Ski Press World Inc. - Index

Ski Press World Inc. - SIA Day 4 - Index

cover story
Now he’s entered something he likens to another planet, one he didn’t know existed. The
brave new world opened up when he began to look into the skate skiing gear he might
need to take up recreational racing. He didn’t realize there was so much variety and such
an explosion in Nordic gear.
There was, in fact, so much to select from it was overwhelming. After doing hours of
Internet research, John was just about ready to pack it in and do what he’d done for so
many winters — make do with what he had.
Why? Because even though Nordic skiing is a great way to get some much-needed winter
exercise, and even though an aging population is looking for alternatives to the more
demanding and physically damaging sports of their youths, the reason the average age
of Nordic equipment people own is 16-years-old, and Nordic gear sales have fallen over
20 percent, is because the number of products offered is just so confusing.
That is until the specialists step in. Urged on by his wife and children, John decided to go
off-line and get in-store. It proved to be a good move. After a false start at a specialty retailer
who carried an abbreviated line of Nordic gear in addition to alpine skis and snowboards,
he found a store specializing in skinny skis. The world got a whole lot simpler the moment a
salesman about John’s age explained, “The fi rst thing you need to know is this: you already
know too much. You’re confused.”
He was right. Fortunately, he had a confusion solution. By focusing on the goal, in this
case John’s desire to immerse himself in skate skiing and gently try racing, he was able to
eliminate most of what was out there. “Static” he called it, like on the radio. And by showing
John a couple of basic packages with some component fl exibility, making a choice wasn’t
nearly as impossible as it had seemed before he walked into the store. Here’s the kind of
equipment, and the sales technique, that turned John and the whole Walker family on:
John was sold immediately on Salomon’s relatively new SNS Pilot skate binding. Intuitively,
it seemed the two axes offered more power transmission and torsional control. But having
long been a fan of Fischer skis, a package that married Fischer’s RCR Vasa skate ski with the
Salomon SNS Pilot Equipe binding made the decision easy.
32 SNOWPRESS DAY 4 skipressworld.com/snowpress
Photo: Courtesy of SIA/Kevin Arnold
The package came with Salomon’s RS Carbon boot, a lightweight skate boot with a
moldable liner. Compared to his old boots, this seemed space age. Until the salesman,
playing a hunch this customer was falling deeply in love with the idea of doing some
serious racing, suggested he might want to look at the S-Lab Carbon boot, Salomon’s
no-nonsense World Cup model.
John knew it was absurd but his ego was racing well ahead of his brain. Besides, it didn’t
raise the price of the package all that much. Did it?
He was pretty well sold on the Fischer/Salomon set-up until Mom showed him what had
caught her eye: a women’s touring package.
Caught her eye was an understatement. She’d made her decision. Skate skiing didn’t
interest her. Her classic skis were more than suffi cient for the amount of track-set skiing
she was interested in doing. But she was taken with the touring technology she found in
Salomon’s Snowscape 8 Siam touring ski package. The skis promised stability and control.
The Siam 7 touring boots were comfy, warm and, married to the skis with Profi l Auto bindings.
She could imagine they’d be a wonderful way to travel into the nearby mountains.
Done deal, she announced to John and the salesman.
Red’s resolve was John’s undoing. Sensing a customer in decision-making meltdown, the
salesman quickly showed John a touring package that would be a perfect accompaniment
to his wife’s. It was built around Rossignol’s BC 65 AR touring ski, a backcountry ski that
can do time — if necessary — on-trail as well as off. Coupled with an Alpina 1550 boot
and Rossi’s BC Auto binding system, the package was appealing. Especially in light of
John’s long-standing love of touring and all-too brief infatuation with skate skiing.
This was not going to be easy.
It became less easy when the kids reiterated their general lack of desire to be the second
generation of Walkers married exclusively to Nordic gear. While they weren’t necessarily
ready to buy a season pass at one of the nearby resorts, they found the thrill of skiing
downhill at least as exciting — okay, more exciting — than touring for touring’s sake.
The daughter was emphatic. She had no interest in new Nordic gear. She had already
picked out a new, ultimate tele set-up: G3’s Aviatrix ski and Targa Ascent binding. Other
than her father’s blessing, er, credit card, she wasn’t interested in second guessing her
fi rst choice.
The son was just as adamant. The only free-heelin’ he was interested in was in uphill mode.
When gravity became the engine, he wanted to be one with his boards. The boards of his
dreams were the near-cultlike Movement Goliath skis married to a pair of solid, Fritschi
Freeride Plus bindings.
For three-quarters of the Walker household, life’s a bit easier. John feels like he’s caught
on the horns of a dilemma, though. Red’s enjoying watching him struggle… at least for
a little while. Any day now she’s going to suggest he give in and buy that skate package.
She’s also going to suggest he buy the touring package. After all, a guy should only do so
much suffering. — G.D. MAXWELL
ACCORDING TO THE 2007 SIA INTELLIGENCE REPORT
• The typical Nordic skier is between 35 and 54 years-old, a college graduate
with an average household income above $100,000/year
• 49.3% of Nordic skiers are female; 50.7% male
• 2.6 million Nordic skiers spent an average of 7.8 days skiing during the
2006/07 season
• Nordic equipment sales decreased 22% in value last season
• The number of participants, however, increased from 1.9 million to
2.6 million
• 18.8% of Nordic skiers also participate in Alpine skiing
• The average Nordic skier is using gear purchased in 1991
BY THE NUMBERS
VOLVO — OFFICIAL CAR OF