Sports Trader July 2015

Southern Africa’s business-to-business magazine for the sport, outdoor and leisure industries • Vol 36 No 4 • July 2015

Kitting out the hiker Skateboarding for good World Cup shirt and boot launches

2015 July :: Sports Trader

Vol 36 Nr 4 July 2015 www.sportstrader.co.za

Industry

2 4 8 10 12 14 16 18 41 42

People on the move

News about people in the industry.

Last of the Golds leave

What to recommend for different hikers

New Balance

The latest trends in running shoes

Companies on the move

World Cup shirt and new boot launches

With Andrew retiring, there are no more Golds at First Ascent.

On the cover “and hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced to the light of the moon..” — The Owl and the Pussycat Getting into the groove this season SBHUJWA, Pierre Cardin’s newest and hippest range of mens low and high top canvas sneakers, will be sported by Sowetos’s Dancing Champions — SOWET .S FINEST Pierre Cardin applauds dance, champions, success and fashionable comfort!

Make sure you are in stock of SBHUJWA so your customer can join the dance champions. Call 011 345 8000 to view the range.

Publisher: Nicol du Toit Editor: Carin Hardisty Managing editor: Trudi du Toit Proofreader: Liz Milburn Features: Carin Hardisty, Nicol du Toit, Rhianah Rhode, Trudi du Toit, Yamkela Mkebe Design: Carin Hardisty, Rhianah Rhode Photography: Nicol du Toit Advertising: Nicol du Toit Subscriptions: Carin Hardisty Printing: Paarl Media Paarl Distribution: Tunleys

New Balance is having a great year.

News about companies in the industry.

New Under Armour distributor

Under Armour’s new South African distributor has big plans for the brand.

Brands on the move

News about brand activity in the industry.

PO Box 12197 Mill Street 8010 22 Rocklands Avenue, Vredehoek, Cape Town 8001 Tel: 021 461 2544 Fax: 021 461 2549 Website: www.sportstrader.co.za Facebook: SportsTraderMagazine Twitter: @SASportsTrader Blog: sasportsindustry.blogspot.com Advertising: nicol@sportstrader.co.za Editorial: trudi@sportstrader.co.za Subscribe: carin@sportstrader.co.za Publication information: The title and contents of Sports Trader are protected by copyright. It is a business to business publication compiled to inform, entertain and educate retailers, distributors and manufacturers of sports and outdoor equipment, footwear and clothing. It is available only to members of the sport, outdoor and activewear industries and is published bi-monthly. © Rocklands Communications.

Sports Trader :: 2015 July

Outdoor

Solve cash flow problems

Invoice discounting provides a solution for your cash flow problems.

20

New Columbia distributor

Sport

Brand ID now distributes Columbia.

Spotlight on agents

We spoke with Leon Lotter.

Sport stars tell all about products

Brand ID’s performance division launched their new products at a star-studded event.

44 47 49 52 54

Kitting out a hiker

What products should retailers recommend to consumers taking part in different types of hikes?

Skateboarding for good

Skateboarding is no longer reserved for rebels and is being used for good.

Equipping soft- and baseball players Equipping young soft- and baseball players.

Which table games sell the best?

Which sport sells the best for retailers? Do accessories or tables sell better?

Sport news

News from sport brands.

Skins challenge FIFA

A newspaper published by Skins predicts some changes at FIFA — and some are true!

Trade shows and events

Sports Trader is published bi-monthly

by Rocklands Communications cc.

Reg. No: 1997/057165/23.

Members: N. J. & G. C. du Toit

Contact details:

Highlights:

56 IBC

Local shows

The new Springbok kit has been launched and people are talking about the world cup jersey p34

The Comrades Marathon Expo and Source Africa attracted a lot of interest.

Trade show news News about local and international trade and industry-related shows.

Clothing & footwear

26 31 34 35 36

Latest in running shoes

The latest trends in running shoes.

Footwear news

News from footwear brands.

Springbok kit launch

The new Springbok kit is here.

World Cup brand news

News from brands related to the upcoming world cups.

Trends in rugby and soccer boots The latest trends in boots.

From the day to the multi-day hiker, each type has his must have products p20

2015 July :: Sports Trader

People on the move

p2 :: Industry

Legendary Martin Nefdt retires INDUSTRY LEGEND Martin Nefdt is retiring as Eastern Cape sales agent after thirty years “of fine friendship in the sports industry, namely 18 years with adidas and 12 years with PUMA”. His son, Gustav, took over the reins at Martin Nefdt Agencies from the beginning of June, after Martin attended his last PUMA Conference to say “farewell to all my team mates who have been a special lot over all these years”, adding that he has been “fortunate to have worked with great sportsmen and -women in the past thirty years, for which I am most grateful.”

He was undoubtably the top selling adidas agent in my time, says former adidas SA MD Tony O’Hagan. After retiring from adidas twelve years ago, Nefdt was

convinced by former PUMA SA MD to represent the brand, which he decsribes as an exciting experience.

Nefdt’s wide circle of friends

in the industry will miss his generosity, hospitality and ability to instantly convert acquaintances into friends, which earned him the nickname “mayor of the Eastern Cape”. A top sportsman — he is a multiple SA track cycling champion, Olympic medal hopeful and record holder for 29 years — Nefdt maintained his lust for life by staying active. When he turned sixty he conquered the big five: in that year he cycled in the Pick n Pay Argus and the Herald VW Cycling Tours; swam 1 000m in the sea in PE, as well as in the Redhouse River Mile in Nelson Mandela Bay; and rode his motorbike in the Buffallo Rally. But, his dreams of an international career as cyclist were shattered when the IOC banned SA from participation in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Left: Falke South Africa has appointed former general manager Martin Grobbelaar as CEO. He joined the company in 2003 as cost and and export manager and was later promoted to financial and general manager. In his new role, Grobbelaar plans to work on the company’s long-term sustainability and the guaranteeing of added value propositions to customers, staff, shareholders, etc.

Jane Brewer has been appointed as the new Zoggs sales agent in KwaZuluNatal. She will be responsible for looking after existing customers and growing the brand’s reach through select channels. Brewer has a triathlon and running background, and also represents the Brooks, Compressport and Power Bar brands.

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

Second Skins has appointed Allied Agencies to represent its products in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Their sales team — consisting of Carl Prinsloo (above left), Ingrid (above middle) and Dionne (Owner) — has represented Second Skins since the beginning of the year. Allied Agencies has a good knowledge of the local retail scene in the province, having been representing distributors of privately labelled, imported and locally manufactured footwear and apparel since 1996.

Apart from his obvious interest in cycling — he has done The Argus nine times — Nefdt also enjoyed playing sport like soccer, cricket and golf. But he has a soft spot for rugby. He worked tirelessly to save the Crusaders Rugby Club when it looked as if the club might have to close in 2008. He was subsequently elected president and since then the club has thrived.

Nefdt became a sporting goods agent after he returned to Port Elizabeth when his father became ill and he, Simon Bezuidenhout and Gavin Cowley formed an agency, selling the adidas brand.

Nefdt eventually became the sole adidas Eastern Cape agent, while Cowley joined the company fulltime.

Left: Puma has appointed Martyn Bowen as general manager for their newly combined EEMEA region (Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India). Bowen takes over from Volfango Bondi, who will be pursuing new business opportunities, and will report directly to chief executive Bjørn Gulden. In his 20 year career with Puma, Bowen has held a number of sales positions including export and general manager for Eastern Europe, as well as general manager for Austria.

Second Skins has reappointed Renier De Bruin (above right) as one of their Cape Town reps. De Bruin’s reappointment forms part of the company’s new restructuring process.

De Bruin has been in the agency business for more than a decade and deals with independent sport, cycling and multinational retailers and schools. He previously worked for Second Skins for a number of years, representing the entire Western Cape.

2015 July :: Sports Trader

People on the move

p4 :: Industry

Unicorn Darts player Gary Anderson has won the dart Premier League title for the second time — making it the player’s second win at a major tournament in the last five months. Anderson has returned to good form after suffering the personal tragedies of losing both his brother (2011) and father (2012), and having taken time off to resolve personal health issues, which had thrown him off his game. Anderson started playing with Unicorn, which is locally distributed by Opal Sports, four years ago and won the final match of the Premier League using Unicorn Phase 3 darts.

14 South African swimmers (six sponsored by Speedo) have been named among the top 50 most adventurous open water swimmers in the world by the US-based World Open Water Swimming Association (WOSA). South Africa is the country with the largest number of men represented. The lists show that South Africa’s open water swimmers are among the toughest in the world, able to achieve feats once believed impossible, says Stuart Hopwood, brand president of Speedo SA, locally distributed by Brand ID. Peter Bales, Ram Barkai, Andrew Chin, Ki-

eron Palframan, Jonno Proudfoot, Ryan Stramrood, Dr Otto Thaning, Toks Viviers, Brenton Williams, Thane Williams and Theodore Yach were listed among the world’s top 50 daring, courageous and audacious open water swimmers who “are true heroes … whose lifestyles are unique and mind sets are rare,” says WOSA. Carina Bruwer, Natalie du Toit and Lorna Cochran were selected in the category of unprecedented swims of note or a significant number of risk-inherent channel, lake or marathon swims.

Wicket keeper Dane Vilas, son of the South African Gunn & Moore distributor, Anne Vilas of Opal Sports, was selected for the South African test squad for the Bangladesh tour, due to the unavailability of AB de Villiers, who is currently on paternity leave. Not surprisingly, Vilas plays with a Gunn & Moore bat – as does Proteas wicket keeper and opening batsman Quinton de Kock. The 29-year old Cape Cobras wicket keeper is also an attacking and often destructive middle-order batsman. He was one of the Cobras’ top performers in the Momentum One Day Cup competition with a 55.5 batting average. He scored 499 runs in the 2014/15 Sunfoil Series and has a first class average of 41 with 10 centuries.

Photo: Big Ric Photography

World Champion paddlers Hank McGregor (from Jeep Team) and Jasper Mocké have won the K2 title of the 2015 South African Flat-water Marathon Championships. McGregor also placed second in the K1 event.

Kenyan Mizuno athlete Caroline Rotich recently won the 2015 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:24:55. The event was a breakout victory for Rotich, who had a previous personal best finish of fourth place in a major marathon.

“Another great achievement for our African continent and something we at Brand ID are extremely proud of, especially in such a prestigious and challenging event as the Boston Marathon,” says Paul Copson of local Mizuno distributor, Brand ID.

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

Cobra Puma Golf athlete Rickie Fowler recorded his second career victory at The Players Championship on Sunday 10 May in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, US. The #9 ranked golfer beat Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner in a dramatic playoff to claim his third world victory. Fowler played in Puma Golf pink apparel and Titantour shoes in honour of Mother’s Day. The golfer was also equipped with his Cobra Golf clubs, including the Fly-Z+ driver that he used to hit the longest drive of the week at 336 yards.

This year is Puma star Brazilian soccer player Marta Vieira da Silva’s fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup, which started on 6 June 2015 in Canada. Da Silva, often referred to as Pele in a skirt, goes into this tournament with a lot of experience, which is bound to benefit her and her team. Da Silva is also a UN ambassador for the empowerment of women.

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2015 July :: Sports Trader

p6 :: Industry

No more Gold at First Ascent

When Andrew Gold left First Ascent at the end of May to travel across the States, he ended an era that started when his father, Charl, founded the South African brand in 1989

F

or the first time since the South African outdoor brand First Ascent was founded by Charl Gold at the end of 1989, there will be no Gold in charge. Performance Brand MD Andrew Gold has done what many professionals dream of: retired while he is still young enough to enjoy it, and his family is young enough not to be affected by school terms, etc.

When you read this, Gold and family will either be in San Diego, or travelling across the States in a RV vehicle to explore Texas, Florida and the East Coast on a four-month holiday.

“There are a few critical periods in life one can travel — and this is one of them,” he explains why he retired mid-career after 17 years with the First Ascent brand.

Andrew Gold has spent most of his life close to the outdoor industry. A former keen mountaineer, and now a passionate kitesurfer and mountain biking convert, he has lived the lifestyle. But, he also grew up with some prominent South African brands. Prior to starting First Ascent, his father founded the Backpacker outdoor brand in 1979. Andrew also worked for the Camp & Climb store in Claremont while at school and after school joined a Cape Union Mart store, where he still holds the record for the most down sleeping bags sold, because he had such a passion for these bags.

Selling down sleeping bags is not easy, he explains, as there is often a barrier because of the price. “It needs a bit of an education to

Trader :: 2015 Sports Trader :: 2015 July

There is a lot of pressure in a family business, because you can’t leave it behind at the end of the day. tell customers about the benefits of down.”

But then, he was living at home as a schoolboy when his father founded the First Ascent down sleeping bag brand.

Charl sold Backpacker in 1987, when the family contemplated moving to New Zealand, and when that didn’t work out, he joined a local company making down-filled duvets.

Two years later he combined his experience of manufacturing sleeping bags and his knowledge of down fillings to start First Ascent.

“When I joined in 1998, sleeping bags were 95% of our business,” says Andrew. He looked forward to working with sleeping bags again, “but dad sat me down and said the clothing side has more room to grow” and asked him to concentrate on developing the clothing ranges. At that stage they had one down-filled and one fleece jacket — now First Ascent is primarily a clothing brand.

“But the entire range has grown exponentially,” says Gold. From just sleeping bags, the range has expanded to include the full outdoor spectrum, from clothing, backpacks, travel bags, footwear, etc. The outdoor industry as a whole grew as demand for product increased

as outdoor clothing replaced suits and ties in the workplace.

After he joined First Ascent, Andrew Gold had obtained a diploma in production management “to understand the flow of the business and how the business worked”. He followed this with a part-time diploma in fashion design and garment technology.

“That really sparked the catalyst to expand the clothing ranges,” he says, because once he implemented what he learnt clothing production really evolved.

Between working in outdoor retail and joining First Ascent, Andrew had taken the twoyear European working holiday that was so popular amongst youngsters in those days, where he worked in restaurants or ski resorts.

He worked in the restaurant industry in Cape Town after he returned, before accepting his father’s offer to join the family business.

“I was raised in a family where things were never just handed to you,” he says. He never expected to work for his father “and I never realised what it actually meant to work for my dad. There is a lot of pressure in a family business, because you can’t leave it behind at the end of the day. He didn’t treat me like his son, he treated me like an employee.”

In 2002 Charl went on a sabbatical to Australia … and didn’t come back. “I got tasked with running the business,” says Andrew.

In 2007 Moresport purchased First Ascent and launched the Performance Brands Division.

2015 July :: Sports Trader

p8 :: Apparel & Footwear

New Balance

on a high

New Balance SA country manager Craig Bowen at the announcement of their partnership with Cricket SA. Photo Johan Rynners/Gallo

B

ack in the office after a frenetic fortnight as official technical sponsors of the Comrades marathon, followed by the announcement of the brand’s partnership with Cricket South Africa, New Balance SA’s country manager Craig Bowen and marketing manager Katharine Tromp are still on a high.

“It completely blew us away in terms of results,” Tromp describes their involvement in this year’s Comrades Marathon Expo, for which they had set themselves very high targets.

Early numbers show that they exceeded last year’s budget with double digits and that there had been solid growth across all categories.

These benefits for the brand are, however, not limited to the period immediately before, and after, the event. The Comrades 890 shoe has been in the market since April, when the “I Comrades” campaign, featuring videos of ordinary South Africans talking about how the event affected their lives, was launched.

With the 90-years Comrades logo and leopard print design to link Africa’s ‘big five’ to the Comrades ‘big five’ hills, this ultralight shoe has become a collector’s item for many runners who buy it as a keepsake. “One international guy bought six pairs at the Expo to take back home,” says Tromp. “The response has been quite phenomenal.”

Many did, however, run in the Comrades 890, or in other New Balance technical running shoes. “New Balance is the only brand that

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

With consumer interest that exceeded all predictions at this year’s Comrades Marathon Expo and great expectations for the brand loyalty the Cricket SA sponsorship will create, New Balance SA is riding a high wave

actually grew in the Comrades shoe count,” she says.

On the first day, more than 6 500 people passed through their stand, on day two they had 12 500 and on day three there were just under 6 000 visitors. With 19 000 runners actually registering for the race, it is clear that several non-runners came to experience their brand as well. According the Comrades Expo organisers over 51 000 people visited over the three days.

Technical apparel cooking There was significant interest in the technical apparel on the stand, especially the official

People are now seeing New Balance as it’s never been seen before.

Comrades t-shirts, which sold as fast as they could unpack. “On lunch time of day three there were hardly any tees left,” says Bowen.

But that didn’t stop visitors from buying other Comrades-branded product like towels, etc.

The fact that the technical apparel with the actual Comrades logo were selling out even though they had much more stock than the previous years, should now benefit their retail partners: the popular silhouettes are also available in-store without the Comrades logo,

which should appeal to the customers who enjoyed the technical benefits of their official event apparel, and want to buy more.

“We’ve seen a good uptake of New Balance apparel in wholesale,” says Bowen. “I can only speculate that it has been as a result of our involvement in Comrades last year. The product is the best it’s ever been and the regional design centre has really been on point with things like colours, designs, etc. “ The brand has also experienced huge growth in wholesale technical shoe sales. Tromp attributes this to a “combination of being attached to a big brand like Comrades” and the digital conversations around their latest technologies and footwear launches that they have been promoting.

“New Balance is the most innovative running brand in the market,” says Bowen. Delivery of excellent product over the past few years, due to the brand’s spend on research and development of technologies like Fresh Foam, earned it the sobriquet of “the world’s innovators”, he maintains. New Balance has invested significantly in its Boston research and design centre so that it now “personifies an innovative philosophy of data to design” in styles like the Zante and Vazee (see p29).

Proteas help grow brand The new sponsorship agreement with Cricket SA (CSA) to be the official apparel and footwear supplier for the next five years, while

Apparel & Footwear :: p9

Protea T20 captain Faf du Plessis talking during the launch of the New Balance sponsorship and new ODI and T20 shirts. Photo Johan Rynners/Gallo Images Above: The New Balance stand sold products to remember the Comrades Marathon by such as slogan and co-branded T-shirts.

Left: The New Balance team relaxing after a hard, but satisfying, day manning the Comrades stand.

be one of the biggest New Balance sports marketing assets and is in alignment with one of the fundamental key pillars of the brand, says Bowen. The strategic alignment in sports like tennis, football and cricket is important to create an affinity between the consumer and the brand in general. “New Balance’s target consumer is the game changer athlete, the 15-17-year old kid who aspires to be like one of his heroes. He is typically in high school and active in a number of sporting codes.”

Cricket is the #1 summer sport for South African schoolboys and as several Sports Trader surveys have shown, cricket followers in that age group are brand conscious and very much aware of what their heroes play with and wear. The brand awareness of New Balance in the target age group will therefore be high, especially as Protea players will be making brand appearances as part of the contract.

And as Bowen points out: cricketers also train, run and wear shoes off the field.

“The timing of the agreement (from 1 May 2015 – 30 April 2020) is fortuitous,” says Bowen, because they had allowed the agreements with regional teams like the Dolphins, Knights and Cobras to expire shortly before their negotiations with CSA began.

But, apart from building brand awareness and loyalty amongst an important target market, an agreement of this magnitude is underpinned by a solid business plan - which projects that year one will already be profitable, says Bowen.

Their cricket shoe, worn by the likes of Dales Steyn and David Miller, has done very well for them in terms of market share. “We also grew tremendously in equipment and have exceeded our budget in the first couple of months this year. Fortunately, New Balance have learnt some lessons through our involvement with other replica sales in South Africa, which will be applied to building the CSA asset.”

The investment CSA has made in, for example, the Protea Fire campaign and online mar-

keting will make their task easier, he believes.

“They are committed to taking the game to the average person and making it accessible to all. They are taking it to all corners of the country, and for us that fits in with our philosophy.”

Apart from being the exclusive official apparel supplier of team kit and products to CSA, its teams, staff and players, and being CSA’s official merchandising partner, New Balance will also provide equipment to CSA’s development programmes. As part of the contract they will also support the cricket programme at the hpc of Excellence in Pretoria with equipment etc.

They are especially proud of the fact that they are the first New Balance office to form a partnership with a top national cricket association.

Due to their involvement with the Comrades and Proteas “people are seeing New Balance as it’s never been seen before,” says Bowen.

“The Facebook and CSA page comments really warm the heart ... there are some good comments coming through.”

July :: Sports 2015 July :: Sports Trader

p10 :: Industry

Companies on the move Top SA retailers report growth EVEN THOUGH we’re experiencing a rough time economy-wise, South Africa’s big sports chains are showing positive signs of growth. The chains’ financial results for the year ending March 2014 makes for some interesting reading.

Holdsport’s Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse reported sales of R1 133.5-m and R360.6-m respectively for the past financial year — a growth of 8.8% and 11.6% each. Overall, the retail division showed a 9.5% increase in sales.

Mr P Sport is showing double digit growth with a 16.2% increase in retail sales to R1 118-m and TFG’s sports division (Totalsports, Sportscene, Due South) reported a 9% growth in turnover to R3 262.2-m.

The Holdsport group’s sales (including that of Performance Brands) increased by 9% to R1 544.8-m with operating profit increasing by 6.7% to R266.7-m.

Retailer Sportsmans Warehouse grew like-for-like sales 8.2% and operating profit by 6.5% compared to the previous financial year.

Outdoor Warehouse grew like-for-like sales 7.8% and increased operating profit by 9.3%. Overall, retail sales grew 8.1% , comparing like-for-like.

On the supplier side, Performance Brands experienced a drop of 3.4% in sales to external customers, but an increase of 12.5% for intergroup sales. The operating profit increased by 14.4%.

Mr P Sport reports an increase of 8.7% in the number of actual units sold compared to the previous year. They report double digit sales growth across all their categories, except for footwear that still grew, but at lower price points than some discontinued international brands. The sales growth in more technical ranges performed much better than the division’s average.

Store growth All three the chains have expanded their stores.

Holdsport’s retail trading space increased by 2.1% with three expansions, four relocations and Outdoor Warehouse opening one new store (Windhoek). Outdoor Warehouse now has 21 stores and Sportsmans Warehouse 35.

During the financial year, the Mr P Group’s sport division opened 11 stores in their smaller format (683m2) and launched an e-commerce store in August 2014.

TFG has expanded their sports division by 13%, opening 62 stores during the last financial year across Africa. The division now has 502 stores across South Africa and 34 in seven countries across the rest of Africa.

All three the retailers in the division grew their stores during the financial year: Totalsports by 23, Sportscene by 34 (passing their target of 200 stores) and Due South grew its store count by 5.

VF Corp drop earnings despite sales growth DESPITE SOLID sales growth from The North Face (7%), Vans (16%) and Timberland (10%), first quarter earnings of the VF Corp dropped 2.8%. On a currency neutral basis, their earnings would have grown 13%.

Group sales grew 8% on a currency neutral basis. The company benefited from their shift to higher margin businesses, but this was impacted by foreign currency fluctuations.

Currency neutral income for The North Face increased 7%, up by

Trader :: 2015 Sports Trader :: 2015 July

1%. Brand incomes grew at high single-digit rate in Europe.

Vans reported a 16% growth on currency neutral income in the first quarter, up by 8%. The brand had a balanced increase in its direct-to-consumer and wholesale businesses. Income for Vans grew at a mid-single-digit rate in Europe.

Income increased 10% for Timberland on a currency neutral basis in the first quarter. The brand had a 16% growth, up by 6%, in its wholesale business.

The “new” faces behind Pat Wiltshire Sports AT THE end of June Pat Wiltshire retired from Pat Wiltshire Sports, which is the exclusive distributor for Mikasa and Fox40.

Pat is one of the legends of the industry, known for his integrity. He has also served as a former SASGAM chairman and committee member.

A few years ago he handed over the daily running of the company to his son, Nicholas, as general manager when he moved to the KwaZuluNatal coast to be the company’s agent in the region.

He leaves the business in the capable hands of son-and-daughter team Nicholas and Michele Wiltshire (above). Pat remains in a consultative capacity.

Nicholas has over 20 years’ experience with the company and is by now a well-known face within the industry.

Michele has been a director and shareholder in the business since 1993, and continues in this capacity. She will be involved in senior management decisions and strategies going forward, but not in the dayto-day running of the business, which is Nicholas’ responsibility.

Mikasa official FIVB game ball MIKASA AND the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) have renewed their partnership, which means the brand’s indoor and beach volleyballs will be the official game balls until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The ball manufacturer Mikasa Corporation has supplied the FIVB with equipment since Tokyo’s first Olympic Games in 1964 when volleyball became an Olympic sport. The signing is in celebration of the organisations’ first partnership in 1985.

Mikasa is locally distributed by Pat Wiltshire Sports.

“Mikasa Corporation wishes to continue to provide people of all ages and nations a world-class product. We pride ourselves on providing players with a product which can help them develop their volleyball skills and further promote this fantastic sport all over the world,” says Yuji Saeki, President of Mikasa Corporation.

“Mikasa has always shared the FIVB’s commitment to providing the finest possible service for our athletes around the world. In sport it is so important to know that you are working with the very best in the industry and Mikasa are the leaders in ball technology, which helps us ensure a more spectacular game every season,” says Dr. Ary S. Graça, President of the FIVB.

ty i l i b olla r t y n t i o l i C b er isi V r Bett ip e r t t G e r B e Bett

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•

Exclusive Distributor

Tel: 27 11 466 1800/1/2 • Fax: 27 11 466 1960 • info@pwsports.co.za • www.pwsports.co.za

2015 July :: Sports Trader

p12 :: Industry

Team South Africa wore Under Armour while competing at the ISA World StandUp A preview of what retailers can expect from Under Armour. This is how the brand is displayed in Dicks Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship in Mexico in May this year.

Sporting Goods in Baltimore, America.

Under Armour to take SA retail by storm Internationally, Under Armour has been setting growth records and the full and extensive range of products from this brand will soon be introduced to South African retail. Sales and marketing for Under Armour South Africa will be headed by Gary van Rooyen, who has a good track record of growing local brands

O

ver the last few years Under Armour has been creating a retail storm worldwide: not only making waves in the US, but also gaining market share in Europe by sweeping competitors off the shelves. This tidal wave will hit South African consumers in October, when the newly formed Apollo Brands distributorship releases the full current range of Under Armour clothing, footwear and accessories to South African retailers and consumers.

Why the hype? Over the past 20 consecutive quarters (that is five years) Under Armour has been reporting global sales growth of more than 20% every quarter. In the first quarter of 2015 sales grew 25% and for the whole of 2014 the brand grew 32% ... on top of strong growth the previous four years. No wonder it is currently one of the most talked about brands in the world.

Apollo Brands’ sales and marketing director is Gary van Rooyen, who took New Balance SA from a #8 also-ran brand to the #3 running brand in South Africa in the first decade of the century, growing the South African subsidiary’s revenue 17-fold from 2001-2012. In 2013 he bought the international Coreban paddleboard brand and resigned from the footwear and clothing industry to follow his passion for watersport (for which he has national colours) — exchanging the security of a salary and perks earned as head of the subsidiary of a successful international brand for the freedom of owning and shaping the fortunes of his own brand worldwide.

But, when it became known that Under Armour was looking for a South African distributor that will match the brand’s performance in the

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

Under Armour’s main focus for South Africa will be training, running, multisport and golf.

US and Europe and with the capacity to introduce the full range of products into the market, the temptation became too big. Despite strong competition from other potential distributors, Van Rooyen and his partners were awarded the distributor rights for Southern Africa.

“The misconception by almost everyone is that Under Armour is only a compression or base layer brand,” says Van Rooyen. “The brand is extremely aggressive in every silo, with our main focus for South Africa being training, running, multi-sport and golf. The footwear division has shown huge growth internationally and has surpassed all expectations. The men’s category continues to drive the brand, but women’s and kids are showing double digit growth, year on year.”

In South Africa, Apollo Brands (Under Armour) will be run independently from Coreban. “However, my partners and I are in the process of finalising a group structure that will incorporate five companies, each running as a separate division, with a yet to be appointed CEO,” says Van Rooyen, who will act as sales and marketing director for the group.

The first Apollo Brands employee is the experienced Anthony Weinberg (the former head of New Balance SA retail) who has been appointed retail and merchandising manager. His job is to introduce South African consumers to the depth and variety of the head to toe ranges

the brand offers by opening an Under Armour brand house store in the Cape Town area at the end of October. This store will feature a combination of spring/summer 2015 and fall/ winter 2016 ranges.

“Product will be delivered to the open market in early January 2016 and the wholesale accounts will introduce our fall/winter 2016 ranges from January onwards,” says Van Rooyen. The second Under Armour brand house store is planned for Gauteng in March 2016.

Internationally, high profile teams and athletes have helped to create public awareness of the brand. Wales, Georgia and Canada will be playing in Under Armour kit in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Tottenham Hotspurs fans are wearing their replica shirts, while brand ambassadors like Brazilian model Gizelle Bündchen, golfing sensation Jordan Spieth, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, basketball star Stephen Curry and tennis player Andy Murray bring the brand to the attention of a wide range of consumers.

Locally, Under Armour was the sponsor of the South African team at the ISA World StandUp Paddle (SUP) and Paddleboard Championship in Mexico in May this year. Despite competing against top international teams with paddleboard professionals as members, the amateur South African team came 7th out of 27 countries, and won a silver medal. Tarryn King came 5th in the women’s section and the South African men ended 10th to 19th out of nearly 50 participants. Van Rooyen coached the South African team.

Under Armour will also be the title sponsor of the SA SUP Championships to be held in Cape Town in July.

2015 July :: Sports Trader

Brands on

p14 :: Industry

Two Wheels Trading distributes Cervélo TWO WHEELS TRADING now distributes the Cervélo brand of bicycles in South Africa. The brand manufactures lightweight and aerodynamic high performance models for road, track and triathlon use.

The Cervélo brand has already put itself in the South African eye by sponsoring MTNQhubeka, the only African road cycling team participating in international tours, and the first African team to get a ticket to ride in the Tour de France this year. Ironman South Africa winner Frederik van Lierde also did the cycling leg on a Cervélo bicycle.

“Cervélo has always been synonymous with the highest levels of racing performance and their technology has helped our team be successful in the races we have done this year,” says Douglas Ryder, Team Principal of MTNQhubeka. “We look forward to taking the S5 and P5 models through the 2015 Tour de France, as they suit our style of aggressive racing.

The provisional squad of 11 riders selected for the Tour de France included SA national road race champion Jacques Janse van Rensburg, African continental road race champion Louis Meintjes, and Reinardt Janse van Rensburg from South Africa.

Cervélo’s new distributorship agreement with Two Wheels Trading aims to further strengthen the brand’s footprint in the country. “Through our experience and industry credibility, Two Wheels Trading plans to reestablish the Cervélo brand as the leader in the discerning road bike and triathlon segments,” says Victor Momsen of Two Wheels Trading, which also distributes Momsen, Stan’s No Tubes, Lezyne and Muna.

“We will appoint a strong, focused dealer network that will effectively communicate the Cervélo brand values and product technology to the South African market.”

Skechers grows in sport market

Puma CEO Björn Gulden (middle) with Infiniti Red Bull Racing F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo (left) and team principal Christian Horner (right).

Puma’s new partnerships PUMA HAS partnered with Infiniti Red Bull Racing and the non-profit educational organisation Sesame Workshop.

As of 1 January 2016, Puma will be the official licensed partner and supplier of teamand racewear for Infiniti Red Bull Racing. The brand will supply the F1 team with racewear, footwear and teamwear and it will also exclusively produce and distribute their licensed products including replica, fanwear and accessories collections.

The addition of Infiniti Red Bull Racing will broaden the appeal of Puma’s motorsport offering and create brand presence in sport racing.

Puma’s new two year licensing agreement with the Sesame Workshop will include the launch of four co-branded accessory, apparel and footwear collections that feature Sesame Street characters such as Elmo and the Cookie Monster.

The product range will cover all ages from toddlers to adults and celebrate entertainment and sport. The first of the series of collections will launch in 2016.

“Sesame Street has been popular for several generations and kids in over 150 countries around the globe love its characters as much as they love Puma products. Sesame Street helps kids learn, grow and reach their full potential, always in a playful manner,” says Reinhard Dischner, General Manager of Business Unit Fundamentals and Kids at Puma.

Puma teams with Cuba

Above: African continental road race champion Louis Meintjes is among the South African riders selected for the Tour de France squad. Photo: Stiehl Photography.

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

PUMA HAS partnered with several areas of Cuban sport, to strengthen the brand’s presence.

As part of its agreement with the Cuban Olympic Committee, they will supply athletes with apparel and footwear for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. A global marketing campaign will feature Cuban boxing, which has produced 67 Olympic Games medals.

Puma also sponsors the Cuba’s Volleyball Federation, whose national team has won eight successive FIVB World Championships.

SKECHERS, LOCALLY distributed by Footwear Trading, is making big in roads into the US and UK markets.

The brand was the number two brand in the US sports footwear market during the first quarter of 2015, ahead of competing brands such as adidas, Asics and New Balance, according to the Wall Street Journal (May 18, 2015) and Money.com (May 19,2015). Nike holds the number one position.

Skechers’ growth has been spurred by consumers’ interest in athleisure trends where shoes are worn as a fashion statement rather than just for exercising. Skechers is doing well as they offer stylish and casual models at appealing price points, which coincides well with consumers’ preference for more affordable shoes, the brand says in a press release.

“Throughout the past year Skechers has focused on product development, compelling marketing, and an aggressive growth strategy that has propelled our brand, and we’re pleased to see our athletic footwear has been so well-received by US consumers,” says Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “The global success of our walking and casual athletic footwear is driving this business growth, as well as our performance running shoes worn by elite athletes around the world, and even our flashy and colorful sport footwear collections that appeal to children and teens.”

“Seemingly replacing Nike as the moms’ footwear of choice is Skechers, which also made the third largest perception gains with mothers more than any other brand over the past year,” the UK‘s YouGov BrandIndex reports.

The survey was conducted among mothers who are aged 18+ with children under 18 years old.The Index score measures brand health by averaging sub-scores on quality, satisfaction, impression, value, reputation and willingness to recommend. Skechers (#8) is the only sports brand among the top 10 brands.

Their survey also reports the top 10 best perceived brands. Skechers is the brand that showed the second greatest “gains in perception by mothers over the past year” (Pinterest took the top position).

Moves: • SNT SPORTS is now located at the corner of 5th Street and Rautenbach Avenue, Wynberg, Johannesburg and can be contacted on Tel: 010 005 1430.

• ULTIMO RECENTLY moved to the ground floor of Block D Stonewedge Office Park, cnr William Nicol Drive and Wedgewood Link, Bryanston. Tel: 011 785 4700.

Industry :: p15

the move

Hi-Tec’s campaign walks the talk HI-TEC BECAME a very familiar brand for South African rugby fans during May, as their 30-second TV ad was broadcasted in 33 slots during Vodacom Super Rugby matches.

Set against spectacular urban and mountain landscapes, the advert is part of Hi-Tec’s Walking Just Got Better campaign.

The ad shows a group of happy young South Africans using and enjoying the brand’s wide range of technical and urban gear and apparel.

Known for their technical hiking and mountaineering products, Hi-Tec now also has a funky urban range that is young, vibrant and energetic.

The ad shows how the brand’s products transcend categories and are equally at home at work as on a mountain scramble.

The catchy advert takes viewers from the Western Cape mountains to the urban spaces of inner-city Cape Town before culminating in a feel-good finish on the iconic landmark of Table Mountain. It shows young people from diverse backgrounds enjoying these urban and natural landscapes dressed in a technical, yet fashionable, range of Hi-Tec jackets, shoes, pants and boots, and using Hi-Tec tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and more.

The ad also uses graphics to showcase the latest technologies like the Vibram RollinGait Sytem that helps wearers of the V-Lite Walk-Lite Wittons transition from heel strike to toe-off, which drastically reduces fatigue. Other technologies highlighted are Dri-Tec and i-Shield, which make the Altitude V i WP a popular wet-weather boot.

People walk every day, and Hi-Tec aims to make every step a more joyful experience. They want to inspire South Africans to reclaim their streets, parks, mountains and beaches with the strapline Walking Just Got Better.

As part of Hi-Tec’s Walking Just Got Better campaign, the brand’s products and campaign slogan can also be seen in 47 Due South store branch windows, countrywide. The store displays tie in with the brand’s 30-second TV and bus shelter advertisements that are all about getting South Africans walking and seeing the joy in the experience.

“All Hi-Tec footwear and apparel are merchandised with our own graphics and the “Walking just got better” slogan,” adds Mickey Mallett, MD of Hi-Tec SA.

Mixed results for Wolverine WOLVERINE WORLDWIDE reported mixed results for their extensive range of footwear brands in the first quarter of 2015.

The Heritage Group (Wolverine, Caterpillar, Sebago, etc.) reported mid-single digit sales growth, the Lifestyle Group (Hush Puppies, Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite, etc.) single digit growth and the Performance Group (Merrell, Saucony, Cushe, etc.) a low single-digit decline.

Revenue grew 0.6% to $631.4-m, but currency neutral growth was 3.4%. Revenue growth was affected by store closures and the loss of the Patagonia license.

For 2015, the company predicts 2-4% revenue growth to $2.82-bn, with neutral currency growth expected to be 5-7%.

2015 July :: Sports Trader

2015 July :: Sports Trader

Invoice discounting can be your cash flow solution p16 :: Industry

The majority of new businesses fail in the first few years and cash flow is often the culprit. It frequently sinks otherwise profitable businesses. Invoice discounting provides a solution for your cash flow problems and is ideally suited to the small import, or manufacturing business typically operating in the South African sporting and outdoor goods, footwear and apparel market, explains NICOL DU TOIT

W

hen a business starts experiencing cash flow problems, there are quite a number of different short term financing alternatives it can consider — overdraft facilities, short term bank financing, debtors factoring, bridging finance, etc. These alternatives are often theoretical options, which in practice are often not available to small businesses.

Many small companies, or companies who have recently started operating, require amounts that are smaller than the minimum amounts traditional banks are interested in.

Another problem might be that they have not yet built up enough assets to offer as security for these loans, or they have not yet built up the track record traditional institutions require.

This is where invoice financing becomes a viable alternative to the entrepreneur. It is often the first type of financing a small business uses, because it is quite easy and simple to set up and is usually for relatively small amounts.

Easy solution The principle on which it is based is quite simple. The business approaches a finance house with a specific invoice to be paid sometime in the future and cedes its right to the payment to the finance house. The finance house pays the business immediately and collects the money from the debtor when the invoice is due for payment.

Over the last six years or so, a number of financing companies, specialising in provid-

Trader :: 2015 Sports Trader :: 2015 July

Cap X director Gerhard Greeff says invoice discounting will especially benefit suppliers who have to lay out a substantial amount before being paid by retailers.

ing financing services for smaller businesses, have entered the market in Southern Africa.

The smaller companies provide services where banks are often reluctant to get involved — typically in the R50 000 to R5-m category.

They also have more streamlined and less rigid systems, allowing for tailor-made agreements with customers and faster decisions.

One of the pioneers of invoice discounting is CapX Finance. They have been operating since 1999, but about eight years ago owner Henk Rossouw identified a need for smaller, and

In the situation where he arranges invoice discounting, his cash flow problems will be non-existent. easier, finance options amongst their clients — and introduced invoice financing. It was not a new concept as it has been in existence in the US and Europe for a number of years already, but it was new in South Africa.

Deal for retailers Gerhard Greeff, a director of CapX Finance, explains that invoice discounting is typically very suitable where an importer needs to lay out a substantial amount of money for importing stock of which he sells a large proportion of the finished product to one or two retailers.

The importer will then approach them and set up a deal for a specific retailer. The importer

cedes its right to the future collection of the invoice or invoices to them. CapX Finance then negotiates repayment terms with the retailer, and pays the amount of the invoice, less the financing charge, to the importer. When the invoice becomes due, the retailer pays it to CapX Finance.

The financing fee depends on the risk profile of both the importer and the retailer and could be very beneficial for the importer in a situation where the importer is a small, or young, company selling to a large and well established retailer. The risk profile of the retailer will then assist the importer in getting a better rate. According to Greeff the fee varies, but will typically be between 2.5% and 5% of the retail invoice.

Example of benefit The effect on a business’s cash flow could be quite dramatic. Let’s look at a simple example, where an importer agrees a deal with a retailer whereby he has to deliver four consignments to the value of R1.5-m every three months, and payment terms are 60 days after delivery. The goods cost him R1-m and he must pay for the goods two months before he can be ready to deliver the consignment to the retailer. He has running costs of R 100 000 per month and enough cash, R1.3-m, to pay for the first consignment and overheads for three months.

Let’s assume he has to pay for the goods on 1 February and he delivers the goods to the retailer on 1 April. This is when he would nor-

Industry :: p17 2 500 000

Bank Balance With vs Without Discounting

2 000 000

1 500 000

1 000 000

500 000

01-Mar

01-Apr

01-May

01-Jun

01-Jul

01-Aug

01-Sep

01-Oct

01-Nov 01-Dec

01-Jan

01-Feb

01-Mar

The red graph shows the cash flow predicament of an importer who has to make an investment in stock, but wait for payment from the retailer. The blue graph illustrates how he can benefit from discount financing.

-500 000

-1 000 000

-1 500 000 Balance without discounting

Balance with discounting

mally invoice the retailer and he will receive payment on 1 June.

This situation is reflected in the red graph (above). He’ll be in trouble within three months — on 1 May he’ll require R1.1-m to pay for the next consignment and to cover his monthly running costs. He’ll be in a similar situation every three months when he needs to pay for a consignment. As a matter of fact, he’ll be out of business on 1 May already, and the graph should really stop then.

The blue graph (see above) reflects the situation where he arranges for invoice discounting and has it in place when he produces his first invoice for the retailer. The 3% cost of the finance has been built in.

The graph illustrates clearly that his cash flow problems will be non-existent — in fact he only needs to do invoice financing for the first three invoices, as he’ll be self-financing after that. The lowest his bank balance will ever be, will be in June when he still has R255 000 in the bank. Obviously, for convenience purposes

he might not want to cancel the arrangement with the finance house, but might want to continue with it to support other activities, or other new business he has developed in the meantime.

Two types of financing According to Greeff, they provide two types of invoice discounting, disclosed and undisclosed. The disclosed type works as we explained above, where the retailer is very aware of the arrangement, because he needs to agree to the deal with the finance house.

They can also set up an arrangement where the retailer is completely unaware of the arrangement between the importer and the finance house. In such situations the importer will have to provide some other form of security, but the money covering the invoice will be immediately paid on production of the invoice, and will be repaid by the importer when the retailer pays him.

Are your debtors paying at a snail’s pace?

Record sales for Columbia COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY grew sales 13% to $479-m in the first quarter ended March 31. In the EMEA region net sales increased 22% to $8.6-m and the Prana brand net sales increased $2-m.

Due to currency exchange rates, the EMEA region also experienced a 15% point negative effect. The company raised its full year outlook after the results and said sales would have increased 17% had it not been for the 4% point negative impact from changes in currency exchange rates.

Sales grew $54.9-m compared with net sales of $424.1-m in the first quarter of 2014. The Prana brand, bought by the company last year, made $37.1-m of incremental net sales in the first quarter. Operating income increased 24% to $44.1-m and net income reached $26.5-m, a growth of 19% compared with the $22.3-m in the first quarter of 2014.

“2015 is off to a strong start, building on the momentum we created in 2014 behind the Columbia, Sorel and Prana brands,” said Columbia CEO Tim Boyle. “We are experiencing exceptional sell-through in North America through the first half of the spring season and our European business has returned to growth. Sorel is poised for a very strong second half and full year net sales of more than $200 million, while Prana remains on pace to deliver annualized growth of more than 20 percent.”

The company expects high single-digit 2015 net sales growth (low teen growth on a constant-dollar basis) compared to 2014 net sales of $2.1-bn.

IMPROVE YOUR CASH FLOW TODAY.

If you are a supplier or sub-contractor to a large company, we can discount your invoices. You get cash instantly, instead of waiting 30 days or more for payment.

LOWEST COSTS AVAILABLE.

CONTACT GERHARD GREEFF OR LIZE OOSTHUIZEN TO FIND OUT HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CASH FLOW Tel 021 979 1960 info@capx.co.za www.capx.co.za

p18 :: Outdoor

A new home for Columbia One of the world’s most successful outdoor active brands is set to claim its place as a major player in the South African market, promises the new distributor, Brand ID

I

n May this year Columbia became part of the impressive brand portfolio distributed by Brand ID in South Africa and Africa, when an exclusive agreement with Columbia International to control the brand came into effect.

“I have for some time been interested in the brand and given the potential of the outdoor, fishing and recreational sport categories in the market, I believe firmly that there exists a wonderful opportunity to build on the foundation of what has been created and revive the brand in the market,” says Brand ID CEO Wayne Bebb.

He believes that with 25 lifestyle and sports brands Brand ID is ideally suited to develop and build the brand in the local market, as one of their main strengths is “an unrivalled distribution business. I am tremendously excited about the synergies across customers, supply chain, distribution and brand marketing awareness within our business and have no doubt, that under our leadership, the Columbia brand will flourish beyond all expectations.”

Columbia Sportswear is now one of the biggest outdoor clothing brands in the world, with sales topping more than $2-bn in 2014.

The success of the brand is contributed to the current chairperson, Gert Boyle, and CEO Tim Boyle, who took over the brand after the death of their husband and father respectively in 1970. Their rescue of the brand from nearbankruptcy and building it into a leading global brand is one of the industry’s great success stories.

Columbia was introduced into South Africa in 2004, but initially only through retailer Due South. Pieter Strobos of Wild Elements Apparel subsequently gave the brand a broader footprint, and also opened several brand stores, which they will continue to run on a franchise basis under license to Brand ID. Columbia will join brands like Canterbury,

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

“We want to get the right product in the right place for the right consumer.”

Skins, Mizuno and SKLZ in the Performance Brands unit of their business. The unit’s Brand President Du Toit Botes will initially be responsible for Columbia, and will report to Bebb directly. Roger Noades, who was part of the previous distributorship, has joined Brand ID and will help make the brand’s transition as smooth as possible.

“This will allow us to share best practices best suited for this brand in our business,” continues Bebb. “We aim to secure Columbia as a preferred outdoor and fishing brand in the market and ensure we provide an absolute quality product, on time, and in full. We pride ourselves in our business on our ability to deliver with precision, to ensure product is delivered as required on the date it is required.

“We want to get the right product in the right place for the right consumer,” he adds.

“We can distribute to a mom and pop store who sells to the farmer, as well as to the biggest outdoor store.” They also have the ability to take the brand into the rest of Africa and manage and grow it there.

“The market is quite hungry for stock,” says Botes, and they will be sourcing product internationally to meet this demand to ensure that the brand continues to keep a presence in retail. The new season’s ranges will, however, be introduced in the second half of the year for delivery December 2015 to June 2016.

Columbia has a very rich heritage and the brand has stayed true to this heritage, Bebb explains. It is a very technical brand — the PFG fishing shirts, for example offer 50+ UV sun protection and the long sleeves can keep a fisherman cool for a whole day in the sun — but it offers these technologies at a good price

Above: Roger Noades explains the benefits Columbia offers at a Brand ID event held recently.

Top: Du Toit Botes with Wayne Bebb.

point and in a fashionable style.

“There are many Columbia products that have been available overseas that will show the local market that the range is much wider than what has been seen so far,” he says.

Apart from the outdoorsman (or woman) the brand has product ranges that will appeal to cyclists, trail runners, anglers, hikers and the everyday Joe who likes fashionable casualwear with comfort technologies. They will be positioning the brand across four retail categories: outdoor/hunting stores; the agricultural co-op market; fishing and cycling stores.

The brand’s partnership with the Cape Epic cycle tour, for example, offers exciting options for other Brand ID brands, like Skins compression gear. They will also look for these synergies for brands like Skins and Mizuno in events like Wine to Whales, mountain biking at Fancourt and trail running events. “We now have the brands to supply the official footwear and become the official clothing and compression partner in all these events,” says Botes.

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Bring your life thule.com 2015 July :: Sports Trader

Kitting out a hiker With the different lengths of hikes come the different types of challenges and the various types of footwear, clothing and equipment needed.

YAMKELA MKEBE spoke with suppliers to find out what they recommend when it comes to kitting out hikers

W

hether he’s enjoying a relaxing weekend nature walk, overnighting on a more adventurous weekend trip, or undertaking a serious multi-day expedition, there are certain items that every hiker should always take with him — no matter what the nature of his outing.

Among these are items hikers often forget — and by reminding your hiking customer of these necessities before he leaves your store, you can not only make sure that he’ll hike safely and comfortably, but also that he buys all the outstanding items from you.

“A hiker should always have sufficient water with him to avoid dehydration, as well as some form of nutrition,” says The North Face product director Sean Fenger. Therefore, recommend a good hydration system.

The GSI Outdoors Infinity Dukjug is a useful option, says Deidre Pieters of local distributor Ram Mountaineering. It has been designed for the outdoors and the lightweight BPA-free bottle integrates a recessed area of up to 2m of emergency duct tape.

It’s easy to underestimate the amount of water needed, adds Jamie Owen of Thule Car Rack Systems. The Thule backpacks are all hydration compatible.

A torch and a waterproof pack are also important items, he says. Another useful item is a smaller pack that can unzip from the larger pack, says Owen.

People also don’t always think about taking a headlamp, Pieters points out.

“Don’t forget the spare batteries!” reminds Georgina Connock of Awesome Tools, local distributor of Led Lenser.

Emergency items such as a first aid kit and space blanket can potentially save a life, says Jonathan Newman of Hi-Tec. He also recommends other useful and important items: warm clothes, a raincoat, water purification tablets (and a water filter if hiking somewhere without readily available clean

Trader :: 2015 Sports Trader :: 2015 July

water) a map and cell phone with mountain rescue’s phone number.

Day hikers also don’t always think about taking emergency gear to survive a night in the outdoors, says Newman. “There is always the possibility that a day hike can turn bad — especially if someone gets injured.”

He therefore suggests including a short rope, sling, belay device and locking biner in the pack in the case of unexpected obstacles en route to haul packs, or in a rescue if someone takes a nasty fall in a difficult-to-access gully.

The Singing Rock first aid bag (available from Ram Mountaineering) is compact and lightweight and is ideal for consumers who wish to fill it with their own choice of items. It features compartments in different sizes, an emergency whistle, and a Velcro attachment loop to attach to a harness, or a hip strap of a

The weather can change very suddenly and the hiker doesn’t want to be caught out unawares in bad weather. backpack, recommends Pieters. “A whistle is an often-forgotten item,” she says.

A hiker should always have a lightweight waterproof jacket, a headlamp and ICE [In Case of Emergency] details, recommends Gugu Ntuli of adidas SA.

Essential clothing and footwear The day hiker often forgets to take a jacket with him, says Pieters. The weather can change very suddenly and the hiker doesn’t want to be caught unawares in bad weather.

A waterproof and insulating jacket can not only mean the difference between a comfortable and uncomfortable hike, but can even prevent a tragic outcome, adds Fenger.

The following clothing items will be suitable for on any length of hike, suppliers say: • Adidas recommends their Terrex fast R hiking shoe, Climaproof Wandertag jacket and hiking pants.

• Black Diamond’s Front Point Shell jacket is their most durable, protective three-layer hardshell, features Gore-Tex Pro waterproof and breathable fabric, integrated Cohaesive technology in the hood and hem, and an embedded cord-lock for fast, one-handed adjustments. Two-way zippered armpit vents allow for quick heat dumps.

For the overnight hiker, a beanie is useful for evening time when temperatures can drop. A lot of heat is lost through the head.

The multiday hiker often forgets to take enough extra clothing. There is a fine balance between too much (and unnecessary) clothing and too little, especially when clothing is likely to get wet, says Fenger.

Important features … in clothing

“Hikers want clothing that is lightweight, and controls moisture and odour,” says Newman.

“Quick drying clothing, and those that have odour control, are especially useful on longer hikes, where the hiker will wash his clothing in rivers.”

Don’t forget how important the breathability of the fabric is! adds Fenger.

Layered clothing is important, because it allows the hiker to be prepared for all weather conditions says Pieters.

Weight, cut and breathability are high on the list of priorities when it comes to hardshells (waterproof jackets) for extended hikes, advises Fenger. Also, a good fitting hood with volume control on a hardshell will make a wet hike much more pleasurable. Pit zips beneath the armpits allow the user to ventilate when the zip’s opened.

DWR treated clothing allow the wearer to stay dry during a light shower, or when walking through wet vegetations, without having to put on waterproof pants.

To p22

Photo: Anja Koehler for OutDoor Show

p20 :: Outdoor

2015 July :: Sports Trader

p22 :: Outdoor

Kitting out hikers cont from p20 ... in footwear

important. Your customer will “The most important thing is to want a backpack that fits snugly match your customer to a specific on the back with a padded waist boot that has the features and the belt, particularly when he carries benefits that they may require,” medium to heavy weights, as he Jackie Moore of Salomon Sport will want to transfer most of the points out. These will include how weight off his shoulders onto the waterproof, how breathable and hips. Larger volume backpacks stable the boot is, and its weight. should have the option on an ad“The trend at the moment seems justable back system. This allows to be towards light and fast with the back length to be adjusted backpacking boots becoming according to the hiker’s height.

“The biggest difference bemuch lighter than before, allowing the user to move over ground tween Thule’s hiking packs and faster without sacrificing comfort any other products on the market is that ours have up to 270 differand support.”

The footwear needs to be com- ent configurations, which enable fortable, especially after a long the packs to fit every single perday, adds Newman. “Notewor- son perfectly,” says Owen. Their bags are gender specific and built thy common for comfort. problems On larger The backpack is a key include the volume packs back of the piece of equipment the lid should shoe putting for a hiker, because it be able to pressure on is constantly in con- float up or the achilles down in order tact with the body. or pressure to accomaround the modate extra tongue.”

For longer, multi-day hikes, contents or a smaller load inside where the wearer will have the the backpack.

Pockets on the waist belt is a added weight of a backpack and handy feature that allows the the terrain may be more taxing, boots would be a more suitable wearer to carry trail snacks, sunoption than shoes, because of the screen, navigational equipment, etc. in an easy-to-reach area. added ankle support.

Compression straps on the side For extended durations recommend a boot with a waterproof, of the backpack will allow items breathable Gore-Tex lining that such as sleeping mats or tent will keep the foot dry in wet condi- poles to be attached to the outtions. The outsole should be good side of the bag.

Because the tent will be carquality and should have rubber for ried, lightweight and compact are grip and carbon for durability.

On longer hikes, where addi- important characteristics. But, it tional weight is carried, a dual also needs to be durable and able density midsole (one layer EVA, to withstand testing conditions, one of firmer PU in the heel) will adds Newman. “Plastic tent poles be suitable. PU is more durable aren’t much use on a mountain, than EVA and doesn’t compress for example.” Aluminium tent with use, so in a backpacking boot poles are much stronger and where a load is carried, it will pro- lighter than those made from fivide more comfort and durability. breglass, nevermind plastic ones.

“At higher altitudes where the Typically, a hiking boot should also have a shank in the midsole that weather forces are more severe, provides torsional stability in the the user should consider a geodesic tent,” suggests Fenger. This footwear. design facilitates the poles inter… in equipment secting at various points and it is The hiker needs good qual- these intersections that give the ity equipment that won’t let him tent its rigidity.

The waterproof ground sheet down halfway through the hike, should be big enough to extend says Pieters.

The backpack is a key piece of part way up the side of the inner equipment for a hiker, because it tent to provide complete wateris constantly in contact with the proofing. “This is known as a bathbody and is load bearing. Within tub groundsheet,” says Fenger.

A sheltered area just outside the backpack, the harness system and waist belt are the most the tent door is useful for storing

Sports Trader :: 2015 July

Sports Trader :: 2015 July

Outdoor :: p23 backpacks and gear, as well as for cooking in the event of rain.

Down sleeping bags are lighter and more compact than synthetic sleeping bags: their warmth-to-weight ratio is thus much better, which will be important for a hiker. The quality of the down will determine how much the bag needs to be filled to provide the appropriate warmth levels. The better the quality, the less volume of down is required, which means a lighter and more compact sleeping bag.

A cinch cord in the cowl, to draw it in, will prevent warm air from escaping the sleeping bag and cold air from entering. A side zip will facilitate entry and exit into or out of the bag, but it is important that the zip is backed up with a draught baffle on the inside. This forms a barrier and prevents cold air entering through the zip. The arrangement of the down channels can have significant benefits for warmth and comfort and an internal pocket is useful for storing batteries in extreme cold conditions.

The North Face sleeping bags have glow in the dark zip pullers so the zips can be identified when in a dark tent.

When recommending a torch or headlamp, it’s important that the consumer is made aware of the beam distance and battery life, says Connock.

Recommended for a day hiker “A day hiker does not necessarily need to use boots,” Moore points out. He can use walking

Because the tent will be carried, lightweight and compact are important characteristics. shoes if the terrain is not too rugged, agrees Fenger.

“If it is just an easy day hike with a light daypack then a pair of shoes like Salomon’s X Ultra 2 or XA Pro 3D will be a great choice,” says Moore.

Hi-Tec’s Altitude Vi Waterproof boot is suitable for any season. Its Dri-Tec waterproof membrane keeps water out while still allowing feet to breathe. The shoes are also treated with i-Shield that wards off dirt and water.

The OrthoLite footbed ensures longer lasting comfort and cushioning, while offering antiodour and anti-microbial properties.

A day hiker doesn’t necessarily need highly technical clothing or equipment, but he will enjoy the experience more if he is comfortable. It is important that clothing is quick drying, says Fenger. “Fabrics such as denim and cotton absorb moisture and are slow to dry, which will cause discomfort.”

Breathable, moisture wicking materials will add to the hiker’s comfort. UV protection is also important on clothing.

Brands recommend the following equipment for a day hiker: • Black Diamond’s Magnum 20L pack has room

•

•

•

•

•

for a day’s worth of food, water and extra layers of clothing. The hydration compatible pack has contoured shoulder straps, an internal stow pocket, a loop for a trekking pole, side stretch pockets and front web compression.

The Thule Capstone 22L backpack, in men and ladies, features a tensioned mesh back panel for maximum breathability, a quick access shove-it pocket, hip belt pockets and built-in rain cover.

Thule’s Sapling Elite child carrier is safe and comfortable for the child and can effortlessly be switched between parents by simple torso and hip belt adjustments. It has features such as mesh pockets, hydration reservoir sleeve, a removable backpack and a large zippered compartment for storage, a child viewing mirror, and roomy hip belt pockets.

A 25-30L daypack such as The North Face’s Borealis will accommodate all that is needed for a day hike, says Fenger. This pack has mesh pockets on the side and can accommodate a hydration bladder.

Black Diamond’s 80 lumen Ion headlamp is their smallest, lightest and most fully functional headlamp. It features powerful LEDs and a touch-sensitive housing that lets the user switch from full power to dimmed, strobe or red night vision lighting at the swipe of a finger.

The Led Lenser SEO 3 headlamp features Smart Light Technology that al- To p24

2015 July :: Sports Trader

p24 :: Outdoor

Kit for hikers

Black Diamond Trekking Poles The most reliable trekking poles on the planet

www.BlackDiamondEquipment.com

Distributed by:

Sports www.rammountain.co.za Trader :: 2015 July

A suitable sleeping bag for the temperate conditions is recommended. As this is only a one night stay over, the user can get away with uscont from p23 ing a synthetic sleeping bag, says Fenger.

He would also recommend that the hiker lows the user to quickly switch between high uses a sleeping mat such as a closed cell foam and low power and a signal mode. or self-inflating mat.

• Black Diamond’s aluminum Distance FLZ • The North Face recommends their Aleutian trekking pole locks secure, fast and easy. synthetic sleeping bag.

• Vango (available from Ram Mountaineering) For an overnight hiker has several sleeping bag options: Because this hiker will be carrying a heavier o The Thermal Embrace System in the Latibackpack and crossing long distances, it is rectude allows maximum insulation and the ommended that he wears a mid-cut boot that aluminised reflective lining reflects heat supports the ankles. Cushioning is also imporback to the user. tant. o Nitestar 250 and 250s sleeping bags offer a • The Hi-Tec Altitude Hike Waterproof boot combination of performance, quality and has an OrthoLite footbed and polyurethane affordability. The mummy-shaped range midsole that ensures long-lasting cushionfeatures a double layer of insulation for ing and comfort. Its rustproof metal D-rings extra warmth. mean the boots can be fastened tightly o The Wilderness mummy bag features fresh, around the ankles for support, while the vibrant colour options, unique designs and laces can be looser around the foot to allow soft-touch fabrics. The bags include handy for ample blood circulation. internal pockets for storing valuables and • “I would recommend a mid-cut boot like Sazip guards that prevent snagging. lomon’s X Ultra Mid 2 GTX,” agrees Moore. o The Atlas range of mummy-shaped sleep“It has a little more stability than shoes, but ing bags is ideal for cost-conscious hikers. is not as heavy and potentially restrictive Headlamps are the hiker’s hands-free friends like a heavy backpacking boot might be.” during dark times.

• Sturdy walking shoes or lightweight boots • Black Diamond’s 130 lumen Spot headlamp such as The North Face Wreck Mid GTX boots features PowerTap Technology, which allows would also be suitable. for quick brightness adjustment with just a It’s recommended that the overnight hiker finger tap to the side of its touch-sensitive carries extra clothing, for example: housing.

• Adidas’ Terrex Stockhorn • “Our Advanced Focus Sysfleece and Climacool cap. tem in the Led Lenser H7.2 • The North Face waterproof Headlamps are the headlamp adjusts for either and breathable Venture hiker’s hands-free long-distance viewing or Jacket. For evening use, close range illumination,” friends during dark says Connock. “The durable the brand recommends their synthetic insulated times. tilt mechanism puts light Thermoball Jacket. just where you need it.

The overnight hiker will be With up to 30 hours of run carrying everything with him, so lightweight time, 250 lumens and a beam distance up to equipment products are his best option.

160 meters, the H7.2 is a necessity for any His backpack will need to be slightly larger overnight hike!” than that required by a day hiker, in order to And don’t forget about the cooking system! carry additional clothing, a tent, food, and • Jetboil’s Flash cooking system (from Ram cooking and sleeping solutions. For example: Mountaineering) is one of the safest cook• Black Diamond’s men’s Element 60 and ing solutions, lights with the click of a butwomen’s Elixir 45 packs are lightweight ton and provides two cups of boiling water top-loaders with reACTIV suspension and in just over two minutes. The cooking cup SwingArm shoulder straps for a comfortable clips onto the burner, preventing accidental carry. Each features both top-loading access spills, and the fuel canister tripod ensures and a large zippered sleeping bag opening, overall stability. The insulating cozy has a and the high-flow OpenAir backpanel maincolor-changing heat indicator that signals tains ventilation on warm days. The floating when contents are hot. top lid converts to a lumbar pack for quick • Black Diamond’s Trail trekking poles have side hikes.

Dual FlickLocks that offer complete adjust• The North Face Terra 50L backpack. ability to suit the terrain, will be a great ac• Thule’s Capstone 40L backpack, in men’s cessory to have ready. and ladies, has a MicroAdjust suspension system that makes the pack fully adjust- Specially for the 3-4 day hiker able for the perfect fit, a tensioned mesh As with the overnight hiker, the 3-4 day hiker back panel for maximum breathability and a will be carrying a lot of weight on his back and built-in raincover. potentially crossing taxing terrain — he will • The compact Vango Helix 100 is a classic therefore benefit from ankle support in a proptwo-pole tent. Quick and easy to erect, the er backpacking boot.

Helix is great for those new to lightweight • Hi-Tec recommends their Altitude Pro RGS trek-based camping and can be pitched in Waterproof hiking boot. The Vibram Rollinaround seven minutes.

Gait System reduces energy consumption

Sports Trader :: 2015 July

Outdoor :: p25

Record what’s out there ... and get a night-time trophy IN THE WILD the most exciting activities usually take place at night when everybody is sleeping, or confined to a campsite. The new rugged Bushnell Trophy Cam HD makes it possible for your customer to witness, record in colour and bring back a trophy shot of the activities around the camp, even in the toughest weather conditions. Small enough to fit in a backpack, he can simply hang the HD video and audio recorder with extended night-vision capabilities in a potentially interesting spot — and play back the next morning to see what he missed.

The new aggressive design, removable “ARD” LED cover and strengthened cable lock channel will keep it functioning in even extreme elements. It has a one-year battery life and solar panel compatibility to keep going. On select models the trigger speed will be as fast as 0.2 seconds with 1-3 images recorded per trigger. The video length is programmable from 1 to 60 seconds. In field scan time-lapse mode it takes images at pre-set intervals of 1 minute to an hour. The sensor is motion activated up to 45 ft.

by aiding the wearer in transitioning from heel-strike to toe-off through the means of a slight rocker shape in the outsole. The PU midsole offers long-lasting comfort and cushioning, the 2.2mm thick leather upper and rubber toe guard makes the boot extremely durable and a longlasting Vibram outsole will provide excellent grip on wet terrain.

• The North Face’s Verbera Light GTX boot is lightweight, durable and quick drying.

This hiker will benefit from lightweight, compact garments with a functional fit, says Fenger.

• This hiker should use adidas’ Terrex Stockhorn fleece, softshell jacket, beanie and Climacool cap, says Ntuli.

• Pants with a stretch fabric like The North Face Presena Pant (due August), their Impulse Active top that also provides UV protection, or their Aurora fleece jacket.

• This hiker will be looking for more features in a hardshell. The North Face’s waterproof and breathable Pursuit Jacket has a stiffened hood with volume control, raised hand pockets that can be used in conjunction with a backpack waist band, and pit zips to allow for ventilation.

It is advisable to take waterproof clothing — including pants — on this type of hike.

Consideration should also be given to clothing for the overnight destination. Here lightweight is imperative as these clothes will almost certainly spend the majority of the hike inside the backpack.

The right backpack can make a big difference to the hiker.

• With ergoACTIV XP suspension, Black Diamond’s men’s Mercury 75 and women’s Onyx 65 pack maximises comfort on the trail with large interiors, 3D pivoting hip belts with urethane tendons, gender-specific fits and SwingArm shoulder straps for increased stability and dynamic load transfer.

• The North Face recommends a 50-65L backpack, such as their Terra 50 or Terra 65.

• Thule’s Guidepost 65L backpack, in men’s and ladies, has a customisable TransHub suspension system to provide the perfect fit and a pivoting hip belt that allows the pack to move with the wearer. The lid can also transform into a smaller 24L summit bag.

Ideally, a multi-day hiking the tent should be lightweight, yet sturdy, and compact. Examples are: • The North Face Stormbreak II.

• Vango’s Helix 100 tent (see overnight hiker).

• Vango’s Zenith tent features a single pole hoop design that means a lightweight structure with a compact pack size and sizeable porch to store kit in. Uprights give extra height at the head and foot and the TBS (Tension Band System) increases the tent’s stability in bad weather and strong wind.

A down sleeping bag is more suitable than a synthetic bag as it is lighter, warmer, and more compact, which is good for extended backpacking.

• The North Face recommends their Blue Kazoo sleeping bag.

• The JR Gear Traverse Core (from Ram Mountaineering) insulated mummy mattress uses two grades of Primaloft, which provides extra warmth and is weighted towards the middle of the unit. It offers the space-saving of an inflatable and the warmth of a selfinflating.

Remind your customer to take items with for night time, such as headlamps and cooking systems.

• Black Diamond recommends their Spot, Icon and Storm headlamps for the longer hike.

Icon, the brand’s most powerful headlamp (320 lumen), has a waterproof construction and a balanced battery-in-the back design.

Storm is a waterproof, multi-mode, 160 lumen headlamp with PowerTap technology to transition between full and dimmed power at the tap of a finger to its touch-sensitive housing.

• “Our Led Lenser H14.2 headlamp combines comfort and performance to create an elite light, crafted specifically to meet the needs of professionals and adventure seekers alike,” says Connock. “The design was specially constructed with a focus on usability and flexibility, featuring a multi-function switch to change light modes easily.” It features up to 320 lumens and 260m beam distance.

• Jetboil’s 1.8L Sumo cooking system features simmer control and integrates the all-weather MiniMo burner with the high capacity Sumo cup, yielding a blend of power, convenience and efficiency.

Black Diamond’s lightweight Trail Pro Shock trekking poles provide good support over difficult terraun. They feature FlickLock Pro and terrain-absorbing Control Shock Technology for shock absorption with smooth rebound control.

2015 July :: Sports Trader

2015 July :: Sports Trader

Latest in running footwear

p26 :: Apparel & Footwear

Running shoe brands are constantly working on new ways to help runners by developing their respective technologies and materials.

YAMKELA MKEBE spoke with suppliers to find out what’s in their shoes

B

ASICS Nimbus 17

rands want what’s good for the runner’s foot … after all, runners will stop supporting a brand that makes shoes that hurt or are uncomfortable. Brands have been putting their years’ of experience with athletes to good use by continually developing their technologies to support, cushion, etc. the foot.

Suppliers offer a peek into their latest running shoe ranges and explain what technologies are in their shoes.

Adidas Boost, adidas’ energy-returning cushioning, has now been engineered into a 100% boostmidsole in a new range of footwear: Ultra boost. “This will ensure that the

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

athlete is kept charged with every step with an endless supply of light, fast, well cushioned energy,” says Geoff Batch of adidas SA. Primeknit has now been launched into the Ultra boost forefoot, to adapt to the foot’s natural expansion and to help reduce irritation.

“The Bootee construction provides a comfortable sock-like fit, with a featherweight sockliner that adapts to the foot for a customized fit and feel,” explains Batch. A highly elastic, snug-fitting heel with an external heel counter offers natural achilles movement, stability and comfort. An all new energy-harnessadidas Ultra boost ing stretch web outsole

adapts and stretches with your foot strike and movement.

“With all these revolutionary and innovative features, the wearer may be in for his greatest run yet, in what is believed to be the greatest shoe ever made,” says Batch.

ASICS ASICS has introduced their new Fluidride 2.0 system in the new Nimbus 17 model and will filter this technology through to all their top models going forward, says Dawid Visser of ASICS SA. “This dual density midsole technology is based on two types of EVA. Combined, they give the athlete a comfortable cushioned ride.” The top layer is made of Super SpEVA, which is softer under foot and gives the foot a nice soft bed to mould into when To p28

2015 July :: Sports Trader

p28 :: Apparel & Footwear

Running footwear cont from p26 the wearer slips his foot into the shoe. Super screen printing technology to apply engineered Solyte, on the bottom layer, is 30% lighter than structure to the upper. The new dynamic sadSuper SpEVA and slightly firmer for shock at- dle wraps the foot in secure comfort and the tenuation and to give more feedback from the updated wraparound collar adds the finishing road. This new midsole absorbs shock better touch for a “perfect blend of ideal fit and plush and has better proprioception from the road comfort”. Underfoot, the Super DNA midsole provides 25% more cushion than the brand’s than previous models, says Visser.

Nimbus 17 also has a new engineered seam- regular DNA for a smooth ride. Ideal Pressure less upper called Fluidfit. This material is Zones in the outsole optimise pressure distribution from heel to forefoot and the rounded constructed in such a way heel helps keep the body in its ideal as to give support in the alignment. The curvature right areas, but flexes in the heel works to align and stretches in the apthe body by shifting the propriate areas to cater contact point forward, for natural unrestricted so that as the foot hits foot movement during the ground, there is a greater Brooks Glycerin 13 the gait cycle, explains clearance distance under the middle Visser.

“There is more focus on bright colours as the of the heel. “It therefore aligns force through trend seems to be going this way,” he says. the center of the ankle joint, reducing internal “This caters for the younger market and also stress on the body,” explains Chowles.

“The new Ghost 8 hits the trifecta of baldoubles up for safety visibility reasons.” ance, cushion, and light weight,” says Brooks Chowles. The new engineered mesh upper of“Step into new worlds of comfort with the fers improved fit and function, which provides Glycerin 13,” says Michelle Chowles of lo- structure where it’s needed and breathability cal Brooks distributor, SBR Agencies. “We’ve where it’s wanted. The upper is now virtually pushed the limits of our 3D Fit Print technology seamless, which means an even more comfortto create a newly enhanced, seamless upper for able, sock-like fit. While retaining its Omega streamlined support.” The 3D Fit Print utilises Flex Grooves for optimised flexibility, the

shoe has been updated with a new full-length Segmented Crash Pad for ultra-smooth heelto-toe transitions. The Segmented Crash Pad midsole consists of fully integrated shock absorbers that are independent, yet completely integrated to work together to customise the wearer’s individual lay down to provide the right amount of cushion and seamless transition for each individual, maximising the effort put into each stride. BioMoGo DNA in the midsole offers adaptive cushioning and responsiveness. “It all comes together to make the Ghost 8 a scary good ride,” says Chowles.

“Prepare for lift-off! The Launch 2 is here and ready to go boldly into a great new running experience!,” exclaims Chowles. “We’ve taken everything your customers love about the original Launch and made it even more awesome.” The innovative BioMoGo DNA midsole responds to every step, providing adaptive cushioning, stride after stride, while the Segmented Crash Pad delivers smooth heel-totoe transitions. The Air Mesh upper keeps the foot nicely ventilated and synthetic overlay materials add no-sew support.

“The Ravenna 6 rides the line between neutral and support,” explains Chowles. In the midsole, it features BioMoGo DNA and an extended Segmented Crash Pad, while the adjustable saddle wrapping from heel to midfoot provides a snug fit.

The Adrenaline GTS 15 features a blended

FLOAT ABOVE IT ALL The Brooks Core Collection is the epitome of running in stylish comfort. Plush, balanced and supremely comfortable, they are packed with runner-inspired technology, responding to every step, aligning the stride and cushioning the ride.

Glycerin 13 Neutral

Ghost 8 Neutral

Adrenaline GTS 15 Support

Cascadia 10 Trail

www.brooksrunningsa.co.za

SBR Importers and Distributors CC trading as SBR Agencies Head Office | T - 011 825-7324 / 8928 | F - 086 582 7115 Contact - Clive Chowles | C - 082 322 5620 Sports Trader :: 2015 July E - info@brooksrunningsa.co.za

Distributor of Brooks Running Footwear and Apparel

Apparel & Footwear :: p29 BioMoGo DNA midsole, full-length segmented to create a rugged, comfortable “trail-running crash pad and the Progressive Diagonal Roll- super shoe”.

The rugged new PureGrit 4 blends the sebar, which provides reassuring stability. The virtually seamless upper has a comfy sock-like cure grip of climbing shoes with the comfort feel and moisture-managing materials keep of lightweight running shoes. “They connect the wearer to the terrain and protects from feet dryer while on the run.

“For a lightweight ride with plenty of cush- its tricky elements,” says Chowles. Aggressive ion, look no further than the PureFlow 4,” says hex lugs on the outsole provide maximum grip Chowles. “It boasts all the features wanted in and the ballistic rock shield protects the foot. a high-performance running shoe: a rounded A toe guard provides protection and added heel for a smoother stride, improved Toe Flex traction when the trail gets steep. for better alignment, a wider Nav Band in the New Balance upper for a snug fit — all wrapped up in a slick With Zante, New Balance is expanding their new design that brings loads of style with no Fresh Foam platform. “It is our new softest added weight.” midsole technology aimed at the metropoliBrooks’ trail portfolio also features exciting tan runner wanting to experience a speedier footwear. “Over hill, over dale, when hitting ride,” says John Andrew of New Balance. the dusty trail, hit it in the Cascadia 10,” sugTheir new Vazee platform is all about speed gests Chowles. “It is built with a fourand light weight, and targets the metropolitan point pivot system that athlete and running loyalist with two great acts like a personalised new styles, which will be available suspension system on during the third quarter tricky terrain, and a 2016, he adds. Vazee ballistic rock shield to Pace is a long distance protect the foot from lightweight trainer and trail hazards.” The SegNew Balance Zante the Vazee Rush is more vermented Crash Pad and BioMoGo DNA midsole satile, for gym and running, “but with speed provide smooth transition and adaptive cush- built into the recipe”. ioning, and the asymmetrical saddle construcVazee is all about speed and Fresh Faom is tion in the upper, moisture management fab- all about softness, explains Andrew.

Most of the materials used are becoming ric and hydrophobic foam all come together

more performance-based with light weight top of mind. Uppers will include detailed No Sew overlays to lock the foot in place, but that keeps the upper much lighter than the old traditional synthetic overlays, Andrew explains.

“New Balance plays with different materials to get the right combination where they not only work well to support the foot, but also adds to the cosmetic appeal.”

The colours used on New Balance’s running range include bright pops on the shoes. “Colour pallets are all about the type of story you are telling these days,” says Andrew.

PUMA

PUMA IGNITE PWRCOOL

One of the major technologies that we launched in April, and will continue with throughout the season, is PWRCOOL, says James Mullen of PUMA SA. “Comfortemp, a thermoregulation material, is found in the tongue lining and sockliner, which helps keep the body at an optimal temperature that preserves energy”, he explains. “Athletes can focus that extra energy to be faster.” The IGNITE PWRCOOL and FAAS 500 v4 PWRCOOL shoes feature this material.

PUMA has a long history of working with Jamaican athletes and this offered the perfect hot environment to test PWRCOOL To p30

2015 July :: Sports Trader

p30 :: Apparel & Footwear

Running footwear cont from p29 YOU CAN’T BEAT MEB. BUT YOU CAN JOIN HIM.

MEB AMERICA’S TOP MARATHONER

Logo Name

COLOR SYSTEM

FILE NAME

SKX_GOrun4_logo.eps

CATEGORY / DESCRIPTION

Logo Identity for SKECHERS GORUN 4

BLACK C=0 M=0 Y=0 K = 100

For Skechers GORun orders contact Footwear Trading on 011 630 4000 Sports Trader :: 2015 July

during the development process. “Lving and training in Jamaica is a wonderful thing, but the heat is challenging and at times pretty exhausting,” says Olympic medalist Hansle Parchment. “PWRCOOL is a great technology to help counter that. I like it, the IGNITE PWRCOOL shoe is particularly cool.”

The IGNITE PWRCOOL combines the cushioning of IGNITE Foam with the cooling technology of PWRCOOL to provide step-in comfort and promote long lasting performance. IGNITE Foam is a superior cushioning material that disperses impact, while providing optimal responsiveness. Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, trains in IGNITE PWRCOOL to help regulate his body temperature.

The FAAS 500 v4 PWRCOOL is designed for the everyday runner with new tooling to create lightweight cushioning.

PUMA will also be expanding their IGNITE running and training shoe collection by introducing two new styles into the market in July and August. Additionally, they will also update the upper on the IGNITE mesh to be more flexible and breathable than previous models.

In the FAAS range, PUMA is introducing a new stability model during late Q3 to complement the FAAS 300 S, which was launched this year in March. “The new model is built for the runner who is looking for moderate support with a high cushioned midsole,” says Mullen.

Meb Keflezighi not only runs in Skechers; he also has input in the design process.

Photo: Bruce Wodder@PhotoRun

a more efficient, mid-foot strike and the new Resalyte Power Pillar cushioning.

Another new addition, the lightweight Gorun Ride 4, is ideal for those who require more comfort and support. The new upper design provides a lightweight construction that secures the foot and moves with the wearer’s stride. The shoe also features the Resalyte Skechers cushioning, the same outsole as the one conSkechers — the brand worn by Meb Keflezighi: sumers have come to love on the GOrun Ride 2014 Boston Marathon winner, Olympic silver 3, a custome fit insole (for minimum ride remedalist (Athens 2004) and three-time US move the insole, for more support wear it) and national champion in cross-country running a 4mm drop without the insole.

(2001, 2002, 2009) — has several exciting deThe GOrun Strada, a neutral cushion shoe velopments in the running shoe range. with added structure, features a layered sup“The GOrun Ultra Road is the ultimate neu- port zone on the upper: the material overlays tral cushioned running shoe,” says Yusuf Vadi of work together to provide extera support. The Footwear Trading, local distributor of Skechers. outsole has a two-piece construction, consistIt features the lightweight and breathable Per- ing of Resalyte midsole cushioning and Resagrip formance FITknit material on its upper, which traction control. Resagrip offers high traction provides a supportive and comfortable fit. “It’s that holds up for a long period of time under our latest innovation in breathability.” The per- extended wear, and provides stability. “This forated insole and strategically placed drainage helps with the mid-foot strike landing and the technology system in the outsole allows nice transition from landing to toe-off,” says unrestricted air and water Vadi. GOrun Strada also features the M-Strike flow, “providing the uttechnology and Power Pillars, which promost in breathability and vide stability for a soft and responcomfort,” explains Vadi. sive ride.

The dual-density ReSkechers’ GOrun Vortex salyte midsole has drainfeatures a lightweight age perforations and the and breathable twoResalyte technology for toned mesh upper, fullSkechers GOrun Ultra Road lightweight comfort and flexibility, that length Goga Mat technology provides a soft responsive ride. For a smooth on the insole that provides high-rebound cushtransition, traction and durability, Skechers has ioning with a responsive feedback and comfort, added high abrasion rubber to the GOimpulse and the Resagrip technology in the mid- and sensors in the outsole. outsole. The Goga mat, inspired by yoga mats, The latest addition to the Skechers per- delivers high-rebound cushioning with a reformance line, the GOrun 4 is a 4mm drop sponsive feedback and maximum comfort. (without the insole) neutral cushion shoe. It The new range features bright, neon colfeatures an ultralight, strong and virtually ours, Vadi points out. “We have made use of seamless upper for snug, comfortable and sup- contrasting combinations, such as orange and portive fit. The M-Strike technology promotes green, pink and turquoise, or coral and lime.”

Sports Trader :: 2015 July

Footwear news

Apparel & Footwear :: p31

Conquer adventure and trail with Jeep JEEP FOOTWEAR introduces their new adventure and trail sandal collection. The range has been extended due to popular demand from consumers, for durable outdoor sandals that offer comfort and are able to withstand the African landscape.

The collection features two new styles in the adventure category, Anaconda and Adder. Both styles have durable, non-slip outsoles and cushioned midsoles for ultimate comfort, says Dianri Luttig from local distributor, Footwear Trading.

The full grain leather uppers guarantee durability in harsh terrains. Both styles feature adjustable Velcro straps for a custom fit.

The Denton (trail category) has many features making it an attractive choice for the outdoor enthusiast. The durable suede leather upper features a neoprene trim for utmost

moisture management, says Luttig. The speed lace system and nylon webbing on the heel and tongue ensures an easy on/off action.

The durable non-slip outsole and removable cushioned inner sock means the wearer has a stable yet comfortable stride.

Embrace the outdoors this summer with the new Jeep Footwear adventure and trail sandals!, she adds.

Rock Spring’s breathable and washable shoe ENJOY HAPPY fresh feet all year round. Step into a pair of Rock Spring — the washable, breathable shoe.

The Rock Spring range of shoes sport a textile elastic upper, which breathes and ensures a comfortable fit on the foot.

For outdoor durability and leisurely style Rock Spring’s non-slip sole offers comfort and style for men and women looking for function and fashion.

Styles range from the regular laceup to an easy slip on in a multitude of colours and different soles.

The new range of styles is available in an assortment of colours.

Comfort is key for Skechers summer THE STAR of the Skechers summer collection is their GOwalk range. The brand, locally distributed by Footwear Trading, has updated a key GOwalk style and expanded the range with improved comfort features.

For 2015, they are continuing with the GOwalk 2 range, but they have given it a memory foam insock for added comfort, as well as more fashionable styles with a discreet zebra stripes upper, as well as one that has a shinier material that adds a bit of bling to the upper. This year they have also combined two successful styles from last year — leathertec, a material that is easy to clean, and the convertible shoe style, where the heel can fold down to create a slip on shoe — into one shoe.

The GOwalk 3 retails at a slightly higher price point than the GOwalk 2, and is their feature shoe for the summer. “The shoes are flying!” exclaims brand manager Yusuf Vadi of local distributor Footwear Trading, who says that retailers and consumers alike can’t get enough of the GOwalks.

The Stability Pillars in the GOwalk 3, that provide stability when walking, are new for 2015. “The pillars mean the comfort of the

GOwalk 3 is miles above that of the GOwalk 2,” explains Vadi. Additionally, the GOga mat insock also contributes to the comfort of the wearer.

“The insock gives the wearer that springy feeling of being on a yoga mat,” says Vadi.

“No matter who or how big, retailers love black shoes. The money is safe in black,” says Vadi. “The colourful styles, however, do sell!”

To introduce a bit of colour, Skechers has added colour pops in selected areas on certain GOwalk 3 styles, such as a white outsole instead of a black one, while keeping the majority of the upper in a black knit material with a little bit of colour around the edges, which also adds to the fashionability of the shoe. These styles also have a narrower profile. Skechers has also introduced the shoe in lace-up and slip-on options.

Flex is, as the name suggests, flexible, lightweight, and has a memory foam insock for comfort. The shoe is available in three styles: a babydoll, which is “synonymous with Skechers”, a pump and one with bungy laces.

“The typical Flex lady is older than the one who would buy GOwalk, and she loves the comfort and the light weight of the shoe,” explains Vadi.

Skechers is known for its biker outsole, which has been in the collection for possibly

New denim footwear from Levi’s LEVI’S FOOTWEAR introduces their new denim range. Due to great success with denim styles in the past, the collection has been expanded and truly reinforces Levi’s as an authentic denim brand, says Dianri Luttig from local distributor, Footwear Trading.

The classic styling complements the Levi’s apparel range and features a combination of high and low tops with a distressed and lived in appearance. The shoes’ stitching patterns create beautiful texture while the slip on style creates an effortless, laid back look.

Double denim (or denim-on-denim) is a trend that often divides the nation, but with the correct styling and accessories, it’s impossible to commit a fashion faux pas, she adds.

20 years, says Vadi. “A year or two ago, however, Skechers introduced a sole called Relaxed Fit. It’s a slightly wider, flexible, nonslip rubber outsole, and all the shoes in this range have the memory foam insock,” he explains. “The comfort is second to none!”

The Relaxed Fit range is aimed at any lady between the ages of 28 and 99 who would normally wear her biker soles and is after comfort. But the range doesn’t only offer comfort — it too has been given a fashionable edge, with the uppers available in fashionable materials such as satin ribbons or knits, for example. These shoes are available in bungy, slip-ons as well as the baby doll style.

As part of the Relaxed Fit range, Skechers has also introduced a lightweight outsole that is slightly narrower. This is the first time that Skechers has used this new outsole and it is available on a bungy and slip-on shoe style.

Skechers’ wedge sandals feature a 45mm heel and elasticated uppers, which means that they will fit any foot, no matter the shape. “This has been very well received,” says Vadi. They have taken the best-selling styles from last summer, and updated them.

There is now a closed back and a sling back style, both with peep toes, and they also have memory foam insocks.

July :: Sports 2015 July :: Sports Trader

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2015 July :: Sports Trader

p34 :: Sport

Custom-designed

Springbok kit “You tell us what you want in your kit. We’ll develop it for you.”

This is what the Springboks were told by official sponsors ASICS. And they have delivered.

“W

e are unveiling one of the most critical pieces of equipment on the Road to Twickenham,” said SARU vice-president James Stoffberg of the new ASICS Springbok jersey. “This is not just another jersey,” he added. “This was meticulously designed by ASICS for each player.”

While they custom-designed the players’ kit at their Institute for Sport Science (ISS) in Kobe, Japan, ASICS will be manufacturing all the replica jerseys in South Africa, where they found an excellent partner in a KwaZulu-Natal factory, said ASICS Europe CEO Alistair Cameron. “That is our investment in local manufacturing.”

“The replica is made for the modern man, with a looser fit,” says Alistair Cameron, CEO of ASICS Europe. It has a UV treatment, which is especially important in a climate like South Africa’s, as well as a technical fabric.

“ASICS believes in Kaizen, which means continuous improvement,” Cameron continued.

As implied by the title of the six-part video series on the developing of the jersey, Success is no accident, hundreds of hours of testing went into the design of the jerseys.

Eight Springboks (Jean de Villiers, Tendai Mtawarira, Eben Etzebeth, Bismarck du Plessis, Duane Vermeulen, Willie le Roux, Cornal

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

Hendricks and Pat Lambie) spent three days at the ISS where they were measured, tested and put through their paces in order to ensure that player-specific features are incorporated to give them on-field benefits.

“We believe this is the most technically advanced jersey,” says Cameron.

For a start, the jersey is almost half the weight of last year’s (down from 250g to 180g). In doing this, however, the developers have not compromised on the strength of the jersey. It has undergone several tests, both in the lab and on the field, to make sure it will stand up to the rigorous conditions that players find themselves in during the game.

The jersey material has a slippery feel as well as a stretch quality. This is so that players can’t easily be grabbed and held. If an opponent tries to pull a Springbok down by grabbing his shirt, the shirt will allow a slight stretch, but only up to a point — when it will snap back and allow the Springbok player to escape the grasp.

This slippery material is, however, not a problem for our own players. While the Springbok players were at ISS, the developers were able to track exactly where the players need extra grip to catch the ball and to hold onto each other. The Silicone Super Grip dots are spread from the middle to the sides of the jersey — not across the chest, where extra grip

would be have been applied before. This is because players tend to carry and hold the ball against their side. Similarly, when they have to lock with fellow players, they need grip on their sides. There is also a special seam down the side that helps forwards bind in the scrum.

The Springboks will wear their new kit during the IRB Rugby World Cup, which will be held 18 September-31 October in England.

Sprinbok only temporary moved Strict IRB rules about the type, size and placement of logos on all World Cup jerseys resulted in the Springbok being moved to the sleeve of the jersey. SARU has issued a statement to remind the public that the “placement of the Springbok logo on the team’s Rugby World Cup jersey [is a] temporary relocation — as well as the logo’s scaling.

“This placement only applies to World Rugby events and was first communicated by SARU in October 2010. The Springbok logo has been placed on the left sleeve of the playing jersey at all subsequent Rugby World Cup men’s women’s, Sevens and U20 tournaments. Other nations, such as Australia, also relocate their team emblem to the jersey sleeve for World Cup events.

The placement is not determined by the apparel sponsor; it is an inevitable consequence of the current regulations.”

Sport :: p35

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This page, clockwise from top: 1) ASICS SA MD, Brian Kerby, in conversation with marketing manager Sarah Mundy; 2) Reinhard Barnard and Malan Olwagen from Model Sport; 3) Riaan Oosthuizen of Sportsmans Warehouse with Stefan Heinrich, ASICS’ Head of Emerging Markets; 4) Jean de Villiers was one of the Springboks at the launch who helped demonstrate the new kit. James Noorkoiv, Global Product Manager Rugby Apparel at ASICS, explained what went into the new kit; 5) Jax Snyman, owner of the Sweat Shop, with Grant Bryant, manager of the Sweat Shop in Cape Town.

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Opposite page left to right: Members of the Springbok team model the new kit; ASICS Europe CEO Alistair Cameron.

Brands take each other on in the IRB Rugby World Cup (18 September to 31 October, 2015) THE PUBLIC may speculate which country will win the upcoming IRB Rugby World Cup, but rugby brands will be watching the winner’s jersey closely to see if it sports their logo.

ASICS is represented by world #2 and #6 rugby teams, South Africa and Australia. These two rivals are in different pools in the tournament, so won’t face each other before round two.

Canterbury, locally distributed by Brand ID, sponsors host-country England (#4) and will be hoping home-ground advantage plays a role. Canterbury also sponsors Ireland (#3), Japan (#13) and Namibia (#22).

BLK, locally distributed by Impahla Clothing, sponsors the most teams in the tournament

(five) — Samoa (#9), Fiji (#11), Tonga (#12), the US (#16) and Romania (#18) — with at least one team in each of the four pools.

New Zealand is sponsored by adidas. The world #1 rugby team is guaranteed to provide adidas a lot of media exposure. The brand also sponsors France (#7) and Italy (#15), which are exciting teams in their own rights.

All of Nike’s hopes rest on Argentina (#8), which is in the same pool as New Zealand. With Tonga their only other serious competition in that pool, it is quite likely that Nike will see the next round.

Under Armour will be watching the tough Pool A closely to see how their team Wales (#5) fares

against the likes of Australia and England. The brand also sponsors Georgia (#14) and Canada (#17).

World #10 Scotland and #21 Uruguay are sponsored by Macron and KooGa respectively.

The IRB Rugby World Cup kicks off 18 September. The opening game is between Canterbury and BLK (England v Fiji).

• Pool A: Australia, England, Wales, Fiji, Uruguay • Pool B: South Africa, Samoa, Japan, Scotland, United States • Pool C: New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga, Georgia, Namibia • Pool D: France, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Romania Far left: Paul Copson of Brand ID poses with the ladies of the national netball team.

Left: The South African netball players train in their Skins and Canterbury kit.

Proteas wear Canterbury and Skins in the ‘other’ World Cup BRAND ID’s Skins and Canterbury are the official compression and apparel sponsors of South Africa’s national netball team, the SPAR Proteas, who’ll be competing in the Netball World Cup in Sydney, 7-16 August.

As part of Skins’ partnership with the Proteas, the national netball team will have access to more Skins compression garments, which they hope will help them perform at their best in this World Cup year, says Paul Copson of Brand ID. He believes the partnership gives them a women’s specific marketing asset that enables

promoting their product directly to the female market.

The South African netball team won four of their five matches in the European netball championships in Northern Ireland, where they played in their new Canterbury apparel.

It served as preparation for the World Cup. The new Skins A400 long tights has been proven to improve wearers’ running endurance performance, according to an independent study conducted by the University of Essex Human Performance Unit as part of its product innovation and technology programme.

The study showed that Skins’ A400 long tights are a functional piece of performance equipment that offers the wearer benefits such as focused muscle support, reduced muscle movement that allows muscles to work more efficiently, improved posture and running technique and better circulation that decreases energy loss over mid- to long distances.

Compared with ordinary shorts, the A400 long tights enables the wathlete to use less energy (improving running economy) and be more efficient when running, which allows her to go further for longer.

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Rugby and soccer boot trends

p36 :: Apparel & Footwear

Schools and player positions dictate trends in the season’s rugby and soccer boots, YAMKELE MKEBE found

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he brighter the colour of the boots, the more likely brands’ boots are to be spotted on players’ feet. Brands, therefore, often launch their boots in brighter colourways — especially around the time of important tournaments such as the IRB Rugby World Cup. ASICS, for example, has launched metallic blue versions of their new Lethal Tight Five and Lethal Speed boots specifically for the tournament.

Schools, however, tend to have a more traditional outlook when it comes to rugby and soccer boot colours: preferring neutral colours such as black. This conundrum leaves brands with a head scratch about how to cross the divide.

There is also often a cross-over with players wearing rugby boots for soccer games, and vice versa, despite brands often developing boots for specific player positions in the sport.

Boots from Mizuno’s Morelia rugby boot range are often worn for soccer games, Paul Copson of local distributor Brand ID points out.

“While Umbro’s focus has always been solely on football, our latest football boots have made such a statement that they have been spotted on South African rugby players too,” adds Tristan Karakashian of Umbro SA. “Players from the Blue Bulls (Attie Louw) and Western Province (Tshotsho Mbovane) as well as some players in the Varsity Cup have been spotted in Umbro boots.”

Suppliers tell us more about what is available in their rugby and soccer boot ranges.

Adidas With their new X15 and ACE15 soccer boots, adidas has announced they will no longer be launching new F50, Predator, 11pro and Nitrocharge boots, but will instead focus on boots designed for two types of soccer players: the chaotic and the controlling player.

The X15 and the ACE15 were both adidas X15

Trader :: 2015 Sports Trader :: 2015 July

worn for the first time during the UEFA Champions League Final between Juventus and FC Barcelona that took place on the 6th of June in Berlin, Germany. Star players Mesut Özil, James Rodriguez, Oscar, Manuel Neuer and Ivan Rakitić play in the ACE15, while Thomas Muller, Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez, Karim Benzima and Alvaro Morata wear the X15 boot.

While working with top coaches, adidas has identified that modern soccer teams actually only need two types of players. “It’s chaos or control,” says Pep Guardiola, FC Bayern München coach. “There are players who think more about what the team needs and what is the best solution for the team. This kind of player is an intelligent player who has a vision about what the team needs. He controls.”

ACE15 is designed for control and is for players who pull the strings and set the pace. This boot is for players who bring order to a chaotic game.

With its 3D engineered material, the revolutionary Control Web means better ball control and the 3-layer compound has been combined with grippy EVA to create an unbeatable touch. The new stud configuration ensures more studs on the ball during foot-over moves, which in turn means better ball control. The 3D dots on the unique NSG (Non-Stop Grip) skin enables the player to have perfect control in all conditions.

“Then there are the ones who cause chaos,” Guardiola continues. “The ones who play on instinct and on talent. They are a little outside of the field. They can create absolutely everything and you can’t control that. You cannot limit that.”

X15 is created for chaos, for chaotic players who are the spark that IGNITEs a game. The boot is for players who defy rules and structure, who are also specialists in getting the crowd off their seats.

X15 features the Techfit Collar around the ankle offers a compression fit for better support and fit. The lightweight XClaw base gives complete traction and the X-Cage stability frame around the midfoot area ASICS Lethal Speed

is designed to help the most dynamic and agile players in the world. The boot has a fragmented and lightweight design giving it better support.

The X-Skin, a complex three layered system, delivers comfort, protection and performance in any conditions.

ASICS ASICS’ 8 stud Lethal Tight Five rugby boot has been developed specifically for forward players and their 6 stud Lethal Speed boot for backs and wings. Both models come with removable studs that are specific to them.

The Lethal Tight Five boot, built for the modern forward player in the scrum and at the breakdown, has longer metal studs to help with grip in rucks and scrums as well as a threedensity midsole to help the boot bend in strategic places, so there are always a maximum of four studs in the ground, which gives maximum ground contact and grip. “Engage with maximum force as the longer metal studs dig deep into the turf, and the foot stays locked in place with a no-nonsense heel design,” says Dawid Visser of ASICS. “The player is covered in the ruck as well, with protection and grip that helps him keep his opponents back.”

The Lethal Speed is built for speed, with a light, strong, supportive upper and four studs under the forefoot to help with traction and fast movements. “The boot is strong, too, with a tough outsole,” explains Visser. “The area under the big toe flexes, which gives the boot a more flexible forefoot and aids in faster toeoff and fast movement in various directions off the forefoot. This means the player can fly into tackles, never giving the opposition an inch when he’s on the defensive,” explains Visser.

The boot offers comfort for 80 minutes with a lightweight and great-fitting upper.

ASICS’ 8 stud boots have six studs in the forefoot and two in the heel, while 6 stud boots have four in the forefoot and two in the heel.

Both these boots come with ASICS’ signature 10mm HG (Heel Gradient), which shifts the body mass forward to reduce strain on the legs and puts the wearer in the best position for To p38

Advertorial :: p37 X15

ACE15

adidas introduces X and Ace Only two types of player define the modern game

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oday, there are only two types of players — those that cause chaos and those that control everything. The game changers and the play makers. The best managers, players and minds have spoken — football has changed.

In the words of Pep Guardiola: “It’s chaos or control. There are players who think more about what the team needs and what is the best solution for the team. This kind of player is an intelligent player who has a vision about what the team needs. He controls.”

“Then there are the ones who cause chaos.

The ones who play on instinct and on talent.

They are a little outside of the field. They can create absolutely everything and you can’t control that. You cannot limit that.”

For the first time, these two distinct types of player will have their own boots. The old adidas silos have been discontinued. No more F50, no more Predator, no more 11pro and no more Nitrocharge. There is only chaos and control. There is only X and ACE.

Some players are born to control. They are the ones that pull the strings and set the

pace. Every great team needs the players that keep it on track. That bring the coaches plans into action. They bring order to a chaotic game. Players like Mesut Özil, James Rodríguez, Oscar, Manuel Neuer and Ivan Rakitić are the glue of some of the world’s best teams. For these players, adidas has designed ACE15.

ACE15 is built to control. The revolutionary CONTROL WEB gives ultimate ball control, thanks to an engineered 3D material. A 3-layer compound combines with grippy EVA for an unbeatable touch. A ground breaking new stud configuration puts more studs on the ball during foot-over moves to allow for complete ball control. The unique NSG (Nonstop grip) skin uses 3D dots for perfect control in all conditions. The players that run the show now have the boots to dominate.

Some players can never be controlled. They are the spark that ignites a game. They defy rules and structure. The moment of genius that gets the crowd off their seat — that’s their speciality. There is no defence and no tactic that can control them. These players are specialists in chaos. Thomas Müller, Gareth Bale, Luis Suárez, Karim Benzema and

Álvaro Morata, these players strike without a moment’s notice. For them, adidas has created X15.

X15 is the ultimate weapon for the game’s most dangerous players. The TECHFIT COLLAR offers a compression fit around the ankle for superior support and fit. The X-CLAW base is built to give complete traction with a lightweight feel. The innovative X-CAGE is built for the most dynamic and agile players in the world. A fragmented and lightweight design gives ultimate support during the most agile movements. The X-SKIN is made up of a complex three layered system that delivers comfort, protection and performance in any conditions. A game changing product for game changing players.

Some of the world’s best players wore ACE15 and X15 for the first time at the UEFA Champions League Final in Berlin on Saturday 6th June. Ace and X are available in South Africa from the 1st July For enquiries contact adidas SA on Tel: 021 442 6200 or visit www.adidas.com/ bethedifference.

Alternatively, visit facebook.com/adidasfootball or follow @adidasfootball #BETHEDIFFERENCE on Twitter.

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p38 :: Apparel & Footwear

Boot trends cont from p36 running. “This helps protect the player’s achilles and puts the player in more forward options for fast reaction and sprinting,” says Visser.

The 8 stud Lethal Scrum offers stability and great cushioning for rugby players of all levels. It features a 10mm Heel Gradient and the Solyte midsole material, which reduces the shoe's weight while creating extra cushioning.

South African players such as Seabelo Senatla and Frankie Horne play with the Lethal Speed, Tendai Beast Mtawarira wears the Lethal Tight Five, and Eben Etzebeth and Frans Malherbe wear the Lethal Scrum boot.

ASICS’ boots feature colours that should appeal to most consumers. “We have introduced some red and blues in our range for our hero models, but still have more conservative white and black models to cater for the stricter schools that want the more traditional colours,” says Visser.

Mitre Mitre’s new soccer boot range features eye catching bright colours. “Schools, however, tend to be more conservative about the idea of going bright,” says Grant Stephen of local distributor Legacy Sport and Leisure. The largest part of their target market is the junior player and for this reason, Mitre continues to also offer the traditional black boots.

Materials in the new range are strong, yet more lightweight than before.

Their boots offer the player excellent support with 9 studs. Two of the studs in the forefoot are bigger than those on the counter sides, for increased traction, and there are four studs on the heels.

Mizuno “Our new Mizuno rugby range is all about heritage, performance and lightness!” says Copson.

The Morelia range is all about performance and lightness, explains Copson, who adds that Morelia can also be worn for soccer. Morelia has a lightweight upper, and great hold and comfort. “We continue with our 30 year anniversary of Morelia by launching this year’s model in the true black colours and Japanese red RUN Bird logo,” he continues. “We know that this is imperative to corner the market with our contracted schools and schoolboy players, who can only play in classic black performance rugby boots such as our Morelia series.” The series comes in three tiers: top, mid and entry level. “This allows all players to choose their preferred boot without breaking the bank, but still aspire to what their rugby heroes are playing in.”

The top end Morelia Neo PS Mix, for soccer and rugby, features the Pebax sole plate for enhanced flexibility and durability — and the boot weighs only 250g, because of Mizuno’s innovative Prime Skin upper, which delivers

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

combo of lightweight, comfort and longevity through the use of a soft, yet durable, synthetic upper.

Umbro With two new soccer boot silo releases in 2015, Umbro has managed to re-establish themselves in both the speed and heritage silo, says Karakashian. “Moreover, we have proven our understanding of a professional athlete’s needs, and shown our commitment to develop products to cater for the modern game.

The Velocita Pro, released at the beginning of the year, is designed for the player who is all about multidirectional speed, agility and enjoys making a statement on the field with his boots.

Paul Copson of Brand ID with Mizuno’s Morelia.

“Not only is it our lightest boot, but at 165g it is a high level of softness and durability with also the lightest boot currently on the market,” structured fit. It can handle a mixed soft and says Karakashian. This lightness is due to a thin, hard ground stud configuration for excellent super lightweight microfibre upper that is heatfoot holding and barefoot comfort. The anawelded to provide a smoother feel and reduces tomic moulded removable sock liner ensures stitching. “The lightweight one-piece soleplate superb comfort. has probably played the largest role in enabling The new Basara 103 MD “offers any back line Umbro to reach our goal of being lightweight, rugby player or soccer with the focus on multi-directional speed — a player superb fit and necessity in the modern game,” explains excellent traction and Karakashian. The soleplate includes hold underfoot,” says both round and diamond Copson. “Explosive in studs for optimum tracdesign, comfort and fit tion in all directions, as this boot provides lightwell as small flex grooves weight, soft supple technithat mimic the natural cal synthetic upper comfort.” The Umbro Speciali Eternal movement of a player’s foot, moulded multi-stud cleated outthus making it easier to spring and twist. sole provides excellent foot hold and power The Velocita is available in three colourand the D-Flex Groove, an engineered diagoways.

The launch colourway was nimbus nal groove in the midfoot area, allows the cloud/dark shadow/high rise/pink glow, which player to turn at maximum speed and power “made a world-wide statement early on in the by efficiently transferring body movement and shift in direction. R-Fiber on the upper year when it made its way onto the field,” says reduces excess stretching and holds the foot Karakashian. The other two are blue atoll/ black/white and black/pink glow/blue atoll. securely during acceleration and turn.

The Umbro Velocita has become a favourite Mizuno’s removable 8 stud Fortuna Rugby boot, “the ultimate lightweight forward’s rug- among many of South Africa’s top footballby-specific boot”, offers great comfort with ers and is currently being worn by Cuthbert Malajila (Mamelodi Sundowns), Sifiso Myeni amazing underfoot traction.

“Be prepared! It is going to be our turn to (Orlando Pirates), Tendai Ndoro (MPUMAlanga shine with this exciting South African-specific Black Aces), Tebogo Moerane (Bidvest Wits), Vuyo Mere (Platinum Stars), etc. rugby range of boots,” exclaims Copson.

Umbro Speciali Eternal, Umbro’s most rePUMA cent launch, follows on from the iconic SpePUMA has launched their lightest soccer boot ciali, “which has become our most loved silo “and one of the lightest boots ever to be over the past 20 years”, says Karakashian. It launched into the market”, says James Mul- is worn by the more classy and experienced len. It is a successor to the V106 range, which player who enjoys a good solid boot. The boot stands out on the field, because of its tradiwas launched in 2006.

The boot features ultra-thin upper materials, tional styling and colour: the Speciali Eternal Speed Frame lightweight support in the upper, will become Umbro’s heritage silo, and thus a mixed stud configuration of traction studs for has a more traditional style. While the Speciali better acceleration and stability, and round Eternal may look more traditional, with black studs for quick turns. The Raised Speed Track leather and a fold over tongue, it boasts some of the latest innovation in boot technology. system on the sole provides better stability.

Over the years, comfort has always been PUMA is also keeping their focus on the evoPower and evoSpeed ranges. “The technology a major focus of the Umbro Speciali and the remains the same as what we launched in Feb- Speciali Eternal is no different: made of a soft ruary 2015 — the only updates would be the premium leather upper with leather vamps, it offers comfort as well as strength in the tackcolourways,” explains Mullen.

For rugby players, PUMA has updated their les. The A-frame over lay overs exceptional evoPower H8 range of boots with a seasonal support and stability under pressure as it cracolour update. The technical key points are a dles the foot, while the pre-mould- To p40

2015 July :: Sports Trader

p40 :: Apparel & Footwear

Boot trends cont from p38

ed sock liner aids in fatigue reduction. As with the Velocita, Umbro has also added a more modern soleplate to the Speciali Eternal. The Wishbone outsole has transformed the soleplate, bringing controlled support throughout the foot: solid around the middle and more flexible upfront.

Speciali Eternal is available in the classic black/white/clematis blue

Soccer news

FIFA Women’s World Cup final ball

FOR THE first time, adidas has produced a bespoke official match ball for the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015.

The Conext15 Final Vancouver official match ball bears the vibrant red of tournament hosts Canada, and a gold trim representing the final match that was held on Sunday 5h July.

The ball itself features the technology as used in Brazuca, the official match ball of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. This technology went through a thorough testing process over a two and a half year period involving more than 600 of the world’s top players and 30 teams in 10 countries across three continents, making it the most tested ball ever by adidas and ensuring that it is suited to all conditions.

The Conext 15 ball was used during the 51 group stage and knock out games, while the Conext15 Final Vancouver was reserved for the final match.

colourway.

With Real Madrid’s Pepe being the main face behind the launch of this boot, the Speciali Eternal has also made its way to the PSL fields in South Africa. Worn by Umbro’s “no-nonsense players”, you can find the Speciali on the feet of Clayton Daniels (Supersport United), Hlompho Kekana (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ayanda Gcaba (Orlando Pirates), Tebogo Monyai (AmaTuks), Alfred Ndengane (Bloemfontein Celtic) and a few more, Karakashian points out.

Umbro’s new Everton home kit THE NEW 2015/16 Everton home kit, which was recently launched by Umbro, is lightweight, features special body mapping on the back of the shirt for ventilation, and is created using highly technical performance materials.

The English Premiership League team’s new shirt features a white v-neck collar with a rib inspired by its previous home shirts and this gives the kit a unique look. The shirt’s shaped mesh underarm panels feature a contrast detailing and are lightweight. This provides better fit, movement and comfort on and off the field. A special sign of NSNO, short for the club’s famous motto Nil Satis Nisi Optimum, is featured on the back of the neck. This is Latin for nothing but the best is good enough.

The white short features contrasting blue panelling and a mesh back yoke for comfort and movement. The double welt socks in white with blue trim completes the kit, inspired by Everton’s style and the latest performance technology. Everton played in the new home kit for the first time on 24 May against Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premiership League (EPL) at Goodison Park stadium.

New adidas Orlando Pirates away kit THE NEW adidas Orlando Pirates Football Club away kit for the forthcoming 2015/16 season has been launched. It is the first time in the club’s history that the away kit is revealed before the home kit.

The away jersey features a modern and stylish V-neck and the fans’ favourite red colourway. There is a lighter red grading on the chest, that gives it a brighter and more vibrant look, and the collar and sleeves have mesh inserts giving the jersey a dotted fashionable look. The jersey has a 3D badge and the back is embossed with skull and crossbones like the previous kit.

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The kit features the latest adidas technologies such as TechFit and ClimaCool. TechFit is designed to help improve speed, endurance and awareness, while stabilising muscles and focuses energy amongst others. The ClimaCool technology provides a mixture of heat and moisture controlling materials, ventilation channels and 3D fabrics that improve air flow to the skin in crucial heat zones. This technology helps the athlete to remain cool when the body heats up during exercise.

Orlando Pirates played in the jersey for the first time when they faced AS Kaloum from Guinea in the CAF Champions League match on 6 June.

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Spotlight on sales agents A sales agent is the public face of a brand or distributor. He is the link to their customer, the retailer. In this series we ask some successful agents for tips on what makes a good sales agent

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Leon Lotter

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ome people plan their career as soon as they realise that they have a particular skill and can make a living out of it. Others, like Leon Lotter, only realise they are good at something once they have already started walking the path.

After completing his schooling, Lotter went straight into the national service in the navy and took a course to become an Engine Room Mechanic (ERM), but he did not pursue it as a career. His first job was at Southern Cross, selling lawnmowers. “I sold about six and that was it,” he jokes.

He started his first long-time (17 years) job in 1971 as a buyer for a wholesale clothing company, where he specialised in ladies’ and kiddies’ wear. When the company was taken over in 1988 he decided to leave and start his own. This was a crucial step in his career, because it meant the start of his career as a sports and leisurewear agent that spans 27 years.

Lotter has worked with various companies over the years and currently represents WET Sports Importers, JRT Crampton, Omni Sport, Brand ID and Lizzard.

Lotter also has a grounding in sports such as cricket and hockey. He played cricket at club/league level and had an extensive relationship with hockey in the Free State. Between 1966 and into the 2000’s, Lotter filled various roles within the Free State Hockey Union, including secretary, administrator, umpire, selector and also as player. He was a national graded umpire, men’s and ladies selector, managed the Free State men’s hockey for seven years and the men’s U21 for five years. He also coached and umpired mini-hockey.

The industry has changed a lot since he first started as a sales agent in 1988, says Lotter. He believes that the introduction of chain stores in smaller towns and villages, and areas like the Free State and Northern Cape, where he operates, have affected the independent retailers he deals with.

Many of the stores he deals with just can’t compete with chains and major brands are employing full-time reps rather than agents, which could eventually lead to extinction of the trade, he explains.

The business of being an agent is tough

these days, says Lotter. The influx of chains coupled with other difficulties is making it a tough career choice, but he would recommend that youngsters that are just starting out, make sure they follow the same golden rules he always has.

During Lotter’s time as an agent, he has

managed to achieve success by following these rules as well as due to the fact that the suppliers he works with back him up.

“All the suppliers I represent have been good over the years,” he says. He feels that without their support his job would be useless.

One of the biggest challenges that all sales agents are facing is the fact that independent customers are fewer because they battle to compete with chain stores, says Lotter. Being situated in the Free State means he has to travel vast distances to see clients and sometimes with very little reward. He finds that the increases in petrol and accommodation can also have a toll on a sales agent’s pocket.

The increasing number of chain stores popping up is affecting sales of basic merchandise for him because independents cannot compete price wise, says Lotter. He therefore encourages his customers to buy better quality products or products that chain stores do not stock, so that there is no need to compete. “It’s a skill I’ve learnt over the years,” says Lotter, who finds that people want to buy quality products rather than cheaper ones.

Despite the many changes and challenges in the industry, Lotter is adamant that he will not be changing his career path anytime soon. “I don’t play golf and I hate gardening, so I’ll just stick to working for as long as I am spared good health,” he adds.

Lotter’s recipe for success: Be hard working. His success has come from hard work, says Lotter.

• Build good relationships with your customers, says Lotter. He feels that the foundation he has laid with his customer has helped make him successful at his career.

• Make the time to visit customers, because if you’re not willing to, there are plenty of other agents with similar products that may be more willing and could get the business,

he warns. “I’ve been calling on my customers regularly over the past 27 years I’ve been on the road,” he says. If sales agents cannot visit, they should at least ensure they call and stay in contact with their customers, he adds.

• Sales agents should understand that all their customers have different needs and should be able to handle each one accordingly.

July :: Sports 2015 July :: Sports Trader

p42 :: Sport

Wayne Bebb (left), Springbok Duane Vermeulen and Brand ID’s Performance Brands Brand President Du Toit Botes (right).

Adventurer Riaan Manser and his partner Vasti Geldenhuys have put Columbia to the test.

Sport stars share their product knowledge Brands invest a lot of money in sponsoring elite athletes to use and wear their products. But, do these brand ambassadors understand and appreciate the benefits of the gear they promote? Brand ID recently gave retailers the chance to test the product knowledge of the athletes who use their brands

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rand ID recently gave their retail customers the opportunity to interact with some of the top athletes who wear and use their sports brands, and hear first-hand what they like about these brands. Big and small Western Cape retailers came from as far as Worcester and Vredenburg to mingle with the sport stars and learn more about the 2016 Canterbury, Columbia, Mizuno, Skins, Sklz and Speedo ranges.

Columbia was added to the Brand ID portfolio in May this year (see p18), and Roger Noades, who came across from the former distributors, explained that the 172 patents (some pending) and 19 core technologies in four silos, sets it apart from other brands. The various technologies keep the wearer 20% warmer, dry, regulate temperature and protect against sun, especially in their fishing shirts.

As an international sportsman he regularly received gear from many brands, but he really cherished his Columbia gear, because he lived in it, said former Protea cricketer Justin Kemp — who says he has been fishing longer than what he played cricket. He recently joined the Big Catch fishing tackle store in Paardeneiland. “Nothing can compare with the Columbia fishing shirt,” he says. “You can be in the sun all day.”

Intrepid adventurer Riaan Manser, who recently took his partner Vasti Geldenhuys to New York by rowing across 10 765km of ocean — after he cycled the perimeter of Africa, circumnavigated Madagascar by single kayak and Iceland by double kayak with partner Dan

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

Mizuno running has two backbones: stability and cushioning, and has some of the lightest shoes on the market. “That is why runners have been switching from other key brands to Mizuno.”

Skinstad — is a huge Columbia fan. “I’ve tested this stuff,” he assured his audience, “and if I say it is good, you can know it is!”

For a trail runner, Columbia has it all covered, with everything you need, said Columbia Trail Team member Jan Ham. “When you go through deserts the Omni-Freeze cools you down, it is completely waterproof and it covers all other bases.”

Skins Skins helps you perform better and recover faster, Brand ID’s Evert Ferreira explained the benefits of the brand that enables better blood flow, muscle stabilising and faster recovery during and after exercise.

“For me it is crucial to wear Skins during training, or after a stage race in, for example, the Epic,” said RECM mountainbiking team member Erik Kleynhans. He believes the RY400 long compression tights help move the blood to provide oxygen to his legs.

Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen wears the Skins A200 top and bottom on match days and also during some training sessions. He also

wears compression socks to prevent cramping during training and to stimulate blood flow, which helps him adjust to different pitches.

On the field Skins helps him to cool down “because you can’t make good decision when you are hot-headed”.

An independent study conducted by the University of Essex Human Performance Unit recently found that the new Skins A400 long tights indeed improves the wearer’s running endurance performance.

Mizuno When Brand ID started distributing Mizuno locally two years ago, they concentrated on two silos: rugby and running. “The Spring/Summer 2016 range will be much broader,” said brand manager Paul Copson.

“Mizuno running has two backbones: stability and cushioning, and we have some of the lightest shoes on the market,” he continued. “That is why runners have been switching from other key brands to Mizuno.” The running range is all about colour, energy and technology.

He describes the underfoot of the new Wave Rider 19, with updated cosmetics, as “phenomenal”. The dynamic stability featured in the new Inspire will slow down pronation, as the straighter grooves keeps the gait path “on track”, said Copson.

The range has been expanded with the introduction of a fashionable running shoe aimed at the young, recreational, urban runner, who’ll wear it from the track, to the gym, to dinner.

“The response has been phenomenal,” says Copson.

Sport :: p43

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Clockwise from top: 1) Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen and Brand ID’s Evert Ferreira explained the benefits of Skins compression. 2) Quinton Fortuin from Model Sports in Worcester tests the SKLZ ball.

3) Nizaam Carr, Jaco Taute and Werner Kok talked about Mizuno rugby boots. 4) Justin King of Brand ID introduced the new Canterbury range. 5) Paul Copson explains the Mizuno running shoe technologies

to Glen Treub of The Barefoot Concept Store in Cape Town; 6) Swimmer Darren Murray and Brand ID’s Deidre Scodeller illustrate how the Speedo jammer repels water.

They now also supply a netball shoe (Wave Mirage), which offers “explosive power and enhanced engineering” and will be worn by the SA national netball team from January next year. The SA squash team will also be playing in Mizuno squash shoes, which are available from the top end to entry level, including middle level.

The Mizuno rugby range is all about heritage and technical excellence, said Copson. The 300gm Morelia is one of the toughest and lightest boots on the market — and it will this year be launched in black, as requested by schools.

“It’s an amazing boot, it is so light, and you can just put it on on match day and go,” says Springbok Sevens player Werner Kok, who also mentions that the teams from Fiji and Samoa wear this boot. Some of his sevens team mates praised the boot because it is “nice to feet”, “you don’t get sore feet even if you wear it new on match day” and the “lightness contributes to speed on the field”.

Stormers Jaco Taute and Nizaam Carr both commented that the Morelia boot helped prevent injuries and that it is so comfortable to wear. “It helps you cover as much ground as possible,” says Carr.

A study conducted by the University of Essex found that the new Skins A400 long tights improves the wearer’s running endurance performance.

fact that it is the same weight as the Super Rugby ball are also benefits, added Coleman.

Canterbury Discussing the benefits of wearing Canterbury protective gear, sport scientist and team doctor Justin Durandt stressed the importance of wearing shoulder pads in a physically challenging sport like rugby. About 66% of the injuries in rugby occur in the shoulder and acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocation due to a direct hit can keep a player off the field as long as six weeks, he says. The important factor to consider when selecting protective product is breathability.

“In rugby, the hotter you are, the quicker you fatigue,” he says, and therefore the quality of the protective fabric is very important.

In the Canterbury protective range the “durability of the brand stands out, and this gives

me confidence during tackles”, said Lions captain Werner Whiteley. “I can’t go on the field without it.” When he started playing at school, his mother emphasised the importance of wearing protective gear and since then he has always been playing with shoulder pads.

Before he started wearing shoulder pads, he had four operations to treat shoulder injuries, added Lions coach Johan Ackermann. “They are great for preventing injuries,” which helps him as a coach. The Canterbury baselayers are also appreciated by the coaching staff —especially when playing in cold countries like New Zealand. “The players love receiving new kit,” he said, and good kit from a good brand contributes so much to the confidence players feel.

And the new Canterbury training range is “very eye-catching, and definitely something I would be happy to wear,” quipped Stormer Kurt Coleman.

The Canterbury boots are rugby-specific and designed to withstand the demands of the front row and tight five, said brand manager Justin King. And there is no question that they help players in the scrum, especially in wet stadiums, added Ackermann — and they are sold at a good price.

The two important features of a ball are the feeling in hand and the kickability, and the Canterbury ball passes these tests, said Stormers kicking coach Vlok Cilliers. “It is a good ball, it doesn’t deviate.” Before choosing it as the official ball for the Varsity Cup, a lot of hard work had gone into developing the best ball in the market. The big sweet spot and the

SKLZ South Africa’s only professional fitness (bodybuilding) couple, Stiaan Lemmer and Ashleigh Frost, use SKLZ to stay in shape and look their best. To do well as a bodybuilder, every muscle has to develop in balance with the others, explained Lemmer, and for that they rely on SKLZ, which also helps prevent injuries and promote rehabilitation. The products are easy to use and “you can become your own physio,” adds Frost. From professionals to children can learn to exercise with SKLZ, say the couple, because the athlete determines the level at which he wants to exercise. It is convenient and small enough to use at home. A free display stand is available, depending on the size of the order placed.

Speedo “Swimming is a lonely sport, but Speedo inspires you to swim,” said product manager Deidre Scodeller. When developing, for example, the IQ Fit goggle range, the Speedo Aqualab did 3-D scans of the faces of thousands of swimmers, including Michael Phelps, to ensure that they fit comfortably and are leak free.

In triathlons, the swimming leg often cost competitors a podium place, said Lezandré Wolmarans from the SSISA, but training aids like those provided by Speedo will help them swim stronger and more efficiently. Aids like resistance paddles, BioFuse fins, finger paddles, pullbuoys, kick boards, etc. will help build strength, improve arm movement and maintain balance.

“What I like about Speedo is that they work closely with athletes when developing great products,” said sponsored swimmer Darren Murray. Top athletes like Amanda Beard, Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte have assisted with the development of ranges. “The biggest advantage is that you feel fast.”

July :: Sports 2015 July :: Sports Trader

Skateboarding a tool for change p44 :: Sport

Skateboarding is much more than a pass time for teenage boys with attitude, reports CARIN HARDISTY. The skateboarding image has grown up and the activity is now being used to educate and improve lives in South Africa

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kateboarding in South Africa has been through it all, says James Brawn of Dragons Sports. “It’s been through the 70’s and 80’s when it was big, though the rough of the late 90’s and early 2000’s, and it is still ticking along.”

“Skate is very lucky that it has multiple disciplines/styles like vert, park, street, ramp, cruising, longboard, downhill, etc.,” he adds.

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

“You also have the starters, core, recreational and competitive types of skaters. There will always be skaters.”

And there will always be an area of skating that should appeal to every level and type of skater, one could add.

“The longboarding market has grown and continues to grow as a market and as a sport or recreational activity,” says Gabrielle Mur-

ray-Roberts of the South African Gravity Racing Association (SAGRA). SAGRA represents about 300 active skateboarders.

“Over the past three years skateboarding has grown a lot,” agrees Riaan van Biljon of National Skateboarding Association (NSA). “More and more people are taking an interest in the lifestyle.”

“Skateboarding is clearly growing as a sport

Sport :: p45 and as a mode of non-motorised mobility,” says Councillor Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town “We are building an inclusive city and are encouraging more and more people to look to how they can change their mobility patterns.”

The fact that more and more people are choosing non-motorised transport options, and a large number choosing skateboards, is great for skaters, says Murray-Roberts.

Cape Town has taken notice of this trend and started a skateboarding task team, which consists of councillors, city officials and members of the skateboarding community, who are represented through the National Skate Collective. As far as he is aware, Cape Town is the only city that has started such a task team, says Herron.

“We wanted to resolve any conflict that existed between our government and skateboarders who claimed to be marginalised and not catered for,” explains Herron, who established and chairs the task team.

The City of Cape Town has even won the Building Trust International PLAYscapes design competition for their skate park in Mill Street, because of the intelligent re-use of space that transformed an under-used underpass into a community-led skate park.

“Unsafe or dysfunctional spaces are a serious concern for the city and we are pleased to showcase just how these public spaces can be made safe and recreational for the people of Cape Town through design,” said Councillor Garreth Bloor, who at the time was the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning. “The space under the Mill Street bridge was one such space, but has now been turned into a skate park and transport hub in the city.” Across the road from the skatepark is a MyCiti bus station, which serves the City Bowl area.

The skateboarder is not seen as an unwanted presence any more, and this stereotype is being wiped away. “There is a lot more exposure and acceptance of skate in the media now and many events are being held across the country,” says Brawn.

“With the growing interest, more companies are getting involved and helping to get skateboarding the needed support to be able to compete on an international level,” adds Van Biljon.

Retailers benefit?

But, it is not clear that the growing number of events is generating more sales though, cautions Brawn. “Skateboarding is still an expensive sport. Having everything imported and dealing with the Rand/Dollar exchange rate doesn’t help and most skaters can’t afford to buy products as often as they need them.”

“We source some of the best products from overseas, trying to cover everything from entry level all the way to pro level stuff and do our best to keep our pricing down by trying to only order when the Rand/Dollar is best,” says Brawn. “If you’re in skateboarding to make money, you’re in the wrong business.”

“We’ve seen both a slight decline in general sales and also an adjustment of how some stores operate,” says Brawn. “The core skate stores are doing well as they have moved with the times, but the surf/sports stores are ordering less.”

“There’s a lot happening in the industry with stores closing, chains being acquired by new owners, core stores importing their own goods, etc.,” he adds.

The exchange rate does, however, have a good side to it: we are getting more international skaters/brands visiting and giving South Africa some great exposure, Brawn points out.

Youth development Despite its traditional image as a rebellious activity, the sport is certainly becoming more accepted … to the point that it is being used as a tool to uplift and educate.

Four years ago, the Northern Cape Provincial Government launched the Skateboarding for Hope road show, which is a youth develop-

Skateboarding is a way to build the children’s confidence and to show them the world is so much bigger than their home town.

ment initiative that promotes skateboarding as an affordable and accessible leisure activity. The road show forms part of the run-up to the Kimberley Diamond Cup skateboarding world championships presented by Kumba Iron Ore in October.

This year, the road show has 15 stops around the country in both urban and rural areas.

Since its launch in 2011, the Skateboarding for Hope road show has hosted more than 500 activations and handed out more than 5 000 skateboards to underprivileged children.

The NSA is also working with the Kimberley Diamond Cup on development initiatives, through skate workshops and bringing skateboarding to underprivileged children.

“The Kimberly Cup contest is a very positive event attracting some of the top skateboarders in the world today with excellent prize money,” says Mark Powell of At Once Distribution, who was a founder and involved with Boogaloos for more than two decades.

The younger the skater finds interest in the sport, the better, he adds. “We need to excite younger participants from 5 years and older to get to the next generation to carry on. More hype is needed to introduce skateboarding to the youth.”

Powell is also involved with the Brightwater Commons skatepark and will soon be involved in the Stoneridge facility as well. “I have been involved in skateparks since 1991. During my journey with Boogaloos we placed a lot of our energy and resources into building skateparks, running events and building the industry: creating and developing the market.

I was involved in the current skateparks since inception.”

“These facilities are reasonably well supported, considering there are not too many skateparks left in Gauteng and Pretoria,” he adds. “We are in desperate need to have more events of a higher standard. This will fuel the sport, industry and encourage younger participation therefore resulting in the facilities being better supported.”

One way through which Powell is putting action behind his words is through the Airwalk Skatefest, which is geared at BMX and skateboarders of all levels and age groups and takes place 18-20 September at the Brightwater Commons in Johannesburg. “It will be a high quality event that will be televised and will feature a unique event for U10 riders and skaters, called the U10 Expression Session,” says Powell. “Entrants will be able to utilise any action sports equipment they feel comfortable with to do their run. It’s a great way to encourage younger participation.”

Education and gender rights As of the beginning of last year Skateistan — a non-profit organisation that uses skateboarding to empower low-income youths between the ages of 5-25 — in partnership with their biggest supporters, focused their sights on Johannesburg.

The group cleaned the David Webster Park in Troyesville — it already had a skate bowl — and started giving bi-weekly lessons: an hour of teaching the children about the world around them, followed by skateboarding lessons. The Skateistan group provides skateboards, helmets, and knee and wrist guards for the sessions.

They are also involved at the youth centre on Harrison Street, which is associated with Let’s Go Jozi and youth NGO Oasis, where they have been given access to the rooftop and have built a skate ramp and half-pipe surrounded by safety netting. Here the sessions follow a similar outline as in David Webster Park, with education, arts and skateboarding all working together.

Skateistan also has plans to start an educational facility in Maboneng, Johannesburg.

Chris Ray, who designed courses for California Skateparks prior to joining Skateistan’s international division, will be in charge of designing and building the outdoor skatepark at the facility.

Skateboarding is a way to build the children’s confidence and to show them the world is so much bigger than their home town, Ayanda Mnyandu, Skateistan’s local operations officer, told Mail & Guardian (Lessons from Kabul teach Jozi kids to skate on skylines, 30 April to 7 May 2015).

One of South Africa’s top women’s skaters, Kelly Murray (Kimberley Diamond Cup South African Women’s Street Champion), is also actively involved as the team’s sports coordinator. By including top women’s skaters, the group is also trying to combat the stereotype that skateboarding is only for guys.

July :: Sports 2015 July :: Sports Trader

p46 :: Sport

Skateboarding cont from p45 Only about 5% of skateboarders worldwide are female, Skateistan estimates. Because of this, the group puts in extra effort with girls who are interested in learning to skate. The older the girl, however, the more self-conscious she tends to be about getting onto a skateboard for the first time.

Almost half (more than 40%) of Skateistan’s students worldwide are girls and the organisation has won several awards, including the United Nations’ Golden Dove for Peace.

Skateistan was founded to address gender inequality, by creating equal opportunities. It started almost eight years ago when Australian Oliver Percovich was in Kabul, Afghanistan, skateboarding. The unusual (in Kabul) activity attracted the attention of youngsters.

Especially the girls: a girl riding a bicylcle is frowned upon culturally, but skateboarding?

Here was a loophole, which the girls eagerly made use of.

They estimate that about 40% of Afghanistan skaters are female, due to Skateistan’s involvement there.

Skateistan has been expanded to Cambodia and now to South Africa, from where they hope to expand further into the rest of Africa.

Challenges Two of the biggest problems faced by the

skateboarding market are funding and that it is not legal to skate on public roads.

“There is not enough funding in the sport and there is a lot of pressure on the supplier and retail industry to provide funding for things like events, which help grow and promote the sport,” says Murray-Roberts.

The issue of not being allowed to skate on public roads is especially a problem for downhill skaters, Murray-Roberts points out.

“A street skater can still use a skatepark, whereas skateparks are more or less useless for downhill skaters.”

While skateparks offer skaterboarders safe areas in which to practice their chosen sport, they also fence in the freedom associated with skateboarding. The National Skate Collective, which represents members of the skateboarding community, is trying to get a by-law introduced that will allow skateboarders to skate on the roads legally.

“We are looking at how we can allow skateboarding on our roads and non-motorised transport lanes,” adds Herron. “We are also looking at a more collaborative approach to skatepark development.”

“We have debated and settled on proposed conditions for skateboarding on our roads as a mode of mobility,” he says. “These will be incorporated into the draft Non-Motorised

The fact that more and more people are choosing non-motorised transport options, and a large number choosing skateboards, is great for skaters.

Transport By-law, which will go for public participation and hopefully receive support for approval. We have also had a team assess all of the existing skateparks for the purposes of addressing their use and design.”

“Furthermore, the two main skating disciplines (street and downhill) have joined forces and formed a collective [the South African Skateboarding Federation] with a goal to register skateboarding with SASCOC, which will legitimise skateboarding in South Africa and provide an affiliation to the IOC,” says MurrayRoberts.

“We are reaching out to government departments for advice, support and guidance. Even Premier Helen Zille stated she would back and support us if and where she could. With the legitimising of skating we would be able to access funding from government.“ Another issue is that of keeping those skateparks that now exist going, says Powell.

“A problem is keeping participants excited and keeping skateboarding in the public eye.”

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Sports Trader :: 2015 July

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Visit Sports Trader’s website for more product knowledge: www.sportstrader.co.za

Equipping young base- and softball players

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adly fitted equipment can have a negative effect on a young player and adversely affect his enjoyment of the sport — which might even result in him not continuing to play, the sport losing out on a player and the trade losing out on a customer. It’s also important that his equipment grows with him.

As a responsible retailer, it is part of your job to inform the parents how to match the equipment to the child.

To find the best fitting length of the bat, ask the child to stretch an arm out horizontally to the side. Measure the distance from the centre of the player’s chest to the tip of his outstretched finger tips: the bat should not be longer than this distance.

The bat’s weight is indicated by the minus or drop weight in brackets, in a length to weight ratio between 10-13.5, which represents how many ounces a bat weighs compared to its length. For example a 27” (-10) bat weighs 17 ounces and a 27” (-12) bat weighs 15 ounces.

The higher the minus number, the lighter the bat. A light bat is good when facing a slow and accurate pitch, which is more commonly seen in the younger age groups.

Pitches, however, tend to get faster and harder as the pitcher ages, which means that the batsman needs increasingly heavier bats as he ages to counteract the ball speed. The heavier the bat, the more power it delivers to the ball upon contact. Heavier bats are also harder to swing, so it’s important that the player is comfortable with the weight.

The ideal weight of the bat in the end comes down to the size and strength of the player: the bat should be easy to control and swing.

Baseball bats The bat should be smooth and round, no longer than 2.61” in diameter, and it should be one solid piece of wood that has not been coloured. The bat end may have an indentation (up to 1 ¼” in depth, 1-2” in diameter) that has no foreign substance added.

As the player ages, it’s best to gradually increase his bat weight, generally no more than 2 ounces (+/- 57g) at a time. Too sudden an in-

Our cut-out-and-keep series to assist retailers with product knowledge Words: Carin Hardisty. Compiled with the help of www.overstock.com, http:// baseball.epicsports.com, http://sasportimports.co.za/sasportsblog, http://mlb. mlb.com, www.wusa.org, www.justbats. com and www.homerunmonkey.com.

(-12) to (-10) drop; o 8-9 years old: 26-29” length with (-12) to (-10) drop; o 10-11 years old: 28-30” length with (-10) to (-8) drop; o 12-13 years old: 29-32” length with (-9) to (-5) drop; o 14 years and older: 31-34” length with (-3) drop.

• High school/college 2 5/8” baseball bats: o 14-15 years old: 31-33” (-3) o 16 years and older: 32-34” (-3) Typically, the taper is about 1” in diameter, but different age groups will prefer different overall lengths and barrels. Generally, for the youth group, look at up to 33” long and 2.25” in diameter.

Softball bats

crease can affect the player’s ability to hit, reduce confidence and negatively impact on his batting form. The weight, however, will rely in the end on the player’s own ability.

Generally, look at these ballpark figures: • Little League 2 ¼” baseball bats: o 7 years and younger: 24-26” length with (-13) to (-12) drop; o 8-9 years old: 26-29” length with (-13) to (-10) drop; o 10-11 years old: 28-30” length with (-13) to (-10) drop; o 12-13 years old: 29-32” length with (-10) to (-9) drop.

• Pony League (13-14 year old) 2 5/8” baseball bats: o 7 years and younger: 24-26” length with

In softball, swing speed is more important than bat mass, so lightweight bats are preferred.

They are also, however, more expensive.

The younger the child, the lighter the recommended bat. Older children that have more powerful swings can handle more weight in the bats, in the range of (-8) to (-10).

To complicate matters in softball, there are two different playing and pitch styles: • Slowpitch is the most common form of softball. As the name suggests, the underhand ball is pitched slower and with a higher arc.

• Fastpitch is the closest to baseball. The ball is pitched using a windmill style with a low arc and underhand balls are thrown hard at a distance of up to about 14m.

Fastpitch: The following is a rough guide for the length of a fastpitch bat, based on the age of the player: • 10 years old and younger: 24-27” • 14-15 years old: 26-28” • 15-16 years old: 28-31” • 16-17 years old: 30” and more Fastpitch bats, which are marked as such, have big barrels.

Recommended fastpitch 2 ¼” softball bats: • 7 years and younger: 24-26” length with (-13) to (-10) drop; • 8-9 years old: 26-29” length with (-13) to (-10) drop; To p48

20152015 July :: Sports Trader July :: Sports Trader

p48 :: Sport

Equipping young base- and softball players cont from p47 • 10-11 years old: 28-31” length with (-13) to (-8) drop; • 12-13 years old: 29-33” length with (-12) to (-8) drop; • 14 years and older: 31-34” length with (-10) to (-8) drop.

Slowpitch bats have a 2 ¼” barrel, are generally 34” long, and weigh 26-30 ounces with the weight incrementing in 2 ounces with a very select few models in 29 ounces. A bigger player who likes to smash the ball will tend towards a heavier bat in the 28-30 ounce range.

Slowpitch bats are grouped into balanced and endloaded bats: • Balanced: the weight is evenly distributed throughout the bat. This tends to be the most common choice of softball slowpitch bat and players who want to generate a lot of bat speed, such as contact or base hitters, prefer this type of bat due to its smoother swing and added control. A balanced bat has a lower M.O.I. (Moment of Inertia) than its endloaded counterpart, because its weight is distributed evenly — and the lower the M.O.I., the faster the bat can be swung.

• Endloaded: the weight is distributed towards the end of the bat. This type of bat is usually used by big power hitters and players who are already able to generate high swing speeds, without the aid of the bat’s design.

The high swing speed combined with the added weight in the barrel results in more distance.

Gloves Soft- and baseball gloves are very similar. The main difference between the two is the size of the glove and the design to accommodate the different sized balls and different pitching styles — a softball ball is bigger. A player can use a softball glove for baseball, if required.

He cannot, however, use a baseball glove for softball.

Make sure the glove fits your customer snuggly. It should not be too tight and should have enough room around the hand for the player to also wear a batting glove. Younger children are better off with gloves with soft leather that is easy to manipulate.

Batting gloves: By wearing a batting glove underneath, the player protects the inside of the outside glove from dirt, as well as salt on a sweaty hand, which can deteriorate leather.

Batting gloves also help to ease the stinging sensation caused by vibrations of a lightweight bat when the ball is hit slightly off-centre and during practice in cooler weather. The batting gloves also help provide more grip and control on the bat, and help avoid scrapes on the hand when sliding on the basepaths.

The glove is worn on the player’s non-dominant hand, which frees up his dominant hand to retrieve and toss the ball. If he is a righthanded player he will wear a glove marked regular on his left hand and if he is left-hand-

Sports Trader :: 2015 July Sports Trader :: 2015 July

ed he’ll wear a full right glove on his right hand.

There are several types of gloves, each with their own characteristics to best suit a position. An amateur player is, however, not likely to just play in one position for the entire season and may play several positions. It is therefore good to know that it’s possible to use most types of baseball gloves for any position.

glove.

• Catchers’ mitts are heavily padded with a deep basket pocket, are very strong and durable, and come with an open or closed back. The catcher is most susceptible to injury, so pay careful attention that there is enough padding and that the glove fits comfortably.

The Official Baseball Rules state that catchers’ mitts may not be more than 38” in circumference and no longer than 15 ½” from top to bottom (including lacing, leather bands or facing attached to the outer edges). The space between the thumb and finger section may not be wider than 6” at the top and 4” at the base, with the web no wider that 7” across the top and 6” from top to base. o Youth size: up to 31” around; o Adult size: 32” around or more.

As is the case with baseball, the player’s position also makes a difference when recommending the right softball glove size. With softball, however, there is an additional factor: the pitch speed.

• Slowpitch outfield gloves have larger webbing and pockets to ease catching. Because the ball is larger than the one used in fastpitch games and batters tend to hit balls toward the outfield.

For players aged 14 years and older: o Infield: 12-12 ¾” glove; o Outfield: 12 ½-14” glove.

• First base mitts are well padded and have multi-fingers. The long fingers help the player catch throws, while keeping his foot on the base. o The glove or mitt may not be longer than 12” and not wider than 8” across the palm. o The space between the thumb and finger may not be wider than 4” at the top, nor wider than 3 ½” at the base. o The web may not be longer than 5”.

• Fielding gloves may not be longer than 12” or wider than 7 ¾”. o Infield gloves are ideal for faster manoeuvrability. Infield players play with a lightweight glove with shallower pockets. > Middle infielders prefer gloves with a strong open I-web, H-web or trapeze web between the thumb and fingers.

The size of the infielder’s glove is dependent on the player’s preference, but typically: > Second basemen use an 11-11 ½” glove; > Shortstops prefer a larger glove, up to 11 ¾”; > Third basemen like an even larger glove, up to 12”, to accommodate hard fast and foul balls. o Outfield gloves give the player a better reach and feature deeper pockets for catching strong balls. Outfielders also prefer a closed web design between the thumb and fingers.

Baseball glove sizes The age of the infield player will also play a role in recommending the size of the baseball

• Typically infield baseball players use: o 8-13 years old: 10 ½”-11 ½” glove; o 14 years and older: 11-12” glove.

• The average outfield baseball glove size is: o 8-13 years old: 11 ½”-12 ½” glove; o 14 years and older: 12-12 ¾” glove.

Softball glove sizes

• Fastpitch batters tend to hit more towards the infield than outfield, and infield glove pockets are deeper. o Infield glove guidelines: > 8 years old and younger: 9-10 ¾” glove; > 9-13 years old: 10 ½-11 ½” glove; > 14 years and older: 11 ¾-12 ½” glove. o Outfield glove guidelines: > 8 years old and younger: 10-11 1/5” glove; > 9-13 years old: 11 ½-12 1/5” glove; > 14 years and older: 12 ¾-14” glove.

Helmets The helmet should: • fit comfortably without squeezing the head; • be easy for the player to remove; • not move when the player moves his head; • not be able to fall forward and cover the eyes.

Parents should be discouraged from buying a helmet that the child will grow into as the head does not grow that much.

Baseball helmets: The back, top and sides of the baseball player’s head should be covered by the helmet, as well as at least one ear.

If only one ear is covered, it should be the one facing the pitcher (i.e. the left ear for right handed batters, and right ear for left handers).

The benefit of the one-ear-covered helmets is that the player’s ear is protected and he is better able to hear the umpire with his uncovered ear than if it was covered.

To find the correct helmet fit, measure the circumference of the player’s head at its widest point.

Softball helmets: Softball helmets are solid one-piece helmets with foam padding on the inside and face guards on the front.

For the ladies with longer hair it’s possible to get a ponytail batting helmet, which allows room for the ponytail. This means a more comfortable fit.

Sport :: p49

Which table sport sells the best?

What draws the most customers: table tennis or pool and snooker? There are a variety of product options within the table sports category, but what sells the best? Is it a particular sporting code, or perhaps tables over accessories? RHIANAH RHODE spoke with retailers to find out what their customers prefer

T

able sports such as cue sports (pool, snooker and billiards), table tennis and table soccer provide retailers with the opportunity to sell goods to a variety of customers looking to purchase one or all the elements needed to play one of these games.

Because the products on a retailer’s shelves and store floor is his investment in his livelihood, it is important that he stocks what will sell best — especially when products such as tables can take up a significant portion of his store. Even if he can make a higher margin from selling tables than from small accessories.

Stocking tables Table tennis tables typically occupy less floor space than other table sport tables because they can easily fold away. A table tennis table takes about three minutes to open up or fold away if it is already assembled, Mohammed Baksa of Arons Sport in Limpopo points out.

Most retailers who stock tables do not find

it difficult to sell these products, because customers nowadays know what they want.

“Many bars and shebeens use coin operated tables and will ask for certain types of coin mechanisms,” says Baksa. He believes that sales are good because coin operated tables basically pay themselves off and therefore customers don’t mind buying them.

Table sales are not really a problem says Poobie Naidoo of Poobie Naidoo’s Sports in KwaZulu-Natal. “It all depends on what the customer is really looking for in terms of quality and what level the person is playing: entry level or competition.”

Some retailers even find that table sales are better than that of their accessories. Baksa offers his customers a little extra as incentive: when they purchase a table tennis table they receive a free set of accessories. Thereafter, customers only buy replacement accessories if something has broken, which is usually not often, he says. He also offers his customers a value-added service where he sets up the pool

tables for free.

There are also retailers who have made the decision not to stock tables at all. Somerset Sport in the Western Cape, for example, only sells cues and accessories, because they do not have the space to store tables, explains Jaap Engelbrecht.

Tables are also more costly than accessories and customers will usually only buy these as a once-off purchase, says Salim Ismail of Champs Sports World in the North West. Out of all the tables, he sells more for table tennis, despite their cost nearly doubling over the last year, from less than R1 000 to just under R2 000.

In addition, independents struggle with the price that they can sell tables at, compared to discount chains such as Game, Makro, etc, says Keith Mclaren of Desnic’s Planet Sport in the Northern Cape.

Then there is the logistics around stock and deliveries, as well as stock damages in-store or in transit, which can be challenging, explains Tyrone Vieira of Mass Discounters. To p50

July :: Sports 2015 July :: Sports Trader

p50 :: Sport

Table sport cont from p49 Stocking accessories Compared to a table, which is a once-off purchase, accessories need to be replaced from time to time, which means there is a potential for repeat business.

Because consumers often have several options where to play table sports (at home, school, clubs, etc.), retailers can sell just the accessories on their own, such as a cue that the consumer can take with him to play at a pool bar, without the customer needing a table at home.

Several retailers who Sports Trader spoke with report that they sell more accessories than tables. “Accessories go quite well, whereas tables are slow sellers,” says Ismail.

Pool consumables like cues, cloths and balls sell well because these products suffer the most wear and tear, agrees Johan la Grange of Pool Table Spares Online. “Cues go skew or bend, balls get dirty and chipped, etc. then players replace them,” he explains.

High turnover products also include tips and chalk, which customers have to replace, whereas products such as triangles, and pocket liners, cloths and cushions for tables are items that will only be replaced when a table is refurbished. Many customers will also refurbish their table from time to time rather than purchase a new one, he adds.

Table tennis appeal With its larger recreational audience, more mainstream appeal, as well as its popularity amongst individuals, schools and associations, table tennis is retailers’ best-selling table sport.

Customers are more interested in purchasing table tennis because “more schools and clubs play table tennis than other table sports,” says Keith Mclaren of Desnic’s Planet Sport in the Northern Cape. Children are introduced to the sport at an early age, and are therefore more likely to keep playing table tennis.

Because table tennis is a more child-friendly table sport, it sells better than others, agrees Baksa, who also sells to schools.

Buying table sport accessories and tables can become costly for a consumer when one considers all the different elements, but because table tennis only requires a few items (table, two bats and a ball) it is seen as a more attractive option. Table tennis products are also cheaper, compared to other table games like pool, and therefore sells better, he adds.

Table tennis is not only doing well in retail due to its recreational appeal, but it is also being pushed to grow as a sport by the South African Table Tennis Board (SATTB), which runs development programmes such as the Athlete Assistance Program that is funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

This programme helps elite level players with living and training allowances, and in some cases even covers the players’ tuition expenses. Additionally, elite level provincial teams gain access to services offered by the High Performance Centre at the University of

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

Pretoria in Tshwane and once the players have completed their professional careers, they are encouraged to continue their personal development and can move into coaching, technical officiating and administrative positions.

Cue sport growth In other retailers, however, cue sports such as snooker, pool and billiards sell better than table tennis. This is due to the fact that it is a more individual than team sport and customers buy products for themselves, says Engelbrecht.

Other businesses situated in the same area as the retailer can also have an impact on what sells. “We have quite a few operators (bars and pubs) in the area and they buy spares, cues, etc. all the time,” explains Ismail, who says that pool is his best-selling table sport because of these operators. Operators will, however, often buy their tables directly from distributors rather than from retailers, he adds.

Accessories need to be replaced from time to time, which means there is a potential for repeat business.

Cue sport has a 29 year history in South Africa, but limitations in funding have hindered its growth as a competitive sport, rather than a recreational activity. The sport’s small number of active participants, qualified coaches, facilities, etc. has not stopped it from reaching the international stage. Pool and snooker players receive Protea Colours for participating in IOC recognised Continental and World Championships such as the All Africa Pool Championships, African Snooker Championships, World Blackball Championships, World 9-Ball Championships and the World Snooker Championships, says Saths Reddy, President of SACCS, the All Africa Pool Association and the vice-president of Blackball International.

The South African Confederation of Cue Sport (SACCS) plans to change cue sport’s status from recreational to being a fully-fledged sport. According to their Long Term Development Plan, SACCS wants to attract new participants by identifying local and regional talent and exposing players to high level coaching and competitions, and thereby grow its recognition.

To ensure proper methods of teaching the sport, they aim to have a permanent coaching commission where they can train coaches and ensure full-rounded coaching methods. Clubs will be able to offer regular coaching, where beginners can become acquainted with the sport and provincial and national players will have appropriate coaching.

They plan on developing event standard facilities and want to ensure accessibility to pool halls, start a school mapping programme focusing on schools and universities and have a training and accreditation system to improve event counselling and planning.

Cue sport participation is showing growth and people are interested in playing this table

sport, says Reddy. This growth is the result of the recruitment and development drive by the various disciplines of cue sport, which has created awareness of the table sport’s formalised league structures, he explains.

Despite limited funding from Sport and Recreation South Africa, the association is trying to introduce the sport to all districts in the country, as advocated by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), says Reddy. They have also created a “Cue Sport Promotional Video” that promotes the benefits of the sport among the townships and rural communities in the country.

Table soccer not doing well The majority of retailers who we spoke with sell cue sport and table tennis products, but not all stock table soccer tables or accessories. Overall, table soccer seems to be less popular than the other table sports.

Table soccer is receiving little interest, agrees Prevlan Chetty, an executive member of the South African Association of Table Soccer (SAATS). This general decline is also a trend they see internationally, he adds. He believes that the fact that the sport is young compared to the other table sports and the shortage of local table soccer manufacturers in South Africa have hindered growth of the sport in South Africa, compared to in Europe.

The lack of a partnership between manufacturers and the association in South Africa has also contributed to the decline of the sport, Chetty believes. “There are local manufacturers of table soccer products, but unfortunately these products are nowhere near to the international table soccer standards of play. They also show little interest in modifying/adding a professional table to their product range.”

It is expensive to import tables, especially since the association does not have many sponsorships, he continues. “One of the reasons that the European and American Table Soccer scenes are so big, is that they receive financial injectors that fuel growth,” he explains.

Promote the sport The future of table soccer in South Africa depends on youth participation and the association has recognised the importance of growing the sport amongst this market, says Chetty.

“We have started a grass roots level program by using our tables and going to schools and rural areas,” he says. The association is also currently working on a youth development league initiative in Bosmont in Johannesburg.

SAATS also promotes table soccer by hosting Open competitions at public venues, such as malls, where anyone can participate. The SA 2015 Open was held in Johannesburg in the beginning of the year and featured singles and doubles games played in a multi-table format, which was a first for the sport in SA. The event attracted players from various foosball leagues across the country and served as preparation for the 2015 ITSF Table Soccer World Cup in April in Italy, which our men and women took part in.

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2015 July :: Sports Trader

Black butt and shaft, 8 ball on fire decals, rubberised wrap.

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Sport news p52 :: Sport

Boxing is Federation of the Year THE SOUTH African National Amateur Boxing (SANABO) federation has been selected the Federation of the Year (2015) by SRSA. In the new financial year, they will therefore receive a once-off allocation of R10-m for the development of amateur boxing.

This move will assist them to unearth talent that would increase the pool of young boxers, who can represent the country at international competitions such as the Olympic Games, SRSA told the Portfolio Committee on Sports and Recreation.

An agreement has also been reached with the SABC to broadcast boxing matches. “This initiative will strengthen our boxing turnaround strategy due to increased visibility that will safeguard the return of the sponsors to the sport,” SRSA told the committee.

SRSA budget mainly for development IN THE 2015/2016 budget year, Sport and Recreation SA (SRSA) will be concentrating on development and transformation as main priorities, the department told the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation in Parliament.

Their budget, which had been increased by R18-m to R988.5-m, will be allocated as follows: a) R628.6-m for promoting mass participation; b) R133.2-m for an integrated support system to enhance the delivery of sport; c) R124.8-m for leadership, management and support services to the department. d) R92.2-m for elite athlete development; e) R9.7-m for the provision of sport and recreation facilities.

Due to budgetary restraints the department had only attended to 27% of the 262 areas of activity in the National Sport and Recreation Plan (NSRP) during the previous budget year.

SRSA expects that if the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) currently allocated to municipalities to provide sports facilities, is returned to the department, the additional R3-bn will enable them to implement the NSRP over a 36 year period. The MIG is not used for its intended purpose as only 237 facilities nationwide currently receive municipal funding, said Sumayya Khan, Chief Operations Officer (COO) for SRSA.

Commonwealth bid The bid for South Africa (eThekwini) to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games will cost about R2.5-bn and SRSA believes that hosting the Games will be a great stepping stone for a future Olympic bid. Commonwealth member states vote for the host of the

2022 Games on 2 September.

As part of its preparations for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, SRSA has requested an additional R1-bn to be used to identify and prepare a new set of athletes through a parallel Operation Excellence (OPEX), because it anticipates that the current elite athletes will be near their peak form by then.

New Bills proposed OF THE four proposed bills the National Sport and Recreation Draft Amendment Bill is the only one that will be able to be passed in Parliament during the 2015/2016 legislative cycle. The amendment will offer federations some protection against lawsuits by athletes. The most important bill for SRSA, however, is the South African Institute for Drug-free Sport Amendment Bill, which will legalise the random testing of learners participating in school sports. See more at www.srsa.gov.za.

Comments on the bills can be sent to Nkosana Mehlomakulu at nkosana@srsa.gov.za; legalservices@srsa.gov.za or Gideon Boshoff at Gideon@srsa.gov.za by 30 July.

Federation news • Hockey and volleyball are set to get their own Premier leagues during the next financial year, SRSA told the parliamentary portfolio committee. The details will be announced in due course.

• Cricket South Africa will be hosting the first Africa Cup T20 competition in September this year. As a result of new sponsorships and better management of its cost base, “CSA’s targeted budget loss of about R106-m for 2014/15 would be mitigated by a profit in excess of R30-m in the 2015/16 financial year,” CEO Haroon Lorgat told the committee.

US children not interested in sport AMERICAN CHILDREN aged 6-17 are losing interest in sports participation with ten major team sports losing core participants over the past five years, figures from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) show. Participation in the following sports declined: baseball, basketball, cheerleading, court volleyball, fast-pitch softball, field hockey, ice hockey, outdoor soccer, tackle football, tennis, and track & field. Lacrosse and gymnastics are the only sports that have grown youth participation. The decline of physical education in schools, paying to play, the cost of teams travelling to play matches and the lure of electronic games and social media are among the reasons given for the drop in sport participation numbers.

Sports Trader :: 2015 July

Sports Trader :: 2015 July

2015 July :: Sports Trader

p54 :: Sport

The parody newspaper, International Herald Tribune, published by Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller (above) made some cannily accurate predictions.

Skins predicts FIFA changes

T

he newspaper scoop on the FIFA scandal so far belongs to an unusual publisher: Skins compression brand. Their International Herald Tribune (IHT), a parody newspaper published on 27 May, reported that Sepp Blatter would resign — six days before he actually made the announcement!

True, the IHT said Blatter would step down in a year, while he gave himself 6-9 months before an extraordinary meeting will elect his successor. Now, Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller is predicting that Blatter would NOT step down ... therefore, watch the press.

Another story was spot-on and the headline tells all: Jack Warner’s “Tsunami”. ‘I Could Reveal How Much Blatter Pays Himself’. This story was published with a picture of Warner with Chuck Blazer when he and the FBI whistleblower were still good friends. At the time of going to press, everybody was waiting to hear how much of his threat to reveal all Warner was prepared to carry out.

The IHT was published by Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller on the same day that the world woke to the news that 14 FIFA officials had been arrested by the FBI — and the corruption revelation floodgates opened.

As media houses rush to keep up with all the latest FIFA-related accusations and denials, one can but wonder if some of the other articles in the IHT would also turn out to be scoops — for example those headlined: Blatter Discusses Re-Running World Cup Votes For 2018 And 2022 and United Nations Intervene To Make FIFA Finances Transparent.

Another story, Fifa Partners Make Shock

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

Six days before it actually happened, the International Herald Tribune, a parody newspaper published by Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller, reported that Sepp Blatter would resign as FIFA president and that the former CONCACAF ruler Jack Warner would threaten to tell all

Threat To Quit “Unless There Is Radical Reform” was a bit over-optimistic, although at the time of going to press, there were some potential developments on this front: a representative of smaller adidas investors told the Welt am Sonntag that they want the company to consider walking out of strategic deals with the scandal-shaken FIFA. The German newspaper also reported that Hans-Martin Buhlmann believes that adidas

Twenty years ago brands accepted responsibility for sweatshop conditions in their factories and made a huge difference to workers’ rights. They should take the same responsibility to act against the worker abuses in Qatar. needs to pressure FIFA for structural reform because as an employer, adidas cannot expect a lawful attitude from its staff, while the corporation entertains strong ties with an organization which is allegedly corrupt.

After Blatter’s presumed resignation, adidas issued a statement saying: We welcome FIFA's commitment to change. As stated before, the adidas Group is fully committed to creating a culture that promotes the highest standards of ethics and compliance. Today's news marks a step in the right direction on FIFA's path to establish and follow transparent compliance

standards in everything they do.

But, there are several indications that Mr Blatter will not be going voluntarily. He moved from adidas to FIFA in the 1970’s after he was schooled by adidas founder Horst Dassler in the many benefits brands and federations and athletes could enjoy through sponsorships.

The lucrative partnerships he introduced have kept numerous soccer officials in a lifestyle that they had never dreamed of before.

There are therefore many millions of reasons why a large chunk of the voting FIFA family would not want Blatter to be replaced by some reform-minded individual. And why they definitely would not welcome an independent review of the body’s affairs by someone like Kofi Anan, as #NewFIFANow campaigners, including Fuller, are asking.

The responsibility of sponsors to ensure that they are associated with sporting bodies and events that share their ethical values, and adhere to their codes of conduct, is a subject close to Fuller’s heart. “We believe FIFA’s partners and sponsors should be asserting their own values to ensure FIFA operates in a way that ensures football, like all sport, is a vehicle for positive social change. In Qatar, where migrant workers are literally dying on the job, it isn’t.”

In May Skins joined forces with the international workers’ unions and the pressure group #NewFIFANow to draw attention to the exploitation of workers building the stadiums and infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

“Our activity is also focused on FIFA’s sponsors and partners who, so far, have failed to uphold their own levels of corporate social

Sport news Sport :: p55

The reporter who blew the whistle on FIFA

UK investigative journalist Andrew Jennings is the narrator in the Skins video on the exploitation of Qatari workers building World Cup stadiums. Shortly after the YouTube video launch, it became known that Jennings’ reporting helped the FBI to build the corruption case against the FIFA CONCACAF executives (the soccer region the US belongs to) they arrested last month. Jennings’ books (Foul! and Omertà — Sepp Blatter’s FIFA Organised Crime Family) alerted the FBI to the millions of dollars in bribes, etc. paid to FIFA officials and led to the arrest of Chuck Blazer and other whistleblowers. Jennings is an award-winning journalist who has written numerous articles on FIFA, even though he is banned from their press conferences.

responsibility and pressurise FIFA to remind them that their money into action,” Fuller said. is paying for abuses — with their “Qatar is a slave state in the twitter and email addresses.

21st century,” Sharan Burrow, the The Ugly Game by Sunday Times General Secretary for the Interna- investigative journalists Heidi tional Trade Union Confederation, Blake and Jonathan Calvert is the said during the press conference. latest book to document the cor“The Football Supporters’ Fed- ruption that has been plaguing eration is fully behind us and fans the football governing body for everywhere will be shocked to years. The subtitle, The Qatari learn how workers in Qatar are Plot to Buy the World Cup extreated. The World Cup is sup- plains the storyline, with Mohamposed to be a celebration of all med bin Hammam, the president that is good in sport. However, as of the Asian Football Association things stand, more than 62 work- until he was caught bribing South ers will die for each game played American officials to vote for him during the 2022 tournament,” as the next FIFA president, as the added Stephen Russell of the UK lead character.

Trade Union Congress-backed These allegations of corrupgroup Playfair Qatar. tion prompted FIFA to launch an Fuller had gone underground in investigation by the chair of its Qatar to film a short cell phone Ethics Committee, Michael Garvideo of the squalid living condi- cia. When his report was shelved tions in the labour camps and the and a cleansed summary pubeffects of kalished, Garcia fala labour law. in He also compares resigned This video protest. This the stated corporate was one of the clip accompavalues of the FIFA factors that nies a 5-minute video titled sponsors to what lead to the forThe Hypocrisy their money are ac- mation of the World Cup, in action group tually buying. which journal#NewFIFANow. ist Andrew JenEven before nings (see above) points out that the arrests of the FIFA officials, twenty years ago brands accepted more than 11 000 respondents to responsibility for sweatshop con- a survey by #NewFIFANow, said ditions in their factories and made that the corruption allegations a huge difference to workers’ and governance and management rights in Asia — and he suggests of FIFA, followed by Qatar 2022, they should take the same respon- are the top issues in world footsibility to act against the worker ball today. abuses in Qatar.

Most (97%) of the respondents He also compares the stated cor- said they had lost confidence in porate values of FIFA sponsors like the administration and governance Coca Cola, McDonald’s, adidas, of FIFA, but did not believe that Visa, Kia and Budweiser to what Sepp Blatter would step down. their money are actually buying.

Most also believed the bids for In his blog Fuller suggests some Russia (88%) to host the World Cup messages fans could send to the in 2018 and Qatar (97%) in 2022 CEO’s of the World Cup sponsors, were corrupt.

Cycling event organisers beware CYCLING EVENT organisers should be aware that any licensed cyclists who participate in unsanctioned events can be banned or fined by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), warns Cycling South Africa (CSA).

As an affiliate of UCI, CSA has to enforce Rule 1.2.019, which restricts cyclists from participating in any event that does not form part of a national, continental or world calendar, or has not been recognised by a national federation, a continental confederation or the UCI. This rule only applies to full racing licence holders, who wish to be eligible for provincial and national selection, but not to cyclists who are general CSA members. This rule applies to mountain bike and road events and any transgressors will be suspended for a month or fined

by CSA. South African Schools Cycling (SASC) is in the meantime developing mountainbiking skills among young learners with the inaugural Solomon’s Primary Schools MTB Development Series, presented by SASC (see image). The new series in Gauteng comprises of three events, starting with about 100 learners honing their cycling skills over obstacles at Montana High School in the beginning of May. The learners develop their skills, get a better understanding of basic regulations, mountain bike protocols, safety issues and the role of the commissaire in events during the series. Ten teachers also attended a Level 1 Coaching Course.

During May more than 584 riders representing 50 schools in Gauteng took part in the Spur Tour de Plot at Curro College Hazeldean, which is part of the Gauteng Spur High School MTB Series.

School sport participation promoted A ToTAL of 726 schools have received sport equipment and apparel from Sport and Recreation SA (SRSA) during the past year, the department told the Portfolio Committee on Sports and Recreation. This is part of their ongoing target to initiate sport participation in a set number of schools who previously offered little, or no, sporting opportunities, every year.

By the end of the 2014/2015 financial year, SRSA had trained 2 770 educators from all the provinces through the Mass Participation Conditional Grant. In addition, 254 school sport coordinators have been employed through the Conditional Grant Allocation.

At the third edition of the South African Schools Sport Championship held in December 2014 more than 11 025 learners from provincial school teams took part in 14 different sporting codes, including learners with disabilities. Most of these learners are from previously disadvantaged communities with very little, or no, sporting opportunities.

During this championship new recipients of the Ministerial Sports Bursary, provided to selected learners from Grade 8 until they complete their high school education, are identified. SRSA has already exceeded their target of providing bursaries of R100 000 per learner to 40 athletes per year.

July :: Sports 2015 July :: Sports Trader

p56 :: Trade shows

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Connecting Africa with the world

T

his year’s Source Africa trade show, held 10-11 June at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, attracted approximately 1 500 visitors and more than 200 textile, apparel and footwear exhibitors from African countries such as South Africa, Mauritius, Lesotho, Swaziland, etc.

From top left: 1) Jordan & Co.’s Jody Henry managed their stand on day one; 2) Gelvenor Textiles’ Sefton Fripp answered any questions visitors had about the brand; 3) Tradelink Textile Industries had convenient seating where visitors could network with their reps.

Exhibitors included Bolton Footwear — represented by their Jordan & Co, Barker and Watson divisions — that showed visitors new sides to their ranges, Gelvenor Textiles that showed off what they can do with their own manufactured textiles, and Tradelink Textile Industries with their locally produced cotton products.

Organisations such as the Apparel Manufac-

1

2

Brands enjoyed the Comrades Expo

R

unning brands mixed business and fun during the Comrades Marathon’s Expo held at the Durban Exhibition Centre from 28-30 May leading up to the main event. In the true Comrades spirit, representatives from the different brands competed against each other during the event, and partied together afterwards.

This year’s Comrades Marathon made history by having two South African winners for the first time since 1992. Major running brands and retailers were among the 110 exhibitors showcasing their new running shoes and gear to the estimated 50 000 visitors.

New Balance — official technical sponsor of the marathon — created excitement with their Comrades 890v5 running shoe and a selection of replica training gear they developed with the Comrades Association to celebrate the 90thedition of the marathon.

Designed for both men and women, the Com-

Sports Trader :: 2015 Trader :: 2015 July

3

rades running gear feature innovative materials and technologies that help a runner keep cool, safe and dry. The Comrade 890v5 shoe, with an 8mm drop, features a blown rubber outsole, absorb crash pad and no-sew material.

Mizuno also made their presence felt at the Expo. “There was great energy at the Comrades this year with a new floor layout and a new race director driving passion for comrades back into the heart of the runners,” says brand manager Paul Copson from local distributor Brand ID. “All brands shared laughter and got to let their hair down at the post-Comrades Expo cocktail party,” adds Copson. “There was fantastic inter-brand friendship and camaraderie shared on the evening.”

Copson this year had the “honour” of wishing Jax Snyman of the Sweat Shop “happy birthday” during the post-Comrades party — a practical joke that has become an annual institution.

Asics showcased their shoes in all the run-

turers of South Africa and Cape Clothing & Textile Cluster also exhibited, and promoted all the services they can offer manufacturers to potential members.

The show also included business seminars on topics aimed at growing business: Tools for developing international business; AGOA renewal — The next 10 years; and Regional Supply Chains.

3

4

From top left: 1) Representatives of different brands enjoyed the post-Comrades party; 2) Paul Copson and Thando Siyendo of Brand ID and Kevin Lodge from Top Events; 3) Asics had freelance students as their technical representatives on their stand; 4) Runners flocked to the adidas stand to check their Ultraboost shoe.

ning categories — ranging from training, natural, fast, long or trail running — as they focused on the mix up your run philosophy. The brand also had a free Foot ID service available, where runners were given information on their foot shape, size, foot types and what running shoes would best suit them.

Adidas focused on their Ultraboost running shoe at their stand during the Expo. Runners flocked in to see and experience the shoe first hand.

Trade show news

Trade shows :: IBC

categories. The show held between 11-13th June in Warsaw awarded products in the categories Best Sunglasses, Headlamps and Headwear as well as Best Boxes, Holders, Bags and Luggage, in addition to the 17 other Best Product categories exhibitors can compete in.

Eurobike

THE FIRST Asia Bike summit will be hosted alongside the Asia Bike trade show, which takes place 9-12 October in Nanjing, China. The forum will discuss issue topics such as E-commerce, Professional Events vs. Amateur Games, and Bicycle Tourism, as well as developing trends in the bicycle industry. It also aims to establish a high-quality platform for exploring the present as well as future of sport bicycles.

VISITORS CAN register and purchase tickets for Eurobike 2015, which takes place 26-29 August in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from the online shop. Tickets purchased in advance can save visitors 40%. The show will feature 1 300 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and will host the winners of the Eurobike Award. Entries for the Eurobike Award are open until 28 July.

There are 10 categories to enter into including Accessories, Apparel, Mountain bikes and Racing bikes and products will be judged on aspects such as design, quality, sustainability and functionality. Outstanding entries could also stand a chance to win the Eurobike Gold Award.

Asia Outdoor

ISPO Shanghai

Eurobike will feature 1 300 exhibitors from more than 50 countries this year.

Asia Bike

MORE THAN 450 exhibitors — 20% more than the same period last year — have already registered for Asia Outdoor, which takes place 23-26 July in Nanjing, China. The event has reached a decade milestone and will feature the first COA Outdoor China Summit on its 52 000m2 exhibition grounds. It will also feature the Outdoor Club Village, a larger Running Village (730m2) and the Cat’s Eye race at Purple Mountain.

NEARLY 400 brands from more than 20 countries showed their products at ISPO Shanghai 2015, which took place 2-4 July at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) in China. The show’s 30 000m2 grounds featured outdoor, running, water sports and other products as well as themed villages such as the Running-, Paddling & Watersports- and Action & Sportstyle Village.

C-Star

My Business Expo

NEARLY 6 000 visitors attended C-Star, which was held 13-15 May in Shanghai, China. There were 162 exhibitors from 23 countries showing the latest retail technologies and trends in the Chinese market on the 5 000m2 grounds.

The show also featured a C-star Retail Tour, Designer Village and a C-star Retail Conference. Exhibitor applications are already open for C-Star 2016, that will be held 18-20 May.

THE 7TH My Business Expo, hosted by the National Small Business Chamber, aims to lessen the complexity of accessing finance for small businesses and is designed to encourage SME’s to rethink their fundraising strategies. Visitors can also look forward to the Business StartUp Expo, My Business Seminars, The Franchise Show and the Access to Finance Indaba, which run simultaneously. The expo takes place 13 August (Boardwalk Convention Centre, Port Elizabeth) and 10 September (Cape Town International Convention Centre). The Johannesburg show took place in March. It is free to attend if you preregister.

EFTTEX EXHIBITORS AT the 2015 EFTTEX (European Fishing Tackle Trade Expo) could this year enter products in two more Best New Product

Advertisers index adidas Aero Anton Fabi Asics Awesome Tools Black Diamond Brand ID Bronx Brooks

37 52 3 32, 33 22 24 29, 53 OBC 28

Bushnell 25 CapX Invoice Discounting 17 Crown Footwear 1, 13 Dunlop 53 Footwear Trading 30, 46 Hi-Tec 21 Intershu Distributors OFC, 5 Jack Parcels 15 JFK Trading 15 Jordan 7 Jordan & Co 3, 7, 23, OBC

Kakiebos Leatherman Legacy Sport & Leisure Levi’s Mikasa Mitre Mizuno New Balance OBO Olympic Opal Sports

The OutDoor show has launched a new website and print campaign for 2015, which includes a new slogan and logo design.

OutDoor Show VISITOR TICKETS to OutDoor 2015 — taking place 15-18 July in Friedrichshafen, Germany — are now available from the show’s online shop. The show will feature more than 900 exhibitors from more than 40 countries showing more than 1 000 brands. Due to exhibitor requests, the show will take place on a larger exhibition space of 85 000m2. The event will also feature a number of conferences on topics such as Digital, Retail, Sustainability, Trends & Change and host the OutDoor Industry Award and the German Boulder Cup.

SAFTAD show THE SAFTAD (SA Fishing Tackle Agents and Distributors) show will take place in Durban for the first time on 1 and 2 August 2015 at the Blue Waters Hotel, Marine Parade. The Johannesburg show takes place 15 and 16 August at the UNISA Training Centre in Ormonde. As the only official trade show for the Southern African fishing and outdoor industry, SAFTAD attracts approximately 50 exhibitors and representatives from more than 250 retailers annually.

SAITEX THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL TRADE EXHIBITION (SAITEX), which took place 21-23 June at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg featured more than 1 000 exhibitors from 39 countries showing more than 3 500 products and services. The show also had new pavilions from Peru, Chile and Central- and Eastern Europe.

1 22 40 46 11 40 29 27 52 23 51

Pat Wiltshire Sports Pierre Cardin Powerglide Puma Ram Mountaineering Rock Spring Rocky SBR Agencies Skechers Thule Car Rack Systems Ultimo

11 OFC 51 39 24 5 13 28 30 19 25

July :: Sports 2015 July :: Sports Trader

Sports Trader :: 2015 July