SGBW_1606

CARDIO EQUIPMENT ISSUE 1606 | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Active Lifestyle Market

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CEO Group Publisher James Hartford jhartford@sportsonesource.com 303.578.7004

Editorial Director David Clucas clucas@sportsonesource.com 303.578.7007 Senior Business Editor Thomas J. Ryan tryan@sportsonesource.com 917.375.4699 Associate Editor | Sports & Fitness Editor Jahla Seppanen jahla@sportsonesource.com 303.997.7302 Contributing Editor Charlie Lunan clunan@SportsOneSource.com 704.996.4463

Creative Director Teresa Hartford teresa@sportsonesource.com

Art Director Chris Loving-Campos chrislc@sportsonesource.com

Media Sales Buz Keenan buz@sportsonesource.com 201.887.5112 Circulation & Subscriptions admin@sportsonesource.com 303.997.7302

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The opinions expressed by writers and contributors to SGB WEEKLY are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. SGB WEEKLY is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles appearing in SGB WEEKLY may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher. SGB WEEKLY is published weekly by SportsOneSource.

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Cardio equipment ISSUE 1606 | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Active Lifestyle Market

EDITOR'S LETTER 6 Welcome To A Refreshed SGB Weekly!

MARKET REPORT 8 Who’s Watching Your Wearable Data?

25 Industry Calendar

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE CARDIO EQUIPMENT

ONE ON ONE

16 The Cardio Craze

12 Joe Grant Ultrarunner Shares Thoughts On Sponsored Athletes And Growth Of Long-Distance Races

9

By The Numbers

FEATURE

10 Greenpeace Steps Up Pressure On Outdoor Brands

14 It's a Healthy Market M&A activity heats up for fitness equipment brands.

11 Movers & Shakers

4 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

23 Check Out These Cardio Machines

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com

5

EDITOR'S LETTER

Welcome To A Refreshed SGB Weekly!

A

s a reader of the publication — whether you’re the President of The North Face or working the sales floor at Dicks Sporting Goods — we value the time you set aside every week to catch up on the latest news, people, and products that make up the active lifestyle industry.

In today’s fast-moving world, we know your time is more precious than ever. That’s why we’ve restructured the magazine to offer a more curated experience — one we hope not only informs, but also educates.

Each week’s issue will be anchored by a product category focus within our Outdoor, Sports & Fitness, Hook & Bullet, Apparel, and Footwear industries. We’ll cover the top trends, products, and people from each category that your business needs to know about heading into the next trade show or meeting.

The coverage will be concise, yet valuable. No more 2,000-word stories listing product after product.

Instead, our original stories will center on trends and the people driving them. We’ll also share some exclusive point-of-sale data for each category, direct from our SSI Data services, along with additional education, feature, and profile pieces. And, whether it’s related to that week’s category or not, we’ll continue to deliver the latest industry news, so you won’t miss a beat.

Flash forward, and we hope the collection of issues will provide your business with a reference library to refer back to throughout the year.

Here’s to a great 2016!

David Clucas Editorial Director clucas@sportsonesource.com 303.578.7007 6 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

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MARKET REPORT

WHO’S WATCHING YOUR WEARABLE DATA? New research warns of security lapses in popular fitness trackers.

The wearable technology boom may take a hit after a February 2 report warned that many leading fitness trackers, including products from Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, Mio, Xiaomi, Basis, and Withings, hold major security and privacy blind spots.

The report, conducted by Canadian non-profit research group, Open Effect, and Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, found that among the studied wearables mentioned above (plus the Apple Watch), all except Apple emitted data leakage.

Titled Every Step You Fake: A Comparative Analysis of Fitness Tracker Privacy and Security, the research was authored by Andrew Hilts, Christopher Parsons, and Jeffrey Knockel, and funded by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

8 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

The report indicates that third parties, like shopping centers and those looking for locationbased monitoring, can collect and map wearers’ movements (among other stats).

and pinpoint the customer’s location. The shopping center could record all this location data for future study.”

The report concluded:

“Our findings directly relate to the case of shopping centers that scan for Bluetooth devices to monitor customer journeys as they move from store to store. As an example, a mall visitor wearing a Fitbit Charge HR might have turned off their phone’s Bluetooth radio to save power, or forgotten their phone at home or in the car. In either case, the Fitbit device would emit advertising packets detectable by the shopping centre’s scanning. Since the Fitbit does not change its MAC address the shopping center can monitor the presence of the MAC address relative to its scanners

“Few customers are likely to consider, to consent to, these scenarios as they enter shopping centers and begin invisibly broadcasting their location to small sensors throughout their built environment.”

The news shines a brighter spotlight on wearables and other fitness apps that are increasingly recording more sensitive data than just steps — including sleeping times and patterns, geological information, foods consumed, and connections to social media accounts. It’s also raising anxiety among consumers on what exactly

wearable companies can do with consumer data.

Many observers have said that the real value for wearable brands isn’t the product, but the data.

Just last week, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank touted the brand’s new Connected Fitness apps as not only “enriching lives” by helping users reach their fitness goals, but also as “a business transformation for Under Armour.” Before Connected Fitness, the company only had retail transaction information for less than 10 million people. Now, Plank said, Under Armour has daily activity level data from its community members, who logged nearly 8 billion foods and 2 billion activities last year alone.

Within the recent report, some applications by Garmin and Withings were found to expose not only fitness tracking but also biographical material like name, age, and gender, via transmitting information without encryption. Another red flag was the possibility found in some applications to falsifying activity levels, which could result in unreliable data for insurance purposes.

Brands named in the report told SGB the research exaggerates the dangers.

“Withings does not believe any customer is at risk of having their location tracked over the long term using the Withings Pulse O2,” Withings CEO, Cedric Hutchings said. “The transmission of data using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) described by the Open Effect research is not a constant stream but occurs when the device syncs with a users’ smartphone… and no identifying information is contained within these transfers.”

The researchers sought contact with the seven fitness tracker companies whose products exhibited security vulnerabilities. Fitbit, Intel (Basis), and Mio responded and engaged the researchers

in a dialogue. Fitbit further expressed interest in exploring the topic of implementing Bluetooth privacy features in its communications with the researchers.

“Based on our devices, we don’t think the public should be concerned, said Julian Palmer, director of technology at Mio Global. “Our devices only transmit workout data, activity data, and sleep data. No other personal profile or identifying information can be intercepted as it is not transmitted from our devices.”

In regard to retailers who may deal with a backlash from concerned fitness-tracking consumers, Palmer offered this advice to share with customers: “Users have a choice to opt-in to share their data. Plus, our data analysis is anonymized, meaning we are not analyzing personal information specific to any particular user.”

Internally, Mio currently uses consumer data to gain insights on how to improve the user experience, Palmer explained.

Garmin also weighed in, telling SGB that the company is continually working on software and device improvements. “We are committed to responding quickly to identified issues, and are working diligently to provide an updated version of Garmin Connect Mobile with enhanced data encryption,” said the company. “These updates for Android, iPhone, and Windows applications are expected to be complete and available for download by next week at the latest. We are not aware of any security incidents related to this issue.”

In the end, the authors of the turbulent study said the purpose was to help consumers make more informed decisions about how they use fitness trackers, and to help companies improve the privacy and security of their offerings.

BY THE NUMBERS 100 Billion

Employees that Sports Authority laid off, mostly from its corporate headquarters, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company is working to restructure its debt.

$220 million

Estimated direct spending in the San Francisco Bay Area by the NFL, businesses, visitors, and media on area lodging, transportation, food and beverage, entertainment, business services, and other hospitality and tourism activities related to Super Bowl 50.

182

Reported concussions in the NFL during the 2015 regular season, up from 115 in 2014; 148 in 2013; and 173 in 2012.

$1.6 million

Awarded in grants by Nike Inc. and the Nike School Innovation Fund to 71 Oregon high schools.

$5 million

Donated by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank for a new East Baltimore community center through his Cupid Foundation.

80,000

Estimated attendees at the 2016 ISPO Munich trade show.

$3.2 million

Invested in Series A funding to the makers of the popular Onewheel hoverboard to expand operations.

2.55 million

FBI firearm purchase background checks in January 2016, up from 1.77 million in January 2015.

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com

9

GREENPEACE STEPS UP PRESSURE ON OUTDOOR BRANDS

Photo courtesy Greenpeace "Leaving Traces"

Greenpeace further embedded itself in the outdoor industry by exhibiting at this year’s ISPO Munich trade show, where it released research that prompted a European brand to recall a hiking boot.

At the show, Greenpeace released "Leaving Traces," which found that 11 of 40 outdoor products tested by its laboratory contained per- and polyfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs in excess of levels allowed by Norwegian law. Outdoor brands have long relied on PFCs to make fabrics waterproof and stain resistant, but their strong bonds means they do not easily break down in the environment, where research suggests they can pose risks to human health.

The Grym boot made by the Swedish brand Haglöfs was found to have the highest concentration of the fuorocarbon PFOA of any product tested. On Thursday, Haglöfs not only recalled the Grym, but thanked Greenpeace for publishing the report.

"We are grateful that Greenpeace has drawn our attention to the fact that our boot contains a high amount of the fluorocarbon PFOA, which neither we nor the Norwegian law accept," said Lennart Ekberg, Sustainability Director at Haglöfs.

Ekberg noted that for products, where the demand for water repellency is not as important, Haglöfs use fluorocarbon-free alternatives.

10 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

"We are working to fully eliminate the use of fluorocarbons in our products," said Ekberg. "But so far we lack a safe and functional alternative when there is an extreme demand for water repellency."

“Leaving Traces” marked the first time Greenpeace tested footwear, backpacks, tents, sleeping bags and rope in addition to apparel and the first time Greenpeace asked its supporters to vote on which outdoor products and brands they wanted tested. More than 30,000 people responded.

In October and November 2015 Greenpeace purchased the 40 most popular products in 19 different countries or regions and sent them to an independent lab for testing. None of the products were purchased in the North America.

Greenpeace, meanwhile, continues to promote PFC-free brands like U.K.-based Páramo, while urging consumers to ask The North Face and Mammut to top using PFCs. Like Haglöfs, those brands say they have yet to find viable alternatives to PFC-based durable water resistant (DWR) finishes.

That claim has been backed up by research W.L. Gore & Associates released in early January found that outdoor products made with PFCfree DWR technology can result in more toxins being released into the environment because consumers must wash and reapply such finishes more often to maintain water repellency.

S H A R P E N YO U R PERSPECTIVE START SEEING CLEARLY SSI VantagePoint is the only weekly retail point-of-sale reporting platform exclusively for the active outdoor lifestyle industry that swiftly delivers critical trends and detailed business data to brands and retailers.

SSIVantagePoint.com ssidata@sportsonesource.com

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MOVERS & SHAKERS Cherokee Global Brands, the parent of Cherokee, Flip Flop Shops, and Tony Hawk, appointed Randi Spieker as Executive VP, Business Development, reporting to Howard Siegel, Cherokee Global Brand’s President and COO, effective February 8.

Lynx Fitness appointed Karin Shay as VP of Sales and Marketing.

The TJX Companies Inc.'s board of directors elected Ernie Herrman, 55, to replace Carol Meyrowitz, 61, as CEO, effective January 31.

Genesco Inc. announced that Kenneth J. Kocher has resigned as President of the company's Lids Sports Group and as a Senior VP of Genesco.

Saucony will deepen its commitment to elite athlete development with the signing of 2004 Olympian Tim Broe as Program Director of the newly-created Saucony Elite Athlete Development Team.

Columbia Sportswear and Swire Resources Limited appointed former Nike executive Jason Zhu as GM of their China joint venture – Columbia Sportswear Commercial (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. Luxottica Group S.p.A., the parent of Oakley and Sunglass Hut, said its Co-Chief Executive, Adil Khan, is leaving the company as part of a “simplification in the Group's organizational structure.”

Sig Sauer, Inc., a New Hampshire-based weapons systems provider, announced Francois Cortes as the newest addition to its Advanced Sport Pellet (ASP) Airgun team, acting as International Airgun Sales Manager.

Stable 26, a PTX Performance Products brand, named its expanded ambassador roster with the signing of Meryl Davis, American Ice Dancer and 2014 Olympic Champion.

Orangetheory Fitness, a fast-growing fitness franchise, announced Tim Tanguay and Leslie Daley have joined the company's executive leadership team as CFO and Chief Learning Officer.

Action sports icon Shaun White joined the Mammoth Resorts’ ownership team as an investor, with an immediate focus on Big Bear Mountain Resorts.

Stio added ultra-runner and mountaineer Katie Steinberg and First Descents Founder Brad Ludden to its ambassador roster.

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ONE ON ONE

Photos courtesy Jahla Seppanen

Joe Grant Ultrarunner shares thoughts on sponsored athletes and growth of long-distance races.

By Jahla Seppanen

The stereotype about the loony ultrarunner who eats cheesecake while running and pushes through blood-filled sneakers doesn’t apply here. Joe Grant is refreshingly human, clear-headed and keen on how to make it as an athlete in the industry.

Sponsored by Arc’teryx, Buff Headwear, and recently Scarpa, Grant met SGB on top of a windy mountain in Boulder, CO to talk shop.

Born in the United Kingdom, raised in France, and with ultraruns in Chile, Antarctica, Moab, and the Canary Islands (among other spots), Grant is one of the sport's rising stars.

What began as a love for hiking and skiing manifested itself into 20-, 50-, 100-mile endurance runs, and with that a good 10-years of racing the hardest, longest, and most out-there ultras the world has to offer. Along with the big names in ultrarunning like Western States 100, Ultra Trail du

12 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

Month Blanc, Hardrock Hundred, Bighorn 100, and North Face Endurance Challenge, Grant doesn’t pigeonhole himself - participating in races for ski-mo, dog-sledding, and unsupported trail speedhikes.

Grant reminded SGB, “not all sponsorship is running … you have to do your own things, have your own brand, photograph, write and have a strong perspective.”

For an athlete on the outside of the industry, how do you get in? Skill and results are your baselayer. But beyond that, you have to love the products and act as an ambassador instead of just an athlete. Starting out, you get psyched the first time free gear is thrown at you, but when it comes to paying the bills you have to stand out. You do that by extracting from what you are doing by bringing something to the table and translating ideas into usable material.

And your website Alpine Works is a manifestation of that principle?

Everything I do lives on Alpine Works, including my coaching, which is a holistic, personalized approach to preparing people to run long distances.

I believe success lies in mindset and practice.

Do your personal philosophies ever conflict with your sponsors’? Sponsorships are really about seeking a partnership instead of merely getting free stuff. Giving feedback is important, to make products better, so you have to be able to, and enjoy, communicating. Just before this, I came from Scarpa’s headquarters. I stopped in and spoke with the design team, got a pair of running shoes from their new line that focuses more on alpine and snagged an awesome pair of ski boots. Scarpa is a good fit because I like the people who run the show, and the company is responsive to what I need.

Did you go to Scarpa, or did Scarpa come to you? I’ve known Mark Matthews, the main shoe designer at Scarpa for years. We met-up at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2015 and started talking. Then on January 1, 2016 we became official. I feel the same kinship with Arc’teryx, but they’re based in Vancouver so we have a long-distance relationship.

How can an athlete approach a brand in the hopes for sponsorship? Say, ‘I’m using your product already, I’ve accomplished this and that, and it would be cool to team up.’

What’s the biggest challenge that comes from the growth of ultras? Races in the U.S. have to be smaller because race organizers are restricted from a permit standpoint. Plus, the U.S. is really big. In Europe, you can hop on a train from France to Spain and race an ultra in the same day. These European races can have thousands of runners, while the biggest U.S. ultra, the Leadville 100, only has about 800 … and that is huge. When I race here, it’s normally among 100 or so runners.

If you could race with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? My mom recently got into doing ultras, so that would be cool. It’s nice because she doesn’t do it in the hopes of ‘making it,’ but just for the pure joy of running long distances. I feel that way too. I just got back from racing a 100k in Chile and it was also great to run with guys who are simply passionate about the land. I mean, in the end I’m just a regular guy passionate about being in the mountains.

“…IN THE END I’M JUST A REGULAR GUY PASSIONATE ABOUT BEING IN THE MOUNTAINS.” - JOE GRANT

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com

13

FEATURE

It’s A Healthy Market M&A activity heats up for fitness equipment brands.

By David Clucas

14 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

I

t’s been an active start to the year for the fitness equipment business.

In just one month, two of the industries most innovative, higher-end brands — Octane Fitness and Cybex — were purchased by their larger, publicly traded rivals.

Nautilus, Inc. scooped up specialty cardio equipment maker Octane Fitness for $115 on

December 31. And Brunswick Corp. and its fitness division, Life Fitness, bought commercial cardio and strength equipment brand Cybex for $169 million on January 21.

Both sale prices came in at or above 10.5-times earnings, suggesting a healthy market in the space.

For Nautilus and Brunswick’s Life Fitness, the acquisitions not only meant strengthening their foothold in the industry, but bringing on talent and innovation from smaller, more nimble competitors. Moreover, it signaled that the highend of the market is gaining attraction, as fitness becomes more modern and fashionable among high earners thanks to a surge in technology and importance placed on staying in shape.

Brunswick officials said the Cybex acquisition is a step in the staircase to doubling its fitness revenue to $1.5 billion by 2020.

“The competitive dynamics of the commercial global fitness market are stable and rational,” Brunswick President and COO, Mark Schwabero, said. “The market is generally higher margin than most equipment manufacturing markets.

And fitness, health, and wellness are becoming increasingly important on a global basis. We believe the global fitness market is an attractive market with solid growth potential of about 5 percent through 2018. This is driven by favorable demographics, and the trends in fitness club membership and hospitality investments.”

Founded in 1970, Cybex offers a full line of cardiovascular and strength products largely serving the commercial fitness market. Its cardio portfolio includes treadmills and exercise bikes, plus the Cybex Arc Trainer, while its strength category includes customizable, plate-loaded,

functional, and free weight equipment.

For Nautilus (which parents the Bowflex and Schwinn Fitness brands), the addition of Octane will help diversify sales channels, particularly in specialty retail. Since its restructuring in 2010, Nautilus had largely focused on the direct-toconsumer and mass-retail consumer markets.

Octane also brings a commercial component — serving health clubs and gyms — which returns Nautilus to that corner of the business since selling off its commercial division in 2010.

“Octane has strong market position in the specialty market and a world-class product quality reputation,” Nautilus COO, Bill McMahon, said. “Achieving this same level of results would have taken Nautilus several years to accomplish otherwise.”

Founded by Tim Porth and Dennis Lee in 2001, Octane Fitness employs about 80 people and is headquartered in Brooklyn Park, MN. The company built success on making high-end, low-impact, cardio fitness equipment, including ellipticals, and most recently a product called the Zero Runner meant to better mimic a runner’s form, sans the impact.

In the year ahead, the fitness industry will likely see more merger and acquisition activity, both on the brand and retail side of the business.

And while fitness is hot today, the specialty fitness retail market considerably contracted during the recession, closing many doors as a result. In addition, the surge in wearables and fitness apps is quickly altering the equipment scene. Brands will be forced to adapt, making certain their technology can seamlessly connect with their consumers’ broader health and fitness lifestyles.

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE CARDIO EQUIPMENT TRENDS

The Cardio Craze New Year's resolutions are rolling in and more confident consumers are giving cardio fitness equipment sales a healthy boost as the industry gets ready to unveil its latest technology and products at the IHRSA trade show in late March.

By Jahla Seppanen

16 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

A

ccording to SSI Data*, cardio equipment category sales are up nearly 7 percent in dollars for the trailing 52 weeks, as of January 23, but more significantly paced ahead of those gains through the holidays, up 17 percent in the trailing 13 weeks. Unit sales ticked up 2.5 percent for the trailing 52 weeks and fell nearly 4 percent in the trailing 13 weeks, suggesting retailers were able to keep prices up while selling slightly less units.

Ellipticals, rowers and treadmills’ sales led the category within the past year, while steppers and staionary bikes slipped.

Along with providing machines that pack the biggest punch for consumers looking to boost physical wellbeing, the category’s product evolution is moving faster to adapt to increased connected technologies and luxury aesthetics.

Here’s a full look at what’s new, what’s changed, and what's trending in cardio. *SSI Data, powered by SportsOneSource, provides weekly point-of-sale data and analysis to retailers and manufacturers in the active lifestyle market. To schedule a personal demo or learn more, call 303.997.7302 or Solutions@ SportsOneSource.com.

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com

17

CONNECTIVITY VIA WEARABLES AND APPS

C

onsumers have always been skeptical to trust the calorie burn and mileage on an old-school cardio machine, but now the are putting trust in new wave wearables.

"All companies are already jumping on the bandwagon, trying to carve out a space with connectivity, data, and media," said Mark Zabel, VP of global marketing for Johnson Health Tech, parent to the Matrix and Horizon brands, as well as fitness

specialty retailer 2nd Wind Excerise Equipment.

Connectivity is all about wearables and mobile applications that can dial into the console on a treadmill, elliptical, etc.

Zabel explained that cardio equipment manufacturers are building their console tech to better integrate. The focus on connectivity also means you won’t see as many new machine designs, but more updated features on current models.

18 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

Wearables are indeed king, being reported as the top 2016 fitness trend by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Inspire Fitness Marketing Manager, Lauren Adams, agreed, telling SGB, “new technology and connectivity that speak to heart rate monitors, apple watches, FitBits, and apps will be huge this year.”

Director of Sales and Marketing at BodyGuard Fitness, Justin Richardson, added, “the game changer

I think people are hoping for is where consoles can be replaced by the mobile device. Right now they just transfer data. Very few companies have made it so you can control the product from the application.”

We've already seen some connectivity capabilities on more recent cardio equipment, but this will expand tremendously, in a race to develop the most compatible operating system that can stay in sync with mobile network updates.

NO-MOTOR MILLS FOR SPEED TRAINING

T

readmills lead the cardio equipment business for their ease of use and ability to tap into the human habit of walking and running. “Treadmills (and ellipticals) make up around 70 percent of all cardio equipment sold,� said Martin Bruder, president of fitness retailer Push Pedal Pull.

And according to IHRSA, Photo courtesy Matrix

treadmills continue to be the most popular form of equipment-based exercise.

SSI Data confirmed, finding almost all the growth in cardio equipment sales since the New Year stemmed from motorized treadmills and elliptical trainers. Together, these two highest selling subcategories made up more than 75 percent of all sales.

However, a niche trend for the coming months emerges from taking a step backward, away from motorized machines. Woodway tapped into this trend years ago with its Curve treadmill, which is motorless and therefore has no top speed. Now Johnson Health is on the bandwagon with its new S Drive

Performance Trainer, a speed training treadmill that, like the Curve, is selfpowered. Ditching the motor means more bang for your buck by increasing resistance and allowing greater speed. These machines are also great space savers, normally less expensive than their motorized counterparts, lighter, and require less maintenance.

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com

19

HIIT PREVAILS OVER LOW INTENSITY

A

rollover trend from 2015, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) continues to be a buzzword in the cardio category.

“You’re going to see machines that look like cardio but are meant for HIIT,” said Johnson’s Zabel. Woodway Marketing Associate, Tracee Meyers, agreed HIIT is one of the biggest trends

companies are focused on.

Richardson at BodyGuard also chimed in on the high intensity fad, “There will be much more high intensity, aerobic training products released this year.” Even the ACSM agrees, naming HIIT as its second Top 2016 Fitness Trend.

The 'why' is simple. In a world of immediacy,

20 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

consumers want more in less time. “People are still looking for faster results and research has shown great results using HIT,” said Tim Porth, EVP of product development and marketing at Octane Fitness.

And it seems the trend is here to stay until something faster comes to

knock it off the podium.

Micro trends that will accompany cardio HIIT include smaller group and bootcamp style training.

Another reason why HIIT continues to lead innovations in cardio equipment is because there are already so many low intensity machines out there.

BOUTIQUE AND LUXURY GYMS MAKE CARDIO CHIC

B

outique studios have seen a noticeable bump, as fitness entrepreneurs capitalize on their unique training methods. Manufacturers and makers have taken note, but also see that these studios are highly fragmented depending on their training modality

(Spin, CrossFit, Pure Barre, etc). Alongside the boutique studios are luxury gyms, also trending now. Updated machines with tons of media abilities rule this domain. The challenge is keeping users entertained. Some luxury/boutique gyms have gone the route of virtual

reality cardio, like a new intergalactic spin class that recently premiered in the United Kingdom, or the iFit NordicTrack Escape Treadmill that premiered at CES 2016, which banks on a 60-inch curved OLED TV screen that creates the illusion of running outdoor routes.

However, brands are recognizing that these chic gyms don’t require VR machines (especially since their price tag can be so high). Subtle updates such as black coloring for machines that used to be grey or adding a touch screen lend a more luxury look.

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com

21

ROWERS GET A REBOOT

I

n 2014, rowing came out from the shadows and was projected to replace Spin entirely. Although that never happened, rowing has gained momentum by offering what treadmills, elliptical, and bikes can’t: a full-body workout. Rowers are high intensity too.

In 2016, get ready to see an influx of new rower machines on the market, with everyone from Matrix, Nautilus, BodyGuard and Inspire Fitness (the C2 Crossrower), premiering

new models. Ask an expert why and they’ll tell you rowing services the micro fitness trend of increased functionality. Adams with Inspire said, “People are more focused on functional classes. With rowing, you’re working your whole body. Plus, people are bored with treadmills since your arms aren’t super active.” Porth with Octane added, “Functional training continues to be a driver for our customers – young and old, whether

22 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

someone wants to increase performance in a sport or just improve their everyday life. It’s a key driver for people selecting products and a great reason to continue the active lifestyle they desire."

In fact, there’s a small faction of fitness users and equipment executives who believe traditional cardio like running may be replaced entirely by functional, HIIT workouts that don’t involve steady running or low-intensity jogs.

Jacque Crockford, ACE Exercise Physiologist/ Education Specialist told SGB, “The fitness industry as a whole is moving from large single-motion equipment to multipurpose, smaller, functional pieces. But due to this shift, those companies who manufactured large pieces of single movement equipment have had to come up with new excited pieces that can be used by exercisers who simply want to move better.”

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE CARDIO EQUIPMENT

INSPIRE FITNESS SPIN BIKE, IC2 (an upgrade from the IC1) can be found in boutique cycling studios or large luxury gyms expanding popular group exercise spin classes.

THE WOODWAY CURVE realized it didn’t need a motor like the competitors’ machines. In fact, being self-powered means more resistance, higher speeds, and greater burn in less time … which has become the mantra of the new-age fitness regime.

CHECK OUT THESE CARDIO MACHINES We bring you four of the best to be seen at the upcoming trade shows.

MATRIX’S S DRIVE PERFORMANCE TRAINER blends the functionality of a treadmill, elliptical, and resistance machine to deliver HIIT workouts. Plus its sleek design was no accident. This machine is going for chic and cool.

OCTANT FITNESS went for all-in-one with its XT-ONE CROSS TRAINER that does just about everything. Four buttons allow the user to select walk, run, hike, or climb. Octane will also have new electronics features – from traditional consoles that will connect into its custom app called SmartLink, to consoles with a built in touch screen.

FEBRUARY 8, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com

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Recent sightings confirm isolated bands of humans still surviving winter conditions with little or no ice and snow traction. Clearly an endangered species. At Yaktrax, we’ve evolved a range of dependable ice traction tools to fit every survival strategy. Yaktrax.com

©2016 Implus LLC. Yaktrax® is a registered trademark of Implus LLC. 1.16

24 SGBWeekly.com | FEBRUARY 8, 2016

#ConquerWinter

INDUSTRY CALENDAR

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS BUYING GROUPS Athletic Dealers of America 1395 Highland Avenue Melbourne, FL 32935 t 321.254.0091 athleticdealersofamerica.com National Shooting Sports Foundation Flintlock Ridge Office Center 11 Mile Hill Road Newtown, CT 06470 t 203.426.1320 nssf.org

FEBRUARY

1-2 SIA On-Snow Demo

Denver, CO 1-2 SIA Nordic Demo

Denver, CO 2-4 FFANY

New York, NY 2-4 Worldwide Spring Show

Reno, NV 8-10 EORA SE February Show

Greenville, SC 15-18 Magic Show

Las Vegas, NV 16-17 MWSRA New Model Demo

Afton Alps-Hastings, MN 17-20 Sports Inc. Outdoor Show

Phoenix, AZ 18-22 NBS Semi-Annual Market

Fort Worth, TX

MARCH

8-9 SFIA National Health Through Fitness Day

Washington, D.C. 17-19 Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS)

Atlantic City, NJ 21-24 IHRSA

Orlando, FL

APRIL 1-2

19-21

SFIA Litigation & Risk Management Summit New Orleans, LA Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) Nashville, TN

National Sporting Goods Association 1601 Feehanville Drive I Suite 300 Mount Prospect, IL 60056 t 847.296.6742 nsga.org Nation’s Best Sports 4216 Hahn Blvd.

Ft. Worth, TX 76117 t 817.788.0034 nbs.com Outdoor Industry Association 4909 Pearl East Circle I Suite 300 Boulder, CO 80301 t 303.444.3353 outdoorindustry.org Sports & Fitness Industry Association 8505 Fenton Street I Suite 211 Silver Spring, MD 20910 t 301.495.6321 sfia.org Snow Sports Industries America 8377-B Greensboro Drive McLean, VA 22102 t 703.556.9020 snowsports.org Snowsports Merchandising Corp.

235 Cadwell Drive Springfield, MA 01104 t 413.739.7331 Snowsportsmerchandising.com Sports, Inc. 333 2nd Avenue North Lewistown, MT 59457 t 406.538.3496 sportsinc.com

MAY

Sports Specialists Ltd. 590 Fishers Station Drive I Suite 110 Victor, NY 14564 t 585.742.1010 sportsspecialistsltd.com

JUNE

Tennis Industry Association 1 Corpus Christi Place I Suite 117 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 t 843.686.3036 tennisindustry.org

22-25 NSGA Management Conference and Team

Hilton Head Island, SC

24-26 SGB 40 Under 40 Awards

Huntington Beach, CA

JULY

13-17

IDEA World Fitness Convention Los Angeles, CA

Worldwide 8211 South 194th Kent, WA 98032 t 253.872.8746 wdi-wdi.com

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