Skimboard Market

Introduction

Despite the high risk of injuries associated with skimboarding, the number of individuals participating in the sport has remained remarkably high over the past few years. As skimboarding is a sport that is highly influenced by skateboarding and surfing, it is inspiring a huge number of surfers across the globe to indulge in skimboarding, which is ultimately triggering the demand for skimboards.

The global market for skimboard is majorly driven by the increasing popularity of the sport and the mounting number of individuals participating in skimboarding competitions on the international level. Various organizations with a huge number of volunteers are encouraging more individuals to participate in the sport, which is further expected to boost the sales of skimboards across the world, in the near future.

Acknowledging the growth in demand for skimboards, stakeholders, such as manufacturers and distributors, are experimenting with the use of various types of materials while manufacturing skimboards. Foam, wood, and fiberglass are among the popular choices of materials among manufacturers. Meanwhile, end-users are becoming more critical about the quality of skimboards while making a purchasing decision.

This is further influencing marketing and manufacturing strategies of market players participating in the skimboard market. Shifting focus towards the dynamic end-user demands and manufacturing skimboards to address the exact requirements of the end-users are expected to redefine the popular trends among manufacturers and distributors of skimboards in the upcoming years.

The growing international interest in skimboarding has spiked up competition in the industry, as sports companies narrow their focus on diversifying their product line to accommodate equipment for amateur and professional skimboarders. The skimboard industry is aware that the surging popularity brings with itself unique challenges, especially those pertaining to participant safety. Concerns about cervical fractures, drowning, and lacerations are influencing manufacturers to bolster their safety apparatus. The rising focus on developing safe and effective gripper technology solutions in skimboards is a case in point.

According to the International Surfing Association (ISA), nearly 23 million people participate in surfing activities across countries. As a new branch of surfing, skimboarding is gradually gaining popularity among sports enthusiasts. Participation in skimboarding has mainly remained concentrated in North America and Europe. However, the influence of the U.S. satellite TV gaining the attention of eyeballs in Africa and Asia has translated into increasing popularity in these regions. The popularity of this boardsport in new markets has unleashed novel opportunities, which will significantly contribute towards market growth over the coming years.

Abrasion-Resistant, Water Flow Resistance, and Lightweight Features: Market Leaders Switch to Fiberglass, Rock Maple Veneer, and Wood Materials

To pace up with the growing requirements of the sports enthusiasts, market leaders are concentrating on incorporating innovative board designs to offer better grip and control. Prominent manufacturers are focusing on utilizing various components such as wood, fiberglass, and foam to cater to the needs of the amateurs and professionals and influence their purchase decisions. Notable examples include,

• Victoria Skimboards, a prominent boardsport company, has developed a range of skimboards incorporated with surf traction pads, which enables users to get a better grip while skimboarding. In addition, the company is focusing on utilizing polyvinyl foam for manufacturing these boards to offer robust, lightweight and abrasion-resistant features.
• Linkorskimboards, a Ukraine-based company, has focused on integrating high-density foam core in the skimboards to lower its water flow resistance and offer robust and durable features. In addition, the company is concentrating on utilizing E-fiberglass, epoxy resins, extra-light high-density PVC foam board core, and carbon fiber to develop high-quality skimboards.
• DB Skimboards, a U.S.-based manufacturer of flatland skimboards is concentrating on offering eco-friendly products by utilizing bamboo for the production of skimboards. The company is also utilizing hard rock maple veneer as an important component to offer robust, stiff, and durable features. Through the incorporation of environment-friendly components during the production of skimboards, the company is focusing on attaining customer loyalty and trust pertaining to their brand.

Ridge Grip & Vacuum Bagging Technology: Focus on Offering Ergonomic Comfort, Compact Fiber Layers, and Optimizing Fiber-to-Resin Ratio

In pace with the growing trend of smart manufacturing, leading companies are focusing on adopting cutting-edge technology solutions. Prominent manufacturers are directing their investments towards incorporating advanced technological features for developing innovative skimboards equipped with effective grip and performance boosting features. In addition, key companies in the market are also narrowing their focus towards integrating connectivity features through the incorporation of advanced technology solutions. Notable examples include,

• Linkorskim is focusing on integrating vacuum bagging technology during the production to develop stronger and lighter skimboards. Incorporation of the vacuum bagging technology also helps in eliminating the trapped air during the manufacturing process, reduces humidity, and compacts the fiber layers. With the adoption of this advanced technology, the company is focusing on optimizing the fiber-to-resin ratio during the production process.
• Zap Skimboards, a prominent and established manufacturing company is focusing on incorporating the novel RidgeGrip technology to offer performance boosting features and ergonomic comfort to the sports enthusiasts. With the integration of this technology, the company is focusing on offering skimboards that offer comparatively faster rides, improved control while skimboarding, and responsive rides.

Live Streaming on Social Media: The Push to Reach a Broader Audience

Gaining customer loyalty and attention has spiked up competition among the market leaders in the industry. As companies focus on pacing ahead of their competitors in the market, they are implementing effective marketing strategies such as partnerships, and product innovations. Also, professional surfers and skimboarders are developing novel skimboards with unique features for improved skimboarding experience.

For instance, Facebook has signed a partnership with a governing body for World Surf League (WSL). In partnership, Facebook will broadcast important women’s and men’s Championship Tour (CT) events. Through this deal, the social media platform will serve as an exclusive digital home for the WSL and offer a game-changing strategy for the organization as individuals from various countries can conveniently watch these events through Facebook.

In essence, increasing viewership of skimboarding events through television and social media platforms can translate into growing popularity of the sport. As the sport steadily goes global, the market is witnessing an influx of innovative and technologically advanced products that offer enhanced performance and improved skimboarding experience. On the account of these factors, growth of the skimboard market will continue to remain positive over the coming years.

This analytical research study imparts an all-inclusive assessment on the market, while propounding historical intelligence, actionable insights, and industry-validated & statistically-upheld market forecast. Verified and suitable set of assumptions and methodology has been leveraged for developing this comprehensive study. Information and analysis on key market segments incorporated in the report has been delivered in weighted chapters. A thorough analysis has been offered by the report on

• Market Dynamics
• Market Size
• Market Segments
• Demand & Supply Trends
• Current Issues and Challenges
• Companies and Competitor Landscape
• Value Chain
• Technology

Regional Segments Analyzed Include

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Latin America
  • Mexico
  • Brazil
• Western Europe
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • France
  • U.K
  • Spain
• Eastern Europe
  • Poland
  • Russia
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • ASEAN
  • Australia & New Zealand
• Japan
• Middle East and Africa
  • GCC
  • S. Africa
  • N. Africa

Compilation of authentic and first-hand intelligence, insights offered in the report are based on quantitative and qualitative assessment by leading industry experts, and inputs from opinion leaders & industry participants around the value chain. Growth determinants, macroeconomic indicators, and parent market trends have been scrutinized and delivered, coupled with the market attractiveness for each market segment encompassed. Qualitative impact of growth influencers on the market segments across regions has also been mapped by the report.