I've been snowboarding since I was 10 and hopefully will be a snowboard instructor next year, so naturally, I have decided to write my dissertation on it aha. I am a 3rd year Environment and Business undergraduate at the University of Leeds, UK. My dissertation is on how Corporate Social Responsibility of snowboard manufacturers can create value for stakeholders in the snowboard industry. One of my research methods is a survey with consumers (You guys!) about the perspectives and preferences for sustainability in the industry. I appreciate all of your responses and will be open to a conversation on your experience with my survey and will be happy to share the results of the study and my whole dissertation once it is complete!
Hope we can have a chat about sustainability below. I am also interviewing businesses, so if anyone is interested in how that goes lmk, or if anyone knows any insider contacts that would obvi help loads!
Just completed your survey, you should be aware that if a responder agrees to follow up and puts in their email address, it is then available publicly for all to see.
Doesn't seem like good gdpr. I expect there is a switch you can flick in the survey app to prevent the responders seeing all the results.
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?
@JimboS, Thankyou for making me aware of this issue, I am assuming this is due to respondents being allowed to look at results. I have disabled this feature to ensure that this information is not public.
Tbf I wanted the respondents to be able to see the results as they are definitely quite insightful, but if anyone would like to know the results now, please message me directly.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I asked Mrs B-H the questions as she snowboards and have completed. Good luck!
After all it is free
After all it is free
@TomBH, That certainly works too aha! Thanks Tom and Mrs BH!
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.
Done!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Done
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Completed the survey.
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 did your survey. I reckon you should ask how many people would turn down a day on a heli because of the environmental impact.
I wouldn’t
It’s easy to buy greenwashed boards but it’s not so easy to say no to a good powder day. And I wonder how many of the pro riders and brand owners really walk up a hill instead of flying or going up on a sled. Jones makes a big deal out of his leg powered philosophy but it’s not the norm.
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
Done.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@hang11, Ur right mate, the whole industry is built on unsustainable norms. Most people fly to the mountains to get their yearly ski in, and the helicopters used in filming video parts, mountain rescue and heli-skiing are certainly not environmentally friendly. As with everything though, changing how businesses operate, even if it doesn't diminish the impact of helicopters or air tourism, is a step in the right direction. Careful how you use the term greenwashed though because there are brands out there that are credible for the changes they make. Lmk if you want any examples.
Key to the BettyDrones will be the patented BettyBattery for towing itself, plus a skier, plus kit, plus uphill friction plus etc. For 10 minutes plus, then follow back down and repeat without recharging for half an hour every run... and if you can fix that then you've got a bigger fortune to go collect than ski drones.
@brokenbetty, I'm ready to invest, take my money! lol. http://youtube.com/v/lw6HDgv4ekE Seems like the technology already exists, now just gotta make it using hydrogen fuel cells.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
My old boss was passionate about hydrogen. He has a vision that African nations could be key global producers of green hydrogen.
After all it is free
After all it is free
I studied Geography at University of Leeds and graduated in 2009. What an amazing time I had! A lot of my studies had an interface with climate change and I became very environmentally conscious. I then discovered skiing (and then snowboarding) and became a regular, spending two seasons working in the alps, along with many holidays.
In my view, there is a lot of denial within the industry and also hypocrisy. You simply cannot go on a Winter sports holiday without leaving a massive carbon footprint. Some methods of travel are greener than others, but when you're there, the amount of energy required to lift you to the top of the mountain for each run is tremendous, as are the efforts to keep you warm, to transport everything you use up the mountain. I am sure some corporates will dress up some of this as being green/sustainable, but it simply isn't.
Anyway, I've learned to accept this and just get on with it anyway
Good luck to you and your research. I hope you are successful in your findings and continue to enjoy doing what you love.
I will now complete the survey...
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.
@Ryunis, Hi! That's awesome to hear you also studied at the University of Leeds, great uni and also having an amazing time here!
Quote:
spending two seasons working in the alps
Matter of fact I am also planning on doing a season next winter once I graduate. Will become a snowboard instructor and hopefully also spend two seasons (maybe more lol) instructing, and hopefully traveling too.
You are certainly right about the whole carbon footprint tied to traveling, mountain infrastructure and heating. It's something that's been on the back of my mind whilst I've been doing this research. I am actually at the Slide and Winter OTS convention, for snowsports and outdoor manufacturing and retail businesses, at the moment have had the chance to talk to loads of brands about their sustainability and their reasons for doing so. I've found that there is a lot these companies are doing and also sharing with each other how to be more sustainable. Rossignol and Picture for example both share their manufacturers and supply chain with other brands looking for more sustainable options.
Quote:
I am sure some corporates will dress up some of this as being green/sustainable, but it simply isn't.
In a way, yes. The companies are pioneering sustainability in an industry that has a massive carbon footprint, but like you said we all want to continue to do this sport without having to think of the consequences, so I am hoping these companies continue to take sustainability seriously and ensure they do the most they can to keep their emissions and overall social/environmental impact down. At the end of the day, it's the least they could do for the industry that requires a stable climate.
I really appreciate your input and thoughts, because the points you are making are very much unanimous amongst the consumer responses I am seeing, and I think this is super interesting.
Thanks for completing my survey!
Let me know if you want to know any of the results so far!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Thanks for the reply. Very interesting. I would love to see your results actually.
Have you heard of OneTreeataTime and Skiflightfree? Two organisations that could be worth looking at or even approaching for insight. The former focus on recycling and reutilising existing gear rather than continuously purchase new stuff, and the latter, well the name speaks for itself.
Tbh if I lived in the South I would be inclined to drive to the Alps for my ski holidays. I've done it for Summer holidays when not having to drive quite as far.
My dissertation was on a broadly similar topic and my conclusion was cash and convenience is king, even for all but the most extremely altruistic/environmentally conscious.that might have developed somewhat over the last decade. Sampling must be interesting?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Ryunis, Hi again. I've just checked out the two businesses/websites you mentioned, Onetreatattime has such a good idea, and certainly the way forward for environmentally conscious mountain lovers. I'm definitely going to be checking out the SkiFlightFree website, the information on consumer behaviour is definitely valuable to my research. Will have to contact them when I find the time. Thanks for sharing that information man! I actually live in Switzerland, so for me it's not too bad getting to the alps, however, I tend to fly home from uni... so I guess it doesn't make a difference sadly.
Quote:
My dissertation was on a broadly similar topic
Would you be able to send me over a copy of your dissertation? If it is vaguely about the environment it would be really helpful to see how you structured it. I can send the results of the survey so far to you via email if you'd like, I just need to figure out how to export it. If you want to see the results of specific questions I can probably easily upload them as a post.
Thanks again @Ryunis
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.
Done, I’d be interested to see the outcomes
I run a health and fitness products business and in my experience customers say they want sustainability, however as soon as you move the price upwards even by a small amount to support that, they go elsewhere to a cheaper option.
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
@trainee snowboard jedi, Hey Jedi, I'm working on a way to share the survey results once I finish my finals and clear up my interview schedule, but hoping to have this done next week. Thanks for taking my survey!
Quote:
I run a health and fitness products business
That's really cool, do you find customers value price over a premium product? As a student I certainly do, but I don't fully understand the health and fitness product industry. Sustainability is definitely not a high consumer priority in most industries, and what I'm hoping to hear from snowboard brands is their personal efforts in increasing sustainability without adding costs to the products. Unfortunately, this does mean making small changes over time, rather than big changes now (which every industry needs). Yet, companies like Capita, Niche, and Mervin Manufacturing make snowboards in facilities that run on renewable or low-carbon energy to save on energy bills in the long run, which is certainly cool to see and definitely a big change. Capita market this quite a lot on their boards, each one has a sticker with a QR code to read about it. I guess this is where they hope to derive value from sustainability.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
It depends on the brand position and product you sell. Clearly some brands are built around sustainability.
What we’re seeing is either you need to be at a value price for a ‘me too’ product irrespective of sustainability credentials, or very high end.
That said, most responsible companies are trying to introduce sustainable policies, however it’s baby steps, for us, we’re starting on packaging.
Re winter sports, Patagonia have a made a great business on being environmentally conscious.
Could you build snowboards from ocean plastic, sustainable bamboo and recycled metal and wrapper a eco brand around it? No idea, but it would be pretty cool and stand out.
For me personally, I’m not price sensitive as long as my very specific requirements in the board are met. I’d choose those requirements over any sustainable credentials. I buy Bataleon because it meets those requirements, I couldn’t tell you what their sustainability policy is or if they even have one.
Finally, recycling is not as green as you may think as it’s so energy intensive, but people seem to lap it up.
Good luck!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@trainee snowboard jedi,
I was actually thinking of Patagonia as I read your comment before you brought them up and wondering, do people buy their stuff because of the sustainability aspect or because they make nice stuff with a wicked ass logo? I may sound cynical but I think it's the latter. I would guess that most of their sales are motivated purely on aesthetic, just like how a lot of consumers won't purchase their goods for their technical attributes. See also: North Face, Columbia/any of the other technical companies who have recently become on trend.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@trainee snowboard jedi,
Quote:
we’re starting on packaging
That's great, would be interesting to know what obstacles you have found when integrating sustainable changes.
I actually had the opportunity last week to speak to Patagonia's UK Environment and Marketing Specialist and learned all about the company's business model. Their customer base, especially for the outdoor clothing section, demands durable long-lasting clothing and values the warranty and repair features they offer. Sustainability is important to them too, but like you are saying performance and "specific requirements" are much more important in environments where their products need to outperform other market brands like Northface and Berghaus. As a response to
@Ryunis, comment, their lifestyle clothing may, to a high degree, be chosen by consumers simply based on the aesthetics, logo, and brand reputation, but at least they are choosing a more sustainable product over one which may be less recycled, pay workers less and without the extended life cycle. I've got a few friends in my uni course doing dissertations on sustainable fashion and consumer choices, so could ask them if they know what consumers look for most.
Quote:
Finally, recycling is not as green as you may think as it’s so energy-intensive, but people seem to lap it up.
I just wrote an essay on UK waste management and environmental governance. It is certainly not sustainable, as 40% of recycling waste is incinerated for energy recovery ( specific to Leeds; by the RERF). Not to mention the transportation and sorting steps in the process which also add to its costs. Yet it's definitely better than landfill disposal. I'm kinda an opportunistic thinker and know with technological advances these processes will, and will have to, become more sustainable. The Environment Bill 2020 is an example of the UK taking steps to revise current policies and should see Waste prevention through extended producer responsibility (e.g plastic bag fee, waste taxes) become more commonplace in statutory instruments.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
