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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
https://www.wildsnow.com/14017/black-diamond-equipment-business-changes-2014-2015/

This is a chipper uptake, inshort, they're stopping boots and freeride skis, Dynafit saw them off and soon their will be another big shift!!!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Seems like they're getting back to their roots. Considering their 'brand values,' the freeride-touring focus makes some sense.
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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?
haha, expensive mistakes made i feel, now money being ploughed into "lifestyle clothing" concept stores and E Commerce. One last chance to cash in "Core Values". Perhaps. The new CEO is followed by many failures in E Comms at Sony.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
US is a different market to Europe. However if you hit in soft goods then it's a licence to print money. Never ceases to amaze me the number of people carrying Da Kine and now Osprey packs in day to day urban commuting. Downside of course is that it proliferates SKUs.

Not sure I agree with Lou Dawson's assessment that the majority touring market in Europe is way beyond the boundary. Just because there are lot of multi day classics doesn't mean that lots of people aren't getting lift assisted day trips or indeed skinning from one of their local popular parking spots. Anyone got any stats? Not including skimo racers.


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sat 16-08-14 12:24; edited 1 time in total
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
CH2O, you think they're going down the The North Face line then?
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Quote:

Not sure I agree with Lou Dawson's assessment that the majority touring market in Europe is way beyond the boundary. Just because there are lot of multi day classics doesn't mean that lots of people aren't getting lift assisted day trips or indeed skinning from one of their local popular parking spots.


Have to agree, the guy knows nothing about the Euro market, like his site, but could be wiped of the map with a bit of better design and regular journalism.
The only stats I can provide you with are regards my shop sales in CHX. 80% of purchases are for "Boundary" skiing. So that is ballix for a start, in my world! and soon to be beyond. The new Dynafit DIN std will bring more aspirational elements to purchases for this domain. Simply put BD have overestimated the appeal of their brand and taken bad advice regards making skis and boots, it's cost them dearly and is ruining the brand year to year, so despite the products having their place, it's not BD's market.

clarky999, Possibly, yes, and TNF are backing away from that too, back to roots and Heritage!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Dave of the Marmottes wrote:


Not sure I agree with Lou Dawson's assessment that the majority touring market in Europe is way beyond the boundary. Just because there are lot of multi day classics doesn't mean that lots of people aren't getting lift assisted day trips or indeed skinning from one of their local popular parking spots. Anyone got any stats? Not including skimo racers.


The majority of the French touring market (and I think Italy is the same) are one day trips from a trailhead. I would still say that's "beyond the boundary" though so Lou Dawson is correct in that respect. You almost never see anyone on BD gear locally; I'm sure the skis are competent and they are certainly in the shops but they don't really have any outstanding "must have" skis. Is it a China thing? It can't help churning out your skis from a work gulag but K2 does it and they've had some pretty well received products (although always very heavily discounted at the end of season). As for boots, seems like you have to build them in Northern Italy even if you source components from China wink.

As for Tech bindings - here's a big cluestick for BD/Diamir - make them as light or lighter than Dynafit and more reliable if you want to sell any. People arn't buying tech bindings for extra weight or to have them break.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
davidof wrote:
Dave of the Marmottes wrote:


Not sure I agree with Lou Dawson's assessment that the majority touring market in Europe is way beyond the boundary. Just because there are lot of multi day classics doesn't mean that lots of people aren't getting lift assisted day trips or indeed skinning from one of their local popular parking spots. Anyone got any stats? Not including skimo racers.


The majority of the French touring market (and I think Italy is the same) are one day trips from a trailhead. I would still say that's "beyond the boundary" though so Lou Dawson is correct in that respect. You almost never see anyone on BD gear locally; I'm sure the skis are competent and they are certainly in the shops but they don't really have any outstanding "must have" skis.


Agree on all counts for Austria too, or at least what I see of it.
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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.
Apparently there are over 100 different models of ski touring skis on the market in 2015.

My own personal observation is that the number of pureplay ski touring participants has stagnated over the last couple of years after a period of high growth. Maybe less people around in 2014 compared to the season before and the conditions were not bad. There must be quite a lot of attics full of hardly used gear out there. BD should have been able to ride the growth up; Dynafit hardly started in a better position with a failed boot range (so bad even the sponsored skiers didn't want to use them) and lacklustre skis built in various eastern european sweat shops.

Regarding Lou, I know what SZK means about his site, it is pretty funky, but then so is snowheads as far as the platform goes. I thought he was seen as a reference, I know he's a bit too close to the industry and therefore has issues being objective but I guess that is the price to pay for being on the inside.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
BD's ski and boot range were full of internal problems, two teams of guys, neither wanting to work with the other, standard US vs Euro problems and views of the market. Their skis are good, their boots are good, but by BD admission neither right and both too late. Their perspective to me was. "We arrived on the pitch, before the other teams, the other teams had been training longer and were better prepared tactically. However we had a star player, basically they bought star players up through their youth team and with their experience we we're beaten before half time." This is how they tried to explain their inventing the genre we now know as Hybrid boots, and to some degree is true. I put it to them, that they "Turned up for the match ready to unveil their star player, however it was the wrong day, so they played without the other team being there and still couldn't score."
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