Vonzipper has tapped into the industry’s main
vein so swiftly and picked up so much momen-
tum, it’s hard to believe the company is only four
years old. Energy is seeping through the walls of
the eyewear booth, largely due to the boisterous
presence of ‘GT,’ one of four co-founders.

“We sell goggles, sunglasses and accessories,
but what we really sell is lifestyle and personality in
the form of goggles, eyewear and accessories,” GT
explains.  The  company’s  two  new  goggle  lines,
Sizzle and Bushwick, have unique frame and lens
combinations. Some of the frames are “drop fac-
tors, with one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted art.”

have,” says GT as a retailer at the next table tries
on  a  pair  of  big  white  shades   and  laughs.
“Whether she buys that one or not, she’s going to
think differently about us,” he confides.

Flow International — manufacturer and distribu-
tor
announced    today    an    agreement    with    Roxy
Snowboarding for the production of a Roxy co-brand-
ed  binding.  Roxy  Snowboarding  is  the  women’s
snowboard-equipment
Manufacturing based in Seattle, Washington.

Vonzipper has been able to gain market share
and rapidly build brand identity from the lessons
its founders learned working at Arnette. “Arnette
was  athlete-based,  but  we  thought  the  market
was more sophisticated than other vendors did,”
says GT. “We have athletes, but we advertise per-
sonality over action. We started promoting freaks
and geeks, and our stuff became so recognizable
that it took off.” — Susan Schnier

Sunglasses  follow the same model, empha-
sizing image and lifestyle first, and backing it up
with performance and quality. From models like
the aviator-based Brooklyn, available in a limited-
edition  24-karat  gold-plated  style,  to  the  over-
sized Dharma, every shade exudes style.

“This is Flow’s tenth year building its revolution-
ary  binding  design,”  says Anthony  Scaturro,  presi-
dent of Flow USA. “Partnering this advanced binding
technology with Roxy’s tremendous credibility in the
market will be a win-win for both companies.”

“We want to create a sense of belonging and
give  people  something  that  not  everyone  will

This move represents the first time Flow is licens-
ing its innovative binding design. The women’s-specif-
ic Roxy model utilizes the company’s patented tech-
nology, which makes it one of the fastest and easiest
bindings  to  engage,  including  the   PowerTriangle,
Reclining Highback and One-Piece PowerStrap.

Flux Bindings has introduced the T.M.S. Toe Mask Strap
ings. How can they do that? According to Flux, it’s because they designed the original T.M.S. system and

were the first  to file for a patent on  the  technology for  the  US  and
Japanese markets. Flux  expects to receive the Notice of Allowance
from the United States Patent and Trademark Office sometime in June.

“We are excited to offer this high-quality product
as  part  of  the  Roxy  package  of  snowboard  equip-
ment,” added Greg Hughes, Vice President of Sales
for Mervin Manufacturing, a Quiksilver subsidiary that
also includes Lib Technologies and Gnu Snowboards.
“Roxy has been looking for a high-end binding to offer
as an alternative to our traditional two-strap bindings.
Partnering with Flow’s advanced binding technology is
a great fit that will enhance our story.”

The design team at Flux has been at work for over a year perfect-
ing its T.M.S. to fix what they say are the problems associated with tra-
ditional toe straps, and even the problems associated with other ‘toe
cap’ straps. The Flux T.M.S. is fully adjustable and allows for proper
contouring of the strap based upon the shape of the toe of the boot.
That’s to ensure a tight fit, no matter what the boot brand. Check it out
at booth C1013 — Peter Kray    

It’s like a car stereo company offering power-
ful
units to go with them. Northwave N.A., which also
makes Drake bindings, has added a board line to
round  out  its hardgoods package.  “The  birth  of

Venue Snowboard Co. has been a long-planned
venture,”   says  Marketing  CEO   Dane   Hjort.
“There’s been a consistent demand for our com-
pany to add snowboards to our boot, binding and
accessory lines.”

Level’s new Overgloves are designed to provide
warmth
ers, and particularly park and pipe riders, prefer thin-
ner gloves with more dexterity. They also know that
for  the  times  the  temperatures  really  drops,  riders
don’t want to drop a load of cash.

The range of eight boards — six men’s and two
women’s models — feature  straightforward color
graphics,  which  some  might  consider  plain.  But
there’s  reasoning  behind  it. “We want  people  to
choose  the  right  board  for  their  type  of  riding,”
explains Marketing Coordinator Chrissy Coffinger.
“Too often people buy  the wrong board because
they either like or don’t like the graphics.”

Enter  the  $25  Overglove,  a  mitt  filled  with  100
grams  of  Thinsulate,  that  slides  over  your  existing
gloves or mitts. Riders get warmth on super-cold days
without having to buy a new pair of expensive gloves.
Overgloves have a tight snowboard style and easily
stuff away in your pocket or bag when temps rise.

Though the boards are designed in conjunc-
tion with Northwave boots and  Drake  bindings,
Venue  is  an  independent  brand,  and  retailers
have  options  with  regard  to  how  they  want  to
write the lines. — Rob Reed