As President and General Manager of Amer Winter Sports and Outdoor, Mike Dowse manages some of the biggest brands in the mountain category: Salomon, Atomic and Suunto. Recently Mike moved the entire company to Ogden, Utah and is helping to put that town on the map as one of the outdoor capitals of the world. We sat down with Mike and picked his brain for you.
 Salomon, Atomic and a lot of the Amer brands moved to Ogden. How has that experience been?
Moving to Ogden has been a great experience for all three brands, Salomon, Suunto and Atomic. Ogden has surpassed our expectations. We came because of the three Ms; the Mayor, the Mountains and the Money. The Mayor pitched his city in a way we couldn’t refuse, and Ogden has delivered. The mountains tempted us with world-class skiing and a place to test our products and have delivered an amazing snow season. And the money we can save by doing business here means we can continue to deliver the best outdoor products to our customers. We’ve also been made to feel welcome by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, which has been a great partner of the outdoor industry.
A particularly gratifying part of the experience has been renovating our office building. We are under the roof of the historic American Can Company building. We recycled the building and gave it new life using environmentally sustainable methods and materials. We maintained the integrity of the original building, and we’re enjoying its charm and functionality.
Twin tips obviously were one of the most revolutionary developments in the snow sport industry. What else do you guys have up your sleeves in the near future?
Salomon revolutionized the ski industry with the creation of the first twin tips just over a decade ago; propelling freestyle skiing around the world. So it’s fitting that Salomon continues to lead the industry in innovation. In fact, the future of industry-wide ski boot innovation will come from the latest Salomon patented technology, available next season in Salomon’s Falcon CS Pro boot. Previously customized boot fit has focused on the liner of the boot, but Salomon’s CS technology allows the shell to be customized. In a 20-minute process, involving heating the shell and allowing it to cool around the foot, boots have such a precise fit that there is no compromise on comfort and performance. These boots are designed for your feet, by your feet.
Atomic has added the Nomad Crimson Ti to the Nomad line. It features a full titanium layer and a new protrak binding system. It also incorporates the torsion flex control (TFC); structural reinforcement of the ski that provides a smooth, forgiving flex while maintaining edge grip. This ski provides for a soft, smooth feeling that provides effortless skiing.
The trade numbers just came back and the industry was up 13% in a fairly horrible economy. What do you attribute the success to?
Traditionally, spending time with family and friends has been recession-proof. In tough times people may cut back on material items, but they don’t cut back on memorable experiences with friends and family. And the snow was so good this season people really wanted to be a part of it and share good times with each other.
Are there any big initiatives for any of your brands that you would like to tell us about?
Salomon launched the freestyle movement, and will continue to grow it by promoting kids to become advocates of the sport at an early age. This was the second season of the Salomon Jib Academy, a free and international slopestyle clinic and competition tour for kids. It’s just been amazing. It’s coached by Salomon pros, so kids get to learn from their heros.
Atomic continues to help skiers be stronger, faster and ski harder than ever, while preserving their historic presence in the ski racing industry with products that racers know and trust as the best in the business.
Suunto goes everywhere with everyone who plays, works and competes in the outdoors. In the past year Suunto came out with a new line of outdoor wristop computers, which feature an altimeter, barometer and compass. The line includes the Suunto Lumi, which is the first-ever outdoor wristop designed for women. This spring Suunto has launched its new training series of wristops, which use heart-rate and exercise data to improve conditioning. The line includes a women-specific collection, an upgraded elite competition-level training wristop, a cadence POD and much more. Suunto has always been a leader in precision diving and outdoor instruments, and now it’s known as a leader in training instruments as well. This is important for skiers because so many use heart rate monitors to train. And they use the outdoor wristops in the backcountry to gauge weather patterns, ascents and descents.
You used to be an executive for Wilson Sporting Goods and Nike in tennis. What do you see as the main similarities and differences within the two industries?
There are more similarities than differences. A common theme is the importance of specialty dealers. Specialty dealers are key to helping introduce people to the sport and helping create a positive experience for them on the mountain. Both industries have great people who are passionate about the sport and truly want to see others share in the experiences of participating in both ski and tennis.
Describe the perfect day for Mike Dowse.
My perfect day is any day outdoors with my wife Jennifer and my kids Ally and Johnny. We all love to ski and play tennis.
If you could control the headlines of USA Today, the NY and LA Times tomorrow morning – what would they say?
RECORD SNOWFALL!
|
Mountain Biking
