(Photo above: Co-founder James Nicol | by Krystal Marie Collins)
Aiming to spotlight Central Oregon startups that are economic trend setters, this column searches out local businesses demonstrating innovations that have the potential to set industry standards outside our region. With values surrounding user focused product development and sustainability in growth and materials, one such local market entrant is SnoPlanks.
With the majority of snowboard companies mass manufacturing goods overseas, the rarity of a hand crafted, rider driven board is less and less common. Snoplanks is striving to build a niche board, unique to the market and always evolving.
Company: SnoPlanks
Tag line: Walk the plank
Founders: James Nicol and Ryan Holmes
63015 Layton Ave. Bend, OR 97701
503-351-2861
www.snoplanks.com
Where did the company name come from?
Derived from the wood material we focus on on the construction of our products
When did you open your doors?
2014/15 winter season
What is your product/market niche?
Powder snowboards and skis
What has been your greatest success to date?
Winning Bend Venture Conference
What is your company’s number one goal in the next year?
To have our product in 30 shops nationwide
What other ways is your company involved in the community?
We give back to protect our winters, MBSEF, Central Oregon Avalanche Association
No. employees? 3
Outlook for growth: Hoping to have a big year
“Something you take special care of and look forward to pulling out on the best pow days,” says Co-founder James Nicol, “We are as rider driven as a snowboard company can be. One of our team riders shapes for us. We have complete cross over and are always gathering input from our ambassadors. In this way we can avoid becoming stagnant.”
Although Snoplanks’ snowboards have been seen mounted at High Desert haunts like Good-Life Brewing and Patagonia@Bend for years, the company didn’t make their debut on the commercial retail seen until Winter 2015. Nicol reflects, “Before last season, it was all about getting our brand established, getting a team together and getting manufacturing and material suppliers dialed.”
Emphasizing the company spent many winters on R and D before they were willing to start selling their product, Nicol says, “We wanted to feel out opportunities in the market. Making unique boards takes time to develop. We now feel we can send our products anywhere and feel confident.”
In their inaugural year, Snoplanks released fifty boards to the public and quickly sold out, earned community and industry respect by partnering with Deschutes Brewery on a winter project, gained recognition at the Bend Venture Conference (BVC) and marketed in mass at the Snow Sports Industries of America Show.
Their partnership with Deschutes resulted in 160 ride-ready edgeless red-based Snowfish boards which were used in a promotional package for distributors around the country throughout winter current.
At The Economic Development for Central Oregon’s BVC, the largest angel conference in the PNW, SnoPlanks was granted the Early Stage award based on audience votes. This prize included $15,000 which they opted to put towards a pneumatic heated press, increasing their production capability by four times.
The company got its start when college buddies Nicol and Co-founder Ryan Holmes moved to Bend, the former in 2010 and the latter in 2013. They had always wanted to be in the snow sport industry and the two say they saw opportunity in Bend.
“At that point,” recounts Nicol, “I was making boards in my garage with plywood. They rode pretty well so we started buying materials and hand-built presses from wood and steel. Although we’ve been on a shoe string budget with no investors, we haven’t had to answer to anyone, which is one of the strengths of the company.”
About crafting the boards, Nicol elaborates, “I have always been in manufacturing and I love working with my hands. Sometimes there are days I would rather be on the mountain than in the shop, but being in the shop offers deep gratification in the process.”
One of the companies signatures is bamboo. From a materials manufacturing perspective, Nicol explains, “We played with lots of different hard words, maple, birch, multiple varieties. We tried many variations of layups. As we moved forward, bamboo kept showing up as the strongest and most flexible material. It has a far lower carbon footprint when compared to other wood.”
Snoplanks sources bamboo form Portland where a broker from China organizes their order. Although, Snoplanks recently acquired a two acer wetland parcel outside St. Paul, in the Willamette Valley, where they hope to harvest bamboo in the future.
“After we committed to bamboo,” says Nicol, “We needed to figure out the exact sizing and thickness of the wood sheets required for optimal performance in the layup. When we got that dialed we took it on the Mountain it felt excellent.
“Lastly, we played with hpoxy, resin, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and edges. There are so many parts and when you tweak them, they can each create a little different feel for the ride. This is where the ambassadors and team riders are key, product testing.”
Customers can look forward to many new models from Snoplanks winter next.
Prompted by last year’s powder drought, the company pushed into splits, skis and designs which ride cherry outside of freshies. “Lack of ideal conditions,” remarks Nicol, “forced us to get into edges, it just wasn’t our market prior. Our new models for splits are very light hard charging boards. They are pow driven, but they do well in any conditions on any terrain.”
Among SnoPlanks many innovations, like future production of the only handmade women’s split board on the market, is company resistance to elaborate logos or art. Majestic unobstructed wood grain reflects the clean, stream line approach of the companies ethics and that of many riders.
When asked about the pervasiveness of raw street style art in the industry, Nicol shared, “It was a consideration. We decided early on, there is to much BS with crazy graphics. We want to keep it super simple, black base, wood top sheet and fire brand, it’s a clean canvass for everyone. You narrow your market by telling customers what they should be about, through the art.
“We hope people think about nature, mountains and surf while they are riding, not a graphic of a topless woman drawn on their board. Minimalism, as clean as possible.”
Besides bamboo, many of the materials selected for SnoPlanks are environmentally favorable. From biodegradable entropy resin for a seal, to all natural Tung oil (historically used to seal boat holes) as a finish, materials are chosen with performance and landfills in mind.
Environmental thoughtfulness goes beyond consideration of materials for SnoPlanks. Contributions to Protect Our Winters (POW) are made with each board sale. They also recycle all bamboo scraps by repurposing them into skate decks or donating them to Hanger Supply Co.
In addition, SnoPlanks contributes to the boarder community through their involvement with Mount Bachelor. They just hosted Prequel, an “old school” freestyle competition that reflected the back story of free riding.
“We like working with Bachelor,” Nicol says, “Thomas, the events director is great. The parks crew are great and they work their butts off. It would be interesting to see what the mountain would be like as a rider and a business owner, if it wasn’t corporate.”
Noting the increased traffic to Central Oregon winter wilderness spaces, Nicol comments, “It is impossible to stop growth, people are finding out how amazing Bend is. Hopefully those folks do the right things, don’t go in the backcountry and act like idiots and trigger avalanches. Hopefully people that come here to visit will be respectful of the landscape as a natural resource.”
He adds his gratitude that at least, “It isn’t easy to get here.”
Where many start ups might attempt to find financing, materials and customers quickly, dominating company practices with growth as the most important indicator of success, Snoplanks takes a different approach. “We want manageable growth because we only want to build the boards in Bend and to ensure the detail of the product will stay meticulous.
“With five employees, it’s easier to give benefits and make them part of the team. 500 employees is a different story. Our customers won’t be happy without keeping our employees happy. The flow isn’t there. That is where managed growth comes in key.”
Whether in regards to employees, materials, the environment or assembly, sustainability and craftsman ship underlie SnoPlanks. Visiting trade shows and taking orders, SnoPlanks looks forward to putting in the commitment required to cultivate relationships with ski shops around the nation and delivering products to be proud of.
