STUDY GUIDE page 3 niche intro page 4 material overview page 10 selling points page 26 camber profiles page 30 frequently asked questions 2012/13
NICHE INTRO Niche is rider-owned and operated in Salt Lake City, Utah. Everything is designed and tested locally in Salt Lake City and produced in Austria by one of the highest quality manufacturers, GST. Everyone involved in Niche is super passionate and loves both snowboarding and the environment. We strive to be at the forefront of innovation, and our main focus is on making the highest quality snowboards on the market, that also have the smallest ecological footprint. Our snowboards are lighter, snappier and more durable than snowboards made with traditional materials, which also gives us an all around smoother ride. in ECO RESPONSIBILITY This year, Niche was the recipient of the Eco Award for sustainable innovations in the snowsports industry at ISPO in Munich, Germany! Niche was the overall winner for Eco Responsibility in the Hardware category for our all-mountain snowboard, the Story. ISPO is considered the leading international sports business network. The Eco Responsibility division for the ISPO AWARD is an indicator for sustainable development in the sporting goods industry. In recent years, trends toward eco responsibility have been spreading. As current discussions about climate change and social responsibility gain momentum, so does the significance of this award. On Thursday, January 12, 2012 the jury meeting of the 1st ISPO AWARD was held at the ICM in Munich. The international jury (journalists, retailers, athletes and designers from nine countries) went through 262 applications, reviewed, discussed, tested and argued. It was very tough and competitive. Based on the criteria innovation, design and performance, they finally selected 63 products as winners and nominees. Of these finalists, Niche was awarded the overall winner for hardgoods! 2
A LITTLE ABOUT GST While you may not know GST, you ve definitely seen some of the boards they build. Brands like Forum, Arbor, Stepchild, Bataleon, Rome and Volcom have all hailed from GST s factory located in Antiesenhofen, Austria. And now, Niche Snowboards. GST s focus on measurable quality has made process security the company s highest ideal, and this translates into strict quality control measures at every step of the process. They have the world s lowest warranty rate with an average of 0.3 to 0.4 percent, and some of their brands are as low as 0.05 percent. GST has a clear, snowboard only philosophy. This includes not producing any in house boards, protecting all company specific innovations, and bringing GST innovations to the table for all the brands GST builds. GST has focused a great deal of time and money on building and buying the latest in technology to keep its brands on the cutting edge, and shares innovations, such as its structured base technology called StrucTurn. GST is all about automating the portions of the process that benefit from exacting detail and then hand finishing each board to ensure the utmost in quality in shelf appeal. GST also prides itself on being an environmental steward. This includes such measures as using 90 percent Austrian made materials, such as wood cores, and recycled water in the factory. They take care of the whole green balance, including energy, transportation, and the whole production process. GST also uses special UV lacquers and colors that require 90 percent less solvents than traditional lacquer and color processes. 3
MATERIAL OVERVIEW
CONSTRUCTION TECH Niche is not your traditional snowboard manufacturer. We use materials that improve your ride with impact resistance, lower weight, vibration dampening, and higher elasticity. Traditional snowboard manufacturing is toxic to the environment and to the people working with those materials. However, a love for snowboarding means respecting the environment. We have transcended traditional manufacturing processes by utilizing some totally new and revolutionary materials that not only improve performance, but are better for the environment too. MATERIALS Some great things are now being incorporated into snowboard manufacturing, including: recycled steel edges, recycled topsheets, recycled base materials and sustainable wood cores. However, one of the largest components in a snowboard is the resin, which has traditionally been the most toxic. We are using something entirely unique in the industry: a bio-resin we call Snappy Sap. We are also replacing the carbon fiber in the core stringers with hemp composites - a far more eco-friendly and sustainable option. MANUFACTURING PROCESS Niche s construction process consists of layering: a lacquer-free, Digi-Print topsheet; Snappy Sap bio-resin; Magma Fiber instead of fiberglass; hemp stringers instead of carbon fiber; sustainable wood cores; recycled steel edges; and recycled sidewalls & beeswax modified base material. All of which makes our process friendlier to our employees and the environment. BOTTOM LINE Niche snowboards are not only the planet s most eco-friendly, they re also lighter, more durable and better performing than boards made with traditional materials and manufacturing techniques. And, oh yeah, they kick ass on the hill. 6
Digi-Print Topsheet Snappy Sap Bio-Resin Magma Fiber HempHop Stringers Sustainable Wood Cores Magma Fiber Snappy Sap Bio-Resin Recycled & Base Materials 7
Digi-Print Topsheet Most snowboard makers cover their topsheets in a thick, toxic lacquer to add shine. This is not only toxic to the environment; it s unhealthy for people working in the factory. Digi-Print uses a lacquer-free topsheet material that s also thinner than most snowboard topsheets. This cuts down on excess material and makes your board lighter. We digitally print directly onto the topsheet, cutting up to 60% of the material and 75% of the energy wasted during alternate printing processes. Snappy Sap Bio Resin Traditional resins can be extremely toxic to people and the environment. For our snowboards, we partnered with Entropy Resins to create our one-of-akind, Snappy Sap Bio-Resin. As opposed to traditional epoxies made primarily of petroleumbased materials, Snappy Sap Bio-Resin is composed of biorenewable materials from the industrial waste streams of the paper pulp and bio-fuels industry. These natural components help the environment by: sustainable, bio-renewable materials from processing reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, reduced water and energy consumption, reduced wastes Snowboard benefits: more pop and spring to your board help keep your board from delaminating! benefits make your board bomb proof Magma Fiber The majority of the snowboard industry uses fiberglass in board construction. Niche has eliminated fiberglass, replacing it with Magma Fiber crafted from basalt. Basalt is the product of volcanic activity. The fiberization process is more environmentally safe than that of glass fiber; the greenhouse gases that might otherwise be released during fiber processing were released eons ago during the magma eruption. Basalt is also 100% inert, which means it has no toxic reaction with air or water, and is noncombustible. And basalt is much easier to recycle than glass. 15-20% higher tensile strength than regular fiberglass. This means better impact absorption, strength, and elasticity. strength to weight ratio, less is needed to produce a snowboard. And less material means a lighter board! if you chip your topsheet jibbing some gnar, your board will not absorb water and delaminate! 8
HempHop Stringers Stringers are strips of material that change the personality of a board (i.e. giving a board more pop or more stiffness), and are typically made of carbon fiber or another type of wood. Niche has developed a totally new stringer technology we call HempHop. Carbon uses lots of energy to process and releases half of its weight in CO 2 and other pollutants when manufactured. Hemp is an awesome eco-substitute, as it is one of the most versatile, fastest growing crops in existence, requiring very little pesticides and no herbicides! Did you know car companies like BMW and Mercedes are using hemp to replace carbon fiber in vehicle doors? Hemp stringers have similar characteristics to carbon fiber, only they re made from hemp! They are super strong and super light, making them an ideal swap. They also provide amazing vibration dampening charcteristics, giving you a less chattery ride. Sustainable Wood Cores The forests that our wood cores come from are managed carefully to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of current and future generations. Our wood cores also come from a sustainable source, which means they are replaced by new trees! Here are some other requirements of our forest management: other natural habitat identification of areas that need special protection (ex. cultural or sacred sites, habitats of endangered animals or plants) rights and Human Rights, with particular attention to indigenous peoples followed, with no tolerance for corrupt or questionable business practices Recycled Materials We utilize recycled materials in many components of our snowboard design and production. Such components used in our boards include: base material NEW! Wood Topsheet Taking topsheets to a new level this season, we ve replaced a traditional plastic topsheet with a wood topsheet. Our wood topsheet is made from bamboo and is protected with a special, super secret heating and cooling process - no lacquer or added chemicals required! 9
SELLING POINTS
MAJOR SELLING POINTS: 1 ISPO Eco Award Winner - overall winner for Eco Responsibility in the Hardware category 2 3 4 5 Wood Topsheet - no lacquer or added chemicals required Basalt instead of fiberglass - makes your board lighter because less is needed to make a snowboard - makes your board stronger and impact resistant - dampens vibrations Snappy Sap Bio-Resin - more elastic/snappy than normal resin - dampens vibrations - extremely high adhesion properties to help keep your board from delaminating HempHop stringers - is used to replace carbon fiber because it has extremely similar characteristics - adds good pop and stability - dampens vibrations BONUS/SECONDARY SELLING POINTS: - FSC certified wood core - recycled beeswax modified base - recycled steel edges - recycled ABS sidewalls 13
MAJOR SELLING POINTS: 1 Magnetraction - adds contact points to give your board more edge control and stability, especially in icy conditions - works like the serrated edge of a knife - fixes the squirrely feel that reverse camber boards can have 2 3 Multi-camber - camber medley, which gives you the benefits of reverse camber, while maintaining optimum pop - reverse camber between your feet, and flat zones extending to the contact points for a super-loose, catch-free feel Snappy Sap Bio-Resin - more elastic/snappy than normal resin - dampens vibrations - extremely high adhesion properties to help keep your board from delaminating 4 Michael Sieben series graphic BONUS/SECONDARY SELLING POINTS: - FSC certified wood core - recycled beeswax modified base - recycled steel edges - recycled ABS sidewalls 15
MAJOR SELLING POINTS: 1 Basalt instead of fiberglass - makes your board lighter because less is needed to make a snowboard - makes your board stronger and impact resistant - dampens vibrations 2 Snappy Sap Bio-Resin - more elastic/snappy than normal resin - dampens vibrations - extremely high adhesion properties to help keep your board from delaminating 3 Michael Sieben series graphic BONUS/SECONDARY SELLING POINTS: - FSC certified wood core - recycled beeswax modified base - recycled steel edges - recycled ABS sidewalls 17
MAJOR SELLING POINTS: 1 Snappy Sap Bio-Resin - more elastic/snappy than normal resin - dampens vibrations - extremely high adhesion properties to help keep your board from delaminating 2 3 HempHop stringers - is used to replace carbon fiber because it has extremely similar characteristics - adds good pop and stability - dampens vibrations Flat camber - perfect medium between reverse and traditional camber - super skate-y feel with maintained edge control BONUS/SECONDARY SELLING POINTS: - FSC certified wood core - recycled beeswax modified base - recycled steel edges - recycled ABS sidewalls 19
MAJOR SELLING POINTS: 1 Snappy Sap Bio-Resin - more elastic/snappy than normal resin - dampens vibrations - extremely high adhesion properties to help keep your board from delaminating 2 3 Flat camber - perfect medium between reverse and traditional camber - Allows your nose to stay up in pow compared to positive/ traditional camber, while still having a super skate-y feel with maintained edge control Perfect all around park board for ladies park awesomeness - fantastic flex profile for being able to do presses, yet still stable enough to hit jumps - the shape and sidecut make spinning effortless - an overall fun girls board for park riding BONUS/SECONDARY SELLING POINTS: - FSC certified wood core - recycled beeswax modified base - recycled steel edges - recycled ABS sidewalls 21
MAJOR SELLING POINTS: 1 Basalt instead of fiberglass - makes your board lighter because less is needed to make a snowboard - makes your board stronger and impact resistant - dampens vibrations 2 3 4 Magnetraction - adds contact points to give your board more edge control and stability, especially in icy conditions - works like the serrated edge of a knife Multi-camber - camber medley, which gives you the benefits of reverse camber, while maintaining optimum pop - reverse camber between your feet, and flat zones extending to the contact points for a super-loose, catch-free feel Snappy Sap Bio-Resin - more elastic/snappy than normal resin - dampens vibrations - extremely high adhesion properties to help keep your board from delaminating BONUS/SECONDARY SELLING POINTS: - FSC certified wood core - recycled beeswax modified base - recycled steel edges - recycled ABS sidewalls 23
MAJOR SELLING POINTS: 1 Basalt instead of fiberglass - makes your board lighter because less is needed to make a snowboard - makes your board stronger and impact resistant - dampens vibrations 2 3 4 Snappy Sap Bio-Resin - more elastic/snappy than normal resin - dampens vibrations - extremely high adhesion properties to help keep your board from delaminating HempHop stringers - is used to replace carbon fiber because it has extremely similar characteristics - adds good pop and stability - dampens vibrations Flat camber - perfect medium between reverse and traditional camber - super skate-y feel with maintained edge control BONUS/SECONDARY SELLING POINTS: - FSC certified wood core - recycled beeswax modified base - recycled steel edges - recycled ABS sidewalls 25
CAMBER PROFILES
28 MULTI - CAMBER
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What does FSC certified mean? A: Our wood cores come from a sustainable source, which means they are replaced by new trees! Also, the forests that our wood cores come from are managed carefully to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of current and future generations. Q: What is an ABS Sidewall? A: ABS is a type of plastic, and the sidewalls of our snowboards are made from recycled ABS platic. Q: Where are all of our materials sourced from? A: All of the materials that go into making a Niche snowboard are sourced from the countries directly surrounding our factory in Austria, which minimizes our carbon footprint in a very large way. Q: Where does Snappy Sap come from? A: As opposed to traditional epoxies made primarily of petroleum-based materials, Snappy Sap Bio-Resin is composed of bio-renewable materials from the industrial waste streams of the paper pulp and bio-fuels industry. Q: What exactly makes our boards high quality? A: We do not purchase or use any cheap, low quality materials to make our snowboards. We use only the highest quality basalt fiber, bio-resin, wood cores, plastics and metals. Every Niche board must also go through a throrough quality standards test. We test exactly how much force is needed to break the snowboard, and how much force would be needed to break the board at certain points (ie. nose, tail, center, side of bindings, etc). We make sure the board will not delaminate, we make sure you won t rip the inserts out, and we 32
Q: How long do retailers have to place an order with us? A: Orders for the following season need to be placed by February 29 th. However, retailers may place an order at any time during the season which may or may not be filled, depending on excess inventory availablility. Q: How long do retailers have to receive the 5% pre-book discount? A: Retailers have until February 15th to receive the 5% pre-book discount. Q: Why Niche over any other brand? A: We are a brand that genuinely cares about creating a board of higher quality, performance and integrity than any other brand on the market, and on top of it they are much better for the planet too! Niche exists because there was a need for a genuinely high quality board that is sick to ride and also is the most ecofriendly board on the market. Being eco-friendly can be cool, and you don t have to sacrifice anything for it! 33
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