Dynastar/Lange news

[Greg]

Got a few press releases so I decided to put them up here:

As part of the Quicksilver Group's recent foray into the ski hardgoods business with the purchase of the Rossignol Group, the Dynastar and Lange brands will move their U.S. operations to the mountains of Utah and focus their sales and marketing efforts on high performance products for committed skiers.

"As we move to Park City and the Wasatch Mountains, we are also reinforcing our focus exclusively on the segments and price levels of the ski business that helped us become successful in the first place," says Tait Wardlaw, new brand director for Dynastar. "We'll spend all of our time and resources building products for the most committed skiers in our most important categories. We'll spend more time in the mountains and with the most frequent skiers."

"Joining the Quicksilver Group is proving to be an excellent opportunity for all of our brands," said Francois Goulet, President of Rossignol Group for North America. "Rossignol and Dynastar/Lange both be more powerful in this new company. We are working to evolve Rossignol into the mountain lifestyle brand that delivers all aspects of the mountain life; and Dynastar/Lange will focus on building and selling products specifically for performance-oriented, committed skiers."

Dynastar and Lange have long and glorious heritages in the race world. Based in Chamonix, Dynastar has earned a reputation as a freeride company as well. Most recently, both brands have produced and built products for virtually every ski and boot category in the market. "We'd worked hard to compete with the biggest brands in the market at most price levels and in every category," says Wardlaw. "Recently, we've been successful in a few critical categories, and we're looking forward to focusing all of our resources in those categories as we move forward."

Dynastar/Lange will move to Park City in May along with Rossignol. They'll share some services, and maintain separate sales, marketing and product development teams.

"We're very excited to have Dynastar moving to the area," said Snowbird President Bob Bonar. "Our partnership will only be strengthened by having the two companies' working more closely together – whether it's on the Tram or in the offices."

Dynastar unveils a unique, exciting new integrated ski and binding system that delivers a new experience

For 06-07, Dynastar and Look will introduce a brand new, integrated ski/binding system, unlike anything ever seen, that adds significant rebound and liveliness to every turn.

Called "Fluid," this system is seamlessly integrated into the latest generation of Dynastar's unique Autodrive ski construction to combine easy high-performance turns with a smooth and explosive turn finish.

The Fluid system is also a complete tool-free mount-and-adjust system that requires less than 30 seconds to fit to a boot before delivering to the customer.

The system features a single rail that runs directly into the core of the ski ahead of the toe piece, under the length of the binding and into an energy-storing polymer, which is connected directly to the core behind the heel piece. This allows the ski to flex and delivers increased rebound out of the turn along with a smoother ride.

The Fluid bindings mount in less than 30 seconds by slipping into a "window" in the middle of the track and then interfacing with a clever, lever-operated mounting system.

For 2006-2007, The Fluid system is unveiled on Dynastar's dramatic new Contact series of on-trail high performers that deliver a unique new ski experience for intermediate through elite skiers.

Dynastar's Exclusive brand of women's-specific
ski and boot products has powerful sell-through
thanks in large part to Exclusive's "Jeannie Thoren"
clinics and retailer-support programs.

As the Dynastar and Lange brands commit significant resources into their fast-growing, women's-specific "Exclusive" brand of skis and boots, their 2005-06 sell-through has increased dramatically.

One of the most important elements in Exclusive's dramatic sales performance: the hiring of women's ski equipment advocate Jeannie Thoren and her three-month road show in which she delivered "Ski Like a Girl" clinics to ski shops, their staffs and women skiers across the country.

Thoren, an advocate for promoting the needs and wants of women and helping them get involved in skiing for more than 20 years, has helped Dynastar and Lange create new gear designed specifically to deliver a better ski experience. Her most important role with Dynastar and Lange, however, is her ability to educate ski shops and women consumers on the benefits of specific products designed just for them.

"Jeannie spent three months visiting 40 ski shops and educating 350 ski shop employees as well as 1200 consumers," explains Dynastar and Lange's vice president of sales Dennis Gaspari. "Her impact on the sales of all women's products was amazing.

"Jeannie did a wonderful job," says Wayne Pilla, owner of the Ski Haus in Salem, NH. "She turned an otherwise quiet sales night into a good sales day. We also had quite a few ‘be-backs,' so it was worth much more than even what we sold that night. And the long-term effects are much more important than that… It was an inspiring and productive event for us."

The results of her clinics include significant increases in sales of all women's products from all brands in every store she's visited. "She put together an easy to follow manual that made having this event easy from our end," Pilla continues. "The entire event was professional, informative, well-run and enjoyable to attend."

At Bill and Paul's Sporthaus in Grand Rapids, MI the results were equally positive. "115 women came to hear Jeannie speak on a Tuesday night," says Kim Pearson of Bill and Paul's. "And 29 came in for boot-fitting appointments the next day. We sold them all skis, boots and/or foot beds. And we expect many more of them to be in during this ski season to get new equipment."

"(Your clinic) changed the way I ski," says Melissa Iwaszko from Arlington VA. " I went to Utah later that season and was hitting the bumps. Your clinic and the new equipment worked well for me. I'd love to attend another clinic and move another step forward."

And Anne Tousignant had this to say:

"I was very apprehensive about beginning a 3-day lesson in Vail on new equipment, I thought I would trip over myself. I skied like a mother f*#@?!! rock star! I am here to sing your praises and become a disciple of the school of equipment built for women!"

"With every retailer and consumer training session this fall, we saw an amazing increase in the sale of women's skis and boots - not just Dynastar and Lange -- all brands. It's wonderful to see so many people understanding the needs and importance of their women customers," says Thoren.

Jeannie Thoren's clinic programs will be available next year to all ski shops that participate in Dynastar and Lange's Exclusive category to certain pre-determined levels. "We couldn't be any happier with our women's product sales, with the Jeannie Thoren program or with the direction that this category is clearly going," Gaspari noted. "The rise of women's ski products has only begun and it's going to be a great business for all who are involved."

Lange introduces the most comfortable World Cup boot in its history.

Lange, the most highly decorated ski boot in history, and the brand that introduced the world to the modern ski boot design, has finally made its new racing boots comfortable, too.

"We've worked very hard on improving and expanding our pure race room boots," says Peter Cagliari, international product manager for Lange. "We are making our new World Cup Series of race boots available with two brand new fits so that most of the best skiers on the hill can now appreciate Lange's magic ski experience."

Lange's new World Cup Series takes the very same pure race room plug boot that dominates ski racing's highest levels and makes them available in three flexes and with a lower volume, 95mm "World Cup fit" as well as a wider volume, 98mm "high performance fit." "Both fits are much more comfortable than anything we've ever offered before," says U.S. Lange product manager Andy White. "The racing community will still primarily use the lower volume World Cup fit" while our dealers and high performance skiers will be blown away by the comfort and accuracy of the new High Performance fit."

The new "crazy blue" boot will be unveiled to the racing world at the 2006 Olympics in Torino. The new boot will be available in limited quantities to key skiers and ski shops starting in February.