Slide is a trade show for distributers to show off all the new kit in the snow world. So when Jamie emailed me asking me to cover the event, I was a little confused. But after a bit of research and a few words from Jamie, it was evident the show had a lot of crossover products.
To name a few brands who were there, Electric, Madison (Ogio, Giro etc), Surf Sales (Dakine, Transition), Scott, Forcefield and so on. So there was plenty of chance to get a peak at some new gear and see some pretty cool cross over products.
And then later that evening, Electric/Monster Energy had a party!
Perfect day out on all accounts. Cheers Jamie and cheers to Col and the guys at Fli distribution for sorting it all out :p!
Below are my top products from the event…
The electric EG5 goggle can usually be seen a mile away with the amount of crazy and bright designs Electric come up with to keep us guys happy. The EG5 below didn’t really catch my eye at first, not compared to what else was on show. However, on closer inspection and a few words from Col (FLI distribution) I found out that the goggle is a red EG5, painted over with a thin layer of matt black. Huh? You say. The black scratches away, leaving the bright red showing through, custom scratch your goggle frames! Nifty!
One of the awesome 2010/11 EG5 designs that caught my eye. I’d wear these as casual sunnies they are that cool!
The Electric/O’Neal trade stand. FLI distribution import Electric into the UK, with Electric having their hands in all the pies (DH, MX, Snow, Surf), Col is going to be a very busy man this year, with a big team to look after and a load of festivals and shows to attend.
Electric decided instead of picking a few good designs for the goggles, they would use them all. The whole EG goggle range offers a goggle to suit everyone, whether a downhiller, a boarder, or a motocrosser.
Before the show, I’d never heard of Forcefield. Turns out they are a very reputable company in the snow and motorbike scene. They manufacture high quality body armour here in the UK, all of which is tested rigorously to meet and beat CE standards. They produce 3 different back protectors, all of which have different levels of CE standard protection. The forcefield light L1 back protector was the one that I was most impressed by, £85 gets you an incredibly light back protecter that meets level one CE protection standards, perfect for downhilling. The thing I really like is that the back protector is soft and moulds to your back under body heat, rather than having a flimsy spine board that is incredibly uncomfortable to wear and ride in. They might be new on the block to us mountain bikers, but in the motorsport world they have professional riders choosing to wear their protection over their actual sponsors… says it all!
Ogio have always been making high quality bags at a competitive price. They have a massive range of bags to suit just about everyone, whatever they do, walking, mtb, travel etc. As well as looking awesome, they are also very well thought out and are built incredibly well. Designed around the extreme sports traveller, the bigger bags like the 9900 have compartments for your helmet, shoes, clothes, spares and what I really like is that you have a pull out mudflap to get changed on without coating your van in crap at a muddy NPS round.
Now FLI are behind the brand O’Neal in the UK, we are seeing some pretty cool stuff coming through. I have never really thought much of O’Neal kit, but I think they seem to be on a winner these days. This is their Dirt lid, also available in white and green. Also be sure to check out some of there DH/MX clothing for racing, I’m sure we will see plenty of it kicking around the place this year with people like Cedric Gracia riding for O’Neal now.
Despite being a snow gear show, surf sales (Transition, Dakine importer) bought along the TransAM, the Covert and the Bomb. All bikes look awesome, clean lines, well built and a good weight when we picked them up. The covert looks like the perfect UK trail/play bike, with spot on angles for aggressive riding and a great spec some other brands might have some tough competition with this one.
Madison Clothing is new for 2010, with Madison now owning Saracen and Genesis and importing a massive range of brands it probably seemed a no brainer to start making good quality, well priced cycle wear. The full range of their clothing is on cycleeverywear.co.uk. I personally own the tempest jacket (£110), which is a great waterproof, windproof soft-shell, its not something I’d wear for riding as I’d get too hot in it. But for casual and work use its a great jacket. Below is the telegraph jacket (£100), a fully waterproof, mountain biking jacket. These jackets have a great fit, dont look over the top cyclist, and come in at a competitive price. And the main thing for me, is they are really breathable… no more sticking to the inside of your coat. Joy!
Thats all – look out for part 2 from Sam’s report later this week – cheers mate!
If you liked this post why not check out these?
Awesome work Sam!
good post.Really very informative posting which provide lots of informative