Drake 21/22 Snowboard Bindings Preview

Please provide an overview of how 2021/22 is shaping up for your brand. Has COVID-19 affected your line? If so, please explain the changes you’ve made, and how you came to these decisions.
Development is a continuous and ongoing process. For sue COVID-19 has slowed down everything, making more complicated the test on the field. So a couple of projects won’t be in the new collection for this reason.

How much of your new line (pre-COVID) is normally dedicated to new models and artwork, and how has this changed, percentage-wise, for 21/22?
I would say 20%

If you will be carrying over a larger proportion of your products than normal, how do you hope this will be received by retailers?
In this category we preferred to be more conservative, we do have an updated model with a new hiback and straps. It will be a complicated season, not so many chances to test new gears so probably also buyers are not willing to buy something so new without having the chance to ride with it

If you’re pressing ahead with new items, what are the top three most important products of next year’s line, and why? Please refer specifically to new products here, and not just new marketing stories.
Reload Model will have a new highback and the evolution of the new ankle strap generation that is in injected TPU and a particular shape, change-up strap is the name, which allows to be mounted in two positions, by switching the left with the right, and provide different support.

Are you using any new materials in your bindings for 21/22? If so, what, and why?
TPU components are more and more

Please tell us about the dominant visual themes in next year’s binding line, including any interesting artist collabs you have lined up.
Revised Earth colors mixed with details in fluo enriched by sleek finishings and eco-friendly materials like TPU. We had a contest this summer to get the artwork for the collab with Fyve outwear brand.

Looking at the specific components, have you made any new advancements in buckles, straps, highbacks, bases?
New ankle strap generation that are in injected TPU and a particular shape, change-up strap is the name, which allows to be mounted in two positions, by switching the left with the right and provide different support

Will you be doing step-in, or similar, in 21/22? If so, are you licensing or developing it yourself?
Yes, we are developing our way for the step-in

Will your production process (factories, equipment) be changing at all for 21/22?
Considering traveling difficulties, it will a stable year in this sense

What are your top marketing stories for next season?
Collab with Fyve Brand, we are working to create a strong women team with core riders to give more space and visibility to this side of snowboarding. We will extend our collab with Rusty Toothbrush crew.