Kitesoul Magazine #12 English Edition

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174
STORY
Jürgen May – ION Line Manager
AR_Does it happen that you
test products of your competitors?
JM_All the time! Whenever
somebody brings out an exciting,
new product we want
to check it out. Saying that, I
would like to point out that we
never copy things. That would
be totally against the ethics
and beliefs of our brand.
AR_Keyword new, exciting innovations.
How have wetsuits
developed over the last 10
years?
JM_The basic materials have
become considerably more
flexible and the stitching more
sophisticated and strong. The
lamination is now more functional
with the suit drying
quicker, being stronger, more
robust, more hygienic etc.
AR_Has the rate of innovation
in wetsuit and harness design
slowed down by now?
JM_I would not say so. There is
still a lot in the pipeline at ION
with regards to new designs
and further development of
wetsuits and harnesses. Wait
and see!
AR_Well in this case, can you
please tell us a little more as
to what new innovations there
could possibly still be in wetsuit
and harness design?
JM_The general trend in windsurfing
is moving towards wetsuits
with a front zip. These
suits (and I admit, they can
sometimes be a bit tricky to get
into) offer much more freedom
of movement in the upper body
area. The next level with regards
to freedom of movement are
the brand new NOZIP wetsuits.
These suits are entirely without
any zippers and and thus there
is no compromise at all with regards
to freedom of movement.
As a matter of fact, at the moment
we are working on yet a
totally new generation of NOZIP
suits. These are based on a different
entry principe than what
is offered in the market so far.
AR_Keyword new generation.
Where do you get inspiration
for new products?
JM_All different areas from the
world of sporting goods can be
an inspiration. Other progressive
sectors like skateboarding,
snowboarding, free skiing
etc. But also big companies
like for example Nike, who are
succeeding in continuously
keeping their brand appeal regardless
of their size. But it is
also crucial to look completely
outside the box! For example to
new trends in architecture for
shapes and design, materials
in car engineering and so forth.
Inspiration can be found everywhere.
AR_What do you consider the
highlights of your job? Excel
tables that document the success
of ION in numbers, posi-