Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
- Johnny
- Site Admin
- Posts: 2256
- Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2013 5:11 pm
- Location: Quebec / Vermont
- Ski style: Dancing with God with leathers / Racing against the machine with plastics
- Favorite Skis: Redsters, Radicals, XCD Comps, Objectives and S98s
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska XP, Alfa Guards, Scarpa TX Comp
- Occupation: Full-time ski bum
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
Yeah I already visited these sites yesterday too...
Any TeleTalker from Russia willing to arrange shipping for me?
Any TeleTalker from Russia willing to arrange shipping for me?
/...\ Peace, Love, Telemark and Tofu /...\
"And if you like to risk your neck, we'll boom down Sutton in old Quebec..."
"And if you like to risk your neck, we'll boom down Sutton in old Quebec..."
- JeffXCD
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2017 9:46 am
- Location: Lansing, MI
- Ski style: all
- Favorite Skis: all
- Favorite boots: all
- Occupation: teacher finally!
- Website: http://outyourbackdoor.com
- Contact:
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
bump. ... the reason i asked if ppl thought or knew if US was a big xc market is that i've heard two diverging views on it from experts. one was that the trade doesn't do PR in the US because we're not worth it. another is that we're the biggest market. maybe those 2 views can coexist: maybe the bulk of our market is a gimme for the trade and they don't need to do PR. the regulars at the dozen or show big shops (online) have their fan base and that works well enough w no PR. apparently our youth sector is growing, thankfully. i don't know how they're finding out about XC w no PR. (Jessica Diggins won her first gold a few yrs ago and it wasn't trumpeted at all except in insider media.) i was concerned XC wd fade out as boomers fade out. ...it seems like this still might happen. let's hope not! (cool Russian wood ski! let's find some!)
****
Jeff Potter
Lansing, MI
all the skis filling the van
Jeff Potter
Lansing, MI
all the skis filling the van
- randoskier
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 2:08 am
- Location: Yank in Italy
- Ski style: awkward
- Favorite Skis: snow skis
- Favorite boots: go-go
- Occupation: International Pop Sensation
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
A lot of European countries are far richer than America per capita (Norway springs to mind). I think Europe is the biggest Nordic ski market by a wide margin.Coolwhip wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 12:27 amAmericans have some of the highest incomes in the world, many spend more money than they earn, and there's lots of them, so it would be surprising if they weren't high on the list of buyers of something people purchase out of discretionary funds. I don't know if people on this forum would call themselves big spenders, but how many have 5 or more pairs of skis?JeffXCD wrote:My impression is that US XC is steadily shrinking. Gets zero PR or marketing. So how could it be big?
The linked article suggests that Russians might account for a large amount of ski purchases, but on average they only make about 20% of American wages. I expect they're more frugal in purchasing ski gear. What I've seen on Russian websites suggests that the backcountry touring gear especially tends to be based on older designs and costs less, and even the more familiar stuff is lower cost there.
Gear used by a Siberian ski touring company: Siberian Expeditions
zubiya-foto-6.jpg
Some store links:
Skis, skates
Крепления с плавающей платформой Абакан-2
Akkord Premium - Универсальные тросовые лыжные крепления с качающимися щечками
e1fcf8af80096784cfe303d89176de2a.jpg
f6dc2e7edf5871aa965c59950cecd7b8.jpg
- 12gaugesage
- Posts: 161
- Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:33 pm
- Location: MWV
- Ski style: Ugly but fast
- Favorite Skis: The next ones
- Favorite boots: The ones on my feet
- Occupation: Simple proliteriat
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
Speaking from a perspective of local observation, XC is more popular than it was (10?) years ago when I started out.. Parking lots at Nordic centers are often packed and I never seem to have the trails to myself anymore, and these last 3 years have been terrible in terms of conditions.
I also tend to think the development of a new binding standard and continuing revisions to product lines suggest that XC/XCD is doing alright.
High lift ticket prices and crowded mountains probably make XC more attractive.
Can't say I have any real data to back up my claims though
I also tend to think the development of a new binding standard and continuing revisions to product lines suggest that XC/XCD is doing alright.
High lift ticket prices and crowded mountains probably make XC more attractive.
Can't say I have any real data to back up my claims though
Nordic by nature
Shut up hippie
Shut up hippie
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
Nordic took off in Southern Ontario since Covid shut down our skill hills for much of the 20/21 winter. Doubled the customers, or just about. I don't expect it to last, but this winter was also busy. I'm sure sick of the alpine experience, and price - for three decades now.
- randoskier
- Posts: 902
- Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 2:08 am
- Location: Yank in Italy
- Ski style: awkward
- Favorite Skis: snow skis
- Favorite boots: go-go
- Occupation: International Pop Sensation
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
The Nordic product manager at Fischer, Austria told me that they had forecast that there would be extremely sluggish demand for Nordic-backcountry skis during the Covid pandemic, but that the exact opposite occurred with an unprecedented demand for this equipment during this period. This was pretty tough for Fischer as it coincides with their factory in Ukraine burning to the ground. They did a good job rapidly sourcing what manufacturing capacity they could find in CZ. They rebuilt their new factory from scratch in 16 months, just in time for the Russian attack on Ukraine. This is very unfortunate for skis, but Fischer's focus is quite rightly on the safety of their 3,000 employees in Ukraine and safety of the Ukrainian nation in general.12gaugesage wrote: ↑Mon Mar 14, 2022 7:09 pmSpeaking from a perspective of local observation, XC is more popular than it was (10?) years ago when I started out.. Parking lots at Nordic centers are often packed and I never seem to have the trails to myself anymore, and these last 3 years have been terrible in terms of conditions.
I also tend to think the development of a new binding standard and continuing revisions to product lines suggest that XC/XCD is doing alright.
High lift ticket prices and crowded mountains probably make XC more attractive.
Can't say I have any real data to back up my claims though
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
the size of the market does not always dictate the advertising budget. Coke, Macdonalds, etc spend billions advertising in the US. are soda drinkers going to forget about Coke if they stop advertising? yup, awareness will age-out. can't ever stop the advertising machine. all of that said, I cannot remember the last time I saw an ad for nordic racing gear, or Skimo race gear, or racing snowshoes. I must not hang around in the right places.
- FourthCoast
- Posts: 257
- Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2018 2:55 pm
- Ski style: 40-Year-Old Poser
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
I quit watching any advertising supported TV many years ago. It wasn't so much the ADs, but the TYPE of ADs. So many prescription drug commercials. It seems to be even worse now that online sports betting is legal here. All the commercials are for drugs or gambling.bauerb wrote: ↑Fri Mar 18, 2022 4:06 pmthe size of the market does not always dictate the advertising budget. Coke, Macdonalds, etc spend billions advertising in the US. are soda drinkers going to forget about Coke if they stop advertising? yup, awareness will age-out. can't ever stop the advertising machine. all of that said, I cannot remember the last time I saw an ad for nordic racing gear, or Skimo race gear, or racing snowshoes. I must not hang around in the right places.
If I could watch broadcast TV that had commercials with ski gear that would change everything.
-
- Posts: 956
- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2022 5:24 pm
- Location: Da UP eh
- Ski style: Over the river and through the woods
- Favorite Skis: Nansen, Finnmark, Kongsvold, Combat NATO, Fischer Superlite, RCS
- Favorite boots: Crispi Bre, Hook, Alpina 1600, Alico Ski March, Crispi Mountain
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
How much advertising is there for other sporting goods in the US? Have you ever seen an ad in non-specialty outlets for Louisville Slugger or Easton baseball bats? CCM skates? Tennis rackets? Stirrups and bridles? Football padding manufacturers? About the only thing that would get major ad dollars for a mass audience is Air Jordan shoes, so I don't think ad budget has any value in this discussion.
Anecdotally, I have heard of people taking up xc due to effects of covid restrictions etc. Also heard on local Wisconsin Public Radio a couple months ago an interview with a local author who recently wrote a book about some aspect of xc and it was his opinion that the past decade has seen a resurgence of younger people getting into it.
Anecdotally, I have heard of people taking up xc due to effects of covid restrictions etc. Also heard on local Wisconsin Public Radio a couple months ago an interview with a local author who recently wrote a book about some aspect of xc and it was his opinion that the past decade has seen a resurgence of younger people getting into it.
Re: Do ya think US is biggest XC market?
Advertising procedure depends on interest. Its a complete algorithm that determines advertisements to show you according to your interest and search queries. I am fond of badminton so I commonly encounter tennis rackets or other sporting goods ads related to badminton.