ACMxISPO : Our 2015 Round Up
It’s that time of year again – when the entire action sports and outdoor adventure industry converges on Munich’s cavernous Messe exhibition centre to showcase their new products for the coming year. As usual, it was a great chance for us to catch up with friends and see what our clients have got in store.
Our Canadian friends Arc’teryx were present at ISPO with a stand as impressive as their new product range. We were on hand to brief the press on the 15/16 range and talk them through everything with the head designers.
The new glove range is a particular highlight, especially the Lithic, a new three-layer fully taped Gore-Tex glove.
We also liked the new Lillooet Women jacket, part of the Whiteline ski and snowboard collection. It features Down Contour LT Technology - a new Arc'teryx insulation that features an inner liner using nylon taffeta and down insulation, placed inside a 3-Layer Gore-Tex shell.
Finisterre also had a strong presence at this year’s show, as part of the cold water surf platform featuring other brands such as Patagonia, Gul and O’Neill. It was a proud moment for the team, who have been pioneering the category for years now.
Product-wise, their collaboration with German bag manufacturer Ortlieb was a standout - a well-thought out waterproof duffle bag with a 40l capacity, a two way carrying system and carry-on sizing.
Two more of our key clients, Nike Vision and Dragon Alliance, also had a big presence at the show. As in previous years, both brands were showcasing spanking new models. The headline story was the new ISPO Gold Award-winning NFX2, designed by Senior Head of Product Mike Tobia and featuring the game-changing Swiftlock Technology.
On the Nike Vision side, the headline story is undoubtedly the new lower price point Mazot goggle, which will retail at £69.90.
We’re big fans of the lads at Picture Organic clothing, who as ever brought their own particular brand of Gallic flair to proceedings. The French brand is rinsing it at the moment by staying true to their roots and the values they have always championed.
We liked the Rock Pat B, the pro model designed with Pat Burgener who recently joined their roster.
Elsewhere, it was champagne corks a-popping all round as the updated Hubber 2 helmet (which this year comes in a women’s specific version) won an ISPO Gold Award.
Part of the Expedition line, the ENO One is a freeride jacket that was designed and developed to have as less stitching as possible for improved waterproofing and breathability.
We’ve been championing German outdoor brand Heimplanet since we saw founder Stefan Clauss speak at ISPO two years ago, and it looks as though the rest of the industry is finding catching up judging by some of the great responses the brand had at this year’s show.
Much of this was down to the new range, with the standout being the 6 metre Nias, a group tent for extended missions with separate removable chambers for full versatility.
We also took the opportunity to see our friends at German outdoor brand Yeti, who are market leaders when it comes to hand-making sleeping bags. The latest addition to that family is the scales-confounding Fever Zero, which comes in at an extremely feathery 280g.
For any more info about these products or our brands, please get in touch. In the meantime, click here to see our Storify from the show.
