This article is in response to the April 13, 2005 interview that we posted with Josh Bryant (click here to view it). Dynastar Team Manager and Marketing Co-ordinator Josh Novotny dropped me an e-mail wanting to respond to some of the comments that were made and I was more than happy to oblige. Here's what Josh had to say.

-cko

Before I say anything let me first say, I respect what Jibij is trying to do but if you don't really know what you are talking about or don't have the facts, for gods sake close your mouth. It was as if some kid, who had no idea what was going on around him closed his eyes grabbed the first thing he saw when he opened them, and just starting complaining.

"The hardest part is getting the older people to take Freeskiing seriously" (racing has better numbers) = not true.

This is just not true The "old guys(who even knows what that means), or maybe Bryant means "Executives, or "people that have given their whole life to the ski industry, and that's why they are old, do care about Freeskiing, otherwise they:

A. Wouldn't sponsor the events or athletes that comprise newschool

B. Wouldn't make twin tips

C. Wouldn't waste money on advertising newschool products and athletes and events

Who do you think puts on the US Freeskiing Open, WSI, World Superpipe Championships, X-GAMES, Gravity Gameshmm I think it would beoh yeah HUGE COMPANIES that "don't care." right.

"Too many gray haired old-people in the ski section at SIA old blood is scared of change snowboarding is booming"

This makes me so angry I just popped a blood vessel in my eye...hold on... Wow... where do I even start? First of all Snowboarding is down from last year that fact checking took me a total of 5 seconds. Secondly, just because someone has gray hair or is old, doesn't mean they hate newschool. Most of the "Executives" of these HUGE companies have children that participate in action sports and they probably do care. Otherwise they wouldn't support everything mentioned before. And just so you know the President of Dynastar USA is not old and has each year put more money into the research, marketing, team and products of our newschool program, than the year before.

Scared of change huh? Dynastar has created and distributed to ALL of its retailers, reps and dealers, a book called so now you know. In fact I gave you a copy of this book at our meeting in Vegas. So now you know is a booklet that tries to help retailers with newschool. It teaches mounting points, what newschool skis are good for what kind of skiing, and how to throw your own "pre-season rail jam" It has listing of newschool summer camps, websites, movies, and mags. But your right Dynastar doesn't care about newschool, which is why they wasted thousands of dollars creating a book that talks about newschool. Have any of these "small" companies done anything like this?

"Old fat guys having meetings" Are you kidding me? What do you think the SIA show in Vegas is? A pool party? It is a trade show where retailers/dealers come to look at next years products and place pre-season order so, small wonder they are having meetings. And just for the record, I had a meeting with you at the SIA show and I am neither fat, nor old.

"None of those bigger companies ever take advice from their newschool athletes, they just have the money to throw at them"

First of all you just don't know Mr. Bryant. You don't work for a ski company so I hardly think it is fair for you to comment on the way in which they spend their money. I do work for a ski company and we DO take advice from our athletes. That's why we made a twin tip ski years before any of these "upstart" companies even existed. Do you know where newschool would be without these HUGE companiesnowhere.

Do you think Dynastar just up and made the Big Trouble without our athletes testing them first? And where do you think that idea came fromOUR ATHLETES! But your right, Salomon never listened to JP, JF and the likes when they made the FIRST TWIN TIP EVER!

"That cash, when you do buy it (a huge companies ski) just goes to some old guy who could care less if Freeskiing died tomorrow."

I cannot even dignify this with an answer. To honestly assume that when you buy a pair of lets say Trouble Makers, the money goes to some old guy who could care less about newschool is so ludicrous I almost just farted out of my elbow. Maybe just maybe, the money gets hmmmreinvested into our company to spend on things likeI don't know, sponsoring the VT Open, or hmm paying our athletes contracts.

"Follow snowboarding 100%" Do we have no identity of our own? Did not skiing come before snowboarding? Do you have this little faith in our industry? C'mon for someone who got into this industry to "make skiing better" it seems like all you are doing is whining about things of which you have no idea, and saying we should just follow snowboarding. Way to make skiing betterseriously.

"Skiers do not run (their industry), old guys run us and that sucks" Those "old guys" made the first pair of skis EVER! And they also made the first pair of twin tips so please do not disrespect the people that gave you the opportunity to even set foot on a pair of skis.

This is not meant to be personal, I seriously have nothing against K2, but Josh seems to think it is the only "Huge Company" that cares, but I would love to hear how a company like K2 has "proven they care about skiing" and companies like Dynastar, and Rossignol, or Salomon have not. Not sure if you know Josh, but K2 makes their skis in China. They took their factory from the US, and they moved it to China, because - wait for it - they care about MONEY!!! Dynastar's factory is in Sallanches, which is in the Valley of Mont Blanc, which isoh yeah CHAMONIX. Skiers build Dynastar skis, and Dynastar would never move their factory just because it would save a few bucks. Dynastar wants their skis to be made in Chamonix, because it inspires the skier in everyone. Skiers build Dynastar skis, and that is the way it should be.

And why do you think the industry is so bad? They make twin tip skis, and seriously every company is trying to make their products, marketing, and team exemplify more of what the kids want these days. Dynastar hired me... I'm 24 and never raced a day in my life. I never went to school for marketing or business. I am a skier. And that is why they hired me. They hired me because they know I care about newschool, and they do to. So really "old gray-haired guys who don't care" don't run the industry. Open your eyes man! It is run by guys who love to ski!

And I am SO mad at you for making it look like I love Dynastar and hate all other companies. Nothing can be further from the truth. I TOTALLY and completely back all ski companies, especially the small ones. Dynastar is just the only company I have worked for so I feel it is the only one I can comment on. Without small upstart companies, and huge ones alike, skiing would never be where it is today. We need all the input and all the companies to make it work.

Finally Mr. Bryant, you are targeting the wrong thing. When you are upset at the "HUGE companies" who have actually made skiing, I think you are truly upset at the huge chain stores that drop ski prices. There is no way that Salomon, or Dynastar, is holding back our industry, when they sponsor events, athletes, movies, etc... But some huge chain store companies probably don't care about newschool, and that is whom you are mad at. So don't take this out on the industry that has given me, and thousands of kids, an awesome fucking time.

- Josh Novotny