Sharing the shred

Rome Snowboards launches new program to support neighborhood shops

Waterbury-based Rome Snowboards recently launched its new “% for Snowboarding” program, designed to give money back to local shops devoted to promoting the company’s brand and, more importantly, the sport itself.

The program’s mantra is simple — shop global, support local.

Under the program, customers who purchase Rome products online can choose to direct a percentage of the proceeds to an eligible shop of their choosing. It’s designed to support neighborhood shops in Vermont and across the country, and their role in fueling the future of snowboarding.

Rome co-founder Josh Reid calls local shops the “evangelists” of the sport, creating a communal place where “people of like minds can congregate and be supported.”

“Good local shops are the regional epicenters of snowboarding and can promote snowboarding … in ways that brands like (Rome) cannot,” Reid said.

Reid and fellow co-founder Paul Maravetz, both ex-Burton employees, have been watching the industry change since starting the wholesale snowboard company in 2001.

Reid said the company has embraced the growing trend of shopping for gear by phone or online. But they also want to help keep local, physical snowboard shops relevant.

Reid and Dan “Sully” Sullivan, Rome’s director of sales, together devised the “% for Snowboarding” program, updating the company’s business model to encourage and support local shops with a portion of all Internet sales.

After years of planning and tweaking, the project went live late last year.

Understanding how the program works is relatively simple. Rome’s brand-loyal riders log on to the company’s website to shop for gear. Customers enter their postal code before finalizing a purchase, and the system automatically provides the two closest eligible snowboard shops. Customers can choose to support one of those stores, or enter their favorite qualifying Rome dealer. The selected retailer receives 30 percent of the money from the sale.

Shops must meet pre-qualification terms in order to be eligible for the program, like having placed a pre-season order with Rome of $3,000 or more.

Rome also rewards shops that promote snowboarding by holding events, sponsoring a shop team or local video project, and carrying out other creative projects designed to keep riders engaged while enticing others to get on board.

Among the eligible stores in this area are Darkside Snowboards in Stowe, No School Snowboard Shop in Jeffersonville, and Alpine Options in Warren.

Reid said the program is unique in the snowboarding industry.

“We are the only snowboard company that supports retailers while we sell direct to consumers,” he said. “It may exist in other industries, but we aren’t aware of it.”

The program is growing, with more and more shops signing up to participate, Sullivan said.

Sullivan oversees the new program along with Reid and sales coordinator Anna Starr. He said the program is meant to keep the snowboarding pulse beating locally so the sport can thrive globally.

Sullivan has enjoyed reading customer comments submitted on the website. Within the first week of the program’s launch, rave reviews began pouring in from the loyal Rome fan base.

“We didn’t bet on that at all,” Sullivan laughs.

He said one of the first comments came from a Florida boarder who was stoked to be able to support Vermont’s Backside Snowboards near Mount Snow.

Reid also shared one of the more colorful comments from a snowboarder amped to give back to a shop in Rapid City, S.D.

“Y’all are (freakin’) awesome for hooking up my boys at Edge Sports with a %. Rock On!!!!!” Luke Gaddy commented. “I try to support local whenever possible, so it’s awesome to know I can still do that by ordering through the Rome site. (This shop) is where I bought my Agent Rocker Addictive and is run by guys that really do support the shred.”

Reid said the program has already benefited 141 stores in 37 states and Canadian provinces.

“Whether they’ve received a small or large financial benefit, these 141 stores have all received something that they wouldn’t normally receive when a brand sells direct to a customers online,” he said.