 Poster: A snowHead
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Brands mark the winners from the losers.
People will stare and laugh if you have skigear from a supermarket. |
Not if they can't keep up.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I hate consumerism, I hate marketing and thus I hate brands. If I can be perverse and get something good by avoiding paying what the brands demand (or get a last season's bargain or a lesser well known make, or something 2nd hand, or use military or non-ski kit, or decathlon... etc, etc, etc) then I will do so.
I do not believe that brands, whether it's ski or board or coffee or - well, whatever - offer better value, necessarily.
I will sometimes display brand loyalty, especially if I've had a good experience and received good value in the past: but it's easily destroyed.
Brand loyalty is great if the brand continues to offer the quality and technical specs and cost which suit you, and don't go changing their ranges, models, qualities, suppliers, manufacturers and all the rest of it all the blinking time.
I will sometimes be attracted to thinking of buying a specific model or make (whetehr clothing or equipment) because people might think better of me (e.g. I'm a real good all-mountain and race skier, honest) - but generally rarely go through with the purchase.
Equally, a very small thing (e.g. a rumour of poor quality or a bad experience) can put me off buying a whole brand's make, maybe forever.
Fundamentally, if you're good at what you're doing, you can to a great degree (with technical help from coaches and technicians) do it on anything. If you're not good at it, wearing or using an expensive top brand won't make you any better, but might get you laughed at by those who are 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Love my brand gear, got to look good. but for skis my preference is for nice matt black prototypes with little or no brand markings.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@SnoodyMcFlude, I've been to 'Uni' too ( I have either 3 or 4 degrees depending on how you count them, plus postgraduate qualifications), I'm not knocking 'Uni'. But I am knocking this sort of rubbish as anything at all to do with higher education. This is why UK Universities (as a whole not individual institutions / courses) add such little value and arguably may even result in poorer performance for everyone. (This isn't my idea by the way- there is very little correlation between the proportion of the population with a degree and economic success or happiness- See "Does Education Matter?- Wolf 2002).
Arguably it is exactly this sort of rubbish that adds nothing to an individual's productivity, takes them out of the labour market and makes them economically inactive for 3 years and drains the finances of their parents whilst they play "Port to port' on the cross channel ferry.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Grizzler, Decathlon is a brand...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Brands mark the winners from the losers.
People will stare and laugh if you have skigear from a supermarket. |
The only losers are those that feel the need to judge others as winners or losers, especially if it's based on what brand of clothes they are wearing
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@ed123,
Too true, whilst there are many careers that do need that period of higher education (medicine?)
Many of the people that I know that are most economically productive and financially successful, do not have a degree and some left school with little or nothing in the way
of qualifications.
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In all sporting disciplines there are brands and subcultures, associated tribes, relevant to a particular discipline, along with those* that will be vehemently anti brand / anti innovation / anti tech and then those that wisely do not get sucked into the latest perceived "must have".
Skiing / snowboarding is not so much a sport as a past time / hobby etc (there have been threads on that I seem to recall) - where people might only partake in it for one or two weeks a year.
I think it's when you compete, or have competed in any discipline or partake in that sport at an advanced level that people start to drift towards brands and tech innovations to seek out increased performance.
Cycling and the whole MAMIL thing is a great example of that - many cyclists would see a much better increase (and cheaper) in performance if they lost weight rather than go and buy a £3k set of wheels (I kid you not).
In certain sports safety and reliability is encompassed by certain brands.
In kitesurfing quality/reliability of kit is paramount in safety obviously along with not being an idiot and people will pay a premium for that, the gear that is as money can not stop you being an idiot (all the gear and no idea).
The majority of those that have never competed or are not of a competitive nature and are happy with their "lot" are quite right to be happy not worrying about what they are wearing / riding.
And the majority of my mates are the opposite, new skis, new gear every season, only the best etc etc
Where I get annoyed is when brands do promote the latest must have as they all jump on the band wagon with the latest design that is meant to perform so much better than the previous years model, the skill is then to try and ascertain whether indeed the latest design does actually work or is it just a gimic to get you to buy the latest.
Most years I do a 120km ride "tour of the Surrey hills" - this is not a MAMIL sportive event but an old fashioned AUDAX event and it's great to see a few guys on bikes with no tech (gps etc), just a map on the handlebars, old style toe clips and a ten year old or so bike, and as for their fashion sense !!?? but these guys are wiry little gits around 65kg and they leave you for dead!
Actually thinking about it, some of the Frenchies from my local CAF I go ski touring with are like that 
And they might fly uphill, but their old narrow skis are not too good on the descents.
*A fair few on this forum
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I used to love brands. For example North face jackets. I then had one fall apart on me and started buying more expensive, but less well know kit (Norrona/Sweet Protection) after reading reviews. This kit has lasted me.
The most important btand to me when skiing (clothing-wise) is Gore-Tex, and the level of protection on offer. I just know it works, now.
Skis, again, when I started I loved brands. I liked Whitedot, for the look of the skis, frankly. As I have progressed, I have tested skis first, and bought the ones best for the role - so my latest are Head iSLs, which are ugly and uncool. But the best consumer race ski I have tried.
But to say I have left brand behind would be a lie. I like shiny things, skiing is a treat, and I like to treat myself whilst, well, treating myself. So Oakley Goggles, because they perform, look good and I like the brand (I use them for sunglasses too).
As others have said brand loyalty lassta as long as that brand performs. If Oakley's quality declined as TNF's did, I would buy something else.
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@Harry Flashman, I'm with you, there are brands and brands, wearing Sweet Protection says you don't follow the crowd but you know what you're doing!!
Having said that i have a Salomon ski jacket and trousers. so not that cool but in terms of protection it's up there with Kjus and Spyder!
my lid is bolle, which i think is cool!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| gazzaredcruiser wrote: |
| @Harry Flashman ...wearing Sweet Protection says you don't follow the crowd but you know what you're doing... |
So, not a skiing subculture, then?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @Grizzler, Decathlon is a brand... |
Well not quite - all my stuff from there is called Quecha, Wedze, Tribord, Kipsta , B'twin etc
But it's pretty much as close to unbranded as you can get for relatively technically items where the "manufacturer" has had significant design input. Which I'd contrast with say Tesco's cycling accesories which were probably sourced by a Hong Kong op from generic Chinses manufacturers and slapped with some sort of Velo logo.
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One more addition to this thread. With regards to bindings, I have only ever bought one pair of bindings. What swayed me with regard to bindings, was what I was sold. I had no clue regarding brands, or quality, or what I required.
If I was to buy another pair of skis, with new bindings, I would pay a lot more attention to the bindings. It is the bindings that will save your legs/knees, rather than the skis or boots. (or snowboard)
People do not really pay much attention to bindings. I think they are the most critical part of your kit!
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FAQ
