ed nature of the entry-level rider. Background:As mentioned in the introduction soft bindings have excellent ankle support. Soft bindings are inconvenient in that one has to sit while strapping the foot in. The step-in binding is more convenient in that it can be attached while standing and with little effort. The downfall of the step-in binding is that there is a lack of ankle support. The hard binding/boot combo is just too cumbersome for most of the snowboarding market. This is where Simmons Extreme Sports slide-in binding/boot combo would be a success on the market. With a slide-in binding/boot combo there would be the convenience of the step-in, and the ankle support of the soft binding. As with the step-in bindings a special boot designed for the binding will have to be used. The binding will be constructed of both aluminum and high impact plastics. The back and side supports will be constructed of hard plastic while the base and attaching bracket will be forged from aluminum. The boots will be constructed using highest quality leather uppers and hard rubber soles. The inserts will be made from foam padding that can easily be molded to the foot. Market Overview:According to the December 31, 1999 issue of USA Today, in 1998 there were 5.46 million participants in snowboarding. A poll of 232 resorts revealed that nearly one-quarter (22.4 percent) of their visitors in the 1997-1998 winter season were snowboarders. Within five years, that figure is expected to increase more than one-third (to 34.8 percent). The group most responsible for the growth in the snowboarding market are teens. Over all, 59 percent of the snowboarding newcomers were teens who said they had “never-ever” been skiing or snowboarding, compared to only 4 percent of those over 20 who “never-ever” tried either sport. Another 26 percent crossed over from skiing compared to 12 percent of people over 20 (American Demographics, 1999)...
