Israel-based Slinger Bag is out to disrupt the tennis ball machine market with its new "launcher" of the same name. Bolstered by a massively successful Kickstarter campaign, the company has hired former Prince CEO Mike Ballardie and is now beginning production. He and CMO Juda Honickman spoke with SGB about the company's ambitious plans.

Mammut North America in recent weeks named Kris Kuster as its managing director and opened a new office in Denver—strategic moves that should help the brand regain its footing after a shaky period. Kuster (left) and Chief Creative Officer Adrian Margelist spoke with SGB about what these changes mean and where Mammut goes from here.

The $50 billion recreational vehicle market keeps finding new horizons to explore and the next leg of its journey begins this week when the industry gathers in Salt Lake City, UT, for a revitalized trade show that is aligned with the start of camping season. “RVX: The RV Experience” is just one reflection of a changing marketplace.

Diana Seung, who was appointed interim executive director of Camber Outdoors after Deanne Buck resigned last month, spoke with SGB about her role in helping the organization heal internally and mend relationships with the outdoor community following Camber's recent PR crisis.

John Walbrecht, president of Clarus Corp., spoke with SGB recently about the holding company’s focus on “superfan” brands—product-centric disrupters such as Black Diamond that have carved a niche as market leaders with fiercely loyal customers.

Vail Resorts Inc., Garmin Ltd. and BSN Sports made significant market moves in February, elevating an otherwise mundane month for mergers and acquisitions in the active lifestyle space. SGB Media's latest M&A Roundup digs into the notable deals.

Henrik Lumholdt, general manager, Active Brands North America—whose portfolio includes Kari Traa, Sweet Protection and Daehlie—spoke with SGB Media at the recent Snow Show about the growth potential the Norwegian company sees for all its brands here.

For the casual onlooker, noticing an increase in skiers taking the uphill track at a resort or seeing an overcrowded parking area near an out-of-bounds ski trail might provide anecdotal evidence that more people want to “earn their turns.” But the data backs up an industry trend that shows no sign of stopping: The backcountry ski business is booming.

Erik Forsell, Alterra Mountain Co.’s chief marketing officer, spoke with SGB Media at Outdoor Retailer Snow Show about a range of topics, including Ikon Pass usage trends, if Alterra measures itself against Vail Resorts, ongoing resort consolidation and how industry stakeholders can help drive ski/snowboard participation.

As SGB Media reported yesterday, the outdoor world got a jolt with the news that Jerry Stritzke, president and CEO of REI Co-op, had resigned after a board-initiated investigation into his admitted “personal and consensual” relationship with “the leader of another organization in the outdoor industry.” But what impact, if any, will this development have on the industry?

Jeff Mechura, head of global brand development and marketing for Elan Skis, spoke with SGB Media at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver, CO, about what’s been driving the company’s growth in the U.S., the importance of a recent rebrand and why Elan remains the “good Catholic boys” when it comes to the retail channel.

Bolstered by great snowfall across much of the country and upbeat sales numbers across most product categories, the snow sports industry seemed especially buoyant at last week’s Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver, CO, the second since OR bought the event from Snowsports Industries America in 2017. Here are five business takeaways from the show.

Thanks to good snow in most U.S. regions, the industry is heading into this week’s Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver, CO, with plenty of momentum as sales of most snow sports categories are up compared to last season, according to SSI Data’s most recent trend report.

Olympian Ted Ligety and Carlo Salmini, the duo who founded helmet and goggle brand Shred. in 2006, spoke with SGB this week about the Park City, UT-based company's refresh that includes an updated logo and sharpened focus on customer centricity yet remains true to its roots. Here's what they told us about the new leg of the company's journey.

Good snowfall to start the 2018/19 ski season was a boon for many resorts, with plentiful powder and the opening of terrain and lifts often not accessible until January stoking hopes of an epic performance for the industry. All of which made last week’s news from Vail Resorts Inc. that much more surprising.

The final month of 2018 didn’t provide a high volume of M&A in the active lifestyle space, but a handful of notable deals helped the year close on a strong note, including Marquee Brands LLC’s acquisition of Dakine (pictured). Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed but Marquee sees Dakine as a “billion-dollar opportunity,” said Nate Pund of Houlihan Lokey.

A healthy dose of straightforward mergers and acquisitions occurred in the sporting goods, outdoor and active lifestyle industries in 2018, but a handful of unconventional deals stole the spotlight. Outside-the-box transactions—which garnered much more attention than traditional ones—included a consortium of Chinese investors and a well-known active lifestyle name purchasing Amer Sports (pictured).

In a companion piece to our special report on how U.S. snow sports brands can expand to China, SGB examines how Burton Snowboards established a strong presence in the China market way back in 2003. Now that the Winter Olympics are coming to China in three years, the Vermont-based brand is well-positioned for a booming snow sports marketplace. Here’s how they did it.

As host of the 2022 Winter Olympics, China is developing snow sports infrastructure not only for the Games but also for its citizens to use recreationally. The government said it will create 300 million winter sports participants over the next few years, a number that understandably caught the attention of the U.S. snow sports industry. In this special report, SGB outlines the opportunities that China offers brands and how they should approach this untapped market.

Wendy Yang, president of Deckers Brands’ performance lifestyle brands (Hoka One One, Sanuk and Teva), spoke with SGB recently about what’s driving success at Hoka One One, that brand’s channel strategy and the importance of all three brands’ recent partnership with Camber Outdoors.