Winter holiday season and Olympic fever lifts sales of skis to new heights
Women in particular show interest towards traditional pastime
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Judging by the sales figures being claimed by sports equipment stores, cross-country skiing is more popular in Finland than ever before. Many retailers will achieve record results in selling skis this winter.
"In terms of the number of sold pairs of skis as well as in terms of received revenue, we are at record levels", confirms Jussi Mikkola, director of Urheilukesko, the sports equipment wing of the Kesko Group. Urheilukesko's outlet chains Intersport and Kesport sell a third of all the skis sold in Finland.
In Mikkola's opinion, cross-country skiing has already become a mega trend in Finland. Women, in particular, have re-discovered the traditional pastime.
The popularity of skiing has been noted in sports stores across the country. The reason for the hobby's renaissance may lie in its relative easiness - at least to all Finns skiing is second nature - but also in the recent development on the equipment side.
In the next few weeks, sports outlets will be bustling with ski enthusiasts looking to update their equipment for the staggered winter holiday season that will start off from the Southern parts of the country next week.
One can get a reasonable cross-country ski equipment package for around EUR 150.
While sales figures for cross-country skis soar, the selling of slalom skis and snowboards looks to have stalled. Retailer Heimo Ojala from the northern city of Oulu believes the reason may lie in the greater availability of rental skis at resorts.
"Children and youngsters grow, and it is understandable that parents cannot keep on buying new equipment every other year", he says. Slalom equipment is markedly more expensive than skis and boots for cross-country skiing.
The Olympics in Torino have also increased sales. The shop is filled with clients every day after the afternoon television broadcast from Torino ends, one retailer confirms.
On the other hand, thus far the success of snowboarder Markku Koski (bronze in the half-pipe) does not seem to have sparked a rush of customers wishing to buy a new snowboard.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 16.2.2006 - TODAY |
 Winter holiday season and Olympic fever lifts sales of skis to new heights
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