses resulting in a very tight fit to keep the elements at bay – best for sports where the wind and sun are at their fiercest. The set comes with two lenses, a polarized and a low-light rose. The Switch system is one of the easiest lens-swap systems – just push the lens out from the inside, and pop the new one in – yet Switch Lycan (top) and the lenses seem solid and secure (although fingerH-Wall (bottom) prints are an issue). For a more traditional cycling/running style, the new H-Wall ($130) allows more airflow to keep the fogging down, but a much lighter, sleeker design. The two interchangeable lenses slide up into the bridge on these, again using magnets, and again it’s super quick and easy. Although for serious athletic endeavors, the profile may be too slim for larger faces – these would be better for women and smaller guys.
Under Armour With a strong presence in the hunting and fishing side of outdoor, Under Armour is widening their more casual lifestyle lines, and offers solid options for more active sports, too. But Under Armour’s biggest news for 2015 is the new Storm polarized lens, with they said quickly repels sweat, salt, oils and even sunscreen. The new Captain is a nice blend of both, with an overall outdoorsy look, but a more modern, trendy shape, combing a wrap fit with a Wayfarer-ish frame. They’re impressively light, Under Armour Captain made from titanium and (top) and Igniter 2.0 Grilamid, which also (bottom) means strength and flexibility – good for sportsmen, watersports and lighter aerobic pursuits. Their new Igniter 2.0 ($90-$160) is more of an aggressive sports model, ideal for running and cycling, etc., and also offers the Storm lens option. The co-molded rubber temples are flexible, secure and very comfortable, and the wrap offers solid peripheral vision – although the lenses may not come down far enough for larger faces – and the cam hinges feel sturdy and tight. And there are lots of bold colors to satisfy your need to make a statement. ■
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SPORTS & FITNESS
Photo courtesy Nike
Talking Sports Medicine SGB spoke at length with two orthopedic surgeons and a head athletic trainer for a NCAA Division I national-championship winning men’s basketball team to get a unique perspective on the sports medicine category. These experts shared insights about the injuries currently most impacting athletes, about how sports medicine products are addressing the needs of players on and off the field, and what the future of the sports medicine retail market holds. By Fernando J. Delgado
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T
he sports medicine category continues to present a lucrative opportunity for manufacturers to meet the needs of athletes at retail. According to point-of-sale data compiled by SportsOneSource’s SSI Data, Supports were up 17.5 percent in units and up 25.6 percent in dollars for the 2014 calendar year. Team Sports Compression Sleeves remained a hot subcategory, up an impressive 32.7 percent in units and 46.2 percent in dollars for the 2014 calendar year. Together they tallied more than $113 million in 2014. Showing no sign of slowing, Team Compression Sleeves are up 30 percent in units and 32.9 percent in dollars year-to-date as of April 16. We reached out to our experts to help tie these numbers to real life scenarios. Dr. David Chao, an orthopedic surgeon based in San Diego, CA, attended Harvard University and received his medical degree from the Northwestern University School of Medicine. A boardDr. David Chao certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with a Subspecialty Certification in Sports Medicine, Dr.Chao has maintained an active San Diego practice since 1995. He is a member of the international
ACL Study Group, the NFL Physicians Society, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and is an Assistant Clinical Instructor at UCSD. Chao performs over 500 surgeries a year on patients of all ages and competition levels, including high school and college athletes, professional athletes and recreational athletes. He also served as a team physician for the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and contributes a regular column, “Monday Morning MD,” to the National Football Post website. What are the most common injuries you see athletes dealing with? The injuries I see most commonly are very sport-specific. As an orthopedist, I see more traumatic injuries than overuse injuries, but one trend I’m seeing with young athletes is that there are more and more overuse injuries because there are more and more season-round sports. In the past, a young serious athlete usually played more than one sport during an academic year across different seasons – playing football or soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball in the spring, for example. However, the modern athlete is much more specialized, and an athlete who played multiple sports in the past is now playing one sport year-round. There’s less cross-training going on, and less changing of sports, and part of it is based on the competitive nature of high school sports. It’s less and less common to have an athlete move between different sports. So I think that’s one of the issues causing the increases of overuse injuries.” In football, as part of my Monday Morning MD column, you’ll read that we’re seeing more and more lower extremity foot and ankle injuries in athletes. My theory – and it’s just a theory – is that you can train, and you can get bigger, stronger and faster, like all athletes are doing, but you can’t make your foot any bigger or stronger, so to speak. It’s like planting a bigger tree in the same size pot – eventually it doesn’t hold. And as a result, I’m seeing the trend of more and more foot and ankle injuries. Sports medicine used to be mostly knee and shoulder injuries, with the occasional elbow, as the most common injuries. Now I think foot and ankle is right up there, be it high ankle sprains or Jones fractures. Ten years ago, a lot of doctors weren’t clear – unless you were a specialist in sports – about what the difference between a high and low ankle sprain are. Now every journalist and every fantasy player knows the difference. What changes have you noticed in sports medicine products over the past few years in regards to overuse injuries, and what does the future hold? I think there’s a big shift coming in the sporting goods business for multiple reasons. Number one, people continue to be more and more active and more and more knowledgeable about what’s going on. So the old school low-tech braces and sleeves that were out there don’t cut it anymore. And then you add to that - on the medical side of the industry because of insurance changes – fewer and fewer place
Dr. David Chao
are being covered from the medical perspective. The specialty sleeves and braces are still being covered, but the common sleeves and braces have to be purchased by consumers, whether it’s because of deductibles or because insurance companies aren’t covering it. So as a result, there’s a movement – and I think it’s a good movement – of more and more of the high-end medical companies and brace companies moving into the retail space. And I think that will provide a lot more access to all athletes, whether they are an everyday athlete, a weekend warrior or high school athlete, to some of the higher-end products. A company like DonJoy or Breg used to always sell through a doctor. Now, more companies are focusing on selling directly to the consumer, whether it’s at brick-andmortar sporting goods stores or at online retail. DonJoy has started a medical sporting goods division, so to speak, as opposed to medical braces being their core business. All the time now, when someone wants a specialty brace, I may say, ‘Look, just go to betterbraces.com and you can get what you want there.” And the brace is on their doorstep overnight. As opposed to having to get a prescription and waiting three weeks for an insurance company to approve it. Are there any particular braces or sleeves that you recommend that you’ve experienced success with for your patients? Here’s where the consumer really needs to have their antenna up. For anyone to say a certain brace cures all elbow problems or cures all knee problems, or prevents all knee injuries, is absolutely ridiculous. It depends on what injury you have and what you’re really treating. A lot of times I’ll have patients come in and say, ‘Well, I’ve got patellar tendonitis, and yeah I’ve tried a brace, but it doesn’t work.’ Well, what kind of brace is it? And where is your patellar tendonitis? Is it classic inferior pole tendonitis, or is it in the distal pole? There are different techniques to treat them and different bracing concepts. Some things work better for certain people. I think you need to customize a little bit. And I think that’s what’s happening more in the sporting goods industry. You’re seeing more customized products as opposed to more limited options. It used to be that you’d go to the store and here’s
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one knee sleeve and here’s one elbow sleeve mostly. Now there are different types of products out there, and that’s not bad. The key is to figure out which product is right for you before you get it, and how to educate the consumer. A common theme in the sports medicine category, as well as protective gear in general, is finding the balance between lightweight and comfort while maximizing support and protection. Reducing weight and bulk can sometimes mean sacrificing protection. Are brands moving too far toward creating a product that feels light and looks good to the point safety is compromised? There are theories out there. [NFL analyst for ESPN and former NFL executive] Bill Polian and I were talking about increased foot and ankle injuries, and I agree with what he said, which is that some of the athletes, including the linemen, are all wearing lightweight wide receiver shoes. They want to feel lighter. It’s only a couple ounce difference, but the shoes don’t necessarily give as much support. And that might have something to do with increased foot and ankle injuries as well. If you look at some of the cleats today compared to what they were a decade or two ago, it’s completely different. Cleats are now much more lightweight and low profile. And with it being so lightweight, there’s less rigid support. Are there any technologies or innovations that you’ve seen, or that are in development, that will impact the sports medicine category? People have heard already about PRP and stem cells. But I’ll give you one innovation that most people haven’t heard of that is an emerging technology that will have some legs. Blood flow restriction training is something new and on the horizon. It’s actually been in Japan for a long time but it’s catching hold – some NFL teams are using it, some Olympic sports are starting to use it. It’s what I’ll call a poor man’s altitude training. Blood flow restriction training consists of using tourniquets and devices to restrict flow. Think of it this way…a lot of athletes go to high altitudes as a way of using decreased oxygen to build up red blood cells in their body. If you’re training with a tourniquet at sea level, you’re restricting red blood cells, which in turn might induce your body to get used to an oxygen-deprived state. It’s not exactly altitude training, but that’s an easy concept for people to see. It’s very safe, and there are all kinds of blood flow restriction training that are emerging, but the big one that now has a certification protocol for trainers and users and a fairly fancy technology that pairs with your smart phone, is Kaatsu. The blood flow restriction area in general is emerging, but Kaatsu is the leader. If you look online, you’ll see that the Houston Texans have incorporated blood flow restriction training. The U.S. ski team, the U.S. swim team, and the military have all done some stuff with it.” We’re seeing more and more sporting goods mergers, with the recent merger between Shock Doctor and McDavid being a prime example. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, can smaller manufacturers survive? The way people
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Photo courtesy Zensah
buy things is different now. Big box retail isn’t always the king anymore. There are a lot more direct-to-consumer options. But I think there’s an advantage to integrating product lines. That’s why the bigger ones are buying up the smaller niche companies. They have more vertical integration and perhaps easier entry into stores. But the key here is still your product. If you have a good product, it will still work. So I still think there’s room for smaller companies and for innovation. But I think there is certainly a trend toward a bigger kind of company and more kinds of products under one roof, as opposed to individual lines. And that’s what a lot of the sports med companies have done.” Jose Fonseca, MS, ATC, LAT, is in his 10th year as men’s basketball athletic trainer at Duke University. Fonseca arrived at Duke after spending two seasons in a similar role at University of Nebraska, where he assisted with the Cornhuskers’ nationally ranked football program. Originally from El Salvador, Fonseca earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science with an emphasis in athletic training at The Pennsylvania State University, also earning Dr. Jose Fonseca his master’s degree there in kinesiology. The Duke men’s basketball team recently won its 5th NCAA Division I National Championship this past April. As someone who works with high-level Division I basketball players who play the sport almost year-round, can you share some of the typical injuries that you deal with throughout the course of the season, as well as some injuries the average basketball fan might not be aware of? We definitely deal with a lot of ankle sprains. That’s probably the number-one thing we deal with just because of the nature of the sport, with guys jumping and landing – especially landing on someone else’s feet. The next thing we deal with are overuse injuries. Jumper’s knee, which is patellar tendonitis, is something else we deal with on a daily basis, as well as a little bit of Achilles tendonitis, another overuse injury. From there, we see a variety of muscle strains and low back pain. That, as well as finger sprains are the most common things we see here at high-level basketball. What kind of sports medicine products do you use on a daily basis that you have found to be effective in helping players recover or perform at their best when dealing with a nagging injury? A lot of sports medicine products a person can buy at a
sporting goods store or even online. For an ankle sprain, we prefer to tape our guys. I feel that tape is more supportive. I can make it tighter, I can make it looser, I can make it sturdier, and it’s lightweight. But for a common person who might not have the availability of an outside trainer on hand 24 hours a day, I would suggest an ASO ankle brace made by Medical Specialties Inc. out of Charlotte, NC. They make a terrific lace-up ankle brace, in many different styles. I definitely believe that’s the best ankle brace on the market. For other things, say for the tendinitis issues I mentioned, a good flexibility program really helps our guys. Checking out any kind of muscle imbalances they may have, which obviously a layperson can’t do. For tendonitis injuries and other chronic injuries, we use a sports rub, something that really helps our players by getting that affected area warm and going. We use something called Flex-Power, which is a heat balm or cream that you can put on. It doesn’t have that crazy eucalyptus smell like the old Ben-Gays or Flexalls. It’s actually a rather pleasant smelling cream, and it works by warming up as you get moving. It’s a nice addition for those chronic injuries we see out there. These athletes are starting to play that one sport year-round. In the past, when you and I grew up, we were playing three different sports. We would play football or soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and then baseball or whatever else in the spring. And when you play all those different sports, you use different sets of muscles. There are different actions, there are different types of running, there are different types of forces that your body absorbs over the course of the year. You can develop those chronic injuries, especially if you’re not moving correctly.
More and more basketball players are wearing compression sleeves in games. There doesn’t seem to be much scientific data that supports the physiological benefits, but on the other hand, many players seem to feel comfortable wearing them, and oftentimes report increased confidence as a result of using them. Some say it’s just a style factor. What do you feel about sleeves and what they can provide a player? Our program at Duke has never been about flashy looks, so none of our guys wear headbands or other things just to look cool. Anything our guys are wearing is for a purpose. [Duke point guard] Tyus Jones wears an arm sleeve with a padded elbow. Many basketball players can injure their elbow when they take a hard fall onto the court. There’s a bursa on your elbow called the olecranon bursa, and when you hit it really hard, it blows up and becomes really painful and sensitive. So our guys are wearing sleeves to protect that portion of the elbow. So when he does dive on the floor – which our guys do – he’s not going to bang it and have it become sensitive. So it’s preventative. Same thing for our knee sleeves. Some guys experience patellar tendonitis. The tendon is very close to the surface, and when you hit it on something, you can feel a sharp shooting pain that no one likes. Our guys wear those kneepads to, (a.) cover the tendon to make sure they don’t hit their knee on another player setting a screen or when they dive on the floor, and (b.) it also provides a little bit of warmth on the knee area. Clinically, those compression sleeves may not really be proven to do anything, but when you add the padding, they can really help in protecting the areas that are sore or have been sore in the past. The players use the sleeves so they don’t have to re-live that injury.” Are there any other trends that you’ve seen in what athletes are gravitating toward for their sports medicine products? All these sports medicine companies out there – or any kind of company – are looking to make everything lighter, to make it look like you’re not wearing anything, and for most people, I think that’s ok. But when you make something lighter, I think it also can reduce the durability and the protection of those products. So you’re not as protected as possible, and therefore it could lead to an
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injury. Even though some of these products can’t completely prevent an injury from occurring, sometimes you can prevent the injury from being as severe as it otherwise would have been without any protection. I’m always leery about anything being lighter and thinner. But if someone’s completely healthy, as long as they feel good and want to wear it, and it’s not hindering them, then that’s fine. But when they get hurt, then I step in. And they’re going to wear what I want them to wear, where it’s going to be bulkier and offer more protection. It’s going to actually do something to protect them and keep them on the floor.” Dr. Derek Ochiai is a graduate of Cornell University and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and is fellowship trained in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and specializes in injuries to the upper and lower extremities including the hip, knee and shoulder arthroscopy. Dr. Ochiai Dr. Derek has extensive experience in the arthroscopic treatment Ochiai of hip injuries and pathology. He is a member of the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy, AANA, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Based on what you’re seeing in your practice, and also from what you’re hearing in the medical community, what kind of injuries are on the rise among serious athletes such as travel, high school and college players? First of all, we obviously still see the common injuries such as ankle sprains and overuse injuries. But in terms of more serious injuries, ACL tears are still common and there are still thousands of ACL reconstructions done each year. It’s highly common for people playing soccer to twist their knee, hear a pop, feel that their knee is unstable, and then it turns out that their ACL is torn. In baseball pitchers, we have the epidemic of ulnar collateral ligament injuries. Surgeries for pitchers who have overworked the ligament on the inside of their elbow and have it tear and need it reconstructed are really common. Less likely in the younger age ranges, but more so in the weekend warriors, are rotator cuff tears, which are common in the 40 and 50-year-old age range. Shoulder dislocations are not uncommon. Whether you’re sliding into second base or you’re reaching out to catch a football pass, the shoulder goes out of socket, tearing up the shoulder labrum and the ligaments that stabilize the shoulder. That’s very common. Have you seen an increase in injury rates in any particular sports that might be surprising? With the ubiquity of people playing soccer – it’s just a hugely popular sport – you get a lot of soccer injuries. Especially relative to a lot of other sports, with the sheer number of children and adults playing soccer, of course you’re going to get a large number of injuries from that. Thinking of injuries that are on the rise that might be surprising, overuse injuries from fitness fads are more noticeable now than in the past. With Cross-Fit and the like, people are maybe taking a body that wasn’t in shape enough to be pushed to the level they were trying to push themselves, so they’ll get overuse tendonitis issues from taking a workout program that was probably not designed for them and trying to immediately implement it. We definitely see that more in the January-February-March period, when people are still trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. They’re doing more at the gym than they probably did in the last year combined. Springtime is cycling season. Around that time we’ll see a rash of clavicle fractures. Cyclists flipping over their handlebars and landing on their shoulders will lead to those fractures. Football injuries always happen. Basketball injuries are pretty much the same. We have ACL prevention programs that are trying
42 2015 SPRING ISSUE Photo courtesy 2XU
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ACCESSORIES
Shedding Light on Compression Gear A look at the latest in compression gear and a few of the elite athletes who use this elusive technology. By Billy Brown
Photo courtesy 2XU
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ompression gear rides a strange duality: the highly visible arm sleeves and tights are often seen on high-profile athletes in both individual and team sports, but many people don’t know exactly what benefits compression actually provides. Even explaining compression apparel can be tricky. For many, it fits into that category between fad and magic beans, as explanations are often limited to what it does (aid in recovery and improve performance) and not how it does it. To put it simply, putting a dedicated squeeze on major muscle groups helps push deoxygenated blood back to the heart, speeding up the delivery of fresh, oxygen-rich blood to working or recovering muscles. “Wearing compression supercharges the heart, elevates the return of blood and speeds up the return to full capability,” said Aiden Clarke, founder of compression Aiden Clarke, apparel company 2XU. Founder, 2XU The whole point is to speed up
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the process by which blood is reoxygenated and circulated through the body, according to Wes Piatt, Crossfit Games competitor and founder of Coast Range Crossfit in Gilroy, CA. “The more oxygen that flows through the body, the faster you recover.” Exactly how much compression an Wes Piatt, Crossfit Games & Founder athlete needs varies, Clarke said. of Coast Range Crossfit in Gilroy, CA “The compression for exercise and competition is more powerful,” he stated. “Recovery and long term use compression is more relaxed for more comfort. Piatt uses different grades of compression shorts for training sessions than he does for recovery. “For workouts, I wear a tighter, thicker pair of shorts from Virus,” he said. “On rest days I wear a more relaxed pair.” The tighter compression in performance pieces reduces muscle vibration during repetitive impacts like running or box jumps. A 2011 study published in the Portuguese Journal of Sports Sciences found that
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One of the most versatile runners in the world Ultrarunner Max King uses leg sleeves and compression booties for recovery and travel.
muscles supported by compression gear experienced less vibration, less tearing and less break down than the control group. Ultrarunner Max King uses leg sleeves and compression booties primarily for recovery and travel. One of the most versatile runners in the world, this year King won both the 100k World Championship in Qatar and the 5k Warrior Dash National Championship, in Esparta, CA. King credits compression sleeves to helping him recover sooner after races and training sessions. “I can get back to training sooner,” he said. “It helps with my performance by letting me do more work.” Long-distance travel can also be detrimental to performance, as sitting for long periods of time can lead to blood pooling in the lower limbs, resulting in swelling and fatigue. Wearing light compression tights or leg sleeves helps keep the blood circulating in lower limbs. King and Piatt both use compression when they travel. “I’ve used passive compression leg sleeves during travel to and from international races,” King said. “My legs feel fresher and ready to run when I arrive, instead of swollen and lethargic.” It’s not just athletes that take advantage of the travel benefits. “We’ve received similar feedback from U.S. Navy Seals who travel on long haul flights and then have to perform as soon as they hit the ground,” Clarke said. While runners, basketball and football players are the most prolific users of compression gear, the sleeves and tights can be found everywhere from the golf course to the Crossfit box. And most agree that everyone, not just athletes, can benefit from their use. According to Clarke, in the near future we’ll be seeing more sport-specific gear and interesting new technologies, including anatomical mapping to target specific muscles and “smart yarns” that will deliver personal performance data from workouts. ■
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Shirt Most compression gear focuses on the lower body, but 2XU’s Men’s Elite Longsleeve Compression Top provides compression on the arms to speed up circulation.
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Sleeves For hotter weather, Zamst’s Arm Sleeves compress the arms, increasing circulation and reducing muscle vibration during workouts.
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Shorts Huntington Beach-based Virus International makes the Cooljade Tech Shorts, a compression short infused with recycled jade to decrease skin surface temperature during intense workouts.
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Calf Sleeves CEP’s Ultralight Calf Sleeves are lightweight, knee-high polypropylene and polyamide sleeves that offer a graded compression from the ankle to the calf to help facilitate blood flow.
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Recovery Zoot’s Men’s Recovery Tights give a light graded compression from the waist to the toes providing a total lower-body circulation boost.
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ADD NOW, SELL NOW
Back-to-School Primer It's June, which in retail land means time is running out to optimize your back-to-school assortments. By Charlie Lunan
Photo courtesy Under Armour
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cross America, families are giddily hosing off their grills and firing up their mowers to get ready to host high school graduation parties and their first barbecues of the season. But in the crazy world of retail, early June can only mean one thing: time to place those last-minute orders to round out your back-to-school assortments. This is when smaller retailers can press their advantage against big box competitors by working with their reps to chase trends. There is still time to bring in products well ahead of the season, which kicks off this year on Sunday, July 19, and runs through Saturday, Sept. 11. Expressed in retail terms that means weeks 25 through 32 on the retail calendar. To zero in on potential opportunities, SGB tasked its colleagues at SportScanInfo to scan retail sales data it collected from more than 10,000 retail doors to identify a few categories where sales spiked the most during the 2014 back-to-school period. Some findings were more surprising than others. As one might expect, weekly sales of daypacks skyrocketed nearly five-fold over the course of last year's back-to-school season, while sales of casual athletic and basketball shoes grew five times faster than overall footwear sales during the eight-week period. What may be less known, however, is that weekly sales of mouth guards grew nearly three times as fast as overall team equipment sales during the same period. Weeks 31 and 33: Basketball Shoes Basketball shoes remain the undisputed king of the back-to-school season even though retailers sell far more of them in December and March then they do in August. Last year, they outsold casual athletic footwear - a category that includes skate and canvas styles form such popular brands as Vans, DC and Converse - by nearly five to one during the back-to-school season, SportScanInfo data shows. Still, weekly basketball shoe sales more than doubled in the back half of August last year and hovered above the $100 million range through mid-September as kids held off buying their shoes to see what was popular at school.
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Under Armour Curry One
Andy Annunziata, vice president of retail solutions and analysis for the SportsOneSource Group, said the surge reflects savvy lifecycle management by Nike and Brand Jordan, which control the overwhelming majority of the market, as well as Adidas and Under Armour. "For back-to-school families, who have to buy apparel, books and have many other expenses that time of the year, manufacturers are doing an excellent job of bringing color and style to the mid-price level," said Annunziata. With the performance-as-fashion trend tapering off in the footwear business, the major brands are incorporating more fashion into the lower priced shoes that are the mainstay of both the back-to-school and the resurgent family footwear business, Annunziata said. In other words, they are trying to make up for
a decline in sales of higher priced, lower volume performance styles with more sales of lower priced products to higher volume wholesale channels. This year, retailers are betting on the Nike Mavin Low, $65, and Nike Without a Doubt, $80, which will be available in at least six colors. The Nike Hyper Zoom Quickness, which is a takedown of the $130-plus Hyperdunk worn by top collegiate players, is expected to play well at the $100 price point for more performance oriented shoppers.
Nike Mavin Low (left) and Hyper Zoom Quickness (right)
Week 31: Casual Athletic Footwear While much smaller, the demand for casual athletic footwear is growing and continues to be a great traffic builder during the July shoulder season. Last year, category sales began rising sharply in mid-July and peaked in mid-August, before many schools even opened. Converse All Stars remain a must-have brand particularly for girls who are embracing the brand's many color and profile options. Puma Suedes and Nike Air Force 1 are also expected to remain top sellers at their respective price points.
Converse All Stars
Nike Air Force 1
Vans TNT SAG
Puma Suedes
While skate has been a tough category in recent years, Vans U.S. sales grew 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014. Brand managers expect the redesigned Rowley Solos, which launch June 16, to be a top seller at the $60 - $65 price point. The model features premium suede and natural canvas textiles, tonal stitching across the uppers and custom vintage-inspired labeling on the tongue. Vans will freshen the offering in the fall by offering four new colors. Vans expects the 2015 model of the TNT SAG, which is named for skater Tony Trujillo and already available in four colorways, to do well at the $65 to $70 price point.
Week 31: Team Equipment Team equipment sales also spiked in mid-August as Vans kids and parents geared up Rowley Solos for football, soccer, field hockey and other team sports. Rising awareness and concern over the long-term effects of concussions, constrained public school budgets and growing pro endorsements have helped fuel greater than average sales growth for protective and recovery products last year. That is expected to continue for years to come. Because manufacturers recommend replacing these products every season and because many are priced below $25, they help drive traffic and add-on sales. They also offer keystone margins. During the last two weeks of the season, weekly sales of mouth guards hovered at four times their level just six weeks earlier. Mouth guard sales grew nearly three times faster than
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Here again the athletic brands are poised to capture the lower-price mass business, while outdoor brands such as Patagonia, Osprey and The North Face are expected to continue selling well to college-bound students. Athletic styles such as Nike's Max Air Vapor and Hoops Elite and Under Armour's Hustle and Undeniable styles are expected to do the lion's share of the business in the $55 to $80 price range. The packs feature basketball silhouettes, big logos and bold colors favored by many middle and high school students. The North Face will launch a revamped line of daypacks in the third week of May that reflect its most comprehensive redesign in seven years. The changes are based on research gathered from in-store customer observations, focus groups and even lessons learned from other consumer product companies that have redesigned top-selling products.
Compression Sleeves
overall team sport equipment sales over the entire 2014 backto-school season and grew in the low double-digit range during the first quarter of this year, when overall team sports equipment sales flat lined. Some of that growth reflected growing use of mouth guards in basketball and soccer. Retailers sell about twice as many Shock Doctor mouth guards as team dealers, estimates Jay Turkbas, senior vice president of marketing and product development for Shock Doctor Sports, which partnered with NBA player Kevin Love to promote wider use of mouth guards by basketball players last year. "The team dealers don't always have the breadth of inventory that the large retailers have," Turkbas observed. Shock Doctor listed 26 different mouth guards on its site in early April. There were models for softball, soccer and basketball players, for players with braces and flavored mouth guards. Turkbas expects new lip guards made from a transparent plastic will sell well during the backto-school season. "We have found athletes love the lip guard and expect it to sell simply because of the ‘cool factor’," he said of the new orange and red modes that launch June 1. Shock Doctor lip guard Compression sleeves are another low dollar item poised to grow as players replace gear from last season and new players enroll in team sports. Kwik Goal Ltd. expects its sleeves, which soccer players wear over their shin pads, will be one of its top sellers at retail this season. Week 32: Backpacks Daypack sales peaked in the third week of August last year, at nearly five times their level just three weeks earlier.
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Under Armour Hustle
"The real magic happens when you find that perfect balance between familiarity and giving people a new fresh take on what they love about the existing product," said Andrew Coutant, product director for equipment at The North Face. "That was one of the things that was so difficult in this process. How do you take the Recon or the Borealis and change it enough so that it's interesting and fresh, but still familiar enough that you don't lose traction." The line will include new shoulder straps, fabrications and technologies that help make the packs more comfortable, particularly for women. Some packs will use Flexvent, which was originally developed for the brand's technical packs. There are also dozens of tweaks aimed at accommodating rapidly changing technology, said Coutant. For instance, designers moved a sleeve for tablets, which was adjacent to the pocket for laptops at the rear of the pack, to the front of the pack to make it more accessible. The North Face opted to keeps the compartment for 17-inch laptops even though college students are increasingly using that to keep their papers from getting dog-eared. "Women's business is a major focus for this season," Coutant said, noting that the line features back panels, harnesses and shoulder pads designed specifically for the female anatomy. The entire line will feature design accents more in tune with broader fashion trends that the athletic brands have exploited so well in running shoes and daypacks. On the women's side he sees gray packs with brightly colored zippers and other "color pops" performing well. "We are seeing a lot of desire for reds and greens, ultraviolet and rich bright colors," said Coutant. "There is very little separation between outdoor and athletic palettes." ■
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can overdo it and injure yourself, but in general, the fitness and cardiovascular benefits of monitored exercise far outweigh the risks of injury.” Are there any specific products that you recommend for your patients to treat certain injuries? In general the products that have either lace-up or Velcro construction for ankles are going to be more stable than anything that has the same kind of stretchy material throughout. A lot of times, patients coming in to my office need ankle stabilization. In those cases, I’ll give them an ankle strap that we carry. But those are not all that different than what you can get at Dick’s Sporting Goods. They don’t have any technology that’s night and day different. At a retail store, they will have more sizes that can fit athletes better. But if they can get an over-the-counter ankle lace-up, that’s probably going to do pretty well for them. In terms of ankle braces, nowadays you can’t get an over-the-counter ACL stabilizing brace. You have to get that made for you and it will cost at least several hundred dollars. They’re not going to stock that at a sporting goods store.”
to decrease ACL injuries, especially in female basketball players and female soccer players. The programs do help, but they don’t prevent everybody from getting an ACL tear. What are your observations regarding the sports medicine products available to athletes at retail? Are there any new products you’ve noticed being used more? How are athletes responding to the technologies and materials in the sports med items they use? I’ve seen athletes using a lot of kinesiology tape. I’m seeing that a lot more, even though it’s highly debatable how effective they are. I think the effectiveness is based on whether they actually feel better with the tape on. If they feel better with the tape on, they should keep using it. But the research isn’t that compelling at this point. With knee braces and ankle braces, sports med manufacturers are taking some of the technology that’s been used more for traditional custom bracing concepts and have started applying it more to off-the-shelf and over-the-counter products. Your knee braces and kneecap wear-and-tear type products – those are getting better. They’re slowly evolving. Is there any product that makes you say, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got to use this thing?’ Not that I’ve seen. But something that piques my interest – and this is not something that you can get at Dick’s Sporting Goods – is these elbow sleeves for pitchers that can measure all these different angles that you’re pitching at and start using that to train and try to change your pitching style perhaps in order to decrease abnormal stress around your elbow with the goal of decreasing your chances of suffering ulnar collateral ligament injuries. That’s pretty exciting. You can think of it as Fitbit for the elbow. Speaking of which, I think those kinds of leisure and fitness wearable technology devices and smart technology apps for your iPhone are great. Those are a way of getting people more engaged in becoming more fit and healthy overall. You
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You alluded to the biomedical effectiveness of kinesiology tapes and similar products being unclear. Is there something to the idea that sleeves are improving an athlete’s performance if they feel confident and comfortable wearing them, even if there isn’t clear scientific data that shows what they may or may not do? I absolutely agree with that. Anybody that tells Kobe Bryant not to wear an arm sleeve because it’s not going to be helpful is probably not going to be working for the Lakers that much longer. If athletes feel better with something on, then they should wear it. Is it a placebo effect? Is it that they might be gaining a little bit better feel for their internal joint mechanics, and they also have an external compression sleeve on that’s giving a little bit more bio-feedback? Is it helping with a little bit of swelling? I guess it really doesn’t matter. If you can afford it and it makes you feel better, then sleeves are fine to use. But as an orthopedic surgeon, I don’t think a sleeve is doing what they say it does, in terms of why it works. I think if it helps an athlete, whether it’s because of a placebo or because of some unknown mechanism that’s making them do something different with a knee sleeve or elbow sleeve, or whatever it is, then it’s fine for them to use it. What advice do you have for athletes dealing with injuries – those that do not require surgery - when it comes time for them to make a purchase for a sports medicine product? What are some important factors they should be considering when choosing from so many options? If they’re not getting better, and they’re getting worse over the next week following the injury, then that’s not normal, and they should see an orthopedic surgeon or at least a primary care doctor to have it checked out just to make sure, because sometimes you may think it’s an ankle sprain, but it’s actually a stress fracture. If over the next week to 10 days you’re actually getting worse, or not getting significantly better, then it really doesn’t matter what brace you’re using. You should get to someone who has the competence to make sure that it’s something that’s relatively benign. Any kind of ankle brace or knee brace – those are all helpful, but not curative. If you have an ankle sprain, it doesn’t cure the sprain if you put on an ankle brace. It can limit your motion, but you can still sprain your ankle more in an ankle brace. Having a brace or strap on doesn’t mean you’re bionic or completely protected from injuries. If you have an ankle strap on but you’re still limping around, you shouldn’t be playing basketball until you stop limping. You can still injure yourself, even when you use the newer braces that look much more fancy than your mom or dad’s brace they might have worn. ■
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Performance Truckers
Loudmouth Collection
As the leader in performance headwear for the past 16 years, Headsweats is excited to introduce brand new collections and stylish updates to old favorites for 2015 that will continue to help you in your fitness pursuits. Our personal goal as a company is to be sure we are always bringing you, our fans the best new products, technologies and designs to keep you comfortable no matter what the weather (or your training plan) throws your way!
Take 25% off online with code:
SGB15
or call 877-437-9328 x118 for custom orders. Good thru 12/31/15
VISIT US ONLINE AT: HEADSWEATS.COM SPORTSONESOURCE.COM
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Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, MargaretD Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, JonathanC Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill,D Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo,T Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett,S Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss,M Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein, Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, ToddG Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, GuillaumeB DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein,D Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, MichaelM Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, MichaelM Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins,R Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett,T Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen,L Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, FynnD Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, SarahG Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, DavidM Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson,P Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams,N Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret ChesebroL NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, DavidN Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, WendyF Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, TaiL Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz,N Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan,J Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, BrianL Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet,B Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig,J Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer,J Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, MichaelK The Sackett, sporting goods industry requires his Josh or her respective company, staff, Rossi, Chris Matthew Schultz, Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins,R these elements to maintain its growth mentors, colleagues, customers and Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett,T and remain a market that will continue friends. Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen,L to draw superior talent in the future. The 40 individuals honored on Drew Davies, DeMonplanet, Degenhardt, EachGuillaume year SGB magazine honors 40 theJonathan following pages are being recog-David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, FynnD Glover, Joel Matt Helbig, Jason activeGrabenstein, lifestyle professionals under the nized by theirHill, peersTed – the Kushion, people they Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, SarahG Matt, Kent Michael Kelly Milazzo, ageMcKeaigg, of 40 who exemplify theseMeyer, quali- work with every day -Stephanie as the best theMilitello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, DavidM ties and Quatrochi, enables the industry to conindustry hasSackett, to offer as Matthew leaders that Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson,P Polivy, Danielle Michael Rossi, Chris tinuously move forward. This year’s list will ensure that the sporting Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavingoods Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein, Dan Abrams,N of SGB 40Under40 award honorees industry continues to be an environLinda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret ChesebroL again exhibits the embodiment of these ment that rewards hard work and NewHard,qualities. Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, DavidN Each is making their mark on fosters success. Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, WendyF Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, TaiL Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz,N Presented by Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan,J Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, BrianL Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet,B Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig,J Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer,J Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, MichaelK
Leadership, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Energy
tDan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret nChesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, ,Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, dGavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein, Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd eBronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, lMatt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, ,Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn hGlover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah dMatt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, ,Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, oLinda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro dNewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David yFeld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy iLee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, ,Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian ,Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, ,Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, ,Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, lKelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, ,Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn hGlover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah dMatt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, ,Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein, Dan Abrams, oLinda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian Burnett, Margaret Chesebro dNewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, Jonathan Degenhardt, David yFeld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy iLee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, Kelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael Rossi, Chris Sackett, Matthew Schultz, ,Josh Shaw, Katie Swenson, Neal Taylor, Megan Tompkins, Tina Wade, Matt Weiss, Gavin Whelan, Laura Wolf Stein. Dan Abrams, Linda Balfour, John Barrett, Lauren Blanda, Todd Bronson, Brian ,Burnett, Margaret Chesebro NewHard, Tammy Christensen, Drew Davies, Guillaume DeMonplanet, ,Jonathan Degenhardt, David Feld, Brendan Gibbons, Fynn Glover, Joel Grabenstein, Matt Helbig, ,Jason Hill, Ted Kushion, Wendy Lee, Lauren Mallon, Sarah Matt, Kent McKeaigg, Michael Meyer, lKelly Milazzo, Stephanie Militello, Tai Neal, Sara Parker, David Polivy, Danielle Quatrochi, Michael
Dan Abrams
President | Flylow Gear Age 37 | Number of Years in the Industry 12 As President of Flylow, Dan spends his time on brand management, product design and development, marketing and business development. Duties include managing relationships with media, suppliers, manufacturers, sales representatives, marketing representatives and endorsed athletes. In 2000, Dan earned his BA in International Political Economics from the University of Puget Sound in Seattle, WA. In 2004, he earned his Masters in International Development from the University of Denver's Graduate School of International Studies. Dan’s skiing accomplishments include serving as a ski racing coach in Jackson, WY during the 200001 seasons as well as personally ski racing from 1989 through 2009 with first and third place finishes at the Arapahoe Basin Enduro Race. He has been used as a ski model in national publications and is featured in the 2014 PowderWhore Productions feature film release. Dan and Flylow have been recognized by numerous business, skiing and outdoor enthusiast publications. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Managing the brand from product concept to sales and finance. My job is to make sure that we are making what we want, so we can sell to who we want, and grow at the pace that is best for the employees and owners of Flylow. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? “You can learn something from every conversation, so never turn one down.” WHO INSPIRES YOU? Stephen Sullivan, former founder of Cloudveil and current founder of Stio. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? Manage rapid growth with the goal of establishing a solid brand that can sustain itself, its growth and provide for its employees indefinitely. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Aspiring to make the best product and stay true to the brand.
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Linda Balfour
Brand Marketing Director | Keen Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 14 Linda is currently the Brand Marketing Director at Keen. Before taking the post, she held the position of Field Services and Giving Program Manager at Keen and the Events and Sponsorship Manager. Linda has worked at the Ski School Vail Resorts, a Production Manager for The Real Estate Book and Inside Sales at Transworld Media. Linda received her BA from The University of California San Diego. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Building a brand that earns loyal fans. My days are focused on leading the Keen team to create connections with lovers of open spaces and adventurers around the world, through brand activities that inspire people to get outside and make a difference, and product campaigns that introduce people to our products. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Everyone has something to teach. For me, leading a team is about guiding a team of individual teachers. Often the best lessons and ideas come from unexpected places and people. WHO INSPIRES YOU? People brave enough to live their dreams and those who live in favor of the future. Dan Austin of 88 Bikes is an inspiration. He’s dedicated his career to joy-based philanthropy, getting bicycles to kids around the world. John Sterling of the Conservation Alliance is also a role model for the way he has unified the outdoor industry to create lasting environmental impact for generations to come.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? I’ve had such great mentors throughout my
career; rather than differ from them I continually strive to embody them. From listening skills to encouraging and empowering individual success, I hope to share what I’ve learned with those who come after me. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Great teams and a great brand. I feel lucky to have worked with some of the best marketers, storytellers and product people in the outdoor industry. And I work for a brand that values taking risks, building a community and giving back to the world around us.
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John Robert Barrett
General Manager, Asia | Ortholite Age 37 | Number of Years in the Industry 13 The son of a shoe dog, John joined Ortholite in 2006 and was first assigned at the company’s former OEM factory in Conghua City, Guangdong, China. After two years in that role he was instrumental in setting up the organizations chemical systems plant in Dongguan, China where the group develops and formulates its products currently on the market. John now works and lives in Hong Kong at the group’s Asia headquarters. Prior to joining OrthoLite, Barrett was in New York at D. Porthault, a luxury linen brand based in Paris. He focused on media relations as well as the company’s businessto-business arm. Prior to that John lived in Osaka, Japan where he served as a foreign liaison officer to a Japanese politician. He holds a Foreign Studies Certificate from Tokyo University and a BA from Boston University in Economics and International Relations. When not at work, climbing, triathlons and golf round out his favorite solitary activities. He can also be found on the softball fields and basketball courts of Hong Kong and greater Asia. He has a passion for music and recently placed second in the “Fed-Up Osaka” freestyle competition – the only foreigner ever having medaled in the event. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Oversee organizational operations in our Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Korean facilities and business centers while maintaining customer-supplier relationships in the expanded Asia/ SE Asia region. Analyze the internal and external environments as they relate to our company’s strategic goals and initiatives as directed by our U.S. headquarters and execute accordingly. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? “Turn over the garbage cans – that’s where the money is.” Old school, sage business advice from a mentor of mine who was speaking directly to finding leakage when we first opened our chemical processing facility but serves as a metaphor for anything from increasing sustainability to narrowing the clutter in ones mind and finding the brilliance buried within. WHO INSPIRES YOU? Family. Mom taught me pure and unconditional love while Dad created an environment where foreign countries and people were the norm. My brother is absolutely fearless and never wavers from his own moral principles. My sister raises a family while maintaining a high-level, stressful job yet remains the chillest person in the world. They are the summation of who I want to be. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
Revive the past instead of looking to create a new future. There is far too much technology in our lives and instead of streamlining efficiency we are reaching a point where it leads to redundancies. People nowadays think answering an email is completing the job, which in turn leaves a lack of true accountability. I hope to bring real human interaction back to the world. I hear too often, “with technology I can do my job from anywhere.” There is no substitute for looking someone in the eye and having a true meeting of the minds. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? My colleagues. Our headquarters has given me free reign to hire the best and brightest minds in Asia, and so I have a management team of communicators that ensures our company ethos permeates throughout the entire organization. The majority of our staff speaks multiple languages, which gives us an inherent understanding of local culture. Relationships are at the core of Asia business, so its imperative we embrace a concept that as a company.
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Congrats, John Barrett! From all your friends at OrthoLite, we wanted to congratulate you on your SGB 40 Under 40 honor. Just like our insoles, your dedication to quality and performance does not go unnoticed. Thanks for helping keep our brand one step ahead of the rest!
ortholite.com
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Lauren Blanda
GMM I City Sports Age 33 | Number of Years In The Industry 12
Lauren attended Emerson College in Boston, where she received her B.A. in Marketing Communications and played lacrosse and ran. She worked part time at the City Sports on Boylston Street in the Back Bay and loved the store and the company. She found herself begging the store manager to give her a chance to sell shoes. After graduating from Emerson, Lauren became a footwear manager to buy time before she considered her first big career move. After a few months, she was in touch regularly with City Sports’ corporate office at and after a store visit. Lauren was offered a job in apparel buying and quickly transitioned from Assistant Buyer to Buyer to a more senior role and eventually Category Manager of the Apparel Division in 2009. Laurenwas promoted to GMM in January 2013. Leading and managing the buying team, the planning and allocation team and the visual merchandising team to achieve our sales and gross margin objectives, as well as inventory objectives. Building out strategic plans that encompass everything from vendor product launches, Co-Op marketing efforts, the City Sports brand, our private label brand CS, promotions and seasonality, and e-commerce, that tie back to supporting our financial objectives. Building relationships with key vendor partners. Partner with Marketing to build comprehensive marketing plans that support our investments with our vendor partners, drive traffic and convert. Seek and create new revenue and margin opportunities in brick and mortar and e-commerce. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Do the job you want. View change as an opportunity. WHO INSPIRES YOU? Other successful women, whether it’s Mindy Kaling or Sally Bergsen. It’s inspiring to see other women follow their dreams and create something special. I’m inspired by others in this industry who are genuine, passionate and smart, people like Todd Spaletto and Sean Scales, both of whom had a positive influence on me early on in my career. My current boss Eddie Albertian pushes me and is incredibly supportive; it inspires me to be a better leader. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
Make a positive impact on not just the company’s performance, but also on the people who come to work every day. Build processes and set expectations. When I entered the GMM role, that was my first priority. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s the only way to hold people accountable and set them up for success. Be more transparent with our vendor partners. It is a partnership after all, and the more we share with them about our goals and objectives, the more I expect they’ll take chances with us. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Passion for sport and this business we’re all in. I am our customer, it helps me connect with them on many levels and identify new opportunities or upcoming trends. Building a strong team; you have to be a team player. Being nimble, every day is different. Speaking up, allowing myself to get noticed and by taking chances. By showing some initiative when I worked in the stores, I was given a chance to do more in a small company. The company has grown now, and the same thing happened when Eddie (Albertian) became our CEO. I worked hard and he believed in me, enough to give me the opportunity to head up all Merchandise. Having supportive mentors and peers in this industry. I can pick up the phone any day and bounce ideas off colleagues or get advice.
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Global Creative Director | Crocs Age 34 | Number of Years in the Industry 12 Bronson’s role as Global Creative Director at Crocs is to collaborate daily with merchandising, product design, external agencies and regional offices to elevate the Crocs brand, and he brings nearly 12 years of retail, management and design experience to the position. Todd was formerly the Brand Creative Director, Group Creative Manager and Creative Manager for Denver’s Sports Authority. He began his retail career in the design department at American Eagle Outfitters and also worked at the agency Brady Communications in Pittsburgh. Todd holds a B.S. in Graphic and Communication Design from La Roche College and currently enjoys living with his wife in the Denver Highlands.
LEADERSHIP
Todd Bronson
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Responsible for
the global look and feel for the Crocs brand, direct seasonal lifestyle photoshoots and creative direction for global marketing campaigns. Drive design consistency across retail locations, wholesale accounts and e-commerce. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? “The best creative comes when you leave your comfort zone.” This quote was from my college design professor and has been proven to me throughout my career. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My father. He’s as far away from the creative industry as possible, but his hard work and ethics are so inspiring for me. His advice has always fueled my passion for working hard and putting people first. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
innovation.
Discover new ways to approach problem solving, process and
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Building relationships with people and teamwork. Working primarily in the retail industry, it has been important for me to collaborate with many different teams and people to achieve a goal. It is sometimes easy to come up with your own solution, but when you can get others on board, the idea becomes much more powerful.
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INNOVATIVE
Brian Burnett
VP & DMM Footwear | The Sports Authority Age 37 | Number of Years in the Industry 22 With a B.S. in Management and Marketing from Montclair State University, N.J., Brian has been involved in the footwear industry for more than 20 years. He started selling sneakers at Footaction at the Woodbridge Mall in New Jersey and after graduating, Brian allocated and planned footwear at Just for Feet which led him to become a buyer. He continued on the path to Footaction, Finish Line and The Sports Authority. As DMM for The Sports Authority, Brian leads the entire footwear division. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Managing all footwear at The Sports Authority - Men’s, Women’s and Kids Athletic, Cleated and Seasonal categories. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? We are in Sporting Goods, so have fun. We aren't saving lives…It's only sneakers. WHO INSPIRES YOU? I have been very fortunate to work alongside some tremendous merchants over the past 22 years, gathering my inspiration through many individuals, teams and experiences along the way. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? The people whom I have worked with have collectively taught me so much,
all pieces that have helped me to become an effective leader. With the constant evolving retail landscape, I strive to make the best decisions, take calculated risks, and be sure not to continue to do the same thing over again while expecting different results. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? My passion for footwear has always been told through the lens of both a professional and personal story. These stories have helped me to stay successful, all the way from high school to college, and then on to the corporate setting. I have always maintained a high IQ for sneaker trends and that is still with me today, as my personal collection is north of 800 pairs. This passion for sneakers has definitely translated into my 20-year career in footwear. Being a good partner is a huge key to success. It’s important to know how to celebrate the wins, and to also have the tough, candid conversations; which ultimately strengthen relationships. Fellow employees are like a second family, so being invested personally and professionally is important. 60 2015 SPRING ISSUE
BRIAN BURNETT,
you’ve always set the pace for Sports Authority.
Congratulations
on being named one of SGB’s 40 Under 40!
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Margaret Chesebro Newhard
Director of Product Management | Wigwam Mills, Inc. Age 37 | Number of Years in the Industry 12 Margaret has worked for 12 years professionally in the sporting goods industry but it has always been a part of her life growing up in the Wigwam family business. For her it is really rewarding working with customers, reps and employees of Wigwam, some that have known her since before she had her driver’s license. From 2000-03, Margaret worked as a Marketing Specialist at Gander Mountain. From 2003-06 she was an e-commerce analyst at Fingerhut Direct Marketing. In 2006 she came to work at her family business, Wigwam Mills, as a Field Marketing Manager and was promoted in 2009 to Director of Sales for the Western Region. Since 2013 Margaret has served as Director of Product Management. She completed a B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Villanova University. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Manage and oversee all aspects pertaining to Wigwam’s product line. This WMISGB 40 under 40.pdf 5/1/15 8:56 AM includes management of existing 1products and also managing Continued On Next Page
CONGRATULATES Margaret Cheseboro-Newhard Director of Product Management as one of SGB’s 40 UNDER 40 The best is yet to come.
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new product design, development and launches. My day to day is spent determining seasonal direction for the upcoming lines, working with an arsenal of designers to get the looks that embody that direction, and working with manufacturing to build these designs with the right yarns and construction. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.” Throughout my years in the business I have certainly made my share, but have no regrets. Each one makes me think longer and harder to do it better next time. WHO INSPIRES YOU? I am inspired by the people that surround me in the industry itself. The passion of this business and my peers is infectious. However, one person in particular is certainly my father, Bob Chesebro. Wigwam is what it is today because of his passion. He has continued the legacy of Wigwam because it’s something he loves and can’t put down. He’s taught me that success comes from hard work, building relationships, and not being afraid to get your hands dirty. It’s hard to ignore the twinkle in his eye when socks are mentioned and the seemingly endless energy I see each day. To see someone that truly enjoys their career and takes pride in every aspect can’t be ignored. It spurs me to do more, bring fun into the mix and continue the family heritage and culture that was born 110 years ago.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? I hope to be more strategic in my role at Wigwam and become an expert at identifying potential disruptors in the marketplace. The pace of change within our market is consistently accelerating and has a less predictable path. Keeping pace and maneuvering amongst new competition and segments will be key to excelling in Wigwam’s next generation. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS?
My curiosity challenges me to consistently dig deeper, ask why, and increase my knowledge of everything in our business. As a result, I find myself with more options and combinations which have the potential to become something new and innovative. It’s easy to continue status quo, but sometimes you have to shake up the bits and find the right pieces to get something really great.
Tammy Christensen
Vice President, Sales Established Brands | Compass Marketing Age 40 | Number of Years in the Industry 7 As VP of Sales at Established Brands, Tammy have helped launch brands such as Adidas in the connected sporting goods, fitness monitoring, tracking and coaching categories. In past positions she has helped well-established brands, such as Swiss Gear, generate new revenue by extending their product offerings outside core outdoor categories at mass retail. In high school, Tammy was captain of the gymnastics, golf, swimming and diving teams. In 1993 she was Minnesota High School Diving champion and awarded the Minnesota Female Athlete of the Year award. She attended The University of Miami (FL) on a full athletic scholarship where she was a three-time Big East Conference Champion and NCAA Division I AllAmerican on the 10-meter platform in 1997. Tammy continues to be involved by coaching and mentoring young female athletes not only in the sport of diving, but by teaching life lessons such as accountability, goal setting, hard work, leadership and how to lose gracefully. Sales, business management, business and sales strategy planning, retail relationship management and product development for a range of sporting goods companies at retailers including Best Buy, Target and Gander Mountain. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? If you spend today worrying about tomorrow, you’ll never be happy. Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die tomorrow. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My twin nine-year-old boys. I strive to be the role model they deserve and work hard to provide them with the best possible future. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? The quote, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” inspired me as an athlete and continues to drive me in the business world. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
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Guillaume de Monplanet Drew Davies
Senior Director and National Sales Manager Sof Sole Brand | Implus Age 28 | Number of Years in the Industry 7 Drew is currently the Senior Director and National Sales Manager for the Sof Sole brand, a division of Implus foot care. He started at Implus in 2013 as National Accounts Manager. Prior to working at Implus, Drew was a Key Account Manager at Reebok and prior to that, an independent sales rep managing SC, GA, AL and TN territories for different brands including Implus under the Kittredge and Associate’s sales agency. Drew attended The University of South Carolina where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sports and Entertainment Management. Achieve corporate Sof Sole sales goals through the management of independent sales representatives, internal sales associates and personal management of national accounts. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? “There is a reason you have two ears and only one mouth.” I think this taught me a valuable lesson early on in my career. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My father has been a big inspiration as he has been in this industry a long time and I was lucky enough to grow up watching and learning from him. I have also been inspired by the entire management team at Implus and the amount of passion they have for their work. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
YOU? I judge myself based not on what others do but instead try and look at what
I am capable of and maximize my own potential. Each person handles each position and situation differently, so I have tried to forge my own path and create my own way while still being aware of what others around me are doing. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? There is no doubt that it takes a good work ethic and a lot of that comes from how you were raised and the morals you have. On top of that, the experience’s I have been fortunate enough to have so far in life have taught me a lot. Another big influence for me was the sports I played and the teams I was a part of. That taught me what it takes to be on a winning team.
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GM | Adidas-Group France Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 15 Born and raised in Paris, France, Guillaume earned a degree from ESCP, a top-three business school in France. He started his career in the U.S. in 1998 as a Marketing Project Manager for Transitions Optical (Essilor Group), based in Tampa, FL. In 1999, he joined 180s and incorporated the European subsidiary of the company in Aix-en-Provence, France. Guilliaume managed the European business in more than 10 markets until it was sold in 2005. He joined the Adidas Group as Sales Director France for Reebok in 2007 when Adidas and the Reebok teams merged in France. IN 2012 he became the Brand Director for Reebok-France, responsible for strategy, marketing and development. He switched brands and was promoted to Brand Director Adidas-France. Since January 2015, Guillaume has been GM Adidas-Group France. He is happily married for 17 years and the proud father of two teenage boys. Management of 750+ employee organization in sales, marketing, distribution, strategy and development of both Adidas and Reebok brands across channels of distribution on the French market.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
"Listen, watch, think, decide...and act!" WHO INSPIRES YOU? I am inspired by the ideas and the courage of many entrepreneurs, by the emotion provoked by magical sport moments, and by the talents and the passion of my two teenage boys. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO
CAME BEFORE YOU? To open more of Adidas France to its ecosystem, to make it less focused on itself and its challenges, but more on the evolution of our consumers, partners, competitors. I see in the "open" a great source of energy and creativity for Adidas. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Three key things among others: a clarity of vision, honesty and transparency and the trust of my environment (family, teams, managers).
Congratulates the SGB 40Under40
2015 Award Honorees
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David E. Feld
Managing Director Digital Marketing Dunham’s Sports Age 35 | Number of Years in the Industry 4+
Jonathan Degenhardt
Marketing Director | La Sportiva North America Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 23 Before La Sportiva, Jonathan helped establish Scarpa North America when it split from Black Diamond. He spent a lot of time in sales and service with Scarpa, La Sportiva and Trango/Stonewear and received exposure to the sales aspect of those businesses. On the retail side, he worked for four specialty outdoor shops as a buyer and/or manager. Besides traditional sales and marketing positions, Jonathan has worked as a freelancer in photo and video production and as a field marketing contractor for outdoor and nutrition brands. Jonathan earned a BA in International Spanish for the Professions from CU Boulder. The program emphasizes intercultural communication and international business. As Marketing Director at La Sportiva, Jonathan enjoys the variety and challenges of working with a global team on a broad spectrum of categories such as footwear, apparel and ski hardgoods.
David grew up in Farmington Hills, MI graduating with honors from North Farmington High School. He credits his work ethic, attention to detail and passion for business to his parents. David attended The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in 2002 specializing in Advertising and Organizational Behavior. David began his career by co-starting and building Shure Pets in Chicago, IL. Next, David spent four years as a product manager at Legacy.com in Evanston, IL. He is happily married with two children. His favorite activities include softball and floor hockey, completing puzzles and brainteasers and cheering on his Detroit sports teams. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Oversee all digital marketing for Dunham’s Sports. I also work directly with vendor relationships and sports team partnerships. I focus heavily on analytics and strategy while developing the omni-channel path for long-term growth and sustainability. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
Execute strategic marketing initiatives to achieve brand sales objectives through advertising, PR, sales support, grassroots marketing and athlete/ambassador programs. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Know what you don’t know. It’s been crucial for me to know what I’m good at and also where my limitations are. This makes a huge difference in hiring, collaboration and teamwork. WHO INSPIRES YOU? Climbing more than any other activity has influenced my career. Coming from that perspective, I’d have to say that alpinists are a huge inspiration for me. Many of today’s top tier alpine climbers continue to provide inspiration through their vision and dedication. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
With so many successful things going for us, what I’ve been striving for is improving La Sportiva’s systems, especially regarding analysis and measuring ROI. More than anything, I’m always trying to plan for future growth while keeping an organic environment like we have always enjoyed. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? It’s really a combination of things like hard work, relationship building, loyalty and consistency. If I had to pick one thing, I would say “yes” to opportunities more than I’ve said no. Sometimes that’s risky, but it has always resulted in personal growth and professional experience. YOU?
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“Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” Wayne Gretzky WHO INSPIRES YOU? Those that don’t rest on their past success, challenge the status quo and strive for greatness. In sports, this would be Steve Yzerman, Calvin Johnson and Miguel Cabrera. In business, my previous mentor Chris Conn, whose attitude, passion, curiosity and perspective are refreshing and inspiring. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?: Provide personally relevant and creative solu-
tions and products for each passionate sports fan. Allow partners and vendors to truly connect with the sports customers in new, clever and exciting ways. Continue to lead, motivate, inspire and challenge my team and peers allowing them to develop and thrive into the next generation of leaders and difference makers. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Being tenacious, scrappy and determined to make sure the job gets done and exceeds expectations. Providing solutions to work smarter and create efficiencies. I also credit my team and co-workers for their attitude and commitment toward success. Also my wife Laura and our children help me keep everything in perspective.
Brendan M. Gibbons
SVP and General Counsel | Wolverine Worldwide Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 1 Brendan M. Gibbons has been the SVP and General Counsel for Wolverine Worldwide in Rockford, MI, since April 2014. Prior to his current appointment, he was the SVP and General Counsel for Carter’s Inc., from 2004 to 2014. Gibbons also served as a Corporate Associate at Ropes & Gray LLP from 2000 to 2004. He holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania (magna cum laude, 1997) and his law degree from Boston College Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 2000). PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
globally
Chief legal and compliance officer
As a business lawyer, the answer is rarely ever “No,” it is a matter of “How.” WHO INSPIRES YOU? My 94-year-old grandfather - an Italian immigrant who raised me and instilled in me a strong work ethic and a focus on education. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? Forge better relationships with business partners; transform the legal department into an enabler of the Company’s goals and growth objectives, not an obstacle; empower my team. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Building trust in my internal client relationships; understanding the needs of my business partners and having business practicality; holding myself to the highest standards, WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
a research trio, to explore the degree to which outdoor recreation positively benefits Generation Y, which led to the idea for RootsRated. He co-founded RootsRated in 2012 and has been working on it ever since. My job is to have a vision for the company’s future; to be able to attract talented people around that vision; and ensure there is enough money in the bank to pay those people and grow the business. Setting the company’s vision, building a team, managing sales and finance, and working with exceptionally smart and motivated people who share in that vision are my primary responsibilities, and it’s an incredibly rewarding experience. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? “Live all you can. It’s a mistake not to.” – Saul Bellow WHO INSPIRES YOU? One of the blessings of the information age is the unimpeded access to unbelievable stories of human endurance, perseverance, creativity, vision, compassion and courage from people of all walks of life and in all corners of the earth. In this industry, Gordon Seabury has been someone who’s inspired and mentored me, as has Mark McKnight. They both possess the teaching spirit and care deeply about bringing out the best in those with whom they work. Also, Tom Fritz and Charlie Lozner have each provided instrumental advice to our company and helped us chart our product roadmap. One childhood sports hero also comes to mind: Steve Prefontaine, the great, gutsy runner of the 1970s. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? I think there’s a huge amount of wisdom to be gained through the study of history, and in that study, hopefully you learn how to emulate the people and philosophies with which your moral compass most aligns, and in so doing find your own unique voice - a voice that hopefully is helpful to those around you. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Every day, I try to position my own concept of success as a daily exercise. Did I work hard today? Did I work smart? Did I exercise brain and body? Was I kind to the people around me? Did I learn something new? Did I create something new? If the answers to those questions at the end of every day are yes, then I feel tentatively comfortable with calling it a successful day. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
Fynn Glover
Founder & CEO | RootsRated Age 27 | Number of Years in the Industry 3 Fynn graduated from The University of Richmond in 2010 with degrees in International Relations and French and was captain of his Division 1 soccer team. He worked for InternMatch after college gradution and then for a Fund of Hedge Funds in Chattanooga, TN as an intern analyst. He founded Expedition Y,
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Matt Helbig
Founder & CEO | Big River Running Company Age 35 | Numbers of Years in the Industry 12
Joel T. Grabenstein
Category Director | Yakima Products, Inc. Age 36 I Number of Years in the Industry 10 Life really began for Joel when he moved to the mountains, rivers and lakes of Coeur d’ Alene, ID during his formidable years. He drifted around the PNW for a few years before receiving a soccer scholarship to Humboldt State where he completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in business. He joined Yakima Products briefly on its inside sales team before a hiatus to Telluride, CO to live the mountain town life and ski 100 days a year. He worked in the local outdoor specialty scene and eventually moved back to the Northwest to be closer to the ocean and family. Joel rejoined Yakima where he spent six years in the marketing group (trade show/ marketing collateral coordinator, marketing project manager, marketing manager, marketing & promotions manager). He worked a round of product and category management before landing the global brand director position at Yakima where he influences both product and marketing as the business expands into new markets. He enjoys overseeing Yakima’s product portfolio for its three brands and working with a group of extremely talented and passionate multi-sport adventurers PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Corporate speak: the Cat-
egory Director drives category management providing strategic leadership for the three portfolio brands (Yakima, Whispbar and Prorack) with the objective to grow profitable market share. This position directs the overall strategic category, new product process and product life cycle. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Take your work seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. WHO INSPIRES YOU? People inspire me with balance in their lives. Life can be hectic between family, friends, health, work, time and ambition. I find those who have largely achieved their version of balance very inspiring. It’s a unique equation for all of us. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
Harnessing the ability to go to battle over a subject and then walk out of the meeting and high five. I believe that tension and diversity of thought, drive, innovation and you have to be comfortable going to uncomfortable spaces to get the best collective work. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Strong mentors. I have had the honor of working closely with some of the best in the business, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without their guidance. And recognizing moments. A good leader has to recognize important moments: giving a good toast, cracking a joke, dropping an F-bomb. These moments bring us together, strengthen the tribe, break the tension, drop the hammer, etc. There is nothing more powerful than the right words at the right time. 68 2015 SPRING ISSUE
Matt Helbig founded Big River Running Company in 2006-07 and it’s been named to The 50 Best Running Stores in America eight years in a row, every year since its existence (2007-14; finalist for Store of the Year 2012). Helbig has a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science from Truman State University and a Master’s in Sports Management from Iowa State University. Last year Matt was named to the St. Louis Business Journal 40Under40 Class of 2014. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
Ensure my team has everything they need to create a worldclass shopping environment. Work closely with the general manager, director of purchasing and director of marketing to create a single voice that speaks to the runners and walkers of our community. Direct the strategy of the company to find new customers and service our existing customers to create longstanding relationships. Work within Big River’s running community to ensure it stays strong and vibrant. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN
GIVEN? Follow your passions and do what you love. My father told me that in 2005 when we first had the idea of opening Big River. It was one of the reasons I took that leap of faith and opened our first door. WHO INSPIRES YOU? People that bring passion and expertise to their jobs everyday. I love getting together with my peers and learning from those that have been there before me. People in this industry that inspire me include Kris Hartner (Naperville Running Co.), Adam White (Running Central), Parker Karnan (Karnan and Associates) and many others. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO
CAME BEFORE YOU? There are too many great run specialty retailers to think that what I’m doing is that much different, but I hope that what we have done here in St. Louis has a lasting effect on the health and wellbeing of our community. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Surround myself with likeminded, hardworking people. Giving my executive team a voice in all of our business decisions helps build trust and a buy-in that makes Big River feel like a second home. The team I’ve assembled has been instrumental in our growth and success. Without them Big River would not exist today.
Ted Kushion Jason Hill
Chief Operations Officer I Frogg Toggs Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 17 After graduating with a B.S. in Management from Athens State University, Jason began his career with Frogg Toggs in 1998 as their Credit Manager. Working within a growing company, he had the fortunate opportunity to gain experience in every imaginable capacity. While serving as CFO for over 10 years Jason obtained a second degree in accounting. Last year, he was recommended by the Board of Director’s to become the COO where he currently sits. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Direct the overall operations and financial strategies for Frogg Toggs. My primary focus is to provide leadership, management, proper controls, and the resources needed to insure that Frogg Toggs meets the demands of its customers. I also currently sit as the Secretary and Treasurer for the Board of Directors. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Always surround yourself with people who bring out the best in everything you do. Know that most people will not long remember what you say or do, but they will always remember how you made them feel. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My inspiration comes from my two young daughters. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME
I hope to facilitate a company that is based on complete transparency and absolute integrity for everyone from the Board of Directors throughout the organization and ultimately the customer. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Growing up in North Alabama, surrounded by lakes and woods, hunting and fishing was just a way of life. Joining Frogg Toggs was a natural choice and a perfect fit for my lifestyle. I knew the product, how it was used, and the people who used it. However, I feel the main key to my success is being surrounded by a team with the same philosophy and goals as mine. It is through their dedication, support, and efforts that I am where I’m at today! BEFORE YOU?
Merchandise Manager | Gazelle Sports Age 35 | Number of Years in the Industry 12 Ted started working on the sales floor at Gazelle Sports 12 years ago to supplement his income while he was a Track and Field assistant at Grand Valley State University. After one year he was given a full-time opportunity to be in charge of staff training. Two years later, he became the footwear buyer. Soon after taking the job it became apparent that to become better at his job he needed more technical business skills than what he had. So, while working and with a baby at home and another on the way, Ted worked to get his MBA. Now, he manages both the running footwear and accessories business in addition to track-related side projects for Gazelle Sports. When Ted is not working, you can usually find him playing with his kids, out mountain biking, or hunting and fishing. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: I manage the running footwear and accessories business for our three specialty running stores and website. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Jerry Baltes, my college track coach and now close friend, always preached that balance in life can get you through anything and that’s become my personal philosophy. Committing to having a healthy balance of work, family, social life, and faith that things will be all right has provided me with some great joy over the past 15 years. WHO INSPIRES YOU? The young entrepreneurs that are opening running shops and finding success. To look at the market and say “you know what, I can do it better.” Then, to have the guts to pour everything they have emotionally and financially into making it work because they’re just that damn passionate about building the running community, that’s inspiring. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME
My hope is that I can be a model of what a balanced, professional career can look like within our company. That you can still take on a huge work load, be a great dad and husband, and maybe even sneak in a few fishing trips each year. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? I’ve been extremely fortunate to have great mentors in my life at critical times. These individuals were more important to my success than any class, clinic or training. BEFORE YOU?
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Wendy Lee
Director of Social Responsibility, International Sales Newton Running Company Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 7 Wendy is the Director of Social Responsibility and also manages International Sales for Newton Running Company since 2008. Prior to coming on board with the family business (her father is Co-Founder and CEO of Newton), Wendy served as a District Counselor for San Diego City Schools for seven years and holds an M.A. in Counseling from The University of San Diego. Working with youth is a passion for Wendy that she has carried over to her role with Newton by coordinating visits for athletes and staff at schools around the country and delivering running shoes to kids in need. She loves to run and practices yoga. She is expecting her first child in September. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
“When you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything at all.” I’ve learned that this applies to all aspects of life and have found that by not putting pressure on always having the answer, with a little time and an open mind, the right thing always presents itself. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My parents are the most consistently generous, conscious individuals I have ever come across. My father is the Co-founder and CEO of Newton who works tirelessly to maintain our goal as a company to leave the world a better place than we found it. My mother is the rock of our family and family business. Her compassion and commitment are unmatched. And my brother, who is an integral piece in the puzzle at Newton, I admire for his incredible work ethic and never-ending kindness toward others. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO
CAME BEFORE YOU? There is so much to learn from the successes and less-than successes of those around me and my goal is to stay focused on what I can do to keep growing myself and applying what I learn with every step. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? The shared value of my Newton Running family as well as my own family to use our time on this earth for making a difference in the lives of others.
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Lauren Mallon
Senior Manager | Fila USA Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 16 Lauren graduated with a dual degree in Communication & Art Studio from The University of Maryland. As an undergraduate she interned with Fila in the PR group and joined the company in 1999 as a Marketing Communications Coordinator responsible for all communications and athlete promotional materials for basketball, soccer, tennis, running and winter sports. Fila did not have a PR director at the time, and Lauren took what she learned and developed relationships with media and was soon drafting all press releases. Lauren was promoted to Marketing Manager in 2001 and focused her attention on tennis and on the activation of global sponsorship for the Tennis Masters Series. During the final five years of Fila's sponsorship of the U.S. Open, Lauren developed and executed sponsorships on and off-site. She was promoted to Global Marketing Manager in 2006 and oversaw the sponsorship activation for worldwide tennis events. In 2013, Lauren was promoted to Senior Manager of Tennis Events & Promotions responsible for negotiating sponsorship contracts and making sure retail stores stock and merchandize product for maximum exposure. She also manages all of Fila’s grassroots tennis initiatives, athlete promotions and tennis category partnerships. Lauren is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Legends Ball Steering Committee, committee member of Baltimore-based charity Philanthropik and the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Cancer Baltimore walk. Negotiate and activate Fila’s event and grassroots tennis initiatives, develop athlete promotions and manage tennis category partnerships. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Never stop learning and improving yourself. WHO INSPIRES YOU? I’ve been fortunate to have amazing mentors throughout my career who encouraged my passion and commitment to sports marketing. They not only helped me hone my professional skills, but also made me realize that anything is possible. Now, as a new mom, I am appreciative of other working moms who are able to balance life and work. Special thanks to Jon Epstein, Jennifer Estabrook and Howe Burch. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? I think it is important to focus on the future, but not to forget the path that was carved by those who came before. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Relentless enthusiasm, a “can do” attitude, an insatiable drive to continue to improve myself professionally, and most importantly, my love of the sport of tennis. I have a wonderful support system with my husband and family to help me balance work and motherhood. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
FILA Lauren Mallon! We are beyond proud that FILA’s very own Senior Manager of Tennis Events and Promotions, Lauren Mallon, is being honored as one of SGB’s 40 Under 40 this year! Lauren’s infectious passion for tennis, her commitment to helping others and her grace, warmth and love for what she does has inspired those around her since she first joined FILA as an intern in 1999. We can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award. Cheers Lauren! - From the entire FILA Family SPORTSONESOURCE.COM
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Sarah Matt
Marketing Director | Toad & Co Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 3 Sarah spent the first 14 years of her 17-year marketing career in New York City working with global Fortune 500 companies and premier luxury brands. At a series of leading New York City B2B and B2C agencies and as an independent consultant, she earned a wealth of experience in market research, brand strategy, marketing and planning while working on behalf of companies such as Diageo, Lenovo, Bank of America and Bombardier Flexjet. Confident that she had received everything NYC had to offer, Sarah relocated to Santa Barbara, CA. Her arrival confirmed that timing truly is everything as the Horny Toad CEO, Gordon Seabury, was pondering the idea of a name change and brand evolution. Sarah been honored to manage the brand transition, while learning from and working alongside some of the best and brightest in the outdoor apparel industry to launch Toad&Co. To lead by example, think big, build brand momentum and deliver marketing results that drive the business forward. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Trust your instincts, they are inherently good. And if they prove you wrong, you will be better for it. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My parents taught me to believe in myself while being accountable to others. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? Create a simple idea big enough to tell the whole story. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Relationships are everything, and the strongest ones are built on trust and respect. Never underestimate the value of determination and hard work. I truly believe you can’t get anywhere without it. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
Kent McKeaigg
Founder & CEO | OrderMyGear Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 7 Kent McKeaigg graduated from Oklahoma State University with a marketing degree. He spent the first chapter of his career in the non-profit space building teams that worked with kids. He went on to lead Worship House Media, then a division of RT Media Group for three years, which was later acquired. While working there, he began thinking about leveraging the experience and relationships of his father’s 35-year team sporting goods career. In 2008, OrderMyGear was born to improve the process of a group order, paid individually. Since then, OrderMyGear has gone on to process over $110 million and is on pace this calendar year to process over $75 million. The OrderMyGear team has grown to more than 20 employees and plays a role with every entity in the team sporting goods purchase. Kent lives in Dallas with his wife and two children. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
direction to OrderMyGear.
Provide leadership and
Healthy things grow and growing things change, so focus on the health of your organization. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My family WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? I hope to build on the impact people like my father had by being a proponent of change as our industry adapts to the inevitable changes technology seems to bring. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? We have a long way to go, but we would consider the way we align our intentions with our customer’s intentions a significant factor. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
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Attaboy Kent!
Congrats Kent McKeaigg The team at OrderMyGear proudly salutes our founder and visionary leader for being named to SGB’s 40 Under 40. Kent started his career in the team sporting goods industry by observing his father’s business as an outside sales rep for a team dealer in Oklahoma. Kent knew there was a more efficient way to sell gear to groups, and built a technology platform to streamline the process. That year, his dad’s team sales quadrupled. Founded in 2008, OrderMyGear has since processed over $100 million in group orders, and this year alone will process $75 million in sales for hundreds of dealers, vendors, and schools. Kent has taken the legacy of his father and built a company that values its relationships, providing the best way for teams and groups to order their gear online.
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Michael Meyer
Director of Design & Development | Granite Gear Age 32 | Number of Years in the Industry 10 Meyer graduated from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 2005 with a BFA in Industrial Design and when Michael got out of school, he worked as a freelance designer before taking a job at High Sierra as a designer and then senior designer for almost five years. Michael went on to work for Under Armour as a senior designer and design manager until 2013 and followed that up with his current position at Granite Gear in 2013 as the Director of Design & Development. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
Designing outdoor sport products and accessories is my passion. At Granite Gear I am responsible for all things creative, from managing the design direction for products and graphics, to designing and developing the products themselves. I manage a team of talented designers and creators. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIV-
EN? In college, a great professor once told me to, “work smart,
not hard.” Since then I have always strived to work both smart and hard. WHO INSPIRES YOU? Adventurers and explorers inspire me these days. At Granite Gear we have a team of professional athletes. I continue to be amazed and inspired by the phenomenal feats that they accomplish. They push the boundaries as to what is humanly possible. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? I hope to push innovation through great,
well-thought-out and truly functional design.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? I attri-
bute my success to taking care of people. Making sure to go above and beyond what colleagues may expect, need, or ask for is paramount. Anticipating needs and the ability to have foresight based on experiences has led me to where I am today. I continuously work to learn new skills and to stay current in my field.
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Stephanie Militello
Director of Strategic Account Sales | Birkenstock USA Age 35 | Number of Years in the Industry 12 Stephanie began her career in footwear in 2002 as Assistant Footwear Buyer for American Eagle Outfitters. Afterwards she became Athletic Footwear Buyer for Shoes.com before switching to the wholesale side as a sales representative for Fila. Following a successful stint as Key Account Manager for Skechers USA, she joined Birkenstock USA in 2010 as Territory Manager before being named to her current position. Stephanie graduated from Duquesne University in 2002 with a degree in Business Administration. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Manage strategic accounts,
including department stores, Internet, and priority independent retailers. Directly manage strategy and account management for Nordstrom, Dillards, Zappos, Amazon, REI, Athleta, The Walking Company. Manage strategic account merchandising and analysis team to drive retail sell-through. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? When I accepted my first job in sales, another rep that had been in the industry for a million years pulled me aside and said “Stephanie, all you have in this industry is your reputation. Anyone can sell shoes, but if you do right by your customers and act with honesty and integrity, you will be 10 steps ahead of everyone else.” Those words are with me every day and remain a guiding force in building relationships and aiming for success. WHO INSPIRES YOU? Personally, my mother is my biggest inspiration. She taught me the value of hard work and being driven to become the best at whatever I choose to do. Professionally, my boss, David Kahan inspires me. He has vision, passion and understanding of business that really stands out. His energy is boundless. His standards are high for his team, but even higher for himself. It is absolutely inspiring to work with a true visionary. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
I don’t focus on those who came before me. I wake up every day and try to learn from what I did the day before. How can I keep changing and evolving to do what is best for both my business and my partners? There are so many people that simply provide shoes or provide a product to their customers. My goal is to always act with integrity and earn the trust of those I work with, so our businesses thrive together. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? I don’t consider what I do to be work. The passion with which I tackle every day is the key ingredient in my recipe for success.
Kelly Milazzo
VP Operations | Toad & CO Age 37 | Number of Years in the Industry 15 Kelly grew up on the East Coast playing sports and skiing. In high school her parents encouraged her to go on a NOLS trip where she truly discovered her love of the outdoors. After graduating from Colgate University she moved to Jackson Hole, WY, where she honed her outdoor skills and began her career in the outdoor industry. Kelly had the opportunity to join Cloudveil as a small, fast-growing company and was able to influence many different aspects of the business. She started in sales and during the next eight years contributed to the company’s sourcing, production, product and business operations. Three acquisitions and many insights later, she decided it was time to take the next step in her career and accepted a position with Toad&Co (formerly Horny Toad) in Santa Barbara, CA. Kelly has spent the last seven years working throughout the organization to improve overall operations. Her husband and two children inspire her to be the best version of herself and live a balanced and active life. With a great team, I manage all things operations. Currently that includes: Purchasing, Inventory, Reporting, Logistics, Warehousing, IT, HR and Retail. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Manage the gray. WHO INSPIRES YOU? Volunteers. The amount of genuine kindness people exhibit never fails to amaze and inspire me. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
Leverage the collective strength of our industry to meaningfully get more people outside.
Toad&Co congratulates two of our employees for their recognition in SGB’s Forty Under Forty 2015.
Kelly Milazzo and Sarah Matt
Kids Foot Locker. These various positions prepared her for her current role as VP & DMM of SIX:02/Lady Foot Locker. Prior to Foot Locker Inc., Tai held various positions with Ermenegildo Zenga, Century 21 and Bloomingdales. Tai has a Business Management Degree from Hampton University, Hampton, VA. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Lead the product teams in
Tai Neal
VP & DMM, SIX:02 | Lady Foot Locker Age 34 | Number of Years in the Industry 9+ Tai began her career with Foot Locker, Inc. in 2005, and has held numerous positions as Merchandiser, Head Merchandiser, Associate Buyer and Buyer of footwear, apparel and accessories for SIX:02, Lady Foot Locker, Foot Locker, Footaction, and
planning and execution of the merchandise strategy for women’s footwear, apparel, and accessories for SIX:02/Lady Foot Locker. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you are committed to doing something, you accept no excuses, only results. WHO INSPIRES YOU? People who are not expected to win, but do. People who are expected to fail, but don’t. Individuals that rise to the occasion, regardless of the unfortunate circumstances they are dealt. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
I want to build upon the successes, raise the bar by exceeding expectations, and break records in the women’s business. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Passion for the business, respect for others, and the drive to win. Most important is the strong commitment I have to bringing others along. in 2012; and was Business of the Year from Keep the Sierra Green in 2008. David holds a B.A. in Geosciences from Skidmore College; graduated from the Sierra Leadership Seminar in 2006; completed the North Lake Tahoe/Truckee Leadership Program in 2005 and is a 1996 graduate of National Outdoor Leadership School. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
multi-channel specialty outdoor retailer.
David Polivy
Owner | Tahoe Mountain Sports Age 37 | Number of Years in the Industry 14 David Polivy is the co-owner of Tahoe Mountain Sports, which he has owned with his wife since 2005. Prior to his current position, he was the Program Manager/Assistant Planner for the Sierra Business Council, 2001-05. He was Member and Board President – North Tahoe Business Association, 2012-14; Member and Board Chair – North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council, 2008-12; Director – Sierra Tahoe Series Organizing Committee, 2013-Present; and Member – North Lake Tahoe Design Committee, 2004-08. He was awarded the Excellence in Community Partnerships from Placer County Economic Development Board in 2013; recognized as Business Partner of the Year from Tahoe Rim Trail Association 76 2015 SPRING ISSUE
Owner/Operator of a
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Take chances in order to make mistakes and celebrate successes. Learn from both and don’t make those mistakes again. If you say you are going to do something, make sure you do it. Do what you love because you only live once. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My parents inspire me to build a successful professional life while simultaneously balancing my personal ambitions and celebrating my family. They were incredibly hard workers when I was young and while I didn’t realize it then, they were working so hard both for themselves but also for my sister and me. Being a small business owner means that you are always on and always working, but it’s important to take a step back and realize that your family and your happiness are really what’s most important. Additionally, my work at the Sierra Business Council (SBC) from 2001-05 shaped my inspiration for how to run my business and work within my community. Steve Frisch, president of SBC, has a contagious and inspirational dedication to his ethos and a fervent passion for the region where he works and the business that he works in. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
I hope to use my business to make a difference in the world, the environment and most importantly in my community. Our communities and environments are dependent on the way we do business, and it is my job as a business owner to ensure that my business contributes positively to making our world a better place. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Perseverance, believing in those around me, taking chances when others are scared and speaking up to make my voice heard when I believe in something. But my secret key to success is my amazing co-owner and wife who inspires and challenges me on a daily basis to make our business and our lives better.
Sara Parker
Director of Sales | Half-Moon Outfitters Age 33 | Number of Years in the Industry 15 While starting college in 2000, Sara also kicked off a career at Half-Moon Outfitters as a part-time sales associate. After graduating from the University of South Carolina in 2004 with a degree in Retail Management, she worked as Store Manager at its Columbia, SC, location. In 2005, she moved to Charleston, SC, to become one of two primary buyers for Half-Moon Outfitters. As of 2014, Sarah has held the position of Director of Sales. Since 2005, Half-Moon Outfitters has grown from four to nine retail store locations as well as an online store. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSI-
Achieve growth in corporate sales. Direct and oversee store managers. Plan and manage the buy for Men, Women, and Kids departments. Direct Visual Merchandising strategies and standards for the company. Collaborate with the Marketing Director to support execution of assortment buy.
TION:
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Seek balance between all
areas of life, every day. Women in the outdoor industry and the community, who prove that it is possible to do it all – work hard, raise a family and maintain a healthy lifestyle - with style and enjoyment. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? To influence and coach others to positively impact our community and environment. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? At home, my husband and family are an amazing “village,” who are willing to pitch in when called on and give me flexibility. In the office, I have an incredible team of people sharing in a passion for what we do, and who never tire of going the extra mile. WHO INSPIRES YOU?
Danielle Quatrochi
VP of Digital | The Finish Line, Inc. Age 38 | Number of Years in the Industry 15 With more than 15 years of industry experience, Danielle Quatrochi was named Vice Presidnet of Digital at The Finish Line in January 2014. Danielle leads The Finish Line’s digital customer engagement with a focus on creating a premium digital brand, commerce and mobile experiences that meet customer needs and drive business results. Danielle previously served as Vice President, Digital Experience, after joining the company in March 2012. She has played a pivotal role in evolving Finish Line’s digital roadmap as well as its overall omnichannel customer experience. Prior to The Finish Line, Danielle served in key leadership positions with several top retail brands including Nike, MapMyFitness, New Planet Beer and Room 214 where she consulted on digital strategy for Forever 21, Sanrio and Jarden Consumer Products. Danielle graduated from the University of Washington and competed in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2012. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Danielle
leads Finish Line’s digital customer engagement with a focus on creating a premium digital brand, commerce and mobile experiences that meet customer needs and drive business results. She played a pivotal role in evolving Finish Line’s digital roadmap as well as its overall omni-channel customer experience. Continued On Next Page
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WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIV-
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
Enjoy what you’re doing – otherwise don’t do it. I’m a true believer that you should be passionate about what you do. If you show up with passion, great things will come for both you and the business. WHO INSPIRES YOU? I gain perspective and strength from other working mothers around me. I also remind myself that I can be a role model for new working mothers. I share tips and tricks on how to balance both roles so they too can have a rewarding career and be a great mom at the same time.
It’s not so much about what I’d do differently, rather, what I want to do which is recognize the talents my team members have and help them see their greatness. When people are positive and excited about their work, we can accomplish a lot together. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? My relentless focus on the customer has been the key to success throughout my career. It’s easy to get caught up in the hottest trends and the latest new feature. But if it’s not grounded in customer insights, it’s likely a waste of time and money. Sometimes the best experience or enhancement is obvious – don’t over complicate it and deliver on your promise.
EN?
YOU?
Michael Rossi
President | Adidas Group Canada Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 16 Starting at the NHL, Michael drove licensing revenue growth and brand exposure. At Nestle Canada, Michael built Kit Kat to a number one market share position before his return to sports. With apparel brand Roger Edwards Sport, Michael held increasingly more senior roles in marketing and sales before overseeing the entire Roger Edwards division. After successive acquisitions that brought him into CCM, Reebok and the Adidas Group, he led Reebok Canada’s National Sales team before becoming VP, Reebok Brand for Canada. Michael’s most recent promotion to President, Adidas Group Canada sees him leading one of Canada’s largest sporting goods companies and serving as part of the NA Senior Management Team for the Adidas Group. Michael’s vision and strategic thinking have helped drive commercial success with industry leaders such as Foot Locker and Sport Chek. He has built lasting partnerships with key organizations such as the Canadian Football League and GoodLife Fitness and spearheaded the launch of a national BOKS before school fitness program for children. Michael supports charitable initiatives including work with the Princess Margaret Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event and the Terry Fox Foundation. An Honors Business Administration graduate and Valedictorian of Western University’s Ivey Business School, Michael also gives back to the industry speaking at university conferences and coaching graduates in their pursuit of careers in sport.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Oversee Canadian opera-
tions for Adidas Group, including Adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade brands and lead an inspired group of more than 1600 employees in one of Canada’s largest sporting goods companies. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Ask great questions and enjoy the journey every step along the way. WHO INSPIRES YOU? People with vision, energy and a genuine desire to make a difference with the people and in the world around them. My late father was a great role model for me in that regard. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
I hope to lead our business toward new opportunities that weren’t even visible in the past, and perhaps more importantly, I hope to inspire our people to realize their individual potential at work and in their lives. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? A healthy blend of curiosity, passion, humility and competitiveness.
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Chris Sackett
VP & GM | BRG Sports (Bell Helmets) Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 22 Chris was born and raised in Anaheim Hills, CA where he grew up riding and racing motorcycles and playing football. While attending Junior College pursuing a career in Fire Technology and racing motorcycles, he worked part-time at a newly formed motorcycle dealership in Anaheim, CA. What started as a part-time job soon morphed into a general manager role with one of the nation’s largest dealers. Soon after graduating from the Fire Academy Chris realized his place was in the motorcycle industry and cofounded a small helmet company specializing in OEM development and manufacturing. After two years of successful OEM manufacturing and the start-up of his own domestic brand, Chris was approached by Bell Sports to manage its newly reacquired business in motorcycle helmets. From 2003 to 2010, he served as the Senior Product and Merchandising Manager. From 2010 to 2014 he was the Business Unit Director for Powersports until being promoted to VP and GM in 2014. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Responsible for the Powersports division of Bell Sports which has its primary focus on Powersports helmets and branded apparel. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Take contrary positions to create more discussion because it often leads to better decisions and more creativity. WHO INSPIRES YOU? Our CEO Terry Lee. He has experienced so much in his career and the amount I learn from him with every interaction is priceless. He is a true leader and mentor. Terry has an amazing ability of instilling confidence in a person. My Dad was very much like this with me growing up and with my motorcycle racing and sports. It is what I have grown up with and respond to, so having someone like Terry come in and give me this support is super powerful and allows me to be my best. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
Keep reinventing and never be idle. For years the brand reinvented our products and always at the forefront of innovation. Once again we are constantly pushing to innovate, even before we are complete with current projects we are just bringing to market. Our organization at BRG really fosters this concept of innovation and surrounds us with amazing talent and support. It is our operational excellence that allows us to put more focus on product, which drives our success. Being a part of a company that understands that and gives us the operational and financial resources to allow us to focus on building the best product is a key driver to what keeps us moving upward. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Passion and perseverance would be my main key to success. I have had some dark times throughout my career and in many cases even though everything pointed to failure, I refused to give up. One of those instances was taking a brand at the bottom of consumer’s minds and turning it around into an industry leader and a brand many people now want to be a part of. I absolutely did not do it on my own and have an amazing team whom without we would have never succeeded. There was one point however that I was literally the only thing that was between the business going away and becoming the number one helmet brand in motorcycling again. I fought very hard to have our organization give us the chance to turn it around, and it paid off big time.
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Divisional Merchandise Manager, Sporting Goods Meijer, Inc. Age 32 | Number of Years in the Industry 4 Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from The University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 2006. While attending college he worked part time in the paint department at a Menards store. Upon graduation Mike accepted a marketing specialist position at its corporate office. Within a year he was promoted to associate buyer where he was responsible for several categories including automotive, outdoor power equipment, power tool accessories and pneumatic tools. In 2011, Mike accepted a buyer position with Meijer, Inc. and made the move from Wisconsin to Michigan. From 2011 to 2014 he was responsible for several categories including seasonal sports, bikes, pools, team sports, golf and fitness. In August of 2015 he accepted the position of Divisional Merchandise Manager of Sporting goods.
DEDICATED
Mike Schultz
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Drive overall strategy of the sporting goods division including pricing, marketing, planning, assortment/program selection, sourcing and store presentation. Lead a team of buyers, merchandise associates and support groups to achieve financial goals of the team sports, fitness, golf, winter sports, camping, fishing, water sports, games, summer toys, pools and hunting businesses. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Have a passion for everything you do and take pride in the results. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My family inspires me to never settle and to continue to want to do more for them. My 4-year-old daughter recently said to me, “Dad, hard things can be easy to do.” You cannot tell me that does not inspire you. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
I want to leave no stone unturned and never be afraid to take calculated risks. Any positive change that I’ve been able to affect in my career has been the result of taking a chance on something not done before. I want to continue to have that mindset and continue to affect positive change. I refuse to look back on a time where I can say that I didn’t make an impact. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? I’ve been blessed with a lot of great opportunities in my career, and I have been surrounded by a lot of great people. The key to my success has been working hard to be in a position to take advantage of those opportunities and learn from those great people. My first manager in retail taught me that if you come to work every day and put in a real effort to be the best at what you do, good things will happen for you and those around you. I’ve tried to apply that logic every day over the past 10 years. YOU?
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Josh Shaw
Founder & CEO | Mission Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 7 Josh is the founder and CEO of Mission. Previously, he was Co-founder and COO of GoSMiLE; and prior to that, Co-founder and VP of Business Development of Student Advantage, Inc. (NASDAQ: STAD). Josh graduated from The University at Albany with a BS in Marketing and Finance. He is married to his high school sweetheart Melissa and they have two kids who are the greatest joy in his life. As CEO I’m responsible for the day-to-day business at Mission, and as Founder, I’m responsible for charting the strategic vision and plan for our future as we build a billion dollar global sports brand. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My wife and children are incredible sources of inspiration for me on many levels. Most importantly, they inspire me to be great, live for the moment and have no regrets. My business partners and Cofounders at Mission - Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams and David Wright. These are tremendous human beings who stand for something much bigger and greater than their individual sport. They embody every ingredient of what it means to be a true champion in life. I’m inspired by them to bring that same maniacal focus, unwavering dedication and commitment to win into our business – each and every day. I’m surrounded by an amazing team of partners who inspire me to go higher, play harder and win each and every day. They are athletes in business and they define Mission. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? I want us to inspire everyone we touch with our brand, our team and our business to be greater every day – personally and professionally. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Teamwork. One of the most important keys to my success has been surrounding myself with exceptional operating and business partners. We are here today at Mission because of an all-in mentality with a true team effort. Success is earned, not given. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
Craft Sportswear Layer 1, Bike & Nordic Sales Manager Craft Sportswear North America Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 15 What Katie truly loves is to be outside cross-country skiing, riding her bike and trail running. She graduated in 1997 from Bates College with a degree in Psychology. She attended the Stratton Mountain School, graduating class of 1993. She is a Board Member of Fast and Female, a non-profit organization founded by an Olympian to empower and motivate girls to live a healthy lifestyle. Before coming to Craft, her experiences included: Tecnica Footwear - Sales and Sports Marketing Manager; Salomon USA - Footwear and Nordic Product Category Manager; Swix Sports - Custom Sales; and U.S. Ski Team - Nordic Manager.
PASSIONATE
Katie Swenson
Chart the direction and strategy of Craft North America’s Baselayer, Nordic and Cycling categories. Lead sales team of in-house and independent reps. Manage forecasting, product selection, SMU requests, inventory management and purchasing for covered categories. Oversee sponsorship partnership with the U.S. Ski Team. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Don’t be derailed by a setback, challenge or criticism. Move forward and use it as an opportunity to do it better next time. Listening can be your most powerful tool. WHO INSPIRES YOU? People who share their knowledge and experiences to teach others. In the end, that's what makes us all better as individuals, as companies and as an industry. I am also inspired by people who are not intimidated by the unknown and take their own route with enthusiasm and energy. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
I try to take what I've learned from my mentors, methods and strategies that have worked in other scenarios, and apply those to challenges I face whether it's with mentoring others or driving growth for the company. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? I have been fortunate to have great mentors along the way; people who are leaders and successful at what they do. These individuals instilled confidence by pushing and challenging me. It is this kind of support that has helped me to grow and take risks. YOU?
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Neal Taylor
VP Concept of Consumer | Reebok Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 9 Originally from London, Neal studied in Spain and worked across many markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. He has been with Reebok for nine years in roles in Europe and the North America. Prior to Reebok, Neal worked for a number of brands and sports properties including UEFA Champions Soccer with Ford, Olympics with Heineken and as Head of Marketing at Red Bull UK. He relocated to Amsterdam in 2006 to the Reebok European office, and in 2010 crossed the pond to join the Reebok Global team in Canton, MA. In 2015 Neal switched to his current position to focus on the U.S. market. He is at his happiest when working in large groups across many functions. His most recent roles have been focused on driving the connection between the global creation engine and local market performance. He is passionate about the Reebok brand's belief that fitness builds communities and enhances lives and has taken on a number of challenges including a marathon, triathlons and a sanctioned amateur boxing bout, raising money for Cancer research. He lives in Dover, MA, with his wife and two children. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Strategic Planning across the U.S. distribution landscape including wholesale and direct to consumer channels. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? There are two types of people in the world, energizers and energy sappers. Be an energizer for others and surround yourself professionally and personally with those who add energy to your life. WHO INSPIRES YOU? School teachers, fitness instructors – basically anyone who can look themselves in the mirror at the end of every day and say, I made a difference to someone else’s life today.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? Adapt to the crazy fast world we all live in. Hierarchy and a complex approval
process get in the way of the real opportunities – be fast and listen. Being able to learn from others and admit where your blind spots are. Having the right complimentary skill sets around you makes everyone stronger.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS?
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CONGRATS NEAL TAYLOR FOR BEING CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE
40 UNDER 40!
YOUR POTENTIAL IS LIMITLESS. SPORTSONESOURCE.COM
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Megan Tompkins
Publisher | Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN) Age 37 | Number of Years in the Industry 14 Megan is the Publisher of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, the bicycle industry’s primary source for trade news and analysis. The magazine’s former Editor, she also spent two years working in sales and marketing roles for two leading industry suppliers (Shimano and Specialized). Megan returned in 2013 to manage the business side of the publication and transition the magazine into the digital era. A board member for the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association (BPSA), she is also a former board member of the Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition (OIWC). A graduate of Dartmouth College (BA English 1999), she began her editorial career in New York City. An avid cyclist and Strava addict, she resides in Southern California where she can ride year-round. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Overseeing all aspects of the
magazine including production, sales, marketing and editorial. Key functions include creating operating budget, developing new publishing ventures and leading business strategy. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Trust your instincts. WHO INSPIRES YOU? Arianna Huffington because she is an influential female leader in the media business who has turned the traditional publishing model on its head with the Huffington Post. Richard Branson because he is a successful entrepreneur and is willing to take risks (who I had the opportunity to interview on a Virgin Atlantic flight early in my career). Marianne Vos because she absolutely crushes it on a bike in multiple disciplines and has brought visibility to women’s professional cycling. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU?
To be open, imaginative and flexible about ways to transition a traditional trade publication to a digital platform and take an integrated multimedia approach to enriching our content. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Building a strong network of relationships with industry leaders and cultivating trust with them. Hiring talented people and giving them the freedom to work independently and creatively, envisioning novel editorial projects (like our BRAIN Dealer Tour and Retail Remodel Project) and providing inspiration and resources to make them successful. 86 2015 SPRING ISSUE
Tina Wade
DMM Footwear | DTLR, Inc. Age 31 | Number of Years in the Industry 12 Tina’s first job with DTLR was in the shipping and receiving department. She also worked nights and weekends in the stores at the same time. During that two-year period she quickly gained insights into how the many aspects of the business compliment each other. Her first merchandising opportunity was as a buyer’s assistant where she became a liaison to the stores, the warehouse and vendors. She was promoted to an allocator position for over 50 stores; which helped her understand the analytics of the business. With the support and guidance of her mentor, Todd Kirssin, I was promoted to Buyer, Kid’s and Women’s Footwear. In 2013, Tina was promoted to DMM Footwear. She is part of a team that brings the latest and greatest footwear to more than 100 stores in nine dynamic markets. I manage the Men’s, Women’s and Kids Footwear business with the help of my talented team.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? In this business, it’s all about the relationships you build.
My two beautiful children, my faith in God and my mentor Todd Kirssin.
WHO INSPIRES YOU?
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE YOU? Continue to evolve our business model and adapt to an ever-changing marketplace. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Determination and drive, making mistakes and learning from them and never letting the fear of the unknown hold me back.
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Matthew Weiss
Senior Manager Specialty Sales | Brooks Sports Age 35 | Number of Years in the Industry 19 Matthew’s career started at the Westchester Road Runner in 1996, a job which allowed him as a high school sophomore to see that there was a whole industry dedicated to running, which was exciting because it beat working in his father’s warehouse. He graduated from the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill in 2002, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. After learning a ton from the amazing people at Westchester Road Runner, Matthew joined Brooks in 2005 and has been with the company for 10 years. He started as a Guru (tech rep) in NY and moved to Seattle in 2008 to take on the role of Eastern Regional Specialty Sales Manager. In 2014 Matt started his current role as Senior Manager Specialty Sales overseeing the regional managers and taking on a greater role leading the specialty business. Managing the day-to-day revenue of the specialty footwear business in the U.S. for Brooks Running Company. Key functions of my job are to lead our specialty sales force both internally and externally, drive seasonal strategy for the specialty sales business including the development of key sales programs and develop revenue and sales goals for our reps, managers and key accounts. I work cross-functionally with multiple facets of the Brooks business including customer service, retail marketing and product teams to align efforts and drive the business forward. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Stop complaining and do something about it. WHO INSPIRES YOU? No figure in American sporting history casts a larger social impact than Jackie Robinson. To call him an American hero isn’t strong enough praise, and I hope one day to have a fraction of the courage, humility and toughness that he exhibited. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION:
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BE-
FORE YOU? I want to remain curious and open to new ideas. I hope to never
stop learning.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? Unbelievable luck
and an incredibly strong cast of co-workers who have mentored and inspired me throughout my career. My family has been another key to my success; from my parents who instilled in me that I could do anything I put my mind to and gave me the confidence to pursue my passion, to my wife who told me to never be a “rodent of ritual” and has allowed me to chase my dreams.
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Gavin Whelan
Director of International Sales | TriggerPoint Implus Corporation Age 31 | Number of Years of the Industry 6 Gavin is a driven, passionate and experienced sales director specializing in the sports and fitness industry. He consistently exceeds sales targets in both international and domestic markets with excellent business development abilities along with strong communication skills. His work and professional sports history includes Retail Sales Assistant, Golf Works (1999-2001); Junior Sales Executive, Osmosis Ireland Ltd (2001-2003); Semi Professional Soccer Player, UCD AFC (2000-2004); Professional Soccer Player, Drogheda United FC (2004-2007); UK Sales Manager, Osmosis Ireland Ltd (2007-2008); Semi Professional Soccer Player, Bray Wanderers FC (2008-2010); Vantage Club Sales Executive, Football Association of Ireland (2008-2009); Global Sales Manager, Air Structures International Ltd. (2010-2013). He came to TriggerPoint Performance as International Sales Manager in 2013 and became Implus Corporation Director of International Sales – TriggerPoint in 2014. He attended University College Dublin receiving a Diploma in Sports Management. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: Manage all TriggerPoint global business outside of North America. Attend key industry trade shows to represent the brand and meet with key stakeholders. Organize quarterly master trainer and International partner summits in Asia, Europe, Middle East and Australia. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Focus on being the best at what you do, deliver what you promise, and the rewards will follow. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My wife who set up her own business at a young age, which continues to grow despite raising two young kids and dealing with a husband who lives out of a suitcase half the year. I also take inspiration from some great Irish businessmen like Denis O’Brien, Dermot Desmond, Bill Cullen and of course the great Arthur Guinness. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
YOU? I have lots of respect for the people who came before me at TriggerPoint, but I hope to deliver a higher level of customer service, focus more on strategic partnerships, and find ways to push the brand into new markets. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? My ability to get the team I work with to go the extra mile when helping me to reach our goals.
Laura Wolf Stein
VP Marketing | SKLZ Age 39 | Number of Years in the Industry 1+ Laura is the VP of Marketing for SKLZ overseeing strategy and execution of the entire marketing mix to ensure the SKLZ story is consistently delivered to athletes committed to training. Prior to SKLZ, Laura spent 11 years at Sony in LA and San Diego holding marketing leadership positions at Sony Pictures, Sony Direct, and the Home Entertainment and Sound Division. Prior to Sony, Laura spent three years in product management at LookSmart, an Internet search company. Laura is a former Division 1 volleyball player and completed her undergraduate degree in History and Latin American Studies at Princeton University. She holds a Masters Degree in Global Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and USC. She is a runner, yogi, cyclist, and a die-hard Padre fan. Laura lives in Point Loma, CA with her family. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION: My primary responsibility
is to build love and trust for the SKLZ brand with core athletes wanting to train not just harder, but smarter too. I oversee the integrated marketing mix for SKLZ including brand & creative strategy, digital marketing, social media, PR, sports activation & partnerships, events, retail marketing and training program development. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? Have a point of view and share it. WHO INSPIRES YOU? My husband Josh and my brother Mike, both of whom allowed their love of sports to guide their career decisions.
CAME BEFORE YOU? Put the needs of the athletes in the center of all our decision-making and build meaningful relationships with athletes of all levels. I hope to build a team of inspired and thoughtful marketers that challenge each other while simultaneously executing against a single integrated plan. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? I love working with all types of people and connecting the dots between teams and marketing opportunities. Real value comes from doing the unexpected and uncovering every rock to find new opportunity.
CONGRATULATIONS Here’s to Laura, and all the other SGB 40 Under 40 honorees, on a job well done.
©2015 Pro Performance Sports, LLC. ©2015 Pro Performance Sports, LLC.
2008
40Under40 Alumni
Looking Back with Pride. Looking Ahead with Passion.
We honor their immeasureable contributions to the industry. 90 2015 SPRING ISSUE
Jacqueline Lenox, Antonio Bertone, Alex Boian, Chris Speak, Dustin Robertson, Dave Lambert, Kalinda Bogue, John Gaither, Matthew Schlecht, Adam Blumenfeld, David Regnerus, Megan Russell, Ari Friedman, Michael Rubin, John McMahon, David Nichols, Tony Hsieh, Greg Shapleigh, Vince Kuehler, Bryan Davis, Tyler Jordan, Jason Gautereaux, Craig Chmura, Ryan “RC” Cruthirds, Evan Schwartz, Tommy DeSimone, Isaac “Ike” Alvear, Todd Vore, Jared Briskin, Steve Battista, Jorge Fuenmayor, Sean Scales, Brian Cousins, Ross Saldarini, Jennifer Adams, David Abeles, Erin Black, André Murphy, Jill Martin, Steve Upham
2010
2009 Bob Dahlin, Susan Viscon, Rod Foley, Kim Walker, BJ Maloy, Kevin Sheehan, Faust Capobianco IV, Joe Hyer, Jeff Brodeur, Seth Richards, Brian Moore, George Kollitides, II, Louie Burgos, Dan Sheridan, Jeremy Moon, Nicole DeBoom, Seth Cobb, Jason Volk, Ted Manning, Chad Clark, Rob Mogolov, Toby Bost, Joe Earley, Robert Minsky, Todd Raskin, Todd Levine, Craig Brommers, Nathan Pund, Jason Steris, Nate Treadaway, Dave Ortley, Todd Dalhausser, Todd Spaletto, Mike Steck, Andy Tompkins, Austin Williams, Jeff Beraznik, Roy Notowitz, Scott Frnka, Dave Morrow
Brian Anderson, Sutton Bacon, Jason Borg, Jim Bel Bruno, Rob Coughlin, Dana Davis, Angela Dominick, John Fahnestock, Robyn Goby, Evan Greenberg, Jeff Gruenhut, Seth Hockberg, Ronald Jefferson, Seth Horowitz, Neal Klein, Todd Krinsky, Brent Lamm, Jonathan Lantz, Thac Lecong, Jill Layfield, Katrin Ley, Jason Lutz, Andrew Martin, Michael McAbee, Jason Levinthal, Marshall Merriam, Denise Miller, Andrew McLellan, Sarah Robb O’Hagan, Christopher Peake, Clint Pierce, Daniella Reichstetter, Parks Robinson, Ryan Samuelson, Nate Simmons, Dan Sullivan, Christopher Svezia, Craig Throne, Jon Vacca, Kris Versteegen
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2012
2011 Nate Alder, Jeremy Andrus, Tripp Baird, Varetta Banks, Jed Berger, Willy Booker, Linda Brunzell, Kimberly Cayce, Steve Cuthbert, Kelly Dachtler, Hoby Darling, Peter Davis, Martin Dean, Keith Duplain, Elizabeth Earley, Robert Fairnholt, Chris Farley, Vin Ferrara, Ronnie Fieg, Brian Frank, Joel Heath, Jonathan Hirshberg, Robert Hough, Todd Kirssin, Tim Knowlton, Michael Martin, Carie McAuliffe, Jason McGibbon, Peter Messana, Melanie Mitchell, Chris Pappas, Bob Philion, Jesse Porter, Lance Richardson, Darren Rovell, David Schultz, Marc Simon, Lisa Thompson, Craig Vanderoef, Rob Will
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Simon Atkins, Randy Benedict, Jaime Bethke, Jake Brandman, Nicholas Brayton, Callum Brown, Charlie Bruder, Jay Custard, Jarka Duba, Mark Eggert, Sean Finucane, Mark French, Kip Fulks, Matt Geske, Sally Grimes, Peter Ha, Jonathan Hart, Petra Hilleberg, Bob Holding, Brett Jordan, Jeremiah Mackmiller, Ann Vernon Malik, Damian McCusker, Rob Morales, John Naekel, Matthew Navarro, Mary Cecile Neville, David Oksman, Mike Olsen, Theresa Palermo, Steven Regenold, Eric Rubel, Matt Schwartz, Troy Sicotte, Lee Silverman, Michael Sørensen, Henry Stafford, Matt Tingler, Edward Van Wezel, Nick Vu
DRIVEN
2013 Aimee Arana, Tim Bantle, Simon Bonham, Jackie Brown, TJ Ciaravino, Kris Dahlgren, Scott Daley, Matt DiLorenzo, Mike Etienne, Ze'ev Feig, Louise Formby, Antonio Gray, Greg Greenberg, Damien Huang, Salym Hunter, Mark Ish, Paul Labarbera, Jules Lambert, Janica Lane, Bridgit Lombard, Marc Misiewicz, David MossĂŠ, Charles Murray, Daniel Near, Marisa Nicholson, Kyle Orme, Brian Phillips, Carey Platto, Joey Pointer, Ian Pund, Dani Reiss, Doug Smiley, Laura St. George, Joe Suboticki, I Ling Thompson, Colin True, Eric Tung, Melissa Valentine, Katie Wagner, Vanessa Walton Keefe
SPORTSONESOURCE.COM
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June 2-4 FFANY
New York, NY
9-11
Licensing International Expo
Las Vegas, NV
12-14
SGB 2015 40Under40 Awards
Hunington Beach, CA
16-18
EORA Summer Early Show
Greenville, SC
16-18
EORA Summer Early Show
Somerset, NJ
16-18
MRA June Lansing Market
Lansing, MI
22-26
Fleet Feet Franchise Conference
Pittsburgh, PA
23-24
MRA June Cincinnati Market
Cincinnati, OH
23-25
EORA Summer Early Show
Manchester, NH
23-25
EORA Summer Early Show
Lakeland, FL
25-27
Sports, Inc. Athletics Show
San Antonio, TX
26-28
NRFtech 2015
Half Moon Bay, CA
28-29
NRF Retail Advocates Summit
Washington, DC
29-July 1 NBS Summer Athletic Market
San Antonio, TX
29-July 1 The Running & Fitness Event For Womem
Chicago, IL
July 8-9
Agenda Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
10-12
ADA Spring Show
Minneapolis, MN
14-17
ASA-ICAST International Sport Fishing Expo
Orlando, FL
15-18
European Outdoor Trade Fair
Friedrichshafen, Germany
15-16
EORA Summer Market
Ellicott City, MD
15-16
EORA Summer Market
Manchester, NH
19-21
Project New York
New York, NY
20-21
Agenda New York
New York, NY
AUGUST 4-6 FFANY
New York, NY
5-7
BCA International Billiard & Home
Recreation Expo
Las Vegas, NV
5-8
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market
Salt Lake City, UT
13-15
Sports, Inc. Outdoor Show
San Antonio, TX
16-18
EORA Greenville Summer Market
Greenville, SC
17-19
MAGIC Show
Las Vegas, NV
17-19
Agenda Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV
20-23
NBS Fall Semi-Annual Market
Ft. Worth, TX
24-26
EORA Killington Primary Expo Show
Killington, VT
26-29 Eurobike
Friedrichshafen, Germany
September 1-3
WDI Worldwide Fall Show
Reno, NV
8-10
SFIA Industry Leaders Summit
New Orleans, LA
10-12
Imprinted Sportswear Show
Orlando, FL
10-12
Surf Expo
Orlando, FL
16-18
Interbike International Trade Expo
Las Vegas, NV
October 5-7
OIA Rendezvous
Seattle, WA
5-7
Shop.org Digital Summit 2015
Philadelphia, PA
8-9
The Retailing Summit
Dallas, TX
15-17
Imprinted Sportswear Show
Ft. Worth, TX
27-30
NASGW Annual Meeting & Expo
Reno, NV
29-31
ADA Fall Buying Show
Baltimore, MD
November
94 2015 SPRING ISSUE
4-6
NBS Athletic Show
Ft. Worth, TX
22-24
Sports, Inc. Athletic Show
Las Vegas, NV
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS | BUYING GROUPS
INDUSTRY CALENDAR
Athletic Dealers of America 1395 Highland Avenue Melbourne, FL 32935 t 321.254.0091 f 321.242.7419 athleticdealersofamerica.com National Shooting Sports Foundation Flintlock Ridge Office Center 11 Mile Hill Road Newtown, CT 06470 t 203.426.1320 f 203.426.1087 nssf.org National Sporting Goods Association 1601 Feehanville Drive I Suite 300 Mount Prospect, IL 60056 t 847.296.6742 f 847.391.9827 nsga.org Nation’s Best Sports 4216 Hahn Blvd. Ft. Worth, TX 76117 t 817.788.0034 f 817.788.8542 nbs.com Outdoor Industry Association 4909 Pearl East Circle I Suite 300 Boulder, CO 80301 t 303.444.3353 f 303.444.3284 outdoorindustry.org Sports & Fitness Industry Association 8505 Fenton Street I Suite 211 Silver Spring, MD 20910 t 301.495.6321 f 301.495.6322 sfia.org Snow Sports Industries America 8377-B Greensboro Drive McLean, VA 22102 t 703.556.9020 f 703.821.8276 snowsports.org Sports, Inc. 333 2nd Avenue North Lewistown, MT 59457 t 406.538.3496 f 406.538.2801 sportsinc.com Sports Specialists Ltd. 590 Fishers Station Drive I Suite 110 Victor, NY 14564 t 585.742.1010 f 585.742.2645 sportsspecialistsltd.com Tennis Industry Association 1 Corpus Christi Place I Suite 117 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 t 843.686.3036 f 843.686.3078 tennisindustry.org Worldwide 8211 South 194th Kent, WA 98032 t 253.872.8746 f 253.872.7603 wdi-wdi.com
auG 4Th at the GalliVan cEnter OUTDOOR RETAILER - SUMMER MARKET SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH For a third year, the Outdoor Foundation invites every brand, business and individual to be part of the Outsiders Ball. Its one night for one cause – helping more young people get outside and active. Join more than 1,000 outdoor industry leaders for an eclectic night of entertainment, competition, music, good food and delicious libations. To learn more or purchase tickets, visit outsidersball.org.
I AM... SGB
Brian Anderson Interim CEO, Moji
Brian Anderson hunting with his dad
B
rian Anderson is a veteran executive and entrepreneur in the sports, fitness and outdoor industries. He currently serves as Interim CEO of Moji, an innovative products company focused on the massage and recovery space. Anderson previously served as CEO and co-founder of Madd Gear (action sports), as president of EB Sport Group, Sportline and Valeo (fitness accessories and fitness trackers), as senior VP of global sales and marketing of 180s (outdoor accessories and apparel) and held various roles outside of the sports industry. He has also served as a Board Member for several companies in the sports and outdoor industries and has been involved in several industry acquisitions. Anderson currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). He was a recipient of the SGB 40Under40 award in 2010. Anderson holds a degree in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech and is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business. How did you get your start in this industry? In my 20s I worked in the corporate world. The main value to me there was learning what I did not want to do with my life. My foray into our industry came via a couple of friends in grad school. In 1995, the founders of 180s invented the behind-the-head ear warmer, while attending The Wharton School of Business. Ron and Brian told me about their new product over beers at the Wharton pub. That conversation gave me the entrepreneurial bug. A few years later, they raised some capital and talked me into joining their crazy dream as the global head of sale and marketing. The next five years were the most fun I’ve ever had in my career. We recruited a killer team of smart, driven people (mostly friends), created the 180s brand, and expanded retail distribution to over 18,000 retail doors in 30 countries. We grew annual revenues (organically) to $40 million in only five years, finishing #9 in the 2003 Inc. 500 list of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies. That was an amazing learning experience and a blast. And more importantly, got me into this industry.
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What activities as a young person propelled your career? As a kid and teenager, I was the proverbial jack-of-all-sports, master of none. I was decent at baseball, football and basketball, but never great at anything. As an adult, I began to focus on individual, outdoor sports – running, surfing, kite surfing, skiing, snow boarding, golf, etc. Being outdoors is my church; my place of peace. With three daughters and a busy life, it’s hard to find the time to get my outdoors on, but when I do, it gives me balance. My love of outdoor sports has given me the energy and passion to focus my career on this great industry of ours. What's the best thing about what you are doing now? I am fortunate to have some great experience running and growing small- to mid-size, high-growth companies in the sports/fitness/outdoor industry (start up to $100 million). Since selling my stake in Madd Gear last year, I’ve gotten involved with a couple of companies rather than focusing on one. I enjoy helping companies in an advisory/consulting role or as a Board Director - especially companies that I believe have a robust, scalable business model. I can quickly add a lot of value this way, perhaps more than running a company day-to-day. Who influenced you? Who do you look up to? I’ve been influenced by many people, but mostly from business experiences – good and bad. I believe in perpetual learning.
By simply being observant in the business world, it’s easy to learn many lessons. My heroes are innovators like Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Jacque Cousteau. In our industry, the people who have impressed me the most are also innovators and creators. Product innovation is the most common kind of creation in our industry, but the most impressive to me are the people who have created powerful brands and even entire cultures with their drive, passion and energy. Nick Woodman (GoPro) and Kevin Plank (Under Armour) come to mind. There are many great business concepts in our industry, but few people have the raw energy and passion to build empires. Six or eight years ago, who in our industry would have imagined that Nick Woodman, this crazy guy leading chants at trade shows, would build a business worth billions of dollars? How did being named an SGB 40Under40 award honoree in 2010 impact your career? Any advice to this year’s nominees? Being an SGB 40Under40 award honoree is awesome. We have a common bond. Seven years of 40U40 classes have created a fraternity (and sorority) of 280 sharp, driven, cool, diverse people in our industry. My advice to this year’s award recipients? That’s easy…attend the awards event this summer! Having a few beers with your fellow recipients and alumni will pay dividends for years to come, in the form of business contacts and friendships. ■
IN MEMORIAM
B BW
D
1947 - 2015
ROBERT F. “BOB” WOOD, the sporting goods sales
agent, who headed Dallas-based Bob Wood & Associates since April 1985 and represented numerous brands including Adidas, Fila, Spalding and Under Armour, died on February 8 from complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 67. Wood, a graduate of Texas Tech University and a diehard, lifelong fan of its football program, started his career at H.B. Hughes Co. in Dallas. He was recognized for his work on the sales side of sporting goods in 2000 when he was inducted into the Sporting Goods Agents Association Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Pat, his son Grant, daughter Sandy, three granddaughters and two brothers. A memorial service for Wood took place on February 13. Memorials may be made to the Texas Tech Red Raiders Club, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Texas Sports Hall of Fame or the Buckner Children’s Home (www.buckner.org).
GO NOW. Because later has a terrible habit
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OF BECOMING NEVER.
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