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well it looks like Quiksilver's purchase of Rossignol earlier in the year is now starting to play out on the Mervin end... this just in from a deep source... "PA" refers to the Port Angeles factory... Quik has owned Mervin since Nov '96

"Pink slips flying around Seattle. Offices moving to Utah. Manufacturing
going overseas to Rossi (not announced but obvious). Looks like they are
keeping PA open for now. Probably more of a marketing tool so they can
still say Northwest. Just like Burton uses VT. Looks like others may
finally be seeing what we have known for a while. Gnu & Lib boards will
still be in the shops, but Mervin is no longer."

your mileage may vary, KK

Interesting KK.

It's really too bad when such innovative guys like Mike Olson (Mervin) and Jake Burton loose their love and focus for the sport of snowboarding.


ps. did you make contact with cowboy? he was looking for you. hope all is well!

the mervin shift is extra interesting considering their advertising campaign of the last several years emphasizing the fact that their boards were made in WA by snowboarders. with the usual mervin style they have been pretty harsh on imported stuff and corporate crap. sadly ironic to see this great company go down that very path. it seems that mervin folks were reading the writing on the walls and dissing their own corporate owners plans.

or they have really clever PR?

who knows.....

This Article says they are moving from Seattle to someplace named Carlsborg, WA.

I say "god bles'em if they can keep the manufacture in the states, or North America at least, Europe would be okay too. Somewhere with some, any enviromental and workplace safety regulations."

Ta, S



http://www.clallam.org/about/news-articles.html?id=60

more changes at Mervin...

they're making really narrow snowboards.



http://www.lib-tech.com/news/2005/10/nas/nas.htm

I don't know how i feel about that. i'm not against skiing but lib was one of those companies that snowboarders held true to their hearts as hard core snowboards. i don't hate skiing in any way but i feel like lib tech sold out. technically they did to quicksilver but it feels like they are losing thier roots. maybe they will ride awesome. i don't know? good for them. go and make some money!

I read an interview with Mike Olson, I believe in Transworld Snowboarding Business. Anyways, I think they decided to make skis because while they were testing the boards with the Magna Traction so many skiers were coming down the hill and begging him to make some skis w/ MT. I don't feel they sold out at all, its called supply and demand. He happened to invent some cool stuff and why shouldn't he be able to earn a living off of it. As far as selling to Quiksilver...I'm only bummed about the mentioning above how the boards won't be made here much anymore. One person can only grow a company so large, I'd be willing to bet he got tired of the daily chores thing and wanted to go back to being more creative. I really can't speak for him, but I see it more as a moving on to do other things in life rather than him wanting to make a quick buck.

lib was a company making "snowboards by snowboarders" metallica was a metal band and then they saw the demand for a different style of music so they cut their hair, made videos, and met the demand for a different type of hard rock. that kind of fits into my selling out catagory. i'd still ride a lib but it feels like they are losing their soul. i'm not trying to be argumentive. it just feels kind of funny to have a snowboard only company making skis now. i ain't mad at ya.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Although this thread was started by a reliable source, it is basically a rumor and is not an official press release.

Per a friend that spoke to a Lib and Quicksilver last night. There are no plans to move the company and or production at this time. The only thing that is moving is the sales division, not design, production, or warranty.

Disclaimer. The above is also not a press release and is just a rumor as well. Hopefully Lib/Mervin will put out something official soon.

As for snowboard companies making skis and ski companies making snowboards…it's a competitive market out there and companies have to do whatever is required to pay the bills. It's not a charity and there are numbers that have to be met for the company to survive. Having said that…I can understand why Mervin is now making skis…I just don't exactly care for it.

I didn't mention anything about who is making their boards. Do you know for a fact that non-snowboarders now make their boards? Unless you're planning on buying some skis, do you really care if they were "skis made by snowboarders"? If so stick to some Atomics, but then you can't have Lib's Magna Traction technology so I don't think it really affects you much anyways.

If you feel so strongly about Mervin selling out aren't you selling out by still supporting their brand/riding a Lib Tech?

Those lib skis remind me of that snowboard they used to make with the two ski graphic.

I have a slightly different take on snowboard companies making skis. Snowboarders and snowboard companies are responsible for all the major ski innovations of the last decade or so (super sidecut, twin tips, inserts, fat skis, terrain parks, no more lycra...etc). Instead of givin those ideas for free to some ski company, snowboard companies might as well profit from them.

Dishwasher-dave: Right on, man!

Hey, has anyone out there actually tried this Magna Traction action? Is there something for real there or will it go the way of channel-bottom surfboards?