March 21, 2001

From pro riders to retailers, the women�s force is coming on even stronger for the 2001/2002 season. At the 2001 TransWorld Media Riders� Poll Awards, Victoria Jealouse graciously accepted her award for Best Female Big-Mountain Rider by encouraging more photographers and filmers to get women in front of the camera. Girls in snowboarding aren�t Frou Frou any more, and after talking with dealers and designers, the industry is starting to catch on.

Burton has a long history with women�s products, and according to Burton�s Scott Rivers, the expansion of its women�s offerings across the board is indicative of what�s happening both in the shops and on the hill: �One example is the Japanese market where the �snowboarding because it�s cool� thing has pretty much gone away. But it�s still growing because women are legitimately getting into the sport. They�re not just doing it because their friends are doing it, but because they love it.

Chorus teamrider Roberta Rodger and JP Walker. Photo: Kreitman

�We�re seeing that in America as well,� Rivers continues. �Some girls are probably still getting into snowboarding because their friends think it�s cool to do, but definitely the stronger aspect of it is women are sticking to snowboarding because they�re athletic, and they love it.�

Last season Burton introduced its OSI line of apparel. It was the first time it offered women�s-specific apparel. This year it expanded the line into three divisions: Radar, OSI, and Formula. �Going from one specific line to three shows, we�re making a ton of stuff for women because there are a lot of women demanding more product. It�s the fastest-growing aspect of snowboarding right now.�

K2 Snowboards has also increased its efforts by diversifying its women�s product offering by increasing outerwear to three lines, adding a new, higher-end board, and advancing the technology of its women�s boots.

�I think retailers are just becoming more aware that women want specific products for them and are buying accordingly,� says Haley Martin, K2 marketing director. �Women are willing to pay more to have a better fit. And not just a better fit for comfort�they don�t have to sacrifice technology.

�The retailers are becoming more educated because women are coming into their shops looking for higher-end stuff.�

Chorus Snowboards, launching for the 2001/02 season, is in a unique situation�it only offers boards for women. �I think people are definitely interested in the women�s market, and I think the dealers can see the growth in the surf industry and the skate industry for women�s-specific products as well,� says Georell Bracelin, marketing director for Chorus. �That�s kind of set the stage for us.�

Unlike some women-specific companies in the past, Chorus is focused around a strong team of high-profile professional riders. �Because we�re so different than anybody else, and we have such a strong team, it�s easy to see where we�re positioning ourselves, the kind of product we�re offering, and what type of image we�re setting up for.�

So is Chorus a pioneer for women, or are they just in the right place at the right time? According to Bracelin, it�s a bit of both: �We�re hoping to help pioneer the market. The philosophy behind the girls who helped start the company�the teamriders�is exactly that. They want to inspire women to ride, push themselves, and have a voice among snowboarders.�

From the dealer�s perspective, there�re definitely more girls of all ages getting into the sport, so women�s products are selling out faster than ever. Marc Loreau, snowboard buyer for Surfride Surf Shops in Oceanside and Solana Beach, California, says he is increasing his orders for women�s products. �We�re ordering more than last year for girls,� he says. �They�re riding as hard as guys now, and they want what the guys are riding. We had more girl customers last year, and we had a great sell-through in all our women�s products.�

�For us it�s a little bit different because our stuff is so feminine,� says Darcy Lee, owner of Cold As Ice women�s snowboard apparel. Lee has been in the women�s market since its infancy and has seen the progression first hand.

�As far as the women�s snowboard market, I was kind of thinking it had settled down from a hype standpoint,� Lee says. �But this year we�ve had even more �core shops interested in the line than we�ve had in the past.

�It could be any combination of a lot of things,� she continues. �The retailers might also be looking for more customers. If you only have one thing for the women to choose from, they�re not going to come into your shop. Shop owners have also gotten smarter and are realizing girls spend money.�

�Robyn Hakes