Anyone see Dragons' Den, the venture captial programme on BBC2 last night? It had an product designer and his biz partner pitching their snowbone. Its half a BMX that attaches to an existing snowboard. They got 75K from one investor despite a lot of cynicism.
I doubt you can invent a new derivative category of kit that will have any large scale appeal. BMXing/mtbing is bigger than snowboarding in that its year round and can be done outside special resorts. i.e. in the street. So taking it and applying to a more limited market, snowboarding isn't going to create that much of a substantial opportunity. This is evidenced by the publishers of Onboard launching Kingpin, a skate title. There's more skaters, readers and kit.fashion advertisiers for a year-round urban sport than in a wintersport.
Also concerned that such bikes are banned in resorts. Yes, boarding was banned once, but I dont see mgt changing things for a minority of a minority.
Also, if you want to do bmx-inspired tricks on snow, a snowboard is still the purest, best way to get air, rotate, flip etc.
Anyone disagree on Snowbones prospects?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
i caught the end of their slot on dragons den, with a little interest i took a look at the web site. Aswell as the points that u said, which i totaly agree with, it costs an absolute Bomb! fo what looks like a couple of tubes of metal! itll never work!
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?
I saw it too ... definite thumbs down !! But then again, the magazine to appeal to men/women was also a thumbs down from me ... but that got investment too !! Don't think its a good idea to try to appeal to both men and women in the same Glamour style magazine.
But the snowbone with the bike handlebars looked like a real DIY job, as made by a 12 y.o .. even though they claimed it was the finished product !! But fair play to them for getting 75,000 for sticking their bicycle handlebars to their boards !!
didn't bother checking out their website .. but how much does it cost cazaroo ??
Sonya, the one with the bike handlebars was a prototype. Behind the two presenters was another one - a curvy grey/white thing that looked quite sexy. The issue I have with the thing is that it's already been done many times before. There's a similar discussion in the Equipment forum about it.
FWICT the innovation in their product was that the handle bars are detachable.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
yeah, an add-on to an existing board is one of its few plus points - after-market enhancement, maxpower it.
Anyhow, power to them for getting the readies.
Let's see how they fare
I'm a skier, so I'm not interested in it (too old to change), but would you pay £200 for it? Not knowing how much a board costs, I think that's in addition to the price of your board, from which you need to remove the bindings in order to use the Snowbone.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
you can get anew board for £200 if you shop around. its just too pricey for the aftermarket. On any kit acquistion trajectory its going to come low down First you have the board, bindings, boots to be replaced every 3-5 years, Then's outerwear, then backcountry kit if that tickles you. Avalanche transceiver or toy? Choice is easy
Cheers
After all it is free
After all it is free
hyweljenkins, no they have two types of snowbone .. the one with the handlebars and the other slightly more professional looking one.
Rachel (?) had asked if they were proto types, and they said no, just two different versions of it.
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.
Have they patented it? It would be a doddle to make the same thing with a decent alloy scooter and some alloy baseplates. Even keep the front suspension!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
one would hope so..... but how different is it from other snowbikes which have been kicking around since sixties. Maybe the patent is in the attachment mechanism
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
one would hope so..... but how different is it from other snowbikes which have been kicking around since sixties. Maybe the patent is in the attachment mechanism
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.
I doubt it. I didn't see the programme but from the sounds of things they have just combined two existing ideas - the attachment "mechanism" from snowboard bindings, and a cut-up bicycle (something that has been used to attach to all sorts of thinsg before). Without being an expert in the field, I doubt that any of this constitutes the "inventive step" required to register a patent.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
This thread has seen a lot of inbound traffic from Google this month as this Dragons Den pitch just went live on YouTube:
With the benefit of hindsight, it would appear not to have been £75k well spent.
If only the Dragons had thought to ask snowHeads first
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
They thought the relationship went:
Snowboard : Snowbone <=> Skateboard : BMX
But they were wrong... in most respects.
The aspect in which they were right was that the Snowbone is less cool than a snowboard just like BMX is less cool than skateboarding.
It really is. If it wasn't, BMXers wouldn't care so much that it was just as cool as skateboarding while skateboarders just don't give a toss and wonder why it matters so much to the BMXers, who, by caring so much about how cool they are, are by definition less cool.
They failed to recognise the reason why, even though it was less cool than the already established skateboard, BMX took off: that being that BMX has distinct practical advantages over skating. A BMX is more suited to getting around town - go to school on it, drop in at the skatepark on the way home. BMX don't stall on gravel or twigs and their bearings don't get messed up by rain. Come Autumn, the skatepark can be a damp mess of leaves and litter, forcing skaters out, making it the exclusive domain of the BMXer.
These practical advantages gave BMX the space to grow and establish itself with some truly cool moves of its own, and consequently the self-respect to hold its own in the skatepark... it's still not as cool though
Actually the relationship maps more closely like this:
Ski : Snowboard : Snowbone <=> Skateboard : BMX : Micro-scooter
Although this is probably most accurate:
Ski : Snowboard : Blades <=> Skateboard : BMX : Micro-scooter
...which leaves the Snowbone out in the cold
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Don't mock. In 2021 you can still win ISPO awards for the same old worthless crap
(Any cynicism that you can win an ISPO award for simply rocking up....)
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
As someone has previously mentioned they have been around for years. I've seen a few on the slopes and never fancied a go as they look like death traps.
The kids are all into scooters at the moment so you never know I guess but they wouldn't have got my cash that's for sure!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Dave of the Marmottes, so yet someone else has re-invented it one more time again - and it's new at ISPO... again
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
