to the Pearl and Legend model skis; those were also rolled out at SIA.”
Curtis noted that Völkl/Marker is keen on the sponsorship support it gives to athletes at all levels, asserting that it’s
an investment that benefits all parties. SIA, he said, also provided an opportunity to showcase those relationships and
to boast about Völkl/Marker’s alliances with some of the hottest commodities on snow.
“In all our presentations we were highlighting Julia Mancuso — an athlete who really transcends borders — and hyping athletes like Jen Hudak from the X Games,” Curtis said. “We continue to benefit from the support we give athletes
from the junior and local levels right on up to the highest levels in the world. SIA is a great place to showcase that
dynamic.”
Tait Wardlaw, vice president of marketing and communications at Rossignol/Lange/Dynastar, echoed several of
Curtis’s sentiments about an overall optimism at SIA 2011.
“For starters, we’ve got great snow across the country right now,” Wardlaw said. “Add to that, I think everybody in
the industry is doing a better job adding value to their respective corners of the market [and you arrive at a healthier,
happier place].”
Wardlaw said that while his brands are mostly fine-tuning this year’s products for 2012, both Dynastar and Lange
intorduced new junior racing products that will be available this coming fall.
“At SIA, we debuted a new junior comp ski that we’re very, very excited about,” Wardlaw said. “It’s a dual event ski
that will be great for young racers at the J4 and J5 levels — a ski that is [versatile for both slalom and GS and should
discourage parents from feeling like they need to buy kids too many pairs of skis]. We’re also bringing our RS boot
down to a 90, which should also be great for racers at the J3 and J4 levels.”
In general, Wardlaw said he felt that the “good vibe” at SIA 2011 had to do with a higher number of serious buyers.
“I don’t know what the exact numbers were, but it appeared to us that there were more retailers at the show,” said
Wardlaw. “That might just be because they were there with greater purpose. There definitely seemed to be more
genuine interest in getting a 2011-12 plan together for brands they were serious about. That’s good news for everyone
in the industry.”
SR MARKETPLACE
SIA SNOW SHOW/CHRIS SCHNEIDER
Head was
presented wtih
the 2011 Doc
Des Roches
award at the
SIA show.
