SIA Day 1

Ski Press World Inc. - Index

Ski Press World Inc. - SIA Day 1 - Index

PLEASE VISIT OUR ADVERTISERS’ BOOTH
Adventure Eye Video Systems (AEVS) LLC X91
Alpina Sports Corp. R80
Atomic USA, Inc. R97
Backcountry Access, Inc. S86
Black Diamond Equipment Ltd R94
Bollé P68
Bridgedale R88
Chaos F18
Dalbello - Elan Sports LLC W78
Dale of Norway J18
Descente North America, Inc. C10
Disegna d’Italia H06
Duofold Q79
Dynastar Skis S79
Eider F23
EuroSock North America N83
Garmont NA, Inc. R88
Giro Sport Design M84
Gordini USA, Inc. P66
Hart Ski Corporation W91
Head Sportswear J26
Hotfi ngers L55
Kjus USA E02
Kombi LTD H67
Life-Link R88
Powderhedz M54
Roces USA, Inc. P69
Rossignol Ski Company, Inc. C26 & C32
RSN X83
Salomon USA N98
Scott USA M78
Screamer L58
Seirus Innovation D26
Shred Goggles Q95
SkiMetrix, Ltd Q95
Skiweb S87
SmartWool Corporation L60
Smith Optics H42
Sportube S84
Spy Optic, Inc. G75
Swans USA L67
Swany L53
Under Armour Performance R81
Uvex Sports, Inc. K83
W.L.Gore & Associates, Inc. J59
Wigwam Mills, Inc. L50
Wintersteiger, Inc. M86
pure snow
In keeping with SIA’s growing emphasis on going green to save the white, each issue of
the Show Daily will feature contributions the snowsports industry is or can be making to
help our hurting planet. Today: Head.
In a world where the phrase ‘greenwashing’ has come to imply
everything negative that ‘whitewashing’ did, only now in the
context of planetary do-gooding, it’s increasingly hard to sort the
heart from the hype. Is Company X really doing good… or just
hiring a good PR fi rm?
Head N.V. is really doing good. And while they’re not by any means
the only ones doing so, they’ve raised the bar on planetary goodness
to a level rarely seen. To put it succinctly, Head is doing more to save
our snow from global meltdown than just about anyone.
And the guy behind the good deeds is the least likely candidate for
tree-hugging activist imaginable.
Meet Johan Eliasch, Chairman of Head’s Management Board and
Group CEO since 1995. He’s a highly competitive skier, and also
golfer. And curler. He’s a yacht-owning Tory MP in the British House
of Commons. He parties with Prince Andrew. Oh, and he’s the
145 th richest man in England.
Head’s Mike Bisner
He’s also, by many accounts, one of a small group who’s singlehandedly
doing the most to reverse the heating of our planet,
accomplishing more by himself and with partners who have joined
his crusade than many national governments, ours included.
In the process, he’s made enemies, been called a conservation
cowboy, a green colonialist, an eco-imperialist, and things too fi erce
to mention. None of this seems to faze him; his crusade continues
— and continues to grow. To wit:
Eliasch has bought up a chunk of Brazilian rainforest twice the
size of New York City — and shut down logging on all of it.
He’s formed a coalition with Labour MP Frank Field, called Cool
Earth, committed to “Keeping carbon where it belongs.” Cool
Earth’s intention is to “link capital to climate” and to stop global
warming by stopping deforestation.
Head is partnering with Cool Earth to promote saving the planet
by saving the forests.
Eliasch has committed Head to not merely offsetting its own
carbon footprint, but offsetting it ten times over. According to the
company, that’s “equivalent to over 1,800,000 tonnes of CO2.”
Amazingly, Head skis are, according to Head’s director of mar keting,
Mike Bisner, made by water: “Our manufacturing plant in Kennelbach,
Austria is largely powered by the river that runs by it.” The
facility also uses heat recovery on all ventilation systems, employs
wastewater treatment, water-based varnish and air purifi cation.
Instead of spending advertising dollars touting the glories of its
skis, Head runs ads like the one in the next column.
In short, this is the real
deal, a man and a company
committed to do
everything in their power
to stop the warming that
will melt the snow. Their
crusade can be seen as
idealism or, perhaps more
accurately, as enlightened
self-interest.
The latter is a safer bet.
Johan Eliasch is, after all,
the investor who turned
Head from an outfit that
was hemorrhaging money
to a major player on the
sports scene. It’s not hard
to see the thinking here: no
snow, no skiing. No skiing,
no skis. No skis, no profi ts. QED.
The Head ad.
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What’s surprising isn’t that Head has made the connection —
but that so many others still have not. As Head put it in a public
statement, “We all depend on a stable climate to ski, play tennis, or
dive. If we don’t wake up and make a difference now, we won’t be
doing these things in their natural environments much longer.”
QED. — JULES OLDER
SIA’s ECOSource
Helps Focus Industry
Green Efforts
The SnowSports Industries America (SIA) has always taken
environmental sustainability seriously and is dedicated to
being an eco-friendly Association. At SIA08, efforts to reduce
the snow sports industry’s carbon footprint have been ramped
up. Highlights include:
ECOsource Market Segment Exhibit (Booth V98) is a new
exhibit featuring 80 snow sports products and initiatives that
are recyclable or sustainable. A Digital Press Room (Booth
X84), sponsored by W.L. Gore, where exhibitors’ press kits
will be available in a digital format ONLY. SIA and Sessions
will provide one very special water bottle for attendees with
an incentive to re-use that bottle throughout the Show. And,
the SnowSports Institute Seminar – Green Your Business,
presented by Alison Gannett, President of Save Our Snow
Foundation, will discuss how to “green” your snow sports
business Wednesday, January 30, 4-5P. SIA Seminar Center,
Booth X99.
VOLVO — OFFICIAL CAR OF