Gear Ticker: Interbike Goes ‘Public,’ Snowboard Sales Shrink & More

Gear Ticker: Interbike Goes ‘Public,’ Snowboard Sales Shrink & More

BikeRadar is reporting that Interbike, the biggest bicycle trade show in North America, will allow retailers to issue invitations to consumers to get into the pedal fest next year.

Basically the bike world’s version of Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket, this new strategy could allow two-wheelers to get a once in a lifetime sneak peek at gear they won’t even be able to purchase for months after the show. Held in Las Vegas each year, Interbike annually hosts more than 10,000 bicycle product exhibitors. Read the whole story here.

Snowboard Sales on the Descent

The global snowboard market continues to decline. According to a report titled the Global Snowboard Equipment Manufacturing Industry 2012-2017: Trend, Profit and Forecast Analysis recently released by Lucintel, a market research firm, snowboarding’s Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is forecast to decline 1.4 percent and reach $388.7 million sales worldwide by 2017.

The report makes this forecast despite noting, “Manufacturers are using direct promotions to reach consumers, enhance their profitability, and introduce innovative technology in their products such as hybrid snowboards to drive growth.”

Lucintel has identified that financial limitation, high learning curve and high injury rate, and rental equipment are the major industry growth challengers. Snowboard participation and snowboard events, good weather conditions, and favorable demographic trends and changes are the drivers providing the industry with a competitive advantage. For more, click here.

Liberty Bottlworks Wins First American Made Outdoor Gear Award

Liberty Bottleworks was named the overall winner of the first 2013 American Made Outdoor Gear Award. Conceptualized and hosted by paddlesport manufacturer Kokatat Inc., the award was open to all American manufacturers with a compelling story.

“Liberty stood out among the so many great stories we received,” said Jeff Turner of Kokatat, the founder and host of the American Made Outdoor Gear Award.  “Not only do they make a product in a highly competitive space that is dominated by imports, but they do so in a factory where the machines were also built in the US.”

Liberty Bottleworks began producing its American made, BPA-free, recycled aluminum water bottles in 2010 at a purpose-built factory in Yakima, Wash. As winners of the award, Liberty will take one-year ownership of the “Sassy” travelling trophy—a hand carved, 3-foot-tall, redwood Sasquatch from Humboldt County, CA.  An official presentation will be made on January 24, 2013, at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City.

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