XION FW20/21 Snow Protection Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Body Protection FW20/21

Brand: XION® Protective Gear
Interviewee: Simon van Lammeren, Founder and CEO of XION® Protective Gear

What are the main trends in the helmet and/or snow protection market for action sports in FW20/21 and how do you address them with your products?
Being a company focusing solely on body protection we notice a trend towards the use of more protection for action sports in general.

XION® originally designed body protection for film industry stunt professionals. Due to requests from the market, our product line expanded over recent years with dedicated protection for extreme sports such as our ‘Freeride Range’ for snow-sport athletes that has been designed in collaboration with Australian Olympic snowboarder Belle Brockhoff and Dutch Freeride Champion Paul de Groot.

Comfort and freedom of movement when using body protection is key. Our early partnership with D3O^®, a pioneer in impact protective technology, contributed much to the creation of innovative base- layers meeting the highest standard for body impact protection; Thin, flexible and low-profile without compromising safety and performance. That proves to be essential for both professionals as well as (snow) sports enthusiasts.

Do you have any new models, accessories or innovations in the pipeline for FW20/21? Please talk us through them.
Yes, we will expand our product line for the young athletes with a protective jacket and bermuda. Besides the junior vest with back-protection and crash-shorts that cover the hips and tailbone, these new models, already available in male and female version, offer additional protection for shoulders, elbows and knees.

Furthermore, we keep developing and tuning our product lines with innovations in impact technology and feedback from our customers and ‘Xioneers’ as we call our team riders and ambassadors.

Are your products targeted to specific customers / rider types?
No, although we detect that the majority of our customers are advanced, expert or even professional riders, it goes unsaid that beginners benefit just as well from protection when going up the mountains. Likewise, and contrary to what the name of our product line for snow sports implies, we are not targeting any specific rider type. Instead we aim to provide our customers a variety of body protective solutions tailored to their needs and preferences.

Have you noticed a change in attitude towards wearing snow helmets/ protection? Do you think people are generally more risk-averse in recent years?
There’s absolutely a positive change in attitude towards wearing snow protection but I don’t think people are more risk-averse, I would say they are more risk-aware. We even get feedback from users saying that the protection enables them to push their limits and reach goals they would not have reached without.

In which area do you see the biggest growth in the helmet/protection market?
We see the biggest growth in back-protection for the mainstream-user. I expect a naturalness (if not an obligation) in the use of back-protection for snow sports within a couple of years. Especially if it does not restrict the wearer in any way.

Do you have any interesting POS materials for retailers?
We offer retailers a D3O® demo-kit to demonstrate the technology and effectiveness of the protective pads implemented in our products. It’s a fun but also useful tool to give customers an insight on how our products ‘work’ and could be of benefit to them. We also provide retailers with goodies and giveaways along with a link to download sales&marketing supportive content, visuals and (background) information.

Please talk us through your 2-3 keys models for FW20/21.
XION® Long sleeved Jacket – Freeride (Male/Female & Junior)

Comfortable fit 4-way stretch base layer
2nd Skin design
Waist belt with elastic straps to adjust to the body circumference
Thumb loops
CE Certified – EN1621-2 D3O ® Back-protector
Extended protection at the lower back area (in male and female version)
Removable D3O® pads cover the shoulders, elbows and back.

XION® Bermuda – Freeride (Male/Female & Junior)

Comfortable fit 4-way stretch base layer
2nd Skin design
Integrated adjustable waist belt
Zipper for male comfort (in male version)
Boot compliant
CE certified Removable D3O® pads in pockets
D3O® pads offering protection for the waist, coccyx, hips, thighs and knees.