Green Sports: Washington Post Get On Board
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.18.07
In fact they get aboard surfboards, snowboards, skateboards as well as bikes, and sports balls. On learning that green claims can give sports goods manufacturers a “marketing edge” they ponder if there is genuine environmental motivation behind such moves, or is it really just promotional ploys to make us feel better about our toys.
After discovering that the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) is working up a green stamp to certify eco-sports product they embark on their own exploration of the issue taking a cursory glance at the aforementioned sports products and asking for opinion from ‘experts.’ It is a useful exercise, but not overly in-depth (a malady we have also been accused of here.) But great that the greening of the sports industry is showing up enough on the media’s radar to be reported. ::Washington Post, via the eagle-eyed Grist team.
I think if the greening of sports supports its core marketing path, one of pushing the limits, then it will have staying power. But if it gets in the way, athletes will probably shift toward performance rather than sustainability. Not many people will pass up an Olympic gold medal (or the dream of one) for a sustainable snowboard.
But hopefully, those in it for more casual recreation will lean towards the green. Maybe it will even have a trickle-up effect.
I agree - in the professional world I think there'll be a more serious leaning towards performance over whether a product is 'green' or sustainable. If the performance is comparable, green products may find their way into the professional markets.
But I don't think that's the important market - only a small percentage of athletes in any given sport make up the elite that we consider 'professional' level, and (in many cases) it is only that elite that might find a difference in performance between products. I believe that any effort towards making consumer products green/sustainable is laudable (even if it's just a marketing ploy), and I believe that with the current trends that athletic products made in such a way will enjoy success on the consumer and even the prosumer level.