Christophe Bouvier, Global Chairman and Mountainwear Product Manager.

Which one of us shred lovers never dreamt of becoming a pro rider, and then when comes the end of your short but intense snowboarding career, turn into an industry boss? Well, that’s pretty much what happened to Christophe Bouvier, and this certainly didn’t happen by chance. For this Tech Heads, the boss of the winter product at Rip Curl goes deep into his job, his inspirations, and the line coming up soon. Another passionate guy who makes the snowboard world spin in the good direction.

I’m pretty sure a lot of readers out there are wondering how can they land such a cool job. So how does that happened for you?

Cool you said? Ahah! If you love XLS sheets, hard negociations, and try and make the whole world happy about your stuff in such a difficult market, then I guess it’s a cool job!
I’m actually a former rider and a coach. I did that for about ten years and a lot of trips around the world, before starting at Rip Curl at the bottom of the scale. I was in the warehouse in Australia for 2 years, then 2 other years as a marketing assistant, and another 2 years as a tech rep in Victoria state, Australia. 2 other years as mountain wear product manager for the South hemisphere, then I came back to France doing this job for the Europe zone. And now I’ve been the Global chairman and mountain wear product manager for only two weeks. I guess I love new challenges! But the main thing for me as always been moved by one goal: the ride. It’s the ultimate goal for all of us right? Live the search!

Well I guess everyone has an idea of what a Global Chairman does – or maybe not? But let’s concentrate on your other title: mountain wear product manager: what are the different aspects of this role?

Unlike most companies out there in our business, this role is anyway linked to the brand manager role, as far as the mountain wear division goes. The product manager is in fact the last person to check if everything is ok, and also the first person in charge of the results of his division, so it’s the guy who’s getting his ass kicked by the General Manager and the owners in case of a problem.
My job consist in coordinating, direct and check the good processing of all our mountain product line. So I’m involved at all the stages of the garment production: market research, collection’s structure, design brief, prototype validation, price negociation, sourcing, buys, shipment, inventory, stock… It’s also very important to coordonate well with the marketing departement as well so the communication stays tight and understandable, and also in the spirit of the brand. In short, it’s a bit like being the conductor of an orchestra, as you are taking care of the product from before its birth to its adult age – when sold to the final consumer. And even after sometimes, when a default product is coming back!

With the complexity of your job, what would you say take the most of your time among these different tasks?

Definitely the product development. It’s the stage when the quality of the product is in process. The sales and the feedback from the field is also very important to ameliorate and get rid of all the little problems we might have before we validate the final product. That’s where the feedback is really important. It pretty all together takes from April till November every season.

Rip Curl outerwear girls line 13/14.

Where does your inspiration come from regarding product design?

Observation, talks, being on the ground and feel what’s going on. You can’t be disconnected from the filed, I mean you need to be out there and shred. I have the final word on this but I work with a very good team of people that I really trust. We listen a lot to our riders, especially for the technical aspect of the outerwear. They also have their word on the design. And we also listen to the sales guys, it’s important too.

Rip Curl is a massive company in our industry. Is it not a problem to get reactive on the trends, fashion?

Rip Curl is a big company in surfing, not so much in snowboarding. In fact our team is pretty small and it can react pretty fast for whatever we need – a small limited collection or reacting on trends etc. It’s not all prefect for sure, but it’s good to be part of the Rip Curl DNA, for its roots aspects and its authentic identity. And that’s exactly this mix who makes working at Rip Curl such an unique experience. As of today, Rip Curl is still a private company, even a family company I would say. It’s still managed by its founders, Brian Singer and Claw Warbrick. They built the company during the hippie years of surfing, being core surfers themselves, and with quality wetsuits in mind. The product has always been the main thing in the company, and not the processes. Because of the simple and pragmatic approach, I don’t think we can picture Rip Curl as a massive brand, or heavy in term of processing the product, but it just gives us the chance to imagine maybe more possibilities than others.

Speaking about it, how would you describe the identity of the brand?

Fun, Technology, leadership, irreverence, belief, tradition, Search!

Having such a renowned name in surfing when it comes to technical gear, how was it to transfer this into snowboarding?

I think it’s just a question of respecting your values, which I have depicted in your previous question. If you keep the same line, the same way of seeing things or dealing with issues, then there is a great change the company’s DNA goes into everything you do. The main idea is to create quality and technical product, for the young, fun audience. For example, the Cocona technology (increasing the breathability of the outerwear), mixed with 4 way stretch material and applied on a multi-layer system – the Ultimate Gum Series, this is how we stick to our values of leadership and innovation in technology. This way, we offer one of the best multi-layer system out there in term of waterproofness, breathability and flexibility, that really makes your riding experience more comfortable, with a super competitive price.

What would you say at this stage are the main point of development for Rip Curl in snowboarding?

To focus more and more on quality, innovation, and technology. Even if that means reducing production numbers. We want to keep reaching to the core mountain lover who’s passionate about big mountain and backcountry.

Do you think we will see one day Rip Curl boards or Rip Curl boots in stores?

No, because it’s useless to start diverting into products where you don’t have the necessary expertise. I think it’s a much better idea to put our energy on what we do best, in order to make those strong points even stronger.

Victor Delerue Pro Serie jacket for next winter.

What product make you the most proud in this coming and yet to discover (in our Product Guide out this summer) 13/14 range?

In term of look, the Victor Delerue Pro Serie jacket. And in term of technicity, the Ultimate Gum Serie jacket.

What are you working on right now?

Winter 14-15 design.

Can you give us a little insight on the design trends for that line already?

A lot of punchy colors, and also some heritage looks. But I can’t tell you more right now… It’s secret you know!

Check Rip Curl’s website.

Danny Kass rocking the new Skullcandy Navigator.

This month, Skullcandy is officially launching the new Navigator headphones. The Navigators are a smaller take on last year’s well-received Roc Nation (Jay Z’s label) Aviators and a truly perfect balance of performance and style. So let’s take a closer look at this bad boy.

Yes, spring is officially here and most of us are already switching to summer mode. This, added to the recent launch of Skullcandy’s brand new baby, made it obvious that the Navigator is the new ‘Product of the Week’. But first of all, let’s speak about Skullcandy, for those who’d still have their products to discover – you never know…

Founded in 2003 by Rick Alden in Park City, Skullcandy has been pushing the boundaries of how we listen to music on the go, and especially on a board, whether it’s on concrete or snow. Now the company is registered on the Nasdaq, the most dynamic stock market in the world. This fact only, make Skullcandy a brand part from the rest, being at the crossing of two industries that are close to our (and your) heart: action sports and music.

Kazu Kokubo, also part of the Skullcandy snow team.

Ok, that being said, let’s take a closer look on the product itself. These days we use headphones so ubiquitously that they can be as much of a style statement as the trainer brand you are loyal to – and the Navigators are here to earn your headspace. The highly researched ergonomic design means that, put simply, they are designed to be put on, and to stay on. You don’t even have to take them off to take a phone call, as the Navigators have that all-important built in Mic3 technology, allowing you to change volume, talk to your friends and pause tracks at the touch of a button.

The Navigator in white.

Like all new Skullcandy headphones, they are designed with the company signature’s ‘Supreme Sound’ – created by Skullcandy’s very own Golden Ear, Director of Electrical & Acoustical Engineering, Dr. Tetsuro Oishi – attacking bass, diamond clear vocals and crisp high ends are integral to the Navigators. They have been designed to sound great across all genres, so whether you want to listen to bass driven dubstep, heavy rock or uplifting folk, they have it covered.

The Navigators hold so much bespoke technology inside them that it seems impossible that it could all fit into such a compact size – barely the size of a pair of sunglasses when folded. The highlight being the finely tuned 40 mm REX40™ driver, custom designed by Skullcandy to deliver extremely smooth sound with near-zero distortion.

The 40 mm REX40™ driver, custom designed by Skullcandy.

To be complete on the subject, check the presentation video that Skullcandy posted to launch the Navigator.

In short, the Navigator have it all – comfort, modern dynamic style and awesome sound. Trust them to steer your course, whether you’re trotting the globe or just on your way to work and want some great headphones to listen to your tunes on. Quality audio performance, with distortion-free deep bass response at high volumes. Cool design emulates Aviator sunglasses, includes inline microphone and remote for phone calls and controlling playback. The detachable cable is also something to notice, and make it, for less than 100€, one of most stylish piece of gear you could rock this summer.

On top of these product specifications, you can also go further and find out more on the Navigator facebook app.

Also visit skullcandy.com, or join facebook.com/skullcandy or on Twitter @skullcandy.

Finally, check this tag to see our recent Product of the Week reviews.

Check what snowboard goggles the brands will be hyping for 2014.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the finest peeper protectors that’ll be dropping for the 2013-14 winter season – including Dragon’s NFX, the new Adidas Originals line, Anon’s magnetic M2, Smith’s highlight model and more.

Check the second part of our video preview exposing some of 2014′s new snowboard outerwear. 

From Vans’s Tyler Chorlton-endorsed  jacket that uses waxed canvas so it ages to Nikita’s killer new girls’ range (displayed on the most awesome mannequins ever) and more, there’s some killer outerwear coming our next season. We hit up a bunch of brands at ISPO to see what they were most pumped on. Check out part 2… and when you’re done you can peep Part 1 of our look at 2014′s snowboard outerwear.

Feast your eyes on some of the killer outerwear highlights coming at ya for 2014 from the likes of Volcom, Bataleon, Oneill, 686 and Thirtytwo.

From ThirtyTwo’s extensive water-repellent range of street-styled threads to Bataleon’sloose/slim combos and more, there’s some good-looking outerwear coming our next season, and we hit up a bunch of brands at ISPO to see what they were most pumped on. Check out part 1…

Ever wanted to spin your legs around in opposing directions like a harlem shaking barbie doll whilst you slip slide down the mountain side? I know! Me too! And the great news is that a bunch of dudes in Santa Barbara have made it possible. Just imagine the possibilities! There has to be at least zero instances a week when this would be handy, why has nobody ever thought of spinning bindings before? And look, it comes with a really cute strap you can hang off your knee! How have we ever managed without these things between us and our boards? Never again will you have to turn your knee a tiny bit when you’re on the lift next to a skier. Joy! Just think of all those nifty bmx tricks you’d be able to do in the lift line. The girls will all fall at your feet. And you can whip your board around and chop them down at the knees if they don’t. Hurry down to quickstance.com and get you some before they go bankrupt.

The Forum Shaka binding.

Seeing as they’ll shortly be closing their factory doors for ever, we thought it would be good to present this week a product that has been one of the best evolutions lately in the Forum product range. RIP Forum… and perhaps worth noting that the customer service and warranty will still work for the next year.

The Shaka binding was a huge hit straight as it came out, thanks to it bendability and adaptability. With its disk in two parts and the flexible base –  tech composite mix of 30% glass fibers and high-grade nylon, the binding bend under your feet to the flex of your board, and it make a very good natural flex feel on any terrain, on any turn or landing you can make. This is what make the Shaka binding stand out from the rest especially: the continuous flex feel of your board. But the rest of the features are pretty top level too: the customizable freestyle strap allows maximum freedom and provides adjustable increased medial/lateral support so you can decide how you feel your strap’s vibes. Using the tool-free adjustment, remove the straps and put the right on the left and vice versa. As the toe strap is design to fully cover the tip of your boot in order to maximize the support and response.

A tech composite mix of 30% glass fibers and high-grade nylon allows for maximum power transfer while still providing underfoot feel and dampening.

The clever Shaka disk that comes in two parts.

The Simmer Down foot pad and adjustable spoiler.

On top of this, you get all the customization possible: adjustable baseplate,forward lean, spoiler and heel hoop. Connectivity between your binding and your board has never been so high, this is the ‘good vibes’ feeling Forum is talking about in their product presentation. But after trying it, it really does work! And this is why it’s our Product Of The Week!

Overall flex range: 4. Oh, and if you don’t like orange, the Forum Shaka also comes in black and in white. Get one pair while you still can!

See the Shaka binding and it’s video here. And don’t miss the über tech Honeypot technology informative clip by Pat Moore. Unless you prefer the Good Vibes feeling explained by Nic Sauve and his pretty toit friend.

We bumped into a bunch of pre shredders cruising the halls of ISPO this year, so we whacked a camera in their faces and asked them to give us the lowdown on their favourite board. Check out what 2014 decks have Gigi Rüf, Jeremy Jones, JP Solberg, Eero Ettala and DCP hyped…

Steve Pelletier, Product Line Manager and Developer at Nike.

It was clear from the day Nike announced they’d enter the world of snowboard boots, they would do it properly. After a few years in the game now and with the ability to tap into the huge Nike footwear heritage, the boots are – according to all the feedback – at the forefront of performance and durability. It was all this that made us want to meet Steve Pelletier, the boot guru from Beaverton, Oregon.

First of all, I’d like to know about your professional career path, before we enter the specific Nike boots questions…

I fell in love with snowboarding in my early teen years and when I was about 17 I knew that all I wanted to do was work in snowboarding. I started making snowboards at a factory at night when I was 18 to put myself through college, managed a couple snowboard shops after that, did a short stint as a guide at Snowbird, and worked customer service jobs before landing in the world of snowboard boots. During all that time after college I was a sneaker customizer and some people in the company I worked for took notice. This eventually lead me to into testing boots and giving feedback, which naturally evolved into a job making snowboard boots.

Now you are Product Line Manager and Developer for the Nike boots program. Can you explain all the different aspects of your role?

I really think I have the coolest job on the planet. There are so many amazing parts of the job that is difficult to explain everything that I do, but I started in the boot world as a developer, which is basically a boot engineer. Since then, I’ve moved into being a Product Line Manager which is kinda like being a head chef – you decide the menu, the ingredients, and the price and positioning of the products in your line. And then I also get to do a little design, mostly on color and material, which is a lot of fun because that is the place I get to be most creative and working that closely with our riders is one of the most awesome experiences I could ever have.

Nike includes the BOA system on some of the 13/14 boot range: how does this system affect the Nike boots from the experience you have?

Partnering with BOA was definitely a strategic move for us. Those guys are the best – they have insane knowledge of gearing and engineering, and they are a joy to work with. For me, it’s the pinnacle lacing system on the market today. Look for Nike and BOA to keep the relationship going over the next few years.

Last year Nike did already a lot of efforts to eliminate PVC and other environmentally aggressive materials from their boots. How does the line look today in this aspect and how far do you think you can push it?

Actually Nike has taken a stance against PVC for over a decade. It’s nasty stuff. It’s been a priority for us to look at how boots are made and how we can make that process more environmentally friendly. We all want the snow to be around for our children and our children’s children to experience. We want them to be able to enjoy the same things that we all love. At Nike, we’re focusing our efforts in the areas in which we can have the greatest impact, such as the materials we design into our products but also through the process of making those materials and products.

Today we use many environmentally preferred materials that reduce solvents, waste, and water usage. Some of our boots even feature recycled PET synthetic leathers. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what can be done and we are learning more every day. I think there is a big opportunity for advances in this area in the years to come, and I think we are ideally positioned to lead this movement in the future.

Another aspect that Nike boots pushed is a better board feel. Which boot would you say really focus on that aspect? Other than a thinner sole, what else can have an influence on board feel? 

For us, our best board feel boot is the Zoom Kaiju. It’s inspired by the Nike Free shoes, which you can basically fold up in your hand. We knew that the Nike Free idea had a special something to it and we modified it to work for snowboarding. What we ended up with was a sole that was stiff toe to heel for power on your edges, but if you press the forefoot area of the outsole, you realize how soft it is underfoot. This allows you to feel your board bend and twist under your feet and puts you more in tune with what is happening while you are riding your snowboard down the mountain.

The Nike Kaiju, inspired by the Nike Free trainer.

It is compatible with dampening as we found a way to sneak an Nike Zoom Air bag into the heel of the boots. So much like a rally car’s suspension, they are tuned so that you can feel everything on the surface you are shredding, but at the same time they offer the protection you need to stomp those big drops and still power through a hand dragging carve or up a pipe wall.

The Nike Free trainer, the inspiration.

All of our boots are designed with great board feel in mind. The Zoom Kaiju is the pinnacle boot for us in terms of board feel, in that it gives you the most feel of any of the boots in our line.

Going further, do you think there could be one day a segmentation between let’s say regular mountain boots, and urban snowboard boots?

It’s definitely possible, but I am going to say that the future of snowboarding boots will be less dictated in terms of which riding style they are good for. A big part of this personal preference. We know that some guys like their boots super soft and forgiving, which would typically be seen as an urban style boot. But then you talk to a guy like Nicolas Müller, who rides gnarly big mountain terrain, a stiff board and bindings, but he likes his boots soft because they allow his body to flow and move naturally. Justin Bennee for example, is an urban rider that likes one of our stiffer models, the Zoom Force 1.

So my point is, it’s all about what feels good for you and your riding style, and Nike Snowboarding has been developing the best answer: it is all about customization.

Take our LunarENDOR for example: that boot contains our Adjustable Flex System so you can choose what flex is right for you, whether its about the conditions you are riding on a particular day or just what feels good to you at the moment when you lace a pair of our boots up and say, “yeah that’s just how I like it”. We have riders like Halldor Helgason that take their LunarENDORs and run them over with a truck before he rides them to make them softer, and on the flip side of that coin we’ve Peetu who likes a very stiff boot, riding LunarENDORs in the pipe. Those are 2 guys with as contrasting styles as you can get, both loving the the same boot model, but riding them in a completely different way.

I think it goes back to the roots of why we all snowboard – it feels AMAZING. So much of our sport is based on feel… Why does a backside 1 feel better than a frontside 1? You could argue why all day, but the fact of the matter is it does feel better… So what I’m saying is if someone tells you this boot is good for this and that boot is good for that, take it with a grain of salt. Go out there and experience it for yourself, form your own opinions because I can’t tell you what is right for you – I can suggest something, but you are your own best gauge to know what feels good for your style, ability level, and the day’s terrain you are going to ride.

The LunarENDOR, featuring the Adjustable Flex System and inspired from the Agassi 80′s look.

What other segmentations could come in the future, in regards to the trends and feedback you can perceive?

Like I said above I think more products will be customizable in the future. The opportunity there is huge. What if you can buy one board that does it all… it rips pow, holds and edge in an icy pipe, and smoothly butters off a box? Now think of taking a pow run where you might want a board with more flex and a playful demeanor… so you take your run, slashing pow, hooting and throwing shakas to your bros… then you get near the base of your resort and see the pipe and you’re like “Damn, I’m gonna slay that thing”, so you look down at your board and maybe you hit a button or slide something or whatever and suddenly it stiffens up, it gets more camber and its ready to go 20 feet out on that first hit… that would be something special! Customization is the future. Its bright.

That’s how I feel our LunarENDOR is with the Adjustable Flex System. One boot that can rip it all. I think it will be very exciting to watch products evolve and become easier to use in a variety of ways, in a variety of conditions.

What is the feedback you get from your riders in term of looks and color, and how can it fit to the Nike heritage you want to infuse in the boot range (like the Lunarendor boot and it’s 80s Agassi colors)?

Many of our riders are sneaker heads. Justin Bennee is one of the hardest core sneaker heads I’ve ever met, and at Nike, we have so much heritage to pull from. Honestly this is one of my favorite parts of what I do… working with the riders, seeing what their interests are, looking at the history of Nike to see what I can pull into that inspiration, and finally looking at what we are doing currently not only in Skate and Outerwear, but across all categories at Nike. It’s an endless source of inspiration.

Danny Kass has to be one of the most awesome people on the planet for crazy ideas as well. When you look at the history of some of the things we’ve done with Danny, they are really next level in terms of ideation, craft, and execution. From the first Arbito ZF1 double tongue boot to the latest shark-mouth warplane Zoom DK QS, we’ve been able to do some amazing things. Like I said – best job on the planet!

The shark-mouthed warplane Zoom Danny Kass QS.

Same question on the technical aspect of things: what kind of feedback do you get from your riders in term of flex, dampening etc? And does it differ whether it’s a jibber or a backcountry rider?

For sure it differs… that goes right along with my personal preference theory.

I think to be a snowboard boot guy you need to have a thick skin. You are going to hear things that might not stoke you out, but the good footwear developers and designers will always listen and take that feedback and do something with it, not just cast it aside.

A perfect example is when Gigi came to us and said, “Man I love my Kaijus, but when I hit big jumps they are just too soft for me. It would be cool if we could make a boot with the same board feel, but with a little more support. And what if I could change the level of support based on the terrain I’m riding?”

Right there we were like – THAT’S GOLD. 6 months later we churned out the Adjustable Flex System, which was first seen on the Zoom ITES and is currently in the LunarENDOR. So through a team roundtable Gigi said one little thing and we ran with it, and now its a huge success. That’s just one example, but it happens naturally like that all the time around the Nike campus. As a product guy you just need to never be satisfied with the current state of your product and you have to always be look for those little gems of insight that a rider or tester can provide to make it better. It could end up being the next big thing – you’ll never know until you try it.

Finally, to advise our readers, how important is the ‘out of the box feel’? Back in the days it used to take a while to break one’s boots in but it was the only way to get boots that give you a good fit and last long at the same time. Is it still true today?

We’ve come to a point in time that there are materials and technologies out there that have almost done away with that harsh break in period that used to plague snowboard boots. Now, everyone’s feet are different so there’s always going to be someone with a contrasting opinion, but we have taken pride in the fact that we offer the best out of box fit in the industry – meaning that you can ride our boots straight out of the box without pain or hotspots or the hassle of having them heat molded to reduce that break in period. All of our liners are heat moldable to allow for that custom fit if you need it, but the majority of our riders and testers just lace the boots up straight out the box and shred, which I think is how it should be. Get out there, enjoy the mountains, and spread that infectious feeling of riding with a giant smile on your face and with happy feet in your boots. That’s the experience we are trying to share with everyone.

To read the previous Tech Heads articles: Mervin’s Pete Saari, the Da Kine guys, Burton’s Greg Dacyshyn and CAPiTA’s Ephraim Chui.

 Also check Nike Snowboarding website.

Check out the second installment of our video preview of the finest in snowboard footwear set to drop next season. Peep what Vans, Deeluxe, ThirtyTwo and Nike are cooking for next season, and have a gander at part 1 for more sick snow kicks.