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Spanish Boardsports Market Insight February 2021

The hype for boardsports keeps growing. Snowboarding presents extra challenges, but riders crave the mountains, and shops stand ready to meet their needs. By Rocio Enriquez

The economic growth predicted for Spain by the end of this year stands in contrast with the rising unemployment, expected to peak in 2021. The hospitality and trade sectors have claimed seventy percent of jobs lost so far. This means fewer visitors to buy from fewer shops.

Boardsports retailers who have relied on the business of locals will make it through the crisis unscathed. Oscar Ramos of Tactic Surf & Skate Shop in Barcelona thinks the popularity of these sports keeps on increasing. Good sales of boards and footwear will deliver a positive result for 2020. Snowboarding presents other challenges. It needs a resort that is away from populated areas. This makes virtually every user a visitor. Added to international travel restrictions are the mobility restrictions within Spain. Locals of Baqueira reside in Vielha, just outside the resort town limit. Travel between the two is forbidden, forcing Baqueira to refund all season passes with a Vielha address. In Sierra Nevada, a purchased ski pass works as a travel safe-conduct. The goal is to help the resort remain open until the Spring when, hopefully, restrictions will be lifted.

There is reason to look forward to Spring. Snowboard retailers wondered if people would hit the slopes as eagerly as they hit the ocean and the skate parks. The images left by storm Filomena in Madrid cleared any doubts. “People used the underground as a ski lift and snowboarded their way downtown”, says Gonzalo Rubí, of Happy Riding distribution. Gonzalo had orders changed and cancelled, but he remains optimistic, as he knows people are craving the mountain. Frost Rice shop in Sierra Nevada and Cabin Fever shop in Baqueira report an excellent Christmas. With hospitality businesses closed, visitors did not have much else to do after their ride but visit shops. This was not enough to throw a positive balance to Q4, as the season started a month later than previous years. They are counting on the Spring snowboarding business, the real money maker. The boom in ski-lift free disciplines, evidenced by the sell-through of related products, does not make up for lost sales in snowboarding. It is a very small market. “Splitboarding requires a great level of fitness and the kit is much more expensive”, says Suso Rada of Frost Rice. Marta Villavecchia of Cabin Fever explains: “Splitboarding requires much more mountain knowledge. It does not attract families, the biggest sales drivers in shops.” Splitboarding is in vogue, but it is no season saviour.

Deliveries have been challenging. Surf and skate shops suffered the lack of stock from manufacturers. Oscar is following brands’ advice to pre-order bigger quantities, to secure enough stock throughout the season. Unsold stock led snowboarding stores to amend FW20-21 pre-orders. Most brands responded with flexible payments. Stores have sympathy for their situation and expect the same in return. So far, there are not many FW21-22 pre-orders to report. Brands seem to be pushing the campaign a bit later this year. A good spring or lack thereof will determine whether stores place pre-orders or not. The relationship built between brand and store will be a key factor. Suso will prioritise brands who have helped him with this Winter’s deliveries. He will also ask for delayed payments and discounts, in case of closure. Marta announces much smaller pre-orders, none at all from those who did not help. Brands cannot control the evolution of the pandemic or the snowfall. What they can control is their relationship with stores. It is worth investing in this