SIA The Intelligent Partner - Fall 2007 - (Page 14)

make sure they have good sell-through and their orders are secure. She sees diversiﬁcation as a hot trend in apparel. Companies are branching out with brand extensions like gloves and bags, while several have launched into four-season lifestyle apparel. These are positive changes for retailers, increasing brand awareness and giving them the opportunity to “freshen up” stores every 45-60 days. It also helps “weatherproof” them in case of mild weather. Mike Lamb (South) Mike Lamb is that rarity in the ski industry, a Westerner who moved east – or more precisely, southeast. Originally from Gunnison, Colo., he now lives in Boone, N.C. with his wife, Cindy, who is also a rep. Lamb considers himself lucky. His high school principal told him at his 30th class reunion, “Mike, it’s amazing that you do seven days a week what the rest of us work ﬁve days a week to be able to do.” Lamb started skiing with the Boy Scouts, got involved with junior ski patrol, raced in Colorado and was PSIA certiﬁed in 1969. He’s been in the business ever since, ﬁrst as an instructor, then as a rep. He was still running the ski school at Sugar Mountain, N.C. when he began repping because, with a young daughter, the family needed more income. He is still very involved with PSIA and says “One of the things that I love about being a rep is the clinic aspect because it’s a continuation of the education that got me started in this business.” Lamb has seen a lot of changes, including shrinkage in the number of resorts and retailers. When he began repping, there were close to 30 ski shops in the Atlanta market alone. Now there are ﬁve. He feels the loss of dealers made him “become more diligent and better service-oriented. And it’s also made me diversify and become a year-round multi-seasonal rep, not just a winter sports rep.” Lamb believes he works “for the shop owners, and the shop owners actually work for the customer who walks through the door.” On the award, he said, “This award actually validates all of the hours and the time away from home that I’ve spent servicing the customers.” Peter Kidd (Northeast) This is the second straight year Kidd has won the Northeast Region’s rep award. New England is his territory and it’s also where he grew up – mostly raised in Vermont and still lives there – though he spent some years in Colorado in his teens. Some people have it “snow-lucky.” He was “born into the ski business” in Stowe, ﬁrst skiing when he was 2, racing as a junior and working at a ski shop by the time he was 14. He became a rep with Elan in 1979, when he was 22, and has stayed with them for all but six years since while adding three other lines. The Kidds are a snow-mad family. His wife Carol skis. They have one child who rides exclusively, a second who both rides and skis and a third who only skis. One of the big changes he sees is the Internet, which is increasingly important to consumers. Well ahead of the rep curve, he has had a web site (www. peterkidd.com) for four years and said “I can’t believe I’m one of the few.” He uses it as an online store for retailer staff and a cross-marketing tool. The News and Events sections keep stores up to date on his staff, shows and product while creating a personal touch. Kidd notes there are fewer shops these days, with customers buying equipment less frequently. To balance this to some degree, shaped skis have had a positive impact, giving people a reason to get new gear. As for the coming season, Kidd doesn’t foresee anything Earth-shattering, though “we’re due for another big change,” he said. He expects to continue to see a lot of youngsters learning to ride and going to twin-tip skis. Nick Pachmayer (Midwest) Nick Pachmayer is a repeat Midwestern winner – pretty impressive at the ripe old age of 38. He’s also another skier “since the cradle” (or at least 18 months) and began racing from around age 7 on into college. 14 | S I A | T . I . P . | FA L L 2 0 0 7 http://www.peterkidd.com http://www.peterkidd.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SIA The Intelligent Partner - Fall 2007

SIA The Intelligent Partner - Fall 2007 Contents Word off the Slopes Welcome Best of the Best 287 Goodyear Blimps and the Bottom Line Faces in the Crowd On the Money SIA Products and Services Index to Advertisers Advertisers.com

SIA The Intelligent Partner - Fall 2007

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