Eric Smith

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 Outdoor Retailer Snow Show about what’s been driving the company’s growth in the U.S. 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 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 across the U.S., 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 Broomfield, CO-based 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.

Anyone who looks beyond the surface of Callaway Golf Co.’s agreement to acquire Jack Wolfskin for $476 million will see that reducing it to the simplistic “golf company buys outdoor brand” doesn’t capture the depth of the deal. The acquisition makes sense on multiple levels for both companies amid the blurring of channels, product lines and even consumer habits.

Nathan Dopp, deputy CEO and president of the Americas for Fjallraven North America, spoke with SGB at last month’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Denver, CO, where he shared what’s on tap for the brand in 2019 and beyond.

Skiers and snowboarders aren’t the only ones whose prayers for plentiful snow to start the season have been answered. The owners and operators of resorts across the country are especially thankful for the early openings and hopeful that this momentum will lead to a long and prosperous season.

At the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Denver, CO, Vibram Corp.’s newly appointed president, Fabrizio Gamberini, sat down with SGB to dish on a number of topics, starting with the smooth transition of him taking over the market-leading sole company.

Scarpa North America CEO Kim Miller sat down with SGB recently to discuss a wide range of topics, from the changes he’s seen in the footwear business over a long career to Scarpa’s success as a family-owned boot and shoe maker for 80 years to how the industry can raise its voice on such issues as public lands.

Oliver Steffen, founder and CEO of British Columbia-based backcountry ski brand G3, spoke with SGB recently about a wide range of topics, including an in-depth look at the company’s G3 University that he and his team designed to help backcountry enthusiasts improve their skills and get the most out of their adventures.

Exhibitors and retailers offered mixed reviews of last week’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market—the first in November and first in Denver—with the majority of companies that SGB interviewed saying they lamented the show’s lack of attendees and overall dearth of energy but lauded the show’s new date.

Topo Athletic, the footwear company that longtime Vibram USA executive Tony Post launched five years ago, has much more to celebrate than a milestone anniversary. Post spoke with SGB about other recent achievements at the brand, including a new partnership with his old company and what drove the company’s decision to enter a new category.

Smaller-than-anticipated numbers for Outdoor Retailer Winter Market—which makes its Denver and November debuts next week—contributed to Emerald Expositions Events Inc. reducing organic revenue growth expectations for 2018. But Marisa Nicholson, vice president of the outdoor group at Emerald and director of Outdoor Retailer, has a different take on the show, which will be held November 8-11 at Colorado Convention Center.