2012 sia snow show daily, day 4

Four packed days of innovation, com-merce, events, seminars and parties—all backed by a resolve to finish the winter with a flourish and reach new heights for ‘12-13 (photos, p. 40). Now it’s time to head over the pass to the On-Snow Demo/Ski Ride Fest (p. 24).

A Strong Finish,Then Up the Hill

Heads Up: Fresh HatsKeeping warm with new styles, funky shapes, colors and trends (p. 39).

FashionReviewA peek back in words and photos at the SIA Fashion Show’s top looks (p. 41).

Editor’sPicksThe envelope, please: Kudos for top products from the Daily staff (p. 4).

SIA Snow Show App

Also available on the iTunes App Store or at www.SIAshowapp.com.

OFFicial PUblicatiOn OF tHe 2012 Sia SnOw SHOw PUbliSHed by SnewSSundAy, JAnuARy 29, 2012

HeaRd in tHe aiSleS

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CHILDRENSBIGPROTECTIONFOR LITTLEHANDS.

PHOTO: Dave Schmidt

RUGGEDPrimaloft One™ insulation and Waterguard™ inserts keep little paws warm and dry. The tough shell fabric withstands the abuse of those extra-long backyard sled sessions.

The Kombi Children’s collection keeps smiles going, no matter the conditions.

BOOTH #3050

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1snewsnet.com SNOW SHOW Daily | Day 4

Published by SNEWS and snewsnet.com

EDitOr & PubliSHEr Andy BigfordmaNagiNg EDitOr Peter Krayart DirEctOr Jacqueline McCaffrey

ON-FlOOr WritErS Eugene Buchanan, Cindy Hirschfeld, Courtney Holden, Mike Horn, Doug Schnitzpahn cONtributOr Krista CrabtreePHOtOgraPHErS Ben Fullerton, Morgan Varon

aDvErtiSiNg SalES Sharon Burson, Andy Bigford grOuP PrODuctiON DirEctOr Barb Van SicklePrODuctiON Hillary Kerrick DiStributiON Jarrod GustinRead the digital version of the Snow Show Daily at snewsnet.com or snowsports.org

Snow Show Daily is part of active interest media’s Outdoor groupJon Dorn, Vice President, Outdoor GroupMichael Hodgson, President, SNEWSMatthew Bates, Design Director, Outdoor Group

active interest media2520 55th St, Suite 210, Boulder, CO 80301303.625.1600

cHairmaN & cEO Efrem Zimbalist IIIgrOuP PubliSHEr & cOO Andrew W. ClurmanSENiOr vicE PrESiDENt & cFO Brian J. SellstromSENiOr vicE PrESiDENt, OPEratiONS Patricia B. Fox

Copyright 2012 by Snow Show Daily

6 traNSWOrlD buSiNESSSnowboard news, notes from the floor.

8 SNOWbOarDSCheck out these micro-trends.

14 baSElayErSHealthy sales in vintage, technical styles.

16 SuNglaSSESEye-popping colors, improved protection.

18 aPParEl tEcHFeatures and freedom integrate.

30 NEW ExHibitOrSReusch, Echelon, Slayer

32 rEtailErS, rEPS HONOrEDThe Ski Center, Andrew Shaw.

ON THE COVER: Photos by Ben Fullerton (6); Jeff Nass (Red Rocks); Morgan Varon (8)

Contents

TOC / Day 4P

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TODAYRegister for the On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride FestMake sure you pick up your On-Snow badges and sign the liability waiver in the Registra-tion area for the On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest at Winter Park and Devil’s Thumb.

Uphill/Downhill Donation DriveBefore you head to the hills, swing by Backcountry Experience (Booth #4506) to drop off products for the raffle at Winter Park to benefit the United States Ski Mountaineering team. You can also go to the Scarpa Booth (#3171) to register for the Uphill/Downhill--and your chance to take on the Italian National Race Team.

2 Mile High BBQIt’s not too late to register for the grand feed fest that is the 2 Mile High B-B-Q at the Lodge at Sunspot on Jan. 30. Go to the Information booth in the lobby of the Colorado Conven-tion Center to sign up for your plate of Cowboy Chicken, prime rib and garlic mashers.

Don’t MissMust-see events and exhibits at the Show

ShOw NewS / at the Show

Snow Show honors industry standouts.

Industry awards nightthe 2011 rep and retailer of the year awards, as well as the industry achievement Award were given out on Friday, Jan. 27, on the Show floor. Rep of the Year winners in-clude: Ed Green (Rockies), Tom Blair (Midwest), Brad Decker (South), Chris Dunham (West), Kent Fried (Atlantic), Jamie Lavalle (NorCal), Tim Parker (Eastern Lakes), Andrew Shaw (Northeast), Dan Sorencelli (Northwest), Evan Cole (Ontario), Derek Hale (BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan), Andrew Hicks (Alberta), and Gills Lachance (Quebec). Retailer of the Year winners include Buckman’s Ski Shops (Mid-Atlantic), Cole Sport (Mountain), East Coast Alpine (New England), Joe’s Sporting Goods (North Central), Sturtevant’s (Pacific), Neptune Dive and Ski (South Central), and Freestyle (Southeast). New Hamilton, founder of the Peter Glenn outdoor shops was honored with the Industry Achievement Award.

industry achievement award winner Ned Hamilton.

rep of the year award winner Dan

Sorencelli receives his award from

Sia chairman of the board tim Petrick.

2 SNOW SHOW Daily | Day 4 snewsnet.com

among trends at the Show, high style continues to trickle down into snow sports performance and lifestyle hats. Fashion-forward shapes and textures—brims, hand knit-inspired looks—as well as brights and unexpected color combos—influence designs like Pistil’s new women’s styles and Bula’s range of slouchy beanies. At Eisbar, pom-poms and vibrant colors are big, says president Glenn Quimby, while at Jacob Ash, it’s “anything with faux fur or neons and bright greens,” says Paul Podgorski, who oversees design and development.

Peruvians, trappers, ear-flaps, bombers—whatever term you prefer—stand out in seemingly every company’s line. Spirit Hoods takes the silhouette to new lengths with its faux-fur styles that have attached, pocketed scarves. To differentiate its new hats, Screamer went trend hunting in Europe. The resultant St. Moritz collection features folkloric bomber-style hats, accented with faux-fur, at a slightly higher price point.

Turtle Fur adds new silhouttes and prints to its well-received Black Turtle line of wicking, super-stretchy hats and neck gaiters, and Bula expands its popular sublimated-print styles to balaclavas. Bula also adds higher-end yarns like cashmere and alpaca blends. Show newcomer Hootie Brown uses ultra-soft Suri alpaca felt and fur throughout its line, and Sweet Turns uses an alpaca blend in most styles. Several companies support women’s knitting cooperatives in Peru, including Chaos, Turtle Fur and Sweet Turns. Turtle Fur also expanded its line of hats knitted in Nepal.

Women’s headbands make a comeback in wide, face-framing shapes, including brimmed bands from Pistil and Elan Blanc’s floral-appliquéd styles. While novelty hats, including whimsical animal shapes, continue to sell. Pointing to a Peru-vian-style hat with a fringed Mohawk, Greg Bardin, Bula’s VP of sales, notes, “People are starting to wear attention-getters.” Chaos adds groupings such as sea creatures, forest animals and monsters to its Moon Shadow Peru line.

And don’t overlook the style potential of facial hair. Inspired by the annual Movember fund-raiser for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Bearded Apparel introduced its wool/acrylic hats with attached “beards” and “mustaches,” solving the problem of slipping facemasks in a novel way.

—CindyHirschfeld

Wild and Wooly

Saved by the BagMeesh Hytner is lucky to be walking the halls of the Snow Show. The 21-year-old was snowboarding the Mont-ezuma backcountry on Wednesday. She navigated the steep chutes at the top and pointed down into an open snowfield when a massive slab fracture released.

Stuck in the slide, she deployed her BCA Float 30 air bag, which pulled her to the top of the rapidly moving pile of snow for a wild 1,000-foot ride.

“I felt like I was riding a mattress down the stairs,” she says. “This thing saved my life.”

Despite the happy ending, BCA’s Steve Christie cautions that air bags are just one part of avalanche safety: “Educa-tion and knowledge are still the most important things you can carry into the backcountry.”

—D.S.

Animal motifs, faux fur and chunky knits headline next winter’s hats.

At the show / Top news

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Out of the DeepWith all of the focus on saving backcountry travelers, the folks at Ski Retriever are at the Show adding a wrinkle to finding lost gear and hoping to end the nightmare of los-ing a ski in deep powder with a kit ($158). Their system consists of two homing tags that affix to your boards so that when they do disappear, you can track them down with a transceiver type unit that will track that errant ski down up to 400 feet away. —DougSchnitzspahn

“this thing saved my life.”

aimee Moss, blue bird Showroom

Chaos

toni Damico, Patricia reimann and Nikki boole sporting bula.


Editor’s PicksA sampling of ’12-13 products that caught our eye.

At the Show / Show NEwS

The 2012 Sia Snow Show was packed with innovation across all the categories, events and exhibits. Our editors offered up their favorite products, picking a wide range of gear that reflects the diversity of the Show itself.

Peter Kray›› Volkl V-WerksGroomers are what has been especially good on the lift-served scene this season, making it a perfect Show for Volkl to introduce its new V-Werks technology, featuring a lightweight construction of Metal-Tex titanal and car-bon inlay, as well as a lighter weight Motion iPT Hollow Tech binding and Xtra-Light Wood Core in the V-Werks Code (122-76-104).›› Nordica Hell’s BellesToo often women’s skis look—and ski—like some sort of pink flowered, impressionistic hotel room painting. Not so with Nordica’s new Hell’s Belles collection, five new big mountain models made just for women and highlighted by the La Niña (143-113-124), the new sister ski to the Patron with a rockered tip and tail and camber underfoot.›› Tecnica Free Mountain SeriesBuilding on the success of the Cochise, Tecnica gets ku-dos for stepping out and dramatically expanding its hike-ski collection to eight models, incuding two for women. Put your foot inside the new Cochise 130 Pro to find out if this is the future for all-mountain boots.

Eugene Buchanan›› Tomahawk WarBagFormer Alaska heli guide Jimbo Morgan is used to skiing blacks...now he’s helping people wear it. His new all-black skiwear com-pany Tomahawk debuts the WarBag ($300), a down jacket with nylon micro rib stop, 15,000mm of wa-terproof polyester coating, mesh-lined vent zips, a

ribbed visor, zip-away powder skirt and venting that runs the length of the arm. “I knocked off six volcanoes in Ja-pan last year, never taking it off,” says Morgan, who rode to the show from Squaw Valley on his matching black Harley Davidson Heritage Soft Tail.›› Grandoe MythHand softener in a glove? Yep, you’ll find it in the new Myth ($130) from Grandoe, a leather offering that’s part of its new GEL (Guaranteed Endurance Leather) collec-tion. As well as Himalayan goatskin sidewalls and four-

chettes, it comes with an aloe-infused lining—the first in its snow sports division. ›› Dregs Chupa CabraDregs’ new Chupa Cabra skateboard ($220) is built for speed, with a concave back and scooped front that lets you lock in your feet like a binding, and eco-friendly Luv Yo Mutha soy wheels for traction. If anyone can attest to it, it’s company owner Biker Sherlock, a gold medal X Games winner in downhill skateboard and street luge, who recent-ly reached 90.5 mph on a board for Stunt Junkies. Cindy Hirschfeld›› Best Show MomentThe models getting the biggest cheers at Thursday’s night SIA Fashion Show were the smallest ones. These pint-sized fashionistas walked the runway with spirit, pluck and utter charm.›› Mammut’s Sunridge Jacket and PantMade for women with a GORE-TEX Soft Shell, Sun-ridge pairs mountaineering performance with functional, skier-friendly design. The little details—an offset zip that expands the neckline, the sleek powder skirt, extra-large internal gaiters—really shine.›› Neve sweatersNeve’s partnership with women’s designer Nicole Miller, who uses striking colors and strong graphics for this new collection, raises the bar for ski sweaters. From the Stein Eriksen Lodge to the Soho Grand, wearers will stand out.

Doug Schnitzspahn›› Ortovox ZoomOrotvox simplified this affordable ($249) three-antennae beacon without dumbing down the tech-nology. As with more ex-pensive top-of-the-line beacons, its smart antenna makes it effective no matter how a victim is positioned

and the simple display means less-experienced users won’t have to worry about pro functions.›› Dynafit VulcanAfter watching traditional alpine brands muscle into the AT category, Dynafit came out with a beefy freeride boot that’s still nimble enough to tour—the PU cuff is the key, providing the strength of Pebax for cranking turns in a lighter boot (1,650 grams). But the best single feature may be the top buckle, which is set back on the boot so that it engages the ski function when snapped shut.›› Liberty Retro Light Bamboo PoleColorado-based ski brand Liberty wrapped this pole

($118) with the signature wood it uses in its ski cores—light, pliable bamboo. But it’s no pushover. The internal core is built of light strong carbon, making for a pole that looks stylish yet performs on the hill.

Mike Horn›› Frends Light HeadphonesThe Light is a revamped, lower profile and more bomb-proof version of the original Classic. Frends added Ear Cup Tap Control so you can press play, pause and select songs with a simple click. The Frender (think “Fender” guitar) sunburst colorway is off the hook.›› Backcountry Experience BoothBack in the Las Vegas Snow Show days the dedicated backcountry booth was stationed in a small yurt that was largely dominated by skis. Here in Denver the Backcoun-try Experience booth (more like a lodge) is stacked with backcountry snowboard gear as well, including a wide breadth of splitboard models, bindings, packs and beacons. ›› NOW Snowboard BindingsJF Pelchat’s new skateboard truck-inspired bindings are designed to reduce the effort it takes to turn a snowboard, so your feet are more relaxed in your boots and less prone to cramps or foot pain. Pelchat wants snowboarding to be more enjoyable and less tiring so you can shred longer and harder—we can’t argue with that.

Courtney Holden›› Smith’s Voyage helmetThis ladies model features hybrid shell technology and a Boa fit system that literally dials the sizing in perfectly. With fuzzy tricol earflaps and lining, the Voyage combines the protection of a helmet with the softness of a hat.›› Salomon’s XR MissionWith loud colors and breathable fabric, the XR Mission is a trail/road hybrid that makes functionality hip. Stopping to fix flapping shoestrings is a memory with the brand’s patented, quick-lace system.›› Hot Chilly’s full zip hoodieHalf zip, full zip. Hood, no hood. The Hot Chillys pico fabric makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside and out, whatever style suits your fancy. And its microbial bamboo charcoal constituent keeps you smelling fresh. P

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6 SNOW SHOW Daily | Day 4 For additional show coverage visit twsbiz.com

Party In The BackSIA After Hours

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01. The Sia Fashion Show was a drag again this year. Ses-sions Founder Joel Gomez on the catwalk.

02. For the grand finale, SOS Founder arn Menconi took the stage. We spared you some of the later photos. We’re scarred.

03. Sales Master Chad Perrin and Jeremy Jones.

04. Jess Kimura cleaned up at the TWSNOW Riders’ Poll, taking home Women’s Video Part of the year, Readers’ Choice, and Rider of the year.

05. Eric Jackson accepting Video Part of the year from Danny Kass and Terje Haakonsen.

06. The Fillmore was packed for the 13th TransWorld SNOWboarding Riders’ Poll.

07. legends: Jamie lynn, Bryan iguchi, Terje Hakkonsen, and Dave lee.

08. Brain Farm’s Jared Slater and Travis Rice accepting Video of the year for The Art of Flight.

09. TransWorld Media’s Drew Coalson and lauren Machen chilling with Brian Cassaro from DC Shoes.

10. Danny Kass refereeing the 686 x Skullcandy lights Out fight night party.

11. arbor’s Derek Classen shot gunning a beer post fight. at TransWorld SKaTE’s 30th anniversary party.

12. Skullcandy’s JP Collett and Dragon’s Rick irons clown-ing ring side.

13. Burton Product Manager Chris Fidler and Executive assistant Patty Dearteaga enjoying the fashion show.

14. DC’s Maria Boschetti and Brian Cassaro book ending Zumiez’s Stuart Martin at the DC retailer party.

15. TransWorld’s Rob Campbell and adam Cozens with Sector 9 Cofounder Steve lake.

16. a packed house for Winter on the Rocks, the first ever winter Red Rocks show.

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While we come for the business, it’s the parties that cre-ate legends. The mood on the show floor starts transform-ing around 4 pm and it goes from there. This year there was no shortage of shindigs to keep things going into the wee hours—choosing the right party was almost as diffi-cult (and important) as what lines you saw during the day. Here’s a look at what went down after the sun went to bed this week.

The Guide / powered by

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Salomon’s first-ever dual-reel boot features two dials for zonal adjustment and the new

H3 Coiler which automatically winds up slack lace. So whether it’s riding the park or

ripping groomers, this boot doubles down on the perfect fit, guaranteeing all-day comfort

and performance.

The Boa® Closure SystemTHE FIT THAT CHANGED IT ALLBoaTechnology.com

SALOMON SYNAPSEsee it at Booth #2502


Top Trends / SnowboardS

▲ CaPiTa/Volcom DBX

With everyone talking about the dominance of rockered snowboards, the ease of use offered by Boa Technology and hybrid lacing systems, as well as another season of incredible innovations in bindings, Snow Show Daily decided to uncover some of the smaller trend stories here in Denver. Join us for a quick tour around the floor to see what else will be rocking snowboard retail next season.

Topical Treatments“Consumers are looking for new shapes, topsheets, and appliqués to make the board they ride stand out in the sea of Popsicle sticks,” says Never Summer’s Chris Harris, explaining one of the main reasons the brand’s graphics have taken a military twist in boards like the new Raptor design, which is inspired by the F/A-22 fighter jet.

Long the communicator of a brand’s identity, snowboard graphics get heavy treat-ment once again for 2012-13, and range from raw to ritualistic to surreal in their presen-tation. Co-branded projects are all the rage: see K2’s creative collab with Airblaster on the new Happy Hour; CAPiTA and Volcom team up on the new Dan Brisse DBX pro model; Gnu and Pendleton align to offer a limited edition B-Pro women’s model (plus a Pendleton blanket!) adorned in Day of the Dead graphics; and Burton is collaborating with the Grateful Dead/Rhino Records on their 2013 Easy Livin’ snowboard.

With so many graphics side-by-side in stores and online, making a snowboard stand-out sometimes means reducing the art to…nothing. Or at least rethinking what a graphic is and what kind of story it tells—and who it appeals to. According to K2’s Hunter Waldron, “Airblaster is a company whose original slogan was ‘We do whatever we want!’ With this spirit as our guiding light, we set off on this collaboration effort with Airblaster. From the beginning, they wanted to create a graphic that had never been done before. The concept was to push the limits of a blank board…Instead of throwing neon confetti and giant logos at people, they wanted to make people stop in their tracks (and) create a bold yet almost blank deck that stands out in a row of 50 busy board graphics.” The new stripped down “Happy Hour” design will come in two colorways—Black top sheet, black sidewall, black base; red top sheet, red sidewall, red base.

Along those same lines, Greg Dachsyn, Burton creative director, explains why they decided to reveal the insides of the 2013 Process on their design. “There’s a move to-wards stripping away graphics and allowing the actual construction materials (wood cores, etc.) to become the artwork. There’s a lot that goes into building a snowboard, much of which is ultimately hidden by a board graphic. This idea pops the hood, em-braces the look and feel of the materials within the board and incorporates them into the design of the graphic.”

CAPiTA’s most groundbreaking product for 2013 is the addition of the DBX – CAP-iTA + Volcom Dan Brisse pro model, says Sean Tedore, who manages the brand’s de-velopment and U.S. marketing. “This beast of a board features graphics by Volcom on a board designed by CAPiTA for Dan Brisse. This will be the first co-branded collab product released for sale by either company.”

As for taking the level of collaboration to the next level, Rome Snowboards enables retailers to provide direct feedback and influence graphics and design via the Snow-board Design Syndicate (SDS). Likewise, Forum’s “We Live Forum” program enables a similar level of interaction. Rome director of sales Dan Sullivan summarizes the ideas and motivations behind the SDS: “We keep an open dialogue with our shops on what they like and don’t like and allow platforms for them to air their thoughts and influence the products they will sell in the future; this has always been part of Rome and was a pillar when the brand was launched 10 years ago. Retailers have the opportunity to influence everything from graphics to features we offer on our products.”

Graphics, groms, athlete horsepower supercharge snowboard marketFrom topsheets to mini models, micro-trends help retailers feed the niche.

▲ arbor Draft Mini ▲ Rome Gold

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Young Guns and Mini ModelsThe kids are stoked. Arbor Snowboards enters the youth market for the first time in 2013, introducing the Draft Mini and Element RX Mini—micro versions of their two best-selling models. Both boards feature the complete Arbor System set of technologies, including Grip-Tech, a true Parabolic Rocker, and full wood topsheets. The Draft Mini and Element RX Mini are both available in sizes 120, 130 and 140cm.

In bindings, Forum introduces The Mini Recon at $120, and they’ve expanded the range of smaller sizes in the Manual and Youngblood.

Flow continues to develop its Team Micron program and focus on getting kids out snowboarding. “We created the Team Micron program to sponsor young kids with rid-ing skills (but) not necessarily to be the next Scotty Lago,” says Flow President An-thony Scaturro. “I am sure we will likely find the next Scotty, however, we also want to show kids that life is more than being a great rider. It’s about setting goals, achieving them and raising the bar for themselves. It’s about getting an education, being respectful to their parents and to others.”

Pro-Powered Boots Snowboard boots are similar to basketball sneakers when you consider the power of pro models. From 2013 ThirtyTwo JP Walker Lights to Nike Air Jordans and 2013 Ride Triads to Kobe’s Zoom VI—we’re talking high-performance, top-of-the-line products built for the game’s best athletes.

So if you want to know what makes a great boot—and how to best design one—ask the riders who shred 100-plus days a year. Ride, for instance, recently signed free-style phenom Seb Toutant, resulting in the new Triad Speed Lace Boot. K2’s Contour,

Gretchen Bleiler’s boot of choice, returns with Double Boa lacing and fine-tuned liners for optimal heelfit and warmth. And also for women, Van’s Ferra features a Hana Bea-man signature colorway on this season’s introduction.

In a one-of-a-kind partnership, Burton’s Ion x Pirelli Collab yields a new snow tire inspired tread and outsole. ThirtyTwo riders Joe Sexton (The Maven) and JP Walker (JP Walker Light) have new pro models; the Maven features a skate-inspired shorter boot cuff for maximum movement. ThirtyTwo’s Ashton Maxfield says the JP Walker Light “will set the standard in lightweight boots.”

From the retail perspective, Evo’s Joseph Nataro says he’s seeing increased focus on women’s products. After all, if the pro women in snowboarding won’t settle for half-baked women’s products, then neither will consumers. “A big story in boots continues to be women’s specific boot designs. Over the past few years women’s specific product (not just smaller men’s product) has been a big focus for a lot of brands, and boots are definitely a huge part of that. The shapes, flexes, and features have evolved in a way to better fit the unique shape of women’s feet and lower legs.”

—Mike Horn

“ We also want to show kids that life is more than being a great rider. It’s about setting goals, achieving them and raising the bar for themselves.”

▼ ThirtyTwo Maven

▲ K2 Contour

▲ Ride Triad

▲ ThirtyTwo JP

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Top Trends / AppArel

Credit la Niña, but last season snow sports enthusiasts were looking for new baselayers. Despite the warm weather since, sales are staying hot, both in natural fibers (mostly wool) and synthetics. In much of the country, the sales process has been a bit like Waiting for Godot. “Being in the mid-Atlantic has affected us since there’s no early season snow,” says Gretchen Quigley, softgoods buyer for Danzeisen & Quigley Sports Specialist in Cherry Hill, N.J. “But people are buying baselayers and using them for multiple purposes. They are looking for long underwear that wicks the moisture and maintains body heat. We feel that the more technical outer fabric becomes, and the more breathability it has, the more you have to wear something that wicks moisture quickly.”

Patagonia’s top-selling capilene series gets more breathable and compressible, thanks to quick-drying Polartec Powerdry High Efficiency fabric in the new Capilene 4 Expedi-tion Weight. As one of the pioneers in synthetic baselayers, Patagonia adds more styles in Capilene and merino layers for 2012-13. Hot Chillys adds sublimation, where the print is absorbed into the fabric, to its top-selling Micro-Elite Chamois, which com-bines micro-polyester, antimicrobial bio silver and spandex. Other companies, such as Airblaster, Bula, Under Armour and tattoo-inspired Yellowman add new prints, styles and whimsical designs.

As far as natural fibers go, market share leaders SmartWool and Icebreaker respond to a consumer buying trend that includes layering with an entire brand, and both com-panies focus on customizable systems by offering a variety of base and midlayer options in different weights. SmartWool’s new PhD SmartLoft Collection houses technical mid-layers that wrap merino wool in a weather resistant nylon shell. Icebreaker’s new Real-fleece 320 pieces use an ecologically clean textile finish to make merino water resistant. In this vein, other natural fibers continue to grow more technical. Polarmax introduces a proprietary performance wicking cotton called Xtrdry, and NILS offers a new silky lace print made of TENCEL, a natural hydrophilic fabric made from wood pulp. Ober-meyer’s Amplified Breathability technology adds first-layer fabrics into linings of out-erwear to enhance breathability, wicking properties and insulation. They also expand their line of baselayers made from Cocona, a moisture-wicking and odor-resistant fabric made from recycled coconut shells or lava sand.

180s’ new QuantumHeat uses a technical fabric composition that converts body heat, moisture and natural infrared rays into thermal energy. Designed to change infra-red rays into heat, Descente’s new Heat Navi technology shows up in all baselayers and select midlayers. The North Face adds FlashDry, a naturally derived fabric additive that improves dry time, into baselayers and also in outerwear for a system that works together to enhance breathability.

Sweaters are a popular slope-to-street look next season. Companies like Icelandic Design and Neve capitalize on bold patterns and vintage looks, inspired by Nordic designs and vintage ski posters. Spyder’s new Traverse collection offers performance midlayers with street-styled designs in the Outsetter Hybrid Hoody, with Spyder’s pro-prietary sweater weave and fleece backing, or the Stated Softshell, which combines the sweater weave with soft shell accents. Dale of Norway’s new Arktis weatherproof

sweater unites water and stain repellent yarn with a breathable windproof liner. Techni-cal lifestyle pieces also continue to dominate the apparel booths, with many companies increasing their offerings of technical flannel shirts, pullovers and hoodies, which ac-cording to SIA market research, enjoy very strong preseason sales for all ages.

—Krista Crabtree

Sweaters bring back vintage ski styles and lifestyle pieces get technical.

▲ Hot Chillys Print Front Zip-T

No matter the weather,baselayers enjoy healthy sales

▲ Obermeyer Cocona Stretch Crew Neck

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Top Trends / SunglaSSeS

▲ arnette So Easy

The sunglass category can seem as crowded as the slopes on President Day’s weekend. But that’s not stopping manufacturers from coming up with new ways to reduce glare on the mountain. Here at the SIA Snow Show, new lens and fit technologies continue to surface, helping drive the category to 5 percent growth and $56 million in sales in 2011, now nearly half the size of its goggle counterpart. When shopping the floor this year, according to Native Eyewear director of sales Bruce Seeley, “There are a good number of brands competing at retail for a similar space, so the key is feature and value differentiation.”

Anarchy (anarchyeyewear.com) introduces the Calla-han ($45-$65), a new sunglass with a lightweight flexible nylon frame, three-barrel metal hinge and RXable 8 base lenses.

Arnette (arnette.com) is all-in with its Arnette Cre-ative Exchange System (ACES, $99.95), which lets us-ers customize their frames via interchangeable colored inserts in the stems. The Glory Daze (large square frame, 6-base polycarbonate lenses), After Party (medium-sized fast wrap with toric polycarbonate lens), and So Easy (wrap-style Dirty Harry-type frame with 8-base polycar-bonate lenses) all debut in the ACES collection.

Bolle (bolle.com) launches the new four-model Alpine Collection of sunglasses in the Diablo, Rainier, Ouray and Cervin ($129.99-$159.99). Each model comes with one of three distinct B-Clear lens families: Eclipse Photochromic, which automatically lightens and darkens to adapt to dif-ferent conditions; Element All-Purpose, where each lens constantly transmits a precise amount of visible light; and Horizon Polarized, designed to reduce glare.

Dragon (dragonalliance.com) serves notice with its new APX Glacier Glass, which it bills as “a cool vibey piece for the mountain experience.” The made-for-ski-ing-and-riding shades come with the sleek-but-beefed-up wire frame of the Roosevelt, leather side shields, hydro- and oleo-phobic coatings on Performance Polar lenses, and an adjustable silicon nose pad system.

Electric Visual (electricvisual.com) surges forward in the snow sports category with the new Knoxville sun-glasses line ($99.95-$179.95), combining a 6 base poly-carbonate lens with mold-injected Grilamid frame and 5 barrel stainless steel optical hinge.

Julbo (julbousa.com) takes a leap with new lens tech-nology with the Tensing ($50), a mountaineering/glacier sunglass debuting a flash-finished Spectron 4 lens, offer-ing 100 percent protection against UVA, B and C radia-tion and anti-reflective coating.

Native’s (nativeeyewear.com) new Odyssey Series, featuring the Itso ($129-$149), carries new N3 polarized

lens technology, advertising more than 40 percent reduc-tion in infrared light penetration, as well as new blue light filtering to minimize haze and create better clarity and contrast.

Scott (scottusa.com) brings fresh colors to its Lyric and Octave ($75-$95), which match its goggle offerings. With brown gradient Optiview Base 8 lenses, the Octave is op-timized for female faces with an oversized silhouette and Scott Thermal Frame. The old-school-style Lyric ($75-$100) comes with Base 6 Optiview lenses in red/blue and yellow/teal with silver chrome lenses.

For Smith (smithoptics.com) it’s about styling as well as seeing. “Metal frames, specifically aviator versions, are continuing to trend strong,” says designer Eric Carlson, adding that color-matched frames and mirror lenses, es-pecially in classic or modern ‘pop’ colors, are also top-ping today’s trends. Smith’s new Pivlock V2 and V2 Max ($159) mark its next generation of interchangeable, fra-meless eyewear, offering a three-position adjustable nose and three interchangeable Carbonic TLT lenses.

New coatings and environmental consciousness are also hot topics. Shifting its entire line to a new bio-based Z-Resin formulated from the oil of castor beans, Zeal Optics (zealoptics.com) debuts a new 18-model line of environmentally friendly sunglasses featuring new injection-molded, de-centered Hyperion Lens Technol-ogy, combining the lightness of polycarbonate with the optical clarity of glass.

—Eugene Buchanan

Popping colors, better protectionshine in sunglass marketNew intros help consumers look good, see clearly.

“Metal frames, specifically aviator versions, are continuing to trend strong.”

▲ Scott lyric ▲ anarchy Callahan

▲ Bolle Diablo ▲ Dragon aPX Glacier

The ZEAL Z3 will change the way you see the mountain. With superior optical quality, lens technology and the integration of a revolutionary GPS system, the Z3 is the ultimate in goggle performance.

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Top Trends / AppArel

For the 2012-13 Sia Snow Show, waterproof/ breathable technical outerwear tops the trend list, helped by a consumer-driven desire for topnotch gear as well as a swell of sidecountry skiers and riders who require weather protection as well as freedom of movement.

Gore-Tex continues to dominate many top-of-the-line jackets and pants, and develops more partnerships with companies such as crossover brand Armada. Pa-tagonia uses Gore-Tex Pro fabric in the flagship Pow Slayer Jacket and bibs. Outdoor Research’s Sidecoun-try collection includes the Vanguard Pant and Jacket made from fourway stretch softshell fabric with water-proof Gore-Tex construction. Arc’teryx and W.L. Gore developed a new fabric called N80p-X, a durable, high-density fabric with a water repellent surface, which will appear in pieces like the Alpha SV Jacket. And Oakley adds abrasion resistant Gore-Tex Pro 3-layer fabric to the Unification Pro Jacket and pants.

Companies like Flylow, Mountain Hardwear and The North Face continue to use proprietary waterproof/breathable technologies, and TNF also uses waterproof/breathable Polartec NeoShell for 2012-13. Salomon’s

new Cadabra jacket and pant uses CLIMAPRO Storm fabric that meets the environmentally conscious Blue-sign standard throughout the entire textile production process. Marmot’s new ski jackets feature a proprietary waterproof/breathable fabric called MemBrain, as well as a layer of Thermal R insulation. Helly Hansen’s Odin Collection features Helly Tech O2, with a water-proof/breathable 3-layer laminate construction.

New apparel lines from established companies create a buzz in the booths this year, like DAKINE’s new col-lection featuring the men’s Clutch Jacket, a lightweight shell with Entrant Dermizax Ev and a DWR finish. Dy-nafit introduces a new line of apparel including a hybrid insulation jacket with PrimaLoft insulation and soft-shell material under the arms. And adidas Outdoor’s mountaineering-oriented Skyclimb jacket and pants combines a coconut-based Cocona 3-layer laminate with a softshell.

Puffy jackets are still hot at retail (see sidebar), but they get hotter, or at least dryer and more technical, with waterproof exteriors.

—Krista Crabtree

Forget gadgets; high-tech shells all about weather protection and freedom on the hill.

High-tech apparel tellsstrong performance story

Since the No. 1 complaint on the slopes tends to be “I’m cold,” it’s not a huge surprise that unit sales of insulated jackets grew by 29 percent in early season sales, according to SIA. This does not include down fill apparel tops (jackets, sweaters and insulators), which were up more than 30 percent in preseason sales. Sales show that insu-lated jackets and down tops are sizzling, retailers are merchandising well and manufacturers have been paying attention. Here are some hot insulated items to look for at the SIA Snow Show:

›› lightweight, less Puffy: Patagonia’s down sweaters made a splash last year, so they continue the über-lightweight and com-pressible line for 2012-13. NilS’ new ultralight Penny is made from wrinkle-resistant fabric. arc’teryx’s Coreloft Compact (in the Kamoda and Keibo jacket) decreases the thickness of breathable polyester by 50 percent without losing warmth.›› Waterproof Down: Spyder’s Rocket Down jacket has a welded baffling of 700 fill goose down in a waterproof, breathable exterior. KJUS uses QUIX Down from Torry, a new waterproof down technol-

ogy, in its down insulators. Powderhorn’s new soft hand Powderride and Soulride jackets use 4-way stretch Gore-Tex shell material over down fill. Eider’s reversible Olan puffy coat combines 700 down fill with a Pertex outer, making it water and tear resistant. ›› insulation Station: White Sierra introduces Sierra Loft, a fine denier polyester filament with the properties of down and the ability to retain loft and provide warmth if wet. Rossignol’s partner-ship with Thinsulate means warmth without the bulk in new down pieces ranging from long to streetwear jackets. armada’s new Nova Gore-Tex jacket has Thinsulate insulation and a stylish fit. SKEa’s sporty stretch tech collection uses a pliable Thinsulate FX insulation and clean welded seams to improve warmth and dryness.›› Temperature Regulation: Helly Hansen’s proprietary Flow Down Technology features venting channels within goose down pods that allow excess heat and moisture to escape to prevent overheating. Flow Down is found in the Enigma Jackets, which also have a full-stretch Helly Tech Professional weather protection exterior.

—Krista Crabtree

puffy sales fatten as girth of down slims, exteriors shed water

armada Nova


Technology sells, but warm weather and rising costs provide pushback.

Cover Story / Hardgoods report

Hardgoods market facesobstacles on upward track

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What’s happening in snow sports right now could easily be labeled as a battle between nature and science. Even though the industry is energized by an unprecedented era of hardgoods innovation, in most parts of the country this year there just hasn’t been enough snow to stoke the buying process.

“Innovation is a good thing, and it is selling right now,” says SIA Director of Research Kelly Davis. “Look at snowboards, and how in just three seasons reverse camber has be-come the norm. When a shift in technology like that happens, people buy equipment. The concern with the current snow conditions is whether consumers are going to wait another season and see what else is new that’s coming out.”

Davis says that hardgoods sales do continue to rise. Over the past decade, ski and snowboard sales have risen 22 percent in total units. And in a close to 50-50 split, last sea-son snowboards accounted for 44 percent and skis accounted for 56 percent of the hard-goods market. Those products are also all selling at strong margins, according to Rome Snowboards head of sales Dan Sullivan. “Consumers are still proving that new innovation and new technologies are worth paying a premium for. There has been an obvious lack of winter weather in the North American market, however, shops are still selling gear and commanding higher margins than they were a few years ago,” he says.

When it comes to the dry weather, Sullivan says it’s almost as if the market “expected it,” adding that conservative booking on the part of both retailers and manufacturers has helped keep a difficult situation from being much worse. But there are still other concerns beyond just the weather in the long-term snow sports forecast. One is the increasing cost of raw materials to make the skis and boards in the first place.

“Raw material costs have been going up consistently, and saw significant increases this year,” says Willy Booker, president of Nordica USA. “Additionally, labor costs are going up worldwide, but particularly in the Far East. This, combined with the relative inability to raise retail prices in the U.S., puts the squeeze on manufacturers and retailers.” As far as actually delivering the product, Booker adds that, “Shipping costs are relatively predict-able as long as goods are on time,” but says that is also impacting the market.

“The cost of shipping as a percentage of gross sales is creeping up to close to 2 percent—that is a 50 percent increase from five years ago,” says Steve Rogers, president of the Sports Specialists Limited retail buying group. Rogers says he doesn’t think maintaining higher margins or even slightly raising prices on top line product will affect the higher end clien-tele that continues to drive the most support for skiing and snowboarding, but at key value price points it could slow efforts to grow the sport. “Youth demographics are in our favor for the next five to six years,” Rogers says, “but the alternative activities that are easier and cheaper will siphon a lot away from snow sports.”

Pricing has been an especially big issue heading into the Show this year, “particularly for those of us producing boards in Europe where the dollar versus Euro rates are variable and difficult to predict,” says Matthew Patti, product line manager for Arbor Snowboards. Patti says that Arbor has been working with its OEM partner, the Elan Snowboard factory, to source new materials, find more competitive suppliers, and even more effectively man-age international shipments “to maintain pricing on most models without increase, and in some cases even reduce MSRPs by up to $20.”

That kind of collaborative effort could go a long way in minimizing the effects of ongoing variables such as the

costs of labor and petroleum prices. But there are other hurdles that have been created by the market itself. Demos, for instance, increasingly stifle sales by offering riders a reason not to buy, especially when they are being charged exorbitant fees by the airlines to even travel with their own equipment. And even closer to home, according to Rome’s Sullivan, “The buy-sell cycle continues to challenge suppliers and retailers alike.”

A seemingly endless cycle of preview shows and demos has, according to Booker, cre-ated a sell-in season “darn near as long as the sell-through season.” Although the preview shows have typically been weighted towards showing softgoods, Geoff Curtis, Marker Völkl USA VP of marketing, says he has seen more hardgoods being shown at the pre-views this year, and that he’s interested to hear “the retailer reaction to that.”

These are all ongoing conversations, of course, continuing to be addressed here at the show, and on the trails and chairlifts of the On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest at Devil’s Thumb and Winter Park. The good news is—as last season’s record $3.3 billion in total retail sales pointed out—when it does snow, there are plenty of fantastic innovation sto-ries to help sell equipment.

“Business was good through November, season pass sales are up and kids lessons are way up,” says Gary Fleming, VP of Elan. “It was a very tough December, but if we get a little snow soon, it could all be back to normal for all of us.”

— Peter Kray

“Consumers are still proving that new innovation and new technologies are worth paying a premium for. “

Soft snow fuels hardgoods sales.


By the NumBers / Trends and CosTs

Supplier ChallengesHardgoods companies seek to continue upward trend; apparel suppliers eye increasing costs.

Here are some trends to watch this season, with information from the SIA Retail Audit for the pre-season period (August through October):

›› Reverse and mixed camber ski sales doubled compared to pre-season sales a year ago to 32,000 pairs.›› The fatter, the better–flat skis with waist widths 95mm-110mm are up 60 percent in units sold to more than 20,000 units.›› Rocker/Reverse camber snowboard sales continue to rise; now 70 percent of all boards sold are rocker.›› Bargain hunters will notice that snowboard apparel average prices are down 4 percent from the previous year.›› Helmets sales continue to grow, unit sales are up 12.5 percent in the pre-season period.›› Sales of beacons, probes and shovels, necessities for the backcountry experience, are up 19 percent in units sold.

Sliding Device Sales History

1,600,000

Ski Sales

Snowboard Sales

1990/91

939,858

0

source: sIA research

All Boards and Ski Sales

939,858

A look back at ski and snowboard units sales over the past two decades confirms what is apparent on the mountain. The good news is that overall units are up 22 percent from 1990-91 to 2010-11. In 2010-11, skis made up 56 percent of units sold and snowboards com-prised 44 percent. Meanwhile, snow sports is seeing a trend toward demos, with 37 percent of retailers seeing the demand increasing. Both hardgoods and softgoods companies are facing increases in raw material costs, manufacturing and transportation.

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1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

01991/92 1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

1.208M

773,915

0

773,915

916,288

0

916,288

1.058M

150,000

1.147M

994,000

153,228

1.006M

813,247

192,738

1.233M

1.018M

213,838

1.312M

1.060M

215,878

1.344M

1.034M

310,006

1.378M

939,999

438,390

1.332M

880,243

452,073

1.187M

696,738

489,999

1.131M

651,280

480,071

1.266M

722,013

543,487

946,307

551,854

394,453

1.158M

640,854

516,932

1.192M

659,920

532,472

1.223M

679,258

543,403

1.156M

627,572

528,566

1.129M

595,653

533,151

1.143M

639,098

503,920

Estimated Demo percentage

0-10% 4%

11-20% 22%

21-30% 27%

31-40% 21%

41-50% 11%

51% or more 15%

Demo demand

Demand StayingThe Same 57%

Demandincreasing 37%

Demand Decreasing 6%

source: sIA rental equipment study conducted November 2011

source: sIA rental equipment study conducted November 2011

Looking Outside China for Garment ProductionCHiNa›› Pros: High skill level and quality of available fabrics; familiarity with american reatailers›› Cons: Rising labor costs; capacity filling up; high import duties›› 2010 labor cost: $1.84 an hour, up 14% from 2009

iNDia›› Pros: good at home textiles and advanced skills such as beading›› Cons: less-efficient factories; longer transportation time›› 2010 labor cost: $2.99 an hour, up 17% from 2009

ViETNaM›› Pros: Very low labor costs; chinese-affiliated factories; moderate skill level›› Cons: limited garment construction and adornment capabilities; lower-quality sewing›› 2010 labor cost: $0.49 an hour, up 2% from 2009

sources: Jeremy rutman, Kurt salmon Associates; economist Intelligence reportNote: Labor costs are estimates.

Winter is a terrible thing to waste.

* EPA-estimated hwy fuel economy for 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0i CVT models. Actual mileage may vary. †MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title and registration fees. Dealer sets actual price. 2012 Impreza 2.0i Premium 5-door pictured has an MSRP of $21,295. Vehicle shown with accessory crossbar set-fixed and ski attachment.

Impreza®. Well-equipped at $17,495†

The all-new 2012 Subaru Impreza. Made to help you make the most of winter. Symmetrical

All-Wheel Drive and 36 mpg* put any destination within reach. Stability and traction control keep

you on course. It turns winter into the best season of the year. Experience love that lasts.

Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.


Top News / On-SnOw DemO/Ski-RiDe FeSt

Now we ride! after four fun-filled days checking out all of the greatest new snow sports innovations, emerging markets and top shop practices, it’s time to hit the slopes. And thanks to SIA, the Western Winter Sports Reps Association (WWSRA), Winter Park, Devil’s Thumb Ranch, more than 125 new and returning exhibitors and some incredible seminars and events, this year’s On-Snow Demo and Ski-Ride Fest is shaping up to be the best yet.

“It really is the one location where the manufacturers have all of their equipment in all of the sizes for people to do true comparison testing,” says Reese Brown, SIA Nordic Director, of the Devil’s Thumb event. “The second thing is that even though it’s a world class setting, it’s still intimate enough for retailers to spend time with manufac-turers, reps and especially other retailers to share ideas and talk about what they are doing that works.” Along with all of the top new cross-country ski product, SIA is also expanding this year’s demo at Devil’s Thumb to include two 30-minute seminars on Social Marketing and Public Relations for the small to mid-sized retailer.

Meanwhile, over at Winter Park, buyers will be zoom-ing laps on the newest skis and snowboards. And the Uphill/Downhill Challenge on Monday, Jan. 30, gets supercharged with the guest appearance of three mem-bers of the Italian National Ski Mountaineering team, who will be competing in the event. “SIA is an impor-tant place to show the global side of snow sports, and

the global side of the SCARPA brand,” says SCARPA CEO Kim Miller. “With interest in ski mountaineering growing in places like Colorado and around the western U.S., we’re excited to be able to showcase some of the athletes that SCARPA sponsors on the Italian National Ski Mountaineering team at SIA.”

For everyone who wants to have fun with maybe a little less effort, Malakye.com returns with the Office Booyz and Girlz competition, with this year’s theme of

One Hit Wonder, offering a prize to anyone who joins in and hits one feature in the Re-Railer Terrain Park on Jan. 30. And the 2 Mile High BBQ also returns that evening, with a Rocky Mountain buffet being served in the Sunspot Lodge at the top of the Zephyr Express.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to pick up your On-Snow badge in the registration area of the Colorado Convention Center.

—Peter Kray

Show attendees hit the hills forOn-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest

Winter Park’s version of the pit crew.

Brands on hand at winter Park, Devil’s thumb RanchWinter Park:Alpine/ SnowboardThirty-Two Boots4FRNT Skis540 SnowboardAerial 7 APEX Ski BootsArbor Armada SkisAtomic USABataleon SnowboardsBern UnlimitedBlack Diamond

Equipment BlizzardBolle’BurtonCapita SnowboardsCarrera Helmets

and GogglesCelsiusSnow USA

Contour WearableCamcorder

Contract SnowboardsDahlgren Dalbello ATDalbello Ski BootsDCDeeluxeDPS SkisDragon AllianceDynafitDynastar SkisDye Precision OpticsElanElectric VisualEndeavor SnowboardsFaction SkisFischer Skis U.S. FK/SKS Tools (Ruffolo Enterprises)Flow SnowboardingFlux Bindings

ForumFull Tilt BootsG3 Genuine Guide GearGarmontGeigerRigGiro Helmets & GogglesGnuGOODE Skis & PolesGoPro H2O Outdoor

Gear (H2OG)Hart SkisHead WintersportsHigh Society FreerideIcelantic SkisJones SnowboardsK2 Helmets,

Goggle, PolesK2 SkisK2 SnowboardingKarvena Helmet’s

& Goggles

Kastle SkisKerma Ski PolesKLINT La Sportiva N.A.Lange Ski BootsLEKI USALib TechLib Tech NAS (Skis!)Line SkisLiquid Image

Summit SeriesLook BindingsMajesty SkisMarker AT

(Marker USA)Marker Bindings

(Marker USA)MOD/MOD LiveMoment SkisNative EyewearNever Summer

Snowboards

Niche SnowboardsNitro SnowboardsNordicaNOW SnowboardingOakleyOSBE USA HelmetsOZ SnowboardsPOC Helmets &

GogglesPoint6 SocksPro-TecRecon InstrumentsR.E.DRide SnowboardsRome Snowboard

Design SyndicateRossignol AlpineRossignol SnowboardsRoxy SnowSalewa Salomon USASalomon Helmets &

GogglesSalomon SnowboardsSandbox HelmetsSCARPAScottShred Helmets/

GogglesShred ReadySignal SnowboardsSKILOGIKSkullcandySmith OpticsSmokin’ SnowboardsSnowjamSpice SnowboardsSpy OpticSun Valley Ski ToolsSuperfeet WorldwideTechnine/BrandbaseTubbs SnowshoesTyroliaUnion Bindings

Unity SnowboardsVansVenture SnowboardsVoile USAVolkl AT/TeleVolkl USAVon ZipperWigwam SocksYES Snowboards

Devil’s Thumb:Nordic DemoAlpina Sports CorpAtlas SnowshoesAtomic NordicFischer Skis XCRossignol NordicMadshusSalomon NordicSmith OpticsSwix Sport USA

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Don’t forget to pick up your On-Snow badges at registration.

More On-Snow coveragecoming your wayCheck your email for more coverage of the On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest. The Snow Show Daily team is producing two special digital editions previewing and then covering all the on-snow news, events, activities and product. Look for the On-Snow Preview to be delivered this afternoon (Sunday, Jan. 29), with tips on what gear to demo and even where to eat and party at Winter Park. Next, the team delivers the On-Snow Daily, cover-ing the first day’s hottest products, news, trends and atmosphere. Check in to see what gear is hot, who won what, and to view photos of the snow sports tribe in its element.


Supplier inSight / Q & A

allon Cohne brings a skier’s perspective to Polartec, growing up on the slopes of Utah and then building a successful track record as a marketing executive at Beaver Creek and Kirkwood Resort in Tahoe. In the summer of 2008, he signed on as North American marketing manager for Polartec, which is now headquartered in Lawrence, Mass., but began in 1906 as Malden Mills. One constant through Polartec’s colorful, 100-plus-year history is the goal of keeping active people warm and comfortable in cold weather, a legacy highlighted by the company’s introduction in 1981 of modern synthetic fleece (Polarfleece was named by Time Magazine as “one of the greatest inven-tions of the 20th century”) and its revolution of soft shell technology in 1998 with Power Shield. Polartec’s latest innovation is NeoShell, the spiderweb-like, permeable layer that allows sweat to escape but doesn’t let water in. It debuted for the 2011-12 snowsports retail season in about eight apparel brands internationally, including The North Face, Rab, Westcomb, Marmot, 66 North and Mammut.

—Andy Bigford

Snow Show Daily: You used to have lifts outside your office door. Now it’s the Polartec factory out back. How was the transition, and what’s it like working in the fiber and fabric industry?Allon Cohne: At Beaver Creek, I used to be able to somersault onto the lifts. Kirkwood was the same…minus the escalator ride. Work and play were well mixed. Now, I have one of the most innovative textile plants out the back door–making highly technical fabric for the world every day. It’s pretty cool. There’s a lot of pride. I definitely get fewer powder days, but I’m enjoying every minute of Polartec.

SSD: The majority of Polartec textiles are made at the Lawrence factory (30 miles north of Boston), while your competitors manufacture in Asia and elsewhere. How important is “Made in the USA” to the Polartec story?AC: All of our innovation comes from our Lawrence facility. This is where all the magic happens. Asia helps us with capacity. As a long time supplier and R&D partner of the U.S. Military, “Made in the USA” is key. Everything we supply to the U.S. Military is made here. And more and more brands are looking for “Made in the USA” as well. It’s important to keep innovation, manufacturing and jobs here.

SSD: What is the state of fleece in the market today and with Polartec?AC: Since inventing fleece in 1981, our engineers have never stopped pushing the limits of fabric technology. Today, we offer a full layering of fleece product and over 50 percent of what we make is recycled. I would say today’s Polartec fleece is much more technical. Definitely lighter, much more thermally efficient, better wicking. You just get overall better performance today.

SSD: You spearheaded a successful launch of NeoShell, considered in many quarters to be a potential game-changer for snow sports and a strong challenge to Gore-Tex, which has dominated snow sports for the past three-plus decades. Why is NeoShell ideal for

lift-served skiing as well as in the backcountry?AC: What it all boils down to is air-exchange. Allowing just a little bit of air to pass through from inside the jacket to the outside dramatically increases the comfort level. By doing this, NeoShell allows you to self-regulate temperature. You won’t feel the urge to unzip your jacket to vent air. That’s what this fabric does, while still being 100 per-cent completely waterproof. It breathes better than any waterproof fabric on the market because it uses air to breathe.

SSD: Does Neoshell also fill out the A-to-Z cold-weather layering story for Polartec? Don’t you have something like 400 styles of fabric?AC: Yeah. We do have 400 styles of fabric. And they’re all technically engineered to do something specific, like wick moisture better, breathe better, repel water, retain heat—each fabric has a purpose. And so does NeoShell. Its purpose is to keep water out and be waterproof while still allowing water vapor to move through the fabric. And it does. Better than anything out there. It wasn’t easy. It took some serious science.

SSD: What’s in the pipeline for future fiber and fabric technology in the next 10 or 20 years? AC: I would say fabric technology will respond to the athletes and activities. Making even lighter, more durable, better performing fabrics to help people go where they want to go. The more comfortable you are, the more you’ll accomplish. Also, how we source will evolve. We’re already leading the sustainability effort with 100 percent PCR fabric and we’re doing some work with recycling fabric, so this will continue to be a focus on technology.

Polartec’sAllon CohneFrom Polarfleece to Neoshell,Polartec innovates in the U.S.A.

“What it all boils down to is air-exchange. Allowing just a little bit of air to pass through from inside the jacket to the outside dramatically increases the comfort level.”

Polartec’s allon Cohne at the company’s lawrence headquarters: “This is where all the magic happens.”

The most breathable waterproof fabric ever. Polartec® NeoShell.® Created with and for athletes like Leifur Örn Svavarsson, it liberates outdoor enthusiasts from sweat, saturation and chilling. NeoShell® is lab-tested, fi eld-proven and industry-acclaimed. Find more on Leifur’s story and Polartec® NeoShell® at NEOSHELL.COM.

Polartec® and Polartec® NeoShell® are registered trademarks of Polartec, LLC. ©Polartec 2012


Supplier inSight / Q & A

For the past six years Dino Dardano has been president of Hestra USa in nearby Golden, Colo. Prior to Hestra, Dardano was President of Dardano’s Inc., a family-owned shoe business based here in Denver, which, similar to Hestra, has been doing business for almost 75 years. He sat down to talk to SSD about how staying focused is the secret to longevity in specialty sales.

—Peter Kray

Snow Show Daily: Congratulations on the 75th anniversary. It’s quite a milestone. What’s the secret to that kind of longevity?Dino Dardano: Thank you. I would have to say focus! For the past 75 years and four generations, the Magnusson family has been focused on building the best quality gloves possible as it relates to fit, function and durability. They have never deviated from this mission. They do not produce any other products—only gloves for all types of activities including sport, bike, fashion and work. Since we are relatively new to the U.S. market and perceived as a small company, most people don’t know that this year we will ship over two million pairs of gloves and we are represented in 4,500 shops globally. When you do one thing, you can do it exceptionally well.

SSD: Your brand certainly has a reputation for making high-end gloves—and at a high-end price point as well. How does that translate to success, especially in this economy?DD: This was a concern a few years back when the economy began heading into reces-sion. What we found was that consumers found value in Hestra. Investing in a quality product versus a low price offering makes better economic sense because you are pur-chasing a product that lasts more than one season. This has been Hestra’s statement all along. “Invest in quality leather gloves, take care of them and they will provide years of comfort and satisfaction.”

SSD: There are literally hundreds of glove offerings on the floor of the Snow Show. How do you make Hestra stand out for the specialty retailer?DD: Four things: Quality materials, quality construction, a wide variety of colors and value awareness. We feel that leather is the best material for making gloves and we spend a lot of time and energy sourcing the best leathers available and our construc-tion quality is unmatched. We control the quality by investing in our own factories and strictly monitor production processes. Our Heli glove takes over 1.5 hours to produce and has over 109 parts per pair. Customers immediately feel the Hestra difference once they try a pair on.

SSD: It seems like technology is a hot topic in gloves this year—after fit and comfort, what does a glove really have to sell?DD: Great question. The easy answer would be warmth but this is really determined by the model and style of glove you choose for a given activity.

Hestra is a leader in glove construction technology. Although we believe in using natural materials like wool and leather, the technology comes in to play in the construc-tion process. For SIA 2012, we are introducing two game changing technologies. The first is Ergo Grip finger construction which allows us the ability to adjust the amount of pre curve in the fingers of a glove. This affords better pole grip and dexterity, and it reduces the amount of leather bunching in the palm area. The second is Swisswool. This year we have started utilizing wool fibers as a loft in some of our styles. This provides more warmth and is an exciting new direction in glove insulation plus it’s a renewable resource. SSD: What do you think the highlights—and challenges—are going to be in the glove market in the coming year?

DD: Given the increase in pre-booked orders for this season, we anticipate substantial growth in sales this year in spite of the current economic conditions. This shows that consumers are still willing to spend money on what they are passionate about. Our big-gest challenge will be supply chain capacity and keeping up with demand. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find and keep workers in the sewn goods industry. To ad-dress these concerns, we recently opened our third factory, which is located in Budapest, Hungary enabling us to better meet consumer demand.

With this increased growth and consumer demand, production times have become challenging in the glove industry. Therefore retailers need to assist us by providing or-ders sooner so that we can accommodate timely delivery.

Hestra USA President Dino DardanoGlove maker celebrates 75 years of specialty retail sales.

“When you do one thing, you can do it exceptionally well.”

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Reusch returns to SIABoasting 75 years of expertiseReusch was a staple at the SIA Snow Show for years, but the brand decided to take 2011 off. Justin Golliher of Reusch’s sales department notes that retailers focus primarily on the hardgoods selection when they head to SIA, and Reush, with its specialty only on gloves, felt a bit overlooked. “We wanted to see how much of an effect it would have on us not to show up,” says Golliher. So last year Reusch pulled out of SIA and focused on regional shows.

And the verdict: “We have to have a presence at SIA,” Golli-her says. “Even though people don’t always see us there … retail-

ers sometimes don’t go to the smaller regional shows. SIA is a very central show. There are some people who just need to see us there.”

So Reusch is back, and the brand brings with it more than 75 years worth of German glove-making prowess. As proof of Reusch’s expertise, Golliher encourages retailers and customers to try on a glove from a different brand, and then one of Reusch’s. “The fit, the style, the design, the cut will always feel a little bit better,” he says of Reush’s prod-uct. “It’s not just a box cut of a glove.”

This year Reusch will debut a race glove that adds ceramic material to high-traffic wear spots, proving added longevity. “We’re always on the cutting edge of the new prod-ucts and technology coming out in the glove,” Golliher says. reusch.com; Booth #2250

Echelon Snowboards on the offensiveTaking the military to the mountainsDon Engel of Echelon Snowboards keeps mum about his day job as a military defense contractor: “We make stuff. Let’s leave it at that,” he says when the topic comes up.

Engel is far more willing to discuss his and Blackhawk chopper pilot/Echelon co-founder Klee Dienes’ decision to bring that military precision and prowess to snowboards and cold weather outdoor apparel.

“They never really consider any other aspect of it other than the guns and the camouflage,” Engel says. “We’ve taken what is frankly one of the most serious businesses on earth, and (gone) in a goofy direction, which consumers might see as flippant … but in reality, we’re just not turning (the military) into a caricature of itself where everyone is Rambo.”

The innovation of Echelon Snowboards comes in its mission to create a complete system, rather than an assortment of individual products, allow-ing hardgoods and softgoods to interface. The products also incorporate versatility—pockets that can be relocated, for example—unique in the snow industry, but commonplace in the military. “It’s a living garment that can change with the needs of whatever it is that you do on a daily basis,” Engel says.

One of Echelon’s most military-esque pieces even makes the user infra-red invisible. Not really a necessary component, Engel admits, but pretty sweet all the same. “Our standard for developing products is very simple: if there is already a company out there that does it better than we do, and

we can’t figure out a way to do it better than they do, then we don’t do it. We’re putting our efforts in other directions.” echelonsnow.com; Booth #4207

SlayerNation: Back from NeverlandBase Layers take the ‘Pan’ out of pantsJim Gardner was tired of having to change into jeans or sweatpants after a day of riding, but it was either that or head to the bar in what he calls “little Peter Pan pants.” SlayerNation LLC was born. “There wasn’t really much in the way of cool base layers, (something) you

could wear when you’re done riding,” Gardner, a longtime snowboarder, says. “Every-thing out there is stripped down-underwear looking.”

Founded on top of Vail Pass, SlayerNation has spent the past 12 months building a line of 26 base-, mid- and almost-outer layer pieces designed with a baggier fit to be worn straight from the hill to happy hour. “We’re looking at base layers differently,” Gardner says. The men’s baselayer bottoms feature a zipper fly and rubber dots on the in-ner ankle cuff, allowing the pant to go outside the boot, but preventing it from shifting around. The pants also have a passport-sized pocket on the outer quad because, Gardner says, “We see this as a great travel pant before and after riding.” Pair the bottoms with a seven-panel baselayer hoody with a microzip kangaroo pocket, which also has thumb-outs to keep palms cozy.

SlayerNation also offers fleece pieces, tech flannels and the “Not Down” jacket, made from a synthetic down alternative because Gardner and his crew are “not down” with duck plucking. Gardner is confident that SlayerNation offers something other brands don’t: “There’s definitely a need for functional, fashionable layering,” he says. “This stuff is designed by snowboarders for a riding lifestyle, and not just riding, but everything that you do.” SlayerNation.com; Booth #2207

—Coutney Holden

About 100 brands, from emerging to established, hit the SIA Snow Show floor this week as New Exhibitors. Here are three of the newcomers and their stories.

Top Trends / new exhibitors

Reusch, Echelon Snowboards, SlayerNation

Echelon wants its hardgoods and apparel

to work together.

Spotlight / TOp ReTaileRs and Reps

RetaileR of the YeaR:

The Ski Center, Washington, D.C. If you run a ski shop in the nation’s capital, you’d better be prepared for some high-profile customers. Such is the case with The Ski Center, founded in 1959 by Adam Ka-hane and his wife Gertrude with a line of lace-up leather boots, wooden skis, bear trap bindings and HEAD Stan-dards. Now owned and run by Adam’s son, Stuart, and his wife, Linda, it still carries cutting-edge equipment for a cutting-edge clientele.

“I don’t ever recall serving the Obamas, but we did

help the Clintons once when they went skiing, and went to Al Gore’s house to fit him with some boots,” says sales manager Boyd McHugh. “A lot of times people come in and you don’t know who they are, and then you find out afterward that they were somebody important.”

Operating out of a two-story brick building in the heart of D.C., the Ski Center sticks to a mantra that has withstood the test of time: “We sell skiing first and prod-ucts second and believe that satisfied customers are more important than sales,” says Kahane. “These are the ideals that our store was built on, and they’re just as relevant today as they were over 50 years ago.”

The 50-plus employees buy into the philosophy, with

at least eight full-timers counting more than 20 years experience each, including equipment buyer Brian Eard-ley, who has been with the store for three decades, and is recognized by Ski Magazine as one of the nation’s top bootfitters. “Everyone who works on the floor is either an avid skier or a boarder,” says McHugh. “We have very low turnover.”

New hires are trained in both product knowledge and the store’s views on what makes the ski industry great, and then on how to pass that passion on to customers. The shop expresses that passion on the slopes by host-ing an annual customer appreciation demo day each year at nearby Whitetail or Liberty Mountain in Pennsylva-nia. It also enjoys a strong season leasing and daily rental program, as well as a growing e-commerce operation, and racing teams from the region treat it as their go-to store. “They all shop with us because we can put them on the best equipment available,” says McHugh, adding that its tuning and boot-fitting services are also top priorities. “We’re also a very family-oriented shop—oftentimes en-tire families come in and get outfitted with us.” Just ask the Clintons.

America’s Top Retailers & RepsEvery year, SIA honors reps and retailers who stand out from the crowd with its SnowSports Rep and Retailer of the Year Awards, recognizing those on the front line who go beyond the call of duty in increasing snow sports sales and growing participation. Rep accolades are culled from more than 800 nominations from leading retailers across North America, while retailer awards are selected by suppliers and reps and chosen for their contribution to the growth of snow sports, promotional and marketing techniques, and overall success. Each day of the SIA Snow Show, Snow Show Daily takes a closer look at four of this year’s winners in each category.

The SIA Awards honor the

industry’s best.

ReP of The YeAR:

Andrew Shaw (Shaw & Heald Sales)Brands: Volkl, Marker, Seirus Innovations, Under Armour MTN, Bern All Season Head Protection, Superfeet, Baffin Winter Boots, TSL Snowshoes

Andrew Shaw of Shaw and Heald Sales has literally been skiing and repping since he was knee-high to a grass-hopper. Growing up in Stowe, Vt., his family is steeped in racing, with brother Tiger skiing in the Sarajevo and Calgary Olympics (winning the second most U.S. alpine titles behind Bode Miller) and his great grandfather start-ing one of the first ski shops in America in 1896.

“My father, Gale, was a rep for as long as I can remem-ber and one of the reasons I became one,” says Shaw, who raced for the University of Vermont. “I remember spend-ing every Black Friday after Thanksgiving driving from Stowe to Hartford helping dad sell Nordicas. I learned the ins and outs of the business by osmosis—I took mes-sages from dealers and orders over the phone throughout my teens.”

He started really repping in 1986 for Spauld-ing, Caber, Kerma and Cebe, and picked up Rossignol in 1987. Three years later he became an independent rep with college racing roommate Scott Heald for Tecnica and other brands, an agency now called Shaw and Heald Sales. “We created it to provide a team effort to service every dealer in New England,” he says, crediting the ad-

dition of Aaron Reis to their team. “It’s about total cover-age in a short selling and servicing season.”

Over the past 25 years in the business, he’s seen things change, especially since the days of single-line sales. “Nowadays, multiple line portfolios are the safest way to actually make a living,” he says. “It’s too risky to put all your eggs in one basket—but it’s important that all those eggs coexist and can hatch together.”

He adds that reps can also now utilize electronic media better than ever. “It’s allowed us to manage mul-tiple lines and be more efficient with the retailer’s time,” he says. “We’ve also created a website where information for multiple lines can be obtained with a few clicks, from pricing and schedules to certifications, inventories, shop purchasing and more.” He also uses targeted email groups to notify dealer bases regarding product specials, inven-tory levels and events. “Electronic media has allowed us to manage more with less,” he says.

As for other keys to his group’s success, he adds that meeting and greeting is king. “It’s important to work the street and not hide behind a desk,” he says. “While it’s tempting to stay home and bury yourself in paperwork, there is nothing more valuable than spending time with your customers and then not selling-in blind. When a rep tries to sell something that makes no sense for a particular shop, it not only wastes time, but frustrates the buyer.”

—Eugene Buchanan

Andrew Shaw (left)

The Ski Center

1800-770-8750 - [email protected] - SIA Denver Show - Booth # 4174

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1. Euclid Hall 1317 14th St.303-595-4255; euclidhall.comFrom the owners of Rioja and Bistro Vendôme, this American tavern is focused on high quality and innova-tive pub food from around the world, including house-made sausages, po’ boys, poutine and schnitzels.

2. Ocean Prime 1465 Larimer St.303-825-3663; oceanprimedenver.com Ocean Prime, the Modern American supper club located at Larimer Square, features Prime steaks and seafood, award-winning handcrafted cocktails, world-class wines and red carpet hospitality.

3. Bistro Vendôme1420 Larimer Square, Suite 200303-825-3232; bistrovendome.com Bringing some serious Parisian flair to the already tres chic Larimer Square, Bistro Vendôme is a Denver foodie favorite. The restaurant’s mouthwatering menu makes prodigious use of local, seasonal ingredients to create up-dates on classic French bistro fare.

4. Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House1106 14th St.303-640-1012; ktrg.net A fixture on the Denver cuisine scene for more than 20 years, Kevin Taylor has dedicated his life to creating refined French-style cuisine, with a distinctive Colorado twist; lo-cated at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

5. Osteria Marco1453 Larimer St.303-534-5855; osteriamarco.comSpectacular Italian dishes are on display at Osteria Mar-co, a commodious Larimer Square basement establish-ment that exposes the high priest talents of cutting-edge kitchen magician Frank Bonanno.

6. Panzano909 17th Street at Champa

303-296-3525; panzano-denver.com Located near the 16th Street Mall, the award-winning Panzano has become a true local favorite. Exceptional Northern Italian cuisine matches the warm and inviting setting.

7. Vesta Dipping Grill1822 Blake St. Ste. D303-296-1970; vestagrill.com World grill cuisine. Ethnic entrees and exotic dipping sauces served in a relaxed urban environment in the heart of LoDo.

8. TAG Restaurant1441 Larimer St.303-996-9985; tag-restaurant.com Troy Guard’s home to continental social food offers urban progressive dining in an intimate 125-seat setting right in the heart of Downtown’s Larimer Square.

9. Rioja 1431 Larimer Street303-820-2282; riojadenver.com Chef Jennifer Jasinski’s much acclaimed Mediterranean-influenced eatery in Historic Larimer Square.

10. Appaloosa Grill535 16th St.720-932-1700; appaloosagrill.com This employee-owned neighborhood favorite offers high-quality cuisine, a great atmosphere and live entertainment nightly. Kitchen open until 1 a.m. seven days a week.

11. 1876 Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Denver1750 Welton St.303-296-1876; granddenver.hyatt.comLocated in the heart of downtown Denver’s entertain-ment and business district, Grand Hyatt Denver’s 1876 Restaurant serves three meals daily. Weekday buffets for breakfast and lunch as well as a la carte dining. In the evening choose from a selection of contemporary dishes or from a prix fixe menu at just $52.80 per couple.

12. Avenue Grill630 E. 17th Ave.303-861-2820; avenuegrill.com Traditional San Francisco-style grill specializing in fresh seafood, grill cuisine, pasta and delicious salads. Private room available. Serving until 11 p.m. weekdays, and to midnight Sat., Sun. 5-10 p.m.

13. ChoLon Bistro1555 Blake St., Ste. 101303-353-5223ChoLon, which translates to “big market,” is named after the largest Chinese-influenced market in Saigon, Viet-nam. Executive Chef Lon Symensma, formerly of Bud-dakan and Spice Market in New York City, showcases his passion for Asian ingredients and French cooking tech-niques in a striking and eco-friendly environment.

14. Cook’s Fresh Market1600 Glenarm Pl., Ste. 120303-893-2277; cooksfreshmarket.comA treasure-filled store packed with good things to taste and eat: fantastic breads, pastries, oils, vinegar, imported cheeses, innovative prepared foods, delicious sandwiches, gift baskets and much more!

15. Corridor 441433 Larimer St.303-893-0044; corridor44.comA stylish new Larimer Square establishment featuring a menu of small plates, sparkling wines by the glass and bottle along with a full bar and complete still wine list.

16. Cru - A Wine Bar1442 Larimer St.303-893-9463; cruawinebar.com Experience and explore the fascinating world of wine, with over 350 selections, 60 premium wines by the glass as well as taster pairings and wine flights. Eclectic, wine-friendly cui-sine including shared appetizers, gourmet pizzas and entrees.

17. Earls Restaurant Downtown Denver1600 Glenarm Place. Ste. 140303-595-3275; earls.caOffering an award-winning international cuisine with two outdoor patios, a private dining room and a full bar and lounge retreat with a west-coast atmosphere.

18. EDGE Restaurant & Bar1111 14th Street303-389-3000; edgerestaurantdenver.com

From casual to upscale, walk-to dining options are diverse and delicious.

At the show / Dining

Work hard, eat wellDenver may be best known to SIA Snow Show attendees as the gateway to the country’s best skiing and riding. No longer just a steakhouse town, Denver’s re-energized dining scene offers diverse tables to close that big deal or just relax after a long day on the show floor. Here are 25 top restaurants from which to choose, all within walking distance of the Convention Center. Thanks to Visit Denver for the reviews.


Located in the heart of downtown Denver’s theatre dis-trict, EDGE Restaurant & Bar is a progressive Ameri-can steakhouse with a focus on seasonal ingredients and custom dry-aged steaks, sourced from the best farms and ranches in Colorado.

19. Ellyngton’s321 17th St.303-297-3111; brownpalace.com In the Brown Palace Hotel & Spa. Outstanding cuisine and top-notch service for breakfast and lunch. Sunday brunch features extravagant buffets, live jazz and a selec-tion of champagnes.

20. Elway’s Downtown1881 Curtis St.303-312-3107; elways.com The Ritz-Carlton Denver’s signature restaurant is Elway’s, named after Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway. Of-fering delicious food across the menu, great wines at great

prices, attentive service and a comfortable, memorable dining experience. 21. Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse1513 Wynkoop St.303-623-9600; fogo.com An authentic Brazilian Churrascaria (Portuguese for steakhouse) from Southern Brazil in Downtown Denver.

22. Freshcraft1530 Blake St., Unit A303-758-9608; freshcraft.com Upscale comfort food in a casual atmosphere paired with some of the best beers in the world. Nearly all food is made from scratch using fresh ingredients.

23. H BurgerCO1555 Blake St.720-524-4345; hburgerco.com H BurgerCO offers diners an energetic, stylish and

comfortable atmosphere in which to enjoy renowned chef Ian Klienman’s unique take on classic American comfort food. 24. Hard Rock Café500 16th St., Ste. 120303-623-3191; hardrock.com Bringing Rock to the Rockies since November 1998. Located on 16th Street at Denver Pavilions, the Hard Rock features an oak bar with a Harley Davidson, and a private room with wrap-around windows overlooking 16th Street Mall.

25. Jax Fishhouse1539 17th St.303-292-5767; jaxfishhousedenver.comVoted one of the Top Ten Best Restaurants in Denver by 5280 and named Best Seafood Restaurant by Westword and CitySearch, Jax Fish House is one of Denver’s most popular destinations for unforgettable food and drink.

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HOtel RegiStRatiON

01.30 - 31, 2012 ON-SNOW DEMO / SKI-RIDE FEST

Ski & Snowboard/Winter Park Resort

MONDAY, JANUARY 30 MONDAY, JANUARY 30· Breakfast· Demo· Lunch· Offi ce Booyz & Girlz

· Uphill/Downhill· Happy Hour & Awards

· 2 Mile High BBQ

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31 TUESDAY, JANUARY 31· Breakfast· Demo· Lunch

Nordic/Devil’s � umb Ranch SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

· Nordic Market Overview

· Welcome Reception

MONDAY, JANUARY 30· Breakfast· Nordic Demo· Lunch· Clinics· Nordic Aprés Ski

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31· Breakfast· Nordic Demo· Lunch· Clinics

In conjunction with Cross CountrySki Areas Association

In partnership with the WWSRA Rocky Mountain Demo

there is no better way to follow up four days of trade show

than with an on-snow demo test. Get out on the mountain

with gear from over 200 ski, snowboard, AT, backcountry,

cross country and snowshoe brands. If trying out product,

skiing/riding and mixing on snow with the rest of us isn’t

enough to get you there, free lift tickets, transportation,

breakfasts, lunches, happy hours and entertainment are

all included in your $10 registration fee.

IN AN INDUSTRY THAT’S

ALL ABOUT EXPERIENCE,

SIASNOWSHOW.COM

JOIN THE INDUSTRY AGAIN NEXT YEAR FOR THE2013 SNOW SHOW AND ON-SNOW DEMO/SKI-RIDE FEST.

SIA SNOW SHOWJANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 3, 2013COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER,

DENVER, COLORADO

ON-SNOW DEMO/SKI-RIDE FESTFEBRUARY 4 - 5, 2013

Xie xie

감사합니다Danke

Merci

� anks for a Great Show!どうも。 Grazie

Gracias


At the Show / Who & Where

Exhibitor List10th Mountain Division Foundation, inc ................. ll180s LLC...............................15551love.org ............................. 206241 ......................................... 31932 Degrees llC .................. 6583point5.com ........................25294FRNT Skis, LLC ................42335150 Snowboards ............3914540 Snowboards ................. 702686 .........................................3213AAS - Anomaly Action Sports Inc ........................3935ACADEMY Snowboard Co. ..............3713Active Helmets ..................3166Active Youth Alliance ......4503adidas Outdoor ................1166Advanced Racking Systems ............................4346aerial 7 ................................. 912AFRC-Outdoor Gear, Inc. ..........................2755Airblaster .............................3912Alpina Sports Corp. ..........2774alpine Valet™ ...................3358AMATERRACE Inc ............. 333Ambler .................................... 747american Paper and Plastic Co ................ 573anakie Outerwear ............ 419Analog Clothing.................2913Anarchy Eyewear .............1311Anon Optics ........................1918Apex Sports Group LLC ..3890Arbor .....................................1619Arc’teryx Equipment Inc ..1339Arctix .....................................2468Armada .................................4229arnette ...............................3607aRVa...................................4579Ashbury Eyewear ............... 517Aspire Brands LLC .............. 745Astis Mittens ......................2566Athalon Sportgear, Inc. ...4261Atlas Snow-Shoe Co. .......3832Atomic USA, Inc ...4055/4155Auclair Sports, Inc ............1355ayG-all year Gear ..........2347Backcountry Access, Inc. ......................3378Backcountry Experience ......................4506Backshop + Rental + Uniform ..........4677Backside Clothing Company .......................4308Bailo ....................................1361Banshee Bungee ................. 510Bataleon ...............................2208Bearded apparel ............... 421BEARPAW ...........................1032Bergans of Norway ............ 758Bern Unlimited Inc ...........2119Betty Rides ............................ 317Billabong USA ....................3619Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. ..............3428Black Diamond Sportswear ....................... 742Blizzard Sport.....................3778Bluebird Social Zone ......... 303Board Retailers Association (BRA) ........1714Boardkor ..............................1816Bogs Footwear ..................... 948Bolle’ ........................................ 528Bon Hiver inc. ...................2107Bonfire Snowboarding Company .........................2902Bonnier Mountain Group ................................3751Booster Strap .....................3472Boulder Gear ......................2755Bounceboards, llC ........... 214brandbase Inc ....................... 328Brandwise ............................3745Bridgedale ...........................3365Briko ......................................3560Buff Inc.................................... 311BULA .....................................1028Burnstreet ........................... 305Burton Snowboards ......1913/2513Buzrun Snowboards .......... 702C3 ............................................2919

Camtrol ................................... 316Canada Goose ...................... 536CandyGrind ........................1108CAPiTA Snowboarding ...3219Capix ......................................3702Carrera .................................4274Causwell ...............................3837Celerant Technology Corporation ...................... 938CelsiusSnow USA, Inc. ....1715CenterStone Technologies, Inc. .........1964CEP Compression Sportswear ..................... 664Chaos .....................................2456Cheetah Factory Racing (CFR) .................1908Chill ................................... Ul-25Chuckbuddies ..................2921COAL Headwear ...............2919ColdDist LLC.......................2319COLDPRUF Base Layer ... 746Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum/Hall of Fame .....LLColorado Ski Country USA ..................1747Colorado Ski Country USA Central Lounge & Food Court ......................2132Concrete Wave ................1810Contour ................................4528Contract Snowboards ..... 314COREUPT.COM ................4231CoVelo Clothing Inc .........1163Crash Pads ...........................2156crazeeHeads inc .................. 946Crescent Moon Snowshoes ......................3733Croakies ...............................1136CSA - Leggett & Platt ......4135CTR (Chaos Thermal Regulation) .....................2456Cushe Footwear ..............1350CW-X, Wacoal Sports Science Corp ..................2941DAKINE ................................2519Dalbello Sports LLC .........4177Dale of Norway, Inc ............ 773Darn Tough Vermont .....2290DC Shoes, Inc .....................2102Deeluxe ..............................3920Demon Snow ......................2209Dermatone ..........................3174Descente North America, Inc ...................... 345Devils Thumb Ranch ......... 371Dinosaurs Will Die Snowboards .................... 910Discrete Headwear ..........3267DNA ......................................... 345Dot Dash ............................1110Double Diamond Sportswear ....................... 742DownUnders Footbeds ..4240DPS SKIS ..............................2962Dragon Alliance .................1519Drake .....................................3202Dregs Distribution/ Indoboard........................2219Drop MFG............................3034DRYGUY LLC......................2453Dye Precision ..................... 515Dynafit and Salewa ..........3164Dynastar Skis .....................3770EC3D Sports ....................... 950Echelon Snowboards .....4207Eggbar-Vise, LLC ...............3948Eider .......................................1039EIRA .......................................4624Eisbar USA ............................. 947Elan Blanc ............................1749Elan Skis ...............................2774Electric Visual ...................... 619ELM CO ................................1511EMSCO Group ...................2150Endeavor/air Hole ............ 908Entity Tall Tees .................4211EORA - Eastern Outdoor Reps Assn ...UL-20Epic Pass ................................. 766Erica Molinari ..................... 564Erik Sports- WhiteWoods..................3576Erin Snow .............................1263Eurosocks International .. 934EVEREST AMERICA .......... 669

EWSRA - Eastern Winter Sports Reps Assn ........UL-20Expand A Sign USA ..........4210Faction Skis .........................4237Fast Strap .............................3266FATE Clothing ...................... 969Fat-ypus Skis ......................3361FedEx/FedEx Office .........4619Fera International Corp....1168Firehouse LLC ...................... 513Fischer Skis US ..................4568Fits Sock Co ........................2464Five Seasons .......................1735Flow Sport Inc/ Flow Snowboarding ....2921Flux Binding Systems ......3716FlyLow Gear........................3169Footbalance System inc ....................... 223Forum ...................................... 919Foursquare ............................ 919Fox 40 International Inc ...........3471Fox River Mills, Inc. ..........2564Frends ...................................1717FTWO Snowboards .......... 702Fuel Clothing ......................1312Full Tilt Boots .....................3858Function .............................4576Fuse Optics ......................... 215G3 Genuine Guide Gear Inc ..............3565Gabel Sports Group (North America) Inc ....3560Garmont NA, Inc ...............3365Geiger of Austria Inc .......1775GES Service Desk ..................ULGHEEK ..................................2940Girl Powder, inc ...............1608Giro Sport Design .............3728Glowboardz, llC ............... 512GNU .......................................1307Goldwin ................................1733GOODE Ski Technologies ..................3356GoPro ...................................... 319Gordini USA, Inc ................2834Gorski Group ....................1258Grabber Inc. ........................4161Grace Folly .......................... 558Grandoe................................2836Grangers ..............................3567Grateful Outdoor Service (G.O.S.) .............. 213Grenade Inc ........................3907G-Shock ................................ 511H2O Outdoor Gear..........4313Halti Oy ................................ 565Happy Goat Lucky ............1558Hart Ski Corporation.......2971Head Wintersports ..........3155Heat Factory Inc ...............2791Hell is for Heroes ..............1564Helly Hansen (US) Inc .....1755Helmet Band-iTS .............2451HESTRA GLOVES, LLC .................2160High Sierra Sport Co........3747High Society Freeride Company LLC.................3917Highgear ...............................3567Highland Trading Company/Sportube .....2890Holden ..................................3419Holmenkol.US ....................4357hOme Swiss Watches ....3015Homeschool Snowboarding ...............3211HootieBrown Designs, llC .................1466Horizon Agency, Inc - Outdoor Sports Insurance .........................2790Hot Chillys ...........................3350Hotfingers Gloves ............1776Hotronic USA, Inc .............3355House of Marley ................ 703i.N.i. Cooperative .............. 206Icebreaker USA ................... 542Icelandic Design .................. 559Icelantic Skis .......................3368Impact Canopies USA .....1962Implus Corporation .........3567INA International, Ltd. ........................3502/3702Information Booth .............LL-2

ISHA - International Skiing History Assn ...........LLItasca Footwear by C.O. Lynch Enterprises .......... 734Jacob Ash/Schuessler ....... 750Jambu ................................... 593Jones Snowboards ...........2910Joshua Tree Skin Care ..... 591Joystick .................................3837K2 Skis .....................3929/3933K2 Snowboarding .............3922Kali Protectives ...............4213Kamik div of Genfoot America ............ 570Karbon .................................... 175Karvena Helmets and Goggles .................... 314Kastle GmbH ......................3775KD Kanopy, inc ................4164Khombu ................................1373Killtec NA Inc. ....................2168Killy ........................................1042Kiss My Face LLC ..............1490KJUS USA .............................. 576KLINT ....................................4339KneeBinding, Inc. ..............3570Kombi Ltd. ...........................3050Komperdell .........................3773Krimson Klover .................1348Kuhl Clothing .....................2164Kulkea, llC .......................3675KUUsport Mfg. Ltd...........4163KVZ Sports, LLC ................1035Kwik Tek, Inc. ......................3847La Sportiva N.A. Inc. .........4246Lamar ....................................... 506landyachtz........................1707Lange Ski Boots .................3770launch Pad ........................3739launch Snowboards .......4513Laundromat ........................1161lazer Sport ........................4516L-Bow Mittens...................... 952Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month .....UL-24Leisure Trends Group .....1750LEKI USA, Inc......................3160Lib Tech .................................1507Lib Tech NAS (Skis!) .........4235Liberty Mountain ..............2970Liberty Skis ..........................3855Life-Link................................3365Line Skis ................................3655Liquid Boardwear .............4107Liquid Image Co, LLC .......2421Little Hotties Warmers ... 3567lODGESOXX™ ................... 673Loki .........................................1364Long Advance International Co, Ltd ..1368Lorpen North America Inc .....................1764LTD Snowboards ................. 506Lucky Bums Inc ..................2770M. Miller ................................. 962Madshus .............................3732Majesty Skis ........................ 314Mammut Sports Group USa ....................3563Manzella Products ...........3134Mariner Business Solutions ............................ 764Marker Ltd............................. 255Marker Sport and Travel Bags ......................4165Marker USA ........................4557Marmot Mountain, LLC ...............1446MasterFit Enterprises ....3742MeCo Designs ....................1464Megaphone US ................1559Mental ...................................1774Mervin Manufacturing .1307/1507MFD .......................................4238Millennium Three (M3) ..3502Mitchie’s Matchings .......... 373Molehill Mt. Equipment, Inc ......2090Moment Skis .......................4239Montana Sport North America Inc .......3942Moon Boot ..........................3678Moon Shadow ....................2456Morrow Snowboards ......3922Mount Tec Gloves .............2364

Mountain Hardwear, Inc ..1046Mountain Shades ..............3434Mountain Uniforms ........... 632MRA - Midwestern Reps Assn ......................UL-20MTN Approach ..................3921MWSRA - Midwest Winter Sports Reps Assn .................................UL-20Mystery Ranch ..................4311NaRGEaR ........................... 216NSSRA - National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Assn ..................................4577NSAA - National Ski Areas Assn ....................UL-23NSP - National Ski Patrol .......................UL-22NBS - Nation’s Best Sports ....................... 267Native Eyewear .................3142NEFF ......................................3206Neve Designs......................1746Never Summer Industries ........................1513New Wave Enviro Products ..........................4355NEWSR - New England Winter Sports Reps, Inc. ........................UL-20Niche Snowboards ...........1607Nidecker USA, Inc.............2910Nike ........................................3622Nikita Clothing USA ........3107NILS ...........................1736-1742Nirvanna Designs ............... 762Nitro Snowboards .............. 907Nobis .....................................2809Nomis ...................................... 328Nordica USA .......................4169North Star Fur & Trading ... 590Northside by Triple T Trading Ltd ..................1669Northwave ..........................3202NOW Snowboarding .....2910NXTZ .....................................2423Oakley Inc ...............1132/1328ON3P Skis .........................4305Oneballjay ...........................1512O’Neill ...................................1522OnTheSnow.com .............4578Optic Nerve ........................3434ORAGE .................................1728O-range USa.....................1367Ortovox USA Inc ...............3167OSBE USA Inc ....................3245Outdoor Research .............. 739Outdoor Technology ......... 623Outer Edge industries ...4515OZ Snowboards ................. 211Pajar .......................................1468Panda Hats ........................4500Parajumpers .......................1564Patagonia Inc. .....................1823Pepper’s Performance Eyeware, Inc ...................3424Peter Grimm Headwear ........................2915Pieps .....................................2970Pinnacle Designs ...............2568PISTIL ....................................2254Planet Earth Clothing .....4120POC USA LLC .....................1023Pocket Disc ......................... 306Point Zero Canada ............ 332point6 LLC ...........................1451Poivre Blanc ........................3042POLARMAX ........................2347POW Gloves .......................1907Powderhorn ........................1751Precision Mountainwear/ Helix Snowboardwear .....748Press Room .........C MezzaninePromotive.com ..................2529ProRider .............................1713Pro-Tec ..................................3408PSIA-AASI ............................3974PTl Enterprises ................. 569Pull-in .................................1346Pulse ......................................1223Pyour Performance Sport Tights ....................2452Quickpoles, LLC.................3737Quiksilver Inc .....................1202R.E.D. .....................................1919Rab..........................................3571

Rawik .....................................2755RC Products ........................ 315Recco Systems Ltd ............UL-1Reclaim Project .................3317Recon Instruments Inc ..... 423Redfeather Snowshoes ..3580Regina Imports LLC .........1573Registration Desk ...............LL-1Rep The Zip ......................... 422reusch SnowSports.........2250Ride Snowboards ......3715/3914Ripzone / Powder Room 4216Roces USA, Inc ...................4174Rocky Mountain Sunscreen........................2528Rocky Mountain Underground RMU ....4356Rome Snowboard Design Syndicate ............ 915Rossignol .................3665/3765Rossignol Apparel ............3861Roxa North America ........2960Roxy .......................................1502Ruffolo Enterprises, Inc .. 2527S4® Optics ..........................1313Sabine Sommeregger ....... 566SABRE ...................................2310Salomon Snowboards .....2502Salomon USA .........4047/4147Santana Canada...............1373SCARPA North America, Inc. ...................3171Schure Sports U.S.A., Inc ........................... 175Scott Sports ...........3037/3337Screamer ................................ 755Sector 9 ..............................3406Seirus Innovation ..............2844Serengeti Eyewear ............. 528Sessions LLC .......................2507Shenzhen Pengyifa industrial Co lTD .......... 331Shifty ..................................... 592Show Management Office ...............A MezzanineShred Optics .......................3935Shred Ready inc ................. 312Sidas ....................................4572SKEA, LTD ............................2469Ski Kare, inc ......................3578Ski Retriever .....................3666Ski Tops/Chaos/Moon Shadow/CTR ..................2456SKiHOOKUPS inc ...........3579SKILOGIK ............................3468SkiMetrix, Ltd .....................3472SkiSkootys ...........................3390Skullcandy, Inc. ..................2202SkyTech Sport, inc ............ 769Slide-On .............................3472Slytech Protection ...........3935SmartWool Corporation ....................2763Smith Optics ..........2828/3128Smokin’ Snowboards .......2907Snapdry.................................3355Sno life, llC ........................ 738Sno Skins Inc ......................... 966Snow Angel ........................... 942Snow Dragons ....................2755Snow Show Daily ................ 264Snow Sports Recycling Program .......................... LL-20Snowjam LLC ........................ 702SOS-Sportswear of Sweden .............................1737Soul Poles ..........................4574Spacecraft ............................2807Spark R&D ...........................1807Special Blend ........................ 919Spice Snowboards .............. 702SpiritHoods .......................1657Sport Obermeyer Ltd. .....2173Sportcaster Company, Inc .................1223Sports Accessories America Inc .....................2760Sportube ..............................2890Spy Optic, Inc. ....................3707Spyder Active Sports, Inc.” .....................1175Spyderco ..............................4162STANCE ................................1813Steez Gear LLC .................... 222Stepchild Snowboards ....3902

Stockli Ski USA ..................3363Storm Creek Apparel ......1569Strap Pad LLC .....................2908Stylesight ............................. 193Subaru of america, inc .... 531Sun Valley Ski Tools Inc ....................3844Sunbelt® Optic..................2125Suncloud Polarized Optics ...............................2827Sunice ....................................1766Superfeet Worldwide Inc ...............2560Surface Skis .........................3837Swany ....................................1777Sweet Turns LLC ...............1659Swix Sport USA, Inc .........3174SWRA - Southeastern Winter Reps Assn ......UL-20Tailfish Sports ..................... 212Technine .............................2309Tecnica USA ........................3778Terramar Sports Inc ........... 723The North Face ..................4219The Program ......................... 919The Soze Group .................4572Therm-IC ..............................4572Thirty-Two Boots ..............1909Thorlo Inc .............................1561Thule Inc ...............................3374TOKO ....................................3190Tomahawk international .................. 420Toyota Tsusho Corporation ...................... 630Transpack .............................3146TransWorld Media ............. 302Trespass USA ........................ 261TREW ....................................1611Tubbs Snowshoes .............3833Turbine Boardwear ............ 706Turtle Fur Group ...............1155UClEaR .............................4674Ugg Australia ......................1051Under Armour - MTN ....... 728Union Binding ....................3016Unity Snowboard Manufacturing LLC......2916USRA - United States Reps Assn ........UL-20Uvex .......................................3174Vail Resorts Inc .................... 766Vans ........................................3612Venture Snowboards ......1711VestPac................................. 310Vew-Do Balance Boards ................................ 307Vintage Winter ..................2490ViRUS action Sport Performance .................. 313VIST North America ........1361Vittoria Industries North America ..............3202Voile Splitboards .............1710Voile-USa ..........................3269Volcom .................................... 710Volkl .......................................4557Volkl Performance Wear..................................4566VonZipper ............................1012VR2 Distribution Inc .......1733W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc ......... RM 202White Sierra.......................... 555Wigwam Mills, Inc ............2460Wind X-treme America, LLC ..................4218Winter Park Resort ..........2366Winter Trails .....................UL-21Wintersteiger Inc. ............3342Wrong Gear Inc ................... 603WWSRA - Western Winter Sports Reps Assn ................................UL-20Yaktrax ..................................3567Yeah For It Distribution ....................2208YES Now Board .................2910YRC .......................................... 668Zanheadgear & Bobster Eyewear ............ 911ZDaR Boot USa ................ 567Zeal Optics ..........................3223Zeon Corporation ...........2108Zero/The Fairfield Line ..1351Ziener ....................................1733

Company Booth # Company Booth # Company Booth # Company Booth # Company Booth # Company Booth # Company Booth #

Note: New exhibitors are in bold

*Subject to change


HELMETBANDITS_DAY4.pdf 1/4/12 6:49:15 PM

Italian Rando Team competing in Uphill/Downhill.

The Italians Are ComingWinning this year’s third annual Uphill/Downhill Randonnee Race at Winter Park Resort during the SIA On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest on Monday, Jan. 30, won’t

be easy; there’ll be some added heat competing. After roaming the show floor for sponsor Scarpa and competing in Crested Butte’s International Ski Mountaineering Federation North American Cham-pionships, which includes a class-five boot pack as-cent, the Italian National Race Team will tackle the On-Snow Day’s slopes as part of their U.S. odyssey. “We don’t have the chance to compete in a place like Colorado very often,” says team member Lorenzo Holzknecht. “Especially in a race where we can earn points on the international circuit.”

—Eugene Buchanan

Show NewS / At the Show

Business Leader Says Choices, Not Gender, Key to Women’s Success“Embrace possibilities, choose your course, and enjoy the freedom that comes with those choices.” That was the career—and life—advice given by Gwen Manto, former VP and chief merchant at Sports Authority, at an Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition breakfast.

Taking a gender-neutral approach to the workplace, Manto emphasized the impor-tance of navigating by your personal compass. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience in retail and merchandising, she shared how the choices she made along the way brought her both success and satisfaction.

“Define success on your own terms,” says Manco. Early in her career, her definition

involved getting promotions, then morphed into good child-rearing and, more recently, “having a positive impact on people.”

Allow yourself to take a break or reassess priorities, Manco says, explaining why she left a high-powered job in New York City for a less demanding one elsewhere to accom-modate her family.

“Always look forward, and endorse what you have gained, not what you have lost,” she concluded.

Earlier, OIWC presented leadership awards to Amy Purdy, co-founder of Adap-tive Action Sports, and Clarissa Finks, boot product manager at Burton.

—Cindy Hirschfeld

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boa founder Gary Hammerslag (left) and Jeff “Woody” Woodward (right) presents cory lake of Dc with an award for 10 years of “Dialed-in” partnership with boa.


Around the Show / IMAGES

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▲ latin for “us”: Desmond Chan and Daniella Quagliara at Nobis.

▼ raw Social reaction: Amanda Knost at Sabre

Winter On the rocks: Making history at Red Rocks with a sold-out crowd.

▲ be a Hero: Chilling out at Go Pro.

▼ living the life: Michael Haney wearing Dot Dash.

▼Dj image: Spinning platters at Under Armour.


Hardgoods under the retail-scope

Around the floor

No one has their fingers on the pulse of the snow sports industry like specialty retailers, so we reached out to some of the smartest folks we know to bring it all into focus. Snow Show Daily simply asked: “What are the leading trends in snowboard hardgoods?”

—Text by Mike Horn

›› “With snowboards we’ve found that any time we put a beginner on a rocker snowboard the success rate is much higher and the learning curve is much lower. That’s a big reason why we invested so heavily in rocker snowboards for our rental and demo program this year.

—Randy Elles, Board Barn

›› “Boa lacing on boots. Price-point outerwear. And Mervin boards are always tops for us.”

—Temple Cummins, Northwest Snowboards

›› “Most brands are mostly focusing on improving the guts and the graphics of their boards. This is a little dif-ferent from the past few years when everyone’s camber/rocker story was the big focus. It seems that the creation of new camber/rocker shapes has slowed down, and there is more of an emphasis on what is in the board to make it ride better, and what the board looks like to make it more visually appealing.”

—Joseph Notaro, Evo

›› “Metal in bindings seems to be fading as plastics are becoming stronger. Boots really seem to be going toward zone lacing and ease of use overall.”

—Dave White, Colorado BoarderPH

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What’s hot in next winter’s cold-weather apparel.

A Shot of Style

Sia’s annual Snow fashion and trends Show presented an entertaining snapshot of key styles in snow-sports ap-parel amid the trappings of a high-fashion runway show.

Snowboard apparel from Liquid Boardwear, NILS, 686, Planet Earth, Bonfire, DNA and O’Neill reflected a nature-inspired color palette with muted jewel-tone accents and menswear-influenced fabrics like plaid, corduroy and tweed.

Polarmax and SmartWool showed performance base layers, while LodgeSoxx introduced its neon and black après footwear.

Technical skiwear pieces from NILS, MeCo, Killtec, De-scente, Sunice, Völkl and Obermeyer included color block-

ing and subtle geometrics in streamlined designs. Kidswear stood out with electric pastels for girls and bright patterns for boys from Obermeyer, Snow Dragons, Liquid Boardwear, Descente, Sunice, Bonfire, Killtec and Nobis.

A colorful parade of knitwear included contemporary Nordic patterns from Icelandic Design and Krimson Klover, while Neve showed bright, graphically driven pieces.

The show concluded on a luxe note with opulent styles from MeCo, SKEA, Descente, Obermeyer, Sunice, NILS and Nobis that incorporated metallics, fur trim and fabrics like performance denim and Ultrasuede.

—Cindy Hirschfeld

fun for the slopes: an animal hat from the chaos moon Shadow line and a Snow Dragons jacket.

the military influence shows up in pieces like this sweater and coat from Nobis.

Strong neutrals define this ensemble from Planet earth.

randy elles of the board barn.


The Rental market is

New systems, new technology, and more players make the rentalmarket a hot segment for 2013. Read all about it in SAM (Ski AreaManagement) magazine and in our latest edition of the RentalBuyer's Guide.

Pick up your free copy at Rental World, booth: #4677>> Sign up for a subscription to SAM Magazine at www.saminfo.com

READ THE DIGITAL EDITION OF THE2012/13 RENTAL BUYER’S GUIDE NOW.

ROCKING!EventsWhat’s happening at the 2012 SIA Snow Show.

Bergans brings distribution in-houseBergans of Norway has brought its North american distribution in-house, establishing Bergans USA as a new subsidiary in Longmont, Colo.

“This will help ensure better control and improved pricing,” says Bergans USA president Pat Loomis, the former co-owner of Lowe Alpine and co-founder of Deu-ter USA. Joining Loomis and three other employees in the new 8,000-square-foot office and warehouse is Keith Patterson, also formerly of Deuter. “We’ll also have a new showroom,” adds Loomis. “With the extensive size of Bergans’ clothing line, it’s pretty hard to show it to people on the road.”

—Eugene Buchanan

Sunday, January 29, 2012 7:00AM-9:15AM | Room 103 | Donut Dunking Christian Fellowship

9:00AM-11:00AM | Booth #223 | Footbalance System Inc FREE Foot analysis and 100% Custom Footbeds Start your show with Fresh Feet! Show us your retailer badge and receive a FREE Foot Analysis and FREE pair of 100% custom made footbeds. Walking the show has never felt so good!

9:00AM-11:00AM | Booth #4619 | FedEX Get your Morning Jolt with Us at FedEx Stop By for a Free Cup of Java to Give Your Day a Jump Start.

9:00AM-1:00PM | Room 206 | SIA international lounge

10:00AM-1:00PM | Room 204 | SIA Supporting Member lounge

9:00AM-5:00PM | Booth #4506 | Backcountry Experience Uphill/Downhill donation drive Uphill/Downhill donation drive, come support the team, the United States Ski Mountaineering team. Drop off your product for the raffle at the awards ceremony for the Uphill/Downhill event which takes place day one of the demo 4pm at Winter Park 12:00PM-12:30PM | Booth #4162 | Spyder Co Daily PRODUCT GiVEaWay Register to win a free Spyderco! We will draw a winner each day at 12 pm - does not need to be present to win. Complete registration card at booth 3860.

4:00PM-4:30PM | Booth #2451 | Helmet Band-Its Daily Helmet Band-its Giveaway “Play Safe! Look Great! For your chance to win Helmet Band-Its, the new fashion accessory for helmets, answer our daily safety trivia throughout the day @helmetbandits and Facebook. The first to answer correctly, wins! Stop by booth #2451 for official demos.

At the show / Top news

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Extras! Extras!Chic ladies’ picks—belts, ‘buds, goggles, mitts and more.

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Keith Patterson and friend at the Bergans booth.

accessories are the spice rack of the apparel world, adding additional style and flavor. With that in mind, Snow Show Daily hit the floor to find some of this sea-son’s spiciest extras:›› Hand-embroidered and custom crafted, each of Pistil’s Andina belts is a work of art unique to any other. “Every one is a little bit different,” says Tood Douglass, company co-owner and product developer. The belts’ bulky texture and fresh, flowered design make them great for both sum-mer and winter.

›› Frends aims to make headphones and earbuds fash-ionable. “We’re trying to incorpo-rate … woods and fabrics for a more textorial build,” says Ebo Singleton,

key accounts manager—among other titles—for Frends. Designs are customizable, and all versions are miked so a tap changes songs or answers the phone.

›› Zeal Optics’ polarized Penny Lane melds fashion with durability. “We’re trying to make things all purpose,” says Joe Prebich, director of marketing. The Hyperion Lenses’ eco-friendly frames are made of Z-Resin, a bio-based plas-tic made from the castor plant bean.›› The brimmed hat trend continues, but Chaos’ Diesel gives it a military flair. Brent Best, sales rep for the Rocky Mountain region, notes that as brain buckets become more popular on the slopes than beanies, hat companies have aimed for the lifestyle market where he says “every-body needs a hat or two … or 10!”›› Featuring Gore-tex with 600 fill down, Gordini’s Da Gore Goose IV mitt is a dream for ladies whose hands chill easily. Leather palms make gripping easy, and a back-of-the-hand pocket is big enough to fit a heater pack.›› Jambu has funky footwear dialed in with the Axiom Vegan. The shoe is soft and flexible, but its memory foam insole makes it feel like walking on a cloud. Bob Smith, the brand’s Northeast sales manager, likens the feel of the Axiom’s barefoot construction to walking sans shoes in the sand.

—Courtney Holden

http://www.saminfo.com


Question of the Day / At the show

What’s the best product you’ve seen and why?

“Rome Snowboards. Their boards are the bee’s knees.”

—Kari Langlset, Buyer for Kitsch.

“Black snowboards.”—Aidan Jones, Buyer’s son from Zoar Outdoor

“Ski Logik. It’s a beautiful ski, and they’re making nice snowboards too.”

—Martin Leffer, Buyer for Not Fade Away Trading Company

“It’s not one thing. There have been so many new fabrics. Many companies have made good changes.” —Carolyn Kinney, The Ski Shop

“Fischer Vacuum Ski Boots because they expanded their line from four to 14 boots.”

—Harry Martin, Steamboat Springs Ski and Bike Kare

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STICK YOUR FOOT IN IT...at the SIA On-Snow Demo!

Warmth. Comfort. Performance. Starting at $795 MSRP.

TheCollection

Reserve a pair today at SIA booth 3890.

At the show / Heard in tHe aisles

Corporate Oppression686 CEO Mike West and Skullcandy CEO Rick Alden were scheduled for the last fight of the night at the fundraiser box-ing match the brands sponsored on Thursday night. But af-ter watching the pure violence of snowboard industry execs kicking the crap out of each other (check it out on Boardis-tan.com) they, well, how to put this gently… wimped out, finding substitutes instead. “It was brutal. Mayhem. Like a WWF match,” says Mark Vasquez, 686 online marketing manager, who wisely avoided the fray. And it wasn’t just for the dudes: the girlfriend of one of the CEO’s proxies ended up in the ring before the night was through. Lights, Camera...Goggle!No more helmet cams shooting passing tree limbs instead of your line. Zeal makes sure your movie camera is always pointing in the right direction with its new iON goggle,

complete with 1080p HD video camera mounted flush inside the frame. Don’t trust your own eyes? You can also orient it via a miniature video screen in the lower right, the same place where the Recon statistics display on its Z3 goggles. It also shoots up to 8 megapixel stills via keep-your-gloves-on control buttons and comes with 3.5-hour battery time and 32-gig micro SD card. Finally, no more excuses for missing that shot.

Get on the Chuck WagonThe Show is filled with expensive high technology hard-goods and apparel, but what’s the most popular thing on the floor? Chuckbuddies! The plastic bobblehead snowboarder toys, which Flow started importing from Europe, are made to be tossed into mini snowparks, where they slide toy rails or spin tricks on miniature halfpipes. Pro riders get their own models and they have been so popular that when Ter-je Hakonsen showed up to play with his someone stole his body. Eero Ettala had so much fun tossing his Chuckbuddy into the toy park, he said he would rather stay and play with himself than go to his next meeting.

She Didn’t Forget Her Heart“Part of the reason we were so late is that we left my legs in Aspen and had to turn around and get them.”

—Adaptive snowboarder Amy Purdy, explaining her arrival in Denver only a few hours before the 7:30 a.m.

OIWC breakfast, where she accepted the organization’s Pioneering Woman award.

Seasonal Occupation“I’m hoping to golf a little in the winter and ski a little in the summer.”

—PSIA-AASI marketing director Andy Hawk on his plans for living the good life this year.

When In Munich“I’m taking Dolly to ISPO...” —Backcountry Access president Bruce McGowan on

a one-off inflatable doll-shaped airbag pack the company is taking to Europe this weekend.

You Are?“I’m a grown man and I love it!”

—Tony Hernandez, on playing with miniature snowboarder dolls at the Chuck Buddies booth.

No Replay, Either“I’d throw a delay of game flag for the industry’s efforts to create more snow sports enthusiasts...”

—NFL referree and Seirus gloves co-president Mike Carey.

Rep Rule of the Road No. 4“Actually listen to what the retailer is saying.”

—Andrew Shaw, SIA Rep of the Year

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SALOMON.COM“After more than three decades of boot development, our challenge to the status quo continues to drive us forward. For 2012, we have crafted an entirely new boot design platform and applied it across all of our high performance collections. Starting with a full Custom Shell upper for fi t, integrating a new Oversized Pivot for lateral effi ciency, and bonding it all to the powerful new Twin Frame base platform, high performance ski boots have never been this comfortable.”

- Pascal Pallatin, R&D Alpine Boots

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SIA BOOTH #4147

baselayer

Booth 4219

bluebird doesn’t mean dry.Flashdry™ is the fastest drying baselayer—period. Designed to keep athletes at their peak, this revolutionary new technology removes moisture faster than any other performance fabric on the market.

learn aBout the science BehinD our inDustry-leaDing Baselayer at Booth 4219.

2012 sia snow show daily, day 4

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