MISTRAL SUP 2025 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: SUP 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Mistral
Interviewee: Marketing Team

In our previous SUP Buyer’s Guide, most indicators showed the 2022-23 overstocks were clearing out. Did 2024 end on the same note with a better demand vs. offer balance?
Demand for entry level, competitively priced SUPs remain high and we certainly depleted most of our stock in this category. Essentially this genre of design, though in high demand and with many competitors, requires minimal focused marketing. Our primary focus is on providing value for money, solid USPs, high quality finish, strong visual appeal and quality accessories. As you move into the more specialised areas of touring and racing for example, this requires greater marketing focus towards each related demographic necessitating sponsorships and active engagement within each specific genre. It’s a tougher market with lower numbers, consequently any overstock was largely in the more niche areas of design.

Cheaper entry-level iSUPs represent the bulk of the sales but the segment is flooded with brands and products, whereas more advanced SUPs offer better margins. How do you intend to position your brand on the market spectrum in 2025?
It’s a numbers game and highly competitive no doubt and you have to have your cash cow boards to recoup costs early in the season through a mix of varied pre-order sources in addition to on-line sales and these remain the entry level family boards often with relatively low margins. As the season stretches out, if this range is depleted then you’re into the niche area boards commanding higher margins; which on account of discounting wars are often impacted making it a difficult market niche to master and profit from especially with smaller demand levels. We’ve a good mix of everything we believe without being overly specialised or costly in order to keep the appeal as broad as possible.

Which are your key inflatable models for 2025 in the Allround/Cruising segments?
All-round as a definition remains a little ambiguous as a market segment, by default non-specific in its performance, necessitating a design offering high stability, adequate glide and the ability to ride a small wave if the opportunity arises. Typically, the Malibu shape works. For this we have a comprehensive range of 10’6 to 11’6 inflatable boards that meet this criteria carried over from 2024 and for the new season we have the Colora, Leafs and Groove 10’6 and 11’6 inflatables offering some nice improvements to our fin design, inclusion of an action camera mount, our paddle design and an overall refinement of quality. For efficient cruising, a longer water line length is needed for added speed and glide, usually above 11’6, delivering greater cargo carrying capacity associated with higher volumes and greater deck surface area. Our successful 12’6 and 14’ Adventurist inflatable and 13’2 Verde remain strong performers and will be backed up in 2025 with our Colora, Leafs and Groove 12’6 boards which have evolved from our successful Gold Rush 11’5 and 14’ boards.

Which Specialty iSUP are you pushing in 2025: Race & Flatwater, River, Fishing, SUP-Kayak…?
We believe there’s no faster inflatable race SUP than our 12’6 and 14’ Vortex boards which vary from 20.5” to 26” in width, designed for one purpose only; speed over water. Supplied with our in-house designed 8” carbon race fin, step back pad, beach start and recovery grab handle, these boards are truly high performing in every sense and utilise the stiffest and lightest drop stitch material available. All of our inflatables in the entry category for family or individuals have deck D-rings for kayak seat attachment as it’s clear this is a USP that finds favour with many end-users of all ages who find fun and practicality in paddling seated using a kayak paddle. For this we have developed our included paddles which can be retro fitted with an additional single blade end to transform the SUP paddle into a kayak paddle.

There has been a relative status quo the past 3 years regarding new technologies & materials? Do you have some exciting news to share for the year coming or did the SUP products reach a maturity in designs/constructions?
Many established and respected inflatable paddle board brands, including Mistral, remain reliant on a specific drop stitch material developed as far back as 2017, promoted under different nomenclatures but essentially the same in respect of the materials, lamination structure and performance merits. Drop stitch counts have certainly gone up and thread thicknesses reduced to improve rigidity whilst retaining low weight levels. The demand for inflatables has slowed and its counter intuitive to develop ever more advanced fabrics commanding a higher price point to a smaller audience, even if you argue the notion of a maturing sport with more demanding riders. We’re very clear regarding our DS fabrics in our marketing and remain more than satisfied, as are customers, with a high quality material that’s high performing and within budget in relation to our brand positioning.

(hardboard brands only) The opportunity for hardboard sales seem to be primarily in the school/rental area or in the high-end performance models. How do you cater to this demand?
Since 2014 we’ve argued the case for the hardboard being superior to that of the inflatable for rental operators who are in situ at the waters edge, using a racking system, mostly on account of their durability and performance merits. This applies for many hotels and resorts. Hardboards allow for designs to be more in line with surf board design finding higher appeal with first time end-users who love the alignment with the allure of surfing. Sure, hardboards get scratches and dings, but epoxy layups are easy to repair, unlike their inflatable counterparts which don’t fair well when exposed consistently to strong UV. Commercial use always brings harsh treatment and inflatable board repairs are not always successful. Whether used for learning or for experienced paddle boarders wanting to hire a touring board, the hardboard has strong merits. Surf schools have long been offering laminated soft top surfboards; indeed higher performing surfboards are now offered as soft tops. We’ve a range of soft top surfboards ideal for schools and our SUP soft top range is currently being refined. Over the winter we refined our successful Vortex 14’ race boards and continue to offer a solid range of touring and SUP surf models.

Key Products:

Groove:
Sleek design range in vibrant red and white colours in 10’6, 11’6 and 12’6 versions catering entry level use for families or savvy individuals, featuring rear grab handle, forward cargo net, kayak seat attachment points, new white US fin box with Mistral’s 8” weed fin.

Groove 12’6

Leaf:
Sleek design range in vibrant blue and white colours in 10’6, 11’6 and 12’6 versions catering entry level use for families or savvy individuals, featuring rear grab handle, forward cargo net, kayak seat attachment points, new white US fin box with Mistral’s 8” weed fin.

Leafs 10’6

Colora:
Sleek design range in vibrant orange and white colours in 10’6, 11’6 and 12’6 versions catering entry level use for families or savvy individuals, featuring rear grab handle, forward cargo net, kayak seat attachment points, new white US fin box with Mistral’s 8” weed fin.

Colora 11’6