DC Slalom Scene Opportunity Calling
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 6:41 am
I got a call tonight from the owner of EastCoast BoardCo. http://www.ecboardco.com/ and he is real stoked on sponsoring the local slalom scene. As a matter of fact, he wants to meet us at the Arlington Skatepark Thursday evening about 6:30 pm or 7 pm to brainstorm what he can do from the shop perspective.
Apparently EastCoast will be carrying slalom gear in the near future. Goes to show their commitment. What can we do to make this work out?
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Here are some of my background thoughts:
-> Need to grow the sport with the younger skaters (25 and well below)
-> Need to keep the veteran slalomers interested (GBJ, Ohm, Parsons, Dillon, Vlad, PADan, etc.)
-> Need to support shops like EastCoast to make it worth their time to support slalom skateboarding.
-> Need to figure out how slalom specialty on-line shops like Frank's Strange House and local skate shops like EastCoast can enter into a symbiotic relationship when it comes to selling slalom and longboard gear while not stealing customers from each other.
Here are some ideas to accomplish the above thoughts:
-> Hold regular slalom & longboard clinics sponsored by EastCoast and the manufacturers of slalom and longboard gear.
-> Consider having EastCoast sponsor the DC Outlaw Series or start up a complimentary slalom series. Need either A, B, C, groups or age groups with points and standings posted at EastCoast and on their web page.
-> Have EastCoast dedicate a section of their shop to slalom skateboarding and longboarding. We could help set up the section and post up how to information, photo's of past races, profiles of local racers, riders, news, etc.
-> As for a symbiotic relationship with on-line retailers, maybe EastCoast would be willing to do a combination of consignment sales and referrals to the specialty slalom and longboard on-line retailers. My biggest beef with on-line sales is that I can't put my hands on the equipment and I have recently purchased some equipment that is not that good. While my biggest beef with retail shops is that they don't have all the gear we need.
-> An example of the symbiotic relationship is Florida's 'Skim City' http://www.skimcity.com/ (specialty skimboard on-line shop) that has a corner section located inside The Pit Surf Shop in Kill Devil Hills, NC. The rationale is that skimboarding is such a niche market that the two businesses have entered into a partnership of sorts to promote skimboarding in the Outer Banks while profiting both businesses. Maybe EasCoast would be willing to enter into a similar relationship with one or more specialty on-line slalom/longboard shops.
Anyway, I'm probably way off topic on how to resolve the retail v. on-line battle but we should take advantage of EastCoast's offer to support DC Area slalom scene. If we don't seize the moment right now, I predict the DC Slalom scene will be gone in a few short years.
I invite all to post up your thoughts on this topic even if you are not a DC Slalom local. All thoughts are needed. I would even like to here from the likes of Jack Smith, Paul Dunn, etc.
Thanks,
DR
Apparently EastCoast will be carrying slalom gear in the near future. Goes to show their commitment. What can we do to make this work out?
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
Here are some of my background thoughts:
-> Need to grow the sport with the younger skaters (25 and well below)
-> Need to keep the veteran slalomers interested (GBJ, Ohm, Parsons, Dillon, Vlad, PADan, etc.)
-> Need to support shops like EastCoast to make it worth their time to support slalom skateboarding.
-> Need to figure out how slalom specialty on-line shops like Frank's Strange House and local skate shops like EastCoast can enter into a symbiotic relationship when it comes to selling slalom and longboard gear while not stealing customers from each other.
Here are some ideas to accomplish the above thoughts:
-> Hold regular slalom & longboard clinics sponsored by EastCoast and the manufacturers of slalom and longboard gear.
-> Consider having EastCoast sponsor the DC Outlaw Series or start up a complimentary slalom series. Need either A, B, C, groups or age groups with points and standings posted at EastCoast and on their web page.
-> Have EastCoast dedicate a section of their shop to slalom skateboarding and longboarding. We could help set up the section and post up how to information, photo's of past races, profiles of local racers, riders, news, etc.
-> As for a symbiotic relationship with on-line retailers, maybe EastCoast would be willing to do a combination of consignment sales and referrals to the specialty slalom and longboard on-line retailers. My biggest beef with on-line sales is that I can't put my hands on the equipment and I have recently purchased some equipment that is not that good. While my biggest beef with retail shops is that they don't have all the gear we need.
-> An example of the symbiotic relationship is Florida's 'Skim City' http://www.skimcity.com/ (specialty skimboard on-line shop) that has a corner section located inside The Pit Surf Shop in Kill Devil Hills, NC. The rationale is that skimboarding is such a niche market that the two businesses have entered into a partnership of sorts to promote skimboarding in the Outer Banks while profiting both businesses. Maybe EasCoast would be willing to enter into a similar relationship with one or more specialty on-line slalom/longboard shops.
Anyway, I'm probably way off topic on how to resolve the retail v. on-line battle but we should take advantage of EastCoast's offer to support DC Area slalom scene. If we don't seize the moment right now, I predict the DC Slalom scene will be gone in a few short years.
I invite all to post up your thoughts on this topic even if you are not a DC Slalom local. All thoughts are needed. I would even like to here from the likes of Jack Smith, Paul Dunn, etc.
Thanks,
DR