*** Important Swoard news > season 2014 ***

Various topics, technical questions, announcements, events, resorts, ...

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fivat
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*** Important Swoard news > season 2014 ***

Post by fivat » Monday 6 January 2014, 17:05

Hello everyone, 8)

Here is Swoard news for this season, with big changes and new things. There is however one bad info ... fortunately temporary.

We could read recently weird things on the Internet. Beware of false prophets, trolls, jealous persons and people who have interests in other brands or Web sites. The only reliable information sources about Swoard are here and in our meetings.
Do we need to remind that we are a small team which does all this by passion, besides our other jobs and thus without financial constraints? Free to make what we want, we develop snowboards for ourselves above all, in the style of ride (EC) that we created. In 2002-2003, we began a small production because people wanted to have the same protos as the ones shown in our photos and first EC videos. It is always the same flame and the same passion for snowboard which drives us. :D


News about the production for the public

During the big dinner of the ECS 2013, we announced that Nidecker closed his Swiss factory... but we also said that we already had a new factory in Europe (we don't want to move the production to Asia or Africa). The models Dual and Extremecarver Gen4 are produced there, with excellent finishing and strict specifications.
We had to remake all the molds because the presses are different from the ones at Nidecker. We have our own suppliers for some crucial materials. Restarting in a new factory is a huge work, and we are happy to have achieved this in such a short time for the 2014 season. It was also necessary to test and validate the boards.

Now we also have a R&D workshop close to Geneva, where we handcraft the 3rd model Extremecarver Pro. It is also possible for us to develop prototypes quickly, more easily than with the factories.
Finally, looking back, the closing of Nidecker factory was a chance for us. In 10 years, Swoard has adapted and bounced many times from factory to factory, and every time higher. It is work, but we do not count the hours for passion.


New logistics

We have moved our small stock from Switzerland to France and now we ship our snowboards in EU for 29€ only without any custom tax! The VAT is the French VAT 20% even if you are living in another European country. Shipping price is also 29€ for a delivery in Switzerland, but with 8% Swiss VAT. For the rest of the world, shipping price is also very interesting.

:arrow: The bad news which we mentioned is that the French logistics company which we did chose has now financial problems. A bankruptcy could occur by 3 months... This is Murphy's law! :-( The period should be sufficient for us to ship boards to eager riders this winter.
Thus we understand some delays (the employees were on strike last week!).


New online shop

:arrow: In late January, when the last logistics problems will be solved, we will open our new online shop www.swoard.com , which is much more convenient for users.
Thank you for your patience! We do our best despite the logistics problems which do not depend on us.


The boards

Here is the full range of boards for this season:

Image

The technical cards will be visible in the new online shop.

The prices, free of tax, are: Dual 549€, Extremecarver Gen4 639€, Extremecarver Pro 859€.

It should be noted that the Dual and Extremecarver Gen4 are beautiful, with a superb finishing. Minor changes concern the base which is now Graphite NHS (the best on the market) and alu protections which are slightly different. We do not change the name or generation number for this.

The program of Extremecarver Gen4 is still carving and extremecarving, for the beginner to the expert. Changes compared to the Gen3 are well perceptible on snow, as it has been confirmed again by the participants at our last meeting in Hintertux (Austria).
Our objective is to make our boards and EC accessible to everyone.

With the Dual, it is possible for the soft boots riders to discover carving with high performances, without renouncing to freeride. Even with a duck stance, this board is appreciated a lot.


The 3rd new model

The Extremecarver Pro was introduced in preview here. It is designed for advanced extremecarvers who want to push the limits also in choppy snow or on rough ice.
Its specifications will be given in the technical cards. We can mention especially:

a) The Swoard innovative technology Metal ATC Matrix, which incorporates the advantages of metal (Titanal) without the disadvantages. In contrary to what is made elsewhere, it is not simple sheets of Titanal sandwiched in the board, but a set of metal pieces. Manufacturing is long and complex: it is thus made by hand in our new workshop R&D, in limited series.

b) The new concept of "dynamic rocker" by Swoard. Decambered tip and tail are usually a disadvantage for extremecarving, especially on steep slopes. In appearance, the Extremecarver Pro has a small classic camber. But a very slight rocker of tip and tail appears dynamically when riding flat or on easy slopes, what makes the board very handy in those conditions. When extremecarving, the edge grips on its entire length. We get the best of both philosophies of shape.

c) A redrawn of the tip. The width has absolutely not been reduced, the program being Swoard-EC with reasonable bindings angles.


Research and development (R&D)

Far from fashion, marketing and financial constraints, Swoard takes time to develop and test its products. We make them available to the public when we are fully satisfied.

It has always been so, like it happened in January 2003 with the Extremecarver Gen1 which has launched a new trend after its output. This model had been developed over many years.
With the Extremecarver Pro, we do not want to follow the other brands in the use of metal, like fashion.

Our first prototypes with a "standard" Titanal construction did not satisfy us for extremecarving. Note that metal has been used for decades in the ski industry, but it is back in fashion thanks to different manufacturing techniques of skis and snowboards.

Image
Unpublished photo of the first Titanal Swoard prototype: "artistic" picture by Nils, 2008

We have identified the disadvantages of this technology. For example, the torsional stiffness is difficult to adjust and becomes too great at the ends of the snowboard. The problem is by-passed by decambering the tip and tail: rocker, mix camber, etc. But this causes a loss of rebound (pop) and less franc grip on steep slopes which the extremecarvers are looking for.

We have thus taken several years to test other ideas and develop our own innovative technology Metal ATC Matrix, which eliminates these disadvantages.

During the big dinner of the ECS 2012, we presented another prototype, black color, in which the technology was introduced for the first time (December 2011). Then, till 2013, other prototypes were made to adjust the various parameters.

Image
The latest prototypes of the Extremecarver Pro, April 2013

With our new R&D department, we gain flexibility and speed. In a conventional factory, the waiting time for making a prototype can be two months. In the workshop, a week!

The development of other sizes and flex (12 possibilities!) has been done in a last step, by dynamic tests (on snow) and static measurements of the various boards. A long but necessary work to satisfy all sizes and weights of riders.


Stay tuned for more news!
And see you soon on the snow! :D

The Swoard team

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manuchill
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Re: Important Swoard news > season 2014

Post by manuchill » Monday 6 January 2014, 22:54

Thanks for sharing this insightful overview of where Swoard is at the moment.
Not many companies are this transparent and are willing to provide “a look behind the scenes”.
A very nice read and most of all: keep up the good work

See ya in a few weeks :)
SWOARD EC Pro 175H + F2 Race Titanium + Head Stratos Pro with ACSS attached personally by Arnaud ;)

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fivat
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Re: *** Important Swoard news > season 2014 ***

Post by fivat » Friday 24 January 2014, 10:02

fivat wrote:New logistics

We have moved our small stock from Switzerland to France and now we ship our snowboards in EU for 29€ only without any custom tax! The VAT is the French VAT 20% even if you are living in another European country. Shipping price is also 29€ for a delivery in Switzerland, but with 8% Swiss VAT. For the rest of the world, shipping price is also very interesting.

:arrow: The bad news which we mentioned is that the French logistics company which we did chose has now financial problems. A bankruptcy could occur by 3 months... This is Murphy's law! :-( The period should be sufficient for us to ship boards to eager riders this winter.
Thus we understand some delays (the employees were on strike last week!).


New online shop

:arrow: In late January, when the last logistics problems will be solved, we will open our new online shop www.swoard.com , which is much more convenient for users.
Thank you for your patience! We do our best despite the logistics problems which do not depend on us.
Good news!

1) The French logistics company is probably going to survive! :D

2) The new online shop is now open and directly accessible on www.swoard.com.
It is in French as a first step (but you can use Google Translator) and the English version will come in 2 weeks. Other pages will be added in March.

The Swoard team

Janwillem
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Re: *** Important Swoard news > season 2014 ***

Post by Janwillem » Monday 27 January 2014, 17:37

How do I know if I am good enough at the extreme carving style to ride on a Pro model? Is it possible to ride on it if your not a PRO and than practice on it, or is it just too hard too try?
I am now able to make nice layed down turns on back side turns but my front side turns don't work every time, only in "Kamikaze style". I don't have a swoard yet but I am planning on buying one. Nowadays I am using a F2 silberpfeil. But I would love to try the style on a swoard, and preferably the PRO model so I can have fun on it longer.

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Re: *** Important Swoard news > season 2014 ***

Post by tali » Thursday 6 February 2014, 15:07

I just cannot take my eyes off the new Swoard website. :clap3:
The pages of board descriptions are amazing :bravo:

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Re: *** Important Swoard news > season 2014 ***

Post by tali » Thursday 6 February 2014, 15:11

Janwillem wrote:How do I know if I am good enough at the extreme carving style to ride on a Pro model?
As far as I know, getting a Gen4 is not a pre-requisite for getting a PRO :wink:

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fivat
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Re: *** Important Swoard news > season 2014 ***

Post by fivat » Wednesday 19 March 2014, 18:49

Hello dear friends and Swoard-EC supporters,
fivat wrote: :arrow: The bad news which we mentioned is that the French logistics company which we did chose has now financial problems. A bankruptcy could occur by 3 months... This is Murphy's law! :-( The period should be sufficient for us to ship boards to eager riders this winter.
UPDATE on 19th March:
The French company has been bought by another one and there will be no bankruptcy. :bravo:
We are happy with the new logistics. Thus there will be no changes in the future.
This season the customers were impressed by the excellent packing of the boards: in the box we place many protections to preserve your new toy during the transport! :D

The Swoard team

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