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Published by Active Interest Media
Friday, JanUARY 31, 2014
Official Publication of the 2014 SIA Snow show
The Designers
behind the Olympic Uniforms
Sendoff to
Sochi
Winter Games fanfare,
uniforms unveiling,
and Doug Lewis at SIA
opening ceremony (p. 4)
Chasing
Gold
Savvy retailers and
suppliers join forces
with top athletes to
capitalize on Olympic
fever. (p. 16)
Boom in
Baselayers
Ninja suits, hybrid
synthetic-and-wool
fabrics, eye-popping
prints define first
layers. (p. 54)
Advice from the floor
“Drink lots of Red Bull. But
it’s not that healthy…uh,
drink lots of water. And lots
of beer.”
—Jim Adlington, founder and
creative director of Planks Clothing
map my show
Book appointments,
find parties, and navigate
the floor plan with SIA’s
Snow Show app,
SIAshowapp.com. Tag
your social media #SIA14
and #SIA14Demo.
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up front | in the issue
PARKER COOK
PHOTO COLE SAX
4 Show News
Contents
Opening ceremony, Stylesight trend
watch, lowdown on down.
10 Snowboard News
TransWorld’s Riders’ Poll awards,
Technine’s 20th anniversary, & more.
16 Chasing Gold
Suppliers and retailers at the Show
capitalize on Olympic fever.
22 Winner, Winner
SIA Retailers and Reps of the Year.
26 The Shmooz
Job networking event for snow sports.
28 Market Update
40 Snowboard Accessories
Beyond boots and boards.
42 Alpine Rental
Next-gen fleets boost performance.
44 Beer Here!
Getting hoppy at Denver tap houses.
48 Exhibitor Listing
53 Wish List
Product picks from the Show floor.
54 Base Layers
Hybrid fabrics and ninja styling.
56 More Show News
Research on backcountry and youth.
Meet Olympic judge Josh Loubek,
backcountry trends, & Glen Plake.
32 New Exhibitors
60 Event Schedule
Fresh tales of innovation and grit
from companies new to the Show.
Atomic cliffline
stormfold jacket
36 Women’s Apparel
External adjustable vent slider allows
you to control your comfort on the fly.
Jackets: the season’s hot commodity.
38 Snowboard for Women
Uncompromising gear, from hardgoods to softgoods.
ON THE COVER: Olympic uniforms and their designers. From left (live bodies): Greg
Dacyshyn, Burton; Matt Strackbein and J.J. Collier, Spyder; Tim Malone, The North
Face. Photo by Ben Fullerton.
INTRODUCING
the
Publisher Andy Hawk
editor Helen Olsson
Art Director Jacqueline McCaffrey
tablet media specialist Crystal Sagan
Photographers Ben Fullerton, Alton Richardson
Contributors Sam Bass, Jason Blevins, Berne Broudy, Eugene Buchanan, Rob Campbell,
Mark Cerick, Krista Crabtree, Joe Cutts, Courtney Holden, Cindy Hirschfeld, Kevin Luby,
Doug Schnitzpahn, Mike Sudmeier, Morgan Tilton, Bevin Wallace, Deborah Williams
Advertising Sales Sharon Burson, Andy Hawk
Group Production Director Barb Van Sickle
Production manager Hillary Kerrick
Prepress Technician Idania Mentana
NEW FOR 2014/2015
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Read the Snow Show Daily at snewsnet.com or SIAsnowshow.com/showdaily or read the
tablet edition (search “SIA Snow Show Daily” in the Apple app store).
Snow Show Daily is part of Active Interest Media’s Mountain Group
Andy Bigford, General Manager
Allen Crolius, VP of Sales and Marketing, Mountain/Outdoor Groups
Active Interest Media—Mountain Group
5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301
Chairman & CeO Efrem Zimbalist III
Group Publisher & COO Andrew W. Clurman
Senior Vice President & CFO Brian J. Sellstrom
Senior Vice President, Operations Patricia B. Fox
Vice President, Controller Joseph Cohen
Vice President, Research Kristy Kaus
Copyright 2014 by Snow Show Daily
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at the show | Show news
Snow Sports Style
Trend forecasters at Stylesight predict
fashion for 2015
The Datebook
Today’s not-to-miss events
BlueBird Social Zone, Booth 278
Presentations today include Advanced Digital Marketing (10:30 AM ) and Collaborative
Consumption and Social Sharing: What This Means for Your Brand (1:30 PM).
Protect Our Winters Breakfast, Seasons Ballroom, 7:30-9 AM
SIA and the Aspen Environment Foundation present a talk by award-winning journalist
Jeff Goodell about climate change and the snow sports industry.
CRAFT @ SIA Happy Hour, Booth 4437, 5-6 PM
Handcrafted skis, snowboards, and beer
SnowSports Retailer & Rep of the Year Awards, CSCUSA Center Lounge, 6-7 PM
Specialty retailers and sales reps in the U.S. and Canada are honored for fostering
relationships, moving product, and setting brands apart from the competition.
Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks, Red Rocks Amphiteatre, 6-11 PM
Ghostland Observatory performs at the iconic live-music venue at the foot of the Rockies.
TransWorld Snowboaring Riders' Poll Awards Show, Ogden Theater, 8-11 PM
Help honor the best riders and snowboarding videos of the year.
4
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2
SIAsnowshow.com
60 Years of Cowbell
The Show opens with an Olympic send-off,
Klaus yodeling, and more cowbell
The 60th SIA Show kicked off yesterday morning as it always
does, with a gang of snow sports industry luminaries ringing cowbells and 94-year-old
Klaus Obermeyer yodeling to a raucous crowd. But before the booths opened for business, the industry also gave a big send-off to the athletes headed to Sochi, where the
Winter Olympics kick off in just one week. Olympian Doug Lewis, who competed in
the games in 1984 and 1988, emceed, showing off the team uniforms and videos of the
Olympic Nordic, freeskiing, freestyle, snowboard, and alpine teams.
“When you talk about the Olympics, you talk about dreams,” he said. “And dreams do
come true.”
In a previously recorded video message, athletes headed off to the most important moments in their careers gave a warm welcome to SIA attendees. “I wish I could be there, but
I’m headed to Sochi,” said snowboarder Jamie Anderson.
Lewis reminded the crowd that at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, the U.S. Ski
and Snowboard Team brought home a record 21 medals. “In eight days, that record is
in jeopardy with this team coming in,” he said, referring to the overwhelming talent of
this year’s team.
The team uniforms came from several brands exhibiting at the show. The North Face
incorporated fabric that has been to the summit of Everest into its freeskiing team’s outfits, adorned with the motto “bigger than me.” Some of Spyder’s alpine team suits have
the phrase “hundies matter,” a quip by Olympian Daron Rahlves on the importance of
hundredths of a second in the sport, sewn into them. And Burton’s snowboard uniforms
incorporated a vintage American quilt into the fabric.
After the send-off, SIA President David Ingemie—whom Lewis referred to as “the
godfather of the Show”— praised the Olympians and Obermeyer’s yodeling, and brought
on the cowbells. Ten honorary bell ringers representing SIA’s manufacturers, athletes,
advocates, reps, resorts, and other ski-bums-turned-professionals did the honors. They
included Ingemie, Oberymeyer, Lewis, SIA Board Chairman and K2 president of Global Marketing and Sales Tim Petrick, Colorado Ski Country USA president Melanie
Mills, Copper Mountain president Gary Rodgers, WWSRA president Morgan Turner,
U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team VP Tom Kelly, 1972 Olympic skier David Currier, and
Denver Convention and Visitors Bureau President Richard Scharf.
—Doug Schnitzspahn
Photos by ben fullerton
The fashion mavens from Stylesight offered a peek at what will
be hot next season during yesterday’s Stylesight F/W 15 Color and Megatrends presentation.
Their prediction: Fashion is finally settling down. Hues and patterns inspired by arctic landscapes and academia trend for fall/winter 2015.
As the style guide for fashion hotshots such as Prada and Ralph Lauren, Stylesight aims
to inspire and enable creativity in products that range from purses to powder skis. Trend forecaster and sport consultant Vincent Lecrosnier breaks the fall/winter 2015 design forecast
into four themes: existence, essence, confluence, and dissonance.
Existence is a theme in which order prevails and natural elements find harmony. Colors
are drawn out of arctic and volcanic landscapes with icy pastels showing starkly against deep
blacks and dark blues.
In contrast, the essence theme finds its inspiration in the classic urban scene. Not quite
city chic—jersey prints and academic logos prevail—this fashion theme features decorative
patterns that retain the technical aspects of a sporty, casual look. Versatile colors like Oxford
grays, Bordeaux reds, and touches of pink and tobacco dominate.
The confluence theme takes on the notion of “eccentricity, the big mix,” says Lecrosnier. He
warns, “there’s a fine line between bad taste and good taste. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.” With a fresh, bright
color range accented by urban grays
and the cold blues, confluence incorporates global beats, kinetic tartans, and
an arguably ’80s influence.
Its opposite, dissonance, carries a
strong notion of elegance with metallic
golds and silvers, a range of nocturnal
and pale blues, and spicy colors like
curry and paprika. Inspiration for this
decorative theme comes from African
jewelry and baroque elegance.
—Morgan Tilton
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at the show | show news
Duck Down Dynasty
The
Money
Stash
Meat consumption affecting down supply chain,
driving hybrid innovation
Tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. in Mile HIGH
Ballroom 4, Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition
(OIWC) will host its annual Keynote Breakfast and
Awards Ceremony, which promises not only bacon and
eggs but also to “uncover the economic future of the snow
industry.” Speakers will present data reflecting the potential growth of the industry’s female demographic, key advertising techniques, and how to make snow sports more
inviting for women and families. The lineup includes
Kelly Davis, SIA’s director of research, Krista Parry,
PowdrCorp senior VP, Liz VerHoeven, marketing director at AIM Outdoor Group, and Anne Marie Dacyshyn,
Burton Snowboards VP of marketing. OIWC will also
present its annual awards to women in the industry.
—Morgan Tilton
Mountain Tourism
Birds of a feather flock together. That’s the trend in the down business these days as
rising costs are steering manufacturers toward synthetic and hybrid-fill alternatives, many of which are debuting the Show
floor today.
“Prices have been tough,” says Daniel Uretsky, COO of down distributor Allied Feather and Down, which supplies The
North Face, Marmot, Spyder, among others. “Down is a byproduct of the meat industry and it’s strictly based on supply
and demand. There’s not the same rate of consumption any more, which is causing designers to look at alternatives.”
Trying to kill two proverbial birds with one SKU, manufacturers are investing in blended insulation by combining down
with synthetic fill. Allied is developing a proprietary combo called FX Down in what Uretsky calls “a nice homogenous
blend,” and companies like PrimaLoft are forging ahead with alternatives. “The demand for down is up, and the diet in
China is changing [less duck, more chicken],” says PrimaLoft CEO Mike Joyce. “There’s a massive supply chain crunch.”
PrimaLoft’s new Performance Down Blends replace up to 40 percent of premium goose or duck down with synthetic
PrimaLoft material, creating a more predictable bottom line. “The overall price of the finished product is much more
stabilized, which leads to more accurate forecasting for our brand partners and more favorable pricing for the end consumer,” Joyce adds.
To see hybrids on display, stop by Westcomb to see the new SubZero collection and Mammut for the Stoney 2L jacket. Also
look for Millet Touring’s new Insulated Neo Jacket and Marmot’s Megawatt jacket.
Despite these synthetic advancements, however, there are still plenty of true believers in down. Many companies, including FlyLow and Big Agnes, are continuing to hang their hats on treated downs like DownTek for their water-repellent
properties. “We feel Mother Nature is still doing a far better job than we are,” says Big Agnes president Bill Gamber.
—Eugene Buchanan
MIllet Touring's
insulated Neo jacket
Experts and influencers gather
6
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
▲ Marmot Megawatt
▲ Mammut stoney 2l jacket
Photo by alton richardson (millet)
The Assembly returns to the SIA Snow Show
today for a day-long confab of thought leaders, researchers, and game changers from the mountain travel industry.
Produced by DestiMetrics, a Denver-based travel industry
research firm, The Assembly will offer Show attendees a
sneak peek of the event. “The Assembly is designed to present an overall roundup of need-to-know info for any stakeholders in the mountain travel and tourism industry,” says
event founder and organizer Ralf Garrison. Headlining the
morning session Trends and Game Changers Forthcoming will be an all-star cast, including James Seidman, senior travel executive, Google Travel; Jake Burton, founder,
Burton; Brent Bellm, COO, HomeAway.com; Steve Rice,
senior managing director, CNL Financial Group, and
Andrew Clurman, president and COO, Active Interest
Media. The 2 p.m. Rise of the Metamediaries session,
which will cover the virtual trading space that connects
consumers to providers of goods and services, will interest suppliers especially. The Assembly runs from 9:00 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m. in the Convention Center’s Four Seasons Ballroom. More info at theassembly.destimetrics.com.
—Helen Olsson
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
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at the show | images
▲ in anticipation of the olympics, burton displays its u.s. snowboard team uniforms.
▲ mixing and mingling at the hyatt regency at the colorado convention center.
8
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2
SIAsnowshow.com
▲ getting wild at the goPro booth.
Photos by Ben fullerton (3); alton richardson (6)
▲ time flies when you're having fun and snagging drinks.
at the grand hyatt vip media event.
▲ Phone running out of juice? stop by the peepsnake
booth for a quick recharge.
▲ saga outerwear turns things up to 1.21 gigawatts.
▲ DJ Sammy T keeps the beat pumping as showgoers
unwind at the hyatt regency.
▲ all work and no play makes trade-show installation
workers dull boys. nothing a few minutes of gaming in the
booth they just built can't fix.
▲ It's a powder day! Green Mountain Sports Owner Julie
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SIAsnowshow.com
Day 2 | SNOW SHOW Daily
9
at the show | Show News
powered by
SIA Snow Show Unveils
'Snowboarding Is…' Campaign
Asks Industry To Weigh In On What the Sport Means To Them
The “Snowboarding IS…” campaign, SIA Snowboarding Committee's newest initiative, was unveiled during the first day of the 2014 Snow Show, and is
intended as a call to arms for the snowboard community to demonstrate what the sport
represents to them. Making its debut in the form of a message wall on the Show floor,
Snowboarding Is… will give members of the industry a chance to share stories of how
they got started snowboarding and where it’s taken them. If you haven't yet, be sure to
stop by and weigh in with your own thoughts and stories at booth #2156.
“The idea for Snowboarding Is… came from SIA’s Snowboarding Committee as a way to
pass along true stories that will inspire others to get out there and try snowboarding themselves,” says Anthony Scaturro, president & CEO, Flow Sports Inc., and member of SIA’s
Snowboard Committee. “It will be great to see the passion we all feel about snowboarding
on the wall we’ve created for the Show.”
SIA will be documenting the entire experience at the show with video interviews and
artwork that capture people’s stories as they’re being created on the wall. The Snowboard
Committee will be using the stories, statements, and art in a campaign to demonstrate the
passion of the snowboard community.
“A big thanks goes out to Mike West of 686 and the entire Snowboard Committee for all
the work that went into launching this project and laying the groundwork to help grow the
sport of snowboarding,” says David Ingemie, SIA president.
SIA will provide coffee daily at 10 a.m. at the Snowboarding Is… booth, followed by kegs
tapped at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
—Kailee Bradstreet
Quiksilver & Roxy Introduce Down Alternative Jackets
With 3M Thinsulate Featherless Insulation
For 2014-15, Roxy and Quiksilver introduce
a featherless down-alternative puffy jacket through their partnership with 3M Thinsulate. While several industry leaders
are adopting a form of featherless down-alternative solutions,
Roxy and Quiksilver are the first to use 3M Thinsulate’s new
Featherless technology in outerwear, which boasts “performance when wet, and fill power without the allergens.” The
industry need is there, says Clark Gundlach, SVP & general
manager of wintersports for Quiksilver, DC, and Roxy. He
believes that down-alternative products will never fully replace the real thing but will be offered as a higher end option
in the collection.
“Down prices have skyrocketed, strangely enough, because of the bird-flu epidemic in Asia,” says Gundlach.
“Because there are fewer birds, the supply and demand has
made down prices more than double at a wholesale level.”
Today, tag prices are nearly 20 percent higher for the average down jacket. “The alternative is animal friendly, and I
think it’s important to the younger generation, so this 3M
Thinsulate alternative to down makes perfect sense.”
10
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2
SIAsnowshow.com
Manufacturer testing has shown other reasons to believe
that a synthetic substitute is viable in the marketplace. The
3M Thinsulate Featherless insulation is warmer per gram
than down, washable, and has collapse recovery. Its weight
is also comparable to down. “Basically, your jacket won’t
lose its shape when you pack it, you can throw it in the
wash, plus you can be confident you’ll stay warm on a cold
day,” says Julieann Chang, product manager for Quiksilver
and Roxy. “When developing this with 3M, the down alternative needed to have these core properties,” says Gundlach. “We’re just excited that 3M chose us to work with and
develop this product.”
—Kelsey Smith
Check out the new line of 3M
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at the show | Show news
powered by
And The
Winner Is…
technine Co-founders cole
taylor and ethan stone
Transworld Snowboarding Riders Poll
Tonight At Ogden Theater
(from left to right below) 2013 rider of the year nicolas mÜeller; 2013 legend award
winner peter line
12
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2
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Twenty Years of Technine
What began as a binding company has evolved into nothing
short of a movement. “In 1993, we were doing everything we could to push snowboarding,” explains Technine Founder Ethan Fortier. “We started cutting down our boards to
make skate shapes, and then the next thing we did was go to Home Depot and get all of the
parts to make baseless bindings. We took straps and plastic parts from existing bindings
and then used L-brackets to attach them to the board.” Inspired by skating, the resulting
bindings aimed to provide enhanced board-feel. A few months later, in January of 1994,
Ethan, his father Ray, his stepbrother Mark Girardi, and Jason “J3” Desmarais teamed up
to commercially manufacture baseless bindings. Their first pairs went to close friends that
included Tarquin Robbins, Jason “J2” Rasmus, Ali Goulet, and MFM.
Through the years, the brand evolved to offer boards and outerwear as well. Yet for
Fortier, the brand’s greatest legacy is the culture it has helped create and continues to support. “What I’m most proud of is always sticking to our belief and vision of what snowboarding is to us,” he explains. “We wanted to be a brand that put snowboarding and the
people who loved the sport first.” And luckily, Technine has done much to document this
culture through the years. When Cole Taylor joined Technine as the brand’s team manager,
he began filming the team. And soon, he and Fortier began releasing films under the name
Finger on Da Trigger Productions.
Although these films—and Technine’s riders—are often focused on the streets, that’s
only part of the story. “It’s the only remaining brand with a direct lineage to the new school
movement of the early ’90s, when snowboarding started to move toward skate style,” explains Trent Bush, who helped launch Technine’s outerwear program and first became
friends with Fortier long before the brand’s inception. According to Bush, this lineage has
helped define the brand and shape its focus. “Technine has always represented only one
thing: snowboarding. Obviously, the brand is best known for urban riding, but at its core
Technine has always supported a broad range of riders and locations,” he explains. “If you
go back through Technine’s history, there is a huge roster of important riders who got their
start on the brand.” Its team has included influential riders like Tarquin Robbins, Jason
“J2” Rasmus, Scotty Wittlake, Mark Frank Montyoa, aka “MFM,” Travis Kennedy, Darrell Mathes, Justin Hebbel, Justin Bennee, and Lucas Magoon.
Despite the brand’s history and the role it has played in showcasing incredible talent,
some riders find that its legacy is overlooked. “I don’t think [Ethan Fortier and Cole Taylor]
get enough credit for what they have contributed to the snowboard game, not only running
a company but filming and shooting some of the best videos and photos from the last 20
years,” explains Technine team rider Chris Bradshaw. “Much love and respect to E-Stone
and Cole Taylor for making it happen.” And although two decades have passed since the
brand crafted its first binding, the crew behind Technine is as passionate as ever.
—Michael Sudmeier
Photos by Chris Wellhausen (rider poll)
One of the biggest nights in snowboarding is about to go down
at the iconic Ogden Theater, right here in Denver. This is the first year the Ogden will host
the 15th Annual TransWorld SNOWboarding Riders Poll awards, providing a more intimate experience than in the past.
The event, presented by New Era, gathers the biggest names, athletes, and industry
members to celebrate the best of snowboarding throughout the year.
The Adidas Welcome Series, Burton Presents Snowboarding, and Cooking With Gas are
nominated for Best Online Video Series.
More than 100 riders have voted. Categories to be awarded include: Men’s and Women’s
Rookie of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Rider of the Year, Men’s and Women’s Video Part of
the Year, Online Video Series of the Year, Video of the Year, Standout Performance of the
Year, and Men’s and Women’s Readers’ Choice Award.
This year’s nominees include: Halldór Helgason, Scott Stevens, Torstein Horgmo, Gigi
Ruf, Louif Paradis, Mark McMorris, Desiree Melancon, Jess Kimura, Kelly Clark, Cristy
Prior, and Blake Paul.
And a man who needs little introduction, Bryan Iguchi, will be awarded the prestigious
TransWorld SNOWboarding Legend Award.
Preston Strout, pro snowboarder and part owner of High Cascade Snowboard Camp,
will host the awards.
Check out twsnow.com/riderspoll to get more info and check out last year’s coverage.
—Kelsey Smith
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feature | Olympics
Julia mancuso captured outside the
racecourse by sponsor gopro
Chasing Gold
Sofia Goumas was giddy. The line snaking
through Copper Village last November ended at her shop,
123Mountain, where ski-racing champion Ted Ligety was
signing posters and posing for snapshots. The cash register
was ringing, as it would for weeks following the celebrity
appearance.
“You can’t buy this kind of publicity. The promotional
value of an event like this is huge,” said Goumas, who
broached the idea of hosting Ligety for a poster signing a
16
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
year ago today at the 2013 SIA Snow Show as a way to promote the ski racer’s sponsors, Shred Optics and Slytech.
“It just snowballed from there.”
Hundreds of brands at the Show are hoping for that
same snowball effect as sponsored athletes soar onto the
largest stage in winter sports next week in Sochi, Russia.
The Winter Olympics are a chance for suppliers to showcase their brands with billions of people at the very moment when they are most riled on snow sports.
The crossroads of gear makers, athletes, and retailers,
however, is found in the shop. In the months prior to the
Games, many retailers rode the coattails of the Olympians
(and can continue to do so in the wake of the Games). “It’s
definitely a big opportunity,” Ligety said during his poster
signing at Copper. “In the ski industry, we’re in a unique
position to help cultivate that excitement. If you are able
to capitalize on that excitement, to push it the right way, I
think it can really help sell a lot of product.”
Photo courtesy of GoPro
The games are big business as suppliers and retailers capitalize on Olympic fever,
despite sponsorship blackout periods by jason Blevins
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The Challenge
Every four years, athletes, brands, suppliers, and retailers
get a three-week, all-access pass to the world. But unless
your brand is an official Olympic partner—global heavyweights like Coca-Cola, Visa, and McDonald’s—the
Olympics can be a challenging time to sponsor an athlete.
Per Olympic mandate, Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter,
athletes and their agents cannot tout their brands or appear in advertising for some 30 days around the Games.
Sponsors cannot run advertising championing their athletes. Any athletes not already in Russia will be walking
the aisles at the Show today with logos blacked out or minimized to coin-sized dollops. And no in-store promotions.
It’s likely most athletes have gone dark altogether on social
media, ceasing promotion of sponsors on blogs, Twitter,
Facebook, or Instagram, a #ubiquitous #trend of late.
“I didn’t know anything about that,” said 17-year-old
Arielle Gold, the snowboarding halfpipe phenom who is
sponsored by Red Bull, Burton, and Oakley. “I have to be
careful. I’m always trying to help my sponsors.”
Four-time Nordic combined athlete Billy Demong said
Olympic years are a balancing act between training, competitions, family, and sponsors. The Olympic gold and silver
medalist counts Oakley, Atomic, and Citi as sponsors and
has been working with them on an array of Olympic campaigns, including Citi’s “Every Step of the Way,” “With time
being such a stretched commodity, I usually harness social
media overlaps to [promote sponsors],” said Demong.
The Strategy
In the face of the month-long blackout, brands ramped up
momentous campaigns in the months heading into Sochi
and will retrench following the Games.
Stacey Cook
Events: Downhill, Super G
Age: 29
Home hill: Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
Sponsors: Komperdell, POC, Rossignol
Retail connection: As a junior racer, Cook
frequented Kittredge Sports and Footloose
Sports in Truckee. She gets back when she
can to meet the next generation of racers.
“We’re free to do all this stuff at the beginning of the
season, which I think is an important time,” said Ligety,
between posing for scores of iPhone pictures with fans at
123Mountain. “It’s when people get new equipment. This
is a more valuable time to do it anyway.”
Under Armour, for example, enlisted freeskier Bobby
Brown, speed skater Shani Davis, snowboard cross champion Dominique Maltais, and Lindsey Vonn in launching its “Under Armour Makes You Better” campaign in
early November. The baselayer brand also designed the
official U.S. Speedskating, U.S. Bobsled, and Canadian
Snowboarding team uniforms.
Designing uniforms is one way softgoods suppliers can
stay in the limelight throughout the Games. The North
Face designed the U.S. Freeskiing Team’s uniforms with
input from several athletes and made the uniforms in
Oakland, selling points the company hopes will get picked
up on during prime time. The payoff for The North Face
comes in awareness. Tom Wallisch and Devin Logan performing jaw-dropping tricks on the slopestyle course less
than two weeks from today can not only grow the sport of
freeskiing, but sell TNF product across myriad markets.
“If we can help more people get involved in freeskiing,
maybe they will want freeskiing clothes,” said Jasmin Ghaffarian, TNF’s director of action sports. “This is the evolution
of what has been going on for years in skiing and we want to
make sure as a brand we are supporting it for the long haul.”
GoPro, the California camera juggernaut, will likely
count more than a dozen of its sponsored athletes in the
Sochi Winter Games. While that signature GoPro sticker
won’t be on the helmets of heavy-hitters like Wallisch,
Julia Mancuso, Hannah Teter, Jamie Anderson, and
Kaya Turski, the countless hours of GoPro footage will
likely leak into NBC coverage.
How can the network’s talking heads rave on about
Shaun White and not mention—and show video of—the
logo-plastered private halfpipe GoPro built for the Olympic veteran in Australia? Or celebrate Bobby Brown without including the dizzying point-of-view GoPro footage of
the skier’s Red Bull–branded Megaslope slopestyle course
at Kirkwood last spring?
“Our athletes are able to capture a very unique perspective. We have so much compelling content that we are confident NBC will want to show viewers,” said Todd Ballard,
arielle gold flies high at the 2013
Sprint Grand Prix in Park City
Mark McMorris
Events: Snowboard slopestyle
Age: 20
Home hill: Keystone, Colo.
Sponsors: Burton, DVS, Mophie, Oakley, Red
Bull, SportChek
Retail connection: McMorris recently inked a
deal with Canadian chain SportChek. “They
are really good to me. They support my fundraisers and they let me film a documentary.”
18
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
Photo courtesy of (clockwise from left) Oakley, Sarah Brunson/U.S. Ski Team,
Sarah Brunson/U.S. Snowboarding
feature | Olympics
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feature | Olympics
director of sports marketing for GoPro, which has been orchestrating a “dance around the blackout period.”
Olympics, At Retail
Throughout most of November, December, and January,
local shopowners across the winterized world hosted
Olympic athletes as a way to tap into the building fervor
of the Games.
“I’ve been doing promotions for the entire summer,”
said Mikaela Shiffrin, the Vail 18-year-old who counts
Proctor & Gamble and Barilla as non-endemic sponsors
alongside Atomic and Oakley. “In the months leading up
to the Olympics, there was time to give shout-outs to your
sponsors.” Before the Olympics, Oakley unveiled Shiffrinbranded goggles and the athlete did a poster signing at the
Oakley store in Vail in December to promote it.
Arielle Gold
Events: Snowboard halfpipe
Age: 17
Home hill: Steamboat, Colo.
Sponsors: Burton, Oakley, Red Bull
Retail connection: Arielle and brother Taylor
shopped at PowderTools Snowboard Shop
in Steamboat as young athletes. “They were
awesome with the home-team support,” said
Arielle Gold, “The small town snowboard
shops are really important for the sport.”
20
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
Billy demong at the 2013 FIS Nordic
world championship
Billy Demong
Events: Nordic Combined
Age: 33
Home Hill: Dewey Mountain, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Sponsors: Atomic, Citi, High Peaks Cyclery,
The National Nordic Foundation, Oakley,
USG Corp.
Retail connection: High Peaks Cyclery in
Lake Placid was one of Demong’s first-onboard sponsors. “I try and go the extra mile
for those that support me now as well as
those that have been there from the beginning,” said Demong.
“When we get athletes, they are not promoting themselves as much as their sponsors and really their sport,”
Sapiro said. “You can’t get a better representative of the
world of racing than our own Lindsey Vonn. Those athletes recognize the importance of that interaction.”
Photos courtesy of (clockwise from top left) gopro, Sarah Brunson/U.S. Ski Team (3)
gopro perspective
on kayla turski
Working with ski shops “is the best way to reach out
to people to capitalize on the Olympic movement,” said
Shiffrin, rosy cheeked after a day of November training
at Copper.
Those local retail shops are often the first supporters of
up-and-coming superstars and many athletes remain loyal
once they rise to the top. Athletes often embrace the chance
to return to local shops, not just to bolster sales or appease
sponsors, but to reach the next generation of athletes.
The poster Picabo Street signed for a nine-year-old girl
named Lindsey Kildow 20 years ago still hangs in her family’s home. Kildow—now Vonn—counts meeting Street at
Pierce Skate & Ski in Bloomington, Minn., as “one of the
biggest turning points in my life.”
Reaching younger generations through retail shops is
important according to Vonn’s teammate and speed specialist Stacey Cook. “So many of us grew up with a local
shop. Utilizing our connection with these shops could be
done better,” said Cook, lamenting the frenetic pace of the
World Cup that often precludes shop visits. Still, she makes
time to visit shops in Truckee and Mammoth Lakes.
“We aren’t always that accessible,” Cook said before
signing autographs for young ski racers at the U.S. Ski
Team pep rally at Copper this fall. “I’ll go to Kittredge or
Footloose for junior fit nights and talk to racers. I do it of
my own accord and I do it for my sponsors.”
Shop owners naturally relish hosting the biggest names
in skiing. Tom Sapiro, who recently expanded his Double
Diamond Ski and Snowboard Shop in Vail’s Lionshead
Village, brokered a deal with Vonn’s helmet and goggle
sponsor Briko to hold a promotional event in the shop—
and show off the new digs. Vonn was forced to cancel as
she worked through a training injury that eventually sidelined her for the Sochi Olympics, but Sapiro was confident
she would reschedule.
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spotlight | award winners
SIA Retailers and
Reps of the Year
The Original 1958
World Championship
Sweater
Each year, SIA honors outstanding reps and retailers from across the
U.S. and Canada. These are the industry proponents who rise above
and beyond to build relationships, engage customers, and support
brands, all the while promoting passion and growth in snow sports.
Reps are nominated and chosen by leading snow sports retailers
throughout North America, and retailers are voted on by suppliers
and reps. Today and on subsequent days of the Snow Show Daily,
we’ll catch up with winners.
Southeastern Retailer of the Year
Alpine Ski Shop, Sterling/Fairfax, Va.
Chris Bunch, co-owner
With storefronts in Sterling and Fairfax, Va., near the resorts of Liberty and
Whitetail, Alpine Ski Shop fuels the stoke
for snowboarding and skiing in the Southeast. Chris Bunch, who runs the stores
with his brother, Tyler, shares a few secrets
to the store’s success.
Chris (left) and tyler bunch
What’s the history of your shop?
The store originally opened in 1971 in
Vienna by my father Edison to fill a niche that wasn’t being met by the bigger retailers.
My brother Tyler and I took over in 1994 after college and opened a new location in
Sterling in 1999. This year we also opened a second store in Fairfax.
What have you learned about being the boss?
Being the boss involves everything from learning how to staff and stock to managing a
young team. Customer satisfaction is key, so if that means tuning skis at 10 p.m. or waiting
late on a special order, then that’s what we do. We also reward staff for hard work, whether
it’s a pizza party or a season pass or a staff ski trip. A happy staff is a hard working staff.
How has the business changed over the years?
When Alpine opened in the early ’70s, we were a specialty store in a specialty market. Customers have gained purchasing options. Big box retailers, the Internet, and even discount
stores. So we focused on what has always been our top priority: customer service.
Who is your customer?
The Alpine customer is the soccer mom outfitting her family for their trip to Vail, the 12
year old buying a new skateboard, and the hardcore snowboarder heading to Vermont.
We reach them all by listening to their needs and staying relevant.
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Any famous customers?
Over the years, many of the Washington Redskins and a variety of senators and congressmen have made their way through the store. I also met my wife in the store. She came in
as a customer.
—Eugene Buchanan
born.
made.
spotlight | award winners
Where have you traveled to work and ski?
Midwestern Rep of the Year
Tom Blair
Brands: Atomic, Descente, Leki, Ripzone
Years repping: 30
Lives in: Hudson, Wisc.
Home Resort: Afton Alps, Wisc.;
Vail, Colo.
Days on Snow: 30+
How did you get into the snow
sports industry?
I started off ski racing, then worked my way
into a ski shop, then became a tech rep. I
needed to get the deals on equipment! As
soon as I started working retail, I knew I
wanted to be a rep, and here I am today.
How has the job lived up to expectations?
One hundred percent. It’s great to be able to live and work in something you always
wanted to do. To make a living in the sport I love.
What’s the best part about the job?
The best part now is that some of the customers are just phenomenal to work with. They
are the ones who make it the easiest. After 30 years, I look at it like this: Instead of selling
people some stuff, it’s just calling up some friends—and selling product along the way. It’s
a lot easier when you’re calling them friends.
The job has taken me everywhere from Europe to B.C. to Colorado. Each place is
phenomenal. It’s hard to pinpoint one favorite. My best day on snow by far was helicopter
skiing in British Columbia with Mike Wiegele. We were standing on top, it was a sunny
day. I don’t even know how much snow there was. Tons, just tons.
—Mark Cerick
Come celebrate the SIA SnowSports Retailer
and Rep of the Year Awards today at 6
p.m. in the CSCUSA Central Lounge.
Rep of the Year winners:
Dan Anderson (Manitoba), Tom Blair (Midwest), Steve Brock (West), Ryan Davis
(Northwest), Stephan Dargis (Quebec ), Brad Decker (South), Kent Freid (Atlantic), Garett Halayko (British Columbia), Andrew Hicks (Alberta), Matt Jagemann (Northeast),
Will Lachenauer (NoCal), Rob Madil (Ontario), Glenn Morris (Rockies), Kevin Welborn
(Eastern Lakes),
Retailer of the Year winners:
Alpine Ski Shop (Southeast), Buckman’s Ski & Snowboard Shops (Mid Atlantic), Cleve’s
Source for Sports in Halifax (Atlantic), Coastal Riders (British Columbia), Darkside Sports
(New England), Gates & Boards (Ontario), Les Moise Ski,Tennis & Snowboard (North
Central), Oberson Boutiques (Quebec), Outdoors Inc. (South Central), Plush Skateboards
and Snowboards, Ltd. (Alberta), Satellite Boardshop (Mountain), Snowboard Connection
(Pacific), Sunshine and Ski (Manitoba).
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Spotlight | networking
Meet, Greet, and Get a Job
Employers and job seekers meet up tomorrow at the Shmooz
The event will take place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in
the Grand Concourse of the Convention Center.
prospective employer? “There is no substitute for face time,” Mihalick says. Which makes
tomorrow's event an ideal venue for connecting companies looking to hire and job seekers.
Companies represented in previous years include Burton Snowboards, 686, Copper
Mountain, Windell’s, EVO, and M-5 Sales Agency.
The Shmooz is a free open-forum event and no appointments are necessary. Dust off
your résumé or portfolio, and let the job hunt begin.
—Mark Cerick
Photo by Chris Schneider
Since he was eight years old, Colorado native
Galen Kerr has been snowboarding, mostly at Breckenridge.
Through high school and college, he earned his keep at BC Surf
and Sport in Lone Tree, Colorado.
“After college, I went outside of the industry with a corporate cubical job and after a few
months of that, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted,” says Kerr. Kerr realized his dream job was
back in snow sports.
At last year’s SIA Snow Show, Kerr attended SchmoozaPalooza, now known as The
Shmooz. After an interview at the job networking event, the one-time shop rat landed a job
as an account executive at Snowboard Colorado Magazine.
“The reason I am where I am today is because I was able to link up with the magazine at
The Shmooz,” says Kerr. “It was the face-to-face, being able to introduce myself, and getting
my résumé in the right hands.”
A job fair for snow sports suppliers, resorts, and organizations, The Shmooz, is
hosted by SIA and Malakye.com, the online job networking site. The event brings together some of the most coveted brands in the snow sports industry to meet enthusiastic job seekers.
Chad Mihalick, founder of Malakye.com, believes the ideal candidate is incredibly passionate, as he is about his job. “I love what I do,” Mihalick says. “It’s very gratifying to me
to be able to connect people and companies.” The best way to communicate passion to a
get a job in snow
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spotlight | market
overview
Youth:
Emerging Opportunity
Snowboarding takes the lead as the #1 sport among youth; skiers shun alpine label
As Baby Boomers continue to age and take
a step back from the slopes, getting kids participating in snow
sports is paramount. That’s the impetus behind SIA’s recently
released Youth Market Intelligence Report, which found
that while more than 7.5 million kids aged 6-17 participated in all snow sports last year, tallying sales of $306 million
(down 3 percent), there’s always room for more.
As far as discipline diversity, the study breaks skiing
down into traditional alpine skiing, representing 26 percent of youth participation, and freeskiing, accounting for
17 percent. Meanwhile, 28 percent of youth participants
are snowboarding.
The freeskiing category—consisting of those favoring
park and pipe as well as natural features—is important,
says SIA director of research Kelly Davis, because its
youth participation has shot up 79 percent to 1.2 million
kids in 2012-13.
“Our data showed a noticeable increase in the number
of kids identifying themselves as freeskiers, which is likely
WigwamSIADaily2.pdf
1
12/13/13
2:27 PMparticipation,”
the
reason for the drop
in
youth ‘alpine’
says Davis.
That statistic has fueled sales in twin tip skis, with junior twin tips representing 25 percent of the youth alpine
ski market, up 12 percent in dollars last year. While apparel
sales and overall alpine equipment were down in the youth
segment, ski boots were up 9 percent in dollars and accessories, were up 3 percent—possibly fueled by the fact that kids
tend to lose gloves and goggles at an alarming rate.
Snowboarding brought in 2.1 million kids last year,
or 29 percent of all snowboarders, with boys leading the
pack: 75 percent of all youth snowboarders are male. That
gender imbalance indicates there’s an opportunity to get
more girls more engaged in the sport.
“The key is reaching out the right way to get kids, and
their friends, participating in snow sports,” says Davis. “Today’s kids have more options and opportunities than ever,
are highly connected, and have a different way of interacting with the world and each other. We need to target them
in ways they and their parents will respond to positively.”
—Eugene Buchanan
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spotlight | market
overview
Backcountry: Climbing High
Whether it’s beyond the gates or beyond the yard, skiers and boarders
are venturing offpiste
The backcountry boom shows no signs of abating, with sales
of alpine touring equipment increasing 34 percent in both units and dollars through
November, according to SIA RetailTRAK measures. That breaks down into 11,000 bindings, 4,500 pairs of boots, and 1,800 alpine touring skis.
Numbers aren’t broken out for the lightest-weight equipment within the alpine touring category, but “we’re seeing a bit of a trend in uphill skiing,” observed Kelly Davis,
SIA’s director of research. In particular, groups of women who are skinning up resort
trails and skiing down for fitness will be a hot market for this type of specialized gear.
Backcountry accessories—particularly beacons and skins—have also experienced a
noticeable rise, with sales through November increasing 29 percent in dollars and 18
percent in units sold. During that time, consumers bought 8,300 beacons, a 39 percent
increase over last season’s sales “That tells me that more consumers are getting educated
about uncontrolled, out-the-gate terrain,” Davis said.
In the 2012-13 season, 24 percent of skiers and 24 percent of snowboarders said they
had ventured into the backcountry, according to stats from SIA’s Snow Sports Market
women who are skinning up resort
trails for fitness will be a hot market.
Intelligence Report. Many of these participants are riding hike-to, off-piste terrain or
going through backcountry gates from the resort, not necessarily heading out from trailheads far from the lifts. The category also includes what Davis termed “backyard.” “If
somebody goes into the woods and builds a kicker, that counts,” she said.
—Cindy Hirschfeld
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Top Trends | New
Exhibitors
New to the Party
Look for this icon
in our reviews!
Fresh faces at the SIA SNow Show bring innovation in the form of skirts inspired
by winter dog walks and helmets fashioned by kayakers by bevin wallace
Skhoop:
swedish skirts
Shred Ready:
helmet with a phd
It’s not unusual on the SIA Snow Show floor to hear that a company founder and president
made his lifestyle his work. What is unusual is when that person is a former Olympic-level
kayaker with a PhD in experimental psychology. Tom Sherburne had recently finished his
studies at Auburn University and didn’t have a job, when a local aerospace company approached him about making a custom slalom kayak. Sherburne asked them, in return, to
tweak a helmet for him. What the rocket scientists came back with was a carbon composite
helmet that was incredibly light and comfortable—and much better looking than the helmet he usually wore.
From there, Sherburne and fellow kayaker Greg Lang began to manufacture Shred
Ready helmets out of Lang’s garage near the banks of Alabama’s Tallapoosa and Coosa
Rivers. The company has grown steadily over the last 16 years but only recently started
making helmets for snow sports. “The business plan is to only enter into markets I’m interested in, and I love skiing and snowboarding,” says Sherburne.
“As action-sport athletes and participants continue to progress, there is a greater need
for well-designed protective headgear,” he says. “If a helmet doesn’t fit well, is heavy, looks
clunky, or is hard to adjust while skiing or snowboarding, people are less likely to wear it.”
Helmets in Shred Ready’s snow line address these points with features such as a no-pinch
magnetic buckle and a large “Occipital Lock” fitting dial that allows users to achieve a
secure, snug fit with a gloved hand. “They’re also a great value, very rich in features, and at
good price points,” he says.
pick of the day: Look for the Eleven Snow Sports Helmet with Dual shell in-mold
construction, adjustable venting, magnetic buckle, audio-ready removable ear covers,
and adjustable fit dial (booth #4242).
32
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
In the scenic and chilly ski town of Åre, Sweden, Sissi Kewenter decided it was too cumbersome to put on snow pants every time she wanted to walk the dog. So she designed an
ankle-length skirt to wrap around herself. Once she realized how useful a skirt would be
for outdoor activities, Skhoop was born. That was in 1999. Ten years later, the company
opened a U.S. division based in Anchorage, Alaska, and today Skhoop launches a wide variety of skirt styles, from wool minis to down wraps, here at the Show. “They are just easy to
throw on,” says Skhoop U.S. general manager Alison Ford. The skirts work over long johns,
ski pants, or tights, and empirical evidence suggests they look good on everyone, says Ford.
The product line has expanded to include merino t-necks, sweaters with traditional Scandinavian styling, jackets, long johns, and accessories, plus adorable skirts and socks for girls.
pick of the day: Stop by to see the new Short Down Skirt (booth #1430).
Aion:
fair trade apparel
Debuting here at SIA, Aion’s (pronounced “eye-on”) lifestyle apparel and accessories are custom designed in Jackson Hole and
made in Bali by craftsmen earning a fair wage. Company founder
Michael Massie is a snowboarder and graphic designer who’s
worked with the film company TGR. He says he started Aion as a
way to elevate people, and he has built personal relationships with
his Indonesian partners to the point where every garment comes
with a stamped signature from the person who made it. “It’s really about creating orders for
[the Balinese],” he says. “They don’t want a handout.” Aion’s winter offerings include handmade beanies and flannels. “We strive to make a really nice product with unusual details, but
at a good price point so everyone can enjoy it,” says Massie.
pick of the day: Check out the new hand-knitted wool hoodies and the custom-built
motorbike parked in Aion’s booth (booth #1513).
Top Trends | New
Exhibitors
Look for this icon
in our reviews!
More Fresh Produce
1. hagan ski mountaineering
Hagan Ski Mountaineering has been in business for 90
years, but this week marks its first appearance at the SIA
Snow Show. The [wai]-king is a brand-new 107-mm waisted ski for high alpine touring that builds on the success of
Hagan’s Y concept, introduced in last season’s pioneering
and popular Hagan Y-Flow. The new ski is engineered to
achieve that elusive elixir of flotation and agility.
2. hand out gloves
Inbounds or out, Hand Out Gloves open with one quick
zip to free fingers for extra dexterity or to dump heat
fast. Made from durable leather, a waterproof-breathable
Hipora lining, and a waterproof zipper, Hand Out Gloves
promise convenience and durability.
3. peepsnake
Peepsnake introduces a line of tech-wearable smartphone holding scarves that allow people to check texts,
Tweet, or take photos and videos through the scarf ’s clear
window pocket. Target market: anyone who’s dropped a
phone from the chairlift.
4. big agnes
Longtime outdoor brand Big Agnes makes its inaugural
appearance here at the Show. Look for the low-bulk windproof Farnsworth Hooded jacket, the first garment to use
Pinneco Core insulation. The company says Pinneco represents a revolutionary design in thermal efficiency: The
insulation and the CoreScreen membrane transform into
a “virtual air pump,” actively drawing moisture away while
retaining warmth within.
5. hell is for heroes
Inspired by the eponymous 1962 Steve McQueen movie,
Hell is for Heroes is an Italian luxury apparel company
known for utilizing patches, embroidery, fur, and leather
detailing to embellish its line. The ’14-’15 winter collection is designed for the “glamour skier,” says the company.
The Native American influenced Freeride jacket gives a
nod to Captain America, right in time for the Olympics.
6. goggle graffiti
Goggle Graffiti gives skiers and riders a new venue to
express themselves on the slopes. Collect “tags” from the
Check out yesterday’s Snow Show Daily, page 58, for additional coverage of new exhibitors
and turn to page 48 today for a complete listing.
different mountains, advertise a business, or just wear
them for fun. The company’s Slope ID is a tag used to
store emergency contact and medical information where
it will be easily accessible.
7. coldAvenger
The inspiration behind the ColdAvenger mask was less
Darth Vader and more winter functionality. Snow sports
enthusiasts cover themselves head to toe in Gore-Tex and
high-tech insulation, but then protect their faces with an
“outdated and simple piece of fleece,” the company argues.
The mask has no mechanical or moving parts, but delivers warm humidifying air passively. It promises fog-free
vision on the coldest days, warmth and comfort, and the
health benefits of breathing warmed air.
8. fate
Based in Denver, Fate launches its ’14-’15 line of jackets
and pants here at the Show. “Fate is where small ski town
comfort and function meet big city fashion and vibrance,”
says creative director Tracy Terch. The women’s Twist of
Fate Jacket is a fully seam-sealed waterproof-breathable
laminate with all the bells and whistles, from pit zips and
a powder skirt to waterproof zippers and removable hood.
—Mark Cerick
1
6
5
2
4
3
8
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7
THE LOOK ADVANTAGE
Coupling Strength = More Power, Precision, Control
Elastic Travel = Trustworthy Retention
180° Multi-Directional Toepiece = Consistent, Reliable Release
Lightweight = More Ease of Use
THE ALL-NEW SPX :
Maximum precision, control, and the most
dependable, trustworthy alpine performance.
women's
Top Trends | ski apparel
Gaining Momentum
at the show, New launches, innovations in fabrics, and globally inspired prints
Look around retail stores and you’ll see plenty of women
taking a healthy interest in outerwear. “Women’s down parka sales increased 14 percent to
$29 million in sales through November this season compared to sales through November
last season,” says Kelly Davis, director of research for SIA. Many technical-oriented brands
are seeing a 20 percent increase of sales in women’s jackets, says Davis, particularly lightweight synthetic or down insulated models that double as layering or stand-alone pieces.
As a result, more companies are launching women’s lines here at the Show as well as creating apparel targeted to freeriders and backcountry enthusiasts. As you’re previewing collections, look for fabric innovations, streetwear-influenced outerwear, and prints inspired
from designs around the globe, as well as new apparel launches from hardgoods companies.
High-Tech Fabrications
Where Tech Meets the Street
“One trend in women’s outerwear includes urban street styling, slimmer and longer silhouettes, and new deep colors,” says Nadene Wisely, director of design and development
at Roxy, Quiksilver and DC Wintersports. Roxy’s new Fusion 2L Gore-Tex jacket fea-
The Perfect Pants
Dede Longley, co-owner, Startingate, Bondville, Vt.
Q: What has been selling well early season?
DL: Lightweight jackets are moving quickly along
with well-designed pants. Women are always
looking for the right fit. Ladies don’t want to have
to run to the tailor for alterations every time they
buy a ski pant.
Q: What trends are you seeing in women’s apparel for 2014-15?
DL: Women want to look good, but they also want to be warm and dry.
Women 25 years and older are looking for longer silhouettes. Often
that means an elegant looking jacket trimmed with fur. Technical skiers,
however, find fur loses translation with a helmet on. Teenagers want
great-fitting white pants, which look great with colorful jackets. Moms
often say white is taboo, so the girls want it more.
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SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
▲ obermeyer helyos
▲ patagonia powslayer
▲ trew tempest
Every season, fabrics and insulations are getting lighter, stronger, and more durable. “More
companies are offering branded technical outwear fabrics like Gore-Tex, Pertex and
PrimaLoft,” says Patrick Crotty, Salomon apparel product merchandising manager.
Bergans of Norway incorporates Pertex in the windproof and water-repellent microlight
Slingsbytind Down Jacket. Orage fuses PrimaLoft insulation with a ripstop poly-wool fabric in the new Fusion Jacket. Helly Hansen adds body-mapping PrimaLoft insulation and
2-way stretch to the new Silver queen Jacket. HH pants, following a larger trend, are more
fitted for 2014-15. Völkl Performance Wear’s Black Gold waterproof-breathable jacket features 4-way stretch and PrimaLoft 100 insulation. And Dynafit’s new women’s collection
uses Gore-Tex Active Shell, designed for movement and breathability.
The North Face’s new Fuse Form technology, found in the Brigadine jacket, uses
a unique weaving process that increases durability in critical zones. La Sportiva adds
PrimaLoft’s Spirex for its lightweight and breathable properties. Gore-Tex’s new Pro
Technology increases the durability and breathability of technical shells in outerwear by
Mammut, Marmot, and The North Face. Atomic’s inaugural apparel line is highlighted
by Stormfold Adaptive Layering, which combines PrimaLoft with a Pertex Shield shell.
▲ The north face brigadine
▲ faction tinsley
tures an urban-inspired herringbone fabric. Last year Alp-n-Rock expanded from après-ski
apparel to outerwear. The cosmopolitan Ladies Pullover Jacket features Powerstretch for a
tailored look. New exhibitor Fate, whose line is dominated by women’s offerings, promises
a slope-to-city crossover. “Fate is where small ski-town comfort and function meet big-city
fashion,” says creative and technical designer Tracy Terch. Faction’s new women’s outwear
line features the Tinsley Jacket, touted as a crossover technical piece with street appeal.
Global inspirations
Salomon incorporates Navajo and other Native American–inspired prints into its 2014-15
outerwear line. Debuting at SIA this season is Icelandic outdoor company Icewear, which
offers technical jackets, softshells, and puffies as well as its hallmark Norwegian knitwear.
Taking a cue from surf attire, The North Face brings tropical themes to its new outerwear,
including prints that pair pastels with bright colors.
Backcountry Basics
Ergonomics and utilitarian details are thematic in Patagonia’s line: The women’s PowSlayer
Jacket and Bib, designed in conjunction with athletes like Caroline Gleich, highlight the
technical end of the line. Obermeyer’s insulated Helyos Jacket couples feminine lines with
waterproof-breathable fabric and 4-way stretch for freedom of movement. TREW’s freeride focused women’s line expands this year with 3-layer fabrics, waterproof construction,
and an articulated fit for better range of motion found in outerwear like the Tempest Pant.
The Shula from new exhibitor Brooks-Range Mountaineering uses Polartec Thermal
Pro for warmth without weight and a hard-face fabric that allows outer layers to slide over
it easily. Black Diamond launches its first-ever outerwear line, with more than 100 new
styles, including the women’s Sharp End Shell made from Gore-Tex Pro.
—Krista Crabtree
ENGINEERED
FOR THE EXTREME
NEW GORE-TEX Pro
®
PRODUCTS
Early season turns in the Tetons... Mid-Winter powder in
the Wasatch... Spring touring in the Cascades... you need
protection you can count on.
Tested and trusted by professional ski mountaineers and
guides, the new GORE-TEX® Pro fabric redefines the
standard for comfort and protection — delivering up to
28% more breathability* with uncompromised durable,
waterproof, windproof protection. Guaranteed.
For maximized performance in the most extreme elements,
select new GORE-TEX® Pro Products — the fabric of
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*Compared to previous GORE-TEX® Pro products
gore-tex.com/pro
© 2013 W. L. Gore & Associates Inc. GORE-TEX®, GUARANTEED TO KEEP
YOU DRY®, GORE® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
women's
Top Trends | snowboarding
Female Riders
Elevate Products
style keeps pace with performance thanks to technical fabrics and customized fits
Women’s snowboarding is at a level of progression we’ve
never seen before. The approach professional women snowboarders take to their craft is
nothing short of awe-inspiring, with female riders dominating all disciplines of the sport,
from Jess Kimura in the streets, to Helen Schettini in the backcountry, to Gretchen
Bleiler and Jamie Anderson on the competition scene. It’s an effort to live up to this
legacy of progression that’s pushing the fashion and technology of the women’s outerwear, hardgoods, and accessories you’ll see at the SIA Show today.
Women are loyal creatures by nature. You don’t need statistics to tell you this, but the
numbers do back it up. Brad Steward, founder of Bonfire and active VP of apparel at
Amer Sports, says, “Although snowboarding participation has been decreasing, which is
in fact something we need to aggressively address as evangelists of the sport, women are
leaving snowboarding at only half the rate as kids under 17.”
Knowing the needs of the female snowboarder is critical. “People tend to default to
‘the new tech…the new features.’ From a woman’s perspective, that’s important, but it’s
more about how is this going to make snowboarding more fun, more comfortable, easier,
and ultimately help me progress,” says Clarissa Finks, category manager for women’s
hardgoods at Burton. “It’s bringing it back to women’s specific stuff, and creating products that make a difference for women.” From a research perspective, Kelly Davis, SIA’s
outerwear that looks good enough to wear on the streets but can also stand up to harsh
mountain conditions. Greg Dacyshyn, chief creative officer at Burton, says the streetwear
trend resonates to textile design. “Classic streetwear looks executed in technical fabrications is a huge trend in outerwear fabrics right now,” he says. “We have tough fabrics that
look and feel like 100 percent cotton. All of these have the same technical properties and
waterproof ratings as any other fabrics within the collection.”
Prints are trending, with camo making a huge push. Buyers at the Show can expect to
see looks that are still feminine, but a bit more rugged. Burton features camo in several
variations with a variety of new, customized takes on the classic look, including Floral
Camo, Iggy Camo, and Kamana Wanna Lei Ya.
Hudsen collective
“Classic streetwear looks executed in
technical fabrications is a huge trend
in outerwear fabrics right now.”
director of research says, “We’ve seen a 4 percent increase in sales for women’s snowboard
apparel, compared to a 3 percent decrease in the dollars men spent for snowboard apparel
through November. Women’s snowboard equipment sales are about even with last season, but expect to see an increase when the December sales data hits.”
Function & Fashion
Women’s snowboarding has a “You Can Sit with Us” kind of vibe going into the 2014-15
season. “We really strive to have a collection that appeals to everyone, from experienced
veterans to young women who are going to the mountains for the first time,” says Roxy’s
winter sports brand manager, Amber Stackhouse. There is also a call for quality in function and fashion. High-end product is no longer a silo in the design portfolio but demanded in everything. “The level of riding from not only our female athletes, but also our
female consumers is continually being elevated so we wouldn’t be listening if we weren’t
providing her the same technical high-end fabrics, designs, features, and technology as
we provide for him,” says Stacy Dye, category manager for tech outerwear at Oakley.
▲ Burton Escapade binding
Street Culture, Camo, and Men’s Influence
Street vibes are strong, and men’s trends have transcended into women’s wear. “Our design direction wasn’t drastically different between our men’s and women’s collections,”
says Oakley’s Dye. “Our focus was to take influence from traditional military styling,
infusing lifestyle and sportswear details, and playing a bit with fit and proportions to create some on-mountain style.”
Ladies are demanding the same level of style on or off the mountain, and they want
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SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
▲ vans hi standard leopard
▲ volcom rateins
gore-tex jacket
▲ oakley alpha
biozone pullover
powered by
▲ roxy sugar banana
▲ Yes Emoticon
Keep Warm apparel
Warmth is a key function in women’s snowboard designs for 2014-15. At Oakley, Biozone
technology gives “added warmth in areas where her body gets cold, along with decreased
bulk and weight to ensure she’s still looking good,” says Dye. “This allows the body to increase physical function and duration of activity, so she can focus on her riding.”
Roxy holds true to its roots in providing several outerwear pieces that carry snowboarders from the backcountry to the resort to the streets without compromising the
technical qualities. “A big focus has been placed on innovating the style and functionality
of our outerwear…in keeping with our goal to offer something for all types of mountain
enthusiasts,” says Stackhouse.
Snowboards
Nidecker Snowboards sister brand Yes debuts the Emoticon board for women with
UnderBite edges, subtle but noticeable indents along the sidecut that redistribute body
weight and enhance edge hold. Roxy’s Sugar Banana and Inspire BTX snowboards offer
a catch-free banana rocker that makes it easier and safer to learn to snowboard. And
Burton’s Socialite snowboard for 2014-15 features Filet-O-Flex, a visual technology that
allows you to literally see a difference in the board.
Boots & Bindings
Photo: Christoffer Sjostrom
Comfort, warmth, and performance are still the main focus of boot design going into
2014-15, with skate culture having a strong influence on style. Vans is offering more
customization to improve comfort and performance according to snow product manager Eddie Lee. Burton unveils an active warmth technology dubbed the “Sleeping Bag,”
which will appear in all boots this season.
“True fit” in boots is a point of emphasis for Burton. “Both boots and bindings are
co-developed, and truly designed around the female anatomy. It’s amazing to me that the
‘shrink it and pink it’ thing is still a topic of conversation,” says Finks. “Oftentimes, when
we start to hear that women’s feet hurt from their snowboard boots, it’s usually the binding’s fault, not the boots.”
Goggles & Gloves
Spy is all happy all the time. The
brand is introducing The Bravo in
Tokyo Rose, a midsized goggle with
Happy Lens technology, “allowing
the ‘good’ rays, while blocking out the
‘bad rays,’ says Spy’s Travis Tomczak.
Anon is launching the WM1 goggle,
▲ anon WM1
with quick lens-change tech and a
frame designed to fit a petite face. Emerging brand Hudsen Collective has two models
designed specifically for women’s dexterity with the company’s H.D.T tech. The Harriet
Mitten and The Myrtle are made for rippers.
—Kelsey Smith
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Top Trends | accouterments
Strong Sales in
Accessories for Riders
Retailers are reporting success from facemask frenzy and POV camera surge
Once a relatively overlooked part of the
snowboarding business, the accessories category has become a launch pad for innovative new brands like NEFF
and Airblaster over the past decade, as riders turned otherwise mundane items like beanies and neck gaiters into
more edgy pieces that can make as much of a statement
as board graphics or outerwear design. “Facemasks have
gone through the roof,” says Milosport Orem co-owner
Ben Pellegrino, citing strong sales across multiple brands.
There has also been a solid surge in POV camera accessory sales, with consumers showing a willingness to buy
on-the-spot through brick-and-mortar retailers, rather
than waiting to compare price online.
Facemasks & Balaclavas
Long gone are the days of using a cotton bandana or stock
fleece neck gaiter. Consumers are looking for higher qual-
ity fabrics and even technical materials when it comes
to covering their faces.
Airhole, a brand with solid
momentum in this category,
is incorporating a lot of reflective materials, glow in
the dark yarns, and fleeces
for 2014-15. But it’s not all
just about fashion. Airhole
also brings a tech element
to the high stakes world
of facemasks. “Airhole in▲ airhole flash mask
corporates our signature
direct-injected silicone mouthpiece, which is hygienic
and functional, into all synthetic knit masks,” says North
American sales manager “Airhole” Joel Giddings. “We're
also using windproof fabrics in our Standard II range and
our new Drylite fabric in our Airtubes for sweat wicking.”
Safety First
Safety is once again becoming a strong sales story, in
terms of both avalanche and impact protection, as technology in the space continues to improve and offer better
options. “Over the past few years technologies that were
once probably seen as a niche are now required, like airbags in backcountry packs and vests,” says Oakley product manager Jeff Moberg. “These are innovations that
change the landscape forever.” Oakley’s Snomad RAS 15
pack is compatible with the Snowpulse Removable Airbag System (RAD), which can be inflated in the event of
an avalanche and is also interchangeable between various
compatible packs.
Slytech is focused on the growing segment of protec-
powered by
tive impact gear for action sports athletes and combines
ABS avalanche airbag functionality with a removable back
protector in the company’s Pro Nobound 25 pack. Slytech
co-founder Carlo Salmini says the 2ND SKiN XT foam
found in the back protector is “an intelligent compound
that progressively adapts to varying levels of impact and
thus equally protects against small and large impact forces.”
Tools & Locks
More necessary than glamorous, tools and locks continue
to catch the attention of consumers at retail. Veteran accessory company Bakoda is making a renewed push, featuring the Micro Lock, a sleek retractable cable lock with
metal frame.
▲ oakley snowmad ras 15
le r
The POV camera market, dominated by GoPro, has become so successful that it’s spun off its own sub-category
of accessories. GoPole has become a strong player in that
arena. “We sell tons of those,” Milosport’s Pelligrino says,
noting that sales of GoPole’s Reach extended pole mount
have been especially strong. The brand will be showing its
entire range of action sports accessories here at SIA, including the popular Grenade Grip and Reach.
each
Did You Get That?
▲g
opo
▲ bakoda micro lock
"technology once seen as
a niche is now required."
happy feet
The success of Stance has brought a lot of attention to
socks. Look for other established brands to make a stronger push in the marketplace. Footwear icon Vans continues to be a player in what is an obvious extension for
the brand, featuring Merino wool blends for the 2014-15
season, in addition to compression zones, smooth toecap
seam, plush padding, comfort ribbing, and ventilation
zones. “The assortment is focused on iconic prints and
patterns tying back to Vans footwear and apparel,” says
director of men’s apparel and accessories Luciano Mor.
—Rob Campbell
▲ slytech pro nobound 25
Top Trends | alpine rental
powered by
Rental Fleets Boost
Performance
Retail technology trickles down to the alpine rental market
Across the board, rental
skis are being built to
last for several years.
Efficiency: Speed Systems
The big suppliers of easy-to-adjust boot-binding “systems,”
Head, Dalbello, Elan, and Rossignol, continue to offer these
signature products. Head is offering a new lineup of fourbuckle BYS boots and promising increased performance.
The new Edge boot represents “the efficiency of a system
with a performance shell,” according to the company.
Dalbello is making a graphic shift, offering two versions
Völkl, known for its high-performance skis, is also
stressing performance in its new RTM 8.0 basic rental model. Its wider profile (80-mm waist) provides good balance,
and tip rocker makes it very easy to turn. Völkl expects the
RTM 8.0 to do well with rental operations in the West. The
K2 Potion RX twin-tip is a specialty rental ski that’s a step
up from the usual rental fleet offering.
of its 4Factor system Vantage boot—the Vantage System
and the Vantage Sport. The Sport boot uses a less bold color
coding system, to give it a more retail look. This might require a little more attention from rental employees during
set-up, but it can make renters feel better about the product.
Durability & Price
Across the board, rental skis are being built to last for several seasons. Manufacturers are using durable topsheets and
thicker bases and edges.
Despite the increased attention to performance, durability, and efficiency, the rental market is still very competitive
on price. That’s not to say that prices are as low as five years
ago. Prices have increased due to the overall rise in quality
and capability of rental gear.
The increase in performance, in fact, has led to another
trend in the U.S.: increasing interest in on-snow testing of
rental gear before buying. Clearly, rental operators want
more than just a low price. There is increasing interest in
equipment that works well, not just equipment that’s cheap.
—Peter Oliver
▲ K2 potion RX
The performance gains are taking place in both midperformance and fleet rentals. Atomic is addressing the
mid-performance market with its Smoke Plus for men and
Affinity Plus for women. These have all-mountain rocker
and 76-mm and 74-mm waists, respectively. Elan is emphasizing its three-model Morpheo series, which is aimed at
intermediate skiers. The Morpheo models were available
for 2013-14, but Elan did not push the series aggressively.
That will change for ’14-’15.
Fleet rentals are also getting some technical love. Rossignol’s Experience line offers tip and tail rocker, and the
Pursuit Rental has tip rocker. Rossignol is seeking to integrate “the most current technology we can in fleet rental,”
according to communications and PR manager, Nick Castagnoli. In the past few seasons, Head and Elan have also
added rocker to their fleet models.
▲ vÖlkl rtm 8.0
Performance: Skis
done with their retail boot models.
Lange’s XC 80 for men and its women’s version, the XC
W can switch between ski and walk modes. In rental, Lange
is marketing the feature for comfort and convenience.
Rossignol is also focusing on performance. The Flash RS,
which comes in just four sole lengths to speed the binding
adjustment process, will have a completely new upper and
lower. And the wide-fitting Alias Sensor boot, featuring an
improved fit and micro-adjustable metal buckles, includes
many of the features of Rossignol’s retail line. Tecnica’s new
RT 75, based on the company’s retail four-buckle Ten.2, adds
a sleek cuff adjustment to accommodate low, thick calves.
▲ elan explore erise track
The four main elements of the rental
market are performance, efficiency, durability, and price.
Over the past few years, suppliers have focused on efficiency and durability. For 2014-15, the biggest improvements
are in performance. Here are some of the highlights in store
at the Show for the upcoming rental season.
▲ lange xc 80 rental
▲ rossignol flash rental
▲ dalbello vantage sport women's
▲ tecnica ten2 rt 75 women's
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SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
▼ head rev 80
There are a few notable new boots going into ’14-’15. In
Head’s new Adapt Edge boot, the width of the forefoot can
be adjusted from a roomy 104 mm to a more medium-fit
100 mm. The Adapt Edge is a step up from Head’s BYS fleet
system boot, as it can cover a wider range of skier abilities.
Dalbello is giving its Aspect and Luna models, as well as its
mid-price-point Blaze and Indigo models, a more upright,
relaxed stance. This is similar to what many suppliers have
▼ atomic affinity plus
Performance: Boots
spotlight | beer
Don’t Worry, Be Hoppy
aprÈs-show, explore Denver’s craft beer scene, from microbreweries to tap houses
After a big day on the SIA Show floor, you could use a cold one. Denver is world renowned
for its microbreweries and robust, creative “beer culture.” Here are some of the best places to
sample the city’s diverse selection of local craft beers while you’re in town.
—Bevin Wallace
2501 16th St.; 303-433-9734
alehousedenver.com
building, the Chop House is both an upscale steak restaurant and a brewery known for lively beers such as Irishstyle Red Ale.
Explore a range of craft beers with 42 taps changing daily.
Diverse food menu, rooftop patio.
Epic Brewing Company
Black Sky
490 Santa Fe Dr.; 720-708-5816
blackskybrewing.com
Sample beers in an alternative atmosphere with a “collaborative” vibe. The food is mostly pizza and grinders.
Denver Beer Co.
1695 Platte St.; 303-433-2739
denverbeerco.com
Share a pint of handcrafted, small-batch beer and grab
a bite from the food trucks parked outside this friendly
space inspired by Bavarian beer gardens.
Denver Chop House & Brewery
1735 19th St.; 303-296-0800
denverchophouse.com
Adjacent to Coors Field in the historic Union Pacific
Denver beer company
3001 Walnut St.; 720-539-7410
epicbrewing.com
Utahans will feel at home in this outpost of their state’s
first brewery since prohibition to brew high-alcohol-content beer. Taproom only.
Great Divide Brewing Co.
2201 Arapahoe St.; 303-296-9460
greatdivide.com
The Tap Room features 16 taps of seasonal and year-round
beers as well as views into the brew house. Daily food
truck specials.
Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew
2810 Larimer St.; 720-722-2810; omfmb.com
The taproom at this self-proclaimed “maltsery” in the Five
Points neighborhood serves local ales made from locally
sourced ingredients. Taproom only.
Pint’s Pub
221 W. 13th Ave.; 303-534-7543; pintspub.com
This traditional British pub brews its own authentic old
world style “cask-conditioned” ales. The extensive food
menu is hearty and authentic, too.
Prost Brewing
2540 19th St.; 303-729-1175; prostbrewing.com
Prost is known for traditional German-style beer, including the popular Pils. The bier hall was named “Best New
Brewery Taproom 2013” by Westword.
Renegade Brewing
925 W. 9th Ave.; 720-401-4089
renegadebrewing.com
This cozy meeting house has no TVs—just music, games,
and a selection of craft beers including the popular [Redacted] IPA. Daily food truck specials.
River North Brewery
2401 Blake St. #1; 303-296-2617
rivernorthbrewery.com
This ballpark-neighborhood brewery focuses on Belgianstyle ales such as its highly rated Hoppenberg Uncertainty
Principle double IPA. Bustling taproom only.
Wynkoop Brewing Company
1634 18th St.; 303-297-2700; wynkoop.com
Before there were microbrews, there was the Wynkoop,
which has been serving up house-brewed beers like the
popular Railyard Ale, along with a full menu and lots of
pool tables, since 1986.
44
SNOW SHOW Daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
photos courtesy of great Divide (top), denver beer company
The Ale House at Amato’s
Beer rainbow at
great divide
Product Zone
Featuring the freshest gear on the market today. Here is a sneak peak
at what’s new and what’s coming from leading industry companies
The Vintage Look
SELLS
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Special Advertising Section
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are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Build Your Own Crazy Hat
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Special Advertising Section
RANN
Ski boots slide
on with no
effort.
&
At the show | who
where
For up-to-date listings, booth information, and Show layout, go to SIAsnowshow.com/
floorplan. Download the SIA Snow Show App at SIAsnowshow.com/showapp.
Exhibitors
More than 900 brands on display at the Show (as of 1.20.14; subject to change)
Company
Company
Company
Company
Company
Company
Company
686........................................3365
10th Mountain Division
Foundation, Inc................ LL2
2XU.........................................846
3M Thinsulate
Insulation........................S405
3point5.com........................2546
4FRNT Skis, LLC..................4448
540 Snowboards..................980
7 Mile Skis........................ 4437
AAS - Anomaly Action
Sports Inc........................3937
ABS Avalanche
Rescue Devices..............4571
ACADEMY
Snowboard Co...............3669
Adaptive Spirit........................ 19
adidas Snowboarding.......1774
Advanced Racking
Systems...........................3637
AION................................... 623
Airblaster.............................3768
Airhole Facemasks...............365
Akinz................................ 4475
Aksels............................... 1917
Aline Systems.....................3800
All Resort Furnishings.......2400
Alpaca Imports...................1330
Alpina Sports Corp.............2703
Alpine ThermaCELL....... 4660
ALPINEOne...................... 4661
Alp-n-Rock, LLC...................1320
AMATERRACE Inc.................518
Amerex Group................ 1222
American Institute for
Avalanche Research and
Education (AIARE)..........4668
Anakie Outerwear................559
Analog..................................1770
Anon Optics........................1861
Apex Sports
Group LLC......................4206
APO.........................................762
Arbor....................................1561
Arcade Belts........................3961
Arctix....................................2715
Armada................................4350
Artesania Inc................... 1119
ARVA.....................................3412
Ashbury Eyewear...............2360
Ass Armor.......................... 273
Astis......................................2516
Athalon Sportgear, Inc......4115
Atlas Snow-Shoe Co..........4046
Atomic USA, Inc..................3923
Atomic USA, Inc..................4123
Auclair Sports, Inc..............1323
AVIwear........................... 4237
Backcountry
Access, Inc......................3942
Backcountry
Experience......................4565
Bakoda...................................562
BD.........................................3137
Beardski............................. 270
BearTek Gloves..................3642
Bench.....................................443
Bergans of Norway..............722
Bern Unlimited Inc.............2161
Bestex Enterprise
Co Ltd........................... S111
Big Agnes Inc..................... 737
Big Wood Ski................... 4437
Billabong USA.....................3661
Bishop Binding Co.......... 4657
Black Diamond
Equipment Ltd...............3350
Blackstrap..............................762
Blizzard................................3701
BlueBird Social Zone...........278
bluesign
technologies ag.......... S400
BMC Headwear............... 1524
Board Retailers
Association.....................4177
Bollé.......................................552
Bonfire.................................3175
Booster Strap......................3411
Boulder Gear......................2724
Bounceboard LLC................262
Bridgedale Socks................2644
Briko Maplus Alpine Wax...3742
Briko USA......................... 4106
Bristex..................................S108
Brooks-Range
Mountaineering......... 2442
Buff Inc...................................746
BULA.....................................1151
Burnstreet...........................2276
Burton Snowboards..........1565
Burton Snowboards..........1965
C3..........................................3357
C3 Fit....................................1748
C4 Belts................................1809
CAM Commerce
Solutions...........................944
CandyGrind ........................1173
CAPiTA Snowboarding......3357
Capix....................................3579
Captuer Headwear........ 4161
Castle Apparel................ 4375
CBF Labels Inc.....................S411
Celerant Technology
Corporation......................944
CelsiusSnow USA, Inc........1366
Celtek...................................3371
CenterStone
Technologies, Inc...........1918
Chaos...................................2423
Char Poles...........................4342
Chill........................................... 25
Chippenhook.................. 2701
Chugach Flyer
Snowboards...................1466
COAL Headwear.................3357
ColdAvenger...................... 940
ColdDist LLC........................2362
Colmar.................................1316
Colorado Ski
Country USA...................1739
Colorado Ski Country USA
Central Lounge &
Food Court.....................2140
Colour Wear..........................365
Concept III Textiles
International..................S406
Convertec Active
Wear Co, Ltd............... S109
Copper Mountain
Resort........................ Lobby 4
CoZone Hooded
Jump Suits................... 1123
Cozy Layers Inc...................1707
CRAFT @ SIA........................4437
crazeeHeads, inc............ 1122
Crescent Moon
Snowshoes.......................420
Crispy............................... 1471
CSA a Division of
Leggett & Platt...............3939
CTR (Chaos Thermal
Regulation).....................2423
Custom Made Beanies........943
Dagmar Branding................900
DAKINE.................................2557
Dakoko International
Co Ltd........................... S315
Dalbello Sports LLC...........4101
Dale of Norway, Inc.............709
Dare 2b................................1218
Darn Tough Vermont........2200
DC Shoes, Inc......................2178
Deeluxe..................................762
DEFCON GLOVES...............3068
Demon Snow......................1874
Dermatone..........................3102
Descente North
America, Inc.....................430
Deuter USA.........................3115
Deviation.............................4337
Dinosaurs Will
Die Snowboards............1468
Discrete Headwear............3511
Dot Dash..............................3369
Double Diamond
Sportswear.......................740
Doyle SUP........................ 2540
DPS SKIS..............................3509
Dragon Alliance..................2565
Drop MFG............................2645
DryGuy LLC.........................2529
Duckworth...................... 2421
Dupraz Skis and
Snowboards................ 4437
DURAFLEX...........................S403
Dye Precision......................3974
Dynafit.................................3116
Dynastar Skis......................3708
Echelon Snowboards........1974
Eco Vessel............................2948
Eider.....................................1039
EIRA......................................1148
Eisbar USA...........................1708
Elan Blanc............................1929
Elan Skis...............................2703
Electric..................................2957
EMSCO Group....................2133
Endeavor Design Inc............365
Endurance
Enterprises, Inc.......... 2000
Epic Pass / Vail
Resorts Inc......................1136
Erictex Fashion Co Ltd.......S102
Erik Sports-WhiteWoods...3504
Erin Snow............................1525
ESSE North America..........S114
Eurosocks International....1053
EVOC USA......................... 1034
EXP........................................3579
eXperticity...........................2546
E-Z UP International,
Inc................................. 4659
Faction Skis.........................4145
Falke USA...............................511
Fashion-Flying Outdoor
Garments Co Ltd........ S417
Fast Strap............................3417
FATCAN Poles.......................762
FATE Clothing.................. 1134
Fat-ypus Skis.......................3418
FedEx/FedEx Office............4505
Fera International Corp....1109
Fillmore Pant Co............. 4163
Fired Up Extreme Gear.... 600
Firefly...................................3579
First Degree Ski Boots.........762
Fischer Alpine Apparel........715
Fischer Skis US....................4411
FITS.......................................2416
Flo Skis............................. 4437
Flow Snowboarding...........2962
Flow Sports.........................2962
Flux Binding Systems..........962
FlyLow Gear........................3112
Footbalance System Inc....4239
Fox River Mills, Inc..............2517
Freesport Corp................ S115
Fritschi Diamir Swiss.........3350
Full Tilt Boots......................3723
Function...............................3414
G3 Genuine Guide
Gear Inc...........................3326
Gabel SOGEN Sports.........3621
Gilson Boards.................... 272
Giro Sport Design..............3649
Global Merino.....................S402
Gnarly Clothes....................4174
GNU......................................1372
Goal Zero......................... 4771
Goggle Graffiti................ 2552
Goggle Grip.........................3645
Golden Viking Sports.........3579
Goldwin America Inc.........1748
GOODE Ski Technologies.3323
GoPole................................ 973
GoPro...................................2571
Gordini USA, Inc.................2645
Gorski Group........................825
gr8 hed............................. 4247
Grabber Inc.........................3300
Grandoe..............................3147
Grassroots California...... 978
Grenade Inc........................3671
GRUBS North America.... 615
Guangzhou Hangbao
Group Co, Ltd............. S217
H2O Outdoor Gear............2920
Hagan Ski
Mountaineering......... 4039
HALTI Skiwear.......................715
Hand Out Gloves LLC..... 2532
Head Wintersports............2924
Heat Factory........................4147
HELL IS FOR HEROES...... 1411
Helly Hansen (US) Inc........1721
HESTRA GLOVES, LLC........2120
HG Skis............................. 4437
High Sierra..........................3633
High Society Freeride
Company LLC.................3971
Highland Trading
Company/Sportube......2800
Hoffco Brands Inc.......... 4773
Holden.................................1258
Holmenkol.US.....................4401
Homeschool
Snowboarding...............3471
Honey Stinger.....................3847
Hooked Up
Snowboarding LLC....... 274
Horizon Agency IncOutdoor Sports Ins.......2700
Hot Chillys...........................3330
Hotfingers Gloves..............1803
Hotronic USA, Inc...............3135
HOWL...................................3472
Hung’s Fortune
International Co Ltd......S305
i.N.i. Cooperative..................774
Icelandic Design...................521
Icelantic Skis........................3309
ICEWEAR............................ 713
Impact Canopies USA........3747
Intel Retail Solutions..... 4775
International Avalanche
Nest-Egg Fund...............4666
International Skiing
History Association
(ISHA)................................... 21
iON America LLC.............. 578
Itasca Footwear by C.O.
Lynch Enterprises...........743
JammyPack Inc.....................969
Joshua Tree Skin Care.......1800
JULBO Inc.............................2917
JVC Americas Corp...............572
K2 Skis..................................3949
K2 Snowboarding..............3957
Karakoram...................... 3069
Karbon.................................1730
KASK America Inc........... 1045
Kästle GmbH.......................3704
Keep Warm LLC.............. 1624
Keystone Enterprise
Services....................... 4775
Khombu...............................1309
Kicker Snowsports......... 4437
Killtec NA Inc.......................2111
Killy.......................................1039
Kiss My Face LLC................1400
KJUS USA................................603
KneeBinding, Inc................3512
Knitlab, LLC....................... 718
Kombi Ltd., Inc....................2930
Komperdell.........................4019
Krimson Klover...................1331
Krochet Kids Intl.................3569
Kuhl Clothing......................2413
KULKEA................................2531
KUUsport Mfg. Ltd.............4119
Kwik Tek, Inc.......................3514
L2R Snowboards............. 4437
La Sportiva N.A. Inc............3630
LandYachtz..........................1172
Lange Ski Boots..................3708
Launch Pad.........................2717
Laundromat........................1313
Lazer Sport..........................2939
L-Bow Mittens.....................1124
Learn to Ski and
Snowboard Month............24
Leatherman Tool
Group Inc.................... 3139
Leisure Trends......................734
LEKI USA, Inc.......................3020
LENZ Heat........................ 2124
Lenz Sport Inc................. 4656
Level Gloves........................4109
Lib Tech................................1375
Liberty Mountain...............3611
Liberty Skis..........................3725
Life-Link...............................3342
Line Skis...............................3523
Liquid Boardwear..............3979
Liquid Boardwear..............4479
Loki.......................................3963
Long Advance
International Co Ltd........617
Lorpen North
America Inc....................1717
Love Hope Strength
Foundation.....................2138
Love Your Brain..................2947
Lucky Bums Inc..................2710
M. Miller.................................818
M3.........................................3579
Madshus..............................3945
Malibu Cowboy LLC...........1223
Mammut Sports
Group USA.....................3517
Manzella Products.............3147
Marhar Snowboards...... 4437
Mariner Business
Solutions...........................517
Marker Ltd...........................4121
Marker USA.........................4420
Marmot Mountain, LLC.....1339
MasterFit Enterprises........3639
Maxland Sportswear
Industrial Co Ltd............S309
Meier Skis............................3317
Mental..................................1908
Merchant........................... 843
Mervin Manufacturing......1372
Mervin Manufacturing......1375
Millet.....................................1039
Mitchie’s Matchings.............513
Mizu.................................. 1465
Moment Skis.......................4445
Mons Royale.........................567
Montana Ski Company...4437
Montana Sport
North America Inc.........3742
Monument MNMNT
Snowboards................ 3469
Moon Boot..........................3501
Mount Tec Gloves..............2538
Mountain Peak
Designs........................ 2910
Mountain Shades...............3347
Mountain Uniforms...........1051
Mountain View Café............BL1
MTNApproach....................2359
Muck Boot Co.................. 1145
National Ski &
Snowboard Retailers
Association (NSSRA)......2814
National Ski Areas
Association (NSAA)............23
Nation’s Best
Sports (NBS).....................125
NEFF.....................................3374
Neve Designs......................1736
Never Summer
Industries........................1359
Niche Snowboards..............372
Nidecker USA, Inc...............2971
Nidecker USA, Inc...............3169
NIFCO Group......................S311
Nike Vision..........................2565
Nikita Clothing USA............2975
NILS......................................1742
Ninghai Hingda Leisure
Products Co Ltd.......... S117
Nite Ize............................. 3447
Nitro Snowboards...............975
NOMIS..................................3675
Nordic Innovation............ 725
Nordic Village........................122
Nordica USA........................4109
Notice Snowboards....... 4437
Nui Organics.......................1705
NXTZ.....................................2962
Oakley Inc............................1345
Olympic Lounge.................4139
ON3P Skis............................4443
One Way Sport USA......... 320
Oneballjay...........................1371
One Kid................................1436
O’Neill...................................1557
OnTheSnow.com...............2938
Optic Nerve.........................3347
ORAGE.................................1750
Original Chuck &
MaxLove Brand.......... 3168
Orion Packs...........................762
Ortovox USA Inc.................3115
OSBE USA Inc......................3306
Outdoor Gear, Inc..............2724
Outdoor Industries Women's
Coalition (OIWC)..............548
Outdoor Tech.....................2174
Outlast Technologies LLC...S415
Pajar Canada......................1522
Pakems................................1512
Parajumpers.......................1514
Patagonia Inc......................1857
Patico Apparel................ 1335
Peekaboos Ponytail
Hats.............................. 1334
PEEPSNAKE........................ 727
Pepper’s Performance
Eyeware, Inc...................2444
Perfect Moment............. 1116
Peruvian Trading
Company, LLC............ 1511
Phunkshun Wear, LLC.........565
Picture Organic Clothing.....762
Pieps.....................................3350
Pinnacle Designs................2714
PISTIL....................................2229
Planet Earth........................4479
POC.........................................957
point6 LLC...........................1530
Poivre Blanc........................2942
POLARMAX..........................2334
Pop Headwear......................374
POW Gloves........................1257
Powder Gems.................... 844
Powder Tribe................... 4573
Pret Inc.................................3406
PrimaLoft.............................S409
Promotive.com...................2546
ProRider...............................1369
Pro-Tec.................................3974
Protect Our
Winters (POW)...............2139
PSIA-AASI.............................1536
Pukka Inc........................... 268
Pulse.......................................757
Purnell............................. 1118
PWDR ROOM......................1178
QBL Storage Systems.... 3644
Quiksilver Inc......................1778
Quintsoul...............................913
Radical! Gloves.....................568
RAMP Sports................... 4437
RANN Essential Layer...... 524
Rawik....................................2724
RC Products..........................562
Recco Systems Ltd............. UL-1
Regina Imports LLC...........1509
RELLA............................... 1434
Remind Insoles............... 1471
Rental World Backshop........................4501
reusch SnowSports...........2236
REV’D Provision Co........... 373
Ride Snowboards...............3965
Ride Snowboards...............4171
Rocky Mountain
Sunscreen.......................2554
Rocky Mountain
Underground.................4319
Rome Snowboard
Design Syndicate.............965
Rossignol.............................3614
Rossignol.............................3714
Rossignol Apparel &
Essentials........................3718
ROXA North America.........4347
Roxy......................................1778
Roxy Snowboards..............1375
RPZN & PWDR ROOM.......1178
Ruffolo
Enterprises, Inc..............2553
Ryders Eyewear.............. 1036
Sabine Sommeregger.........715
Saga Outerwear...................569
Salomon Snowboards.......2978
Salomon USA......................3830
Salomon USA......................4130
Sandbox............................. 462
Saucerwax....................... 3962
SCARPA North
America, Inc...................3109
Schoeller Textil
USA Inc............................S308
Schure Sports
U.S.A., Inc........................1730
Scott Sports.........................3342
Screamer, Inc........................730
Sector 9................................1169
Seirus Innovation...............2630
Shaggy’s Copper
Country Skis............... 4437
Shenzhen Pengyifa
Industrial Co Ltd........ S306
Shin Han Industry.......... S312
Shinkong Textile Co Ltd....S103
Shotzski........................... 2324
Shred Optics.......................3937
Shred Ready Inc.............. 4242
SIA Hydration Station........1365
SIA Sales Team.....................580
Sidas.....................................4407
SKEA, LTD............................2411
Skhoop............................. 1430
Ski Balm...............................2916
Ski Kare, Inc.........................3502
Ski Sundries and
Supplies..........................4404
SkiA Designs........................4219
Skida................................. 2100
SKILOGIK.............................3521
SkiMetrix, Ltd......................3411
Skullcandy, Inc....................2577
SkyTechSport, Inc.................353
Slide On...............................3411
Slytech Protection..............3937
SmartWool Corporation...2115
Smith Optics.......................2650
Smith Optics.......................2950
Smokin’ Snowboards..........778
Snapdry...............................3135
Sno Skins Inc.........................915
Snow Angel.........................1939
Snow Dragons....................2724
Snow Show Daily..................348
Snow Sports Recycling
Program.................... Lobby 1
Snowboard Colorado
Magazine..................... 3673
Snowide North
America LLC.....................762
Snowmule....................... 1600
Solis Fabric
Technology Co Ltd........S106
Sony Electronics Inc.............575
SOS Outreach......................... 22
Spacecraft...........................1357
Spark R&D...........................2274
Sport Bumper................. 2916
Sport Obermeyer Ltd........2103
Sportcaster
Company, Inc...................757
Sports Accessories
America Inc....................2720
Sportswear of
Sweden US LLC..............1534
Sportube..............................2800
Spy Optic, Inc......................2771
Spyder Active Sports Inc...1103
Spyderco..............................4243
Stable 26............................ 120
STANCE................................3372
StarBelt.............................. 523
Stockli Outdoor Sports......3319
Strafe Outerwear...............4476
Sugapoint.......................... 457
Sumec Textile &
Light Industry Co Ltd.S317
Sun Bum LLC......................2375
Sun Valley Ski Tools Inc.....3737
Suncloud Polarized
Optics..............................2548
Sunice...................................1711
Superfeet Worldwide Inc..2520
Swany...................................1803
Switch Vision................... 1048
Swix Sport USA, Inc............3102
Sympatex Technologies,
Inc................................. S408
Taiwan Textile
Federation.................. S300
TAMAGEAR...................... 2915
Tazo Tea......................Lobby 2
Technine..............................3378
Tecnica USA........................3501
Tecnica USA........................3701
TEKO USA..............................609
Terramar Sports Inc..........2644
The North Face...................4357
The Royal Shaft LLC...........2914
The Soze Group..................4407
Therm-IC..............................4407
Thermore............................S112
ThirtyTwo............................2265
Thorlo Inc............................1520
Thrive Snowboards.......... 267
Thule Inc..............................3302
TOKO....................................3100
Toray International
America Inc....................S302
Transpack............................2935
TransWorld
Snowboarding.................276
Trespass USA......................1030
TREW....................................1571
Tubbs Snowshoes..............3946
Turbine................................4365
Turtle Fur.............................1125
Under Armour......................749
Uniform Gallery..................4400
Union Binding.....................3357
United States of America
Snowboard & Freeski
Assoc (USASA)....................20
USRA - Rep Associations.......18
Uvex.....................................3102
Vans......................................3771
Venture Snowboards........2271
Vertical Source, Inc............S314
VestPac..................................265
Vew-Do Balance
Boards.............................2371
Vision Sport
Distribution......................913
Voilé Manufacturing..........3765
Volcom...................................765
Völkl......................................4323
VonZipper............................3165
Voormi............................. 4370
Watson’s Bodywear.............837
Weston Snowboards...........266
White Sierra..........................525
White-doctor.........................762
WidePlus..............................S105
Wigwam Mills, Inc..............1703
Winter Trails..........................122
Wintersteiger Inc................3335
Woodward at Copper.........157
WSI Sports....................... 1311
Xero Degree Industries..1069
Yeah For It Distribution.....2372
YKK (USA), Inc................. S412
YRC Freight............................515
Zanheadgear........................972
ZANIER Sports Inc.......... 1336
Zay Products Inc............. 3602
New exhibitors are bolded
48
SNOW SHOW Daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
V O N Z I P P E R . C O M
E R I C
J A C K S O N
| E L
K A B O N G
&
At the show | who
where
Company
Company
ZDAR Boot USA....................719
Zeal Optics..........................3657
Zero Rh+................................913
Ziener...................................1708
Zoo York Snowboards..... 263
3M Thinsulate
Insulation........................S405
AMATERRACE Inc.................518
Bestex Enterprise
Co Ltd..............................S111
bluesign technologies
ag.....................................S400
Bristex..................................S108
CBF Labels Inc.....................S411
Concept III Textiles
International..................S406
Convertec Active
Wear Co, Ltd..................S109
Dakoko International
Co Ltd..............................S315
DURAFLEX...........................S403
Erictex Fashion Co Ltd.......S102
ESSE North America..........S114
Fashion-Flying Outdoor
Garments Co Ltd...........S417
Freesport Corp...................S115
Global Merino.....................S402
Guangzhou Hangbao
Group Co, Ltd................S217
Hung’s Fortune
International Co Ltd......S305
Maxland Sportswear
Industrial Co Ltd............S309
NIFCO Group......................S311
Ninghai Hingda Leisure
Products Co Ltd.............S117
Outlast Technologies
LLC...................................S415
PrimaLoft.............................S409
Schoeller Textil
USA Inc............................S308
Shenzhen Pengyifa
Industrial Co Ltd............S306
Shin Han Industry..............S312
Shinkong Textile Co Ltd....S103
Solis Fabric Technology
Co Ltd..............................S106
Sumec Textile & Light
Industry Co Ltd..............S317
Sympatex
Technologies, Inc. .........S408
Taiwan Textile
Federation......................S300
Thermore............................S112
Toray International
America Inc....................S302
Vertical Source, Inc............S314
WidePlus..............................S105
YKK (USA), Inc......................S412
All craft exhibitors can be found at
booth #4437
7 Mile Skis
Big Wood Ski
Dupraz Skis and
Snowboards
Flo Skis
HG Skis
Kicker Snowsports
L2R Snowboards
Marhar Snowboards
Montana Ski Company
Notice Snowboards
RAMP Sports
Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis
On-Snow Demo*
Alpine & snowboard
22 Designs
4FRNT Skis
Alpina
Anon Optics
Apex
APO
Arbor
Armada
Atomic
Bataleon
Bern
Black Diamond
Blizzard
Bollé
Burton
CAPiTA Snowboarding
Celsius
Dahlgren Alpaca Socks
Dalbello
DC Shoes
Deeluxe
Dinosaurs Will
Die Snowboards
*In conjunction with the Western Winter Sports Representatives
Association (WWSRA) Rocky Mountain Demo, and in partnership
with Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Global Buyers and Sellers Registry
Global Sourcing Program
Inventory Reduction Specialists
O.D.M and Brand Licensing Management
Small-run Orders Available
Introductions to New Markets
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DPS Skis
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Echelon Snowboards
Elan Skis
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Fischer
Flow Snowboarding
Flux Bindings
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G3 Genuine Guide Gear
Giro
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Goode
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Hagan Snowboards
Head Wintersports
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Hotronic
Icelantic Skis
Jones Snowboards
K2 Skis
K2 Snowboards
Kästle
Kerma
La Sportiva
Lange Ski Boots
LEKI
Lib Tech
LINE Skis
Lobster Snowboards
Look
Madshus
Marhar Snowboards
Marker
Meier Skis
Moment Skis
Morrow Snowboards
Never Summer
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Niche Snowboards
Nike Vision
Nikita Snowboards
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Nordica
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Ride Snowboards
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Design Syndicate
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Salomon
Salomon Alpine
Salomon Snowboards
Scarpa
Scott Sports
Serengeti Eyewear
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SKILOGIK
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Slytech Protection
Smith
Smokin’ Snowboards
SnowShift
Spy Optic
Stöckli
Superfeet Worldwide
Switchback Bindings
Technine
ThirtyTwo
Tyrolia
Union Binding
Vans
Venture Snowboards
Voilé
Völkl
VonZipper
Weston Snowboards
White Doctor
YES Snowboards
Zeal Optics
Nordic
Alpina
Atlas Snow-Shoe Co
Atomic
Fischer
Madshus
One-Way Sport
Rossignol
Rottefella
Salomon
Start
Swix
DENVER WAREHOUSE
SOLUTION
SIA’s Members-Only warehouse makes move
out easy and ensures a smooth, worry-free
entrance back into next year’s Show and
includes these year-round benefits:
SIA SHOW
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CONTACT YOUR SIA REGIONAL SALES & MARKETING MANAGER:
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PA RTNER. RES OURCE. ADVOCATE.
Member-owned and industry-inspired SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is the national,
non-profit trade association that represents core and on the rise suppliers of snow sports
equipment, apparel and accessories. Since 1954, our mission has been to work with the
industry to get more people on snow, more often to ensure the sustainability and growth of
the business of snow in North America.
PR
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SIA Research offers an incredible range of reports and data
designed to give you industry insights that will help you make
smart decisions to grow your business. Take a look at some of
the reports we offer.
• RetailTRAK™ and Cross-Industry RetailTRAK™
SIA and Leisure Trends, an NPD Group company, have
worked together for over 30 years, providing the snow
sports industry with exclusive retail market data detailed
down to the model level for virtually all apparel, accessories
and equipment sold in the snow sports retail market.
• Snow Sports Market Intelligence Reports
Four Available Versions: Total Market, Women’s Market,
Youth Market and Mid-Season.
• State of the Industry Videos
Visual overview of the snow sports industry including a
look at retail sales, trends, consumer behavior and
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• Snow Sports Participation Study
Report created in partnership with the Physical Activity
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consumer with a look at crossover into 117 additional
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• Snow Sports Insiders
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enables SIA to examine through market research,
changing consumer behaviors, attitudes and perceptions.
• Snow Sports Consumer Profiles
A generation by generation look into the snow sports consumer, designed to help you understand a variety of consumers and how to best communicate with each of them.
• Growing the Snow Sports Industry
A free report offering information on how to break down
industry barriers and help grow participation, providing a
framework of strategic planning, tactics and resources that
are easy to incorporate in your current marketing program.
• Sales and Orders Surveys
• Uniform Survey
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Visit snowsports.org/research or email us at Research@snowsports.org
for more information on these and other SIA Research products.
Product Picks | at the show
Wish List
Split Decision
PROPEL YOURSELF
If you want a taste of the true core roots of snowboarding, stop by the APO booth and chat
with Regis Rolland—the man was absolutely shredding the backcountry of the Alps on
homemade bindings while being chased by evil monoboarders in the campy 1983 classic
snowboard flick Apocalypse Snow. Now he’s showing off a brand-new, simple splitboardand-binding interface system that can be operated on the fly with just one hand. The system
is a collaboration with Plum Bindings.
Want to improve your race times? Stop by
the Endurance booth and put your hand
in the strap of this sleek, high-modulus
carbon Start pole. The strap is a carbon
interface that wraps the hand for better power transfer, and a hinge snaps the
strap back into perfect position at the start
of the stroke. According to researchers at
the University of Salzberg, the pole can
improve times by one second per minute
of racing.
Photos by (clockwise from top left) ben fullerton (2);
alton richardson (2); ben fullerton
APO DUAL Split Board Binding, Booth 762
Start Race Solid Pole, Booth 2000
TOTALLY BAFFLED
Big Agnes Hot Sulphur, Booth 737
The Hot Sulphur Belay Jacket from Big Agnes is built
with the climber in mind, but will ventilate skiers and
riders who run hot. Since air prefers to move up and
down rather than side to side, the jacket employs a
patented Insotect Flow vertical baffling system to
allow a more even distribution of body heat. Special
FlowGates staggered strategically throughout the
baffles keep the 60-gram Pinneco Core synthetic
insulation in place, while the new Insotect Tubic
technology lets the jacket loft faster than a standard
puffy while packing down to the same size.
WONDERFUL WOOL
Duckworth Polaris Crew, Booth 2421
Visit the folks at Duckworth and give a feel to
the Polaris—or any one of the pieces in this new
exhibitor’s hunting-lodge-styled booth—to appreciate the soft feel, light weight, and the fabric’s ability to bounce back when compressed.
That hand is thanks to the use of American merino from Montana’s Gravelly Range. These sheep
spend more time in colder temps than their
Australian kin, which means the wool has an ultrasoft bouncy loft to it.
EASTERN INSPIRATION
Rocky Mountain Underground P802, Booth 4319
The newest member to the Rocky Mountain Underground quiver is inspired by Vermont’s
area code. It’s worth phoning home about. The P802 is the brand’s first foray into semi-cap
construction, a new technique that both prevents surface chipping while maintaining the
integrity of the ski’s vertical sidewall. “It’s the best of both worlds,” says operations manager
Mike Rosenberg. At 96-cm underfoot with a solid maple core, it’s perfect for ripping on ice.
Buffalo plaid–inspired graphics round out this homage to the East Coast from the Rockies.
SIAsnowshow.com
Day 2 | SNOW SHOW Daily
53
At the show | hot trends
Base Layers Create a Buzz
Between one-piece Ninja styles and an emergence of hybrid fabrics, It’s an
exciting time to be shopping the Show floor for first layers
As you troll the aisles at the Show, be
prepared to see models dressed in ninja suits. Base layer
body suits are what’s hot now in next-to-skin wear. Meanwhile, fabrics are evolving. Synthetic fibers once seemed
to be the future: They wicked better, stayed warm, and
were easy to produce. Then natural fibers like merino
wool made a big splash with consumers who didn’t like the
stink and feel of synthetics. According to the SIA RetailTRAK research survey conducted with Leisure Trends,
wool accounted for 19.1 percent of the base layer market
so far in the 2013-14 season, up from 12.3 percent in 2010.
Kelly Davis, SIA’s director of research, expects wool sales
to continue to rise. Muddying the data going forward,
however, is the fact that more and more of the garments
you’ll find at the SIA Show today blend wool and synthetics.
Style Matters
Despite the fact that they are often hidden, base layers are
more stylish than ever. Heathers are big for men, and the
one-piece look is taking off. Airblaster hits the Show floor
strong with its aptly named Ninja Suits, a streamlined merino body suit. Armada’s Rotor uses Polartec Power Dry
High Efficiency in a top with a hinged balaclava hood.
And Burton’s AK Drirelease Wool Hood borrows from
scuba design. According to Burton, the ninja look is a
reaction to consumer demand for functional pieces that
integrate face masks and helmet liners into base layers.
Burton also injects some flash with trippy manipulated
everyday objects that transcend into geometric patterns.
“This year we were really focused on finding a balance
between large and small scale repeated prints,” says Greg
Dacyshyn, Burton’s chief creative officer.
The folks at Polarmax, who are debuting a new Comp 3
tech face fleece, are seeing demand for color blocking, with
bold rich colors and contoured lines, not unlike the body
suits worn by Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.
Hybrid Models
Helly Hansen soups up its Lifa base layers with a focus
on moving moisture. The new design opens up the internal weave on the inner polyester layer to push moisture to a second layer, of either merino wool or polyester, where it’s dispersed. The Italian TechnoWool in
Eider’s Shift Wool ½ Zip also takes advantage of the wicking power of poly next-to-skin with a wool face for warmth.
At Terramar, a wool-polyester blend in the Thermawool
CS ¼ Zip offers temperature regulation through ClimaSense technology. The 100 percent merino Soleie from
Bergans of Norway gets spruced up with bold colors like
hot pink stripes with light sea blue stitching. SmartWool,
which almost single-handedly ushered merino back into the
market—will be showing off its merino PhD Mid 250 Funnel Zip, which offers moisture and temperature regulation in
new color-blocking styles and fashion-forward patterns.
Synthetics Still Reign
While the buzz in base layer booths may be about wool
blends, 80 percent of the market is still synthetic, and innovation is happening on this front, too. The North Face
doubled down on recycled polyester in its Men’s Expedition L/S Zip Neck, which adds antimicrobial properties for
Fall 2014. Obermeyer’s Dri-Core Ultrastretch layers feature
moisture wicking, quick-drying, and odor-controlling properties. Bula adds sizzling prints to its Modly Mock Neck,
using a micro stretch fabric designed to fit like yoga pants,
for any body shape. Patagonia partnered with Polartec, using two different versions of Power Dry High Efficiency in
its Capilene 4 Pro Zip-Neck. The piece features a grid pattern that makes it warmer and more breathable while cutting
down weight. Mammut’s Moench and Junggfrau pieces use
Polartec Power Stretch Pro for a super elastic fit and quickto-dry performance. And Marmot is excited about its new
Thermo Hoody, built with Polartec Power Stretch Pro. It can
serve as a next-to-skin piece or a midlayer.
—Doug Schnitzspahn
Pick of the Day
54
SNOW SHOW Daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
▼ smartwool PHD
Polarmax Comp 3
Photo by ben fullerton (polarmax)
▲ marmot thermo hoody
▲ helly hansen active flow LS
Over at the Hot Chillys’ booth, legs are on parade. The fashion
prints on the new Fiesta Tights are so eye-catching, you might not
notice the legging’s technical features: The MTF4000 fabric provides moisture management and medium weight warmth. Be sure
to check out the Urban Croc print.
New WME Leadership, Vision
Photo by andrew bydlon
Rory strunk’s plans For Warren Miller Entertainment include supercharged
shows, TV extensions, urban events, expanded digital presence
Warren Miller Entertainment, on the cusp
of celebrating its 65th year, isn’t getting older, it’s getting
better. Under the leadership of new president Rory Strunk,
the iconic film brand is re-inventing itself with an emphasis on supercharging the film experience and expanding its
presence in TV, digital, and events.
It took Strunk about two weeks of brainstorming with
the veteran WME staff—along with trips to Aspen, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York—to forge a master vision for
the company’s next phase.
“The film and tour represent the inspirational foundation. Our 2014 film will celebrate an unparalleled legacy
of storytelling—and we’ll re-energize the in-theater experience by bringing in live music and narration to select
venues,” says Strunk. “We’ll also increase our audience
through national TV premieres, unveil a series of Warren
Miller branded urban events, and dramatically expand
the footprint for our digital offerings, including a national
video contest that reaches out to the next generation of
visual storytellers.”
Strunk has spent three decades creating and partner-
ing on TV, film, video, digital, and event platforms in the
snow sports, action sports, and non-endemic markets.
He’s the founder of RSN (Resorts Sports Network, now
Outside TV), NBC’s World of Adventure Sports, and
Global Content Partners.
“This is one of those amazing opportunities where my
media career, the market timing, and the growth potential
of the Warren Miller brand all align,” says Strunk, who adds
that the increased WME energy level has already triggered
a groundswell of sponsorship interest.
Warren Miller Entertainment is part of Active Interest
Media’s (AIM) Mountain Group, which also includes SKI,
Skiing, and NASTAR, sister relationships that Strunk is
committed to further leveraging. He’s also overseeing the
rebranded AIM Studios (formerly Warren Miller TV),
which develops video content for all of AIM’s five magazine groups (Marine, Equine, Healthy Living, Homebuyer,
and Outdoor). “The energy level here has gone up several
notches since Rory showed up,” reports Andy Bigford, the
Mountain Group’s general manager.
at the show | show news
Oakley Rep Heads Olympic Judging
Josh Loubek is selected to judge Slopestyle and Halfpipe at Sochi
Oakley Rep and Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP)
cofounder Josh Loubek is doubling as the head Olympic judge for ski slopestyle and
halfpipe competitions at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. Before joining Oakley 11 years
ago, Loubek was an X Games big air and ski cross competitor. At age 26, Loubek retired
from the sponsorship stage and collaborated with fellow former athletes to establish consistent judging methods for ski competitions worldwide. Before bidding adieu for Russia,
Loubek gave us the lowdown on his upcoming role in Sochi:
How were you asked to be a judge?
JL: I’ve been a judge for the X Games ski slopestyle and ski halfpipe for 10 years, includ-
ing X Games Aspen and Global X Games events. FIS and AFP wanted to make those
Olympic sports, and I said to FIS, ‘Why don’t you let us judge it?’ So we made this really
good partnership. We’re using an impression-style format with five categories: progression, amplitude, variety, execution, and difficulty.
How many judges are there?
JL: There are five judges representing five countries: Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, New
Zealand, and France. I was selected as the U.S. judge and as the head position.
How do you stay honest and impartial?
JL: I think the coolest thing about the judging format is that it’s an open dialogue, so no
one judge can influence everyone. It’s checks and balances. If a competitor falls in a run,
and he’s voted as number one, [the judge] can try to convince us on why, or he can come
to terms with the group consensus.
Is it political?
JL: The hardest thing about the sport is how quickly it’s evolved, so I’d say it’s the opposite.
There’s no ‘one guy;’ there’s 10 to 12 guys or girls that can podium at any one time.
Are there any hoops you had to jump through because of IOC rules?
JL: From the early stages [AFP] partnered with FIS, so we could make the rules together.
I don’t know if it will be absolutely perfect, but it’s progressive and friendly overall.
—Morgan Tilton
Visible Safety
All eyes are on the backcountry right
now. And the people who produce and profit off those images of freedom in untracked snow have a responsibility
to educate their viewers and consumers on the very real
dangers of the backcountry. That was the concept a panel
of media, manufacturers, reps, and resorts delved into at
yesterday’s Marketing of the Backcountry seminar.
“This room has a lot of reach,” said Kristin CarpenterOgden, Verde Brand Communications founder who produced and moderated the session. “We can use that reach to
send a message to people who get out in the backcountry.”
The panel represented a wide swath of the sources that
send backcountry images
to the public. Discussing the issues were SIA
chairman and K2 president of global marketing
and sales Tim Petrick, ski
journalist Devon O’Neil,
Teton Gravity Research
co-founder Steve Jones,
Silverton Mountain owner
56
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
Jennifer Brill, Skiing magazine editor-in-chief Sam Bass,
pro skier Chris Davenport, Scarpa North America CEO
Kim Miller, and CEO and director of Apex Mountain
Products Ian Reid.
The biggest talking point yesterday: how much is too
much? Should there be a unified backcountry safety message? Should there be disclaimers on apparel, equipment
and in magazine stories about the dangers of skiing and
snowboarding in the backcountry?
“People inherently seek adventure,” said Steve Jones.
“We are very cognizant of the fact that the things we promote are dangerous. One of the foundations of our business is to inspire people to get out there, push the limits,
embrace adventure. And we do everything we can to try
and offset those dangers.”
The panel also admitted that riding in the backcountry
is inherently dangerous. “We don’t want to kill our cus-
tomers,” quipped Kim Miller. Tim Petrick joked about
bringing talismans from every religion out there. Chris
Davenport pointed out that people often rely on their
equipment more than their brains—and that having avalanche safety gear could actually push them into different
decisions than if they didn’t have it.
“It’s dangerous,” said Jennifer Brill. “I think we should
be emphasizing the word ‘dangerous’ over ‘safety.’ We are
all addicts, and when you are an addict, you don’t think
straight. How do you tell an addict how to do something?”
The final consensus was that beyond gear, the industry
needs to work as a community to teach the larger, more
subtle lessons the people on the panel learned though
years of experience.
“It should be known that it’s not just beacon, shovel,
probe,” said Reid, “but beacon, shovel, probe, and brain.”
—Doug Schnitzspahn
Drink for a good cause in avy safety. The International Avalanche Neat Egg
(ianfund.org) will be hoisting brews from Durango’s Ska Brewery today at
5 p.m. to raise funds.
Photos by alton richardson
Marketing of the Backcountry seminar explores the dangers of encouraging skiers and riders
to get out in wild snow
Uphill Dollars
Photo by alton richardson
More skiers donning skins and heading up resort trails means an opportunity at
retail. Look for lightweight touring gear at the Show today.
Scott Wescott, owner of Wilderness Sports
and Telemarkski.com is on the hunt for lightweight touring
gear on the Show floor. When the local resorts around Summit County, Colo., adopted uphill-access policies for skinning
up resort-marked trails, Wescott was quick to get on board.
He started by sponsoring an early-morning randonée race
series at Arapahoe Basin. “We’re now seeing a whole new
demographic come in,” he says. “Alpine climbers and über
cardio guys looking for something different in the winter
along with traditional backcountry skiers interested in fitness.” The uphill-access movement has allowed his shop to
sell new product categories. “For us it’s allowed us to branch
in to lightweight randonée.”
“We’re seeing alpine
climbers and über
cardio guys looking
for something
different in the winter.”
Uphill skiing, or resort touring, is a gear-intensive sport
requiring no less than skis, boots, bindings, poles, and
skins. But that’s only a beginning. Customers need an efficient layering system, more technical outerwear, and a good
lightweight pack.
The boom in skinning uphill at resorts also offers the potential for reliable repeat customers. As their skill increases, these
skiers will inevitably want lighter and faster gear or may make
the transition to backcountry skiing, which requires even
more equipment, from beacons to avalanche shovels.
However, there’s an education component that comes with
selling gear for touring. If a customer buys a full avalanche
safety kit, it’s wise to point them in the direction of an avalanche course. Even better, retailers might consider partnering with local avalanche forecasters or guides to host educational events. Because uphill skiers don’t always require lift
tickets, a shop can become that community’s epicenter.
Wescott says he interacts with both current and prospective customers on the hill at randonée races. “Anytime you
can build relationships and drive foot traffic to a store, that’s
a positive.”
—Kevin Luby
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at the show | show news
Best Job Ever?
Sam Bass got his start with Skiing Magazine at Snow Show 2004. Ten years later, and
now as the iconic brand’s editor-in-chief, he’s still at it.
Skiing is one of the most recognized snowsport media brands. How’d that happen?
SB: Skiing was founded 66 years ago here in Denver by
Merrill Hastings, a devoted skier who cared deeply about
the sport. The brand still reflects that all-I-wanna-do-isski spirit. It’s the manual of the skiing tribe—the people
who want to quit their jobs and ski full time, no matter
where they live or how old they are. We stoke their passion
with tales of adventure, stunning photography, and intel
on the best gear and mountains.
What makes Skiing different from other
titles in snow media?
SB: It’s all about the “-ing”: the act of doing, of skiing, of
getting out and discovering and immersing that the modern, committed skier aims to do. But we’re not so cool that
would-be converts can’t relate. And we’re not stuck in any
single corner of the sport. We’re the voice of the skier who
skis hard all day no matter the weather, clinks pints at
après, and then wakes up to do it again.
Active Interest Media recently took over.
How’s that going?
SB: Skiing’s future is bright. Our new owners are skiers
who ran the brand from the ’80s through 2003 and they’re
committed to its sustained success. Already they’ve invested in page counts, paper quality, and an exciting digital
strategy.
This winter’s issues are packed with compelling stories and useful service for core skiers.
What’s your secret sauce?
SB: Pistachios, single malt, great mentors and coworkers,
and time on snow doing what we love. It’s a simple formula.
Plake-o-Rama
Mohawked freeskier talks industry, Olympics, and hair
58
SNOW SHOW daily | Day 2 SIAsnowshow.com
“They should take away
all the judges and put a
bunch of moms up there
and let them decide.”
with kids and other locals.
Never at a loss for opinions, Plake sounded off during
his Screamer appearance: The industry can’t afford to lose
a generation of skiers, ski cross needs to slow down the
pace and be made more technical, everyone should “quit
glamorizing powder skiing” and use a guide in the backcountry, and the Olympics will ruin freeskiing by “homogenizing” it. “They should take away all the ‘educated’
judges and put a bunch of moms up there and let them
decide,” he said.
As for the mohawk, it’s still flying as high as ever. “This
year I’ve worn it more than I have in the past decade,” he
said, adding up seven straight mohawked days over the
holidays. He plans to wear the do when he flies to Houston
after the Show. “It’s fun to walk through airports with it,”
he said. “For me, it’s as telling as carrying a pair of skis.”
—Eugene Buchanan
Photos by (from Top) andrew bydlon; ben fullerton
You could say that ski icon Glen Plake is
even less challenged verbally than he is follically. Plake is
at the SIA Show in full mohawked force, pumping sponsors Screamer, Leki, Elan, and Dalbello while opining on
all things skiing.
2014 marks the skier’s 25th SIA Show. “I missed one
once,” he said while signing autographs at the Screamer booth, which he’ll do again today at the LEKI booth
(#3020) from 4 to 6 p.m. He also announced Elan’s unveiling of its grom-based Green Team yesterday.
“The SIA Show is super important,” said Plake, who
turns 50 this year. “We get lost in our own product world
and forget to see what other people are doing. Our industry is unique—as opposed to selling vacuum cleaner parts,
everyone’s personally attached to what they’re doing.”
While products come and go from show to show, the
skier has remained true to his inner Plake—which is all
about getting back to skiing’s roots. “What used to be hang
your socks on the fire and play Monopoly has turned into
some giant disco party,” he said. “I’m not against giant ski
areas, but let’s remember what brought them to where
they are.”
For his contribution to the cause, freshly equipped
with his Level III PSIA certification, Plake still motorhomes around the country as part of his Down Home
Tour, showing up at small resorts unannounced to ski
The Snurfer’s
Comeback
Vew-Do relaunches the original snow surfer
Vew-Do Balance Boards is bringing back snowboarding’s predecessor: the Snurfer.
Having recently acquired the Snurfer brand, Vew-Do decided two weeks prior to the Show to move ahead with an initial
soft launch of the 2014-15 “backyard” boards: two flexible and durable Maplewood models in a 44-inch length and a kids’
shorty version. To the uninitiated, the Snurfer (a mashup of
“snow” and “surfer”) was invented in 1965, by Sherman Poppen, who bound two skis together, removed the bindings,
and attached a lanyard to the nose as a steering aid. Vew-Do’s
modern Snurfer is as close to the original as possible with a
“laid-back longboard kind of feel,” explains company founder
and president Brew Moscarello. “[The Snurfer] is the ‘feeder’
board that we’re introducing to people who want to experience
snowboarding but wouldn’t necessarily want to dive right in,”
says Moscarello, explaining that the financial and time variables of snowboarding can create challenges for new participants who want to break into the sport.
—Morgan Tilton
Fast Company
Photos by alton richardson
Rossignol Introduces New Race Line
Watch out, racing world. There’s a new Hero on the slopes. At a packed-house dealer
unveiling party last night at the Convention Center, Rossignol debuted its new Hero race line to replace its Radical collection. “We revamp our race collection every four years, in time with the Olympics,” says communications and PR manager
Nick Castagnoli. “Everything about it this time came from the athletes, from the design to the colorways.” Stacey Cook
and Leanne Smith, among others, will be on the product in Sochi next week.
While the new red-and-white scheme adorns boots, poles, helmets, accessories, and the new Axial 3 race binding, the
tech story is in the titanal laminate skis and their new Prop Tech construction, featuring longitudinal slits in the laminate
that allow the skis to adapt torsionally to terrain changes. The technology can be found in Rossi’s World Cup downhill,
super G, slalom and GS skis, as well as its Masters collection and all-new Elite Short and Long Turn models for the rec
carving market.
—Eugene Buchanan
Lyrical
Inspiration
Spyder’s speed suit more than
stars and stripes
Yesterday during the Snow Show Daily’s
cover shoot, racewear designer Matt Strackbein shared
with us the source of his inspiration for the super-fast red,
white, and blue speed suits you’ll see on U.S. athletes at
the Olympic Games. Driving the speed suit’s graphic design: “The Star-Spangled Banner.” “When I listen to our
national anthem, I feel a sense of patriotism,” said Strackbein. “I literally get the chills.” He researched the anthem
and discovered that Francis Scott Key first glimpsed the
flag’s reflection rippling in the water. Strackbein took that
imagery and worked it into the speed suits with a series of
thin overlapping lines. He also used a dark blue as a nod to
the vegetable-based dye used to create the rich, deep blue in
the original flag.
—Helen Olsson
SIAsnowshow.com
Day 2 | SNOW SHOW Daily
59
At the show | calendar
Events
What’s happening at the 2014 SIA Snow Show
son Dodge Creative will explore the online possibilities for retailers
and manufacturers. Presenter: Tom Flierl
Daily Events
7:30-9 AM | Seasons Ballroom | POW
Every day, all day | Booth 278| SIA
BlueBird Social Zone: Connect, recharge, socialize, Tweet, blog,
and otherwise push social media udates live with free Wi-Fi.
Every day, all day | Booth 1465| SIA/Mizu
SIA Water Bar presented by Mizu: Stay hydrated at the handsfree filtered-water bottle filler. The filler also electronically counts
the number of single-use plastic bottles ”saved” by using the filler.
Every day, all day | Booth 122| SIA
Nordic Village: Come preview apparel, equipment, accessories,
and technologies specific for cross country and snowshoe. 7-9:15 AM | Room 103
Donut Dunking Christian Fellowship Inspirational Discussion and
Fellowship (Note: Fri.-Sun.)
8-8:45 AM | Booth 1525
The Sweat Lodge: Yoga courtesy of ERIN SNOW. Space is limited.
Email rsvp@erinsnow.com to reserve a spot. (Note: Fri. & Sat. only)
9-10:30 AM | Booth 3847 | Honey Stinger
Free Honey Stinger Waffles: Compliment your morning cup of
coffee or tea with an all-natural treat to fuel you through the Show.
9-10 AM & 5 PM | Booth 2156 | SIA Snowboard Initiative
AM Coffee and PM Beers at the Snowboarding Is... Wall: This
armband campaign to share and inspire features a giant wall at the
Show for spontaneous expression. Get a caffeine fix or a cold one,
depending on the hour. (Note: Coffee daily; beer on Fri. &. Sat. only.)
9 AM-5 PM | Booth 4505| FedEx
FedEx Booth & Ship Center: Visit the FedEx booth for Show Shipping needs. The Ship Center is offered Sunday, 9 AM-7 PM.
9:30 AM (Thurs. & Sun.) 2 PM (Thurs.-Sat.)| Booth 957 | POC
POC JetForce Deployment: Get a detailed look at POC’s application
of the revolutionary JetfForce airbag technology.
10 AM-2 PM | Booth 2554 | Colorado Skin Cancer
Task Force
Free Skin Cancer Screening for all SIA members. Stop by to make
an appointment. (Note: Thurs.-Sat.)
11:30 AM (Thurs.-Sat.) 4:30 PM (Thurs. & Sat.)| Booth 3350
| Black Diamond
BD JetForce Deployment: A close-up look at a revolution in airbag
technology. Live demo and Q&A session on JetForce Technology.
4-5 PM | Booth 4407 | TSG
Insole Workshop and Custom Construction: Discover the latest
tricks of the trade in boot-fitting and insole construction as TSG’s
team of knowledgeable and experienced boot-fitters make you
your very own pair. (Note: Thurs.-Sat.)
Protect Our Winters Breakfast: Field Notes From The Climate
Wars: Free breakfast talk in partnership with SIA and the Aspen
Environment Foundation with Jeff Goodell, environmental journalist and contributing editor at Rolling Stone.
1:30-2:30 PM | Panel Pavilion, Upper Back Lobby|
Turner PR
9-10 AM | Room 301 | Stylesight
1:30-2:30 PM | BlueBird Social Zone| Marca Strategic
The Assembly returns with an expanded format taking an
in-depth look at mountain tourism, including a fact-based
outlook on the business climate, and interactive discussions on
new trends.
F/W 15 Color and Megatrends: Key silhouettes, design details,
prints & graphics, and innovative materials will be explored, focusing on performance, surface textures, and tech developments.
9-10 AM | BlueBird Social Zone, Booth 278 | Merchant
Facebook Marketing Tactics for 2014: Learn the latest tactics to
effectively market on Facebook, find new customers, and increase
sales. Presenter Sean Roylance
9-10 AM | Room 302 | CBCG
Shopping Isn’t What It Used To Be: Learn how to create sales
approaches that turn browsers into buyers and help create
brand loyal customers. Presented by Lynn Switanowski-Barrett,
CBCG
10:30-11:30 AM | Booth 4565 | Backcountry Experience
Avalanche Education and Building Brand Loyalty: Explore a
model of how avalanche educators, product manufacturers, and
retailers can work together. Friends of Berthoud Pass.
10:30-11:30 AM | Room 301| Shopatron
How to Leverage In-store Inventory for Online Sales: Learn
how Mervin Manufacturing merged offline and online retail
channels to boost sales and turn inventory. Presenter: Jared
Snelson
10:30-11:30 AM | Rm 302 |
Origin Design + Communications
Your Content Plan is Your New Marketing Plan: Content
marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and
prospects without selling. Instead of pitching, you are delivering
information. Presenters: Danielle Kristmanson & M.J. Legault
10:30-11:30 AM | BlueBird Social Zone | C1 Partners
11 AM-12 PM | Booth 4501 | SAM Magazine
CRAFT @ SIA Happy Hour: Stop by the CRAFT @ SIA exhibit of
handcrafted skis and snowboards for a delicious microbrew.
(Note: Fri. & Sat. only)
5-7 PM | Booth 2710 | Lucky Bums
Happy Hour with Lucky Bums: Enjoy a beer with Lucky Bums!
(Note: Thurs. & Fri only)
5-7 PM | Booth 565 | Phunkshun Wear
Happiest Hour @ Phunkshun Wear: Good times, good company,
and a free keg of beer for buyers and industry peers with DJ Cyn
spinning on the turntables. Take a peek at the 2014-15 line while
you mingle. (Note: Thurs.-Sat.)
Friday, January 31, 2014
7:30-8:30 AM | Room 301 | HDC
E-commerce and the Future of the Snow Sports Industry Han-
60
SNOW SHOW Daily | Day 2
SIAsnowshow.com
Managing and Leveraging Your Product Data: As a manufacturer, learn how to control your online presence and acquire
new customers organically. Presenter: Bob Goldman
9 AM-7 PM | Colorado Convention Center
5-6 PM | Booth 4407 | TSG
5-6 PM | Booth 4437 | SIA
1:30-2:30 PM | Room 301 | FindTheBest.com
1:30-2:30 PM | Room 302 | Webb IP Law Group
Biomechanical proof that a binding with a lateral heel
release can significantly reduce ACL injury: A presentation on
how valgus torque and tibia torque increase ACL strain in Slip
Catch and Phantom Foot trauma events in skiing. Presented by
Rick Howell
Daily Beer Grab: Grab a cold one with indusry pals. (Note: Thurs.-Sat.)
Introduction to Keyser Tools: See cutting-edge boot-fitting tools
with a tour of Keyser’s back room boot-fitting shop. (Note: Thurs.-Sat.)
Kid’s Play—Making Rental Fun Find out the latest about how to
show young renters a good time.
7:30-8:30 AM | Room 302
Advanced Digital Marketing: How To Use Google Adwords to
Drive Your Business: How a company can use Google Adwords
and Pay Per Click Marketing to augment digital marketing for
their business. Presenters Dan Smink & Dan Stratford
5-6 PM | CSCUSA Central Lounge| SIA/CSCUSA
1-2 PM | Booth 4501| SAM Magazine
SAM Magazine Rental Roundtable—Putting Performance
Into Rental: Find out about latest trends and how to profit from
them.
12-1 PM | Room 301| NetSuite
How the Cloud Enables SnowSports Success: In this interactive
session, learn how companies like Hestra, GoPro, and Scarpa
manage their business more efficiently, leveraging the power of
the cloud to power their success. Presenter: Ranga Bolda
12-1 PM | Room 302 | .SKI
From Zero to SnowSports Digital Marketing Hero in 10.5
Steps:
In this session you’ll learn how to make digital
marketing easy for your business or brand, whatever your size.
Presenter: Rob Rozicki
The Birds and the Bees of Product Development and Intellectual Property Protection: Come find out about product
development best practices, and when and how to best protect
your intellectual property. Presenter: Philip Matthews & Jon Hart
How to Impact the Snow Consumer Outside of Snow-Specific
Media & Marketing: Media and brand reps break down the ins
and outs of capturing snow sports enthusiasts through seemingly irrelevant channels. Moderated by Kelsey Comstock
Collaborative Consumption and Social Sharing: What This
Means for Your Brand: The feedback system of social media is
giving companies less control over their brand image. Presenters:
Olivia Mannix & Jennifer DeFalco
2-3 PM | Booth 4565 | Backcountry Experience
Steep Life Protocols Presentation and Multiburial Search
Contest: The winning team gets prizes from SCARPA, iON,
Grivel, MSR, AKKA, and H2OG and is entered to win H20G skis.
Dean Cummings
3-4 PM | Room 301| Alpine Relay
Sensor Revolution—Merging of Electronic Sensors and
Hard Goods: A wide availability of electronic sensors and smart
phones will convert hardgoods into smart goods. Presenter: David
Lokshin
3-4 PM | Room 302 | CBCG
Making More Money With Less Marketing Dollars: Retailers
can use tools like social media to save time and effort to connect
with today’s connected consumers. Presenter: Lynn SwitanowskiBarrett
3-4 PM | Panel Pavilion, Upper Back Lobby
Avalance Airbag Category Overview: Will cover differences between airbag systems, technologies & certification, TSA requirements, shipping HazMat, avalanche awareness, market data.
4-5 PM | Booth 2000 | Bliz
Bliz ProFlip XT Unveiling: Bliz introduces its all new Nordic
goggle the Proflip XT, with Extra Face protection and Extra flip
range.
4:30-5:30 PM | Room 301 |
Creating Your Custom Loyalty Program: Improve customer
retention, build loyalty and acquisition, and drive profits by recognizing your better customers. Presenter: Jean-Marc Blais
5-5:30 PM | Booth 4501| SAM Magazine
The Annual Rental World Reception: Stop by and enjoy cocktails and appetizers while chatting with industry peers.
5-6 PM | Booth 4565 | Backcountry Experience
Jeremy Jones—Further, Deeper, now Higher: Meet Jeremy
Jones, see the trailer for his newest movie, hear the story behind
how the trilogy came together, and grab a beer.
5-6 PM | Booth 3630 | La Sportiva
La Sportiva Happy Hour to Benefit CAIC: Beer and a raffle to
win Vapor Nano skis. Benefits Colorado Avalanche Information
Center.
5-6 PM | Booth 2948 | Eco Vessel
12-1 PM | BlueBird Social Zone, Booth 278 | CBCG
Happy Hour with Eco Vessel: Stop by and have a beer, and
take home our a Double Barrel Insulated Stainless Steel Mug by
donating to the nonprofit, Water for People!
12-1 PM | Panel Pavilion, Upper Back Lobby | Powder
Protect Our Winters Happy Hour with Patagonia: Have a
beer and celebrate the 2014 Patagonia + POW Capilene and
Powder Town Beanie collab, benefitting POW’s climate
advocacy efforts.
Your Customers Know More About Your Business Than You
Do (When It Comes To Social Media) Explore how customers
are researching brands before they purchase. Lynn SwitanowskiBarrett
Made In USA: A discussion with premiere industry brands about
risk/rewards, trials and tribulations, and why being built in the
USA matters to the future of our sport. Moderated by Julie Brown
5-7 PM | Booth 1822 | POW/Patagonia
5-7 PM | Booth 3765 | Voilé
Voilé Happy Hour with house band Salem: Stop by to see our
latest backcountry ski and splitboard gear. Stay for beers and
At the show | calendar
live music that blends R&B, Hip Hop, and Jazz for an innovative
sound.
5-7 PM | Booth 1750 | Orage
Barn Burner in the Booth: Orage hosts Old Death Whisper, a
band that self desribes as a “cocktail of dirty western roots music
& country tinged parlor tunes.”
5-7 PM | Booth 4337 | Deviation
Made In Oregon Happy Hour with Deviation Skis & Snowboards: Colorado brews and handmade Oregon skis and
snowboards.
5-8 PM | Booth 1357| POW Gloves, Holden, & Spacecraft
Cheers to Progression—POW Gloves, Holden & Spacecraft:
Celebrate this family of brands with a beer and a high five.
5-8 PM | Booth 3509 | DPS Skis
DPS Skis SIA Après: Join the DPS Skis crew for a drink and catch
up on the latest developments in store like Spoon Technology.
5-9 PM | Booth 3945 | Madshus
Nordic Industry Happy Hour: Come help commemorate the life
of Peter Hale, Madshus race director. Raise a glass of Akvavit in
honor of Peter’s lifelong dedication to Nordic skiing.
5:30-7 PM | Booth 3649 | Giro
Live Music and Beer with Giro: Ray Barbee and Chuck Treece
will be playing some funky jazz. Come by the new booth for beer
and tunes.
6-7 PM | CSCUSA Center Lounge| SIA
SIA SnowSports Retailer & Rep of the Year Awards: SIA recognizes specialty retailers and sales reps in the U.S. and Canada
who have excelled in fostering relationships, moving product,
and setting brands apart from the competition.
6-11 PM | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Icelantic
Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks: A night of live music, featuring
Ghostland Observatory at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
8-11 PM | Ogden Theater | TransWorld Snowboarding
singer-songwriter Joel Kachel. Swag giveaways; film screening.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
7-9 AM | Mile High Ballroom #4 | OIWC
OIWC Keynote Breakfast & Awards Ceremony: Industry veterans explore the most profitable opportunity in the snow industry
today: women. Plus, OIWC’s annual awards presentation.
7:30-8:30 AM | Room 302 | Mariner Business Solutions
Omni-channel Retailing: Creating an Exceptional Customer
Experience: How retailers can optimize across operations,
eCommerce, corporate office & website. Presenter: Rob Freda
7:30-8:30 AM | Room 301 | 303 Software
You Don’t Need a Mobile App: Put more value behind your
product by offering a relevant mobile experience.
9-10 AM | Room 301 | Indoor Ski USA
Moving the Mountains to the Masses: Learn how other countries have provided skiers and snowboarders with a consistent,
high-quality experience to last a lifetime. Presenter: Charlotte
Crawford
9-10 AM | Room 302 | Esse North America
Private Label Products—Your Opportunity for Growth and
Increased Profitability: The benefits of private label the process
of developing a private label business. Presenter: Pierre Rainville
9-10 AM | BlueBird Social Zone, Booth 278 | TWIO
Building Brands in a Digital World: Content. Engage. Measure.
All-star panel of experts from the snow sports industry on content creation, and technology. Presenter: Bill Cutting
10 AM-4 PM | Grand Concourse, CCC | malakye.com
The Shmooz: The premiere hiring event of the year brings
together leading employers and job seekers for face-to-face
networking.
10:30-11:30 AM | Room 302 | DavidCutler.net
TransWorld Snowboarding Riders’ Poll Awards Show: The stars
of the sport gather to honor the years’ best riders and videos.
The 4 Secrets to Maximizing Mobile Marketing: How to 1.)
Engage New Customers, 2.) Help Current Customers Do More, 3.)
Make Something New, 4.) Improve Internal Processes. David Cutler
8-11 PM | Hyatt Regency Denver at CCC Strata Bar
10:30-11:30 AM | BlueBird Social Zone, Booth 278
Dean Cummings’ The Steep Life Party: Live original music by
· 700 athletes from over 70 nations
· 1,800 members of the media
· 2,500 volunteers
· 140,000 spectators over two weeks
· 750 million television viewers worldwide
BECOME A SPONSOR
VailBeaverCreek2015.com
Inspiration Through Digital Storytelling: Get people dream-
ing through digital and social storytelling. Presented by: Jeff
Werkheiser
10:30-11:30 AM | Room 301| Channel IQ
Mitigating Price Erosion Through Proactive Brand Protection: No brand or retailer wants to deal with eroding margins,
but who should manage product prices? Presenter: David Howell
12-1 PM | Room 302 | Concurrent Product Development
20 Top Tools for Managing New Product Development: Learn
about an adaptable framework for organizing, planning, and
controlling product development. Presenter: Pete Frickland
12-1 PM | BlueBird Social Zone, Booth 278| Larrikin Lab
Building Brand Loyalty and Engagement with a #hashtag:
Drive customer engagement across social media channels. David
Poussard
1:30-2:30 PM | Room 301 | Vertical Source, Inc.
From Concept to Completion, The Creation of a Garment:
Highlighting the crucial variables in the process of creating a
garment, from design to raw materials sourcing. Presenter: John
Andreae
1:30-2:30 PM | Room 302| LSQ Funding Group, US Bank
Financing Your Growing Company: Learn options for managing
growth and securing capital in a growth environment.
3-4 PM | Room 301 | PM Product Development
Scaling the North Face of Design + Product Development
Towards the Summit of Success: Take a new product concept
from idea to consumer-ready design. Patrick Monahan, Jason P.
Belaire
5-7 PM | Booth 3742| Montana
Montana’s 75th Anniversary: Celebration cocktail reception.
Monday & Tuesday, Feb. 3-4
8 AM-4 PM | Copper Mountain Resort
On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest & Nordic Demo: Test the gear
and accessories you previewed at the Show. The event includes
happy hours, seminars, and the Uphill/Downhill competition. For
a complete listing of events at the on-snow, watch for the OnSnow Demo Guide insert in the Snow Show Daily, Day 3.
SIAsnowshow.com/onsnow and #SIA14demo
What’s your
best trade show
survival tip?
“You gotta duck, dip, dodge, and
dive or else you’ll get stuck in the
slap-pound soup. Find the path of
least resistance, and don’t make
direct eye contact.”
—Tim Humphreys, athlete with
Flow Snowboarding, Neff, and GoPro
“Make lists. We came halfway here
and had forgotten the prototypes!
We’re small, so if we forget something, it’s on us.”
—Susan and Rutland Walker, founder and
chief of marketing for Peepsnake
“Drink lots of Red Bull. But it’s not
that healthy…uh, drink lots of water.
And lots of beer.”
—Jim Adlington, founder and creative
director of Planks Clothing
“Wear comfortable shoes. Pack
different stuff because there are a
lot of events to go to.”
—Emily Parry, model for Icelantic
“Two omega-3 pills a day to stay
healthy. It’s a rough show.”
—Joseph Mathieu, Canadian rep for
Sport Obermeyer
in
At the show | HEard
the Aisles
Powder Pooper
“Powder skiing sucks. We should stop
talking about it. It is, like, a ’70s thing.”
—Glen Plake, athlete representing Screamer, Leki,
Dalbello, and Elan at the Show
Breath of Fresh Air
“Good manners and bad breath will get
you nowhere.”
—Bill Hadley, Vew-Do Boards sales manager,
as he handed his colleague a mint
A Lot of Hot Air
“That’s a hell of a
lot of helium. We
used three tanks
of helium to fill the
logo balloon.”
—Adam Janecka, VP sales,
Outdoor Tech Wireless Audio
Old Man Winter
“Everyone is talking about air permea-
bility in waterproof fabrics. Yes, there’s
the guy who goes skinning all the time
who loves it, but the dad in the rental
shop needs it more.”
For the Kids
Bronco Nation
FROM THE SOCIAL MEDIA FILES
—Dan Abrams, president, FlyLow Gear
“I like the Alligator...because my name’s
Ally—so ‘alli’ and ’gator.’”
—Ally Crowe, office manager, Celtek, discussing the company’s animal-themed kids’ mitts
“Check out these
brave @peta babes
stripping down against
cruel down outside
#SIA14 in Denver!
Down is for the birds!”
“Our corporate integration can only
go so far…”
—Backcountry Access (BCA) president Bruce McGowan
on his Boulder-based company’s acquisition by
Seattle-based K2 Sports, with Denver facing Seattle
in the Super Bowl (K2 personnel have been liberal
about littering the BCA booth with
Seahawks propaganda)
Oh, Man!
“There’s no good way to carry a mannequin.”
—Matt Strackbein, Spyder’s production art manager
Winter Newbies
“We all freak out when it gets cold.”
—Susan Walker, founder, Peepsnake, on how
Atlantans react to winter conditions
—@ashlovesmongo
“Starting #SIA14 off w/a yodel! @craighummer hams it up w/the legendary
Klaus @obermeyer.”
—@universalsports
“I’m one of 4,000 beards. Find me.
#SIA14.”
—@j_werky16m
T2R_Poster_6x9.
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