Fürnitz, Austria - Elan’s snowboard factory in Fürnitz, Austria, the world’s largest, has been purchased out of bankruptcy by CAPiTA Snowboards. At an April 12 insolvency hearing, the CAPiTA ownership group, filing under the Austrian name C4future GmbH, was granted legal right to assume control of the factory. Facility control was obtained April 15 and…
McLean, VA - SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and Leisure Trends Group have released retail numbers for the period from August through March 2012-13, and total market projections based on data collected from the point of sale systems of more than 1,200 snow sports retailers indicate that the 2012-13 ski and snowboard season brought in $3.4…
Minneapolis, MN - Continuing its expansion into the Midwest launched by the purchase of Afton Alps ski area in Minnesota and Mount Brighton in Michigan this past winter, Vail Resorts has now acquired Hoigaard’s Sporting Goods Store in Minneapolis through its retail subsidiary, Specialty Sports Venture. In business since 1895, the 20,000 square-foot Hoigaard’s store…
Portland, OR - Running and ball sports brand Adidas is preparing a new line of gear and apparel for a fall debut, this time for snowboarding. First jointly announced in January at the SnowSports Industries America show in Denver, Colo., and the ISPO trade show in Munich, Germany, new snowboard boots, goggles, clothing and more…
Fürnitz, Austria - Austrian media outlets are reporting that Elan’s snowboard plant in Fürnitz has filed for bankruptcy. Company officials blame increased raw materials costs and a decline in contract production for the bankruptcy of the plant, which employs 78 people full-time and another 90 seasonally. More than four million snowboards have been manufactured at…
Salt Lake City, UT - Black Diamond, Inc., a Utah-based supplier of high performance outdoor, action sport and ski equipment, is expected to appoint Aaron Kuehne to interim chief financial officer, effective March 15, 2013, serving as the company’s principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. Kuehne, the company’s current vice president of finance, will…
Truckee, CA - A one-of-a-kind handmade Gibson Classic Custom Les Paul guitar has been produced and painted with the top sheet graphic of the 2013 Völkl Shiro ski by the artisans at Gibson Guitar in Nashville, Tenn. This unique guitar will be sold via an eBay auction currently underway through 12:01 a.m. PST on Feb. 24, with proceeds…
Alameda, CA - The North Face, an original partner of U.S. Freeskiing, is taking the next step in its dedication to the sport through U.S. Freeskiing’s new Rookie Team. This partnership builds off the brand’s charter sponsorship of the U.S. Freeskiing Team, which began in 2011 just before halfpipe and slopestyle skiing were announced as…
Mountain View, CA - Internet giant Google took the first step yesterday to adding ski lifts and trails to its popular mapping product for the web and smart phones. Initially offering ski data for 38 resorts across North America, including such popular destinations as Squaw Valley, Calif., and Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada, as well…
McLean, VA - SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and Leisure Trends Group have released U.S. retail ski and snowboard equipment and apparel sales numbers for August-December 2012, extrapolated from data collected from the point of sale systems of more than 1,200 snow sports retailers. December started slow in the snow sports marketplace, but the onset of…
