The story of a brand called snoman that was started by a man who was full of heads all day about snowboarding in the late 1980s.

From the book of Genesis on snowboarding, there is a person who continues to stick to accessories for enjoying snowboarding with riders in Japan. It is Mr. Tsune Masuda who presides over SNOMAN.Manufacture of snowboard items started while being involved in the work of manufacturing Western umbrellas that succeeded his father.It's been over 25 years since he started making products, but he still has the same commitment to manufacturing as before.I asked about the behind story of such a brand.

What made you start the brand "SNOMAN"?
In the 1980s, the sport of snowboarding (at that time, snow surfing) was introduced to Japan from the United States, and I was fascinated by its fun.Originally a skateboarder, I recommended it to my friends, and my friends around me became addicted to the fun of snowboarding.However, at that time, products labeled for snowboarding were not available except for boards and bindings (some of which had only one piece of rubber at that time).The clothing and gloves were used for skiing, and the boots were used as they thought, such as snow boots, boots for cold regions, and winter mountain climbing shoes.Most of the deck pads were used for surfing and skateboarding, but there were many problems with surfing, such as snow sticking and slipping, and skateboarding gloves tearing quickly.I was full of snowboarding all day long, so I rushed to Tokyu Hands, home improvement stores, etc. every day to see if there was something good.
Finally, I found a transparent urethane cushion material to be attached to the door stop, and I was able to attach it to the board and slide comfortably.When I was waiting for the lift, every time I met a snowboarder, I became interested in my deck pad and praised it.Besides the transparent deck pad, I had many ideas that it would be absolutely convenient and comfortable to have this in my head.Among them, the leash cord of the urethane curl cord with wire with dial lock, the lift ticket holder with colorful print hanging from the neck, and the commercialization of the transparent deck pad, in order to reach more snowboarders comfortably. In 1991, we started a brand called SNOMAN.

What have you been particular about since the brand started?
Anyway, at that time, I didn't have any nice accessories for snowboarding, and even if I had them, I didn't want to use them because they didn't fit the size of Japanese people, had quality problems, weren't easy to use, and were expensive.In this case, I started making it because Japanese people should think about something that is easy to use on Japanese slopes for Japanese people.The focus on product making is to continue making products based on rider's suggestions and opinions, thinking that if all snowboarders slip, SNOMAN's products will improve comfort.

Which item has become the most epoch-making development in the brand development over many years?
There are the brand's original transparent deck pad, urethane curl leash cord, lift ticket holder "Nobile" that hangs from the waist and posts a lift pass, but among them, the one that sold explosive quantities in a short period of time was the waist. It is a "chalk bag" of the pouch that is lowered from the reel.From the opinion that the cigarette in the wear pocket becomes tattered or the mobile phone is bulky, I thought that I could make a third pocket, and based on the pouch to put the chalk for rock climbing, the details such as sizing and mounting method Was modified, changed and commercialized.When it was released, it was criticized as "like a bait for fishing", but once it was used, it was a hit to the extent that some people bought many different colors by themselves because of its convenience and cuteness. did.At that time, when I looked at the slopes from above, I could see that half of the advanced snowboarders were slipping while hanging around their waists.It may be a little popular, but ... (laughs)

The classic, absolutely trusted by riders
What are SNOMAN socks?

What is a standard product that has been popular since its release?
There are high socks of hidden actors.It's in the boots when you glide, so it's not noticeable, but many demos and professional riders choose and buy SNOMAN socks.Socks are an important item that connects riders and boots.If your foot slips in the boots, the action on the board will be delayed or it will become smaller, which will have a negative effect on the rider's slip.In addition, socks that use a lot of chemical fibers and wool when sweating tend to move the feet slimy on the inside. SNOMAN's socks are made mainly from cotton, which is a natural material, so the socks absorb sweat and prevent your feet from slipping.In addition, functionality is added by changing the knitting method for each part of the socks.The cotton material is also antibacterial and quick sweat processed material called Doralon thread, so you can continue to wear it comfortably.In addition, the current product has a compression finish and the pressure is adjusted stepwise from the arch to the bottom of the knee, making the socks less swelling and less tiring.

What is the position of the rider in SNOMAN?How is it affecting your product?
From the beginning of the brand, SNOMAN riders have been product proponents and testers.Throughout the season, we ask snowboarders what they are looking for, whether the product is easy to use, and whether there are any improvements.SNOMAN riders are also product evangelists.For a product with a lot of functionality, a small photo does not convey all the goodness of the product.Therefore, the rider actually uses it in front of the user and explains it to convey the goodness of the product.I am grateful that the current SNOMAN is due to the many riders who have cooperated so far.

What kind of members are the current SNOMAN contract riders?
From this season, five members, Hayashi Kawada, Shin Takekawa, Kenta Hashimoto, Junya Yamamoto, and Ryo Watanabe, will be added, and traditional riders Kojiro Iijima, Kiriko Iida, Mitsunobu Inagawa, Hiroko Ihara, Atsushi Omori, and Junichiro Ogawa will be added. , Yukari Kashiwagi, Shingo Kono, Koshiro Kikuta, Akemi Kimura, Makoto Kuroki, Takafumi Konishi, Yoshihiro Sano, Daiki Shimizu, Hiroyuki Shimizu, Toshiyuki Sueki, Toshiki Suetaka, Kumiko Taki, Aya Taniyama, Saori Chahara, Takayuki Nishizawa, There will be a total of 5 people, including Naoya Hama, Yuki Hayashi, Shin Miyajima, Koji Fujii, Kozue Hori, Go Horinouchi, Ryoki Masuda, Shota Yada, Miwa Yoshida, Daisuke Yonekura, and Tomohiro Watanabe.

Together with the riders, we will create items that are unique to us.

In what direction do you want to enhance your brand?
Until now, there are many things that have never existed in the world, and we have worked on a wide variety of products from the brand concept of comfortable snowboarding.However, there are now many specialized brands in each genre.
If there is a brand that makes good products, I would like to leave the products of that genre to us.We would like to work with riders to create products that can only be made in small quantities in Japan, with a focus on more niche specialties in genres that make the most of our characteristics.

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