Seems like snowboard companies are going lean this year
 

Through talking to a few guys I know at my local shops, it seems like a lot of companies this year have leaned out their production this year and are only making the bare minimum to fill orders. I know NS has completely sold out of most of their stock, and that if your local shop hasn't ordered any Salomon Sick Sticks or Ride El Hefe bindings, you're pretty much out of luck. I know NS usually goes pretty lean on their production so the fact that they are sold out isn't surprising, but companies like Salomon and Ride selling out of some of their flagship items are. Has anyone else seen this anywhere?

Honestly, it's about time snowboard companies get a bit more lean in their production seeing how much stock is always left over in the spring. My guess is those late season bargain hunters will be out of luck come spring sales.

Lower stock will just increase the value of used boards. Probably a good thing, considering how badly snowboards depreciate.

Looking through the boards this year it doesn't seem like there are many new boards or even many boards that have changed much. With the exception of graphics most of the boards stayed exactly the same.

It's a way of controlling the gray marketing and over production that has run rampant in years past. I'm all for it.

yea i like it. plus, it does increase the value of used gear..which is nice

Just wanted to point out that Never Summer had all of their boards already accounted for before they even started building them.

They make a specific amount of boards each year, of which all are already accounted for.

They only sell the boards to the shops that they have an agreement with, to try and keep it based more in "local" shops rather than Dick's, REI, big box stores, etc.

I find it odd that at least 2 of the 3 local shops here in Austin Texas carry never summer, especially considering they don't make many boards.

Yeah, they definitely try to focus on the dedicated shops. They won't sell to big box at all.

They won't even sell to Colorado Ski & Golf.

It is a good idea. The market is obviously oversaturated. Look at all the 2010 and 2011 boards still floating around.

I've definitely seen it. My LBS had 12 Skate Bananas (awesome for PURE JIBBING) in at the beginning of this season and sold 2 or 3 in one day last week while I was hanging around shooting the shit. The owner got on the horn w/ Mervin and he's pretty much SOL because the rep told him he might be able to get him 3 or 4 more but that's it, and they wouldn't ship in till mid December earliest.

Burton is the worst. They bully the retailers into buying all their stock. They won't let you carry their product unless you commit to carrying a certain percentage of the lineup and a ridiculous volume. It's why so many local shops don't carry Burton. They simply can't afford to purchase the inventory required and they know they won't be able to cycle through it all.

Burton doesn't care that there's a lot of oversold stock in retailers. They got theirs.