There’s never been an easier time for riders to earn their turns. Manufacturers, retailers, and the media are increasingly catering to riders with a thirst for fresh tracks. Yet the resulting proliferation in backcountry users has brought new challenges, as not all of these riders are properly prepared. To unite the industry in addressing this challenge, the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) is launching Project Zero. This initiative aims to reduce avalanche fatalities to zero by delivering a consistent avalanche safety narrative.
“We’ve reached a tipping point that consists of a lot of people in the backcountry, more manufacturers making backcountry gear available, and a resultant uptick in avalanche accidents,” explains AIARE Director of Operations Tom Murphy. “The industry wants to create a corresponding safety message with the equipment it’s selling—and that’s where Project Zero comes into play.”
Throughout SIA’s Snow Show, Murphy hosted a series of seminars to introduce Project Zero and solicit feedback. These seminars resonated with those in attendance, like Jon Easdon, the owner of Blindside in Colorado Springs. He explains, “It was definitely one of my favorite things at SIA. When I saw the seminar I felt it was all inclusive—it felt like everyone was on board.”
In addition to collaborating with manufacturers, SIA, the media, and retailers to deliver an effective and consistent message, Project Zero aims to create a central resource for backcountry and avalanche safety information. Having resources, such as video tutorials, available through a web-based, educational portal is a primary goal.
Currently, AIARE is working to raise awareness and funding for Project Zero. Murphy emphasizes that it’s an exciting time for the initiative. He explains, “With the right stakeholders involved and the right educational components, we can do something that’s never been done before and make a difference.” [story by transworld business]
Apparel donations from retailers, manufacturers and suppliers will be distributed by K.I.D.S. to children in New Jersey and New York
WASHINGTON (Jan. 16, 2013) - SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is organizing children’s winter apparel donations for the New York City-based charity Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) to help children in New Jersey and New York still suffering from the storm’s impact three months later.
For efficiency, retailers, manufacturers and suppliers can participate in SIA and K.I.D.S. New Year, New Start Sandy Relief Drive by sending new merchandise to the Global Experience Specialists (GES)-sponsored donation center in Denver, Colo. between January 21 and February 21. They can also drop off their donations on site during the SIA Snow Show at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colo. (Jan. 31-Feb. 4).
Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, injured hundreds of people and damaged more than $60 billion in property across the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeastern regions of the United States. Many who have returned home are still without the clothing and personal items that were lost in the storm.
“Even though three months have passed, there are still huge post-storm needs to be met, particularly for kids still without the winter necessities,” said Tom McGann, president and CEO of Spyder, the company that spearheaded the New Year, New Start Sandy Relief. “Collecting new winter apparel for them will be a great way for the industry to use its unique resources to impact the lives of these children.”
The snow sports industry has been contributing to the Hurricane Sandy relief effort in various ways since the storm hit. The Snow Sports Sandy Relief Hub Facebook group, for instance, has connected snow sports industry professionals who want to support the affected communities. Kerry O’Flaherty, vice president of Eastern Winter Sports Rep Association, is one of many who have dedicated time to the relief effort.
“I’ve been out volunteering every weekend, and it’s incredible how many people still need a lot of help,” O’Flaherty said. “There are some towns on the south shore of Long Island and on the Jersey Shore where the whole infrastructure is gone. You can’t even get in there. Many people have lost everything.”
The K.I.D.S. donation program at SIA Snow Show is an efficient way for the entire industry to help with the Hurricane Sandy relief effort. Apparel and financial donations of any size are welcome. “No donation is too small when we work together,” said SIA President David Ingemie.
Unused children’s winter apparel donations can be shipped to the New Year, New Start Sandy Relief donation center: Upland Distribution Center Building #2, SIA Warehouse 12650 E. 33rd Ave. Denver, CO 80011. All donations should include a packing list describing the items and their retail value. Contributors who donate more than $50 worth of clothing and accessories will receive a letter from K.I.D.S. for tax purposes. Cash donations should be sent to SIA with checks payable to K.I.D.S. All financial and clothing donations are tax deductible.
- K.I.D.S. -
Kids in Distressed Situations was founded in 1985 with the mission of providing new kid-essentials to children and teens who have been impacted by poverty and tragedy. Since its inception, K.I.D.S has provided almost 1 billion dollars to help nearly 70 million children. With a network of over 1,000 local partner agencies located in all 50 states and an overhead of less than 3%, K.I.D.S. is able to effectively and efficiently deliver products directly to children when and where they need it. Most recently, the charity has been recognized by Consumers Digest as #1 in the Humanitarian Category in their 2012 Tri-Annual Edition of Top Charities for its spending efficiency and Forbes Magazine ranks the charity 6th in fundraising efficiency. The charity continues to be recognized by Charity Navigator with its highest four star rating. The Chronicle of Philanthropy places K.I.D.S. among the top 2 percent of non-profits in the U.S. K.I.D.S. receives both product and financial donations directly from companies, foundations and individuals with 97% of the value of all donations going directly to the children and teens in need.
- SIA -
SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is the national not-for-profit, North American member-owned, trade association representing suppliers and service providers of snow sports products with constituents in the retailer, rep and resort communities. Annually producing the SIA Snow Show, the largest snow sports industry trade show, on-snow demo and networking environment globally, SIA delivers invaluable data/research reports including the Snow Sports Market Intelligence Reports, SnowSports RetailTRAKTM and Executive Market Summary. SIA also produces the Supplier Show,Sourcing Snow, at the SIA Snow Show; learn more at siasnowshow.com/sourcing. SIA is dedicated to growing the industry through consumer initiatives and websites, snowlink.com and wintertrails.org, marketing resources, services and collaborative programs to increase participation and move product. For more information, visit snowsports.org. SnowSports Industries America, 8377-B Greensboro Drive, McLean, VA 22102-3587 (Washington, DC Area). Phone: 703-556-9020, Fax: 703-821-8276, Email: SIAmail@snowsports.org.
The SIA Snow Show, January 27-30, 2011 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, delivers the largest, most concentrated and authentic trade event in the snow sports industry. It is the first time globally that the styles, technologies, innovations, culture and energy of snow sports is presented. Close to 20,000 industry professionals will meet to engage in business, networking opportunities, parties, brand events and seminars to feel the true essence of snow sports.
Hopefully a large number of environmentally conscious products will be unveiled! I'll keep you posted!
An ecological niche is defined by the space an organism or species fills within a particular ecosystem by focusing on the availability of resources and its response to competitors. In the case of businesses, we’re all just slighly-clever organisms searching for an uninhabited home to call our own, and often exploit. One company that sees some elbow room in the snowboard hardgood landscape is Niche Snowboards, and it’s carving out its foothold rapidly and globally by focusing its efforts on protecting the environment in which it works, lives, and rides.
Transworld Business caught up with Niche Founder Dustin Morrell to find out how he is creating and growing a habitat without simply exploiting resources.
Tell us a little about your background – where you from, how’d you get into riding, et cetera?
I’m from Utah but have lived in Washington, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, Cyprus, Dubai, Kuwait, and the Philippines—the mountains and snow always bring me back to Utah. My father started me skiing at a young age, but at fifteen I had a dream of snowboarding and hawked my skis for a board that week. I’ve never been on a pair of skis again.
Why’d you decide to take your relationship with shred to the next level from merely casual to a livelihood and why do you see a future between the two of you?
I graduated college with a BS in Aviation Science/Management and pursued a career in aviation. I love flying but always wanted to do more with snowboarding. My wife supported me in purchasing the equipment to make custom boards out of our home on my time off from flying. I don’t think you need to be the sickest rider to enjoy snowboarding, contribute, and make it a part of your life. Riding is about enjoying nature, friends, and pow when you can find it. Doing what you love and getting paid for it is a bonus for sure!
The biggest thing that jumps out in looking at your catalog and your story is obviously the sustainability story – break it down for us.
Time to nerd out on tech stuff. Niche uses a Digi-Print process that prints directly to the backside of the topsheet, cutting up to 60% of the material and 75% of the energy wasted during traditional printing processes. Our Snappy Sap Bio-Resin repurposes waste products from the pulp and paper industry to provide plenty of cancer-free adhesion and reduce pressure cracks. By replacing fiberglass with basalt, we maximize the tensile strength and impact resistance of our shredsticks while minimizing the production of green house gases. We replace traditional carbon stringers with hemp. Hemp stringers also have longer fibers than wood, so they add pop and vibration dampening to a deck. Using flip-flop die cut bases uses material efficiently and leaves minimal waste. Our use of sustainably harvested cores and recycled material further reveals our commitment to the environment. Our boards are lighter and stronger than boards made with traditional materials.
How did you source and develop all of the materials under the hood like Magma Fiber, Snappy Sap, and HempHop? They look like some seriously innovative materials, especially for a new brand.
I made custom boards in the basement of my home for about two years and honestly did not know what I was getting into. I thought making snowboards would be a great way to connect with nature and boarding. I soon found out that your home is not the place to make traditional snowboards. The resins and flood coat inks filled my home with carcinogens. I became desensitized to the resins and any contact with my skin made me break out in hives. Cutting out the snowboards made me concerned that fiberglass was getting into the vents of our home and into our lungs. I did the best I could to contain these harmful chemicals and materials but I felt like our home was being invaded. We began to search for eco-friendly products and found that these materials actually outperformed traditional materials in many aspects. The use of these materials came about after years of research, testing, and trial and error.
How much different are the environmental impacts of the lifecycle of a Niche board versus a traditional deck?
We know our boards are much better on the environment than any board out there, but a lifecycle test has not been done. The results would be amazing and we would love to do this someday soon.
Why did you decide to produce your boards at GST? Are you concerned that shipping product across the globe invalidates some of your claims of sustainability?
Austria has always been known for quality in the industry and GST takes it a step above the rest. Our new technology and materials needed the extensive testing that GST provided. Many manufacturers use foam injection or other mass production processes and we’re not willing to adjust to our product. Our Snappy Sap was developed in California but we found a manufacturer in Europe to produce our resin to keep all of our materials close to Austria. Since all of our raw materials are close to the manufacturer we cut our carbon footprint down by not having to ship the raw materials from across the globe for assembly and then ship again for our finished product. All prototyping is constructed and tested in Salt Lake City. Our only shipping from GST is for our final samples and product. It may seem counterintuitive, but by building our decks in Austria with regionally-sourced materials and then shipping them to the States, we are able to create a smaller footprint than if we produced them in the States using an abundance of imported material. Being a global company, it is important to produce our boards near the material sources and then ship around the world.
A company can’t be successful if its one dimensional – what else is going on with your boards to keep from pigeonholing yourself as a niche (sorry, had to) player?
We thought about this from day one when choosing our name and direction as a company. A Niche isn’t just a standard deck pulled from the shelf. It’s the result of a deep commitment to the boarding culture and caring for the environment—a commitment that requires no sacrifice of style. Our graphic line, technology, testing, customer service, and warranty will always be strong selling points in addition to our environmental benefits.
Who else is involved with the brand to spread the word on the sales/rep force side?
We just hired Greg Hughes as VP of sales for Niche. He comes from an extensive background in sales and years of experience in the industry. Greg will be managing our reps that are now a global force.
You’re launching at SIA – what are your goals as far as securing distribution and what’s your elevator speech for retailers?
We have distribution /reps set up throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, Korea, and Japan. Local shops are important to Niche Snowboards and the sport. Whether it’s the neighborhood park crew or a pack of friends on a powder day, many of our experiences on the mountain are shaped by a sense of community. Shops play an essential role in creating and supporting strong local shred scenes. From sponsoring contests to repairing broken bindings, shops are responsible for getting riders stoked day in and day out. We’ve partnered with dealers known for providing excellent service and being committed to their communities. So when it’s time to pick up a shred stick, please support the people and shops that support you.
What are prices/margins going to look like?
Because we are using eco-friendly materials in every board, we can purchase larger volumes of these materials to get our prices lower for a high-end board. Sourcing materials close to the manufacturing facility is not only good for the environment, but also brings the cost down. This enables Niche to pass these savings on to the consumer.
Anything else you’d like to hit on?
We will be launching our newly designed website in a couple weeks, so be sure to drop into www.nichesnowboards.com. In the meantime, Facebook has a lot of info (www.facebook.com/nichesnowboards). You can also see clips of our product testing and team riders at http://www.vimeo.com/nichesnowboards.
Old gear needs a home, but there’s no more vacancy in landfills. While used snowboarding clothing and equipment might trickle through to the hands of a friend, sell at a gear swap, or end up in a donation box, it ultimately lays to rest in a mountain of trash-where it deteriorating life will outlast yours. But a solution to recycle and repurpose these old products in gaining momentum. The Snow Sports Industries of America (SIA) is in its third year of developing a snow-gear recycling program. Last Year alone, the Snow Sports Recycling Solution took in over 200 tons of gear (the equivalent of some 80,000 snowboards). Right now they’re in the testing phase of turning old junk into new purposeful products like composite lumber for homes, parking curbs, rock climbing holds, and even new snow gear. The group is developing partnerships with various manufacturers, gear swaps, shops, and outreach programs to close the loop on trashed products and spread the program nation wide.
The Recycling Solution program is only offered in certain parts of Colorado, but we’re anxiously awaiting expansion. Until then, drop our gear off at any of these store locations, at the SIA trade show in Denver (January 27-30, 20100, or email SIAmail@snowsports.org to find out what to do.
SnowSports Industries America (SIA) just released a preliminary analysis of the 2010/11 snow season based on pre-season orders, last year’s sales, the overall economy, and the number of retailers in the game. The study features some great insight into where snowboard sales are trending as welll as some positive figures, as long as Mother Nature decides to play ball this winter.
SIA collected pre-season order data from its 700 member companies, representing 1,200 brands, and on the snowboard front, orders are trending up for the boot and binding categories.
While the number of units pre-booked are up slightly for boots and bindings, things continue to trend down for boards, which like all snowboard hardgoods, are off substantially from 2008/09 pre-book levels as dealers shift their strategy to focus on at-once orders and further reduce exposure to inventory levels.
Speaking of inventory levels, the reduction in last year’s stocks, and the resulting increase in average sales prices and margins were one of the highlights of last year’s data. Look for this trend to continue and average prices to continue to move in a positive direction.
Having the correct inventory is key for any retailer, as well as the correct production numbers for manufacturers. Here’s a look at the top selling boards of the 2009/10 season at SIA’s retailers.
*Note: These are arranged alphabetically.
We’ve all been hearing tales of retailers vanishing across the country due to the economy and increased market pressures. SIA took a look at how many retailers are left standing and the results are interesting. Last year, 173 retailers that sold ski or snowboard gear went out of business, but 185 doors opened to take their place. What’s more telling is that 103 managements went under while 65 opened, which translates to more doors out there owned by fewer players, i.e. there are less mom and pop shops and more chains.
All of these stats present different pictures depending on your role in the industry. Here’s SIA’s take on the forecast for the various sectors of the marketplace.
