Endeavor Snowboards
At the ripe old age of 22, Max Jenke made the leap from pro rider to corporate exec when he founded Endeavor Snowboards. Seven years later, the company is still going and growing strong thanks to the Endeavor crew’s work ethic, drive, and the lessons they have learned along the way.
We sat down with Max to find out what’s going on in Endeavor’s Vancouver boardroom, the Canadian scene, and his endeavors to keep the snowboarding industry thriving.
How’d you wind up launching Endeavor? I used to be a pro rider from age 16 to 22. I was always interested in the business side and was involved with all [the] brands I rode for (Dub, Random, Northwave, Drake, Iris, Drop). World Industries [my previous board sponsor] had just dropped their adult line of boards to focus on the kids market, so I was riding a lot of different boards.
An opportunity presented itself in the summer of 2001 to make some sample boards in Oregon. I jumped on it immediately and recruited the help of friends Scott Serfas, Randy Ross, Chris Martin, and Rob Dow. We went down to the factory and made the first prototypes. Shortly after, I hopped on a plane to Europe to convince Paavo Tikkanen to join the crew. A year later, the first range of boards was produced and shipped. Endeavor has grown and matured with the individuals involved. Some things have changed within the company, but the focus on designing and manufacturing superior quality products for the high-end leaders who set the trends remains unchanged and stronger than ever.
What was the hardest part of going from riding pro to running a company? I think the biggest stress is being responsible to my business partners. My decisions affect them whereas when I was a pro rider if I fucked up, it would only affect me. Because I was at university while I was riding pro, I was already used to a set schedule and working hard, so that was nothing new. Another challenge was applying everything I had learned in school and in snowboarding to business - seems easy in theory but it’s been seven years and I’m still working hard to get it perfect. Looking back, I was pretty young in the game - both experience and life. The DIY approach has definitely been the most valuable education.
What are the biggest differences between 2010 Endeavors and 2002 boards? I’m proud of all of the decks we have produced. Our 2002 line had some great shapes and ideas in there. The Live was a dope twin shape and still has the same style of flex. The BOD was our most aggressive board and had a full carbon fiber topsheet - something that to this day we haven’t been able to replicate. I think the 2010 boards showcase a brand with experience in production processes, the marketplace, and design world.
All of the lines held our mission statement true: to endeavor to make the best riding, looking, and quality snowboards.
What business lessons have you learned that you wished you had known when you started? The list is probably too long to go through! Pretty cliché but true. Every business year is like a year at school - new strategies are tested - some work, some don’t, and we move forward. I’ve learned everything from managing production (including actually making our own snowboards), international logistics, currency hedging, negotiating, hustlin’…the usual shit a small business deals with! Everyday presents new challenges that are exciting to tackle.
What have been the best decisions you’ve made since launching Endeavor? All of them since we’re still here! I think the best things I’ve done are reach out when I need help and surround myself with supportive business partners, mentors, friends, and family. Without that network, I couldn’t think of doing what we do. As well, making a conscious effort to work only with customers who we enjoy working with and suppliers who provide us the best service and quality products - makes my job a lot more enjoyable.
How about the worst? I don’t regret any of the decisions I’ve made - if they didn’t work out the way I intended them to, I chalked it up to experience. If you don’t try, you’ll never know!
If you could change three things in the industry, what would they be? Wow, pretty tricky question. I think snowboarding needs to find itself again. It feels like the industry needs a cleansing to get rid of some of the stale shit that made its way in somehow. I also think there are a lot of people who may have been in the industry for far too long and have become jaded, but accustomed to their paychecks. I’m overhearing people complain about going up the hill or going on a trip - you’re going snowboarding. If you don’t like it, do something else. It would be nice to get some fresh blood in there and create some excitement again. It feels to me like a lot of pro riders feel they deserve a lot, but don’t want to put in the hard work to justify it. There are a lot of riders who can do every trick well, and with the right opportunity can get a lot of film and photos.
But that doesn’t seem to affect sales as much anymore. I think snowboarding marketing has changed, and unless you are in the top five percent of riders who’s names sell product, a rider is used to showcase the product and act as a brand ambassador. Just because you get an ender part, it doesn’t mean you deserve a raise. Lastly, I hope that with the wake up call of the current economy, the larger brands will [create] less inventory and bring the product supply back into equilibrium with demand. All of the excess stock has definitely caused problems for everyone and I hope with businesses tightening up it will create more demand instead of an overflow of supply. The deadstock has definitely devalued all of the product out there - which is sad because I look at it as exclusive art on snowboards and it sucks that brands have to dump it for whatever they can get because they ordered too much.
Do you think the sport’s growth has hit a plateau? It’s possible, but this may be temporary. With the current economy, paying a hefty price every day for a lift ticket may not be every family’s priority, not to mention outfitting the kids with new gear every couple of years. I’m a strong believer that when it’s shitty out in the middle of winter, you need to be doing something fun, and snowboarding is the number one choice for kids. I think that with increased awareness from events like the X Games, Olympics, etc., the sport is being showcased a lot more, hopefully translating into new participants. I’m also keeping tabs on what is going on in China. With the increasing middle class, and new resorts popping up all the time in the north, I think this will develop into a surge in new snowboarders. Stay positive!!
How do you continue to grow and keep your brand healthy in the current market? Endeavor is in a unique market position. We’re an exclusive brand targeted at a small part of the market - we don’t sell to big box stores or ski shops. That said, we have plenty of growth potential in our home market, Canada, and internationally. Unfortunately for other brands, we’ll be taking some of their market share to facilitate our growth targets, which is the nature of the beast. We’re very excited about the new line that is coming out this fall and anxious to drop the 2010/2011 line on our dealers.
What are your predictions for the direction of the sport for the next few years? I think that some things will stay the same while other things will definitely change. I’m interested to see how the reverse camber trend develops and also keen to see where teams and marketing go - there are a lot of professional riders and not a lot of marketing dollars to keep them in jobs. Do you think having the Olympics in Canada next year will be a big help for Canadian companies? I think the Olympics will be a lot of fun, but I’m hesitant to say it will help our business in the short term. That said, it is a great opportunity to showcase Endeavor as the eyes of the world focus on Vancouver for two weeks. We have some unique things planned that will definitely turn some heads! Endeavor will be known as Canada’s snowboard brand.
Do you think the Canadian economy has been less impacted by the financial crisis? For sure. Our banking system is a lot more stable and conservative compared to the US, but it has certainly put Canada into a recession. I think one of the biggest factors was the media. There was so much doom and gloom, I was scared to spend money! For us, the biggest challenge was the fluctuating US dollar. We had to help our distributors on pricing to accommodate the sudden appreciation of the dollar. Now that there’s some stability, we can at least plan for the coming fall and buy forward to reduce the risk.
Are you guys increasing your level of partnership with retailers? If so, how? Yes, definitely. We have actually scaled back who we are working with in order to service them better. The most important area we are working on is increasing my visits to the stores. It’s one of our major competitive advantages and making time to see our retailers is a definite priority. Not a lot of snowboard companies our size can provide this type of service. I’ll also be bringing Scott Serfas, Kale Stephens, and Rob Dow out on the road with me, so look out!
What’s on the horizon for Endeavor/Airhole? Funny you should ask. Airhole and Endeavor are releasing a collaboration board with long time pro rider/Airhole founder Kale Stephens for release in October. The board is dope and reps Kale to the fullest! Full press release soon!
Any shout outs to key peoples and retailers? Thanks to everyone in our crew who keeps supporting - it is very much appreciated. Look out for our man Nando Alcocer in Nor Cal…he’ll be hunting you down if you have a shop in the US!
