ISSUE #078. AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER 2015. €5 WILCO PRINS RIP CURL CEO SKATEBOARDING’S LOST GENERATION SUP FOCUS & RED PADDLE’S JOHN HIBBARD BRAND PROFILES, BUYER SCIENCE & MUCH MORE. TREND REPORTS: ACTION CAMS & ACCESSORIES, ACTIVEWEAR, LONGBOARDS, LUGGAGE & RUCKSACKS, SUNGLASSES, SUP, SURF APPAREL, WATCHES, WETSUITS. US HELLO #78 The boardsports industry has been through searching for huge volumes, but are instead Editor Harry Mitchell Thompson a time of change and upheaval since the looking for quality and repeat custom. And if a [email protected] global financial crisis coincided with brands customer buys a good technical product from a realizing the volume of product they had been brand, this creates loyalty. Surf & French Editor Iker Aguirre manufacturing was far too large. [email protected] Customer loyalty also extends to retail, where Since then it has been sink or swim, and one retailer’s satisfaction with a wetsuit, a Snowboard Editor Rémi Forsans Rip Curl are a brand who has come out with sunglass, SUP or longboard can equate to [email protected] their head well above water. For this issue large orders and given the right sales support of SOURCE, Rip Curl’s European CEO Wilco and payment terms will be the beginning (or Skate Editor Dirk Vogel Prins tells us how the company has thinned continuation) of a fruitful relationship. [email protected] its product lines by 50% and has executed a strategy, segmenting their lines to fit their SOURCE #78’s trend reports break down the German Editor Anna Langer consumer with a high amount of technical ever increasing amount of product information [email protected] innovation, guaranteed quality and with the available, as our experts review what’s worth stories being told by some of the finest athletes a punt for SS16 in everything from wetsuits SUP Editor Robert Etienne in their field. Resulting in a solid bottom line to longboards, sunglasses to action cams and [email protected] and setting a fine example. their accessories right the way through to surf apparel and watches. We’re also looking at a Graphic Design Séréna Lutton As reported in our SS16 trend reports, brands couple of new trend categories – the rise of [email protected] in general are vying for a more technical and/ women’s activewear, and a category that many or premium approach to the market for 2016, brands are placing a real focus on, thanks to Web Media Manager Denis Houillé meaning new products feature technical the transient lifestyles we all live – luggage and [email protected] aspects to justify their price tag. rucksacks. We have a special SUP focus for this issue with a trend report and an interview with Proofreaders Whereas before a consumer would buy all their Red Paddle’s Co.’s Co-Founder John Hibbard. Insa Muth, Marie-Laure Ducos, Sam Grant products from one brand, and one brand only, it’s now the case that consumers shop around to Contributors find the best product for them. This is opening Always Sideways Jokin Arroyo, Benoît Brecq, Gordon Way, up the market for brands to start winning a Harry Mitchell Thompson Fabien Grisel, Franz Holler, Adam Rowlands, whole new customer base. Brands are no longer Editor Robert Etienne, Anna Langer, Emma Humphreys, Sam Grant, David Bianic, Robbie Morgan, Francois Applagnat, Siana Ivanova. CONTENT 09 CONTENTS 59 SKATING AT THE OLYMPICS? Advertising & Marketing [email protected] 11 NEWS 62 WOMEN’S SURF APPAREL SS16 TREND REPORT 14 TRADE SHOW REVIEWS 65 MEN’S SURF APPAREL SS16 TREND REPORT Accounts Manager 17 RETAILER PROFILE – NOMAD STORE 69 LUGGAGE & RUCKSACKS SS16 TREND REPORT [email protected] 18 ACTIVEWEAR SS16 TREND REPORT 72 SUP FOCUS – RED PADDLE’S JOHN HIBBARD To Subscribe 21 SUP SS16 TREND REPORT 75 WETSUITS SS16 TREND REPORT www.boardsportsource.com 27 SUNGLASSES SS16 TREND REPORT 80 BUYER SCIENCE – IVO NISA, 58 SURF [email protected] 33 SUNGLASSES PRODUCT PICTORIAL 83 BRAND PROFILE: MAUI AND SONS Publisher 36 BIG WIG INTERVIEW: RIP CURL CEO WILCO PRINS 84 BRAND PROFILE: NICE SKATEBOARD [email protected] 39 ACTION CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES TREND 86 BRAND PROFILE: KORUA SHAPES Published by REPORT 88 GREENROOMVOICE LOOK AT OUTERKNOWN ESB 42 WATCHES SS16 TREND REPORT 90 NEW PRODUCTS 22 Friars Street, Sudbury 45 RIDE O’METER 93 MARKET INTELLIGENCE Suffolk, CO10 2AA. UK 49 A LOST GENERATION 104 EVENTS Boardsport SOURCE is published bi-monthly 53 LONGBOARDS SS16 TREND REPORT 107 ONE EYED MONSTER © ESB. All Rights Reserved On the cover: François Liets, Billabong Brand Manager surfing Mullaghmore, in Ireland. Photo: Laurent Pujol. www.boardsportsource.com No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission, except for permitted fair dealing under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. Application for permission for use of copyright material including permission to reproduce extracts in other public works shall be made to the publishers. Full acknowledgement of author, publisher and source must be given. The views expressed in this publication are not those necessarily held by the Publisher. ISSN # 1478-4777 9 INDUSTRY NEWS #78 EUROSIMA SURF SUMMIT THE SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR 14TH EDITION - OCTOBER 8-9, 2015 ANNOUNCES 2016 WORLD TOUR DATES The EuroSIMA Surf Summit has confirmed the dates for its 14th edition. The Freeride World Tour’s line-up for 2016 has been announced with As the Quiksilver Pro, France moves its dates slightly later, so does the the world’s finest backcountry riders kicking off in Vallnord Arcalis in Surf Summit, taking place at the Belambra at Les Estagnots in Seignosse Andorra before descending upon Chamonix. The tour will then stop in from October 8-9. The Surfing Lounge returns to the EuroSIMA Surf Fieberbrunn before ‘the cut’ thins out the competitive field. The tour Summit in Hossegor this year, where brands can showcase their latest then takes flight over to Haines in Alaska, before the second and final innovations for the surf industry to see. Speakers include: Renaud cut sees the top six male snowboarders and four female snowboarders Vaschalde, Sports industry analyst at NPD Group, surfer Dave Rastovich, compete in Verbier to decide the 2016 Freeride World Tour Champion. traveller, mountain and photographer Maurice Rebeix, Frédéric Beuvry - Senior VP Brand, Design & Ergonomy at Schneider Electric and Jacques Paget - LIBRA Conseil, Expert in negotiations and Illusionist. Charlotte ISPO BEIJING: MESSE MÜNCHEN EXTENDS Cochaud – Michel et Augustin’s Brand Content Manager speaks, and there will be a European Action Sports Retailers Round Table hosted AGREEMENT WITH ALPITEC CHINA by ISPO. On July 31, it was announced that Beijing will be the host city for The Waterman’s Ball will be held at the same venue as last year on the 2022 Winter Olympic games, and coming with that news is the Friday October 9, 2015 starting at 8pm under the theme of ‘Hot Rod with announcement that Messe München (owners of ISPO), have signed an a denim dress code. As always this event provides the European surf extension of their partnership with Alpitec China, the international trade business with a focal point to network and discus industry issues, as exhibition for mountaineering and winter technologies by Fiera Bolzano. well as topical presentations. Look forward to seeing you there. SUPERBRAND TO SUPPLY EUROPE WITH BRUNOTTI’S SURFBOARDS FROM AUSTRALIA REINVENTION After having their surfboards for the European market shaped by Nuno Brunotti are to have a complete reinvention of the company, which will Matta in Portugal for five years, SUPERbrand are to have their surfboards see the company launch 180 products in their RDP (Rider Developed manufactured for the region out of their Gold Coast, Australia facility led Product) collection. The company, having been founded in 1979 is also by Adam “Sparrow” Fletcher. to release a fashion-forward line, NMTC which will be through different distribution and all geared towards their ‘All boardsports’ ethos, aimed at getting people ‘on board’. SURFERS AGAINST SEWAGE ANNOUNCE GLOBAL WAVE CONFERENCE, CORNWALL & OAKLEY CLOSES EUROPEAN HQ, LONDON, OCTOBER 2015 JOBS MOVE TO LUXOTTICA OFFICES Surfers Against Sewage have announce the Global Wave Conference, a Luxottica has closed Oakley’s Zurich headquarters, with these jobs major international event focused on the protection of waves, oceans, moving to the Luxottica offices in Milan, London, or elsewhere in Italy beaches and surf habitats worldwide, which will take place in Cornwall, as a part of the company’s restructuring of Oakley that will save z100 England from 12-13 October, and then move to the country’s capitol at million over time between top-line growth and cost savings. Oakley are the Palace of Westminster on October 14. expected to create ¤50 million revenues from the integration, while saving ¤50 million in annual costs. Oakley was acquired by Luxottica in 2007, and has been run as a separate entity until now. FREEZE BIG AIR 2015, LONDON’S OLYMPIC PARK, NOVEMBER 14, 2015 PENNY LAUNCHES LONGBOARDS Freeze Big Air will welcome the world’s finest competitive snowboarders Penny skateboards have announced the launch of its longboard and skiers to the UK’s capitol for the FIS Snowboard World Cup Big category. Available in six classic colour combinations, the new Penny Air and International Ski Invitational. Taking place at London’s Queen 36” Longboard skateboard offers a fresh riding style complimenting Elizabeth Olympic Park, Freeze Big Air will see a jump made from real their shorter cruiser boards and backpack product categories. snow spanning 120m x 41m. UK-based action sports PR agency All Conditions Media have been put in charge of PR for the event, which Olympic bronze medallist Jenny Jones and fellow British snowboarding PATAGONIA APPOINTS ALEX BEASLEY Olympian Jamie Nicholls are ambassadors for.