The Nordic Fitness section at ISPO Summer 04 has been billed as one of the “main focal points” and the Nordic Walking Village is the anchor of this section. The sport certainly seems to be growing in the European market, but the many retailers in the U.S. havent stepped on-board yet.
The major ski and walking pole companies are certainly looking at this niche activity as a road to growth, and many of the statistics suggest that the Nordic Walking could bring a new demographic into many outdoor stores.
While Nordic Walking has Scandinavian roots, it has quickly spread into Germany and Austria and the growth in participation is quite encouraging.
According to Tucker Holland, Karhu's EVP in charge of the Exel Nordic Walking program, “We can point to Germany where there are 1 million today, and expected to be 2 million by the end of the year. Austria is at 400,000, expected to be at 1,000,000 at the end of the year.”
In addition to the growth in the European market, according to the NSGA, exercise walking is the number one sport by participation in the U.S. with 79.5 million people. This presents a huge potential market for retailer and vendors alike.
Most of the companies involved in the attempt at bringing the sport to North America are engaged heavily in the education process, and each one is claiming to be “The Original.”
Leki has hired Gottfried Kuermer as their Nordic Walking Program Director. He has instructed and certified LEKI sales representatives and retailers as Nordic Walking trainers through a certification program consisting of eight total hours of classroom theory and physiology along with outdoor technique and group program application.
Exel is taking a slightly more integrated approach and creating Nordic Walking “communities” that team retailers with fitness clubs through cross-promotions and education workshops. Exel has hired the only two U.S. National Coaches certified by the International Nordic Walking Association (INWA) Mark Fenton and Malin Svensson to head up their program.
“ In Burlington, we have a strong retailer and an instructor/health club owner supporting each other by selling poles and training consumers to Nordic Walk properly,” said Holland. “Nordic Walking classes build each week as a result of the in-store programs helped by the club's participation. The interaction benefits both businesses. We are in the process of replicating this scenario throughout North America.”
>>> But does it have the allure to hit the mainstream fitness market in the U.S…
