SIA 2011-The Skinny and Fat

The Skinny and Fat-SIA 2011

Though our world of niche sports continues to grow the niches within them continue to get smaller. Similar to the mountain biking industry; ten years ago there were only a few categories of snow sports; powder and hardpack or backcountry and resort riding. Now after a an explosion of specialized gear there is: sidecountry, backcountry, ski mountaineer racing, all mountain, fat pow, carving, mid fat, early rise tips, rockered tails, full rockered skis and equipment to fit in all niches. And SIA was the place to see them all.

The buzz on the floor and at the on snow demo was all about the specialization and new technology of the construction of the new breed of skis entering the market. With the advent of the early rise tip, which makes turn initiation much easier, there are several new categories using this technology including Fisher Nordic skis. Walk by any booth at the show and you’d see buyers checking the camber on the skis comparing the traditional camber to the new rockered versions. Adding to the hoopla is the increased number of Boutique ski makers. At every turn around the biggest booths housing the now what could be called “big boxes” of ski manufacturers were smaller ma and pa, well maybe, bro and bra ski companies. These custom ski makers are offering choices like flat or rockered camber, custom graphics and twin tips. What both ends of the industry are producing are some of the wildest graphics ever seen. Most are one-of-a-kind artist works, many artists being pro athletes sponsored by any given company. The result is an incredibly diverse look to the ski graphic industry. Some designs are successful and some are not; some offensive, some not; some are congruent through the line and some are not. Ski Logik has demonstrated this boutique market beautifully with all natural wood inlay designs and Mother-of-Pearl accents. What is certain is that the ski industry continues to push the limits of innovation and creativity. Got Rocker and Art?

The category that has seen the biggest growth in the last year is the Alpine Touring industry. As mentioned above this category represents a large demographic that wants to get away from the traditional ski resort lift riding and earn their turns. Again, this group spans several niches filled by very special gear. At the heavy end, sidecountry (accessing the backcountry from ski resorts) skiers are looking for solid alpine performance from their gear as they escape from the lifts through backcountry gates opened by the resort. Many of the alpine manufacturers have jumped in with new offerings of stiff four buckle boots that offer a walking mode for returning to the lifts but keep the emphasis on all mountain performance and super wide skis for riding in powder. Dalbellow and Technica have very nice offerings of this sort. The next niche would be the traditional backcountry skier that shies away from the lifts all together. This gear has become much lighter and stiffer. You can now get nearly perfect alpine performance from a lightweight three buckle boot and binding system. For snowboarders there are an increased number of companies offering the Split-Board, a snowboard that comes apart in the middle to form two ‘skis’ to walk on. Skins have been specially cut to fit these boards. Equally as cool is the Mtn Approach ski that has skins permanently fixed and they fold up and go in your pack for the downhill. In addition to the Fritchi and Dynafit AT binding choices there are now several others in the alpine hiking department including Marker, G3 and La Sportiva all brands including several ‘weights’ and DIN release settings. In the silly light class is the Rando Racing equipment. This gear has taken light weight to the next level. Several companies have dedicated R&D to stripping down their boot/ski/binding into minimalist specifications. With the increased popularity of Rando Racing in the US, gear has seen many adjustments for what is now being called “ski running”. Scarpa, Dynafit and Ski Trab lead the charge with other companies like Camp-USA, Hagen, Goode and La Sportiva joining in the race. Last month Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee and Sunlight ski resorts held the US Ski Mountaineering Nationals to qualify a US Team for the World Championships in Italy later this month. COSMIC, the Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup has gained increased popularity right in line with the growth of Dawn Patrollers skinning up the mountains before work. There has been much talk in the circles of racers that Ski Mountaineering will be added to the 2018 Olympics. Have you hugged a Rando Racer today?

Aside from the new ski, boot and binding tech there have been new innovations in some of the accessories as well. Helmets designs have come to feature new and exciting colors and patterns some so bright you can’t really look at them for too long. Integrating you tunes into the ear pads is old news but now offered in almost all brands. Brims and visors have taken on all shapes since first seen on the Giro 9 MX in 1997. Another product category that has seen gigantic growth is the consumerization of the helmet cam or Point of View video cameras. Just a year ago the $800 VIO POV was tops on the market and offered a “lipstick” lens that could attach anywhere on your body, bike or skis. The only drawback was the long cord that had to be connected to the actual camera body the size of a water bottle and only medium 780i resolution. Since then GoPro has introduced and ran with their GoPro HD Hero. A less than $300 investment will get you superior HD video in a compact and completely waterproof camera. If you have watched any sports on the national networks you have surely seen the GoPro videos in action. Their newest offering is a tandem mount for producing 3D HD movies from your helmet, ski or surfboard not to mention anywhere else. Also in the Tech division are the Recon/Zeal goggles which have transcended into TRON realms. The Transcend goggle offers a small GPS enabled LCD screen inside of the lens to track your location, speed, integrate your iPod play list and look at trail maps. Whoa, ground control to Major Tom!

Amazing to see at SIA was the hat and neck gaiter industry all competing for their spot in the market. For every ski or snowboard company there was a hat or gaiter booth next door. Judging by the popularity of the Buff (of Buff, Inc.), a super lightweight neck gaiter that virtually replaced the Turtle Furr gaiter and the outlaw look of the pro ski and snowboard riders, the other companies have jump into the ring. The choices were plentiful including traditional bandana looks to multiple configurations of fabric, neoprene and wearing options. Perhaps the most fun product in this category is the Beardski, a fully lined neck gaiter that fits great and transforms the average skier into a gnome gone skiing.
Perhaps the most contradicting observation at SIA is the fashion industry. While ski clothing has not changed a ton over the years from bright colors, waterproof breathable fabrics, men’s and women’s lines and great designs, what industry professionals are wearing has, especially the athletes. While passing absolutely exquisite booths filled with exceptional branding I couldn’t help but notice that the overall attitude among riders attending the show was to be dressed as derelict as possible. Baggy pants, naked ladies, pajamas, basketball jerseys and the nappiest hair do’s on most athletes, either sponsored or not, all contributed to the Gangsta trend of the ski industry. I wish I understood.

Overall I was thoroughly impressed with the SIA Trade Show and On Snow Demo. Never before have I seen the industry come together to play, talk, network and show off their big ideas and to see what the industry as a whole is up to. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season of testing products, shooting our models with them out in the field and developing the many new relationships that were started and strengthened at SIA.

Fischer Skis
Ski Logik
Dalbellow Boots
Technica Boots
Mtn Approach skis
Fritchi Bindings
Dynafit
Marker
G3
LaSportiva
Scarpa
Ski Trab
US Ski Mountaineering Nationals
COSMIC
GoPro
Recon Transcend
Buff, Inc.
Beardski

February 1, 2011 | Categories: Product Shoots, Ski 2010-11, Winter 2010-11 | Tags: backcountry skiing, crested butte backcountry, crested butte photography, crosscountry skiing, new products, nordic skiing, outdoor retailer, product test, rando racing, ski racing, ski touring, snowboarding | 1 Comment »