For locals, there’s no business like snow business
The target demographic for Mr Thorne and co-founder Kate Engler are those 40-50year-old men who can afford a high-end lifestyle purchase.
Mr Thorne said half of their demand from that demographic was from people who were unsatisfied with what was being offered by the bigger manufacturers. Ms Engler takes it further. “The word customisation is such a bastardised thing in the snowboard industry,” she said, arguing that the customised options available had been limited.
“What we do, is every single board is designed from scratch,” she said. “There are no two boards that are alike.”
In the year they have been trading, two other market segments have become apparent: young — particularly smaller — women and tall men.
The female market has been something of a surprise.
“Sometimes they are on a big kids’ board,” Ms Engler said. “The adult boards don’t suit them, they are too stiff. They are fighting against the board rather than riding with it.”
But artwork on children’s board is not suitable.
“These gorgeous, feminine women who are great snowboarders are riding on a board that, every time they look down, they think, ‘It’s just not me’.”
Savage Panda imports the best quality materials and its personalised approach can deliver a board that is designed to be fit for purpose for its buyers. The core is laminated Canadian Aspen timber, the base materials are from Europe, the specialised fibreglass from the US and a vibration damping product from Japan. It also uses a purpose-made resin from an Australian supplier.
The business invested in more than $120,000 of equipment, including a special press that it says is the only one of its type in Australia.
And creating a bespoke product sees every customer go through the same design process, which includes about an hour-long session with Mr Thorne to fully understand the customer’s needs. As a result, everyone pays the same price, regardless of the options.
“I think there is a validity about the pricing, irrespective of whether we are making a board for a beginner or a board for an expert, the same thinking goes into it,” Mr Thorne said.
Ms Engler said the idea of having a range or a starting price with options was the antithesis of their approach.
“We buy the best material, we buy the best equipment, we make the best boards and they’re priced accordingly.”
Savage Panda was recently named one of Australia’s top 50 small business leaders by business magazine Inside Small Business.