ShredLife

if you're just talking about Japan then you're probably right. as for the rest of the world - and for SURE in the U.S.: no.

fuck burton and their bullshit claim to ownership of the sport.

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get the hell off my lawn.

BurtonAvenger

Are you fucking retarded? Seriously first post and that's your answer! The whole model of snowboarding was based off building retail accounts, Burton has strategically killed or pushed accounts out over the last decade. Now they have this shop local campaign. God I swear people on this forum just get dumber and dumber by the day. Go fist yourself with a chainsaw asshole.

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Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!

hktrdr

Actually I am a financial investor, among other things in the snowboarding industry. So while I am not going to challenge you on your riding, gear reviews, or scene cred, I think I know more about the economics of the industry than you.

Thomps33

I'm have a bachelor of science in Investing and Accounting. Followed that up with a MBA with an emphasis in derivatives; along with owning my own business. It's painfully obvious you don't know shit about the business world. Go smoke another blunt.
Burton's business model doesn't need to follow anybodies model and that is why they are so successful. If you don't differentiate yourself you'll end up going out of business. It's not burton's fault other businesses failed to see that market changing and make the necessary changes.

SnowRock

Not arguing the larger point but I am curious.. what exactly is a "financial investor?" There are millions of investors in a myriad of different industries by virtue of equities or other financial instruments.. so what exactly does that mean? Are you in PE or VC? Did you mean you were an advisor or analyst? Laying claim as an investor means you know exactly nothing more than anyone.

BurtonAvenger

Japanese market is not the rest of the world once you realize that you might learn a thing or two. They have raised minimum buys, pushed production levels to a scope that gray marketing was the only way they could dump product, and bullied people on a level you can't even imagine. Just because you financially invested in distribution or a brand over there doesn't mean you get it.

I love fucktards that instantly have to drop their degree into an argument to try and be relevant. If you're talking brand competition then yes Burton has done some great things like buying The Program and saving it from going to pricepoint crap then killing it off when they realized they needed to concentrate on their brands. As a marketing whole Burton has done amazing things to get people to want their product. But on a retail level of keeping doors open with accounts or doing what they can to help local shops they've failed miserably. There's a reason Jake got rid of Laurant, but I'm pretty sure you know all about that what with all the years of schooling you had. Though I'm guessing the only things you even know about snowboarding or even this topic are from watching this show and sticking your head in the sand while screaming I only believe what they tell me to believe. News flash buddy 15 years on the retail floor you see a lot more and learn a lot more than any fucktard that has some bullshit degree, anyone can go to college, anyone can pay for a piece of paper, not everyone can comprehend.

Snowboarding owes more to Tom Sims than it does to Jake Burton at this point. Sims did it first! Remember that.

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Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!

Thomps33

15 years on a retail floor? Hahahahaha, that proves my point. I'm done here.

hktrdr

Ok, happy to elaborate: I am a partner in PE fund.

hktrdr

I am not talking about the Japanese market. While I now run our firm's Asia business (incidentally out of Hong Kong, not out of Japan), most of our investments (and all in the snowboarding industry) are in the US and Europe.

BurtonAvenger

You're done because you have no comeback at all asshole. You had no point to begin with. You know it and I pointed it out. Go crawl back to the land of degrees where the uninformed can stare in awe that you paid for a piece of paper.

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Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!