PLUS: NEWS, EVENTS, RETAILER HELP, BRAND PROFILES: CONTRACT SNOWBOARDS, CREATURES OF LEISURE, URBAN KREATION

SNEAKER
FILTH 4 PAGES
OF SKATE SHOE PORN!
SNOWBOARD MARKET
2009/10 EUROPEAN SALES ANALYSIS
KEEPING IT (UN)REAL:
THE RISE OF COUNTERFEIT SKATE GOODS
BIG BUSINESS IN SMALLS - THE UNDERWEAR MARKET UNCOVERED
BIG WIG INTERVIEW:
ADIDAS' JASCHA MULLER
#049. OCTOBER 2010. 5
E U R O P E A N S U R F / S K A T E / S N O W B U S I N E S S
INSIDE THE ISSUE
NEWS
FINANCIAL INDEX
RETAILER AWARD INSOMNIA, BULGARIA
RETAILER HELP
EVENT ANALYSIS TONY HAWK TOUR
COUNTERFEIT SKATE GOODS
LIFE AFTER PRO SURFING
SKATE SHOE PICTORIAL
HUB TRADE SHOWREVIEW
INDUSTRY INSIGHT MEDIA TRAINING
BIG WIG INTERVIEW
SNOWBOARD MARKET ANALYSIS
SOCK & JOCKS
NEWSKATE SHOE BRANDS
BRAND PROFILE CONTRACT
BRAND PROFILE URBAN KREATION
BRAND PROFILE CREATURES OF LEISURE
NEWPRODUCTS
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
OPPORTUNITIES
EVENTS
ONE EYED MONSTER
10
12
14
16
19
20
23
25
31
33
34
39
45
49
50
52
54
56
59
67
70
73
049
I found a nice quote on a
friends Facebook profle the other day. Its by
Jim Muir and goes way back to 1898: Thousands
of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are
beginning to fnd out that going to the mountain
is going home; that wilderness is necessity.
When I secretly stole it from his page to make
it my own post, I realised that others liked it too
and saw it being perpetrated through the web on
the same day. Wilderness stuff on Facebook in
2010? Whats up with us boardsports people? I
have a theory on it: Although were certainly not
moving into the wild unless there are some really
good spots out there most of us feel like we go
home when were on our boards. Whether in the
mountains, on the streets or on water were free
and uninhibited by rules and limitations, creatively
seeking our emotional outlet. That is until another
little Facebook message reminds us that one of our
friends has just made some toast, cant sleep, or
that XYZ likes BoardsportSOURCE (which youre
meant to check out right now).
Lets get this straight. Were nerve-shaken wrecks,
longing for time in the wilderness, but all we over-
civilised boardsports people are mostly subjected
to nowadays is INFORMATION, and this is exactly
what weve got for this SKATE Issue. Covering one
of the most visible trends of the moment, we look at
the new skate shoe brands on the block. Ever since
marketing departments have fgured that there
are loads of people with two feet out there, were
seeing footwear brands popping up everywhere.
Looking at newcomers such as WeSC Footwear
or Kr3w Footwear, were trying to fnd out what
the newbies are bringing to the table. Our Big Wig
Interview also works in the footwear business
Germanys Jascha Muller - Global Sports Marketing
Manager at adidas Skateboarding at only 26 years
of age, tells us about his background and his view
of the industry. Counterfeiting in skateboarding
is another, and much more negative, trend that
were looking at. Also, we ponder the outcome of
the Tony Hawk Tour, consider the role of athletes
in the industry; and fnally we profle some newly
formed companies and some industry pioneers in
our Brand Profles: Contract Snowboards, Urban
Kreation, and Creatures of Leisure. As you can see,
theres no time for the wilderness at the moment.
And now back to Facebook.
Holger von Krosigk
Managing and English Editor Jojo Cook
jojo@boardsportsource.com
Surf and French Editor Iker Aguirre
iker@boardsportsource.com
Snowboard Editor Rmi Forsans
remi@boardsportsource.com
Skateboard Editor Holger Von Krosigk
holger@boardsportsource.com
German Editor fne lines marketing gmbh
source@fnelinesmedia.de
Art Director Owen Tozer at MadeUp
owen@boardsportsource.com
www.thisismadeup.co.uk
French Editorial Assistant Denis Houill
denis@boardsportsource.com
Web & News Editor James Dalzial
james@boardsportsource.com
Proofreaders
Jo Fairweather, Lydia Heckl, Marie-laure Ducos
Contributors
Uwe Ballon, Chus Castjo, Dave DC Colwill, Fabien
Grisel, Franz Hoeller, Muck Mller, Digby Reed, Joo Rei,
Luke Van Unen, Dirk Vogel, Denis Houill, Matt Barr, Chris
Moran.
Jobs and Distributor Services Digby Reed
Digby@boardsportsource.com
Advertising & Marketing Clive Ripley
clive@boardsportsource.com
Germanic Markets Advertising Konrad Kone Heigl
kone@boardsportsource.com
+49 (0) 89 5526 0915
Production Manager
production@boardsportsource.com
Accounts Manager
accounts@boardsportsource.com
To Subscribe
www.boardsportsource.com
subs@boardsportsource.com
Publisher Clive Ripley
clive@boardsportsource.com
Published by
Extreme Sport Business
22 Friars Street, Sudbury
Suffolk, CO10 2AA. UK
Boardsport SOURCE is published bi-monthly
Extreme Sport Business.
All Rights Reserved
www.boardsportsource.com
ON THE COVER
Frode Goa, Founder of Shit
Skateboards. Nollie BS
tailslide, Randaberg, Norway.
CONTENTS
Tony Hawk in Brighton
photo: James McPhail
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval
system of any nature without prior written permission,
except for permitted fair dealing under the Copyright
Designs and Patents Act 1988. Application for permission
for use of copyright material including permission to
reproduce extracts in other public works shall be made to
the publishers. Full acknowledgement of author, publisher
and source must be given. The views expressed in this
publication are not those necessarily held by the Publisher.
ISSN # 1478-4777
10. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 11
Benoit Brecq has been appointed Communication
and Team Manager at Hoff Europe. His role includes
supporting their European and international
distributors, getting media exposure for all brands of
the company, creating ads and events, supervising
photo shoots, managing budgets and making brands
books, and also the management of all Surf, Skate
and Bodyboard teams of the company. Prior to this
Benoit was in charge of developing web marketing
activities at Hoff, bringing a strong background in
sales and marketing for this position.
O'Neill has entered the headphone market in
collaboration with Philips. The Philips/ONeill
headphones collection will feature four high
performance styles - two headband style The
Stretch, inspired byheavy-dutymaterials and wetsuit
styling and The Snug, a fat-folding headphone. The
in-ear selection includes The Covert, a discreet
bud with iPhone control, and The Specked, which
comes with tangle-free cords. The campaign will
be spearheaded by selected ONeill team riders,
Jeremy Jones, Mark Mathews and Ane Enderud and
available at retail stores throughout Europe.
Following exceptional growth Iron Fist clothing and
footwear, run in Europe by Jackson Distribution,
have moved to a larger premises, increasing their
warehouse space to 42,000 square feet. From
its European debut in 2004 turnover has doubled
year-on-year and the same growth is forecasted
again following a successful selling season. Iron
Fist are fast becoming a highly recognised brand
having successfully branched out from the niche
player they once were.
ONEILL LAUNCH
HEADPHONES
IRON FIST EXPAND
BURTON
HOLDEN
ZIMTSTERN
INDUSTRY NEWS 049
HOFF
VLKL
MERVIN MANUFACTURING
for daily breaking news go to: - for daily breaking news...
OMAREEF
CREATURES OF LEISURE
MOVERS AND SHAKERS CORPORATE EVENTS
ARBOR
APO Snow have been acquired by a Swiss company. Its Founder, Regis Rolland (pictured), stated, After a
diffcult year of recovery proceedings, I am really proud to have found investors to continue the APOcalypse
story. Regis founded Apocalypse in 1985, A-snowboards in 1993 and APO in 2003. The APO team will
still be part of the new company and we will step-up its efforts in this new era thanks to stronger fnancial
support.
On Sunday December 19th the international
snowboard community will mobilise to give
the general public the opportunity to try out
snowboarding. Worldwide federations, schools,
clubs, shops, resorts and riders will offer a large
number of free activities for beginners to advanced
snowboarders all for free. Since its creation in
2006, World Snowboard Day has seen the number
of its events multiplied by four to reach 139 events
in 2009. With about 1900 activities and more
than 70,000 participants, WSD has become a key
event and point of reference for the international
snowboard community. For more information go to
www.world-snowboard-day.com, and join the World
Snowboard Day community on Facebook, Twitter
and MySpace. And dont forget to spread the word!
ispo has launched the Your Key To Trade Fair
Success Initiative, a new service designed to help
exhibitors improve their trade show results by
offering a comprehensive package of procedures
including instruction and training, check lists and
other services. This new service for exhibitors at
ispo 2011 consists of theoretical advice, as well as
practical solutions for the challenges presented
by trade fair planning, realisation and follow-up. A
wide range of professional online instructions and
training, workshops, check lists, tools and services
is available via the online information portal http://
www.ispo.initiativemesseerfolg.de/en/ispo/index.
html. The initiative is managed by Meplan GmbH, a
subsidiary of Messe Mnchen.
The tuxedos and party frocks were out in full force at the 2010 Watermans Ball. Eurosima presented a
number of awards: frst up its ecological innovation prize and 5,000 went to Vlkl for its range of ecologically
friendly snowboards. The Technological Innovation prize and 5,000 was won by Sport Contrle for the
protective earplugs SORKY developed in partnership with Sympatex that protect ears from infections or
other diseases linked with aquatic sports. The Performance Group of the Year award went to GSM for its
2009-2010 results and also for its steady growth for the past 10 years. Finally Maxime Huscenot received
the European Athlete of the Year award for his ASP World Junior title at Narrabeen, Australia. The 17 year-
old is the frst European surfer to win this trophy. The EuroSIMA Board honored Amaury Lavernhe with the
EuroSIMA Special Award for winning the 2010 IBA world bodyboard tour and Michel Hoff, former General
Manager of SAS Aupa Hoff and EuroSIMA founder member, received the Lifetime Achievement award for
his active contribution to the development of the boardsports industry and culture in France and Europe.
APO FIND NEW
INVESTOR
SPREAD THE WORD -
WORLD SNOWBOARD
DAY 2010
ISPO LAUNCH NEW
TRADE SHOW SUCCESS
INITIATIVE
EUROSIMA PRESENT BIG AWARDS
AT THE WATERMANS BALL
With so many lens tints, coatings and flters available for different environmental conditions, it can be
demanding for even industry experts to select the optimum combinations and nearly impossible for less
experienced consumers. With this problem in mind Oakley went back into the design bunker to create
OakleyView, an application that brings real-life sport scenarios into the retail environment and enhances the
consumer experience in an interactive way.
The OakleyView app realistically simulates sporting and everyday environments in different light conditions
and then allows the user to compare the effect of 18 unique lens tints. The App features landscape panoramas,
360 views and zoom options. A self-explanatory, internationally comprehensible system of icons means the
application can be implemented universally. This will enable Oakley retailers to help consumers experience
the advantages the different lenses offer before they purchase the product. Offcial Oakley dealers can
request a fash version to embed on their web pages.
OAKLEY UNVEIL NEW LENS APP
Vans EMEA is launching a new line of outerwear
purelydedicated to the European market. Historically
Vans Europe has run the same outwear line as North
America but following strong sales in Europe the
decision was made to launch a more specifc line
that takes into account European cut and colours.
The news range consists of jackets and pants for
both women and men.
Factory Media Ltd, has acquired six brands from the
German publisher B&D Verlag GmbH, The media
assets acquired consist of six consumer magazines
and six websites, Surfers (www.surfersmag.de),
Moto X (www.motoxmag.de), Skiing (www.skiing.
de), Snowboarder MBM (www.snowboardermbm.
de), Freedom BMX (www.freedombmx.de) and
Skateboard MSM (www.skateboardmsm.de). The
additional brands will boost Factory Medias total
assets to 19 print magazines and 23 websites,
published in six languages.
Stereo and Hi-Fi Wheels have signed a long-term
international licensing agreement with owners of
Theeve Trucks and Armourdillo, Antics International.
Stereo was founded in 92 by Jason Lee and Chris
Pastras and the agreement with Antics, which
is based in Vista, will allow them to focus on the
creative and marketing side of the brand while
Antics handles the day-to-day sales, distribution,
production and international operations.
VANS LAUNCH EURO-
SPECIFIC OUTERWEAR
FACTORY MEDIA BUYS
GERMANYS LARGEST
ACTION SPORTS MEDIA
PORTFOLIO
STEREO & HI-FI WHEELS
SIGN NEW LICENSING
AGREEMENT
A fnal YES was given in Oslo fnalising the
plan to host the inaugural World Snowboarding
Championships (WSC) in the winter of 2012. The
WSC will be held every four years featuring men
and womens slopestyle and halfpipe competitions,
and will crown a world champion for each gender
and discipline. Riders will qualify through the
Swatch TTR World Rankings and the WSF National
championships and every nation will be involved in
the qualifying system via its National Snowboard
Association.
WORLD SNOWBOARD
CHAMPIONSHIPS GETS
GO-AHEAD
Marian Kaeding has been appointed as new European
Marketing Director for Burton Europe overseeing
all European Marketing aspects for the Burton, Red
& Anon brands and reporting to Europes General
Manager Hermann Kapferer. Marian has offcially
been in his new role since August based out of their
HQ in Innsbruck. Previously to this Marian had been
Marketing and Sales Director for Forum, Special
Blend and Foursquare at Burton Sportartikel GmbH
for fve years when the brands were merged with
Burton Corp.
Holden Outerwear has flled three important
additions at the company. Colin Madden joins the
staff as Holdens Vice President of Sales, previously
he was a Director of Sales at Burton most recently
Vice President of Sales at Neff, Alex Messmer will
direct Holdens European distribution. Alex, formerly
with Rusty Europe, Volcom and Vestal Watches
Europe will be based in Biarritz.
Zimtstern are shaking up their sales and marketing
with a number of new appointments. Stefan Lehnert
will be taking the position as the Head of Sales;
previously he was the Sales Manager for DC Shoes
in Germany and Austria. Reto Scheidegger will now
concentrateonthemarketingof thewinterandsummer
collections as well as overseeing the new product
category Zimtstern Bike. The Swiss sales team will
be strengthened by Cyrill Fischer, who had been
working for the distributors Dac Sport and Bussport
for many years as a sales representative and will be
responsible for the regions Berne, Basel, Vallais and
central Switzerland. Markus Berger will work with
key accounts covering the rest of German speaking
Switzerland and Tessin. French speaking Switzerland
will continue to be handled by Casoar SA.
Snowboard industry vet and former pro
snowboarder, Kyle Phil is Mervin Manufacturings
new Vice President of Sales. Kyle will oversee
sales for all Mervin brands and categories including
Lib-Tech, Gnu and Roxy reporting to Mervin GM,
Ryan Hollis. Kyle will also manage retail marketing
including point of purchase and trade shows. While
his main focus will be the Americas, he will work
closely with global partners and distributors.
Beyond snowboards, Kyle will also be working with
to expand skate, binding and NAS sales.
Nicolas Dazet has been appointed as Quiksilver
Technical Divisions new Marketing Director and Miky
Picon is the new Director of European Marketing and
Products. A Hossegor native, Daz founded Concrete
Entertainment in 2001, which combined his two
passions surfng and imagery. His most successful
work behind the camera has been Quiksilvers Cloud
9 plus other projects for Canal+. Daz made his debut
in marketing during the late 90s with Arnette. Miky
has been a Quiksilver team member for many years,
so following his decision to "hang up" (his surfboard
professionally) it was a natural move to take his
experience into the business side of the equation.
Herv Lacastaigneratte is now the European
Brand Manager of Creatures of Leisure based
in South West France. He is responsible for all
aspects of brand management, distributor support,
marketing, surf team and overall European business
development and will report directly to Creatures
global headquarters in Western Australia. Herv
previously spent many years with Quiksilver Europe
working in a number of key roles including Product
Line Manager (Wetsuits and Accessories), Marketing
Director (Europe) and then General Manager of the
European Technical Division.
Arbor have announced three new appointments for
the Winter 2010/2011 season. Andy Rieger joins the
crew as Team and Events Manager. Additionally
Andy will be Arbors Online Marketing Manager and
Bavarian sales rep. Frank Meyer joins the team as
new National Sales Manager for Austria and Germany
and will cover Eastern Germany sales and support
directly in house the needs of all retailers. Philipp
Suwa joins Arbor in logistics and admin and is also
in charge of supporting the Arbor Demotour.
Starting fromthe delivery of the seasons main orders,
ConivSportswill nowdotheturnsforVlkl Snowboards
in Switzerland. This move means the former agency
structure will be replaced by a distribution channel,
retailers will beneft from reduced delivery times as
well as a simplifcation of account issues. Harry Gunz -
Vlkl former distribution partner and eminent European
snowboard greybeard - has decided to followhis other
passion for mountain bikes. His newresponsibility will
be boosting the sales of an upcoming bike wear brand,
Qloom. RadAir will continue to be distributed through
Marker Vlkl International and the RadAir Tanker can
also still be ordered from Harry Gunz. Vlkl Ski and
Marker Bindings as well as Vlkl Performance Wear
will still be handled by Vlkl Switzerland AG.
12. www.boardsportsource.com
Stock Name Stock Symbol 52 Week
High
52 Week
Low
P/E Market Cap
(millions)
Latest
Price
(time of press)
YTD
Total
Return
Brands
Adidas AG GR:ADS 45.77 31.35 16.788 9.096BN 41.10 20.513
Amer Sports Corp AMEAS:FH 9.10 5.15 12.087 1.059BN 8.72 62.255 Atomic, Bonfre, Salomon
Billabong International
BBG:AU AUS$12.32 AUS$7.31 13.752 AUS$2.032BN AUS$8.030 21.066
Billabong, Element, Kustom, Von Zipper, Nixon, Excel, DaKine,
Sector 9
Columbia Sport NASDAQ:COLM $60.10 $37.02 28.074 $1.918BN $56.71 37.417
Collective Brands PSS:US $26.65 $12.41 9.863 $1.022BN $15.88 -15.307 Airwalk, Lamar, Sims, Vision Street Wear
Globe International Ltd
ASX:GLB AUS$0.76 AUS$0.38 23.975 AUS$31,512,000 AUS$0.760 76.744
Dwindle (almost, blind, Darkstar, enjoi, Tensor, Speed
Demons, Globe, Cliche)
Iconix ICON:US $19.08 $10.75 14.441 $1.232BN $17.04 -1.96 Ocean Pacifc, Zoo York
Intersport PSC Holding XSWX:IHSN CHF139.90 CHF100.00 14.663 CHF44,000,000 CHF100.000 6.680
Jarden Corp. JAH:US $35.11 $24.55 12.996 $2.726BN $29.76 9.851 Adio, Hawk Shoes, Holden, K2, Morrow, Planet Earth, Ride, Volkl
LaFuma SA FP:LAF 14.66 10.40 7.390 39,568,000 11.38 -0.175 Oxbow
Luxottica Group Spa IM:LUX 22.27 16.17 24.825 9.222BN 19.92 13.480 Oakley, Arnette
Nike Inc
NKE:US $78.61 $57.66 20.297 $37.799 BN $78.66 36.353 Converse, Hurley, Nike SB, Nike 6.0, ACG, Nike Snowboarding
Orange 21 ORNG:US $1.65 $0.25 N/A $19,130,000 $1.60 25.000 Spy Optics
Quiksilver Inc NYSE:ZQK $6.09 $1.63 23.875 $626,268,000 $3.84 34.266 Bent Metal, DC, GNU, Quiksilver, Quiksilver Womens, Roxy
VF Corp VFC:US $89.23 $68.60 13.063 $8.466BN $78.43 11.445 Vans, Pro-Tec, Eastpak, The North Face, Reef
Volcom Inc VLCM:US $24.79 $14.76 18.040 $435,913,000 $17.86 10.794 Volcom, Electric
WeSC SS:WESC SEK 123.50 SEK 69.25 18.011 SEK 878,946,000 119.000 58.173
Zumiez Inc ZUMZ:US $22.53 $10.68 45.919 $624,169,000 $20.40 19.075
GLOBE INTERNATIONAL made a NPAT of $1.3 million for
the fnancial year ended 30 June 2010. This result, while modest, is a signifcant
improvement compared to the loss of $8.9 million reported for the prior year. Total
revenues for the year were $91.7 million, 22% below the $117.6 million reported
in the prior year. In constant currency terms, net sales were 9% below the prior
year, excluding the impact of the discontinuation of the Australian retail business.
Despite the reduction in total revenues, the Group generated $5.5 million of
earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, compared to a loss
of $4.5 million in the prior year. This $10 million turn-around in proftability is
directly attributable to the restructuring undertaken during 2009 and the refned
approach to working capital management and on-going cost control at all levels.
The strength of the Groups fnancial position continued to improve, with $6 million
cash generated from operations during the fnancial year and the Group had cash
of $14.9 million and no debt, Globe expect that conditions in FW11 will continue to
be volatile and, as such, revenue growth is diffcult to predict.
VF CORP posted record Q2 earnings despite the expected slow down
in the world economic recovery. Revenues in the period rose 7% to $1.59 billion
compared with $1.48 billion for the second quarter of 2009. Net income and
earnings per share reached record levels in the quarter, with each increasing
by 47%. Net income rose to $110.8 million, compared with $75.5 million in the
2009 quarter. These results were attributed to lower product costs, continued
expansion and improved gross margins in retail stores and lower inventories.
VFC said their direct-to-consumer businesses remains an important long-
term driver of both organic growth and margin expansion, with these revenues
increasing 7%, driven by 25 new store openings in the quarter. The direct-
to-consumer businesses of The North Face and Vans brands each achieved
double-digit revenue gains in the period. The company has raised its outlook for
the year now expecting revenues to increase 4 - 5% in 2010.
VOLCOM INC.
Total consolidated revenues were $62.5 million for
Q2 2010 compared with $54.2 million in Q2 in 2009.
Total revenues in the company's US segment, which
includes revenues from US, Canada, Japan and most
other international territories outside of Europe, as
well as the company's branded retail stores, were
$50.8 million, compared with $43.6 million in the
prior-year period. Total revenues in the company's
Europe segment were $5.1 million, compared
with $5.9 million in the same period in 2009. Total
revenues in the company's Electric segment were
$6.6 million, compared with $4.7 million in 2009.
At June 30, 2010 the company had cash, cash
equivalents and short-term investments totaling $110
million, and no long-term debt. For the 2010 third
quarter outlook the company currently expects total
consolidated revenues of approximately $102 million
to $105 million.
QUIKSILVER
Net revenues from continuing operations for Q3 of
fscal 2010 were $441.5 million compared to $501.4
million in Q3 of fscal 2009. Pro-forma consolidated
income from continuing operations for Q3 2010 was
$12.5 million compared to $3.7 million for Q3 2009. In
the Americas, net revenues decreased 9% during this
third quarter to $234.6 million from $256.8 million in
the same quarter last year. European net revenues
decreased 20%during the third quarter of fscal 2010to
$151.7 million from$189 million in Q3 2009. In constant
currency, European segment net revenues decreased
11%. Shortly after the end of Q3 the company completed
a debt-for-equity exchange with its investment partner
Rhne Capital, this reduced its quarter-end debt level by
$140 million in exchange for approximately 31.1 million
shares of Quiksilver common stock priced at $4.50
per share. The Company stated that based on current
trends, Q4 revenues are expected to be down in the
mid-teens on a percentage basis compared to the same
quarter a year ago.
BILLABONG
Sales in Europe lifted 5.2% over the prior year
taking full year European sales to $344 million. Key
products in Europe through the period included the
Groups technical range of snowboard outerwear
and wetsuits, which showed double-digit sales
growth. The t-shirt category continued to show good
momentum and accessories performed strongly,
particularly the backpack segment. Changes are
being introduced throughout the business to allow
it to support greater speed to market and therefore
accommodate the needs of the growing company-
owned retail base, which opened 28 European stores
over the period. Element is performing very well,
capturing the urban skate trends that are emerging
in southern Europe, while Nixon and VonZipper are
each showing strong reorders. The conversion of
some of DaKines European distributor business
into direct-sales operations in the second half
contributed to a strong performance for the brand..
049
14. www.boardsportsource.com
Who are the key players at Insomnia?
I would say that those would be the people that have been involved with the
shop throughout the years - the Insomnia Collective, that includes the skate
team, everybody who has ever worked in the shop, photographers, graphic
designers, Mums, Dads. We dont have a secret handshake or anything, its
just a bunch of people from diverse backgrounds that have put in some elbow
grease and burnt a few brain cells for skateboarding in Bulgaria.
What is the product mix of your store?
The product mix in the store is 40% hard goods and 60% soft goods. Insomnia
is a core skateboard store, but we do have a bit of snowboarding apparel in
the winter.
What percentage of your sales
are from online business?
Online stores are relatively
pretty new to Bulgaria, so
it is something we are still
developing over here. At this
stage you really cant compare
one with the other.
What are the benefts of
having a physical shop over
simply having an online
store? Im sure you have heard this before but I would say the talking to
customers face- to-face, people hanging out in the shop, the jokes, the racket.
You dont get that online.
What are the main brands that your store carries?
Independent, Girl, Chocolate, Jart, DVS, DC, Fallen, Lakai, Osiris, Matix,
Fourstar and Horsefeathers.
Are new lines important to your product mix?
New lines are important for offering your customers something fresh. But its
a bit tricky in Bulgaria as people are yet to get bolder with their wardrobe. The
majority of people have yet to shed off the dark olive and brown phase and
experiment.
How do you stay in touch with the wants and needs of your customers? We
follow the trends but at the same time we never neglect the needs of people
who want the classic things.
From your perspective, what does the future hold for the industry?
Well if the global warming doesnt fry our brains and Facebook doesnt take
over our lives I hope that there would be a growth in all these action sports
as nothing beats the feeling of hanging out with your friends (outside) doing
what you enjoy.
What kind of advice can you give other independent retailers who are trying
to compete against the big box megastores?
Keep things fun, up close and personal.
Does your store sponsor athletes, competitions, etc?
Insomnia has a skateboard team, which consists of skateboarders from different
parts of Bulgaria, different styles of riding, different dress style - mixed nuts!
The support we give to competitions is kind of seal of approval as we only
participate in events that we truly feel that the skateboarding in Bulgaria will
beneft from. We feel strongly about staying true to skateboarding. What makes
your store so successful? My
window displays ha-ha.
Where do you hope your
business will be in fve
years?
We hope that there will be
more kids skateboarding, more
skateshops and more people
putting back support into the
skate scene. Then things will
be better for everybody.
What is the biggest challenge an independent retailer faces today and how do
you meet that challenge?
Megastores are a big challenge for Independent retailers; we try to remain
fexible and brave.
In what ways can suppliers improve their support for independent boardsports
retailers? It would be nice if people remember that sometimes small shops
does mean small orders.

Have you noticed any difference in business because of the recent economic
crisis? Bulgaria has been in a crisis since 1989, and just as the country began
to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the global economic crisis hit. At the
moment things are pretty much back to square one, or perhaps 10. Hopefully
its a case of when you hit rock bottom the only way is up, otherwise we will
have to start digging. On a fnal note, dont get the wrong impression that
Bulgaria is a sad and depressed country its not! We would like to thank
Independent for the great window display competition and for the cool prize.
And a big thanks from me to everybody from the Insomnia Collective for helping
out with the project.
WE DON T HAVE A SECRET HANDSHAKE OR
ANYTHING, ITS JUST A BUNCH OF PEOPLE FROM
DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS THAT HAVE PUT IN SOME
ELBOW GREASE AND BURNT A FEW BRAIN CELLS
FOR SKATEBOARDING IN BULGARIA.
retailer award
INSOMNIA
The Insomnia skate store in Bulgaria is the winner of SOURCEs Retailer Window Award, sponsored
by Independent. Over 100 shops entered this tightly fought competition, but the Insomnia
Collective synched the top prize of 5,000 of Independent products, thanks to the time, thought
and creativity put into their display. Interview with Mary Hiekova, Head of Marketing.
WWW.INSOMNIACOLLECTIVE.COM +359 (0)2 980 59 77
16. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 17
04
There are numerous different options for price point differentiation. What they all have in common is their potential to raise the sales and proftability of a store.
It all boils down to the necessity to steer away from treating all customers equally, and offering personalised pricing and marketing initiatives instead. In a best-
case scenario, every customer would pay exactly the maximum price he or she is willing to pay. Hitting this sweet spot in practice will prove rather diffcult, as
it requires navigating a large amount of complex information that is hard to compute. But as a frst step, even implementing the most basic, practice-oriented price
point differentiation system can work wonders. To stores that are willing to make the effort, it can prove as a key to a vast potential of untapped revenues.
PRICE
MANAGEMENT
part.04
In everyday retail, the most commonly found methods
of price point differentiation are:
TIME-DEPENDENT PRICE
POINT DIFFERENTIATION:
Driving time-dependent price point differentiation
means offering different price points at different
moments of purchase. The reasons are either time-
dependent costs paid by the store (extra wages
for overtime, etc.), or in many retail situations, the
differences in preferred shopping times among
customers.
Some industries even go as far as offering different
prices for different times of day, for example energy
utility providers and ftness centres. In retail, the most
common time-dependent price point differentiation
is seasonal; customers can score better prices for
a snowboard in April than in October. Retailers use
time-dependent price point differentiation as a tool
to clear their stock levels, create cash fow, or make
space for newly arrived products. Price variations at
shorter time intervals such as days of the week or
times of day are hard to realise in retail and would
probably only lead to mistrust among customers.
SPATIAL PRICE POINT DIFFERENTIATION:
A space-oriented price point differentiation is based
on geographically defned markets. We see spatial
price point differentiation, when fyers for special
low-price sales are distributed exclusively in low-
income neighbourhoods. In this case, sales prices are
communicated to a customer segment that could not
be attracted with regular price points.
Another effective example of spatial price point
differentiation: A store distributes vouchers for price
rebates in a region that is signifcantly outside its
regional catchment area. This enables the store to
mobilise a number of new potential customers; most
of them probably would not make the long trip to the
store without the incentive of rebate price coupons.
This way, the store can clear out its overstock, without
having to slash prices for existing costumers.
PERSONAL PRICE
POINT DIFFERENTIATION:
With personal price point differentiation, a shop is
offering identical services to different customers at
different prices. Some of the main criteria for making
this selection include age, gender, income level and
occupation. Age-based price point differentiation
is mostly found in industries where businesses aim
to achieve long-term customer retention. For this
reason, many banks are offering free bank accounts
to students, hoping that they will remain loyal
customers to the bank after entering the job market
even if it means paying for the banks services at that
point. The boardsport business also uses age-based
price point differentiation to a great extent; most
childrens clothing is offered at lower price points
than comparable adult sizes. Realistically, these lower
prices cannot be justifed bythe lower use of resources
for producing kids products. Theres something else
at work here, namely the reduced willingness to pay
money for kids stuff among parents, who, in the end
are the ones making the purchase decisions. But by
offering attractive price points for kids, retailers can
prevent parents from choosing lower-priced, no-name
products in favour of real branded goods. To achieve
this effect, retailers have a large number of creative
options: How about handing out fyers with rebate
coupons specifcally at elementary schools? This will
open up an entirely new customer segment, one with
a remarkably high customer lifetime value.
Retailers also resort to personal price point
differentiation quite frequently, which in most cases
is not aimed solely at the press. In a recent example, a
popular jeans brand for the opening of a new fagship
store mailed out a set of limited, individually numbered
keys to select people. These recipients included
journalists, VIPs, artists, riders, etc. for whom the key
unlocked a lifetime discount of 20% on all the stores
products. With this innovative measure, the store will
be able to retain a highly targeted clientele for a long
period of time. Similarly, many stores also offering
special rates for members of local sports clubs and
associations.
CUSTOMERCLUBS
Customer clubs are a specialized variety of personal
price point differentiation. They offer an effective way
for winning new customers, while connecting existing
customers more closely to the store in the long run.
Membership in a customer club provides access to a
wide number of benefts: Mostly these are emotional
perks, like V.I.P. access or frst look at new collections;
but they also come with real price point incentives.
The advantages for the shop are, of course,
obvious: Next to stabilising customer relations in the
long run, customer clubs also yield valuable data such
as contact info and transaction records. Professional
customer retention systems provide customers
with a machine-readable club card, containing all
the customers current contact info, point balances,
etc. When making a purchase, the data on the card
is linked to the customers shopping card, which
unlocks important insight into the shopping habits and
preferences of individual customers. This information
can be leveraged into highly targeted advertising
initiatives. For example, the store could send out
snowboard fyers specifcally to those customers, who
have purchased snowboards and equipment before,
but not yet this very season.
MULTIPLE-CUSTOMERPRICE
POINT SETTING
In this case, the price depends on the number of
people buying a certain product. This kind of price
point differentiation is not very common in practice,
but it does offer a great variety of creative pricing
options for shops that know how to play it well.
Vertical price point differentiation is the sole domain
of globally active enterprises. Basically, it means
selling products in different countries at different
prices, regardless of the individual market segments
within these countries. For example, most products
are cheaper in Bulgaria than in Switzerland. But for
retailers who cater to a mostly regional catchment
area this kind of vertical price point differentiation
does not apply.
What matters more in retail practice, however, is
horizontal price point differentiation. In this concept,
consumers with the same or similar willingness
to pay are grouped together into the same market
segment, which is then addressed with specially
targeted price points. But as consumers are gaining
more and more market insight these days, targeting
individual segments with their own specifc prices
is getting harder. This is why horizontal price point
differentiation in retail usually goes hand-in-hand
with related product differentiation initiatives or
differentiation of other marketing tools. In practice, its
always easier to justify higher prices to customers by
pointing out that the product offers additional features
or higher use value. In the automobile industry, price
point differentiation is mostly implemented by offering
a great variety of customization options for vehicles.
In cases where companies are afraid to damage the
image or prestige of a brand by catering to a more
price-point-conscious consumer segment, they often
choose to launch an entirely new brand to cater to
this group. This, option, of course, is not only limited
to companies but also a choice for retailers who can
launch their own so-called store brands.
PREREQUISITES FORHORIZONTAL
PRICE POINT DIFFERENTIATION
Retailers are only able to realise price point
differentiation if:
1. Consumers exhibit a different degree of price point
readiness (willingness to pay).
2. They can identify different market segments and
approach them individually.
retailerhelp retailerhelp
RAISING PROFITS THROUGH
PRICE POINT DIFFERENTIATION
Stefan Dongus is a co-owner of Cologne-based
ne lines marketing, a marketing and consulting
agency specialising in the action asports industry.
s.dongus@nelinesmarketing.com
The past three episodes of this series covered the basics and main criteria for price point management in
boardsports retail. We also learned about the many options for price positioning, as well as the wide variety of
pricing strategies for introducing new brands and products, and for keeping up with competitors. But as this
episode of Retailer Help will show, price positioning and strategising are not the only tools available to retailers
for making forward-looking price point decisions: One of the most important tools is diferentiation, which can
be a decisive factor for driving sales and prots in your store. Stefan Dongus shows us how its done.
By defining a coherent price positioning and pricing strategy, a retailer
ultimately decides on which price league hes placing his business in.
Regardless of this overall pricing strategy, a retailer also needs to decide
on whether to keep pricing for all target groups constant or not. If he
chooses to offer variable price points for different target groups, hes
engaged in what is called price point differentiation.
This is a tool for working the market with a specific approach, an approach
that needs to be based on careful market segmentation. The basic idea
is to cater to different groups of consumers with different prices. So in
order to offer an efficient price point differentiation at your store, you
first of all will need to identify these individual consumer groups, or
market segments.
Always keep in mind: The main goal of price point differentiation is to
raise the profitability of your business. This is done through a process,
which in marketing speak is called skimming off the consumer's surplus.
It basically means that consumers with a higher willingness to pay money
are approached with higher-priced products than consumers with a lower
willingness to pay. Simple! Because after all, the worst mistake for a
store is to waste a good customer whos ready to leave serious money
at the shop with some low-ball sales offers. If the customer goes for the
sale, the store is still making profit but its not tapping into any of the
consumer's surplus.
Lets have a look at this principle more closely in a diagram:
In the no price point differentiation scenario, the store is always selling a
product at the same, consistent price, indicated as P1. At this price point, the
store is achieving the sales volume X1. The actual sales, in this diagram, are
defned by the area opened up by the price P1 and the sales volume X1. The cost,
here, is defned by the space spanned by the cost and the sales volume X1. The
resulting margin is illustrated by the blue-coloured space, which indicates the
contribution to proft from selling the product. In other words, the larger the blue
space, the more proft for the store.
Now look at the scenario where the retailer is driving price point differentiation
by selling the product to two different customer groups at different prices P2
and P3. In this case, the contribution to proft results from adding up all the
individual blue squares. As this example demonstrates, the overall blue space
indicating contribution to proft is actually larger. So the shops profts are
higher when driving price point differentiation. By offering different prices to
different market segments, the shop is able to skim off some of the consumers
surplus that would be left untouched in the same price for every customer
scenario. In an ideal world, the shop would be able to sell at the maximum price
every individual customer is willing to pay (as long as its higher than what the
retailer pays wholesale).
At the same time, even this very basic example already hints at the fact that
price point differentiation can be a complicated, research-intensive undertaking.
In order to realise the full potential of this tool, a store needs to be able to
identify these different market segments clearly; and establish appropriate
communication channels for relaying specifc prices to them.
WITHOUT PRICE POINT DIFFERENTIATION USING PRICE POINT DIFFERENTIATION
Price / Cost
Consumer's Surplus
Cost
P1
X1 Sales Volume
Price / Cost
Cost
P2
X2 Sales Volume
P3
X3
THE GOALS OF PRICE POINT DIFFERENTIATION
VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PRICE POINT DIFFERENTIATION
PRICE POINTDIFFERENTIATION IN RETAIL
OUTLOOK
www.boardsportsource.com 19
THE
BIRDMANS
BIG
DAY
OUT
In the last few years action sports has witnessed
an explosion of grand-scale events, but have any
surpassed the grandeur and budget of the Quiksilver
Tony Hawk tour? SOURCEs Chris Moran reports.
If there was ever a moment in history when action sports
muscled into the big time, then the Quiksilver Tony Hawk show in Paris
over the weekend of the 20th November 2009 could have been it. Held at the
Grand Palais - Paris' most opulent exhibition hall built in 1897 - an estimated
crowd of 25,000 people assembled, with many thinking what the hell is a
skateboard show doing here?
That's certainly what I thought, and I wasn't alone. "It's just incredible," said
Factory Media's Marcus Chapman. "Ten years ago this is the kind of place the
security guards would give you a kicking for skating. Now they're opening the
velvet rope and everyone's a VIP."
Ostensibly a skateboard comp followed by a demo from the legendary crew of
Sandro Dias, Sergia Ventura, Andy MacDonald and The Birdman himself, the
sheer scale and audacity of the event seemed to be a statement of sorts. The
question on many lips was this: why had Quiksilver spent so much money on a
relatively private skateboard demo?
"We did it to show the world that we're a skate-oriented company," says
Quiksilver Europe's Head of Marketing Nicolas Foulet. "We wanted to connect
our brand to the urban art and music scene, and we wanted to celebrate the
40th anniversary of our company."
Many at the show, and especially those in the VIP area (a mock-up of the
infamous Rock Food bar from Hossegor) were simply awestruck. "Just look
around you," said legendary surfer Tommy Carroll. "Isn't it amazing that we're
even here? I think its a real statement to say that boardsports are now big
time. As the frst person to have broken the $1million surf contract barrier
back in 1988, Tommy talks with some authority.
With a major art installation showing Quiksilver through the ages, and with
virtually every major professional athlete that had ever worn the wave logo
(including Kelly Slater, Torah Bright, Candide Thovex and Travis Rice) in
attendance, Carrolls theory made sense. It did seem that the Paris show was
a major statement by Quiksilver, to reaffrm its position as the big gun of the
action sports scene.
But how did an event of such scale do to their bottom line, was it worth the
effort? "It's diffcult to monitor the sales impact from such an event, and I'd be
lying if I gave you numbers," says Foulet, "but we wanted to work the image of
our brand toward the end consumer, so the resulting PR return and promotion
from the event was very good. We also wanted to involve our best accounts
and retail shops at the event through staff incentives and special treatment
packages, as a thank you to the people who work for us."
Soon after, Quiksilver decided to take the Tony Hawk Show on the road. "Our
idea was to bring the same vibe to our main or growing markets," said Foulet.
"The Paris show was a huge success, and we had amazing media return, so
this was a natural progression." The tour hit Berlin, Rome, Barcelona and
Brighton, hitting all the same buttons on every leg. "The great thing about
Tony Hawk is that he not only appeals to the young and new breed of skaters,"
says Quiksilver UKs Meena Rajput, "but also the older generation of skaters
who remember him as their hero back in the day." As a Brighton resident, I
saw Tony on the front page of the local paper, he was chatting on the news
at breakfast, and the kids in my family were all buzzing with the anticipation
that he'd be coming to the seafront. As a branding exercise, Quiky got their
boardriding message out to a broad spectrum of people, causing maximum
hype in a wide range of media from the local daily to every national core mag in
the country, not to mention the all-important social networking effect.
eventreview
Photos: James McPhail
20. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 21
INFILTRATING SKATE RETAIL
Knockoffs appear to be getting more refined across the board, and now
even include hardgoods. In the past, mostly hats and T-shirts were
affected by counterfeiting, but weve definitely noticed a rise in fake
hardware, especially decks, over the past couple of years, says Frank
Messmann. The skateboard industry veteran says that the rise of heat
transfer as the main method of applying deck graphics has fuelled a new
wave of fake, but deceivingly real-looking, hard goods; Sometimes its
hard to determine whether its our product or not without testing the
actual wood.
Whats also new, is that counterfeit skate products have been popping
up in brick-and-mortar retail, properly price-tagged and offered amidst
legitimate gear. Ivan Moreno, owner of Nomad Skateboards reports; All
around Spain, we had a lot of fake products
from Royal, Girl and other brands coming up
two years ago, even some Royal [truck-only
company] decks! Incredible, but some shops
were buying that crap. In the South of Spain
its a bigger problem, and there seems to be
big trouble in the Canary Islands.
Brd Grttum of Badlands Skateshop in
Troms, Norway says he has not seen any
fake products in his region, but if you go to
Oslo, a much bigger city, you will definitely
find some. The Supra/Kr3w distributor
recently got the police to raid a shop that
was selling fake Supras.
Richie Lffler remembers one of the biggest
cases to date: A few years ago they had
fake D3s by Osiris at [name of store chain
withheld by SOURCE], these things were
the bomb! Working with German authorities, the owners of Osiris ended
up confiscating over 12,000 pairs(!) of counterfeit shoes from 23 stores
in 2008. Yari Copt, owner of Joker store and Warriors Skateboards in
Lugano, Switzerland, was surprised by seeing a lot of fake Vans in
shops in Lisbon, Portugal. Meanwhile, Pat Lindenberger at Ground Zero
store in Worms, Germany, says he receives, offers of fake decks and
completes, mostly Zero and Baker regularly. T-shirts and sweats not so
much. Although one time a kid walked in with a fake DC shirt, and even
asked it if was real!
CATCHING THE CULPRITS
In 2009, Urban Supplies distribution noticed suspiciously cheap decks and
completes by Zero, Baker and Black Label for whom Urban is the official
German distributor sold at stores around the country. Urban Supplies
co-owner Jrg Ludewig soon found that, these fakes are thrown onto
the German market by local vendor [company name withheld by SOURCE],
who sells fake decks directly to stores, with stores knowingly buying
these fakes and offering them to their customers as authentic items!
Ludewig sent some of the Zero decks to Black Box in California to
determine their origin. These could have been grey market boards, from
someone other than our official distributor. But by analysing the wood
and manufacturing, we could determine they were indeed counterfeit,
explains Frank Messmann.
Legal action is currently underway through Black Boxs German lawyer.
Ever since Black Box has pursued it, [company name withheld by
SOURCE] has apparently held off on making offers to retailers. They
also used to make fake soft goods by DC and Element, but apparently
they managed to stop them, says Jrg Ludewig. Messmann admits that
pursuing counterfeiters can be a lengthy battle. If you really want to
go after it, you need lots of time and energy. Before you know it, youre
looking at 20,000 in legal fees, without having achieved anything.
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
Sole Technologys Don Brown (who incidentally, employs a full-time
anti-counterfeit specialist), says, To fight counterfeiting, we ensure
that our trademarks are registered in every key country even if the
brand isn't sold there yet. For any new brands out there; make sure you
get trademarks for your brand, otherwise
someone else will!
Frank Messmann agrees that prevention
is better than cure: Its important for
manufacturers to secure their entire
supply chain, making sure that there are
no backdoors for counterfeiters to exploit.
With heat transfer graphics, you have to
make sure your graphics arent transferred
to inferior products somewhere, especially
if you outsource this step in the process.
While most countries leave it up to the
brands to fight their own legal battles, Swiss
authorities are lending a helping hand:
Here in Switzerland we have a customs
authority we can call to officially prosecute
vendors of fake product. All I need to do is
confirm that the products are fake. Hows
that for a useful
government agency? says Andreas Reichenbach at Brazil Distribution.
JUST THE BEGINNING?
Without any specific statistics for the skateboard industry, its hard to
predict the future course for product piracy in skateboarding. Don Brown
at Sole Technology offers this; These tough economic times have created
the dangerous combination of companies cutting their anti-counterfeiting
budgets and consumers desperately trying to stretch their dollars. That
could certainly lead to increased counterfeiting.
Ivan Moreno also says that lowball prices for fake brand name products
could ruin consumer attitudes. If our store sells the product at the proper
price, the first impression in the mind of kids is that were bastards
stealing from the people, when the fake store selling a fake Girl tee at half
price will look cool.
And while core retailers including Pat at Ground Zero in Worms are
turning a cold shoulder to fake product offers, they are also aware that
retailers not so intent on keeping it real may take the bait. Its definitely
an interesting issue, Pat says. With Zero complete boards at 40, theres
a lot of temptation involved. Especially in times like these.
counterfeitgoods
COMING TO A SHOP NEAR YOU?
With all the swashbuckling blockbuster movies, Hollywood
has us believing that pirates are pretty cool dudes. And while pro skaters
including Jim Greco and Ali Boulala have been hitting the streets dressed
like Captain Jack Sparrow himself, one kind of (not so cool) buccaneering is
plaguing the skate business: product piracy.
Industry watchdogs - The Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG), recently
reported that up to 12% of sporting goods and toys on the world market, as
well as 11% of clothing and footwear, are fake. Counterfeit products currently
account for 5-7% of overall international trade at an estimated value of more
than $500 billion per year, according to the ICC Counterfeiting Intelligence
Bureau.
There are no specifc statistics for the boardsports business, but in an
industry driven by brand name power as much as ours, product piracy is a
known problem. On average we seize and destroy several thousand units
of counterfeit products a year. Being copied unfortunately comes with the
territory of having great brands, says Don Brown, Senior VP of Marketing at
Sole Technology (etnies, S, Emerica, Altamont and 32), I've seen all kinds
of crazy products that are either identical to our products, but not ours or
products that are the same style, with slight deviations of the logos, he adds.
Richie Lffer from Mantis Life Store in Hamburg has seen some even crazier
knock offs; I once bought some S G-string underwear from a street vendor
for 1 - incredible! On that note, lets quickly defne the basics: Richies
example, the creative re-use of company logos and graphics even on G-string
underwear is known as bootlegging. The close imitation of offcially licensed
products, on the other hand, is called counterfeiting. Both traditions are alive
and well, and entire street markets in Far East Asia offer fake products just like
the real thing, or exotic variations.
A PROBLEM WITHOUT BORDERS
In todays globalised world market, bootlegged and counterfeit products are
no longer restricted by regional boundaries. Weve seen it happen on and
off around the world for a couple of years now, but counterfeit products are
becoming an increasing problem in Europe, says Frank Messmann, from
Black Box Distribution.
The origin of fake products is no secret: All fakes come from China or
Turkey, says Eric Mader at Fresco Distribution in Italy. This statement
is in line with European Union customs statistics, that state that 58% of
counterfeit goods seized at EU borders in 2009 come from China, followed
by Turkey at 4.92%.
China is a manufacturing powerhouse that makes many of the skate industry's
products, and historically a lot of the counterfeited Sole Technology products
have also come from there, says Don Brown. Meanwhile, Benoit Copin at
Puzzle video, formerly Marketing Manager at Aeon Shoes and Lordz Wheels
in Paris warns: We may not always be able to tell that were dealing with
a fake product. The industry in China may just produce more than the skate
companies order and put it on the black market.
The most prominent route into Western markets today is surprise! the
Internet. One type of vendor, mostly based abroad, delivers fake goods to
end consumers via eBay, says Jrg Ludewig at Urban Supplies Distribution
in Germany, adding, T-shirts are the highlights among fake products, also
hoodies and sweaters. Sellers are pretty ruthless about it, offering designs
that dont even exist originally. I once bought a Flip T-shirt on eBay, which
was mailed from Thailand, making sellers practically untouchable. The quality
of the shirt was, sadly, quite good.
Fake skateboard products used to be the sole domain of online
auctions and dodgy street markets in the Far East. But recently,
knockof goods have been popping up at skate stores all over
Europe; properly price-tagged and sold as authentic items.
SOURCE investigates the world of counterfeit skate goods.
Report by Dirk Vogel.
THE GLOBAL ANTI-
COUNTERFEITING GROUP (GACG)
RECENTLY REPORTED THAT UP
TO 12% OF SPORTING GOODS AND
TOYS ON THE WORLD MARKET, AS
WELL AS 11% OF CLOTHING AND
FOOTWEAR, ARE FAKE.
WE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO TELL THAT WERE DEALING WITH A FAKE
PRODUCT. THE INDUSTRY IN CHINA MAY JUST PRODUCE MORE THAN THE SKATE
COMPANIES ORDER AND PUT IT ON THE BLACK MARKET. BENOIT COPIN, PUZZLE VIDEO.
www.boardsportsource.com 23
LIFE
AFTER
PRO...
A NEW CHAPTER
IN PROFESSIONAL
SURF CAREERS
Organised by the EuroSIMA Cluster, the French Surfng Federation
and the Regional Body for Youth, Sports and Social Cohesion (DRJSCS), in
association with CREPS, the Basque Sports Academy and Biarritz town
council - this day was more than just a meeting. This was the opening of a
(fnal) chapter, to help guide the careers of top-level athletes right through
the world of surfng.
French surfng is rallying and the empty shelves that were cruelly void of
trophies just a few years ago are flling up with World Championship titles
and other illustrious distinctions. The European contingent is now being
taken seriously and, alongside their newfound status in the sport, the athletes
themselves have launched professional careers whose routines and lifestyles
have reached the same level as other more mainstream sports disciplines.
For years the sacrifces endured on the competition circuit outweighed the
means put at the athletes disposal. Nowadays, with the help of growth and
economic development, sponsors have the means to fnance, protect and
aid their athletes at each stage of their career in the mould of Quiksilver,
Rip Curl and Billabong, who have traditionally always strived to make great
advances in fulflling these tasks.
But behind the scenes there is a source of concern for the surf industry
because for every elite surfer who makes a name for themselves on the
international scene, many are forced to jump ship when its just about to
set sail. Professional transition, without qualifcations or professional
experience other than on a board, is more often than not synonymous with
re-employment complications. Loss at this stage is felt on two levels, for the
surfer and for the industry itself. The top surfers who live and breathe the
industry from a very young age are subject to wavering marketing strategies
once they have become one of its by-products.
To make an inevitable yet happy transition into the professional business
domain, questions must be asked in good time. Questions that fll parents
hearts with doubt when their children devote themselves heart and soul to
surfng; pertinent questions that deserve an answer to prevent dreams of
surfng from brutally closing out when facing up to career prospects.
More than 150 people turned up at the Biarritz Casino for a day dedicated
to raising awareness about managing the careers of top surfers, which
focused on a central theme - to inform elite athletes of the means put at
their disposal to both tackle their athletic careers and anticipate successful
retraining for the professional world. Juan Gonzalez, General Manager of DC
Europe, welcomed the initiative, which he says is in line with their business
policy, We are very close to our riders and, by following any interest that
they lend to our companys projects during their sporting careers, we are
able to identify their qualities in order to offer them the best opportunities
for their retraining. Those who play the game and show real motivation and
competence have a real chance of joining the company at the end of their
athletic career.
Many athletes and ex surf pros shared their experiences, enlightening those
who, at a key moment of their lives, have to make the right choices to plan
for a secure future. Christian Guevara, Commercial Director of Volcom
Europe, was one of the rooms shining examples of successful transition. For
him, Studying is a pledge made to ensure an easier transition but I admit
that, to a certain extent, it is diffcult, even impossible to study and have an
international pro career. In this case, it is important to maintain and gather
other areas of interest alongside surfng, even if it means taking some breaks
from your pro career: art, music, photo/video, other sports these will all be
advantageous to the re-employment process. Above all though, an intact joy
for going surfng goes hand in hand with making a successful transition.
The options presented to surfers were numerous and shone some light on an
often gloomy situation. Additionally, the EuroSIMA Cluster are helping certain
surfers who are retraining, making current personal profle assessments and
tailoring business coaching to help them embrace a new stage of their lives.
We hope that this day will send out a beacon and can help top-level athletes
fnd an balance between professional life, family life and a passion for
surfng, reveals Fred Basse, President of EuroSIMA and General Manager
of Rip Curl Europe. A noble, useful goal whose positive knock-on effects we
should take our fedora hats off to.
To understand the extent of the maturity and strength of a sports industry, you just
have to look at the status of its top-level athletes. In fact, the professionalisation
of a scene often follows on from economic growth. Surng has been experiencing
this transition for years and a summit held at the Biarritz Casino in July was
dedicated to raising awareness of managing careers of top surfers. By Iker Aguirre.
Chaming Geordie Sam Lamiroy
is a prime exaple of a pro surfer
who has gone on to become an
ambassador for the sport
pic: O Neill
www.boardsportsource.com 25
AIRWALK
AIRWALK
AIRWALK
CREME CREME
DC
CMYK
CMYK
CIRCA CMYK
CIRCA
CIRCA
DUFFS
DC
DC DUFFS
skate shoes
LOOK AWAY YOU DIRTY BEASTS!
DVS DVS DVS DUFFS
SNEAKER
FILTH
www.boardsportsource.com 27
ETNIES
S
S
EMERICA S
GLOBE
FMS
GLOBE
FMS
ETNIES ETNIES
FALLEN
GLOBE
GRAVIS
GRAVIS
GRAVIS
EMERICA
EMERICA
skate shoes
SNEAKER FILTH
ELEMENT ELEMENT ELEMENT
IPATH
skate shoes
IPATH
OSIRIS QUIKSILVER OSIRIS
VOX VOX
VANS VANS
QUIKSILVER
VANS
SUPRA RIPCURL SUPRA
RIPCURL
WESC
NIKE NIKE NIKE
QUIKSILVER
OSIRIS
VOX
SUPRA
RIPCURL
WESC
IPATH
FALLEN
www.boardsportsource.com 29
The Great British Summer was in full
efect as the inaugural HUB show got underway
in torrential rain and apart from some very cold
and wet feet there was a positive vibe throughout.
This engendered an element of camaraderie and
humour among the assortment of attendees, and
over 500 key industry buyers attended the event,
held at Bristols amphitheatre and waterfront
square.
All under cover, the marquees were buzzing with
big brands, eco-friendly manufacturers, niche lines
and new independents. Exhibitors included
hardware brands such as Firewire, Mystic,
Trampa Mountainboards, Liquid Shredder,
the Shiner portfolio and apparel favourites
such as Analog, Billabong, Dragon,
Lightning Bolt, IAMWHY, Independent,
Etnies, RVCA, Sutsu, Troy Lee Design and
WeSC were all on show. Caz Hayes from
IAMWHY commented, Its been really
good weve had some good leads and
the contacts from networking with the
distributors and brands here have been
great. We hope to convert them all into
sales for 2011.
While Mark Selvey from brand WeSC said, Its
something that the British boardsport industry
needs, a show that caters for it. Weve had a few
new customers, plus all the pre-booked meetings
before the show so its been positive. On the
Tuesday night, exhibitors and retailers headed
over to the nearby Big Chill Bar for the show party,
which provided a welcome celebration after a busy
day of business.
On the fnal day, the sun shone and Bristol became
a completely different city to the rain soaked sprawl
it had been on the frst day. This set the tone nicely
as the outside area could now be put into full
effect with the various skate demos happening on
the King Ramps half-pipe. Bristol provided an ideal
backdrop for the event; its culture of surf, skate,
snow, skate, art, fashion and music lent a perfect
ft, and the Waterfront venue, at the heart of the
citys cultural centre, offered plenty of cafes and
bars for networking during and after the show.
For retailers looking for industry advice, the
retail workshop sessions provided an open forum
for ideas and discussions on hot topics such as
branding, social marketing, stock management,
cash fow and so on.
The excitement from the industry surrounding
the new event was palpable and HUB provided
a much-needed new focus at a challenging
time. Buyer Roger Povey of York-based Mayhem
summarised the event as "intimate and enjoyable,
looking forward to next year!" Charlie Allan, co-
owner of locally based Shiner Distribution, echoed
this, heaping praise on the shows frst outing Our
guys have been fat out on the stand all day, we had
some really great customers and accounts coming
through.... it is defnitely one for next year.
Some brands who were unable to exhibit for the
whole show did turn up to have a look round and
offer their support. Matt Rumble from Hurley
was one such case having been unable to
attend for the whole duration he managed
to make it on the fnal day and was suitably
impressed saying that the brand would
defnitely be at exhibiting next year.
All the brands, despite the dampness of the
frst day, did say the event and venue were
an improvement on its previous incarnation
as Surf Shop Expo held in Exeter and was
defnitely one to pencil in for next year, many
also suggesting that fashion buyers should
be watching the show closely too.
HUBs plans for next year include more brands
and stands, and show organiser Lucy McPhail is
currently considering the prospect of running a
consumer event alongside. This would be strictly
separate from the trade-only aspect, offering an
opportunity for the end consumer and also retailers
to get more involved.
OUR GUYS HAVE BEEN FLAT OUT ON
THE STAND ALL DAY, WE HAD SOME
REALLY GREAT CUSTOMERS AND
ACCOUNTS COMING THROUGH.... IT'S
DEFINITELY ONE FOR NEXT YEAR.
CHARLIE ALLAN, SHINER DISTRIBUTION
The inaugural HUB tradeshow took place in Bristol, UK in August; despite some stereotypical British summer
weather, the mood was upbeat. SOURCEs Digby Reed reports.
Contact Lucy McPhail at lucy@hubtradeshow.com Tel: +44 (0)207 973 6635
tradeshowreview
www.boardsportsource.com 31
Its the holy grail of all team managers
- to fnd an action sports athlete who can kill the
competition, quip one-liners with the press, charm
customers at shop signings and always name-drop
their sponsors on TV. "More and more we are looking
for the complete package with our surfers," says
Reef's global team manager Heath Walker. "While
sheer surfng talent is still the key, we know that a
surfer who knows how media works will attract way
more exposure and help sell the brand."
Hence the recent launch of Ride
OMeter, a new media tool designed to
measure how much coverage riders get
in the press. Franck Corbery is behind
the idea. Brands invest heavily in their
teams, says the former O'Neill team
manager, and it's about time they had
a tool allowing them to measure that
accurately.
With the average age of an athlete
getting younger, understanding the
mechanics of marketing, how to act professionally
and how the media works can be a tough ask
for even well educated kids. Without a clued-up
parent to help them - or an agent to deal with their
contractual obligations - theres a chance their talent
might be overlooked; especially when they hit that
shy, troubled time that the rest of the world knows
as the teenage years and fail to perform off their
boards.
The absolute classic mistake made by skaters and
surfers is that they think theyre being sponsored
just because of their ability, says Stuart Brass from
Soulsports, himself agent to X Games gold medal
winner Jenny Jones. But really, being sponsored
is a marketing gig like any other. Theyve been
sponsored to help brands and shops sell equipment,
and their ability on a board is important, but so is
how good they are at pushing their sponsors.
How then should brands invest in their athletes?
Step forward the Action Sports Media Training
course. Theres a misconception in the action
sports industry, where brands often think that the
athletes who get it, and make it, are the ones worth
sticking with, says ACM Agencys Chris Moran, a
one-time Burton European Team rider and the guy
Nike 6.0 turned to when setting up their UK team. If
you have talented kids who dont really understand
what theyre supposed to be doing, train em up,
otherwise you lose your investment in that rider,
and the athlete ends up disillusioned with the entire
industry.
ACM runs media training workshops for clients
ranging from major brands to lone world champions.
The aim is to educate riders about their value as
assets to their sponsors, says Chris. We take
them away for a couple of days, explain the brands
message and philosophy, and basically break down
how sponsorship works. We also make it fun - the
athletes come up with their own brands, we hold an
event, flm it, make a magazine out of it, and then
show them who got the best coverage and why.
Hopefully they can then relate this experience to
their relationship with their own sponsors.

Tracks Surfng Magazine Deputy Editor Ben Mondy
is also behind the initiative. In other industries,
teaching young athletes about what their sponsors
want is pretty basic stuff, says the
Aussie mentor. If youre going to pay
some kid in the hope that they get on
television, or represent you in the press,
you defnitely want to make sure they
know what to say, what not to say, and
why an off-the-cuff tweet or facebook
posting might come back to haunt them
when theyre famous. Its the same
stuff for shop-sponsored riders as it is
for big players. If they learn it young itll
stay with them forever.
What always staggers me is that you wouldnt
launch a new board short or outerwear range with
a keynote speech by a 15-year old kid whos got no
knowledge of what the design features are says
Moran. But thats effectively what brands are doing
when theyre sending their untrained athletes out
into the media world to represent them. What were
saying is: tell the athletes what their job is, who
theyre working for, and give them the tools and the
media training to do that job properly.
Yeah and if they dont get it after that, laughs
Mondy. Then thats the time to fre em.
THE ABSOLUTE CLASSIC MISTAKE MADE BY
ATHLETES IS THAT THEY THINK THEYRE BEING
SPONSORED JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR ABILITY
BUT REALLY, ITS A MARKETING GIG JUST LIKE
ANY OTHER
STUART BRASS, SOULSPORTS.
EFFECTIVE ATHLETE SPONSORSHIP
A YouTube clip just after the 2006 Olympics shows Shaun White on CNN.
THE STEWARDESSES WERE ALL STOKED TO SEE THE GOLD MEDAL, SAYS SHAUN. AFTER THAT I WAS GETTING
UNLIMITED DRINKS. WAIT A MINUTE, INTERRUPTS CNN REPORTER NANCY GRACE. DRINKS? YOURE NINETEEN
YEARS OLD. YEAH, REPLIES SHAUN, WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT, IM TALKIN ABOUT MOUNTAIN DEWS BABY.
For more info on ACMs Media Training Workshops go to: www.acmwriting.com
industry insight
WALK
THE
WALK, TA L K T H E TA L K
"Smile!"
Danny MacAskill, no
stranger to the power
of YouTube, faces the
camera on a media
training course.
photo: James McPhail
32. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 33
Jascha, please start by telling us how your career
with adidas began?
It all started in 2001, when I was frst sponsored by
adidas as a team rider. Back then skateboarding was
relatively new at adidas, which was a good point for
me as I was able to witness the whole development
of the last ten years across different projects.
From which different perspectives did you get to
know the brand?
I would separate this into different phases. From
2001 to 2006 I was a team rider, an intern under
Bryce Kanights in 2006, a team manager until 2008
and during this time flmer and producer of the video
Diagonal. Since 2008, Ive been Global Sports
Marketing Manager at adidas skateboarding.
Whats your relevant headquarter at adidas the
one in Herzogenaurach or in Portland?
Neither of them, because the sports marketing
department that I work for is based in Amsterdam.
But Im quite often in Both Herzogenaurach and in
Portland.
How often do you travel to the US?
Quite often, I was there four times this year already.
The product team is based there, our creative
agency, Juice Design, many of our team riders are
there and also the US team manager. Were well
connected through weekly telephone conferences,
but theres nothing more important than just going
out for a beer and sharing some face time.
You were part of the Diagonal video project, both
as flmer and producer. Skate videos and flming
have always played an important role for you in
the past, right?
Indeed, the video camera has been my companion
throughout my skateboarding days. When I was
13, I flmed all my friends around me. It helped that
Torsten Frank and Michael Rathgeb, the two best
German flmers, came from the same area and I was
their little brother who tried to support them with
their projects.
And then everything went hand in hand
Yes, skateboarding and videography is just a natural
ft. It all went parallel for me and both areas have
profted from one another. Torsten and Michael were
incredible mentors for me and I tried my best to
support them with my own flming. After graduation,
I studied Communicactions Design with the pathway
to flming and video and did a three month internship
under Bryce Kanights at adidas Skateboarding in the
US. Through that internship I got to know the whole
US team and the skate industry over there.
WERE LIVING IN
AN EXCITING ERA
FOR VIDEO. THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF
VIDEO HAS NEVER
BEEN HIGHER THAN
TODAY THANKS
TO THE INTERNET.
BUT THE CLASSICAL
VIDEO PART IN A FULL
LENGTH PRODUCTION
IS STILL THE HEART
OF THE MATTER.
Be it by destiny or by chance, adidas is staying true to its German roots even in its skateboarding department.
While former Bavarian powerhouse Dennis Busenitz has become the Three Stripes most iconic rider, Stuttgarts
Jascha Muller has undergone a meteoric rise from team rider to Global Sports Marketing Manager. He explains
to SOURCE about his job as Moderator between the world of the global brand and that of skateboarding.
Interview by Holger von Krosigk.
With all your insights into the international industry,
whats going on that is really different from what
youd imagined as the little skate kid in Stuttgart?
When I was a kid, everything was just exciting and
I looked at a lot of things from a very romantic
perspective with a lot of admiration. The reality is a
lot different from that, its a business as many others,
an industry with economic goals. But if you accept
that and compare it to other businesses, you realise
that things are a lot more casual in skateboarding.
What are some of the things that Europe has that
America hasnt?
Culturally, Europe is a lot more versatile and richer
than California with all those different languages,
habits and traditions. The spots are a lot more
interesting and its easier to skate here. All in all,
Europe offers more freedom than any part of the
US.
And what does Cali have that you dont fnd
anywhere between Berlin and Barcelona?
Low handrails, stairs and good burritos! No,
honestly, California has a lot to offer and more than
just sunshine all year round. The American dream
really exists somewhere, I think. As a professional
skateboarder in the US you can make a very decent
living, while its a big struggle in Europe. I also think
that skateboarding isnt that much of a bust anymore
in the US. Its become so popular and people respect
it as a sport, much more than a couple of years ago.
Do you still grab the video cam once in a while?
I havent had a camera in my hand since Diagonal. The
last serious trick I flmed was Dennis Ollie over the
table at Sants in Barcelona so no HD-experience
in my case! But I think Im going to get myself a
digital SLR camera. The technical development over
the last few years was amazing.
The importance of videography in skateboarding
is unbelievable. What do you think of the recent
developments in that area?
Video has been developing into the most important
tool for professional skateboarders. Videos mirror
the progressive cycle of the sports. Individuals raise
the bar and do what other people try to copy, which
a few people then take on to another level to be an
example themselves.
Web clip vs. full part is Youtube going to replace
the classic video part?
Were living in an exciting era for video. The
signifcance of video has never been higher than
today thanks to the Internet. But the classical video
part in a full-length production is still the heart of
the matter. There are uncountable possibilities for
shorter videos on the web though. And I think that
quality will be the crucial factor in this jungle of
digital information. Filming is, and will be important
in the future - its the most important task for a
professional skateboarder.
which is not that easy to understand for
outsiders.
The documentation of skateboarding is far more
important than the contest thats the elementary
thought. I try to explain that to outsiders with an
example from the world of soccer. The stadium, in
which the game takes place, is the world of media
for skateboarding. Whether print, web or video,
documentation counts. Magazines are the weekly
league, while full length videos are the world
championships which takes place only once in four
years.
And the players are your team riders. How do you
get along with all the riders at adidas?
At adidas, everyone is really mellow and easy-going.
If you select riders for a team, talent and skills are
the basic requirements, no question. But personality
is really important as well, because you have to
work as a team over a long time and spend time with
each other.

What do you think about Dennis Busenitz and the
role hes playing at adidas?
We know how important he is for us. Dennis is of
great value for us at adidas and Dennis really knows
how to appreciate that. When he worked out his
shoe, the whole soccer silhouette was completely
his idea. It was a lucky pull for adidas and he came to
us at the right time. Former US team manager Bryce
Kanights has a big share in that.
What do you think about the status of Europe in
skateboarding nowadays?
The US is, and will continue to be, the biggest and
most important market in skateboarding. The largest
part of the professional skateboarders, media and
companies are based there. But Europe has been
growing, especially with Kingpin Magazine, and
companies like Clich or Blueprint or videos such as
Diagonal. In the future, the two continents will be a
lot closer everythings going to be more global.
After all, adidas is still a global player and
skateboarding is a subculture with a very critical
following. How would you describe adidas
approach in skateboarding?
At adidas Skateboarding, every person is involved
in skateboarding. From product to design, from
marketing manager to creative agency, we all skate.
And doing so, we get all the trust and support
from the rest of the company and were working
together harmonically. Regarding the skate team, I
read a nice quote on a blog yesterday: adidas has
the best group of skaters for speed, versatility, and
originality." If you want, you can also deduct our
approach by looking at the company history. adidas
stands for quality and a long and successful history
in sports. The founder, Adi Dassler, had the vision
to create the best product for every type of sports
individually and authentically designed to meet the
specifc demands.
Whats your daily routine what are some of
Jascha Mullers daily tasks?
My work either consists of a lot of offce time
including loads of emails, phone calls and conceptual
work, or Im away in different parts of the world on
tours, visiting events and seeing the team.
What do you love about your job?
Im grateful for the opportunities that I have through
my job title and really like working for the sports
marketing department. It allows me entrance into
the whole world of skateboarding, but at the same
time also into the world of adidas. These are two
different worlds and my job is to moderate, I think
its important to know that everyone can be replaced
and that nothing can be taken for granted.
What do you hate about your job?
I really love my job but sometimes its hard to switch
off the brain. Sometimes my girlfriend calls me a
workaholic and believes that I should try saying
good morning to her frst and then to my cell
phone.
IN THE FUTURE, EUROPE AND THE US WILL BE A LOT CLOSER,
EVERYTHINGS GOING TO BE MORE GLOBAL.
JASCHA MULLER
ADIDAS
SKATEBOARDING'S
GLOBAL
SPORTS
MARKETING
MANAGER
BIG WIG INTERVIEW
36. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 37
Its a clich to say that no two winters are ever the same, and last winter was a counter-example of this. Just like
the year before, the snow was plentiful across all European mountain ranges. The return of the El Nino weather effect, combined with
considerable cold-stores in the Nordic regions (due to the oceanic glaciers remaining stable in certain areas) sent waves of cold air
streaming into Europe which subsequently swathed our mountains in a white, snowy blanket in mountain ranges from East to West. Great
Britain recorded the coldest winter since 1978 and Scotland recorded its coldest season since records began in 1914. However, on a global scale,
the average temperature was in fact 0.6C above the norm for the season, and the period from December February was in fact the fifth hottest
recorded which just goes to show that looks can be deceiving! Lets not spoil the celebration though, good times were had last winter and, like
every year, SOURCE lends its ear to the industry to analyse the results of this fun-packed season. The results for this report are sent throughout
the whole industry and cross analysed.
THE EUROPEAN MARKET:
FIGURES BY COUNTRY
Thanks to excellent snow conditions across the Alps in the past two seasons
and low stock level in shops, the decline in sell-in sales was suppressed
and stabilised to -2% this winter. In terms of units, the most significant
drop was once again seen in Russia, which has shed 13,000 boards in two
years. Less noticeable losses came from Scandinavia, Austria, France and
also from Spain (see fig 1).
Germany continues to dominate European sales with an increase of around
55,000 boards, followed by Switzerland (49,000 boards) and then by France
(48,000 boards), meaning the three leaders retain their podium places in
terms of volume.
Its notable that 81.5% of European sales were made by just nine countries
(compared to 80% last year), whilst overall market share in Eastern
countries decreased from 18% to 17% - this demonstrates that concentration
of sales is strengthening within old Europe while the promise of the East
is gradually subsiding.
Among the biggest losses of the 9/10 winter, Russia saw a decline in
general hardgood sales of around 13%, followed by Switzerland at -8%,
Austria at -7% and France at -6%.
Over the last five winters, overall European sales has shrunk by 100,000
boards, 109,000 pairs of boots and 114,000 pairs of bindings. This equates
to the total number of sales amassed by the two leading nations in Europe -
which is a significant figure - even if the overall market outlook is showing
signs of smiling.
TURNOVER
BASED ON RETAIL PRICE
The overall European market is worth about 272 million (based on retail
price), which represents a strong rise compared to last year - approximately
20%. This increase can be explained by technological fine-tuning in the
three hardgoods segments, particularly reverse camber boards and rear
entry bindings.
75% of overall turnover came from men's products
compared to 72% last year.
21% of overall turnover came from womens products
compared to 23% last year.
4% of overall turnover came from kids products
compared to 5% last year (a return to the 2007/08 level).
126 million - sales of hardgoods
46% of which were from snowboard decks, compared to 28% in 2008/09.
For the second consecutive season, boots and bindings
played a moreimportant role in overall turnover, accounting for almost 55%
of sales.
Winter 2009/10 was a long, cold snowy one with truck-loads of
the ufy stuf falling on mountains throughout Europe. But the
Million-Euro question is of course, how did the snowboard market
fare as a result? In this sixth annual post-season analysis, SOURCEs
snowboard guru Remi Forsans does the homework to bring you an
in-depth market overview.
2009/10
SNOWBOARD
MARKET ANALYSIS
marketanalysis
Remi Forsans,
Snowboard
Editor Boardsport
Source, will give a full
presentation on this topic
at the next European Snow
Forum. Dates to follow on
boardsportsource.com
38. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 39
EUROPEAN
MARKET SHARE
Cross-analysis of information sent back
by the industry allows us to estimate the
position of European brands per product
segment. Hermann Kapferer (MD, Burton
Europe) will be happy to see that Burton
are still sitting comfortably at the top,
they continue to maintain their focus on
the snowboard market and keep out of the
freeski debate. Nitro Snowboards hold onto
their position in second place in boards,
but lose out to Ride in bindings (the 'Ride
Contraband' model won an award at our last
Snow Forum in Garmisch). Third place was
a hard fight this year but goes to Salomon,
surpassing K2 in fourth place and Ride
who maintain their fifth place in the yearly
standings. A pleasant surprise entry comes
from Voelkl who are finally rewarded for
several years hard graft. Distribution brands
such as Wed'ze (Decathlon) and Crazy
Creeks (Intersport) retain an important
place, whilst Rossignols downward curve
continues.
BURTON
NITRO
SALOMON
K2
RIDE
HEAD
ROME
VOLKL
LIB TECH
ELAN
NIDECKER
FLOW
ATOMIC
FORUM
WEDZE
CRAZY CREEKS
ROSSIGNOL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10+
Urban distribution, compared to that of resorts, has clawed its way back, taking 61% of the market
share in the hardgoods domain. As a result, rentals are slightly down with 22% usage compared to
23% in the previous year. It's a good bet that these last two snowy winters have finally made riders
want to buy their own gear. Pro-shops have continued to enlarge their market share to 31% of total
equipment sales up from 26% last winter. For brands, pro-shops now represent an economic
dynamic that is almost as powerful as the large sports chains (Intersport, Sport 2000, Twinner...).
SOURCE cant emphasise enough that we should build on this positive trend, because pro-shops have
always offered unconditional support to the sport, breathing lift into a whole host of small brands. Its
the pro-shops that bring diversity, richness and progression to our sport - they are loyal and integral
to our community.
Last year, we declared a
supplementary decrease
of 4% in the total units
of hardgoods (boards,
boots, bindings) sold,
but this year good
weather conditions
helped limit this decline
to only 2% in 2009/10.
At the moment of
writing this new market
analysis, the forecast
is pointing towards an
increase, and that hasn't
happened in a long time.
The outlook is that total
hardgoods sales will
increase by around 2%.
Softgoods appear to
be climbing a steeper
growth axis, especially
helmets and goggles.
SNOWBOARD MARKET 2009/10
09/10 EUROPEAN
SNOWBOARD
BRAND POSITIONS
marketanalysis
TRENDS 2009/2010
Fig 1: EU winter 2009/10 Sell-In (industry to retailers), Boards sales estimations per country.
Fig 3: Distribution segmentation in % over last two seasons.
Fig 2: EU ranking estimation, snowboards, winter 2009/10.
Country Boards sold %of Market 2010vs2009 2010vs2009
GerMany 54714 15.41% +2.87% +1527
sWItZerland 49429 13.92% -0.4% -196
franCe 48857 13.76% -3.25% -1643
austrIa 39429 11.1% -4.42% -1821
russIa 30143 8.49% -15.98% -5732
Italy 25857 7.28% +7.18% +1732
uk 15643 4.4% +6.5% +955
BeneluX 13167 3.71% +12.06% +1417
sPaIn 12500 3.52% -8.26% -1125
fInland 11833 3.33% +11.37% +1208
CZeCH reP. 10917 3.07% +0.96% +104
norWay 10833 3.05% -17.46% -2292
sWeden 10167 2.86% -9.12% -1021
Poland 9367 2.64% +1.95% +179
sloVenIa 2000 0.56% N/A N/A
HunGary 1580 0.44% N/A N/A
denMark 1533 0.43% N/A N/A
serBIa MonteneGro 1480 0.42% N/A N/A
CroatIa 1200 0.34% N/A N/A
sloVakIa 1000 0.28% N/A N/A
GreeCe 960 0.27% N/A N/A
kosoVo 920 0.26% N/A N/A
roManIa 820 0.23% N/A N/A
BulGarIa 800 0.23% N/A N/A
TOTAL 355148 -2.11% -7645
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Pro Shops Independant Chains Big Boxes Flagship
2008 / 2009
2009 / 2010
26% 26%
33%
16%
0% 0%
32%
12%
25%
31%
DISTRIBUTION
40. www.boardsportsource.com
marketanalysis
MARKET
SEGMENTATION
BY PRICE, DISCIPLINE
AND GENDER
In men's snowboards, 60% of products sold were
between 200 and 400 (retail price) compared
to 56% last year. The increase is especially
significant in the 300 - 400 segment, which
rises from 28% to 37% of total sales (Fig 4).
Products over 400 reclaim a position that was
lost last year - this significant price increase in
boards is largely due to the advent of new camber
technology - this confirms that technology is
central to consumers' purchasing decisions.
In products for women, (Fig 5), the results are pretty much the same as last year, and the leading price range is again 300 - 400. In total, products
of less than 300 now only make up 44% of sales. The other segments each took a 6% rise, which positions the 300 - 400 bracket at the same level
as for men.
The freestyle sector, which saw a sharp decline last year, has maintained an overall share of sales at 34% this year, and the segment leader freeride/
freestyle (48% of sales) has split somewhat, shifting some riders towards freeride/backcountry. This segment has absorbed the biggest progression
with 14% of the market share. Next year should bear witness to whether this trend is set for the long-term or whether it's just an after-effect of the snow
quality of these last two winters. For women, this trend is less pronounced and freestyle is continuing to progress, asserting 31% of total board sales,
this means its share is almost as high as in mens, however this trend is sure to calm down in the next few years. Perhaps this catch-up is attributable
to the benefit from a tailwind of heavy marketing.
Unfortunately, we are witnessing a downturn in
kids' snowboarding and their participation has
fallen back again to 7%. Numerous initiatives to
reopen snow classes are in progress, notably in
Austria where brands like Burton have set out
to increase the involvement of children through
their schools.
In the very same article last year, we highlighted the risk of a paradox - a
probable growth in demand for stock from shops if the winter is good, while
the industry remains cautious in its production. That's what happened,
consumer demand was high, stocks were cleaned out and shops are once
again ready to commit in a more significant way.
Brands have finally realised that they owe their survival and their future to
developing their technology. The Boa System today represents around 44%
(45% for ladies) of boot sales, rear entry bindings 27% (29% for ladies) and
reverse camber boards 49% (43% for ladies).
In distribution, the Internet phenomenon continues to intensify and now
represents between 10 - 12% of European board sales. All systems are
go for our sport, but we can't ignore the threats that surround us, mainly
to do with factors linked to the economy such as product price levels and
fluctuating exchange rates (mainly with Eastern countries). Distribution
concerns remain: what is the future profitability of hardgoods sales, what
sort of credit limit can be offered by suppliers or banks and is it necessary
to continue to have a shop window on the street to sell a snowboard?
What is certain is that habits and trends change, and the emergence of
touring and backcountry are proof of this.
Small, independent sports retailers are disappearing or merging while
sport shop chains seem less and less interested in snowboarding. This
is slightly paradoxical since we know that freeskiing is now attracting
less snowboarders and that it has actually served to highlight freestyle in
general, as seen at the X Games Europe in Tignes last March.
Less duality, less freeskiing vs. snowboarding creates one sole discipline,
one lifestyle: freestyle. Snowboarding can once again feel proud and hold
its head high - the sport's image is pure, modern and young. You just have
to look at the impact and influence snowboarding had during the Olympic
Games to be convinced. But a sport with a young image doesnt mean it
should leave out its ageing riders, I said it last year and I'll insist on it this
year. Do not drop the elders for the sound of the young sirens: they have
great spending power and free time. The truth is, the access price of our
sport is dissuasive for the youth and it's essential that we don't make winter
sports into a reserve of the rich.
Finishing on an optimistic note, there are strong reasons to think that
newly emerging markets will reinforce these upturning tendencies: Poland
and the Czech Republic are fitting examples of this. New technologies,
innovations and the emergence of eco-responsibility within our sport are
setting examples for the sports industry as a whole... and long may it last!
SNOWBOARD MARKET 2009/10
CONCLUSIONS
8%
23%
23%
37%
10%
9%
35%
16%
37%
3%

MEN 70%
WOMEN 23%
Fig 5. Female Snowboard
price segmentation,
2009/10 season
Fig 4. Male Snowboard
price segmentation,
2009/10 season
Fig 6. Participation (sales) 2009/10
CHILDREN 7%
www.boardsportsource.com 43
marketreport
A CATEGORY PROBE
Socks and underwear - what our American buddies refer to as smalls
were once perceived as accessories of limited value, traditionally regarded
as simply part of the accessories range of a clothing brand. They are now,
however, very real and valuable products in the action sports world.
There is certainly a market to take advantage of with smalls; and one which
only looks set to grow. The sector has matured from a mere accessory
into a product category of their own right, says Emmanuels Loheac, CEO
of Pull-In, and hes a man who knows a thing or two about the boxer short
French born Pull-In underwear was founded 10 years ago with a range of
about seven products; they now produce approximately 800 SKUs per year
in three categories of mens, womens and kids. Presently they have eight
concept stores scattered in key cities around the world, with a growth plan
of two-three new stores per year.
Of independent retailers stocking their product Pull-In estimate that 25%
of accounts are boardsports specific, equating to 20% of their doors.
Although significant, they predict growth in core stores will be far slower
than that of general streetwear or mainstream fashion stores; They [core
retailers] dont want to take any risk and prefer to stabilise their business.
For example, we do around 90% in terms of sell-through, but boardsports
shops reorder just +25%, comments Loheac.
NEW PLAYERS
A simple accessory like a pant, sock, watch or headphone can grow into
a micro-market in its own right. Who would have imagined Nixon or Skull
Candy becoming such bohemoths? Specialisation in any sector can pay
off, even with an action sports accessory. Back in 99 pro skater Justin
Strubing and brother Jason found themselves discussing the aspects of
boxer shorts that they felt were inadequate; you know, your parts are
always popping out of the hole, they're always going up your ass or you
skate across town and they get all twisted up explains Strubing over a
few cold ones in Max Fish. Seeing a market niche uninhabited this quickly
grew into a plan to create a boxer short company for skaters that addressed
issues such as peek-a-boo penis and hungry butt, as theyve creatively
termed them. Silo was born.
More recently industry veteran and former Element Global Marketing
Director Ryan Kingman began heading up the launch of Stance, a new brand
targeting what it sees as one of the last untapped frontiers in action sports:
socks. A market currently estimated by them at $20 million per year. Apart
from the first-in-category advantage contributing to their momentum and
projected success, Stance will be the first to truly champion this category
and provide a comprehensive line for retailers. The response has been
incredible so far and were truly humbled by the amount of support people
have shown for the brand, category and program were developing. Retailers
seem excited by the fact that we are building out a category that should be
add-on sales for their stores and they dont have to kick out another brand
to bring us in.
SEASONAL SALES
Response from boardsports retailers was somewhat mixed, but generally
positive with respect to appreciating the contribution of smalls to their
overall business. Titus - online giant with a long list of physical storefronts
throughout both Germany and Austria - informed us that their search-
word ranking for socks is normally around 30th place, although the words
underwear or boxershort do not normally appear in a ranking of 150.
These items make up just under 10% of their accessories range, remaining
consistent throughout the year irrespective of season, as they do not stock
technical underwear. Consumption, on the other hand, is not consistent
but peaks just prior Christmas, a sentiment which was confirmed by all
other respondents. Attila Santos from CoreShop in Budapest estimates a
pre-Christmas sales increase of around 10%, as does Hey Ho Lets Go in
Barcelona, while Pull-In attributes up to 35% of their sales to this period,
highlighting the very real importance of gift purchase with socks and
underwear.
We all wear them; theyre stocked and sold in every skate, surf and snowboard shop in Europe. As well as a
growing ofering from the large apparel companies, theres an increasing array of specialist brands devoted to
them. Luke van Unen takes a brief look at the underwear market in boardsports.
&
SOCKS
JOCKS:
44. www.boardsportsource.com
marketreport
Intersocks, who produce socks under licence for K2, say that quite naturally
due to their market, Sales (as producers, not retailers) are much higher
in the winter season and its critical to have all the socks delivered to
distributors not later than September in order to ensure sales before the
end of the year. Furthermore, we usually plan December promotions with
our distributors and key accounts. So I would answer that sales definitely
increase around Christmas.
Sweet Dreams, the female-specific boardsports store in Innsbruck, Austria,
mentioned the importance of add-on sales, and that customers rarely come
in with the sole intent of purchasing these items. Sister store for males
across the square, Xdouble, says that although socks and underwear might
not be vital to overall sales, they produce their own branded boxers, listed
along with the best-selling brands for them.
UNDIES GET TECH
Although a necessity (at least for most people), socks and underwear
are not by any means generic items: undifferentiated from one another.
Marketing certainly plays its usual part in this, but further and more
importantly is function. Underwear plays an increasingly significant part
in sports brands, says Miky Picon of Moskova, because the customers
seek in addition to the design, comfort and also the technicality which
will adapt to the practised sport. Silo says all of their boxers are stretch
cotton which helps prevent them from getting all twisted up. They have
a reinforced fly to do away with the unnecessary peep show and a double
gusset back to help prevent them from riding up your ass. All the boxers
also come with the condom cargo pocket because we are on the forefront
of the safe sex movement. Ha! A wise move for such a demographic
Stance talks of blending fashion and function as being the goal; Active
lifestyles require a sock to perform as well as look good Weve upgraded
the functionality of our socks by offering combed cotton, elastic arch band
support, seamless toe closures and a deep heel pocket with a Y gore seam.
Our Gripper Cush skates socks feature Coolmax fibre and cushioned Stance
Artist Series - Don Pendleton grip pads for the ball and heel of your foot.
We developed these at the Berrics and we have a strong response from the
skate community.
69slam underwear label, with 16 concept stores worldwide at just six
years old, talks of materials in terms of their evolution; From cotton we
expanded into polyester, and from underwear we expanded into swimwear.
Within this undergarment-slash-swimwear sector, a new sub-category of
technical underwear for the surfer is emerging. For summer 2011 O'Neill
will be launching what they call their First Layer Series, intended to keep
you rash-free for as long as you wear them - surfing or walking around
in between sessions. The design philosophy comes from practice and
experience; often walking around on the beach all salty and sandy in your
normal boardies rather than being in the water is the moment where you
have the most chafing on your legs. The difference between the first layer
and normal underwear is the fabric, which is made from a lycra blend with
quick-dry features and a soft handle, making them super comfortable. First
layers will be available in two lengths - a normal boxer short silhouette and
a longer alternative designed to cover the whole boardshort area.
Relatively new on the underwear scene, Moskova also has technical
underwear for the surfer in the form of their M5 model. They even have
a Jujitsu model dedicated to team surfer Michel Spartan Bourez who
practices the martial art in between killing it in the water. Diversification!
Lycra and stretch cotton, elastic arch band support and seamless toe
closures, peek-a-boo penis and hungry butt the market in smalls
appears to be anything but small, both in terms of scope and financial
significance. No going commando any more, theres something for everyone.
And dont forget to fill that condom pocket!
RETAILERS SEEM EXCITED BY THE
FACT THAT WE ARE BUILDING OUT A
CATEGORY THAT SHOULD BE ADD-ON
SALES FOR THEIR STORES AND THEY
DONT HAVE TO KICK OUT ANOTHER
BRAND TO BRING US IN.
RYAN KINGMAN, STANCE
FOR SUMMER 2011 O'NEILL WILL BE
LAUNCHING WHAT THEY CALL THEIR
FIRST LAYER SERIES, INTENDED TO KEEP
YOU RASH-FREE FOR AS LONG AS YOU
WEAR THEM - SURFING OR WALKING
AROUND IN BETWEEN SESSIONS.
www.boardsportsource.com 47
skatetrends
Before jumping the gun and declaring
an all-out boom or some kind of start-up
craze for new skate shoe companies, its
important to note: None of the brands featured
in this article are entirely new to the skate biz.
These are all existing brands launching their own
footwear divisions.
With that in mind, whats their motivation for
branching out, especially in these tough times?
One thing they all have in common is that their new
shoe lines are designed to sit well with existing
collections. WeSC has had an overwhelming
success with headphones over the past years, so
the idea for a shoe collection slowly matured under
the motto from head to toe, explains Christoph
Knopf, WeSC Marketing at ACN Distribution,
Germany. Similarly, Axel Pauporte, Marketing
Director at One Distribution (KR3W and Supra)
comments; The footwear is a natural extension of
KR3W and represents and refects the lifestyle.
Chris Carter, General Manager of DNA Distribution
(Habitat Skateboards and Alien Workshop) says,
We have seen a lot of potential in the footwear
category for years now. I believe it is a great
platform for Habitat to expand into. The brand
message lends itself well to footwear. With our
expanded sales and distribution network coupled
with the manufacturing and development resources
available via Burton and Gravis this became much
more feasible.
Another hardware brand, Diamond Supply Co, is
launching its own shoe division. The custom line of
footwear, produced by the DVS Shoe Company is
set for pre-release in Spring 2011; with a full global
launch set for Fall 2011. Tim Gavin, VP of Podium
Distribution (DVS, Matix) comments; Weve done
so many successful collaborations with Diamond
over the years. Moving into a licensing agreement
with them was an easy transition.
Crme skateboards founder, Robert Hourmont,
says the footwear line was launched for the
same reason we started Crme in the frst
place; to create a brand with multicultural input
and diversity, which cares about and supports
European skateboarding, delivering the European
favour in style and functionality.
NEW STEEZ
Lets look at some of the new shoes: The
understated-yet-sleek design of KR3W models
such as the Franklin ultra-high top, the Grant
chukka boot and the timeless Jackson low
top available in Europe since September
complements the street-smart chic of KR3W denim.
The consumers have only had the opportunity
to see it on blogs thus far, but the response has
been favorable and anticipation is high, said Axel
Pauporte before the launch.
Habitat, known as an eco-conscious and artistic
hardware brand, continues these traditions with
artist collaborations on select Habitat Footwear
models, as well as water-based glues and
sustainable production methods wherever possible.
We have been producing and marketing boards for
a decade. We were honestly ready to try something
new and more refned. Habitat has a very cohesive
image and an iconic logo that works well for
shoes, says Joe Castrucci, Art Director and co-
founder of Habitat Skateboards.
Crme Footwears collection, including the mid-top
vulcanized Rising and highly padded Landing
low-top next to a full girls line launched
exclusively at the Barcelona fagship store weeks
before a full launch in September. Says Hourmont;
Our shoes are high quality, look good, feel good
and ride well! It helps that we have a good retail
price and nice margins.
Famous Stars and Straps, the clothing label
launched by Blink 182s drummer Travis Barker,
stays true to its hip, street-level aesthetic with the
slim Future high top, the comfy Amp high/low top
and the clean-looking OG model; complemented
by accessories like golden Boom Box keychains, as
well as limited edition labels and packaging.
WeSC models including the nautically inspired
Ahab, the skate-oriented Emerson and the
suede Hagelin high-top continue the companys
skate roots and street fashion aesthetic. The
overall verdict among retailers is that the shoes are
the perfect ft for the WeSC style, says Christoph
at WeSC, who premiered the new shoes at Bright
and Bread & Butter in July.
Small core shops, like High Five in Hannover,
Germany, tend to single out only one or two of the
many new brands, but with encouraging results,
Habitat Footwear was an instant sensation! says
Dennis Laass at High Five, who lists the new brand
as a bestseller right next to Lakai and Globe, and
also ordered Crme Shoes.
Overall, retailers who have already been stocking
these brands are the most likely candidates for
also carrying their new footwear lines. The
aforementioned brands are strong in their [core]
categories, WeSC is huge, and KR3W is doing pretty
good, but their share of the shoe business is almost
not existent, yet, says Eric Mader, adding: We will
have to see how this one develops... We will be
keeping a close eye too.
HABITAT FOOTWEAR WAS
AN INSTANT SENSATION!
DENNIS LAASS AT HIGH FIVE, GERMANY.
WeSC, Habitat, KR3W, Crme, Diamond Supply Co. and Famous SAS launch footwear lines. By Dirk Vogel
WE HAVE SEEN A LOT
OF POTENTIAL IN THE
FOOTWEAR CATEGORY FOR
YEARS NOW. I BELIEVE IT
IS A GREAT PLATFORM FOR
HABITAT TO EXPAND INTO.
CHRIS CARTER, DNA DISTRIBUTION.
A NEW SKATE SHOE BOOM*
CRME
KR3W
WESC
HABITAT
48. www.boardsportsource.com
brandprofile
CONTRACT
S N O WB O A R D S
Who is on the management team and what are
their backgrounds?
Dariusz Rosiak, founder of the company, is a
mentor for all of us. Back in the early nineties,
when snowboarding was just knocking on Polish
doors, he was involved in developing the sport at
the local scene. Dariusz organised the frst national
competitions and was also the frst president of the
Polish Snowboarding Association. His daughter,
Gosia Rosiak who is now in charge of the company,
was one of the best polish female snowboarders
in the 90s (she took 19th place on Nagano
Winter Olympic Games in 1998). I bought my frst
snowboard in 2000, and since then its the love of
my life. Now Dariusz is responsible for R&D, Gosia
is the president, and I do all the marketing and
promotional stuff.
What is/are some of the most important lessons
that youve learned about running a company?
1. It WILL be harder than expected.
2. Good product and experience is not enough.
3. Support may come from unexpected places.
Whats different about your company, both in
product and the way the company works?
Its the way we produce our gear. Were located in
the same building as the factory and we know all
the guys who make our boards. Because of that, we
are able to observe, control and actively participate
in the whole production process. The second really
important factor is our location. We operate from
Bielsko, Biala City located in the middle of Beskidy
Mountains in southern Poland. Its a 30minute drive
to Szczyrk, one of the best Polish snow resorts.
Thanks to our location were able to develop and
introduce new ideas and technological innovations
in our snowboards in a short space of time. Its also
quite inspiring when you see mountaintops from
your offce.
You guys are one of the frst brands to come
out of Eastern Europe, what benefts and
disadvantages has this made to you?
Thanks to our location in central Europe, its
easier to infuence and to manage to the whole
European market. Of course Western Europe is
extremely important, but you cannot underestimate
the potential of the CEE (Central Eastern Europe)
and Eastern European markets. I believe that
thanks to our location, and cultural similarities
we have a better understanding of these local
markets than any of the snowboard brands based
in Western Europe. Manufacturing in a Polish
factory NBL Sport gives us huge advantage
of using experienced team of engineers and
craftsman with impressive skills and experience.
We decided to produce in a European factory while
many others have migrated their manufacturing
to China. I believe they will regret this decision
in the future. Our location is also ideal from a
logistic point of view right at the heart of Europe.
We can deliver our gear in extraordinary time to
any place in Europe. It doesnt matter if you have
shop in Chamonix or in Moscow, if you want our
snowboards, we can get them to you in no time.
Why should retailers sell your brand?
Contract snowboards are high end, premium
quality products, but the main reason for the
brands existence is our patented 3D Snake
Transition Technology. We believe it brings
a totally new category of snowboards to the
market. Until now the main split was: camber or
rocker snowboards. Now customers can choose
something totally different than they seen before.
3D Snake Transition is something that makes us
unique in the market. Three Dimensional Flex And
Torsion Engineering is our fagship technology,
were super proud of it. We designed a unique 3D
wave between the bindings area, which gives the
snowboard a totally new riding characteristic. Our
goal was to create a truly universal snowboard;
an all-mountain weapon that combines both the
advantages of a stiff freeride gun and a fexible
freestyle board. 3D Snake Transition allows to keep
the board really fexible longitudinally (+35% more
fex than the standard models) and add more than
standard torsional rigidity at the same time (+10%
more than the standard models). The 3D waves
stiffen the board while riding on the edge or up
the walls of the halfpipe and gives it amazing grip
and increased torsional performance. Whats more,
because the board is fexible, it has bigger sidecut
radius, so its more stable at speed. Our tech also
gives extra pop to the board. 3D Snake Transition
Contracts exclusive technology (pending patent)
makes us unique among the others. The important
thing is, our tech is visible with to the bare eye, so
everybody who visits the shop and see our board is
curious about it.
What is the sales spiel retailers should use when
telling customers about your products?
When a customer spends money on our products
they can be assured they get superior quality,
handcrafted in Europe board, with outstanding
technology that will take their riding style to the
whole new level.
What was the company philosophy when you
started? How has it changed from then till now?
The philosophy is still the same as it was at the
beginning to produce best quality, technologically
advanced snowboards handcrafted with passion.
And have fun when doing it.
What does the future hold for your company?
We plan to work hard to increase brand awareness
and recognition. For our 3D Snake Transition, were
applying for industry awards, so we can prove its
advantages. Were also looking for distributors,
shops and sales agents across the Europe willing
to help us conquer the world of snowboarding.
Contract snowboards brought a totally new category of board
to the market with their 3D Snake Transition Technology - an
all-mountain weapon that combines both the advantages of a
stif freeride gun and a exible freestyle board.
tel: +48 33 822 42 40
www.contractsnowboards.com
50. www.boardsportsource.com
brandprofile
URBAN
KREATION
The concept behind Urban Kreation is quite
innovative - can you explain the company to us?
We come from the standpoint that form follows
function. Most clothing brands are poor quality
and marketed with pretty boys. All our clothing is
lined with the stuff that stab proof vests are made
from: gossamer-thin but virtually indestructible.
It is effectively a second skin to save your frst
one. Skaters and riders know that nothing is going
to stop the physics of a meaty slam, but it's the
small niggling skin abrasions like hippers, which
constitute the greater part of being unable to ride
for days at a time. Our clothing eliminates them.
Simple as that really. We also know that from time
to time it is benefcial to have an extra sliver of
protection on a purple hip, knee, shoulder, so all the
products have removable internal sleeves, which
afford a slim insert where you need it. Useful for
when you are riding ramps that don't need full pads
but still hurt to spill on. Form follows function.
Who is on the management team and what are
their backgrounds?
I set up www.thefactorylive.com, an experiential
marketing agency, about seven years ago now,
where we put on face-to-face events to promote
brands allowing consumers to try products
before they buy. I called up Niall Neeson after
we collaborated for video games giant EA, and
his consultancy group Sensible Answers (www.
sensibleanswers.org) now handle our brand
development. Niall is the founder of Kingpin,
Europe's biggest skate magazine, so we couldn't
really have found a better ft for our brand within
the European industry and core scenes.
What's different about your company, both in
product and the way the company works?
In terms of product the benefts are there for all
to see as soon as you realise the advantages of a
product designed with function frst. As a company
we are led by our testing team so our starting point
is what works and not what the rest of the market
is doing.
Why should retailers sell your brand?
Because no one else is looking out for the
consumer as a practitioner.
What is the sales spiel retailers should use when
telling customers about your products?
Brands like Dickies, Carhartt and Hard Yakka
have all established a presence because they are
functional workwear - an accidental asset. We
make casualwear with much greater protection
through design, research and development, and so
you only need to buy a fraction of the quantity of
clothes you end up ruining through bails, slams,
knee slides and all that good stuff.
Do you sponsor any riders? What other marketing
are you running?
Yes, we have a banging skate team stretching from
the UK to Bulgaria and will be releasing a series of
vignettes online to showcase them, a real eclectic
mix of legends and new bucks on the come-up. We
also hook up scene leaders from some of the other
niche grooves of urban culture who advise us on
product tweaks from genre to genre. Invaluable
knowledge that. Other marketing ideas include a
new media launch which will go direct into riders'
hands without the need for middlemen, and of
course our community website where our followers
can exchange ideas, pick up tester samples of new
products and become involved with the movement.
Have you noticed any affects from the recent
global economic turmoil?
Absolutely - across all the creative industries all
the soft money has gone and it's not coming back.
What do you foresee for the future of the
industry?
The days of the giant domestic distributor are
numbered, if not already over.
What does the future hold for your company?
Believe it or not, we are actually working with a
NASA-tested fabric right now, which may come
in across all lines in the near future if our rider
and follower response is positive. Developing our
team's dreams and ambitions is a really important
one, we can help young people to live their dreams,
and so we build on that daily. Beyond that, Eastern
Europe is looking particularly strong for us and
with the spots out there this will give our media
output a really fresh favour too. Just working on
optimising the functionality of our clothing really -
form follows function never forget.
Clive Robinson returned home from
working on the Superbike circuit
one day last year and found the
skater kid next door plastered to the
pavement. A light bulb flashed and
he set up Urban Kreation, the only
brand in the world to use Kevlar T in
a range of protective clothes aimed
at street sports.
CONTACT DETAILS: Clive Robinson / Tel: +44 (0) 203 384 5151 / www.urbankreation.com
52. www.boardsportsource.com
brandprofile
CREATURES
OF
LEISURE
Who is on the management team and what are
their backgrounds?
Creatures Global Headquarters is still based in
Western Australia. Satellite operations have been
set up on the Gold Coast in Eastern Australia as
well as Oceanside, California. Creatures have
recently appointed a European Brand Manager -
Herv Lacastaigneratte (former General Manager of
Quiksilver Technical Products) - located in South
West France. The Global Management team are all
passionate surfers doing what they love.
Whats different about your company, both in
product and the way the company works?
Creatures is a company dedicated to building the
best surf products. Surfng is in the blood of all
employees and there is a commitment to create
products that Creatures own staff would be happy
to use. Creatures prides itself on its creativity and
has brought many world frst innovations to the
market including the Leash Bearing Swivel, DNA
Flex Mould Leash, Sure Fire Release Tag, Slim
Fit Board Covers and Hi-Lo Traction Technology.
There is a strong philosophy that the products will
offer the customer real beneft and there is a clear
advantage in choosing to purchase Creatures.
Why should retailers sell your brand?
Creatures is not simply another surf hardware
brand. There is a dedication to innovation and
commitment to provide surfers more from their
surfng experience. Creatures produce the fnest
quality surfng accessories in the world; it is
our sole focus to further enhance the surfng
experience. It is this dedication and commitment
that has attracted the worlds fnest team of surfers
including Mick Fanning, Steph Gilmore, Dusty
Payne, Clay Marzo, Ry Craike, Kai Barger, Nat
Young, Garrett Parkes, Koa Smith, Andrew Doheny,
Aaron Cormican, Romain Cloitre and many more
incredible athletes.
What is the sales spiel retailers should use when
telling customers about your products?
Creatures are committed to providing retailers key
product features and benefts as well as clear point
of difference in every product presented. Creatures
are serious about its products and have spent over
25 years refning its manufacturing and driving
its innovations. Surfng accessories are Creatures
sole focus and have chosen to pinpoint this product
category. The key sales spiel retailers should use
when telling customers about its products is that
Creatures is simply the best product available and
used by the fnest surfers in the world.
What is the biggest mistake you see retailers make
when it comes to selling your products? How can
they correct that mistake?
Not educating themselves on the technical products
they sell. When it comes to hardgoods, customers
are looking for guidance. The more a retailer
can know about the products they sell the more
satisfed the customer will be with the advice
given. Buying a surfboard can be a big purchasing
decision for many people. We encourage retailers
to guide customers towards surfboard accessories
that will help protect the customers investment
and increase their overall surfng experience.
You only make surf accessories, have you any
plans to move into the board or wetsuit market?
Surf accessories are Creatures core business and
there are no plans to move beyond the category
we are best at. We will continue to focus on our
core categories; leashes, grips, covers, shortboard
accessories, retro/fsh, longboards, SUP and
bodyboards.
What was the company philosophy when you
started? How has it changed from then till now?
Creatures focus from day one has been to produce
the most innovative, quality products for surfng.
There has been no change to company philosophy
in over 25 years. Creatures build products
for surfers and are still at the cutting edge of
advancing surfer performance.
What are the biggest hurdles for the industry
today? How do you think they should be
overcome?
As surfng becomes more mainstream, larger
companies are neglecting genuine innovation
and focusing on mass production. It is up to the
industry to continue to push performance and
encourage continual change and new ideas. This
will keep the sport fresh and there will always be a
place for quality products.
Have you noticed any affects from the recent
global economic turmoil?
The economic crisis has had its challenges
however Creatures has continued to grow
throughout. While surfers continue to surf,
Creatures will continue to build and supply
products that enhance the surfng experience.
Quality products will always be in demand for
surfers.
What does the future hold for your company?
Continued innovation, expansion and growth.
John Malloy started making surf leashes back in 1974 under
the Pipelines label at their small factory in Yallingup,
Western Australia. The leashes were made out of necessity
in the large surf of the local area. After a series of product
developments and world-rst use of urethane cord in
leash construction, Creatures of Leisure was formed in
1987; now their product line spans board covers, traction
and auto accessories too.
EUROPEAN CONTACT: Herv Lacastaigneratte / Ph +33 670 094 615 / www.creatures.com.au
54. www.boardsportsource.com
01. ROXY - Tshirt Janie's got a Gun
100% viscose. Graphic is a blend of art nouveau
and 80s retro-inspired airbrush. A special
potassium based treatment process to give them
an ultra worn effect, refecting the pre worn look
Retail Price : 45 euros
Web : www.roxyeurope.com
02.AMBIGUOUS Benneth
In accordance with the simple idea of How to
make a living doing something that makes you
happy, Ambiguous keep on making clothing their
friends want to wear, be they artists, musicians,
skateboarders, snowboarders or surfers.
Availability: SS11. Retail Price: 49
www.ambiguousclothing.com
03. VONZIPPER Strutz
100% UV Protection, base 6 spherical lens, impact
resistant CR-39 Lens, hand-tooled acetate frame,
wire injected temple core, stainless steel optical
hinge
Availability: SS11. Retail price: 85
www.vonzipper.com
04. NHS Uncommon iPhone case
NHS is stoked to announce the partnership with
Uncommon iPhone 3G/3GS & iPod Touch cases
featuring customized graphics from Independent
Truck Company, Creature Skateboards, Santa Cruz
Skateboards, OJ Wheels and NorCal.
www.getuncommon.com/collections
05. TSG Arctic Kraken
The Arctic Kraken delivers the perfect solution for
athletes with problems fnding the right helmet for
their head shape. The segmented, fexible helmet
interior is able to adapt to many different head
shapes.
Availability: FW10/11. Retail price: 99.90
www.ridetsg.com
06. KARI TRAA Taule SP
Taule SP is a special edition of the Kari Traa
seamless base layer line.. Stretchy and seamless,
this underwear is comfortable for any sports
activity and the feminine pattern adds a chic,
dynamic edge to an urban look.
Retail price: 55-99 www.karitraa.com
07.SIMS
The First Christian Hosoi Pro Model Deck
At the age of 14 Christian Hosoi joined Sims
Skateboards and turned pro. This is the frst pro
deck for Christian - Circa 1981. The Rising Sun
Design is inspired by Christian's Asian heritage.
A limited run of 250 pieces are SIGNED AND
NUMBERED by Christian Hosoi.
Availability: FW10 www.selectsk8.com
08. VOLCOM Activist Jean
Guaranteed road-tested denim - You can count
on these Volcom brand jeans to be there when you
need them most. Modern straight leg ft, 15" leg
opening, low rise, button fy.
Colours: Dark Vintage, Rinse, Indigo w/brush
Availability: SS11 www.volcomeurope.com/jeans
NEW PRODUCTS
06.
04.
08.
03.
05.
02.
07.
01.
049
www.boardsportsource.com 57
Like vert skaters at a big air comp, the German economy is fying.
Charging ahead with continuing momentum, the second quarter of
2010 brought record growth rates at levels last witnessed in 1987.
Analysts at the German Central Bank who, at the onset of the year
predicted zero (!) growth for Germanys GDP, are now expecting a 3% increase
for the entire year. Its a Big Air Bonanza!
Backed by positive trends in the employment segment and resurging exports,
confdence among businesses climbed to 106.7 on the Institute for Economic
Research (IFO) index in August; up from 101.8 in July. Consumers are also
gradually starting to believe that all this good news is not just a feeting trend,
but here to stay. Consumer confdence climbed up to 4.1 points in September
from 3.5 in July on the Association for Consumer Research (GfK) scale. So
in other words, people are beginning to stop worrying and get into spending
money again, to a certain extent anyway...
Is the German board sports segment also soaring to new heights however? As
it turns out, the tricky weather continued to prove more powerful than general
economic trends this entire year.
Jrg Ludewig, co-owner of Urban Supplies Distribution in Wiesbaden, sets it
out: Overall its been a pretty fat year, quite a funny weather story... January
and February were shitty because of snow; April was decent, then May brought
rain that continued for about eight weeks. June and July were super hot, but
also kind of fat because of the [football] World Cup. In August we had our open
house tradeshow, so we came out minimally ahead of last year, in the single
digits.
On the retail front, this assessment is shared by professional skateboarder-
turned-retailer, Klaus Dieter Span at Black Box store in Dren: I see the
changeable weather as the main negative factor. Its been very hard to plan
ahead in terms of what to stock. Accessories, hats and shirts will always do
well, but theres not much proft in those. That said, overall Im happy because
I was able to increase takings on last year.
SKATE: BRANDS AND TRENDS
In terms of whats selling, the good news is that core skate brands are still
the lifeblood for many stores. Here at the shop, products by skate brands are
going well, including INDY, Spitfre, Supra and even adidas skateboarding. Our
hottest items are skateboards by Clich and Trap, says Kay-Uwe Lorck, owner
and founder of the store with the best name in Europe, maybe the world, Fuck
You Too in Dresden.
Klaus Dieter at Black Box notes, there are a large amount of newcomers in
summer 2010. The market for kids products is opening up a number of new
possibilities, almost every skate brand these days is offering kids clothing,
much to the delight of parents. Kay-Uwe Lorck says that events like his FYT
Skate Cup also brings in the younger generation, Theyve seen the brand at
the contest and come to the store with their parents and get a complete deck,
which is a great way of getting them started with a quality set-up.
Asked about their top-selling brands, retailers reported great results for
Element, Plan B, Trap and Jart (hardware), Carhartt and Cleptomanicx
(softgoods) and also Vans, Etnies, Supra, Fallen and DVS (footwear).
In the bigger picture, Jrg Ludewig is touting a return to the situation in 1986,
when the Big Five skateboard companies reigned supreme. The big brands
are getting bigger and the small ones are staying small. Overall, hardly anyone
is buying small brands anymore these days...
ONLINE VS. STATIONARY RETAIL
Asked about their current concerns, many core boardsport retailers replied as
Sven Eckert, CEO of TX SPORTS GROUP in Nuremberg did, Whats troubling
me is the current slaughtering of retailers by massive online portals such as
Brands for Friends and other non-specialised sales portals.
Jens Gramer, CEO at 58 Store in Ulm, echoes this statement, Sadly, stationary
retail is struggling more and more. Stores crumble under the online pressure
and many retailers have fallen into a certain helplessness and lethargy. Both
Sven and Jens said they are countering this trend by offering exclusive brands,
product variety and service, by sponsoring events and giving customers a
tangible experience that online just cant provide.
Not everyone is worried, on the hardware side of things, Thomas Trger at
Harbour Distribution (BER Skateboards, Rockers Hardware) in Hamburg
comments, We know that real skate shops just cant be replaced. Of course
theres growth in the online business, but mostly in soft goods, where price
competition is tougher.
SURF: WHAT A SUMMER
Surf season will go out with a bang with the third Quiksilver German Surf
Championship organised by the German Waveriding Association (DWV) taking
place from October 9th to 17th in Mimizan, France. This will be huge! Last
year we had 250 competitors and this year we are expecting up to 350 people,
said Jens Espenhahn, press speaker at the DWV, adding: Within three hours of
launching the specifc event website we received more than 1,700 visitors.
Thanks to event partnerships like this, Quiksilver continues to sit in the top
three surf brands reported by retailers around the country, next to Rip Curl
and Billabong.
Gradually, the German market for specialty shapes seems to be opening up.
One of the trailblazers in this segment is Germanys own Rouven Brauers with
his innovative blend of custom-shaped surfboards. His BUFO boards check
out bufo.com featuring Hydrofex Technology are handcrafted in Germany.
Endorsed by big wave rippers such as Robbie Page, the technology has ushered
in a renaissance of customised decks around the globe.
SNOW: BIG THINGS AHEAD
By the time this issue arrives in stores, the snow season should be in full
swing. Actually, it has been high on the agenda for many stores since fairly
early in the year, including 58 in Ulm. Says Jens Gramer, Our pre-orders
have been placed since February 2010, and weve been receiving our winter
shipments since May!
At the same time, Jens points out, winter street wear is kicking off really
well, including T-shirts and zipped hoodies. Strong snow brands around the
country included the big players as usual in the snow segment including
Burton, Billabong, Zimtstern and Special Blend.
Jens Gramer at 58 emphasises the importance of keeping things fresh: Our
loyal customers want to see and purchase new styles. Our expectations for
the season are very positive in terms of boards, boots and bindings. We are
aiming for the mid-to-high price ranges and know the right brand mix is also
crucial.
To bring this Market Intelligence full circle, the snow segment is of course just
as dependent on the weather as the skate business, so hopes are up for early
and constant snow. Jens at 58 says, that with events, a good brand mix and a
special shopping experience, they, like many are looking forward to winter!
MARKET
INTELLIGENCE
GERMANY
By Dirk Vogel
58. www.boardsportsource.com
The French market is being buffeted by the winds, albeit sometimes favourable,
of this post-crisis shambles. Everyones goal is economic recovery, but
optimism, a very rare gift in France these days is having trouble taking root,
despite the sun shining on the skate and snowboard markets.
Besides the fnancial scandals enveloping Mr Eric Woerth, the Budget Minister
and Lilliane Bttencourt, the countrys richest heir, the Government is really
clutching at straws to try and fght the fnancial diffculties its been going
through since 2008. It has announced recently a potential tax on all fnancial
transactions and the cancellation of the polemic tax shield, limiting the
tax rate applied to very high incomes to 50%. At the same time, to make Mr
Sarkozys headaches worse, is the unavoidable retirement reform. Imposed
due to the abysmal state of Social Securitys fnances and an ever-aging
French population, it dropped the country into another series of paralyzing
strikes and deaf dialogues.
With Sarkozys popularity waning in the wake of unfulflled campaign promises,
the economy in general would appear to be sluggish, with household spending
still down and France experiencing above-average unemployment (10%) for
Europe. The controversial French budget minister recently confrmed that
France's economy should grow by 1.5% this year, marginally, but still above
the 1.4% the government initially envisaged. Sadly it will be lower amongst
us humble surf industry mortals. Christine Lancereau of Ragdoll in Anglet
said, Were really feeling the economic crisis this year; customers are more
focussed on low prices but weve matched the demand, offering cut price
products even in skateboard hardgoods.
The surf market has ended this summer season with not all stores on the
same level. Some have managed to sail through the storm while others are
suffering from the change in consumption thats occurred. This said, the surf
industry has asked the right questions and stock management policies have
been implemented with strategic skill. Hence, stock policies are better and
end-of-the-line policies are led with measure and control of their secondary
effects. While two years ago you just needed to snap your fngers to fnd
anything half price, the industry has taken control of de-stocking networks.
Discount websites and stores not really worrying about the secondary effects
of their sales policies are disappearing while the industrys strategic partners
in this segment, such as Anglets online retailer labelpark.com, are growing
stronger. In spite of this, if we read between the lines we see its led to a rather
uncomfortable consumption trend for regular brick and mortar retailers, as
Christine Lancereau mentioned.
Despite these diffculties, surfng is on the up. The aforementioned skewed
consumption is pushing tourists to consume less, but better. Hence, fresh-air
sporting activities and those offering more enjoyment time per invested euro
ratio, show record bookings. Surf schools are in this category and their season
has become longer through the years, now with three and a half months of full
throttle activity. Hard good sales are seeing a similar trend. Consequently, as
soon as the post-crisis cloud clears, surfng will enter a new growth phase.
While surfng gathers momentum, retailers are happy to count on temporary,
moneymaking fads. Ragdolls Christine Lancereau gave an example,
Holographic wristband sales were CRAZY this summer; up to 30 units per
day in August!
In the meantime, French snowboarding is looking back at a good 2010 season
and facing this upcoming 2011 winter, shops and brands are enthusiastic.
Rossignols Christophe Chanet explains, Weve got a good dynamic going.
Shops are careful, they order later, with pre-books based on their best sellers.
The market is healthy and stable. Alban Jehlen, from Salomon confrms,
Salomon registered a serious growth in the European market, in France and
Germany in particular. Their secret weapon? Were offering fve different
types of inversed cambers; we offer novelty. It is true that inverted camber is
becoming, more than ever, a must-have.
Customers are more and more attracted by inversed cambers and we
anticipate the progression will gain momentum, explains Alain, from Tip Tip in
Bourg Saint Maurice-Les Arcs. We fnd a similar exponential trend around Boa
systems for boots and back entry bindings We are talking ease and speed.
Accessible and novelty products are the sellers but above all, originality.
When it comes to outerwear, you will see less and less prints. Single colours
are trendy, provided they are fashy, with cool fabrics and attention to detail,
explains Michel, manager of 4 pro shops in Val dIsre. Customers buy fewer
items but ones of better quality. Theyre also buying block plain colours or
block multicolour. Full prints are out, while checks and fannels are back
strongly in core shops. When it comes to pants, Baggies are out and cuts are
becoming slimmer, specifes Laurent from Urban Surfers, in Paris. These
new trends are taking root and become strong sellers on the Internet.
Our e-shop represents 15 -16% of our turnover, explains Ambre, from
Namast, in Lyon. An online store is a must have if you want to remain
competitive, even though there is ferce competition out there on the web.
Sales on our web store confrm the trend we see in our brick and mortar store
- mid to high end product. Price points dont work for us.
Skateboarding is smiling at the end if its season too, as hardgoods sales were,
as can be expected during summer, generally strong. There were mutters here
and there of volume remaining fat year-on-year, but overall the skate hard
goods business seems to be picking up. V7 Distribution, Frances biggest
catalogue of major US skate product, said that in parallel to surf and snow,
they have seen a stronger demand for US "high image" brands, with sales
of the more up-market and premium hard goods brands increasing. Bertrand
Soubrier of Haze Wheels noted another area of hard goods sales on the
increase this summer - cruisers and re-editions. Now its like a return of
the frst generation who are buying a lot of cruisers and old school boards,
because theyre pushing 30 to 40 years old now. This falls in line with the
contemporary trends in board width.
In terms of skate soft goods, sell-through this summer seemed to peak later
with a greater volume moving during the sales period of the summers close;
We heard everywhere that the sale season was very good, which shows that
people are waiting for that period to buy at a lower price, Jean-Marc Vaissette
of V7 informed us. That also applies to the skate business. Skaters are looking
for cheap prices when it comes to shoes and apparel. One local industry
veteran confrmed that the French skate footwear market has been very tough
with trends changing towards slimmer and classic styles/brands.
As said before, there is good and bad in the French market, not a common voice
of optimism but, hey, the lights shining like crazy at the end of the tunnel!
MARKET
INTELLIGENCE
FRANCE
By Iker Aguirre, Lucy Paltz, Luke van Unen.
60. www.boardsportsource.com
Summer has passed. Early morning dew, low hazy sun and easy
easterly winds are signals that cant be ignored. There are no copper
leaves and there is still warmth in the air, but winter is not far off
and autumn is upon us today. Questions are in the air during this
changeling season. How was summer trade? What will early winter sales be like?
How will consumers react to increasing rises in VAT? What will 2011 bring?
Lets start with the frst of those questions; How was the summer?
According to the ONS and the information gathered from some of the UKs largest
retailers, summer was a little bit fat (not just the surf either). Overall retail sales
fgures for August were in decline 0.5% and the last time this happened was
back in January. The ONS also revised the published fgures for Julys growth
from 1.1% to 0.8%.
The talk coming from several economists
is that this sharp fall in retail spending is
a reaction bythe consumer to the political
decisions that will cut public spending in
the second half of 2010 and increase VAT
at the start of 2011. But is this affecting
our market? Where are the vast majority
of pounds spent on Surf Skate and
Snow product coming from? Parents?
Students? Young Professionals?
There is no certainty, but if you look at a
typical surf store, you could argue that during the summer it is the family market
that drives sales via holiday purchases, inexpensive wetsuits, bodyboards and
start-up surfboards mixed with an ever-decreasing amount of surf fashion.
During the spring and winter months, this market is driven by weekend surf
tourists, usually young professionals with disposable income, or students
with loans to spend. Adding to this is the yearly trade provided by the core
local customer (who probably gets a 10% discount), these guys and girls are
buying must-have equipment, higher priced wetsuits, specifc fbreglass or new
construction boards and the odd tee here and there.
Is this customer demographic different for snow and skate? You could argue that
skate stores lack a holiday market although there is a seasonal up turn during
the summer months and skate does not readily attract the young professional
market. You could also argue the snow market has a customer demographic
similar to surf, with tourism playing a greater role in overall sales. The more ski
and snow holidays taken by UK residents the greater the sum of money spent
on essentials, surely?
So, does a drop in British wintersport holiday numbers as reported by the likes
of Crystal (11% reduction in bookings during the 09/10 season) equate to a
reduction in sales or are the savvy Brits booking their winter breaks without the
aid of these package companies?
I called some snow retailers towards the end of September to get an insight
into early season trade and their thoughts on the current trends. Most stores
had around 80% of all winter stock in the process of being delivered, but on
average, 90% of all hard goods were on the foor (or the website) and selling
already. The second week of September seems to be the most common start of
hardware sales, however Bataleon delivered as early as the start of August and
capitalised on some good frst-in frst-out sales! So far some notable requests
from consumers seem to be the higher end products from the likes of Burton,
with many snow veterans or seasonaires adopting a buy-it-now policy when it
comes to the products they cant live without. Thoughts from retailers are that
this is largely driven by the reduction in many manufacturers levels of inventory.
Outerwear sales are yet to materialise in any great number but for the most part
outerwear sales wont hot up till November or December.

Chris at Revolutionz in Norwich gave me an in-depth run down on summer
sales and early season snow. Summer has been good here, early in the year
we had the opening of a new 300,000 skate park. This has helped increase
our BMX and skate business. We consolidated our brand mix going into spring
and removed the ladies fashion, which has allowed us to invest that budget into
areas, which we see as core to our business.
Our mens fashion is driven by the likes
of Volcom, Etnies and Emerica, with
focus around skinny ft denims, dark
tailored tees or tops and a minimalist look
fnished with a pair of Vulcanized soles or
some classics from adidas. Adi has been
a recent edition to the store and it has
sold very well to all types of customers
and draws a different consumer through
the door.
Our winter season has started really
positively, with Ride and K2 delivering boards at the end of June. These started
selling to our local dry slope riders and seasonaires straight away. In the last
couple of weeks we have seen more holiday snowboarders who have booked a
trip for the winter and are now starting to think about equipment, this is where
we make the majority of combination sales, boards, boots, bindings, but you can
only do this once all three categories have hit the foor, which usually means
these sales come later in the season.
So far our best sell-through is on Salomon boards with Rome right on their
tail, our outerwear is starting to attract some attention, bright colours are being
picked up and our frst drop of Thirty Two outerwear has sold a couple of pieces
already. I think we are in for a competitive season, there is so much good product
out there from all the brands, consumers dont feel the need to buy the most
expensive piece of kit just for the name, its becoming way more performance
focused.
Im quietly confdent that we will have a good season and this, in my eye, is
largely dependent on snow. Theres talk of plants fruiting early from friends in
Europe and apparently this is the old farmers telltale sign of a snowy winter! All
in all, Im pretty confdent as an independent snow retailer, service and choice
are our most valuable assets and we are constantly striving to offer the best in
both of these areas.
So dear readers, there seem to be some perky shop keepers out there, ready for
the winter and its up and downs. I for one am looking forward to the Autumn/
Winter and all the fun, fun, fun it brings.
Keep smiling.
OUR WINTER SEASON HAS STARTED REALLY
POSITIVELY, WITH RIDE AND K2 DELIVERING
BOARDS AT THE END OF JUNE. THESE STARTED
SELLING TO OUR LOCAL DRY SLOPE RIDERS
AND SEASONAIRES STRAIGHT AWAY.
MARKET
INTELLIGENCE
U.K.
By Dave Colwill
62. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 63
To the disappointment of the entire country, the Austrian government
decided to postpone the release of its highly anticipated budget
saving programme until December. With vital elections coming
up in Vienna and Styria this October, one need not be a genius to
recognise this step as an obvious attempt to keep as many voters as possible
from drifting off to the sadly ever stronger right wing party.
With the rather bumpy order season for spring 2011 behind us, it would seem
appropriate to refect on the somewhat similar summer sales of 2010. With
most of Austrias shops playing it safe this summer by focussing on the larger
brands which year after year have proven to be top sellers, Tim Dyson of Fame
Boardshop in Vienna detects an identity crisis within the core skate stores,
frustrated by the fact that the exact brands that used to be exclusively available
within their area, can now be purchased at any mega-store or fashion boutique.
Robert Longin from SP-United defnes this development as a vicious cycle in
which core stores devote themselves to establishing smaller brands which
immediately expand as soon their trend catches on. Such is the fate of the core
dealer, says Robert.
Shoe trends for Spring 2011 can be defned by words such as slim, fat and
canvas. At the same time, extravagant models, straying away from the classic
skate shoe styles, such as Elements Emerald collection also seem to be on the
rise. The same goes for tight jeans, low cut shorts, plaid shirts, both long and
short, as well as Chambray.
Vintage and understatement models such as Rustys Blank Series are most
defnitely also worth mentioning, especially considering the fact that this
somewhat simple fashion, serves as common ground between boardsport, core
and mainstream fashion stores and hence leads us to the next point on this
articles agenda:
Whilst youth clothing was one of this summers top sellers, womens clothing
suffered a severe setback. When asked about this development, Joachim
Weitgassers of Weitgasser Altenmarkt gave the simple answer of price. One
top from the aforementioned simple fashion line in a core or boardsport store,
amounts to the same price as two or three very similar looking ones in a
mainstream fashion shop. The only difference of course is the missing price or
defning logo. With the latest trends always in stock at easily affordable prices it
is a somewhat sad but undeniable truth that huge fashion chains such as the one
that begins with H and ends with M have become a very welcome alternative to
boardsport and core stores.
On the bright side, Nille from La Resistance in Zell am See, reports that in
contrast to women, men still lay a lot of value on which brands they purchase.
In any case, survival of our beloved boardsport business will, in the end depend
on what we have always done best: being independent, creative and thus setting
ourselves apart from the rest. A prime example would be the new wired series
hooded sweater by Rusty, available for men and women, complete with integrated
earphone plugs. My personal favourite of this past order season and hopefully an
inspiration for the future.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
AUSTRIA By Uwe Ballon, Motion Sports
Did you know Ireland has the cheapest rooms in Europe for hotel accomodation?
(So a poll showed.) A party capital still, Arthur Guiness will be pleased!
Winter stock is beginning to move. Admittedly, Northern Ireland is slower than
the Republic of Ireland, possibly down to increased retail footprint as two major
UK players opened fagship stores within a week of each other in central Belfast.
This will pinch core stores further when winter sports apparel might be dumped
into season sales. This threatens the elusive hunt for margin for independents
towards Christmas.
Ireland is probably unique among Western economies in having been hit so hard
by the economic down turn and also savaged by rapid defation. Now, you can
manage if youve got money, because your cash will go further, but widespread
borrowing in the high times is still being felt nearly two years later. Turnover
has declined and profts are down and many retailers in Ireland are operating on
skeleton staff and have readjusted their cost bases.
With re-adjustments made, and what some people call becoming more
competitive! means, slowly, people are spending again but generally they are
paying less for the same goods. Retailers are meeting their demand but putting
themselves under pressure for margin and its hard not to focus on this.
I recently caught up with Ollie at Ocean Scene based in Ennis Co. Clare who
told me, People have defnitely changed their buying habits. Its been tough but
were back on track hardware is steady both across skate and surf. Animal
and Quiksilver are still my major brands and DC for footwear. I can see a defnite
shift moving to traditional mountain sports brands like The North Face, but I am
stock rich at the moment so something would have to go before I could introduce
something new. My surf school is doing well and there is always plenty of surf to
enjoy through September and October. Check him out on www.oceanscene.ie
Another interesting surf story is the Irish Surf Association attempting to ensure
two waves are saved in Doolin County Clare. A proposed harbour pier is set
to interfere with these classic waves. If you are interested in showing some
support for the West Coast Surf Club and the Irish Surfng Association, please
follow the link below and sign their petition. This contentious plan is also facing
opposition from current World Pro-Surf Champion, Australian Mick Fanning and
from FilteIreland. Theyre simply requesting that Clare Co. Council ensure the
engineers engage with local surfers and agree to alter their designs to protect
these waves. http://www.petitiononline.com/Doolin10/petition.html
So, Ireland is business as usual, struggling through our modern blight. Heads
are down, working hard to get by. Fists held high in defance of the fat cats who
dare destroy what we hold closet. We still need a push in the right direction, as
we can be our own worst enemies with our old chum defation rearing his head.
Retail defation signals that consumers are still jittery, but history shows us that
normally, an end to retail defation is needed for general confdence to return
through the rest of the economy. So, the sooner we fnd the balance and build
confdence in ourselves, the sooner well feel the recovery.
The fnancial media is reporting that Russia is back on track and the
recession is fnally over. Car sales have started to grow after almost
two years of constant decline. Some are showing +50% growth,
even among the luxury sector. Despite two months of heavy drought,
the economy survived and GDP is reported to be up 3% (1% less than expected
due to consequences of the drought). There are also positive signs in the banks
attitude to small and medium sized business. Instead of sitting on their money,
they have started to loan. Besides this, there is a pretty low (for Russia) infation
rate that has led to lower interest rates; averagely they saw a drop from 20-24%
down to 10-13%. Retail is generally doing much better than a year ago, however
it is still in pretty bad shape and bigger companies are recovering faster than
small ones. Tourism is doing passably as well. Last week, I spoke to a friend of
mine, the owner of the well-known Russian company Ertzog. This is one of the
leading tour operators in the ski and snowboard industry, he said that bookings
are coming in fast and he expects record numbers this autumn.
The action sports market is moving a bit slower than others but things look
positive here as well. Distributors have just fnished collecting orders for Spring
2011 and the bottom line is if you did not increase the volume of the orders by
at least 50% from Spring 2010 then youre in trouble. Spring sell-through was
pretty good and it could have been much better had there not been extreme
temperatures and forest fres in the continental part of Russia. In August,
Moscow was completely deserted. People fed the smoke, which was even on
the underground.
Thanks to a lot of effort by Russian skate deck producer Absurd skateboards,
skateboarding is back. Hard goods are selling quite well, there are still problems
with shoes and apparel, but things are not looking as bad as in early spring.
Retailers can already feel that. Distributors are a different story; it looks like
some companies were hit so heavily that they will never recover. Many of
them are sitting on stock and experiencing serious problems fnancing their
businesses. Some are still shipping spring orders to their customers, which is
not a good thing for brands if it continues.
Beach and surf brands were huge this summer, the heat made everyone need
at least a few hours on the beach everyday through July and August. Sandals
and boardies were bestsellers everywhere. Despite the warm weather at home
many people were travelling to surf destinations and Bali and Sri Lanka are still
the top spots for the young and active. The surf infuence is very strong right
now. Wakeboarding also received a portion of new comers, in Moscow the cable
project proved to be very successful. Wake surfng a new sport for Russia -
was the favour of the month in Moscow this season. Increased orders for Spring
2011 are a direct result of this current trend.
We already have the frst feedback from snowboard sales. Due to small orders
last autumn, sell-through was proportionally strong and it seems that there will
be reorders this autumn. Early bird distributors shipped more than 60% by the
end of August and some retailers have already sold out of specifc boards!
We all will, as usual, pray for snow. Please, let it snow! I wish everyone the best
winter ever.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
IRELAND
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
RUSSIA By Yuri Kolobov
It's high time to get on with the winter and put this second-rate
summer behind us! Once again a lack of warmth and sunshine has
done nothing to remedy a diffcult economic situation.
Maybe it didn't hit quite as quickly as in other areas but the effects of the crisis
that is said to be fnishing are still very much present. Some retailers are
struggling to survive. According to them, it's just as busy as before but the cash
people are parting with has nosedived, the average amount spent plummeting
by 50%. You've got to be pretty tough to handle the loss of half your season's
turnover. With fearful consumers and abominable weather, this summer was a
real headache for many of us.
Even the Ticino canton wasn't spared from bad weather. For Alan at Specialboard,
Mendrisio, boardshort and fip fop sales were tough going, but he managed to
compensate for this by selling jackets, hoodies and other heavy items, getting rid
of his leftover winter stock in the process - not such a bad thing after all.
One bonus for specialist shops in Switzerland is that they can dust themselves
off after a bad summer season and focus on their main business period, which
starts right now with winter gear. The winter season is, more often than not, the
decider while the summer season can be bad without disastrous consequences.
This is due to there not being much initial purchasing outlay and any remaining
stock simply costs less. We all hope that the winter will be a good one, that
everyone can struggle up the hill and make it over to the other side.
The skateboarding market seems a little stuck; after a spring and early summer
that were on track, overall sales have been rather subdued and this applies across
the board. It seems to me, seeing skateboarders on the streets is becoming less
common, especially just being used for getting around. Of course there are still
loads of people in the skate parks, the big contests like the European Skateboard
Championship in Basel are still attracting a crowd and new videos are causing a
stir on Facebook. What kind of skater or ex-skater can resist Andrew Reynolds
part in Stay Gold?!
However, a drop in the general enthusiasm and sheer number of skateboarders
inevitably decreases the number of boards sold too. Further, it is obvious that
the situation of the Dollar vs. the Swiss franc is problematic. The Dollar is so
low that youngsters with a bit of money can group together and place orders on
the Internet to get their stuff cheaper stateside. This is defnitely becoming more
commonplace and is weighing heavily on certain retailers.
Distribution changes have taken place and after the restructure of Rusty
on a European level, Nidecker have decided to take charge of the brand in
Switzerland from the start of 2010. This operation makes sense when you know
that Romain de Marchi, closely linked to Nidecker through his collaboration with
YES snowboards, has been the Rusty ambassador since the launch of their
outerwear. Casoar have also now taken control of the glove brand Celtek.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
SWITZERLAND By Fabien Grisel
64. www.boardsportsource.com
Lets start with the Italian economy in general. Italy seems to be
recovering but the problems of cash fow and long payment terms
still remain. This is causing problems for a lot of companies in the
distribution sector, as they have to fnance their goods for over four
to fve months. In politics there are continuous ups and downs because Prime
Minister Berlusconi has been causing confusion for quite a while now.
For the boardsport business, the SS11 selling season is coming to an end and
there are some trends I can defnitely point out. Shoes are still selling well, super
slim shoes in different colours are popular, but also the really chunky styles are
making a big comeback. The normal skate shoe has slowed down a bit, as this
kind of style is not so trendy at the moment. In addition, the tech factor is not
a big deal at present, as nobody seems to care if a shoe lasts two months or a
year! For clothing, the tank shirt and V-neck shirt are the new must have for
spring/summer 2011 season. Headphone sales are still strong; Wesc is having
great success with their headphone line in the fashion stores while Skullcandy
remains the most popular in snowboard shops.
For winter 10, the normal hoodie of various colours and prints is the biggest
proft maker, not far off are shoes and jeans. The zip hood has yet to become
popular, Italians seem to prefer a well-tailored full hoodie.
Skate hard goods sold well this summer and retailers are very happy the skate
business is strong again. Comvert, who distribute the Italian brand Bastard, has
taken over the agency selling Jart in Italy, so good luck guys.
Shops are already receiving their winter goods and theres one interesting thing
Ive noticed. Because hardgoods can be diffcult to sell if the snow comes late,
shop owners want to create a second selling tool by putting their hardgood
inventory online. Nearly all snow retailers are creating an online presence.
Hopefully, the Italian customer can get familiar with buying online, because the
shops are investing a lot of money in their websites and they deserve some sales
and proft from it.
Most of the online web stores are having a lot of hits and viewings but so far,
not many sales. This tells us that the customers are already using the Internet to
choose their gear, but in the end, they still want to buy directly from a shop. First
of all, the traditional Italian customer isnt used to buying online as the market
is still pretty slow and secondly they like buying in real life. Many online dealers
around the country agree; they have a lot of requests via e-mail, but only a small
percentage of those evolve into an online sale. Many customers are still more
confdent with phone sales rather than mailing or instantly buying.
Personally, I think that our online market will reach a similar size in relation to
our population and country size that Germany has now, in about fve years. So,
those sowing the seeds well today will be rewarded soon.
Thats all for now, hopefully the snow will come soon and winter goods will sell
smoothly. We need a good winter season after a diffcult spring/summer season
what with economic turbulence and abnormal weather!
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
ITALY By Franz Hoeller
How and when the economy will begin to recover must be one of the
most asked questions in Portugal. Everyday seems to bring more
bad news. Recently we heard about various European Governments
spending rates for 2010. Greece reduced theirs by 14%, Ireland by
2.9% and Spain by about 2.5%. Only Portugals Government increased their
spending comparatively to 2009, by a full 4%! As the fnancial needs of the state
increase, its absorbing most of the credit available, crowding out the businesses
and raising interest rates that private initiatives have to pay to access any loan.
Even the public debt is paying interest of almost 6% in some cases. It would be
dangerous not to expect nasty consequences from this.
Next January 1st, taxes will rise once again for employers and employees due to
the phase out of tax deductions and the new Contributive Code. At a time when
unemployment is at historically high levels, close to 11%, it seems we are doing
all we can to make it worse. If a Martian landed in Portugal it would probably
think it was a country ruled by nutters! To make matters worse, this is how its
always been. For centuries the Portuguese Governments seem to have taken
sadistic pleasure in ruining the economy and impoverishing the Portuguese.
However, despite this tough economic environment our industry is still thriving
and it seems theres a market clean-up going on which is probably a good
thing.
Most of the well-established and professional retailers have streamlined their
inventories and the brands they carry. Better-kept records and data as well as
tighter fnancial management seem to be helping, as they should be.
Generally, retailers are worried about the economy and unemployment, but the
most important factor remains Mother Nature. According to Frederico Laranjo,
owner of Jump Store in Faro, his customers are already ordering snowboarding
hardwear and are anxious for winter. I am fairly optimistic regarding my
snowboarding business and the last few weeks sales have been pretty good
for back to school products like backpacks, denim and Vans classics shoes.
He also added that he has to carry a wide range of product in order to give his
customers choice.
The Tribal skate shop manager and co-owner, Eduardo Viegas, is also optimistic
about next season although he doesnt see any major changes from last year.
The hottest product and brands in our store are basically the same as last year;
canvas shoes, denim and woven sales will keep growing. Joaquim Guedes,
owner of Waimea surf shop in Matosinhos says, The major reason why I am
optimistic about the future is the growth of our markets customer base, the
number of people surfng, skateboarding and snowboarding increases every year
and the age range is widening. He said that today he sells to consumers from
8 to 40, when a few years ago his customers age range was a lot narrower.
Another very important factor is the web, which provides extra product
information. According to Joaquim, the demand for snowboarding products will
be a lot higher this season. Last year there was a shortage of product, so our
customers are already ordering and buying product as they dont want to miss
out. So if theres snow, business will be pretty good.
It seems that there are reasons why we can congratulate ourselves on our
industry. Theres good product on the market, professional retailers and demand.
Lets get to work.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
PORTUGAL By Helder Ferreira
66. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 67
Praktikant/in im Bereich Kommunikation/PR
Wer wir sind
FREEDOM & ENTERPRISE versteht sich als Kommunikationsagentur mit Fokus auf Public
Relations und bert nationale sowie internationale Kunden im Bereich Sport, Mode und
Lifestyle. Wir bieten unseren Kunden die kreative Ideenentwicklung, fundierte Beratung,
strategische Konzeption und die Umsetzung aller PR- und Kommunikations-Manahmen.
Wir suchen
engagierte und kreative PraktikantInnen fr die Bereiche PR, Events und Social Media, die
unsere Mitarbeiter durch die bernahme vielseitiger Aufgaben untersttzen. Arbeiten wie
journalistische Hintergrundrecherchen, Presseaussendungen, Aufbau und Pflege von
Journalistenkontakten, Versand von Musterteilen, das Erstellen von Pressespiegeln, aber auch
die Untersttzung bei Events, Pressekonferenzen und Shootings gehren dabei zum
Tagesgeschft. Auch die eigenstndige Abwicklung einzelner Projekte ist vorgesehen. Im
Optimalfall bringt Ihr sportliches sowie modisches Interesse mit und habt ab Mitte September
sechs Monate Zeit, diese im Herzen von Mnchen, am schnen Grtnerplatz, zu verbringen.
Wir bieten
unseren Praktikanten einen Arbeitsplatz in netter Atmosphre in einem schnen Bro im
Herzen der Stadt. Wenn mglich, helfen wir gerne beim Finden einer geeigneten Unterkunft.
Unser junges, hoch motiviertes Team freut sich auf Deine aussagekrftige Bewerbung.
Haben wir Dein Interesse geweckt?
Dann schick uns Deine Bewerbung, gerne auch per Mail, an:
FREEDOM & ENTERPRISE
Daniela Golik
Grtnerplatz 5
80469 Mnchen
contact@freedomandenterprise.com
www.facebook.com/freedomandenterprise
We are looking for a
PRODUCT MANAGER APPAREL SNOWBOARD
IIC-INTERSPORT International Corporation is the brand-management and purchas-
ing company of the INTERSPORT group. With its retail turnover of EUR 9.3 billion and
more than 5200 associated retailers in 38 countries, INTERSPORT has the worldwide
leading position in the sporting goods retail market.
OUR REQUIREMENTS: Degree in apparel technology Experience in sports apparel
development Education in business administration Fluent command of English,
both written and spoken Negotiation skills, international air, sportive mentality
Good social competence and team spirit
YOUR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Plan and execute all aspects of product
management Develop international apparel collections for technical snowboard
gear - Exclusive Brands Create design briengs and range plans Analyse sales
results and market trends Position the category and set product strategies
Organise and lead meetings with international and external customers Supervise
and guide (assistance)
OUR OFFER: Challenging opportunity at INTERSPORT International with domicile
Berne/Switzerland Cooperation in a dynamic team Possibility, with creativity and
personal commitment, to further develop our business Progressiv conditions of
work and employment
IIC-INTERSPORT International Corporaton, Monika Baumgartner,
Head Human Resources, Wlistrasse 2, CH-3006 Bern, Tel. +41 31 930 78 01,
monika.baumgartner@intersport.com
Associate Footwear Merchandiser
Converse UK & Ireland
(London-Based)
MISSION: Drive overall footwear merchandising process in UK and Ireland, aligning local market
requirements and objectives with regional and global brand strategies
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Optimize the seasonal footwear go-to-market (GTM) plan for UK & Ireland:
Assist in driving the overall seasonal footwear merchandising and UK range compilation and adoption:
- Help in determining the mix of product by Tiers and Channels;
- Assist in defining GTM plan on franchise / story and key product initiative basis across
market tiers and channels;
- Recommend product price positioning;
- Construct seasonal product flow plans;
- Determine seasonal carry-over strategy;
- Identify in-line programs to be positioned as exclusive offers with key accounts.
Coordinate seasonal GTM strategy together with UK sales and marketing team; act as a footwear
ambassador in key meetings.
Provide support on seasonal GTM tools catalogs, price lists, etc.
Develop account exclusive programs (SMUs) for the UK key accounts:
Identify and size the need for new-to-develop exclusive account products and programs
Set up seasonal SMU plans for UK key accounts;
Assure diversification in SMU offer;
Align Suggested Retail Pricing with in-line offer;
Align design and development executions with in-line developments with global team
Manage data input and data maintenance for all SMU developments
Prepare and execute presentations of SMU plans to the key accounts
Protect timeline of critical moments during the season
Direct efficient handling of sample flow in office.
Identify and communicate local needs to global team:
Analyze historical sales performance and define seasonal needs
together with commercial team
Identify relevant consumer insights &
market trends in UK & Ireland and communicate to regional & global
offices
Map regional needs for each season and communicate on
timeline to global product teams (based on sales history and market
trends)
Required Experience: -
European Footwear Merchandising Experience or similar commercial role
Knowledge of European Consumer and retailer landscape and emerging market trends
UK market knowledge desirable
Demonstrated ability to convert consumer insights into product brief and successfully develop
and drive SMU programs
Key account experience: proven track record of interaction with buyers as well as decision
makers
Strong communication and presentation skills
Microsoft Office Word, Power point & Excel
Interested candidates should apply online via http://www.converse.co.uk/jobs.
OPPORTUNITIES
The general economic situation in Spain continues in bad
shape. There is some indication of a slight recovery such
as recovery of the property market, but the main indicator
indexes are not positive for the second term. This is really
worrying because it means tourism, a vital industry in Spain, has
not yet recovered. Thus, we should expect a negative quarterly GDP
reading for the third quarter of 2010.

On the other hand, the board industry is not in such bad shape.
Unlike with the housing sector, where the banks wont even look at
you, if your figures are in black and you can show a solid business
plan of sorts, its possible to get the necessary credit to survive and
expand. That said, its by no means certain, if the banks feel insecure
because of reduced sales, or they dont get the right impression from
the managers, it can bring serious problems. This uncertainty can
be tough for the shops. Theyre walking a tightrope unable to make
any slips during the winter season or their credit lines will be cut.
This negative perception of the Spanish board industry from the
finance sector doesnt seem justly deserved, but there isnt a serious
association of board brands or shops to pay for objective research to
counter this view with facts.

What is crystal clear is that hardware is not suffering. The figures are
practically the same as the previous year however clothing continues
to drop. Skaters budgets are limited and for many, the idea of
spending 100 on a sweater is just unthinkable. While the crisis is not
going to stop them from skating, there has been an important change.
Research has shown there has been a shift towards brands offering
good quality for a low price. Thus, some expensive American brands
have lost sales and some local brands like Nomad have increased
their hardware sales considerably. Nomad forecast this trend shift, so
got themselves a good credit deal to be able to satisfy the increased
demand for their hardware.
The Spanish snowboard sector is mainly terrified! Not only by
traditional doubts about the weather, though these seem unfounded. In
the last four years, two have had enough snow for lifts to open on time
and the other two saw snow while the ski stations were still closed.
They also fear the crisis. Shops have been ultra cautious with their
purchasing forecasting, theyre buying little by little even though this
will increase their overall costs. This is even tougher for softwear,
which has even smaller sales but they prefer it to the risk of a backlog
at the end of winter.
Dolce Vita, one of the best skateshops in Spain has clear ideas, Were
focussing on our core customers and they demand good boards from
reliable brands at a good price. We dont pay attention to hype brands
anymore. Theres no room for experiments. We also make sure were
a newcomer friendly shop, being honest and selling them what they
need. We hope theyll value and repay that in the future with their
continued custom. A shop has to be not just a sales point; it has be
a place where the costumers get advice, especially the new ones.
A place where you can hang out, read skate mags, see videos and
find other skaters. Shops without this diversity and those with the
atmosphere of a petrol station will close.
MARKET INTELLIGENCE
SPAIN By Chus Castejo
68. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 69
Atomic is the offcial supplier of ski equipment to beginners and Olympic
medallists, ski tourers and freeskiers, Alpine racers and Nordic pleasure
skiers the world over. Our goal is to make every skier a better skier and this
we strive to do as a team whose professional and private lives are defned
by a passion for skiing. We are now looking to strengthen our international
team by recruiting an
ONLINE MARKETING MANAGER (M/F)
The candi date shoul d have a passi on for wi nter sports, excel l ent
communication skills, be nternet-profcient and have an excellent grasp
of English and German texts. He or she should have an ability to think
and act strategically, and should feel equally as comfortable with social
networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. as they do on the ski
slopes. The candidate should be familiar with MS Offce and Photoshop
and should combine a fair for recognising online trends with a feel for
language, creativity and a capacity for teamwork.
Responsibilities:
The position of Online Marketing Manager, based at our Head Offce in
Altenmarkt im Pongau/Salzburg, combines professional competence with
a passion for skiing and encompasses the following responsibilities:
Development of a holistic online marketing concept
Overseeing the editing of atomicsnow.com
Overseeing the editing of Atomic Social Media Sites
Evaluation and analysis of online traffc
Development and management of search engine optimization/marketing
(SEO + SEM)
Development and management of social network campaigns
mplementation of e-mail marketing and newsletters
f you believe this profile matches your talents, if you have trained in
new media and have one to three years' experience, please send your
application and covering letter to application.austria@amersports.com.
Please address your application to Dr. Renatus Capek, Director Human
Resources. We look forward to welcoming you on board as a new member
of our successful team.
ATOMICSNOW.COM
Independent Sa|es Agency or
Distributor for ,The Program" in the
Bene|ux
We are |ook|ng for an |ndependent sa|es agency or
d|str|butor for Forum/Spec|a| B|end/Foursquare (The
Program*} for the Bene|ux countr|es.
Does your d|str|but|on have exce||ent re|at|onsh|ps to
the Bene|ux board sport dea|er base?
Are you ab|e to prov|de the best sa|es and after sa|es
serv|ce?
Then we are |ook|ng forward to rece|v|ng your app||ca-
t|on.
P|ease send your app||cat|on to Reg|na Naschberger -
reg|nan@theprogram.eu.com
Burton Sportart|ke| GmbH / The Program / Ha||erstra3e
111 / A-6020 lnnsbruck
LOGOS
DATE:
11. 12 . 09

Die Lafuma Gruppe ist ein international aufgestelltes Unternehmen im Bereich
Outdoor und Fashion und mit einem Gesamtumsatz von 260 Millionen Euro einer
der grten Anbieter auf dem europischen Markt. Ein Garant fr eine weiterhin
erfolgreiche Entwicklung ist dabei das Surf- und Snowboardlabel OXBOW.
Fr den Vertrieb der Marke OXBOW suchen wir kurzfristig eine(n)
Reisende(n) oder Handelsvertreter(in)
fr Norddeutschland bzw. Nordrhein-Westfalen
und eine(n)
Reisende(n), Handelsvertreter(in)
oder Agentur fr sterreich
Sie haben bereits mehrere Jahre Berufserfahrung im Sport- und/oder Fashion-
fachhandel und knnen sich und andere fr unsere Produkte begeistern. Sie
arbeiten selbststndig, ziel- und erfolgsorientiert.
Die Hauptaufgaben sind die Betreuung der bestehenden Kunden sowie Neukun-
denakquisition, Verkauf und Umsetzung der Markenphilosophie. In Ihrer Freizeit
surfen Sie aktiv und auch auf dem Snowboard machen Sie eine gute Figur.
Sollten wir Sie herausgefordert haben, senden Sie bitte Ihre aussagefhigen
Bewerbungsunterlagen in schriftlicher Form an:
Lafuma Group GmbH, z.Hd. Herrn Haid
Fabrikstr. 35 73266 Bissingen/Teck
Tel.07023/9511-0 / E-Mail: ehaid@lafuma.com
OPPORTUNITIES OPPORTUNITIES
!"##"$% '() *+", -+. /.)0"10 )2)3)4. 5'2#)5
"$ '+,4265 /."7) /+"$' 74')%+.2
!"#$%&$' )*'+'&% ", #--."/0 1-% ',$&2#",3'4 )5%-6'&/ 4",$%"25$-%, +"$37
8 9$%-/0 %'#&$"-/,3"6, +"$3 ,5%1: ,/-+ &/4 ,.&$' %'$&"#'%,
8 );6'%"'/<' "/ $3' ,5/0#&,, &/4 ,/-+ 0-00#' 25,"/',,
8 9&#', !-%<' +"$3 ./-+#'40' -1 '*'+'&% =&%.'$
8 9&#', !-%<' +"$3 <-=6#'='/$&%* 6%-45<$, "/ $3'"% 6-%$1-#"-
8## "$').)5'), ,"5'."91'+.5 5(+1#,
7+$'47' !"#'.4') :1.+/) '+,42 -+. 4
9.4$, 9++;< 71..)$' 74'4#+%< /."7"$%
4$, /.+%.40=
333=-"#'.4'))2)3)4.=7+0
>+$'47' "$-+.04'"+$?
-"#'.4')@-#+3=7+0
+. 74## ABC DEC FD EG FGH
70. www.boardsportsource.com
EVENTS
OCTOBER/OCTOBRE/OKTOBER
1 WATERMANS BALL TBC FRANCE SURF WWW.EUROSIMA.COM
1 -3 CAPSULE - WOMENS PARIS FRANCE TRADE WWW.CAPSULESHOW.COM
7 18 RIP CURL PRO PENICHE PORTUGAL SURF WWW.ASPWORLDTOUR.COM
20 - 24 SKI &SNOWBOARD SHOW LONDON UK TRADE WWW.METROSNOW.CO.UK
23 ROCK THE CRADLE FORJONNY RAMANO HOUSON USA SKATE WWW.WCSK8.COM
28 - 31 WOMENINBOARDSPORTS SAAS FEE SWITZERLAND TRADE WWW.WOMENINBOARDSPORTS.BLOGSPOT.COM
29 1 SKIPASS MODENA ITALY TRADE WWW.SKIPASS.IT
29 - 31 LONDONFREEZE LONDON UK SNOW WWW.LONDONFREEZE.COM
29 - 01 STOMP IT MODENA ITALY SNOW WWW.SKIPASS.IT
30 - 10 RIP CURL SEARCH PUERTO RICO SURF WWW.RIPCURL.COM
NOVEMBER/NOVEMBRE/NOVEMBER
12 - 14 HORSEFEATHERS PLEASURE JAM SCHLADMING AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.PLEASUREJAM.COM
12 14 SNOW-SHOW BUDAPEST HUNGARY TRADE WWW.HOSHOW.HU
DECEMBER/DECEMBRE/DECEMBER
5 T-MOBILE EXTREME PLAYGROUNDS BERLIN DEUTSCHLAND SKATE WWW.T-MOBILE-PLAYGROUNDS.DE
8 - 20 BILLABONG PIPE MASTERS HAWAII USA SURF WWW.BILLABONG.COM
19 WORLD SNOWBOARDING DAY WORLD WIDE SNOW WWW.WORLD-SNOWBOARD-DAY.COM
JANUARY/JANVIER/JANUAR
2- 8 ONEILL EVOLTION DAVOS SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.ONEILL.COM
6 - 8 ROXY CHICKENJAM SAALBACH AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.CHICKENJAM.COM
8 - 15 BURTONEUROPEANOPEN LAAX SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.OPENSNOWBOARDING.COM
15 SPIRIT OF FASHION BERLIN DEUTSCHLAND TRADE WWW.SPIRIT-OF-FASHION.COM
16 - 18 SNOWAVANT PREMIER LACLUSAZ FRANCE TRADE WWW.SNOWAVANTPREMIERE.COM
17 - 18 ASAP ANNECY FRANCE TRADE WWW.SPORTAIR.FR
19 - 21 BREAD &BUTTER BERLIN DEUTSCHLAND TRADE WWW.BREADANDBUTTER.COM
20 - 22 BRIGHT BERLIN DEUTSCHLAND TRADE WWW.BRIGHTTRADESHOW.COM
23 - 25 SHOPS FIRST TRY VENET AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.SHOPS-FIRST-TRY.COM
23 - 26 SKI TEST TOUR MERIBEL FRANCE TRADE WWW.SPORTAIR.FR
24 - 26 EDINBURGHSNOWBAW EDINBURGH UK TRADE TBC
30 - 31 SNOWAVANT PREMIER PEYRAGUDES FRANCE TRADE WWW.SNOWAVANTPREMIERE.COM
31 - 1 PRO SHOP TEST MONTABONDONE ITALY TRADE WWW.PROSHOPTEST.COM
31 - 2 READING SNOWBAWSHOW READING UK TRADE TBC
FEBRUARY/FEVRIER/FEBRUAR
2 - 3 SKI TEST TOUR SERRE CHEVALIER FRANCE TRADE WWW.SPORTAIR.FR
4 - 5 BILLABONG AIR&STYLE INNSBRUCK AUSTRIA SNOW WWW.AIR-STYLE.COM
6 - 9 ISPO MUNCHEN DEUTSCHLAND TRADE WWW.ISPO.COM
8 - 13 NESCAFE CHAMPS LEYSIN SWITZERLAND SNOW WWW.CHAMPSOPEN.CH
14 - 19 TAC OSLO NORWAY SNOW WWW.T-A-C.NO
21 - 23 SLIDE TELFORD UK TRADE WWW.SLIDEUK.CO.UK
MARCH/MARZ/MRZ
7 - 13 BURTONUS OPEN STRATTON USA SNOW WWW.OPENSNOWBOARDING.COM
14 - 16 EUREXPO LYON FRANCE TRADE WWW.SPORTAIR.FR
16 - 18 WINTERX GAMES EUROPE TIGNES FRANCE SNOW WWW.TIGNES.NET
SURF
SKATE
SNOW
TRADE
ALL THE LATEST EVENTS CANBE FOUND ONOURWEBSITE - WWW.BOARDSPORTSOURCE.COM
72. www.boardsportsource.com www.boardsportsource.com 73
Firewire - Myles Hutchins Gul - Jake Patterson Lightning Bolt - Brad Hart Nial Neeson, Wes Morgan (Rock Solid
Distribution) and Bud (SS20)
Protest - Demelza Warner, Darryl
Charles, unknown
TKC Sales - Tim Green WeSC - Mark Selvey and Peter Turvey Craig Smith (Dragon) and Anthony
Hickey (Santa Cruz)
Kris Barber and Sam (both Dirtball) Matt Rumble (Hurley)
Mike (IAMWHY) Simon Tucker (Santa Cruz) and Leo
Krajewski (Hydrofex)
Buffalo + Seb Marcq Caroline Tonin Helene Grolleau Volcom
Marylene Baur
Dartenuc + Picolo Fred Ducez Bufallo Antoine Benetrix
Seb Marcq Fab G Maillet
Hanalei Antoine Benetrix Fab G
Perrine Coudroy VZ Adrien Waller VZ
Marco Zuchetti DaKine Tom VZ Emilie
Chaminade Element
Philippe Vial Element Sophie Fall
Element
ONE EYED MONSTER
VONZIPPER 10 YEARS PIRATE PARTY (HOSSEGOR, FRANCE)
HUB, BRISTOL
EUROSIMA WATERMANS BALL 2010 StphaneRobinClaudeEtchelecou
HOTZONE INTERTUX
049
Vronique Basse, Rmi Forsans
(Outdoor Sports Valley)
Agnes Fontan (Surf Session) Chlo
Delanoue (Surfeuses Magazine)
Amaury Lavernhe, Elose Bourroux
Portugais (Rip Curl Europe), Christine
Feuille (Rip Curl Europe), David
Portugais (Cool Shoe)
Audrey Caulonque, Wilco Prins (Rip
Curl Europe), Baptiste Caulonque (Rip
Curl Europe)
Carl Weiser (Xcel), Cira Riedel (7sky
magazine)
Clive Ripley (Boardsport Source
Magazine), Rasmus Ostergaard
(Method Mag)
Damien Catinaud (Hoff), Franck
Goudou (Insight), Grgoire Puget (ASP
Europe), Alex Maillet (DC Europe),
Franck Corbery
Franck Corbery, Amandine Sanchez
(O'Neill Europe)
Franck Laporte-Fauret (EuroSIMA),
Elose Domenjus (Rock Food), Cdric
Jourdein (Pukas-Viral Surf)
Franois Payot (Rip Curl), Harry Hodge
Jean-Louis Rodrigues (GSM Europe),
Valrie Thevenot (Quiksilver)
Martin Potter, Harry Hodge, Reid
Pinder (GSM Europe)
Quiksilver's cantine at the news
campus
Rasmus Ostergaard (Method
Magazine)
The Volcom team
Thomas Casamayou (Intellysurf),
Bernard Crepel (Quiksilver)
TNT Tribute to ACDC
Anthony & Seppe Smits (Riders) Ines Kreutzer, Alex Rieger (both
Oakley)
Lib Tech Crew Marco Smolla (Rider) Michi Kahl (Billabong)
Oef (Pleasure Mag) Rudi Kroell (Aesthetiker) Sam R. Tapper, Adrian Schnerring,
Christoph Gross & Crsten Kurmis (all
Rhythm)
Stoff Huber (Hotzone Pro Shop) Uli Koehler (Onboard Mag)