ispo 2009

From Next magazine issue 1/2009. Text by Tapio Nurminen

Atomic is now focusing on the growing group of skiers looking for challenges off-piste. Safety and environmental friendliness were on everyone’s lips at the ispo fair.

Active Alpine skiing enthusiasts seek their way from groomed slopes to deep snow, the backcountry, and extraordinary challenges. This is the vision of Atomic’s product developers and directors in charge of the ski business, who showcased a host of revolutionary new products at ispo, the world’s biggest winter sports fair.

“The freeski market is definitely seeing the strongest growth in Alpine skiing. More than 50% of skiers in the U.S. opt for twin tips, which are also great off-piste. A turned-up tail is no longer just for skiers who use it to ski switch,” says Herbert Buchsteiner, Product Marketing Director of Atomic’s ski and snowboard business. “Practically everyone in the younger generation buys skis with both the tip and tail curved upward and goes in search of something that traditional skiing cannot offer them,” he adds.

This strong trend, which is taking especially the U.S. market by storm, was clearly visible at the ispo ski stands. Atomic’s Bent Chetler and Atlas skis were surrounded by crowds of admirers. Thanks to freestyle icons such as Chris Benchetler, the strong Atomic brand is also making great headway on the freestyle market, both in the U.S. and in Europe.

New ski standard

“The twin tip is clearly becoming a standard in the ski market,” emphasizes Herbert Buchsteiner. “In the U.S. in particular, freestyle skiers have gotten used to small, specialized brands. We, in turn, decided to stick to a single brand here as well.

The feedback has been very good in this respect,” says Georg Bauer, Atomic’s R&D Director, who toured sports equipment fairs in the U.S. prior to the Munich ispo event. Although its brand is well known to skiers of every level and type around the world, Atomic has specifically focused on novel design in its freestyle line since that is what the target group expects to see.

For example, the Bent Chetler ski was designed by none other than Chris Benchetler, the freestyle icon; among other things, the ski features a map of the Tokyo subway, seeing as Benchetler is a great fan of Japan. According to Bauer, the company is looking for versatility with its new-generation freestyle skis. Very few skiers today go exclusively for off-piste skiing, fun park pipes, or jumps.

“Skis must be light and they must be wide enough for deep snow. On the other hand, the same skis must be fast and stable on groomed slopes as well,” says Bauer, listing the challenges in product development, which the innovations in the Bent Chetler and Atlas skis answer.

Doubledeck™ skis for all

Although more and more active skiers prefer freestyle skis, Atomic has not forgotten those who enjoy groomed slopes and fast action. At ispo, the company presented its new and versatile drive and race lines, which make use of the revolutionary Doubledeck™ technology that have brought numerous World Cup wins to Atomic’s athletes. This gives an increasing number of recreational skiers access to the results of Atomic’s R&D carried out in cooperation with world-class stars like Aksel Lund Svindal.

The exceptionally good snow conditions in Central Europe contributed to the surprisingly positive atmosphere at ispo, despite the dismal economic news. It has been a while since the French and Italian Alps have enjoyed as much ‘white gold’ as they have this year. It has been possible to ski at under 2,000 meters in conditions that Central Europe has not seen for years.

Good start to the year

Big sports equipment chains, such as Intersport, have reported exceptionally large sales of winter sports equipment in early 2009. Skis, apparel, and other sports equipment have all sold well, and demand has been high enough for the retail business to rid itself of stocks accumulated in poor winters. This means that manufacturers, whose reporting in recent years seems to have been mainly of the gloomy kind, can look forward to additional orders. However, if the recession turns into a full-blown depression, the situation may still change this year.

Skis are trendier than they have been for years. Urban youths prefer to take their skis to virgin slopes.

Touring is very much in vogue in Central Europe, where a great many people live a reasonable drive away from suitable routes and ascents. Market research has shown that many skiers spend around three hours at a time on skis several times a week.

“People are, generally speaking, focusing more on endurance disciplines. It has become fashionable to take care of your well-being,” Georg Bauer muses. Atomic now offers ski hikers a revamped touring line, which even has superstars like Thomas and Alexander Huber, Mike Marolt, and Björn Hofer convinced.

“The main property of a good touring ski is the right combination of lightness, durability, and stability, which is needed when you’ve reached the summit and start the descent through deep snow,” explains Bauer.

Feast for cross-country skiers

The fitness boom and this year’s good snow conditions have also given a boost to cross-country skiing in the traditional Alpine skiing countries. The season has been exceptionally long, and practically no major skiing event has had to be cancelled this year.

Based on the novelties presented at ispo, Salomon is continuing to strengthen its position in this market and is increasingly recognized as the ‘Nordic expert’ by pros and hobbyists alike.

The Salomon Equipe 10 Lab skate ski offers serious recreational skiers the same level of performance that world-class pros expect from their equipment. The ski has superior glide and kick properties. In addition, amateurs now get to enjoy the S-Lab Skate Pro boot that has proved its excellence in the cross-country World Cup.

According to Atomic’s Georg Bauer, environmental friendliness has been more prominent than ever in the winter sports market this year. More and more customers with purchasing power in Europe, and especially in the U.S., also want their sports equipment to be friendly to the environment.

“The development and production of sustainable product lines calls for pure honesty. Credibility is everything. The target group is extremely demanding and does not accept halfhearted solutions. Maintaining credibility is more important than producing big batches,” Georg Bauer emphasizes.

“If a product that complies with the principles of sustainable development is also credible, it can carry a big price tag,” he adds.

For the environment

Trustworthy, sustainable sports equipment was abundant at ispo 2008 – more so than before. The products were made of recycled exercise mats, old coffee cups, and recycled packaging materials.

The Atomic Renu is the first Alpine boot that is made of renewable raw materials but still matches traditional boots in performance. Renu is made 80% of renewable and recyclable materials. Moreover, its production generates clearly less carbon dioxide emissions than is normally the case.

The Renu boot has been granted ‘Planet Positive’ status by dcarbon8, a carbon and sustainability consultant, for its environmental friendliness. However, it does not compromise on performance nor is it heavier than other boots.

Environmental friendliness goes hand in hand with safety, which has been one of the main boosters to sports equipment sales in big Central European countries this season.

“The skiers’ safety awareness led to a notable increase in sales during the first weeks of this year,” says Manfred Wutzlhofer, President of the Munich Trade Fair Center, at the ispo fair press conference.

Safety made the headlines when Dieter Althaus, President of the German state of Thuringia, collided with a Slovakian woman on an Austrian ski slope. The woman, who was not wearing a helmet, died of her injuries and Althaus sustained serious injuries. Helmets were the best-selling winter sports item in Germany in early winter.