KJUS Movie 07/08 Premiere

The 2007/08 KJUS Movie premiered on www.kjus.com today. It documents an epic ski trip by Lasse Kjus and friends to the remote island of Lofoten, off the coast of Norway. Few permits have been given to ski the island, but Lasse being Lasse... The scenery is breathtaking and provides an almost surreal backdrop to some amazing skiing.

So with ski season fast approaching and already here in other locations, have a look, get inspired for the season and follow your passion.

Tech Tuesday: Dermizax- EV

At KJUS we often say that the best part about our garments are invisible, and one of the more difficult to understand is the waterproof, breathable technology we use- Entrant Dermizax- EV from Toray. At recent clinics we had lots of questions about Dermizax and it was apparent that it's a somewhat mis-understood technology.

Dermizax-EV is a hydrophilic non-porous membrane- or in terms that are understandable it's a water loving film with no holes in it. The reason that technologies like Dermizax are hard to understand is that it "operates" at a molecular level and not physical.

Kenny at Toray USA put it like this "It breathes by moving water molecules through molecular openings in the membrane.

Basically it breathes by "absorbing" vapor molecules on one side and releasing it on the other side. The benefit of this structure is that in very high activity it is able to reduce condensation and feel more comfortable because of the hydrophilic membrane ability to effectively deal with the high level of humidity inside the garment."

The question we get most often is how is it different from Gore-Tex and why don't you use a Gore product? As stated above, Dermizax is a non-porous film, while Gore-Tex is a porous technology- has holes. The holes are large enough for water vapor to pass, but too small for water in a liquid state to pass through.

As for the second half of the question, in our tests Dermizax EV had better results and it is highly elastic and so it pairs very well with the stretch fabrics that we use, as well as being very lightweight, waterproof, and breathable.

You can learn more about Dermizax EV and Gore-Tex at their respective websites. For more detailed information on all waterproof technologies here is a great resource: https://www2.hcmut.edu.vn/~ptquan/congnghegiacongsoihh/handbookoftechnicaltextile/25F3A0ABA9AC8264FED602081E1ECA3.pdf

Best in the World...

Bode finished last season with a globe for his performance in Super G. He started out this season with a top five at Soelden. After a mediocre first run he charged from 17th place to finish fifth. As one ski writer put it, most exciting of all: he finished both runs. It looks like he's well on his way to prove that he is best in the world.

Which brings us to the point of the post- being best in the world. The US Ski Team used it as their motto a few year back and it's what athletes and businesses both strive for. But you don't just get to being the best in the world, there are bench marks and key learnings that need to be reached before achieving such a goal.

Businesses and athletes often look at best practices by competitors and others for inspiration to reach their goals. SIA has some great insight in its Model for Success on best practices from retailers in other markets. Although, the report is over two years old, if you haven't read it take 10 minutes to do so and you'll likely glean at least 2 take aways for your shop and website that will help you be best in town, best in your state, best in the country, or best in world- whatever your goal may be.

Bode's Back!

Word just in that Bode will be in the start house this weekend.

PS- this might be the first public photo of him wearing KJUS- via WCSN and Reuters.

Bode's Back.

The World Cup Season opener is in Soelden this weekend. As we announced earlier this fall, KJUS is the official uniform supplier for Bode and his team, which yesterday he announced would be called Team America. He has a great group supporting him and we are excited to see him break Phil Mahre's record for most World Cup wins by an American- Bode is only 2 wins away from tying Mahre.

It looks like we may have to wait a another few weeks for Team America's debut as Bode has injured his back and as of the latest reports seeing him in the start house this weekend is doubtful. It's too bad if he doesn't start because all eyes are on him to see how he fairs as an independent. However, it is early in the season and there are lots more racing to be had this winter. It is not the time for Curt Schilling-esque heroics. Let's hope that Bode give's himself the time he needs so that he's healthy and strong for the rest of the season and that his season ends in much same manner that it likes like the Red Sox will- World Champions!

Go Sox and Go Bode!

KJUS World Magazine

This week we received the first copies of KJUS World, a brand magazine. KJUS World is impressive on a number of levels. The first striking aspect is its sheer size- the magazine measure some 16" tall by 13" wide. This size truly brings the images to life, which brings me to the second aspect- the imagery. Page after page the magazine features amazing images that capture the essence of KJUS. And finally, it is packed with information about what makes KJUS so impressive.

The Ribbon of Death Breaths Life

A-Basin got the chairs turning on Wednesday. October 10th, was its earliest opening on in its 61 year history. Though only a fraction of the mountain was open, which one of our reps referred to as the "ribbon of death", and the majority of skiers getting in early season turns can only be classified as certified die hard, crazies, it does get the rest of the skiing population thinking about the upcoming season. And this can only help getting people into shop doors to select their gear for this winter. Hopefully on the heals of this early opening there a lot more early snow, because people really start thinking about getting on the hill when the white stuff is in their backyard.

The Invisble Visitor

The web is a fantastic way to tell your story. You can control what you say, how it is presented, and do so dynamically. In a print ad, you can also control the message and how it is presented, however it is difficult to know if your ad was seen by all readers or if it translated in to sales. Not impossible, but difficult to track. With the web, you have much more space to tell your story and easily update and edit your story and image as it develops and changes.

But, do you know who is reading your story, viewing your goods, and how long they are spending at your online store front. If you have an e-commerce component to your site, you probably do, and you at very least know who is buying your product.

There are some very easy and FREE online tools that can help you make those once invisible shoppers visible. With Google's Analytics you can track your site traffic, the location of the viewers, and how long they are spending at your site. Just sign up for a Google account, plug in your web site's URL and copy the code provided into the bottom of the pages of your website- and voilà, what was once invisible is now valuable.

It's kind of like getting the licence plate data from the shopper who pops in your store, but leaves without buying anything. But you also get to know which town in Utah they live in.

Some Ski Press Love for Commwear

In the latest issue of the Ski Press, the men's Commwear Jacket was featured in the Team Style story.

Being Different and Uncompromising

KJUS is uncompromising, which sets us apart from our competitors. What sets you apart from yours. On resent travels in New England I visited a number of our dealers and some of their competitors. One of the major points at the SIA workshop I attended the other week, they showed a number of examples of shops and asked was if you brought someone blindfolded into your shop could they tell where they were or see something different and memorable?

One of the more memorable shop presentations on my trip was not in the shop, but outside- a huge pile of old ski boots. At The Startingate in Bondville, VT just outside of Stratton, they pride themselves on their boot fitting and they don't make compromises with this service. If a customer comes in with a boot they want fitted and that won't provide the best performance for that customer, out the second story window it goes into the boot pile. As a result they have developed a reputation for exceptional boot fitting service... and being a little crazy and different.

What do you do that is different?