Bringing Surf-Ski to the UK

Hi all,

I hope everyones having a great Easter. I just wanted to get some thoughts and incites really. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I'm working for a UK based sports event & coaching company called Votwo Events & Adventure. We recently acquired 20 'Spirit' Surf Ski's from Australia as the company director has a real passion for Suf Ski's.

It's fairly niche in the UK with not a great deal currently on the market, I believe we're one of a few sellers. If I could get some advice regarding; how to generate interest in the surf skis, who we should target, what demographics are interested in surf skis, what their sports interest are, would sea kayakers be into surf skis etc.

Hopefully we can start drumming up some interest soon and create a good buzz in the UK for Surf Ski.

All the feedback I can get would be greatly appreciated.

All the best,
Tom

The method by which I became aware and very interested in surskis was through local kayak/surski/OC races. I was constantly being placed in the surfski class even though my boat was a 20 ft long, 60 lb behemoth of a sea kayak. I.e., no chance of winning! So I got the best ski that I could and I race every chance I get.

Organize, promote, and/or sponsor local kayak/surfski/OC-1/2 races. Bring your surfski offerings for display and demo. People will try them out.

Take your skis to the local paddling scenes. You’d better be good paddlers though, or you’ll be laughed off the beach. Offer demo paddles on any given day at the beach paddling scene. Know what you’re talking about in many paddling disciplines. Non-ski paddlers will try to relate their paddling experiences to ski paddling. If you don’t have good answers, you will most likely loose their trust. Maybe not. If they’re just balls-to-the-walls paddlers, they’ll just get on the ski and love it, without much of you’re “coaching.”

Help sponsor a national paddling figure that also paddles skis.

Get to know your product and paddle it well. Find equal or better skis to promote and sell. Offer high-end equipment for ski and kayak paddlers alike. You most likely should carry good quality drysuits and wetsuits for the waters in your neck of the woods. Carry one or multiple quality line(s) of wing paddles, like Bracsa (require good technique) or Epic (very easy paddle to use), or most any other quality competition-grade paddle (please don’t go looking in China for cheap paddles).

Offer weekly group training paddle outings (free); start a paddle club of sorts; keep a surfski on top of the company vehicle with the company’s name on the vehicle (and on the ski). Be ready to hand out business cards and/or store brochure with some knowledgeable conversation to help nudge the interested.

Demographics: Hmm. Around here in the Eastern USA, many are government and school employees. Guess they have more free time on their hands. There’s a clue. Most are not your typical industry or law professionals. Ski paddling requires a good deal of dedication to be half-way decent. Most professionals do not possess the kind of free time required for proficient ski-paddling… but then there’s Oscar, and me (ha!). Yet, paddlers are typically not on the low end of the middle class, either.

Put some fliers in health food stores, or put your advertisements in their mailing fliers. Us skiers are typically health nuts. Takes lots of proper nutrition to go fast and stay fast!

Get some cool vid footage of you and your skis on YouTube or Vimeo. Group ski training outings make excellent vid footage and advertisement possibilities.

That's my 2-p brainstorming for now... any more and it'll cost ya!

Quite a vibrant and expanding surf ski scene is in existence in the UK. Both local and international manufacturers have presences there, with some well established races and a series in progress.

Thanks a lot for your input Doug, that's really useful.

Taking your feedback onboard we've developed and are soon to launched a Surf Ski open day and race which we've already received a good amount of interest from.

Stew, you say there's already a vibrant surf ski scene, where abouts is this scene? Where you do think would be ideal platforms to promote our surf ski event?

Best,
Tom

Hi Tom,
This Sunday will be the Rhoose Ski Race (15 miles west of Cardiff). It`s been going for about 33 years and is probably the oldest ski race still in existence in the Northern Hemisphere and possibly outside of South Africa? (I don`t know if any races like the Aussie Pye marathon are still going?) Here`s the Facebook link:
www.facebook.com/events/345127158879837/?ref=ts

For more info on the surfski scene you should contact Mark Ressel through the Surf Lifesaving Association of GB or Ian at Wellsimple.com.uk.

Owen

Tom, here`s the original race link:

www.rhooselifeguards.co.uk/news/165-rhoose-ski-race-2012.html

Owen