K2 is promoting its Tubbs and Atlas brands of snowshoes with the help of two former ski racers, Rosi Mittermeier and Christian Neureuther, and by means of a special snowshoe tour due to be held in the next winter season in association with Intersport Germany.
While it remains very strong in France, the country of TSL, the sport of snowshoeing has become increasingly popular in other parts of Europe during the last couple of years, In Germany, in particular, it is viewed as an interesting alternative to Nordic Walking for the winter season. K2 decided to take on board Mittermeier and Neureuther because they have been promoting Nordic Walking.
The new snowshoeing tour organized by K2 is supported by the German Association of Skiing Instructors, DSLV, and by BMW in addition to Intersport. The tour will have six different stops in diverse regions of Germany. Each stop will be accompanied by a program of events such as workshops, raffles and other attractions. Mittermeier and Neureuther are going to offer guided snowshoeing tours, in cooperation with experts from the DSLV.
According to K2 ; about one million pairs of snowshoes are sold annually around the world, one-third of them in North America. As only an estimated 50,000 pairs are sold in Germany, the market potential is high. K2's sales of Atlas and Tubbs snowshoes went up by 25 percent in 2010. Like TSL, K2 holds stock in its European warehouse in Germany to cater to reorders when the retailers run out of merchandise.
