While so many industries have struggled to survive since the onset of the
pandemic, the outdoor recreation industry saw one of the biggest boons by far.
With an estimated $887
billion
in annual consumer spending, anything and everything outdoors-related took off
as indoor entertainment closed and people looked for space anywhere and
everywhere they could find it.
Ask anyone who went to a mountain resort this season, and they’ll likely tell
you things have been busier than ever. Vail Resorts, for example,
reported
a 12.5 percent increase in visits through April 2022; and that doesn’t even take
into account an extended ski season due to late winter storms across the western
half of North America.
Across-the-board increases in winter recreation makes it an especially
interesting time to speak with a leader at the helm of one of the most storied
brand groups in the sport: Groupe Rossignol CEO Vincent Wauters.
Wauters took over as CEO in early 2021 and finds himself in this leadership role
at a crucial time for the winter sports industry. Skiing and snowboarding are
facing steep cost barriers to entry, along with the unpredictability of what a
changing climate will do to snow seasons long term.
“We cannot hide ourselves from reality,” Wauters told Sustainable
Brands™. “We know global warming is urgent for all industries; but we
are more connected to nature than others, so we can see it and feel it.”
Based in Isère, France near the Alps, Groupe Rossignol counts six brands
within its portfolio — headlined by the namesake ski and snowboard
maker and supported by smaller, niche winter
brands including Dynastar and Look. A 2018
report
puts the group near the top of market share in ski hardgoods (essentially
anything besides apparel and related accessories).
Building a better ski
One of the bigger, ongoing problems within outdoor recreation is what to do with
all of the hard gear once it either reaches the end of its useful life or its
owner grows out of it either by size, ability level or need.
The group is making a big push to promote its
Essential Ski — launching this fall in
France — which is made from 75 percent recycled materials and is meant to be
returned to the factory for reintegration into new products at the end of its useful life. Wauters says they can recover 77 percent of the pure raw
materials from the ski (a combination of mostly aluminum and wood), then
repurpose that material into other uses.
Wauters says other ski brands were already experimenting with recyclable and
plant-based materials; but Rossignol’s commitment to scaling this endeavor is a
strong signal of where he would like to steer the business.
“The ability was already there in our DNA,” he says. “We plan to use [the
Essential ski] as a base towards creating a movement for the company and a
movement for the industry; we feel we’re launching a movement towards fixing and
extending the longevity of skis.”
Shifting company strategy to embrace a warmer climate
In March, Rossignol
relaunched
its mountain bike lineup with several models tailored towards a range of riders.
While the models are competitively equipped and priced, the offering will
ultimately remain a small part of the company’s business. Wauters says that it’s
difficult to scale bike production, as they’re reliant on an outside frame maker
and other component providers; but they’re looking at ways to manufacture products
closer to “the Western world” in the same way Rossignol produces its winter
hardgoods.
Perhaps of more importance than the bikes themselves is the integration of
environmentally friendly packaging to ship the bikes — a big step for a product
that traditionally arrives covered in plastic and non-recyclable ties. The
delivery box is 99 percent plastic-free, according to the brand, and can be
reused to ship the bike (something appealing at the more advanced enthusiast
level). Wauters says that the improved shipping box has the potential to
significantly cut emissions as it reduces the overall shipping volume of the
bike, but Groupe Rossignol has yet to do formal estimates on the potential
savings.
When asked about a potential pivot, Wauters says that they’re not moving to
warmer-weather activities so much as a way to build climate-resilient business,
but rather to reach the same consumer in a different space.
An additional challenge is coping with the already-increasing cost of most
winter sports, even before the more recent spikes in inflation. Overall, skiing
and snowboarding are incredibly expensive sports with built-in extraneous costs
and mobility needs — including the time and means
required
to get to a mountain and typical lift ticket/travel/accommodation costs.
“We also have a role to be more
inclusive
and mirror the diversity of our societies,” Wauters says.
Speaking specifically to the cost barriers, Wauters says that the future is
using a mix of gear made from recycled materials and keeping that gear in use
longer. Ideally, the combination would help increase access with cheaper used
gear on the market, allowing newer participants to enter the space. Considering
the average cost of skis is anywhere from $400 to
$1,000,
this would certainly address a major inclusivity challenge.
What will be interesting to watch is how winter sports brands will elevate their
collaboration as the effects of climate change continue to become more apparent.
Groupe Rossignol is a leader in this space and can move the needle for others to
follow, and Wauters is committed to working with competitors for the greater
good.
“The impact of climate change is bigger than one producer, and we need to help
each other,” he says. “We have an open-source mindset and more businesses are
joining us.”
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Geoff is a freelance journalist and copywriter focused on making the world a better place through compelling copy. He covers everything from apparel to travel while helping brands worldwide craft their messaging. In addition to Sustainable Brands, he's currently a contributor at Penta, AskMen.com, Field Mag and many others. You can check out more of his work at geoffnudelman.com.
Published May 31, 2022 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST