SIA 2015; The Snow Show is The Bro Show

Every year, during the last weekend in January, the entire ski and snowboard industry shows up in Denver for the SIA SNOW SHOW.   SIA...the Snowsports Industries of America, hosts the biggest and rowdiest trade show in the U.S. snowsports industry.  It's the one place where all the bro's get together to make deals, reunite and party their a$$es off.

Click 4 Pix:  SIA 2015

It's more than just a convention...it's a life-style.   And it's BIG fun.  

All the best and newest ski and snowboard brands show off next years goods. The retailers see it, feel it and order it up to solidify their line-ups for the 2015-16 ski season.  

A few observations from the show:

1) Business is good.   The economy is back and retailers are planning as such.  Order flow appears to be very strong for 2015-16.

2) Not much has changed.   Sure the colors are different and there are always some new design elements with the hard goods, but the ski and snowboard industry seems a little stagnant.  But this is old news.

3) Bro's like to party.   The party scene at SIA 2015 was as strong as ever.  Maybe stronger.

4) Musical chairs continue.   It's the same people doing the same things... they are just doing it with a different brands this year.  Once you are established in the ski industry it tough to get out.  It's the Hotel California of career paths.

5) Climate Change is on everyone's mind.  The ski industry is finally coming around to the fact that climate change may have an irreparable impact on future business. Non-profits such as Protect Our Winters (POW) and Save Our Snow (SOS) were prominent with their outreach efforts throughout the convention.

6) The baby boomers are aging out and the millenials seem to be more interested in video gaming and social media than skiing and snowboarding.  This does not bode well for future growth.   Resorts and brands are begining to plan accordingly.

7) Denver has soooooo many recreational cannabis shops...it's unbelievable. 

CLICK FOR PIX   SIA 2015

A 50 Year Storm and SIA 2014.

It was a POW Day in Denver for SIAAspen, Vail and the entire Colorado Rocky Mountain region got the biggest dump in recent memory.   3 feet of snow over a 2-day period.   AspenSpin missed it.  Yup...it's sad but true.

Timed to coincide with the 50 year storm, the Snowsports Industries of America (SIA) hosted their 60th annual Snowshow in Denver.  SIA is the biggest ski industry event in America.   Everybody in the ski & snowboard business shows up to buy, sell, trade, learn, network, party, find a new job, hit on chicks/dudes, drink heavily, pass out, and then do it again...for 4 days straight.

CLICK FOR PIX.

THE SNOW SHOW (on the floor)

SIA AFTER HOURS  (parties, music etc.)

It would have been easy for AspenSpin to skip it.  Vail Pass was closed man.  But thanks to a heads up from Ryan Boudreau at Aspen Weather we were able to plan the trip to beat the storm.  A mistake? Maybe so... but the decision was made.  AspenSpin loves the POW POW...but we also dig on swag.  SIA is always our biggest pay-day of the year.  On the first day alone, A.Party scored 18 truckers hats, 300 stickers and 8 sick tee's.   It was fun...but missing a 24" POW Day...let's just say my entire rhythm was off.

TRENDS from SIA.

BACKCOUNTRY, BACKCOUNTRY, BACKCOUNTRY.   This segment is where the growth is.  Whether it's backcounty, sidecountry, Alpine Touring/ Randonee (AT), split boarding, ski-mo, uphilling, skinning...the people have spoken.  People who identified themselves primarily as backcountry riders grew 47% over last years survey.  That's a little misleading because many of the respondents indicated they still participated in traditional alpine skiing and riding too.  According to SIA / Leisure Trends sales of AT gear were up 23% over last year.  Backcountry accessories were up 17%.

A SLIGHT UPTICK.  According to SIA/ Leisure Trends the industry set a new in-season record for sales (Aug-Dec) at $2.3 Billion, +9% over 2012. That's slightly ahead of 2010, the previous best year ever.  Equipment sales came in at $541 mil +6% over last year.  Apparel, $985 mil +7% and accessories $734 mil +15%.

GIRLS LOVE to RIDE.  Ladies junior snowboard gear grew 17% over last year, while snowboard gear itself only grew 2%.   Many of the major ski companies make skis specifically for women, a relativly new category.   

THE CHANGING of the GUARDS. It seems as if the demographics of skiing and riding are changing right before our eyes.  Newer, more youth oriented brands appear to be gaining strength on the convention floor.  Maybe they just give good trade show...but surf and skate influenced brands like Volcom, O'Neil, Roxy, Vans and Anon always draw crowds at the snow show.  The more traditional snow brands like Salomon, Scott, Rossignol, K2, Burton etc. are still formidable competitors.

LOOK at ME.  Action cameras as a category grew 19% to 81,000 units sold.  The dollars spent in this category grew 36%.  Accessories and new products for cameras and cell phones were popping up all over the convention floor.  Camera mounts, extendable selfie* poles, water-proof cases....there are a lot of new entrants in this space.  *note: AspenSpin is generally credited for inventing the "selfie".

STYLE is IMPORTANT but FUNCTION is MANDATORY.  Every season the colors change, the styling and the cuts change, but the companies that are excelling in the snowsports world combine fashion and function. Fabric technology has improved ski wear exponentially.  Not only do 2015's snow clothes look cool...but they breathe, they are waterproof, they're light and super warm.  Accessories products grew 15% over last year...so it's important to accessorize 

COMPETITION.  The snowsports world is extremely competitive.   There are a lot of companies and brands competing for the same finite dollars.   While the macro market for skiing & riding stays relatively constant the number of new entrants into the industry never stops.   The major companies maintain their dominant positions while countless numbers of "microbrew" equipment and fashion purveyors attempt to break through.  It's a barbell effect...the majors and the boutique brands.   For consumers...that's a win. More great gear to choose from.

CLICK FOR PIX.

THE SNOW SHOW (on the floor)

SIA AFTER HOURS  (parties, music etc.)

KJUS (my favorite) showing off their newest and greatest styles...and winning the Show Stopper award.Dav and Colby...ambassadors for the sport...and Kastle riders.

The Sarah Burke Foundation and Freeskier held their 2nd annual fundraiser at SIA.
Ryder's eyewear from Vancouver dressed for success at SIA.

STOKED 4 SNOW: SIA 2013

Tony and Barbara at the Kjus Booth.Trade shows are like mullets.  Business up front...all party in the back.The annual SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show in Denver is always 3 days of chaos. 10 hours on your feet, unlimited swag, lunch at the candy jar, booth models, endless meetings, plenty of bro-heiming and many beers starting precisely at 5 pm. 

Click 4 Pix:

STOKED 4 SNOW and   FRESHIES

If you've ever been to a major trade show..like MAGIC, ICSC, or CES you can picture what SIA is like.  One important difference with SIA is that skiing and riding on snow is... in reality... the business of fun.  The entire industry shows up in Dever for SIA; Athletes, gear brands, fashion brands, retailers, wholesalers, media, boutique brands, emerging brands, new products, old products, ski areas, non-profits....everybody.   Almost 20,000 people and 106 exhibitors attend SIA.  There are over 1,500 Alpine ski models on the market and more than 1,000 snowboard varietals.  There are 30 million participants in skiing and snowboarding in the U.S.  Skiing and snowboarding equipment, apparel and accessories achieved more than $3.3 billion in sales last year.   It's a big biz, and SIA is the most important event of the year.

Full Disclosure:  AspenSpin has promotional relationships with several brands. Over the years, A-Spin has become associated with some of the greatest gear and apparel brands available World Wide.  The following brands have been extremely loyal to us...and hopefully we return the favor. Our ski kit is as follows: Outerwear (Kjus) Mid-Layer (Neve) Under-layer & socks (Ice-breaker, Ibex and Smarwool), Skis (Kastle), Optics (Oakley), Extreme Weather Gear (The North Face), Footwear (Nike), Apres Ski (Haute Hippie), Beanies (Free Time Goods). Boots, poles, helmet (sponsorships available).  

Aspen homies were all over the floor.  It's always great to see Aspen representing.  Spotted dominating at SIA were local Aspen brands; High Society, Strafe, Obermeyer, Free Time Goods, Poc, Vintage Ski World  Hometown retailers Gorsuch, Hamilton Sports, Pomeroy and Performance were checking out next year's models.  Media collegues like Aspen Peak, Aspen 82, Snow Mag, Backbone Media made the scene.

It's BEER o'clock at SIA.The convention floor at SIA has several distinct zones.  The traditional alpine brands are in the NE quadrant.  As expected, the bigger the brand...the bigger the booth.  Rossignol, K2, Volkl, yada, yada, yada.  New energy is being provided in the alpine arena by boutique brands...like Armada (really a mid-major), Icelantic, Ski Logik, DPS, RMU and more. 

The fashionista brands huddle in the SE corner.  $1.4 billion was spent last year on Ski and Snowboard apparel.  Brands from all over the world show their wares at SIA.  In addtiton to our favorites, Kjus and Neve we were impressed by the fashion offerings from SOS, Picture, Alp n Rock, Coldsmoke and for the sparkly types...Snow Sugar.

The SW section is Street, Lifestyle and accessories which crosses over to the SE square which is home to  Snowboarding.   The booths in the back are loud and fun and filled with SWAG.  Volcom, Lib Tech, Vans, Skullcandy and Go Pro have huge and interactive booths and lots of hottie booth models (male and female).  Volcom hosted an extremely loud metal band, Diarreha Planet and free beer at exactly 5 o'clock.  Actually almost evey booth has free beer at exactly 5 o'clock.  Emerging brands like INI Cooperative, Spacecraft and Wrong Gear brought their fresh new looks to the show.

SIA is crazy and fun and you get to see what's hot for next year.  Bright colors are still important in both hard goods and softgoods.  Innovative ski shapes continue to evolve with some of the smaller, more agile brands now leading the way with design development both technologically and graphically.  Back country and side country gear is still the fastesat growing segment for skiing.  While snowboarding has experienced a mild plateau in growth...the youth oriented apparel and lifestyle gear seems to be thriving.  Actually the skiers and riders are morphing together....everybody is STOKED 4 SNOW.

Click 4 pix:    STOKED 4 SNOW  &  FRESHIES

The Kastle Skis booth was like an oasis on the SIA Convention Floor. Click for Pix.Neve Designs from Boulder Colorado makes the greatest sweaters for men and women. Click for pix.Ski industry legend Klaus Obermeyer going strong at SIA 2013 . Click for Pix.Rory Bushfield and friends celebrated the life of Sarah Burke at a photo exhibit in her honor. Click 4 pix.

SIA Snow Show (you should go, bro.)

SIA 2012 in Denver. click 4 pix.The 2012 SIA Snow Show took place in Denver last weekend.  It's the greatest show on snow...the biggest skiing and snowboarding trade show.  All the major snow brands are there and many smaller brands and start up's represent too.   

To break it down, The SIA Snow Show is pro skiers and riders, sales execs, retail buyers, models, free food and drinks and bags and bags of swag. It's serious networking and hopefully deal making.  Unfortunately SIA's Snow Show is held at exactly the same time as the Winter X Games in Aspen...so AspenSpin was a pretty busy boy.  Carmelo and I took the quick drive down to Denver to meet up with sponsors and troll for new ones. We got to see what you'll be riding and wearing on the mountain next  Winter.

Our quick visit to Denver for SIA 2012 was fun and exciting.  We scored BIG Time.  Unofficial totals:  t-shirts (12),  hats (15), chapsticks (unlimited), sick headphones (2), awesome socks (4), stickers (325).

Sick PIX:       SIA Day 1              SIA Day 2                Spyder Party

Pow Day in Denver. 1/27/12

AspenSpin's 5 Trends for 2012/13

1) COLORS and GRAPHICS:   The brighter the better.  Both soft goods and hard goods will feature vibrant, bright with colors.  Skis and boards will incorporate even more graphical designs than they currently do.  Animal prints are here to stay...the more exotic the better (see Shaun White).  Cheetah prints, snake-skin prints and more.

2) CROSSOVER:  The bad blood between skiers and shredders is over.  It's all good as long as you can keep up.  Many companies are finally understanding that their styles might appeal to both skiers and riders.   Several brands are creating variations on a theme for both two plankers and knuckle draggers.  Alpine Touring equipment including split boarding is a segment that is growing quickly.

3) CHANGING of the GUARDS:  Some of the smaller, more boutique brands are gaining strength and influencing their HUGE corporate rivals in terms of performance, design and demand. Newer, more adventurous shapes and sick graphics are coming from the little guys. Brands that come to mind, HIGH SOCIETY, ICELANTIC, SKI LOGIC and others.  From the majors, I'm digging the new quivers from KASTLE, ROSSIGNOL and VOLKL. I can't wait to try next year's models.  *AspenSpin did not participate in the on-snow demo events

4) SILHOUETTES : Skiing is always a fashion statement:  Baggy pants are still around, but I'm seeing more and more stylish cuts coming out... even from the American brands.  The Euro-style makers continue to lead the way...but everybody is bringing out sleeker and more technical outer gear.  We are still partial to KJUS from Norway. Their collection for 2012 /13 looks awesome.  Their stuff is performance oriented and stylish.  It even makes me look "slender".

MONKEY SEE / MONKEY DO.   No new revelations here.  It is well known that the snow sports industry is an incestuous community.  Everybody knows everybody else.  Many of the execs, the reps and designers move from company to company.  It's a pretty tight network.  From my perspective as a relative outsider who lives in a small mountain town at the end of the road...I don't see very many unique ideas coming out of the inner sanctum.  The bigger they are..the more resistant they are to change and risk. It's good to see that independent start-ups are taking more risks...and succeeding.  Then everyone jumps on-board.

It was on in Denver for SIA 2012.AspenSpin's 5 TOP moments @ SIA 2012

1) BAGS of SWAG;  You don't have to be a big time blogger to get tons of free stuff. Every booth has some promotional item on their counter.  It's official, I'm a Swag-hoarder...and I love it.

2) WAFFLES on a STICK.  Thanks Vans.  It's the Breakfast of Champions.

3) MARQUES SCOTT:  The internet-famous dub step animation dancer at the Spyder party.

4) SKI LEGENDS:  Meeting and rapping with Glen Plake and Picabo Street...pretty cool.

5) The MODELS:  Like any major convention...there were a lot of "booth girls".

Wrong Gear gettin it done at SIA 2012, The Snow Show. Click for Day 1 pix.2 Legends of Skiing convine at the Snow Show. click for pix.Breakfast of Champions. Day 2 at SIA. Waffles on a Stick. Click for pix.Yeah, They let smowboarders in. SIA Day 2. Click for sick pix.

The Spyder Party went Gonzo at SIA. Click 4 Pix. 

Mile High in Denver.

Lack of snow can upset the apple cart in Aspen.  While the uphill transportation, the grooming and the mountain management have all been excellent this year...Mother Nature has not cooperated. 

What do you do in Aspen when the skiing sucks....ROAD TRIP.

AspenSpin skeedaddled it down to Denver just in time for the National Western Stock Show Parade on the 17th Street Canyon.  We also perused the International Sportsman's Expo at the Denver Convention Center.  Carmelo and I found a sweeeeet dog-friendly hotel in Downtown Denver and we wined, dined, hit the movies and recuperated from an active holiday season.  Some people go to the spa to decompress and chill out.  We hit the gritty urban streets of Denver, Colorado.

When you live the swag lifestyle...you got to go where the action is.  The Sportsman's Expo had some decent free stuff, yo...a sick camo lid, floating key chains, a book on extreme survival techniques and tons of beef jerky samples.  The streets of LoDo were bustling as it was sunny and 68 degrees.  A late afternoon game of fetch in the park, an art flick and a late-night Satire Lounge burrito completed the trip.