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(Note: You can
copy and paste this article to your speech software and complete Basic
Lessons 8, 9, and 10.)
THE OUTDOOR
MARKET
4. It started simple: a hill by the
side of a road and a few old board-skis with straps. In the last few years, snowboarding
has become a major sport. In fact, it’s now an Olympic event. It currently
ranks third or fourth in winter sport popularity. By the year 2005, it will
likely be the most popular winter sport.
1. We’re a society that takes
sports—especially outdoor sports—very seriously. According to The New York
Times, we take it seriously enough to spend billions each year
having fun, most of it out in Mother Nature. Two of the fastest-growing
outdoor sports are snowboarding and fly-fishing.
6. Trend watchers have made money by
being on top of this new market. By the way, Japan is a new boarding
market; in fact, it’s one of the fastest-growing new markets. Is it any
surprise, then, that many major boarding companies are looking east with a
great deal of interest?
7. Where to find a snowboard. The
major snowboards are advertised in magazines such as The Snowboarding Zone,
Ski and Board, and Western Snowboarding. The major manufacturers of snowboarding equipment are:
Burton
Airwalk
K2
3. How it got started. When Sherman Poppin strapped a
couple of skis together and created the first snowboard back in 1965 for
his children, few knew it would take off like gangbusters. Poppin called
his invention a "Snufer."
2.
History of Snowboarding
5. Industry viewpoint. An entire industry has grown up
around snowboarding. Careful trend watchers are capitalizing on boarding’s
popularity. They were in on the ground floor—and now, of course, they are
smiling. Snowboarding has increased 148 percent in just a few years. In
1996, 2.4 million people boarded.
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