It looks like at least someone on Wall St. has finally seen the light...

The Worst Stock for 2007: Crocs

By Matt Koppenheffer

December 21, 2006

Let me start out with a couple blasts from the past:

• Pet Rock
• Platform shoes
• Jelly shoes
• Slap bracelets
• L.A. Gear
• Beanie Babies, Reebok Pumps, Bellbottoms, Lava Lamps, Koosh balls &

Organic, Fair Trade, and Locally Grown...

I had been planning on writing a post about an article I read in The Economist while I was waiting for my flight to be canceled in Portland, but it looks like Drew beat me to it.

Anyway, here are my two cents. The Economists made some great points, especially concerning locally grown produce. For example, They found an interesting fact that more than 50% of fuel used in food transportation is used by consumers driving to the market. Therefore, driving further to buy locally grown produce at a farmers market uses much more fuel than driving down the street to the supermarket. As it turns out transporting large quantities of food in 18-wheelers is the most efficient model for fuel economy.

However, their arguments against organic produce and fair trade produce cancel each other out, in my opinion. On one hand, The Economists claim that organic produce is worse because it is inefficient and uses too much land. On the other hand, they claim fair trade produce doesn't work because it rewards farmers who are already creating an over-supply of their crops. Wouldn't going organic create some inefficiencies and stop the over-supply problems?

I am sure there are some pieces to the puzzle I am missing, but then again, the arguments against organic farming in the Economist did not take into account the massive algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico (caused by synthetic fertilizers) that is killing most of the sea life and destroying the shrimp industry...

Off to Portland...

...to check out the latest from Merrell.

What a great city - even if it is raining.

Rumor Confirmed...

Columbia Pulls Out of OR, MAGIC, & WSA
SportsOneSource Media Posted: 12/12/2006

Columbia will not have a booth at OR, MAGIC or WSA in 2007. According to a company spokesperson, this decision was made because buying is happening earlier in the season and at a faster pace, so the timing of OR no longer coincides with Columbia's selling window. The company will have a meeting room for PR and Investor Relations meetings but no booth.

OIA Scores...

Congress has approved legislation that for the first-time provides a permanent source of funding for local parks and trails. The precedent-setting legislation establishes a direct source of funding for the Stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund that would not be subject to the whims of the appropriations process.

Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) has achieved two major trade victories for the outdoor industry. In the closing hours of the 109th Congress, the House and Senate passed trade legislation containing several OIA-crafted provisions that would eliminate import tariffs on certain kinds of athletic footwear.

The legislation would also grant permanent normalized trade relations (PNTR) for Vietnam. Both were top priorities for this first year of the OIA trade program. The twelve footwear tariff relief measures will apply to certain footwear that incorporates a laminated or coated textile fabric. Ten eliminate tariff rates on these products, some as high as 37.5%, and two would reduce tariff rates to 12.8 and 15.2%.

Link

Scooped?

Mitch over a TelemarkTips.com recently blanked out his news section to hype a piece of news that he claimed will be talked about "a decade from now." The news went live at midnight (MST) on Friday December 8th and as it turns out, Black Diamond is working on a telemark boot/binding interface that is step-in, and releasable. TelemarkTips claimed it is the "Holy Grail" of telemark, and indeed, I would have to agree. Anyone who has stooped over with frozen hands struggling to get into a telemark binding while your alpine skier friends clip in with a single stomp knows how important a system like this could become.

I have to say, Mitch's plan was absolutely brilliant. It was an old trick, but it played out perfectly.

And apparently someone named Tyrone is pissed that he got scooped.

This Week in The B.O.S.S. Report

The news was short but sweet this week. Here are some excerpts.

Overall outerwear sales from the retailers covered by SportScanINFO are up in the mid-20’s for the month of November, including “Black Friday.” All of this increase came from outdoor inspired outerwear. The outdoor outerwear category saw sales increase in the upper 60% range

Snow Sports outerwear saw sales decline in the double-digits for the month, however, this category remains more evenly distributed between brands. Columbia controls the largest part of the market share, but Spyder Active Sports, TNF, Pacific Trail, Arc’Teryx, and Burton are making considerable strides in both sales and market share in the category.

Since OIA acquired Outdoor University in January, the organization has been working with retailers, manufacturers, and sales reps to see how best to shape this program to meet the needs of the industry. Previously the program was designed exclusively to help retail floor staff learn about gear and retail floor sales strategies. Now the program will be re-focused to fill a vital gap in the talent pipeline between floor staff and management.

LINK

Quote of the Week

"First of all, The Mervin Snowboard factory near Canada on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State only makes snowboards. We do make a huge variety of different models. The snowboards you are referring to are longer and much narrower than traditional snowboards. People who ride them mount ski bindings on them and ride two of them at a time, one per leg. We call them Lib Tech NAS which stands for “Narrow Ass Snowboards.”

Greg Hughes
Mervin Mfg

EPA Honors (a few) outdoor companies

The EPA announced award recipients for several green energy market leaders. Among the companies honored were prAna, Aspen, and Vail. While several big outdoor and snowsports names were noticeably absent from the list, there was one bit of good news in the release.

According to a new report released this week by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, at the end of 2005, more than 2,000 megawatts (MW) of new renewables capacity was being used to supply green power markets. This represents a 10-fold increase from the year 2000.

LINK

The Poseur's Guide to Snowboarding

This means nearly everything you wear to the mountain should be made specifically for use while snowboarding or skiing. If the store has underwear for skiing or riding, buy it, wear it, and tell all your friends. Plaster name brands like Rossignol, Salomon, and Burton all over your person.

LINK

An Interview with Frank Yohannan, President & CEO of the Sea Otter Classic.

Frank discusses Sea Otter's recent strategic partnership with Eurobike.

Howies Speaks

LINK

"Even though we had been lucky to find some funding through Finance Wales, we both felt getting further Venture Capital would put too much pressure on us to grow and, maybe, force us to start cutting corners that we would have found hard to live with.

So the answer for both of us was clear and that was to find a like-minded company to help howies become brilliant at being howies."

This Week in The B.O.S.S. Report

We spoke with nearly all of the major outdoor e-commerce folks to see who was selling what and when.

Here's the Link

We also had the Howies story mentioned below. This company has been on a few radars for quite a while now and it should be interesting to see what Timberland does. The announcement of this acquisition sure silenced anyone who though TBL was looking to sell off to a private equity company. I'm still not convinced that an MBO isn't a possibility though. The bottom line is that Mr. Swartz is building an impressive holding company focused on eco-friendly brands. Howies is certainly a welcome addition.

other stories included:

o Garmin acquires Dynastream.
o Quiksilver inks JV in Mexico.
o Zumiez November comps jump 12%.
o U.S. Supreme Court hears CO2 regulation case.
o Eurobike partners with Sea Otter Festival.
o Easton-Bell Sports integration progresses.
o Thule's Sportrack acquisition changes Canadian
distribution.
o Orange 21 struggles with LEM acquisition.
o TSA lands eight Copelands leases.
o Oakley acquires military eyewear company.
o OIF searches for Outdoor Idols.

Timberland Acquires Howies

The Timberland Company has acquired Howies Limited, an active sports brand founded on the idea of designing and manufacturing clothing for the inspired action sports and outdoor customer. Howies was created to serve as a voice and mechanism for communicating a core environmental and social conscience, to ask a different question and show the world that there is another way to do business. Howies will continue to be led by its local management team in Cardigan Bay, Wales, U.K.

"We are excited and inspired by the brand potential we see in Howies and are pleased to welcome them to the Timberland family," said Jeffrey Swartz, Timberland's President and CEO. "We look to invest in like-minded brands that are focused on innovation, authenticity and integrity, and Howies encompasses all of these core values. Together we will leverage our complementary strengths to bring our brands to new consumers and new markets."

David Hieatt, Howies' co-founder, shared, "Following our initial contact with Timberland, we had a clear vision of the compatibility between the companies. Timberland is progressive, committed to the concept of making a difference in all that they do and their values matched ours. They understood why we do business our way. It's their way too."

Check out this week's BOSS for the full story...

Quote of the Week

“We sell more units of the men’s and women’s Denali jacket than any other item we have by a ratio of 20 to one. I wouldn’t say that those are being sold to our target audience though. The hard-core participant that we target isn’t buying those. At some point there will be too many kids on campus wearing The North Face and they won’t want to wear it anymore. We’ve seen a few of the College papers writing about it and basically bashing that look. That’s basically an early indicator that at some point, that look is going to go away. It may be next year or the year after. When that happens, it’s going to be a huge shift in all of our businesses. Basically its four SKU’s that make up a big part of our business that will just fall out of favor.”

- Anonymous Outdoor Retailer

EuroBike Strikes Again...

I know I said the InterBike killer was dead, but it looks like its ready to go for it again.

EuroBike just inked a "strategic partnership" with the Sea Otter Classic Festival.

"Messe Friedrichhafen is committed to raising its profile in the United States," says CEO Klaus Wellmann. The Eurobike team will first concentrate on creating a partnership framework with the Sea Otter Classic Festival. "We'd like to harmonize the trade show with the sporting event for the spring start of the cycling season, in order to reach manufacturers, retailers, the media and consumers more consistently," explains Wellmann.

North Carolina Climbing at its best....

Lost In Space on Hawksbill in the Linville Gorge.

Cloudveil for sale?

It looks like Cerebrus, the PE fund behind Cloudveil's parent company, SBI has hired Goldman Sachs and Rothschild to come up with a valuation for SBI. Is a sale in the works, and will they break out Cloudveil and Fila separately?

I know there is a major shortage of premium brands in the outdoor industry for sale these days, and I'm sure the bidding war over Cloudveil will be heated. If it's actually for sale.

Potential Buyers? I could see Quiksilver (ZQK) getting in on the action as well as Armor Holdings (AH) (Gregory's parent company), Liz Claiborn (LIZ), ORC Industries and a number of PE firms. Also, lets not forget about the possibility of an MBO.

Retailer Update

It looks like Mammut is partnering with IME in New Hampshire to renovate their store...

Link

...ExOfficio is launching a new Bellvue store...

Link

...and, a hunting retailer in PA was busted for selling weapons to Russia, Kuwait, Germany and Japan.

Link

Winter Without Snow...

I've been looking into this recently and it is pretty clear that the global ski industry is getting hit hard by warming temperatures. Several World Cup events have been cancelled this year, the most recent was in Val D'Isere. This is a resort with terrain above 10,000 feet, similar to most of the Utah resorts. It's not only hitting the resorts but also retailers. Hardgoods sales are particularly vulnerable.

The Ski Industry has formed a non-profit to address this issue called Keep Winter Cool. They have this NASA Photo that illustrates our predicament nicely.

This seems to be a key issue impacting bot the ski industry and the outdoor industry. Perhaps its time to cross borders and start working together on this. Right now it seems as though the only folks supporting this are the National Ski Areas Association and the Natural Resources Defence Council.

Armstrong the Business Mogul

Forbes just published an interview with Lance. here are a few excerpts...

It's all about hard work and commitment. On the bike and in business, it's about being consistent, making your case, having the best people around you and telling the most compelling story. But there are real differences. In racing, you put in the effort, test yourself and you have a really good shot at success. While that's also true in business, fundraising and research, it can all be made more difficult by the political process. Success in those areas isn't measured in miles or a weekend race. It can take a really long time to succeed.

The political process is so cutthroat. I'm not sure why you'd subject yourself to all of that, possibly win and then find out all you really have is a full time job! [Laughs] That said, public service is one of the highest forms of nobility you can aspire to. I just don't know if it's for me.

Link

The Interbike Killer is Dead...

According to Bike Biz:

The 'Interbike killer' is no more. At least not until 2008. Maybe. There was an underwhelming reaction from the US bike industry when the Friedrichshafen-owned Eurobike show said it wanted to stage a September trade show in Portland, Oregon.

Word on the street...

Bike Europe is reporting that Bianchi may be sold in the near future...

Retailer Update

With a new apparel line coming out this year and the ability to outfit folks in head to toe "M" branded gear, is Wolverine World Wide ready to pursue its own Merrell retail strategy?


Merrell to Open Second U.S. Retail Store

Merrell opened its second U.S. retail store on Friday, November 24 at the Forum on Peachtree Parkway located on the northern perimeter of Atlanta in Norcross, GA. The opening of the Atlanta store follows the opening for the first Merrell retail store in Huntington, N.Y. last December...

The Piton Honored by OIA?

Drew over at Wicked Outdoorsy is suggesting that OIA may be honoring The Piton as the Outdoor Innovator of the year. I would have to agree with him, The Piton has shaken things up quite a bit over the past two years.

BR&IN is reporting that BMX Business News is no more.

B.O.S.S. This Week

Even with the holidays right around the corner we had a busy news week.

Cascade Designs Moves on with New Leadership...

Joe Mc Swiney, the new president of Cascade Designs, sat down for a conversation with The B.O.S.S. Report to discuss his goals for the company. Cascade Designs is facing some challenges that several maturing companies in the outdoor industry are looking to address. Many of the classic outdoor brands were founded during the backpacking boom of the mid to late 1970’s and today, are faced with sustaining the energy of the brand in the absence of the founders.

"It's my intention that the organization last a very long time, and I consider that to be one-hundred years plus," said Mc Swiney. "So it is essential that we transition beyond the original founders. Organizations tend to get their core purpose from their founders, the reason for existence, and sometimes organizations take that for granted. So, it's important to manage that transition. This is not a today or tomorrow thing, John Burroughs is going to be around for quite a while, but it’s something to set up so the transition happens smoothly."
LINK

Timberland Sale Rumors Swirl in the Press…

Wall Street and the business media were all abuzz last week after the Wall Street Journal published a story suggesting that The Timberland Company was exploring strategic options for the company, including a potential sale. Timberland is reportedly valued at nearly $2 billion. The Journal, Reuters and others cited "people familiar with the matter" as their source for the information.

WSJ said that Goldman Sachs had been called in to assist the company with the sale and Timberland has been reaching out to potential buyers. The Times of London also fueled the speculation writing that, “The company is believed to have held 'preliminary and informal' talks with at least three potential buyers, all of which were private equity firms.” Timberland officials contacted by The B.O.S.S. Report declined to comment on what were described as "rumors."
LINK

Other Stories include:

􀂄 Johnson Outdoors improves nearly all metrics in fiscal Q4… (Page 3)
􀂄 Gander Mountain swings to profitability in Q4… (Page 4)
􀂄 Eddie Bauer Q3 loss grows; inks deal to go private… (Page 4)
􀂄 Dick’s SG beats Q3 guidance, raises full year estimates…(Page 5)
􀂄 Royal Robbins sees record Q3… (Page 6)
􀂄 Zumiez Q3 margins hit by new stores… (Page 6)
􀂄 Easton Bell integration rolls on with strong Q3 results… (Page 6)
􀂄 Mammut acquires German headlamp brand… (Page 7)

New York City

Well, I've been absent from the blog world for the past two days - on the road in New York to finalize everything for the December issue of Outdoor Business and Sporting Goods Business. I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about these issues. Other than transferring some data from one server to another, the integration is done and we are rolling ahead full steam. This will be the first round of magazines where Lou and I have had any real input. Its also the first round where we've been able to communicate the new focused direction of the magazines. Its great working with the group up there. Having so many talented editors, - and an art director - its a fun time to work here.

I think everyone will be able to see the difference in the next issue. And, this is just the first step. January will be even better.

Merrell Apparel

It looks like Merrell will be officially launching their first apparel line at Winter Market. The folks at Wolverine have been telling the Wall Street analysts about this for over a year now and it should be interesting.
Supposedly they brought in designers from places like Juicy Couture...

RSN Has a Few New Owners

And one of them is John Cumming.

Resort Sports Network, RSN, will be sold to private investors with extensive expertise in the media and resort industries...
The investor group consists of private investors with extensive media, resort and acquisition expertise. Some of the key individuals are Mark A. Burchill, a cofounder of 24/7 Media (Nasdaq: TFSM) an Internet advertising company; John Cumming, CEO of Powdr Corp. which owns ski resorts including Park City Resort, Alpine Meadows, Mt. Bachelor, Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort and a founding partner of Mountain Hardware; Len Conway, a former equity partner in Telluride Ski and Golf Corp.; and John Cooney, an owner of EUE Screen Gems, Ltd., one of the largest film production companies in the US.

There's Oil in them thar Hills!

Whether you believe John Dalton's technique really could get oil from shale, or if you'd be better off burning a box of cornflakes, the gov't feels we've reached a point where environment be damned, we need to try. As usual, the oil guys say everything will be fine, while everyone who isn't labeled as a line item in their ledgers says there's definitely not been enough research done to see what effects their work will have on the local wilderness.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15712936/

From msnbc.com via AP

Of course lost in the discussion is that since we need to get the oil from the shale and the ground will no doubt have to be torn up, we'll need to take down those forests and remove those minerals. But that's ancillary really and not worth worrying about...

Blog Marketing

Tim Jackson over at Shut Up and Drink the Kool Aid linked to an interesting pdf of marketing execs talking about why they blog. Certainly some good stuff.

Link

Word on the street...

...is that Timberland has hired Goldman Sachs to pursue strategic alternatives...

This could be a very interesting strategic buy for several companies in the outdoor industry. VFC probably has the cash to do it, but so does Nike.

However, judging by some of the recent Timberland conference calls with Wall Street analysts and the media that I have listened to, I would bet management wants to take the company private, so look for a large PE firm to step up to the plate.

Retailer Update

Chalk up another store for Sport Chalet. That's 44 now.

Number 6...

BaseCampComm.com just ranked us as the number 6 most influential Blog in the outdoor industry.

Considering we've been at this for less than three months, I'm pretty happy with that.

Although I think he forgot a few...

11. The Mountain World Dougald really knows just about everything there is to know about climbing - the industry and the sport.

12. ShanesLogic - Everything about steepcreeking in the South from a real whitewater industry perspective.

13. National Parks Traveler Kurt gets around the country more than anyone I know. And he has news on everything there is to know about National Parks.

14. FeedTheHabit.com Want gear reviews? want show reviews? they've got it.

15. GapingVoid Is there a "best of" blog list that doesn't have GapingVoid? It's not outdoor specific, but if you are a student of blog marketing, it's a must-read.

Retailer Update

lucy Opens San Fransisco Store

and

Eddie Bauer was acquired.

Although not by VF, like some folks were speculating.

The funny thing about this deal is that the PE firm that owned E.B.'s parent company before E.B. was spun off as its own public company (three months ago) was also one of the firms that just acquired it.

ROI moves ahead with a new name and mission statement

Retailers of the Outdoor Industry has acted as the most successful outdoor industry buying group since 1990 when several retailers decided to join forces and compare
best practices at the Outdoor Retailer trade show. The group has grown considerably since then and now, Dave Matz, R.O.I.’s president since 2001, is taking the
organization to the next level with a name change and a completely new mission statement. R.O.I. will now be called the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance....

Check out this weeks' B.O.S.S. for the full story.

plus:

o Head grabs winter sports market share…
o Sport Chalet swings to fiscal Q2 profit…
o Retail in Australia sees a shake-up…
o Rocky sees sales decline in several areas…
o LaSportiva aims for zero waste…
o Black’s Leisure sees tough environment for Millets outdoor retail in U.K.
o Vietnam to join WTO…

While the rumors may have been denied...

Timbuk2 just announced the appointment of Perry Klebahn as New CEO...

Looking to get involved with wind power?

Be careful...

On October 24, 2006, a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, entered orders of Final Judgment against U.S. Wind Farming, Inc. and William L. Telander. The Final Judgments permanently enjoin Wind Farming and Telander from violating several sections of the Securities Act.

The Final Judgments also bar Wind Farming and Telander from participating in penny stock offerings.

The Court also ordered Telander to return any shares of Wind Farming stock in his possession, custody or control to Wind Farming, and ordered Wind Farming to cancel all shares that defendants in this matter are ordered to return.

Somebody's happy...

"Pombo's defeat is not just a victory for the people of California's 11th-district. This is a moment to be savored by anyone who loves Yosemite National Park or the California coast or Giant Sequoia National Monument, places Pombo worked to mine, drill, or log. On the issue of energy policy in particular, America is extremely fortunate to be replacing someone who's energy priorities were dictated by Big Oil with a man who is an expert on renewable wind power and who has the vision to help our nation develop smart new energy technologies and jobs."
-Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope

So will Tuesday's results Help the Bicycle, Outdoor, and SnowSports Industries?

Environmentalists on Wednesday hailed Democratic victories in United States congressional elections as a possible harbinger of change in the global-warming policies of the world's top polluters.

"This is a good thing for environmentalists who want more give and take on how national policy is developed."

GOP Rep. Richard Pombo, the powerful chairman of the House Resources Committee, plunged to stunning defeat at the hands of an almost unknown Democrat, Jerry McNerney, as Democrats wrested control of the House from the GOP...


Or Hurt them?


“The Democratic Party ... will protect the interests of small and medium American enterprises and labor and that could produce an impact on China-U.S. trade relations,” Zhang Guoqing of the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said

Free trade concerns after Democrat wins in US

Quote of the Week

"Name any climb in North Carolina and I can give you at least one reason it should have an R next to the grade."

-Phil Hoffman, NC Climbing Guide

Word on the street...

It sounds like Spyder is launching a new apparel brand

and

Giro is launching something in hardgoods (other than helmets)...

Biofuel or Fuel Efficiency

Here's the main reason the "Biofuel instead of fuel efficiency" argument doesn't work for me...

Exploding U.S. Grain Demand For Automotive Fuel Threatens World Food Security And Political Stability

Judge gives a flat to fixed-gear bike riders

Can you believe we're wasting court time on this...

Link

The latest round in the struggle between Portland traffic officers and fixed-gear bicycle riders went in favor of the police Monday as a Multnomah County Circuit judge found four cyclists guilty of riding a bike without a brake.

First, North Carolina wins the Stanley Cup...

...and now we have the first ski resort on the east coast to open.

Link

Retail Update

There are a few new store openings today:

The Walking Company

Topo Ranch General Store

Sport Chalet

On top of that, Copeland's is selling most of its assets to TSA

It may be the McFleece of the outdoor industry...

but it is also one of the most successful jackets ever.

The Piton is showing the myriad of colors the Denali comes in this year.

Our Research shows that the Denali pulled in well over $6 million in sales... in October alone.

REI Gives Seed Money to Launch Ahnu...

From this morning's BOSS Report


Van Dine and Partners, which is comprised of many of the former managers at Keen Footwear, plan to launch a new footwear brand that will make its debut in April
of 2007. Ahnu, taken from “Anu”, the Celtic goddess of well-being, is expected to be targeted at outdoor specialty.

...

One interesting twist is that REI will provide seed investment to support the company’s start-up costs, giving it a minority stake in Ahnu. A unique requirement
of the investment is that any profits REI may realize above its initial investment and related administrative costs will be donated to a non-profit that has a clear
mission of introducing people into the outdoors and protecting natural lands. The non-profit will be mutually agreed upon by both companies.

For the full story...

well, you need to subscribe.

Every Climber should Read This...

From Black Diamond Equipment

Thanks for the link Dougald

Troubles with SGI?

It looks like SGI the magazine no longer exists...

Pie Charts

After all of the money speak yesterday, I felt we needed some pie charts to lighten the mood...

Interesting Post from Cyclicio

Eurobike, Interbike, PR and Crisis Management

It is interesting how VNU has handled this news especially with their blog postings.

It is also interesting how Eurobike is handling their PR around the announcement. The story has appaeared in Bike Europe first and then appeared in, BR&IN, Velo News and Outdoor Business UPDATE.

There was no big PR push in the U.S. and there is no mention coming directly from Eurobike.

To me it seems as if they are just testing the waters with an announcement that is sure to make some news. By announcing the dates so close to InterBike, they certainly shocked the industry. At the same time they created an uphill battle for themselves. It's going to be very hard to convince any marketing department to drop InterBike for an unproven show, even if it is in Portland (which, in my humble opinion, is a much better location than Vegas).

Anyway, we'll be keeping our eyes on both parties to see how the game plays out...

Monthly Retail Report

The monthly sales for the 40+- public companies that we cover on a regular basis came in today. We've been reading press releases and publishing stories since 6:30 am. In the heat of things we don't really get much time to digest the information, but now that things have slowed a bit I can get a 10,000 foot view of what's going on out there. Most of the companies we cover are more pertinent for the Sporting Goods Industry than the outdoor industry, but there are a few that offer some interesting insights.

It's pretty clear that Zumiez is mopping up the action sports crowd, and PacSun is paying the price. It's interesting to see the impact that adding a hardgoods department has on sales. Even if hardgoods are just a small part of Zumiez business, it adds so much more authenticity to the shops that PacSun just can't compete.

We also look at Big Dog Holdings regularly. Why? BDOG owns The Walking Company which is basically an outdoor footwear mall-based shop. TWC is posting some impressive double-digit comp-sales results and basically saving BDOG from some serious losses.

Some big-picture results include Wal-Mart - sales were basically flat for the month, and the company's outlook for November is the same. Some would say this is a clear sign of slowing retail, but Target, Costco, and Kohl's are all posting much better results. Is it possible that Wal-Mart is seeing some consumer backlash?

Finally, DSW, which carries a surprisingly large selection of Merrell footwear, is also seeing some positive results this month.

The public companies that do business in the Bicycle, Outdoor and SnowSports arena seem to be doing well. Even the small specialty shops that I talk to regularly are pretty positive about this season. Sure, we have the occasional complaint about "teflon greased close-out channels," but overall business seems to be up this month.

Burton's John Lacy Tells All

Gabcast! Burton's John Lacy Tells All

Lacy talks about the winter 07/08 line and where the new fashion trends are going...

Letters...

Looks like I need to clarify what the Oil 150 is all about, since I myself misunderstood.

"Oil 150 is not an industry organization or affiliation. We are a committee, not a board, administered by the Oil Region Alliance. The Oil Region Alliance is the non-profit organization that manages the federally designated Oil Region National Heritage Region, and the state designated Pennsylvania Oil Heritage Region. The Oil 150 Steering committee is celebrating the Drake Well discovery and our proud heritage as the birth place of the petroleum industry. "

- Lois McElwee, Oil 150 Coordinator

Congrats John!

K2's Technical Apparel Platform Names Cooley Director of Strategy Development

Eurobike is Coming to the U.S.

Posted this morning in Outdoor Business UPDATE

Messe Friedrichshafen, the Owners of Europe's largest bicycle trade show, Erobike, will be launching a new trade show in the U.S. to compete directly with InterBike. Officials from EuroBike have reportedly met with Portland city officials to discuss hosting the show at the The Oregon Convention Center, with a two day outdoor demo in Ski Bowl or near Hood River.

“I was interested to hear the news of Eurobike’s proposed show,” said Lance Camisasca, Interbike's group show director. “We welcome competition, as it will help us do a better job. However, we are also greatly concerned about the dividing effect Eurobike’s announcement may have on the industry. Many will remember the time when the industry suffered through multiple shows resulting in additional expense and heartache. We hope the industry will continue to support the Interbike show and we promise to continue to do everything we can to make Interbike the best show for the North American market.”

Other reports have recently surfaced claiming that Eurobike surpassed Interbike in terms of size and attendance this year. According to published numbers, Eurobike saw Trade visitors up 6% per cent to 31,810 including bike retailers from 76 countries, 5 continents and 44% attendees coming form from outside Germany. 1,064 journalists from 32 countries were at the show.

In comparison, Interbike hosted 22,000 individual exhibitors, manufacturers’ representatives, buyers and members of the media, which represents a 12% increase versus 2005 attendance. Buyer attendance was close to 10,400 individuals, which equates to a 6% increase versus 2005 and represents a little more than 3,100 stores. "Close to 450" working media attended Interbike, representing a 15% increase versus 2005 attendance.

“We understand the Interbike show may not be perfect,” Camisasca said. “But we have always tried to listen to retailers, exhibitors and advocacy groups to improve the show and to help the industry grow. For example, when the industry wanted more space, all on one floor, we moved the show to Las Vegas. We have also kept exhibiting costs below the tradeshow industry average to maintain affordability for exhibitors both large and small.”

The new U.S. version of Eurobike is still waiting on an official name and the EU based company is still hiring a team to organize and run the show, which will reportedly take place sometime next September.

Now, when will the Friedrichshafen OutDoor Show make the jump accross the pond...

Retail Update

Two in one day...

Intrawest is launching a new discount clearance SnowSports and Outdoor e-commerce site, PureMountainoutlet.com

They are also apparently trying to give SteepandCheap.com a run for their money with a "Deal of the Day" micro site.

(However, the link to the "Deal of the Day" on their site doesn't work...)

Here's something that is Simply Frightening for Halloween

This came accross the wires this morning...

TITUSVILLE, Pa., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Barrels of fun lead the oil market news today as plans for a special worldwide birthday celebration were announced in northwestern Pennsylvania.

The Oil 150 Committee unveiled a logo for the 150th anniversary of the oil industry which will be celebrated beginning in August 2008 through the official anniversary year of 2009. The event was held at Drake Well Museum in Titusville, PA, at the site of the world's first successful commercial oil well drilled by Col. Edwin Drake on August 27, 1859.

"The oil industry has so transformed the world through its products, from the first lamp oil to fuel, lubricants, plastics, and medicines, its impact has been rivaled only by the invention of computers," said Oil 150 Co-Chair U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-5th District of Pennsylvania.

The Oil 150 Committee is promoting national and international entertainment and educational events and activities for the general public, students, historians, and heritage travelers.

"The anniversary celebration will recognize the important discoveries, innovations, and achievements in oil industry exploration and production, refining, transportation and storage, marketing, and business organization," said Oil 150 Coordinator Lois McElwee. "It will also incorporate the very close parallel development of the natural gas industry," she said.

Drake Well Museum in the Oil Region National Heritage Area is one of the historic sites that will be ready. An expansion and renovation plan was detailed by museum administrator Barbara Zolli in welcoming all to visit. Oil 150 Co-Chairs Lynda Cochran of the Titusville Chamber of Commerce and Bruce Wells of the Washington, DC-based American Oil and Gas Historical Society reviewed some of the Sesquicentennial celebration goals. They are to: increase public knowledge of the significance of the early oil and natural gas industry developments in Pennsylvania and later developments resulting in social and economic benefits to the world; enhance interest in oil history and oil-related education fields; and increase tourism at oil-related sites.

The theme for the sesquicentennial anniversary is, "Celebrating the Story - Progress from Petroleum."

Oil 150 is administrated by the Oil Region Alliance. Its Chairman, Jack Crawford, and President, Randy Seitz, also spoke at the logo unveiling event. Co-sponsors for the celebration are now being sought. More information about the Oil 150 Committee and its plans is available at www.Oil150.com.

My only question is, what the heck is a congressman doing sitting on the board of an oil industry's trade organization...

Thanks Hugh

Retail Update

Arc'Teryx opened their first brand store...

Link

An Interview with Goose

Gabcast! Interviews with The BOSS #4 - Goose Kearse, King of the Mountain at Misty Mountain Threadworks

Goose talks about the beginning of Misty and how the business has evolved over the past 20 years...

Changes are Happening Faster than we Expected

We were actually able to make some very significant changes faster than we thought.

From here on out, our daily UPDATES will be renamed.




The Sports Market UPDATE is now the SGB UPDATE
and the Specialty Market UPDATE, which complimented The B.O.S.S. Report with daily coverage, will be renamed the Outdoor Business UPDATE.

You will see the changes in the newsletters this morning.

Like I said earlier, there will be no changes to SEW or BOSS, we are simply re-positioning our free daily emails so they support our printed magazines as well as our weeklies.

There are still some more changes to come.

Quote of the week...

During K2's quarterly conference call:

Analyst's Question: "Salomon is out with some pretty bad numbers... Did you guys benefit at all in terms of sell-in from Salomon not being able to deliver product?"

Heckman's Response: "Let me let Wayne answer that, but my first reaction is that I think we caused it..."

Changes Are in the Cards

at The SportsOneSource Group.

The first public-facing shifts in positioning for our family of publications will be announced shortly. There won't be any differences in our on-line daily coverage, in The B.O.S.S. Report, or in Sports Executive Weekly but there will be some shifts in some of the print titles and the daily UPDATEs...

Clay Kitten Shooting...

Only from the minds of Crumpler...

Link

The New River Gorge and Seneca

Well, I'm back after a few days on the road. The New River Gorge was great for a day on Saturday, we actually put up a new route and worked on a few others that I had never been on before. People say that the New is tapped out for new route activity, but I know of at least two dozen new lines that have gone up in the past few months, ranging from 5.8 to 5.13+. There is a very dedicated group of locals up there searching for new rock every day, and there's plenty to choose from.

After that, the weather took a turn for the worse and we had snow non-stop at Seneca. We didn't bring the aid gear (and we didn't feel like climbing in alpine conditions without gloves) so we went caving instead.

Bush: The Outdoor President

I know a few folks who would have liked to sit in on this meeting...

From the Coleman PR Desk:

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 19, 2006) -- Building on The Coleman Company, Inc.'s 106-year history of bringing Americans outdoors, Gary A. Kiedaisch, the company's President and CEO, met with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office on Monday to pledge the company's and the outdoor industry's support in connecting America's youth with the great outdoors, and to express appreciation for the president's ongoing support for recreation.
The reasons for the meeting were threefold. First, to thank President Bush for his commitment to outdoor recreation, proclaiming June as Great Outdoors Month, bringing focus to the outdoors as a national priority. Second, to draw attention to the president's stewardship of America's magnificent outdoor recreational resources. And third, to encourage a greater partnership between the government and the outdoor industry in bringing Americans -- especially young people -- back outside.
"Outdoor recreation gets us off the couch, out of our sedentary lifestyle, and back outside to enjoy all that nature has to offer," Kiedaisch said. "Coleman would like to work with business and government to come up with sustainable solutions to getting Americans back outdoors and recreating. As the world's largest outdoor company, we are already working with outdoor advocacy organizations to reach the public with the message that spending time with nature is the best way to revitalize mind, body and spirit. But there is much more that can be done."
...
At the meeting, Kiedaisch delivered a commemorative lantern -- one of more than 60 million fuel lanterns produced by the company since 1900 -- and a letter to President Bush (attached) discussing the industry's interest in partnering with government to get people off the couch, away from their computer and TV screens, and back into the outdoors.

Retailer Update

Specialized Opens 1st UK Concept Shop

TNF does it again...

"Our Outdoor coalition continues to have tremendous momentum, with total revenues up 25% to $659 million and strong gains across nearly every brand. Domestic revenues grew 20% in the quarter while international revenues rose 37%. The North Face, Vans, Napapijri and Eastpak brands each posted revenue gains in excess of 20%, while our Reef and Kipling brands also posted solid growth in the quarter...

"Operating income rose 25% in the quarter, while operating margins remained strong and stable, despite continued investments to support the future growth we expect from all our Outdoor brands."

Link

Check out The B.O.S.S. Report on Monday for more details...

(Hey Rich, By the way, B.O.S.S. - Bicycle, Outdoor, and Snow Sports)

The ATTA World Summit

If you haven't checked out the Adventure Travel Trade Association, they are worth a look. Chris Doyle has been working hard to create this community that blends the outdoor industry with the travel industry. Where else can you sit down at the same table with exec's from eagle creek, Ex Officio, Orbitz, REI, and the AARP...

The World Summit is going on right now...

Links

ATTA's Adventure Travel World Summit is Carbon Neutral Event

ATTA

Only Wal-Mart...

...can spam the news-wires.

06:00 Wal-Mart Announces Accelerated Rollout of $4 Generic Prescription Program in 14 States
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Illinois; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Illinois Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Arkansas; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Arkansas Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Texas; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Texas Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Vermont; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Vermont Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Alaska
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to New York; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for New York Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Oregon; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Oregon Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to North Carolina; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for North Carolina Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to New Mexico
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Indiana; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Indiana Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Nevada; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Nevada Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Arizona; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Arizona Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers
06:00 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Bring $4 Generic Prescription Program to Delaware; Expanded Program Means Significant Savings for Delaware Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Customers

European Invasion

So, Life-Link and Dynafit have ended their relationship after nearly ten years and Salewa is going to distribute direct in the U.S.

With the Dollar - Euro conversion rate settling down (1 US Dollar = 0.79763 Euro compared to 1 US Dollar = 0.83160 Euro last year - not much change) I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more of this in the near future. I know of at least two U.K brands who are looking at the U.S. market seriously. VauDe seems to be haveing some success (after a few stumbles) with their current distributor. Craft USA is rocking right now.

Lafuma and Mammut have already pulled it off with some success, and two very different business models. I guess the real question is, how many brands can the market really sustain?

Retailer Update

Outdoor Divas just opened a new store in Denver.

Congrats Kim!

Utah...

...is turning into quite a Mecca for ski companies lately. With Salomon moving all of their winter operations to Ogden, and Atomic likely to join them, it certainly seems like the place to be.

Here's a run-down of who's in Utah, or will be there shortly:

Atomic
Backcountry.com
Bent Metal
Black Diamond
Chisco
Chums
DC Shoes' Mountain Lab
Descente N.A.
Dynastar
Gnu
Lib Tech
Look (SnowSports only)
Lange
Marker
Nidecker Snowboards
Petzl
Rossignol
Roxy Ski
Salomon
Scott USA (Dist. Center)
Völkl Performance Wear
Wasatch Ski Distribution
Zeal Optics

(I'm sure I missed a few - feel free to add to the list.)
...Makes you wonder who's left in the Northeast?
There must be a lot of talent left behind up there, and Burton can only hire so many new folks.

Gabcast! Fun with marketing

Who knew tequila could do so much...

CamelBak's New CEO...

...is Sally McCoy, Silver Steep's co-founder (See the interview with Nate below).

The Full Story will be in BOSS shortly, but here's a LINK to the announcement in Specialty Market UPDATE

Gabcast! Interviews with The BOSS #2 - Nathan Pund, Co-Founder of Silversteep Partners

Nate talks about today's deal environment in the outdoor industry and when and why a company should consider selling...

Off to Rendezvous...

If you're not going, here's some of what you are missing.


Natural Steps to Sustainability with Brian Nattrass

Retailing in China with Roger Zeng

Essentials of Influence with John Jenson

Sustaining Specialty Retail through Start-Up, Buyout and Acquisitions - A panel discussion with Frank Hugelmeyer, Joe Hyer, Fred Martin, and Jeff Weidman
Sponsored by Specialty Market Retailer

America at War: 2006 Election Outcomes with Ken Rudin

Turning Your Business Into A Green Business with Billy Connelly

Chattanooga: A Model of Sustainability in Community with Jim Bowen and Philip Grymes
Amphitheater

Keynote Presentation
Love What You Do, Do What You Love with Jim Bergquist

BBQ, Bluegrass, and Baseball at Bell South Park

EMS' New Expansion Plans

Gabcast! Interviews with The BOSS #1 - EMS Expansion Plans

An excerpt from our interview with Will Manzer, CEO of Eastern Mountain Sports



Check out Monday's BOSS for the full story...

Ooops...

Even Reuters can make mistakes...

Food Locker names Hall CEO of int'l division

Link

Climbing Dangerously

Just as Climbing Magazine's "Danger Issue" hits the stands, this report comes out of Explorer's Web...


Tibetans shot at Nangpa La - Cho Oyu Advanced Base Camp swarmed by Chinese Army – nun shot dead in front of climbers

"There is a story that happened here on the 30th and the 1st that is not being told," wrote a climber from Cho Oyu to ExWeb. “Early morning of September 30th, I walked out of our dining tent to gaze over towards the Nangpa La pass. Without warning, shots rang out. Over, and over and over. Then the line of people started to run uphill – they were at 19,000ft. Apparently the Chinese army was tipped off about their attempted escape, and had showed up with guns. Watching the line snake off through the snow, as the shots rang out, we saw two shapes fall. The binoculars confirmed it: 2 people were down, and they weren't getting up. Then more Chinese army swarmed through ABC.”

Climbing in the South...

is always an adventure. Here's a shot my friend and climbing partner, Jay Young took of our friend Phil. I think it sums up the feeling of climbing in the S.E. perfectly.



This time of year is perfect - so I'm off to The New this weekend. Sunny, high of 55. It's sending weather.

It's Official...

We heard about this well before OR Summer Market, but it's now official... and I am actually quite happy that Mark got the OR Daily gig. He's a genius when it comes to publishing.

BR&IN Publisher to Produce OR Show Daily

VNU Sports Group has hired a new publisher for the Outdoor Retailer Show Daily and the Official Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter Handbooks. NBDA Services, Inc., which publishes Bicycle Retailer & Industry News as well as the Interbike Show Dailies, will write, edit, print and distribute the OR Show Dailies and OR Handbooks.

And out of the ashes...

Word on the street is that Keen's former President, Jim Van Dine, will be launching a new footwear brand... called AHNU

A new Player in the Game...

Who is O.R.C. and why are they buying outdoor brands? Let's talk with the company's VP, Todd Bahnub...

...Lance Armstrong and Nike will launch the "Run Like Lance Challenge," created to support Armstrong and track his miles as he trains for the 2006 New York City Marathon. With a goal of logging 50,000 miles prior to running the marathon, the seven-time Tour de France winner is calling on his "Army" of cancer-fighting advocates to help him reach his goal in what will be his first major athletic competition since stepping down from professional cycling. Nike will donate $1 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) for every mile run and logged by Armstrong and runners that visit www.nikeplus.com from October 2nd until November 5th.

Didn't Lance say he would spend his retirement promoting the sport of cycling?

...and the consolidation continues.

Two acquisitions this week already.

ORC Industries to Acquire Bell Canoe Works

ORC Industries (you pronounce each letter) signed an agreement with Ted Bell to acquire the assets of Bell Canoe Works of Princeton, Minnesota. Bell’s manufacturing operation will be moved to the ORC complex in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and become part of the company’s growing Outdoor Group. Ted Bell will remain with Bell/ORC to assist with the transition Bell Canoe is the second acquisition for the growing ORC Outdoor Group, which purchased Redfeather Snowshoes last winter...

But the really interesting part is that ORC "was founded in 1966 as a nonprofit employer of people with disabilities, and the company has grown to become one of the larger employers of disabled Americans in the manufacturing sector."

Second acquisition was Johnson Outdoors buying Scotland-based Lendal paddles.

It's shaping up to be an interesting week. We've also been waiting on the Helly Hansen Deal to close. No official news on who the buyers might be, but there's a lot of specualation. We know the folks over at Silversteep are working hard to get the deal done.

Interbike

Well, Interbike is finally over - don't get me wrong, I love going to the show, but Vegas can wear you down after a while. Below are a few of the choice shots from Judy Leand and a few excerpts from the show review in The B.O.S.S. Report...

...While the road market seems to be maintaining itself, the days of double digit growth are clearly over. The people who are new to the sport are still spending money, and according to most retailers, sales of road bikes remain strong, but are relatively flat. This is actually good news for the market, leading many to believe the “Lance effect” was not simply a spike in sales, but a phenomenon that grew the overall size of the road bike market...

...Bike retailers have never dedicated much floor space to any footwear or apparel other than lycra and cleated cycling shoes. However, partially because of the increases in commuter bikes, consumers are asking for more casual apparel that can cross-over from echelon to errands...

The the Dance Goes on....

Looks like we have yet another player in the consolidation game...

“Stabilo wants to grow and not just through the Deuter brand,” said Loomis. “It’s too early to tell if this is a marriage made in heaven. There are many peculiarities about the outdoor business that outsiders can have a hard time with. In the short term we will continue to do what we do best – it will be a learning period.”

From this week's B.O.S.S. Report

Makes you think...

This just came accross my desk:

Newly formed Sandler Capital portfolio company Enthusiast Media LLC said Wednesday, Sept. 27, it is picking up the remaining titles in Primedia Inc.'s crafts unit for $132 million.

Makes you wonder if Primedia is trying to raise some funds to buy Time's Ski & Skiing titles.

BMC's new Time Machine... 

...and the price tag. 

Giro - quite possibly the first brand to talk about "lifestyle" in a serious way on the Interbike show floor... 

Mr. DeRossa with his latest "Idol" creation 

Giant's new 6.7" trail bike. Travel is definately getting longer this year - and the bikes are actually designed to be pedalled 

Azonic seems to be taking a page from Volcom's playbook 

Sugoi's Paul Done

Interbike Day 3 - An interview with Tag Kleiner

Interbike ODD Day 2

Day two was pretty much like day one. Except there were three times more retailers; there were no mountain bikes available (even Cannondale was looking empty); and it was HOT... So I rode some road bikes.

I also watched a guy break both of the chainstays on a $5,000 demo freeride bike...

Scott USA's booth was slammed in the morning - and then all of the bikes disappeared. I think the only company who brought enough bikes was Cannondale - and they must have had hundreds.... 

Felt's new TT and Tri bike - razor thin 

The ODD Tent city - bikes as far as the eye can see... 

Marin's new ride - I didn't get a chance to demo it, but the new tube-set certainly looks cool. The new design doesn't seem to have lowered the bottom bracket at all, a beef I've always had with Marins... 

Interbike Day 1

Here's a few photos from day 1 - more to come shortly



It was busy for day 1 - the trails were packed, a few of the booths were packed and overall the folks I spoke with were happy with the turn-out. It's funny though - the first two "retailers" I talked to were friends of retailers just tagging along for a week in Vegas riding cool bikes. Makes me wonder how many of those there are.


Santa Cruz had a waiting line all day and their bikes were tough to get a hold of. Amazing feat for a brand with around a dozen models.


This is INTENSE's new SOCOM bike - it's something like a downhill bike on a diet. Intense took their world cup downhill frame and shaved off three pounds so you can actually pedal the thing uphill (a very small hill). With 8 inches of travel and INTENSE's downhill geometry, once you get some speed, it rides like an INTENSE.


Here's Kona's booth and their new HEI HEI Supreme. Kona may not be known as an XC brand, but this bike is fun and fast! I rode it for over an hour in the hills of bootleg canyon and I only had one complaint - the tires. Nonetheless, it was the best bike of the day.


This one needs a caption - According to Craig Calfee, everything on this bike is what it looks like.

If it looks like aluminum, it's aluminum.

If it looks like bamboo, it's bamboo.

If it looks like the handlebars are made out of a pair of bull's horns, they are...

Roadless Rule...

Federal Judge Reinstates Roadless Rule...

From this week's issue of The B.O.S.S. Report

Several U.S. state governments and environmental groups were successful in a direct legal challenge to the current administration’s repeal of the Roadless Rule. U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Laporte ruled that the Bush Administration did not conduct a satisfactory environmental analysis before making changes that allowed states to decide how to manage individual national forests. The Roadless Rule originally protected 58 million acres of roadless forests in 39 states.
According to the Court, the administration is enjoined from taking any further action contrary to the Roadless Rule without undertaking environmental analysis consistent with judge Laporte’s judicial opinion. In addition, the court found that the Bush Administration failed to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act.

A comment from Peter Metcalf, CEO of Black Diamond Equipment & land preservation activist

“The recent court decision upholding the Roadless Rule, though most gratifying is but a short-term win in the ping-ponging decisions of differing courts. Though BD’s sympathies lie with preserving the majority of Roadless areas as Roadless, we also recognize that a “one size fits all” national decision is destined for years of further litigation and risk to those areas in greatest need of real protection. There has got to be a better way to resolve this that makes the land the winner and does not suck up '$millions' in legal fees...”

So how does this impact the bike and snowsports market... We'll see.

Lance Camisasca - Interbike show director on this year's changes

Interbike's Legendary Parties...

“Probably the largest change going into 2006 is rather than throwing parties… we decided to put our resources, our time, and our energy into this media center,”... “Being in Las Vegas with a very tight schedule where a lot of our customers are taking their own initiatives and throwing their own fundraisers or parties or whatever it may be, we began to realize we were getting in the way sometimes.”

- Lance Camisasca, Interbike Show Director

Also, word on the street is that there will be no SRAM girls this year...

Podcast with Zap

Zap Espinoza, Trek's brand manager on their decision to return to Interbike:

We're Rolling

Well, we finally got our first blog up and running for The B.O.S.S. Report, and for our inaugural project we will be tackling the largest bicycle trade show in North America, Interbike. It should be an interesting event this year - Doping scandals rocking the road market, ski resorts feeding the downhill market, petroleum and carbon fiber prices rising... Tons of issues impacting the business and only three days to cover them all. Oh, yeah, did I mention that Trek will be back at the outdoor demo after abandoning the show altogether last year.

So far we have appointments with:

• Chris King
  
• Sugoi
  
• Giant
  
• Kryptonite
  
• Giro
  
• Kona
  

...and about a dozen other companies. We'll also be podcasting interviews live from the event and posting photos of all of the best gear. Stay tuned...