There’s got a way to make this story exciting. Oh the injustice of making me write about a company with a strong balance sheet, growing revenue and earnings, no meaningful litigation, and an experienced management team with a clear strategic focus. I’ve got to stir up some drama somewhere if there’s to be any hope that people […]
Chasing the Demographics; Pacific Sunware Focuses on Youth Read More »
There are sixty million kids people in the United States between the ages of 5 and 20. Over half of them haven’t entered adolescence yet. It’s the biggest demographic bulge since the baby boomers. Every large, mainstream company in this country from Levis, to JC Penney to Fidelity Mutual Funds needs credibility and brand recognition with
Beset by Opportunities; How Can We Take Advantage of Them? Read More »
K2’s purchase of Ride, announced on July 22 and expected to close within 100 days, is as close as we’ll ever get to a capstone on consolidation. We all were intellectually aware of consolidation, but this makes you aware in your gut. Burton and K2 now control what I’d estimate to be 65 percent of the
Fat Lady Sings. K2 Buys Ride Read More »
I’m not entirely sure what the title of this article means, but I’m pretty certain it applies to the skateboard industry. Conditioned as I am by the snowboard industry consolidation, I went to ASR expecting to observe a similar process. Subjectively, it seemed like the show wasn’t quite so crowded, and things were more business like, but
I Feel a Whole Lot More Like I Do Now Than I Did a Little While Ago; My Take on ASR Read More »
The specialty shop in Vienna was all snowboards and snowboard products. It was mostly last year’s stuff and was all on sale. Word was that financial problems were preventing them from getting new stuff. Over at a big Intersport store, there was just as much space devoted to snowboard products and the deals were just as good. I’d
Hung Over, Jet Lagged, and Sleep Deprived; A View of the Industry from 37,000 Feet Read More »
There was a keg at the IASC hospitality suite at ASR the first evening of the show, and I was drinking a beer with Miki Vuckovich of Transworld Skate and Jim Fitzpatrick of IASC. Into this fairly typical trade show experience walks the comedian Gallagher with his entourage of one. He sits down with his own beer
Reality Bites; The View from ASR Read More »
I’ve had the luxury, over the last couple of years, to be able to dispense advice and commentary from the relative safety of an observer’s perch. Suddenly and, amazingly, of my own choosing, I’ve given up a perfectly comfortable life style to reenter the snowboard management fray. I must be out of my mind. I’ve done this
Life in the Real World; Hoisted by My Own Petard Read More »
Last April, I headed to Tremblant for the Canadian Ski Council’s annual symposium on the state of the Canadian resort industry. Naturally, my naïve anticipation of great snowboarding had nothing to do with my decision to go. Groomed hardpack with mud and rocks sticking through on narrow runs wasn’t what I’d expected. Thanks El Nino. At least it
News from the North; Lessons for the Snowboard Industry from Canadian Resorts Read More »
When a market gets hot, people start companies. Where the capital costs and entry barriers are low, they start more rather than less. When there’s enthusiasm for the industry and the lifestyle, they often start them for all the wrong reasons, and without adequate or any business planning. It looks like easy money, but it usually isn’t.
Building a Business; Issues for Would be Skate Entrepreneurs Read More »
One day, a few years ago, we looked up and had become “the snowboard industry.” Growth, friends, good margins, optimism, an endearing naivete about the future and a quotient of bullshit was all part of what made it fun. The boundaries were clear. We were on the right side of that boundary and knew what was up. If you
Just Who Are We Anyway? Perceptions of Market and Industry Evolution Read More »