Here's how Burton Argentina finished out the southern hemisphere's 2011 winter...
Como despedida de la temporada el Burton Demo Tour viajó a La Hoya para la octava edición de la Freesession. Los muchachos del park diseñaron un setup perfecto para probar las nuevas tablas y fijaciones que trae Burton el año que viene. Chequeate el video!
Orale...
Marc Frank Montoya has been ruling the urban snowboard scene for so long, it seems like he should be 102, hanging out in an old folks home somewhere talking about how good things used to be "back in the day." Instead he's still out in the streets and in the mountains, killing it with his FODT crew, making movies that will have your mouth hanging open -- as much for the riding as the shock of wondering how these guys get away with doing it in some of the places they do.
Latin style...
A perfect stage was set for the occasion in the beautiful, luxurious hotel. Located on the beach with the Pacific Ocean as the background, competitors, organizers and ISA Officials enjoyed a night full of fun, live music, delicious local food, lots of Salvadorean culture, the trademark Aloha Beach Party bonfire and a stunning fireworks show.
Very interesting to see L.A. urban architectural features making an appearance at the local hill. Gotta think its a small, but, significant act to connect with the urban audience of SoCal. AgaSoin, skate bleeds into snow.
Mountain High is proud to announce four new “Los Angeles Features” which will be introduced to their terrain park for the 2011/12 winter season. The Concert Hall Handrail is the first of the four features to be completed. This massive down-flat-down staircase handrail combo is an exact replica of this iconic concert hall rail in Los Angeles and will be a centerpiece of Mountain High’s terrain park this coming season.
Yeah, yeah...I know the splitboard market is pretty small, but its another awesome example of some Spanish-language digital content that if directed properly has the opportunity to engage with the market in innovative ways. This stuff will move through social networks before any mainstream media outlet will tap into it...
Les presentamos un nuevo podcast de Rip Curl, esta vez Juan Beveraggi nos muestra su Splitboard!!!
Via Bad Quality
It still amazes me that Spanish-language snowboard content isn't being further expanded in the U.S. Hispanic market..
This is from this last season's Argentina Snowboard Tour...
The guy is definitely outside the age focus of snowboard marketing, but he's one of the pieces to opening the industry to the urban youth segment.
I mean what kid isn't going to see this shot and be like, "I want to do that!" Marco, as usual, showing its all about the right attitude.
When are we going to see a Powder & Rails series on MFM? Now that would be some good digital content/entertainment.
I spent some time with the Burton Argentina crew last year in Buenos Aires. They shared quite a few insights into what was helping them grow snowboard participation in Latin America. This was a cultural branding event they developed and spoke highly about.
Video is from this season, which just ended.
I've said for a long time that technology has the opportunity to serve as a bridge between an online/offline existence. The marketing resource for cultural and lifestyle brands to attract new customers. Sports, especially snowboarding, would be able to address participant gap via new media technologies. It is after all the way to reach young urban consumers. Based on The Creators Project posting I read this morning, we aren't too far off from seeing the content that can deliver on this idea...
Step into the fray, media artist and keen snowboarder Trent Brooks who’s developed an open source project called AntiMap to take that data indexing experience to the slopes, gathering real-time rider data while you’re out skiing or snowboarding. It then analyzes your numbers and even syncs it to video footage of you riding around, so you can marvel at your sick moves while enjoying some après-ski downtime.
At the Hispanic Retail 360 Summit this week I asked the following two questions during a sports marketing presentation.
Where are we in terms of brands evolving beyond just soccer? And...Are sports brands beginning to take participation into consideration when planning their marketing strategies? Both action sports, especially snowboarding, and golf are prime examples of the conundrum many non-soccer focused sports brands will find themselves if they don't address the high growth opportunities found in the Hispanic market. We're already past the point of no return.
After playing off and on for ten years I've been hit hard by the golf bug this year. Interestingly enough its also fueled passion for understanding business opportunities awaiting the golf industry now and the years ahead. He's written a really great piece for the National Golf Foundation titled 'Golf's Hispanic Boom - Are you Ready?' It's not hard to see the writing on the wall for the golf retail sector.
If the number of U.S. golfers continues to decline while the Hispanic population continues to grow; and if this Hispanic population does not really represent a serious opportunity to attract and develop new golf players, then I suggest you evolve to survive. The golf industry might better start seriously thinking to transform itself into soccer. Those closing golf courses can accommodate a number of soccer fields. Sport retailers can expand their underperforming golf departments into soccer. Maybe we will soon see the first Foot Joy soccer shoe. I am being sarcastic here; or am I?
Golf participation levels is a sports marketing issue that has to tap into the ONLY growing pool of the population. It just makes too much sense. There is a history of prominent Hispanic golfers in the sport. So why wouldn't it now help it address its losses in participants since 2000?
You may wonder, are there really opportunities in the Hispanic segment?
You should ask yourself:
- Is not golf one key trait to American culture and the American way? Is it true that golf is one of the key tools for U.S. style business?
- Is not golf a naturally social activity? Are not Hispanic cultures naturally social and relationship oriented?
- Do not Hispanics surpass the percentage of participation in golf of African-Americas in the $75-99k and Asians on the $100-149k brackets, and on the higher end of $150k+ Hispanic participation surpasses all minorities and even the white population?
- Are there not proven facts that the most active golfer starts the game early in their lives and that one of every four U.S. youngsters is of Hispanic descent or origin?
- Is not the U.S. one of the countries in the world where golf is the most affordable and accessible? Certainly, it is a lot more so than in any Latin-American country. I am sure you will not find a minimal fraction of the existing public golf courses in the U.S. through all the Latin-American countries. This significant impediment, and thus part of the reasons for low Hispanic participation in golf is pretty much eliminated in the U.S.
- Did not golf participation in the U.S. grow the fastest and to its largest size when golf got to the masses, to the middle-class?
