| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 04/09/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 45 |
| Copyright: Other |
Product overview by Matthew Hampton
Board meetings mean hot profits
Make gains from the snowboard scene
No longer a nichemarket, snowboarders are here to stay. But is there anything still separating them from skiers, bar a penchant for facial hair (boys), navel rings (girls) and designer tattoos (both)?What was seen as a youth trend a few years ago is now big business, as operators have introduced a number of products geared towards boarders.
But there is a chance that agents might not be making enough of this potentially lucrative market because of a lack of knowledge.
Crystal Ski lakes and mountains product director Paul Baumgartner said: “Agents need to be aware of the different needs of snowboarders.
“The lift system and the terrain are the most important – boarders don’t like drag lifts or long flats. They also like going off-piste and as they tend to be younger, the nightlife is important.”
Crystal offers its Nitro guided snowboarding programme in Tignes and Les Deux Alpes in France, Switzerland’s Saas Fee and Breckenridge in Colorado.
Inghams sales manager Laurence Hicks agreed that agents would do well to research which resorts had an uplift system that was not dependent on drags, mentioning Whistler in Canada, Zell am Ziller in Austria and Les Deux Alpes.
A separate board park is also a good sign – Pas de la Casa in Andorra is frequently name checked by boarders thanks to its park, duty-free prices and party atmosphere.
A Panorama spokeswoman said: “Andorra is increasingly popular for snowboarders.
“Pas was always a boarders’ haven but snowboarding is so popular now, you can do it anywhere. And you wouldn’t believe the variety of people who want to learn – it’s not just young people.”
Boarders and potential boarders represent extra commission to an agent who knows what they want. Most operators now offer pre-bookable learn-to-board packages, and some offer dedicated board guiding.
Panorama offers one-day snowboard trials for £20, including equipment hire and two hours’ instruction. A six-day learn-to-board package costs £159, including a six-day lift pass, five days’ instruction and equipment hire.
Airtours senior marketing manager for specialised products Vicky Wilby said: “Agents need to know the difference between skiers and boarders, and what they can sell them.”
Airtours offers one to three-day learn-to-board packages, and has boarding hosts (guides) in Sauze d’Oulx, Montgenevre and Livigno.
Thomson also offers guiding – and in some resorts this season, British snowboarding champions and Winter Olympic hopefuls Melanie Leando and Lesley McKenna will be taking groups out.
“We’re looking forward to it – hopefully it will be a bit more relaxing than the championships. We’ll be happy as long as we get a good evening meal.”
Snow business: operators’ learn-to-board packages are an ideal way for budding boarders to start catching ‘big air’
factfile
hot resorts for riders
skis and boards -Êthe next generation
Is boarding just too 10 minutes ago for you? Then try a few of these:
Carving skis
What are they? The closestrelative to a normal ski, carvers were the ski industry’s mid-90s follow-up to the boardingphenomenon. Shorter than anormal ski, and narrower at the waist (middle) than at the tip and rear, carvers are sometimes called parabolic skis after their curved, hourglass shape.
Benefits? The narrow waist means that, as you lean into a turn, carving (good) as opposed to sliding (bad) becomes easier. Parallel, carved turns are every skier’s goal.
What do the experts say? “Carving skis are undoubtedly the key development of recent years. You’ll find you will be given them in the hire shop whether you ask for them or not.”
Neilson senior product manager Nina McMaster.
Favoured by? almost everybody. Carving skis do make turningeasier, a real boon forintermediates wanting to progress onto better turns.
Fatboys
What are they? Like a carving ski, a fatboy is narrow at the waist. But the overall ski is wider, the hourglass shape is far more exaggerated and the ski even shorter.
Benefits? a wider, shorter ski is easier to control in deep powder. Standard skis, on the wrong feet, have a tendency to sink into the snow. Fast.
What do the experts say? “Fatboys are fantastic – they just glide over the powder and crud.”
Gareth Crump, product director, Thomson
Favoured by? Anybody who has ever fought their way out of 5ft of powder during a blizzard. Or anyone who considers carvers a bit passé. Not necessarily fat boys.
Snowblades
What are they? Tiny skis, about 75cm-100cm long, reminiscent of ‘ski-evolutive’ skis, which were for learning to ski parallel.
Benefits? Good for learning to ski parallel, as turning is easier on a shorter ski but also fun in their own right.
What do the experts say? “I’m hanging my skis up. I started when I was 11 or 12 years of age and never thought I’d change, especially when I tried boarding and spent half a day on my backside. But I took to blades the moment I put them on. They offer real freedom and flexibility and there are no style issues – you just blade the way you want.”
Laurence Hinks, salesmanage, Inghams
Favoured by? Currently a cult favourite with young people whose first winter sports experience might have been on a snowboard. Any skier who fancies something different, also those building confidence in turning.
Twintips
What are they? The newest skiingtechnology, twintips are skis with a tip at each end.
Benefits? As a cross between carvers and snowblades, twintips allow for normal or freestyle skiing, either on the piste or in a half-pipe, with or without poles.
What do the experts say? “They’re the manufacturers’ response to skiers who want to use snowboard parks. It’s being marketed in the same way as boarding.”
Marcus Chapman, snowboard co-ordinator, Crystal
Favoured by? Skiers who just can’t face learning to board.