#051. FEBRUARY 2011. €5 EUROPEAN SURF/SKATE/SNOW BUSINESS TROUBLE IN THE EAST... EASTERN EUROPEAN SKATE SCENE OVERVIEW SNOWBOARD PRICES – THE INEVTIBALE INCREASE? WETSUIT BIG WIG MARKET INTERVIEW MERVIN’S PETE SAARI OVERVIEW NEOPRENE SALES HOTTNG UP WOMEN’S ISSUES FEMALE LIFESTYLE CLOTHING MARKET ANALYSIS AW11/12 OUTERWEAR & SNOWBOARD PREVIEWS WE BRING YOU X PAGES OF SMOKIN’ HOT NEWSTUFF PLUS: TRADE SHOW PREVIEWS, BRAND PROFILES GIRO, FORcEFIELD, RHYTHM, FINANcIAL INDEX 051 Managing and English Editor Jojo Cook [email protected] CONTENTS Surf and French Editor Iker Aguirre [email protected] News 13 Snowboard Editor Rémi Forsans FINANCIAL INDEX 14 [email protected] TraDE Show Preview 17 Skateboard Editor Holger Von Krosigk [email protected] Retailer Profile 21 German Editor fine lines marketing gmbh SnowboarD TRENDS 23 [email protected] SnowboarD ProDUCT PICtorial 29 Art Director Owen Tozer at MadeUp [email protected] SnowboarD PRICES 45 www.thisismadeup.co.uk WOMEN’S MARKET ANALYSIS 47 French Editorial Assistant Denis Houillé [email protected] BIG WIG Interview 50 Web & News Editor James Dalzial EASTERN Skate 53 [email protected] GOGGLE PICtorial 59 Proofreaders Jo Fairweather, Lydia Heckl, Marie-laure Ducos WETSUIT TRENDS 63 Contributors MEN’S AW11 Outerwear TRENDS 69 Uwe Ballon, Chus Castéjo, Dave ‘DC’ Colwill, Fabien Grisel, Franz Hoeller, Muck Müller, Digby Reed, João Rei, WOMEN’S AW11 Outerwear TRENDS 85 Luke Van Unen, Dirk Vogel, Denis Houillé, Matt Barr, Chris Moran. BranD Profile: Giro 99 Jobs and Distributor Services Digby Reed BranD Profile: RHYTHM 101 [email protected] BranD Profile: FORCEFIELD 103 Advertising & Marketing Clive Ripley [email protected] BEST SELLERS 105 Germanic Markets Advertising Konrad ‘Kone’ Heigl New ProDUCTS 108 [email protected] +49 (0) 89 5526 0915 MARKET INTELLIGENCE 111 Production Manager EVENTS 124 [email protected] ONE EYED MONSTER 126 Accounts Manager [email protected] To Subscribe www.boardsportsource.com [email protected] Publisher Clive Ripley Welcome readers, to the 51st issue of SOURCE, Also on snowboards, writer Tom Wilson-North [email protected] and as of 3rd February, the Chinese Year of the gives us an in-depth analysis of next season’s Rabbit. So what does our spiritual furry friend new products in his trend and tech forecast Published by Extreme Sport Business have in-store for us in 2011? According to Eastern (p.23). Meanwhile, when it comes to creativity 22 Friars Street, Sudbury mythology, the rabbit heralds a period of respite and thinking outside the box, it’s clear the Suffolk, CO10 2AA. UK after the last 12 months - the Year of the Tiger. outerwear designers are several steps ahead of Boardsport SOURCE is published bi-monthly Many of you will no doubt agree that last year us, as you’ll see in our 14-page Outerwear Trend © Extreme Sport Business. All Rights Reserved was a tough one, a time of fighting back against Preview – and if you’re undecided which shows economical challenge, where we had to sharpen you’re going to go to or what they’ve got on www.boardsportsource.com our claws in order to get back into the black and offer, check out our Trade Show Preview (p.17). regain our financial stability. Let’s hope then that In skate, writer Niall Neeson looks at changes to ON THE Cover the Rabbit Year lives up to its divine promise: a the scene in Eastern Europe, and asks if sharing Christoph Troyer, Filmer and time of peace and moderation, of comfort and experiences can lead to shared solutions. Cutter at Munchie Konsilium prosperity. Bring on the bunny! In surf, Denis Houillé looks at the wetsuit market, And as we enter the AW11/12 trade show season, a sector that’s been enjoying steady growth. After a new sense of optimism is in the air. We’ve hearing reports about a potential slow-down in weathered tempestuous times, and although women’s lifestyle clothing, we send writer Cherry several countries are still in the eye of the storm, Martin out on the streets to investigate ‘What CONTENTS many of us have managed to steer through it Women Want’ (p. 47). And finally, we introduce Mathieu Crepel into calmer waters. There will certainly be new a new and regular feature ‘Best Sellers’ (p. 105) Argentina Pic: F Ducasse/Quik challenges ahead, not least from the threat posed where we talk to leading retailers to find out by the end of the ‘cheap days of China.’ With the what’s hot and what’s not. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted cost of labour and materials on the rise, we need in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval to find solutions around it – perhaps we will even So there you have it, a packed issue, a packed system of any nature without prior written permission, except for permitted fair dealing under the Copyright see a shift back to European production. This trade show schedule and an exciting year ahead. Designs and Patents Act 1988. Application for permission is a topic our snowboard Editor, Remi Forsans Have a cranking 2011 – let’s hope the Rabbit God for use of copyright material including permission to reproduce extracts in other public works shall be made to ponders in his piece ‘Snowboard Pricing – the is good to us. Amen. the publishers. Full acknowledgement of author, publisher Inevitable Increase?’ on page 45. and source must be given. The views expressed in this see you at the shows... Jojo Cook publication are not those necessarily held by the Publisher. ISSN # 1478-4777 www.boardsportsource.com 11 INDUSTRY news 051 CORPOraTE MOVERS & SHAKERS TWO NEW HEADS BIRDHOUSE FOR NUTCASE Nutcase have strengthened their European team with the appointment of Birgit Gosda as Business JOINS Development Manager and Fabian Knauf as Sales and Marketing Assistant. Birgit has a Masters SYNDROME Degree in Economics and Marketing as well as over 15 years experience in marketing and brand Tony Hawk’s Birdhouse Skateboards has communication. Before coming to Nutcase she announced a new partnership with Syndrome worked as a Senior Account Director on global Distribution. Established in 1992 by Tony accounts for the worldwide advertising agency Hawk, Birdhouse produces skateboard decks, group Ogilvy and Mather, with clients such as wheels, accessories, branded soft goods LG Electronics, BP, DHL. Fabian just finished and completes. Syndrome is a worldwide University (University of Applied Sciences in distributor and manufacturer of skateboard Bochum, Germany) with a 'Bachelor of Arts' degree brands including Silver Trucks, BLVD in business administration. Skateboards, FKD Bearings and Traffic Skateboards. “It’s going to be a privilege to work with one of the most iconic brands in APPOINT the industry. It’s the perfect addition to the rest of our strong cast of brands,” said Dave TWOTHIRDS Andrecht, Sales Manager at Syndrome. BRAND MANAGER Jan Groenendijk is the new Brand Manager for Central Europe. Setting up the brand in the key markets in Europe will be his sole target. HOME READY FOR Operating from Germany, Jan will report directly to the company’s HQ in San Sebastian, Spain. Coming from the surfing world, Jan has worked for INTERNTIONAL LAUNCH numerous organisations and institutions all over the planet in advertising, sports communication, Swiss Made watches spiced up with a tight marketing, sponsorship, event management as well range of accessories including leather wallets, as a number of surfing associations and federations. belts, hats and tees, hOme was founded by Swiss He has been President of the German Surfing brothers Jak and Eddy Dousse and Canadian Association (DWV) since 2007 and a member of the friend Steve Harris. Anchored in the lifestyle executive board of the European Surfing Federation of boardsports with extended views on fashion, (ESF) since 2009. they have stories to tell and will be presenting their first collection at ISPO Munich this year, Hall A2 / 300. NEW TEAM MANAGER AT FLOW Former pro snowboarder Robbie Sell is the new TIGNES GETS SET FOR SECOND Team Manager at Flow. He has spent many years in front of the lens as well as behind it having appeared in magazine editorial as well as having stand-out WINTER X GAMES rolls in videos such as Neoproto. Flow also recently This second-annual Winter X Games Europe in Tignes (co-produced by ESPN and Canal+Events will brought on Drew Satin as its new Video Manager. take place from 16th-18th March. Over the three days more than 150 world-class athletes will compete Satin and Sell have worked together extensively in eight disciplines, including Ski and Snowboard Superpipe and Slopestyle for men and women. over the years and they will form the basis for Confirmed competitors include · Jenny Jones (GBR) · Kevin Rolland (FRA) · Xavier Bertoni (FRA) · Flow’s new team management, photography, video, Mathieu Crépel (FRA · Torah Bright (AUS) · Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI) · Tom Wallisch (USA). multi and social media content collections and http://winterxgameseurope.canalplus.fr production. GIRO SNOW HELMET DISTRIBUTOR SESSION IN BERGEN, OF THE YEAR NORWAY WINS After 120% growth in the current season, Madison the UK distributor has EMERICA STAY GOLD been awarded Snow Helmet Distributor Of The Year at the Giro International Distributor Awards. Dominic Langan, Madison’s CEO, said; "We've only been COMPETITION distributing Giro snow helmets for the last two seasons but we have enjoyed From more then 50 European entries it was Session that made the most stylish phenomenal year-on-year growth. Giro is a market leading brand and customers Emerica Stay Gold window. The shop won €1,000 worth of Emerica products in the snow sports channel in the UK have responded really well to Madison's and an Emerica team visit in 2011.