By Press Release

January 19, 2001

Following last year's strong response to their line, One Snowboards has opened its first Production Center in Oceanside, CA. Featuring extensive digital automation for tooling and printing, the "micro-huge" factory packs four decades of board building experience into a mere 7000 square feet. Nearly 30 models comprising the 2002 line began production in January.

The new factory is the first step in a novel approach to board building, says One COO Scott Patterson. "We kept asking people why they had to have multimillion dollar factories to build snowboards. Here they were, spending all this money on promotion and giant rooms full of equipment, but they have to go offshore because they're not making any money. It just didn't make sense. We started looking at it and said there's got to be a better way."

Patterson interviewed dozens of industry suppliers and insiders to determine where the typical factory swallows hidden losses, then took aim. "A lot of it is in the equipment. Some factories were spending 40-80,000 dollars for just one custom press, which was still hard to change around for a constantly changing market. We just couldn't see paying good money for that kind of headache."

All of their presses and fixtures were designed and built in-house to be simple, low cost solutions with built-in job flexibility. Every press can build every model, for example, ranging from a 90cm kids board for three year olds to a 185cm monster for Shaq-size shralpists. "You've got to put the money where it counts if you're going to make a quality product," Patterson says.

Where it counts according to One is in computerized milling and shaping equipment, along with state of the art digital imaging hardware. Both technologies provide the ability- and the incentive- to innovate on a year-round basis while making room for custom runs and smaller clients. One Snowboards can embed high-resolution graphic images directly into the subsurface of their topsheets and bases, and change them at a moment's notice. Recognizing their early commitment to this emerging technology, a major ink supplier has designated them a test center for new inks that improve on existing standards for UV fading.

Patterson believes 'fast and flexible' is the future for companies who want to compete in the maturing snowboard industry. "We're here because our boards rock. People who ride them can tell they were designed by riders who know their stuff. But to stick around, we have to be just as smart about running a business."

One Snowboards is among a handful of rider-owned and rider-driven companies still growing and prospering in a corporate world. Patterson says it will stay that way. "Everybody's closing down factories or heading to China or Mexico or somewhere. That's just not us. We're like the last ones left. And we're just getting started."

Five Riders Named to 2001 Team

One Snowboards has named five rising stars to their team roster for the 2001 season. Todd Pearson, of Whitefish, Montana headlines the onediscovered talent of the Team. Todd will be filming and competing in freestyle disciplines throughout the year, including the Vans Triple Crown events where he made his Pro debut with huge backside sevens in the Big Air prelims.

Jason Toone, of Ogden, Utah was dragged out of the shadows and into the spotlight for his unimpeachable riding skills and unpretentious style. Jason will be doing whatever he wants to do wherever he wants to go. The guy's cool.

Paul Michalchuk of Calgary, Alberta signed on after testing early prototypes of the Supercross line. Paul will be racing BoarderX events at venues across the US and Canada. Brother Mike will be proud. (And second place.) Dana Shirra of Harrisville, UT owns and operates his own skate company, and knows a good ride from the first rail on. Dana shares rock-solid truth in his rock-solid riding and sensational fiction in his larger than life. Rock on, Shirra.

Rob Langfield, of Fernie, BC, will be hiking, filming, testing, and tweaking every little product detail that can possibly be improved. The guy's an artist- on the ground, or in the air. Don't forget to thank him for making all your stuff better.