A long drive out – we for some reason decided to avoid tolls and convoy with friends. Without any doubt I can tell you that avoiding tolls is misguided when driving from the UK to the French alps. The amount of extra driving time and fuel has to be worth more than the 70 euros in tolls.
That aside, once we got to La Clusaz it was all good. The conditions were so much better than last year. The slopes had received a dump of snow the week before. The riding was pretty great – and luckily this year I had more help and got a lot in. It is fun to ride with friends too and not just with randoms and by myself.
The show is not a busy show in the conventional sense – quality over quantity. It is great to be able to get buyers to ride our new Never Summer snowboards and see what all the buzz is about. It makes life so much easier when you meet up later at trade shows. A less formal meeting is also good. The mood is always lighter, and we know how lucky we all are. No matter how good or bad the season has been, you cannot complain too much when your up in the mountains riding snowboards for “work”.
It was a great start to the 2012 buying season. Next up a jolly to Chatel then back to the UK for trade shows.
