PSIA-AASI

8.13.2010

SnowPro Update: Mtn Surf Market Blows Up

At Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City last week, hot gear innovations, mountain dogs, and environmental initiatives were all part of the warm sports summit mix.

For gear, stylishly sustainable water bottles from Bamboo Bottle; solar powered cellphone, camera, and GPS rechargers from Brunton; a cool new Colorado pack company named Mile High Mountaineering; and Active Boomers; an apparel company whose tagline is: “Aging…the Ultimate Extreme Sport,” were just a few of the dozens of product highlights.

On the environmental front, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar stopped by to talk outdoor jobs and open space. Teva unveiled its ‘Pair for a Foot’ clean water campaign in partnership with Waterkeeper Alliance. And Patagonia discussed its decision to pay the way for 10 employees to travel to Louisiana for a week for a firsthand look at the BP Oil Spill aftermath.

As for the mountain dogs, they’re allowed on the show floor at Outdoor Retailer, and the aisles were filled with lots of Labradors, “Swissies,” and Blue Heeler pups.

But the biggest news—the tsunami of excitement—was reserved for how successfully Stand Up Paddleboarding, or SUP (think canoeing on a surfboard), is penetrating the outdoor market. With only brands like Hobie and Surftech attending the show as recently as four years ago, there were nearly a dozen brands at this year’s Summer Market. And the surf-meets-mountain-culture scene was fun to see on the north end of the floor, where big wave legends like Laird Hamilton and Mickey Munoz were signing autographs.

Paddle carrying surfboarders may still be resisted on the ocean waves, where they are being met by a traditionalist backlash. But on inland rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, the sport is blowing up. Surftech sales manager Ty Zulim said he paddelboarded the Chicago River the week before the show, and that he is selling boards from Alaska to Texas.

“The stand up paddle category has grown exponentially over the past few years and appears to be continuing the trend,” said Hobie Designs Marketing Director Sean Douglas, adding that Hobie is already building boards for categories as diverse as surf, touring, whitewater, fishing, and race.

If you haven’t tried it, it’s a blast. And a great summer way to work on your balance, motion, and stoke. If you’re already incorporating paddleboarding into your off-snow program, or even providing instruction—The Stand-Up Paddleboard Instructor’s Association (SPIA)??!!—we’d love to hear about it.

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