The future of European snowboarding magazines...

[nils]

Just to let you know how difficult next season will be for the magazines here in Europe. Trying to get coverage for our Swoard board here, I have been in touch with most editors and the feedback is pretty strange... (editors are all in their early 40's, old pionneers like Jean Nerva for example). Here is a resumé of few conversations I had with him or other editors at various occasions.

"- Alpine board you say wow, cool, but hey, listen: our ads are paid by fewer and fewer companies that want to see Freestyle so it will be hard.....Yes a shame I know.... no nothing we can do about it... Yes we are independent.. no really we're even decreasing page numbers next season so not room for alpine really... Why there is more and more pics of guys doing tricks (last thick mag I read last month: 300 riders, maybe 5 that were actually riding the snow (Freeride) well it's because of the ads that want it.. and also it's way cheaper for us to send a photographer on a snowpark than sending him with 2 pros in Caucasus or nepal dude!... blah blah blah... "

Conclusion : There was a time were the sport was driven by the companies and they lead the tendencies: it hasn't changed ! We need to get ourselves promote our disciplines alone so the media catches on (laaaater).

Also a funny thing> Every winter now the mags here in France publish full tests of Swallowtails (which sells maybe 300 boards per year in here) and NONE of alpine equipement which sells more in the 1500 -2500 range... (no clue but for sure its more than ST boards) reason> ST are Hype, it makes people look "roots" (I have many hehe) and big companies start producing them for "root attitude".

Yeaahahhhhh let's go Windsurfing it's summer almost, and get the edges sharp for the fall :!

[MennoB]

I would buy it only for the purpose to get more expoure for alpine.
Or, rephrased: to balance the over-exposure of freestyle jibbing.

In my opinion, freestyle is interesting for manufacturers for a number of reasons:
-Image
-freestyle boards are relatively quite cheap to manufacture
-freestylers destruct their boards at a very high rate (rail slides etc) -> they have to buy new "decks" more often -> larger sales volume

[ablazespy]

I have quit my subscribsion to one of the snowboard mags I had. For the reasons Nils has written above. I was more and more Air force mag. I have written a letter to one mag and also a e-mail of jacques was placed and that were the only 2 articals about alpine placed in the last 2 years. but I have contacted them and the mag is now willing to help, let that be the start. Nils is working on it now!!!!!

greetz Ablazespy/Dènis