Rome Snowboards Founders | Shepard Fairey X Guerilla Marketing | Spray Skiers | European Pow | Retail

Episode #59

Today we chat with the founders of Rome Snowboards, Paul Maravetz and Josh Reid . Paul and Josh share the story behind leaving Burton and founding Rome, they discuss guerrilla marketing tactics that were directly inspired by Shepard Fairey, their share their love for European resort pow we touch on their thoughts on industry wide pricing challenges and much more.

Photo Credit for featured image: Shem Roose

Follow Paul and Josh on Instagram at: @romefounders

Details on the second annual The Not Snowboarding Podcast Camp:

 

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TNSP CAMP dates will be March 2nd - 6th, Bear Valley Mountain, California. *Not BIG BEAR in SoCal.

If you're looking to fly in - book flights to Sacramento arriving on the 2nd - no later than 3:00PM PST (if you want to be picked up). Departing flights on the 6th no earlier than noon (if you want to be dropped off).

Pricing is $430 per person = airport pickup/drop, 3 days lifts (Sat,Sun & Monday), lodging, one vegan dinner, house stocked with basic breakfast items, snacks, beer and Unlimited side/backcountry options right out of the door. TNSP party favors and there's more in the works.

$200.00 (non refundable) deposit due on December 1st.

Let me know if you have interest in attending and/or any questions via email: [email protected]

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Click here to get in on the pre launch of the brand new Shred Soles Maximum Comfort Snowboarding Insoles

This episode's topics include:

 

Rome’s roots in friendship and snowboarding

 

Getting certified to ride in the 80's and 90's

 

Dealer Councils

 

Board design and The Agent

 

Stiffness vs. price

 

Launching Rome in 2002 - how Shepard Fairy influenced their marketing

 

Gorilla snowboard marketing

 

God Bless Snowboarding

 

Balancing the friendship and business relationships

 

Nate applies for a job at Rome

 

The Burton rumor

 

Snowboard design

 

Listener questions

 

European lodge

 

Sales cycles

 

Sneaky Powder Days

 

Rob Kingwell’s Pow Wow 

 

Getting kids on snow

 

Props to Burton on the riglet parks and LTR program

 

The Lodge and the European office

 

Spray Skiers

 

Quotes from the episode: 

 

 

We bought a couple of cheap computers and eventually went for it.” -Josh 

 

“There’s Kemper, Look, Sims and Burton - there’s too man companies in the industry…”-Josh

 

“There weren’t a lot of other brands that really drew us in at the time…. the other point was how big the ski companies were at the time.” -Paul

 

“The ski industry was slow to embrace snowboarding.”-Josh

 

“We officially started paying ourselves and other people here in November of 2002.”-Josh

 

“…. the boards were all designed around a size 8 foot. The average size in America is 10.5.” -Paul 

 

“To hear that a graphic is good or a graphic is bad from the people that have to sell it is huge.”-Josh

 

“I can make a super expensive board soft or stiff - it doesn't cost an iota more.” -Paul

 

 

“Before 2004, we didn’t have any money to advertise at all.”-Josh

 

“We don’t have any money to advertise in a magazine… So we made our own magazine and advertised in it.” -Josh

 

“Taking the step to start doing fun shit together again.”-Josh

 

“It’s so much easier to disagree when we fundamentally get along.”-Josh

 

“Weekly meetings get scheduled after 10…. On powder days meetings get moved back.” -Paul 

 

“We don’t have any connection with them (Burton), we both worked there and we did stuff well early on. I think that fueled the rumor.” -Josh

 

“Shift deliveries later an hold price longer…. We can’t uninvent Christmas.”-Josh

 

“There’s all these structural barriers for young kids in snowboarding.” -Paul

 

“If you have the free time and it’s fitting over there (Europe), in terms of resort riding (Alaska not included) it’s the best in the world…. You can scare the shit out of yourself inbounds.”-Josh

 

“We do feel that a snowboard company should be owned by snowboarders.”-Josh

 

“It’s a rounding error… Snowboarding’s not giving us (Nike) the return.” -Paul 

 

“You can’t just sit there and plan forever…”-Josh

 

“When we started, nobody was telling us that it’s a good time, except one guy.” -Paul