Chinese President Xi Jinping wanted at least 300 million winter sports participants, a goal achieved since 2022. China supports its winter sports equipment companies and aims to convince its domestic market before expanding beyond its borders.
For the past 20 years, the snow cannons at the Lianhuashan ski resort have been European brands, global references in ski equipment. But this winter, they purchased their first Chinese-made snowmaker.
Their motivation? Cost, assures Tang Lingling at Carving Ski, the Chinese company that manufactures this new snow machine. This snow cannon is about 30% cheaper than those of Western giants like Italian TechnoAlpin, Tang claims amid the snowy hills.
“As we produce and assemble locally, we avoid the high costs of manufacturing and transportation from abroad,” explains the director, whose company claims to have sold about 200 snowmakers last year.
4 Times More Ski Equipment Sales
However, Chinese winter sports equipment manufacturers are gradually gaining market share from their Western competitors in a sector that was worth 84.5 billion yuan (10.7 billion euros) in China last year, according to iiMedia Research.
The goal of these companies is to replace foreign brands in the domestic market and then expand internationally, focusing on innovation and relying on the efficiency of Chinese supply chains. Winter sports equipment sales have nearly quadrupled since 2015 in China.
The enthusiasm has slightly waned after the Beijing Olympics in 2022 and a peak recorded after the Covid-19 pandemic. With economic slowdown, Chinese consumers are also more cautious. “Since 2007, the price of raw materials has at least doubled (…) but we have not raised our prices,” says Jin Huiyuan, founder of the Chinese snowboard brand Lidakis.
Her company targets beginners and children with ultralight boards, popular on social media, equipped with removable dolls and sold for about 2,000 yuan each (250 euros). Last year, she claims to have sold nearly 20,000 units.
Strong Public Support
“The big foreign brands are high-end. They are purchased by the wealthiest. We target the general public. Above that, we are competitive because not all consumers can afford to spend large sums,” notes Jin.
The snow and ice sports economy benefits from strong public support. The goal of achieving 300 million participants set by Chinese President Xi Jinping was achieved at the end of 2021. Companies like Carving and Lidakis benefit from financial support for research or subsidized rents.
However, foreign brands still dominate the high end. Chinese skis and snowboards have not yet reached the level of international competitors, admits Li Zhibo, general manager of ski manufacturer Qianmao Xuelong.
And notably the French. France is a major player in the global ski equipment industry. It relies on historical companies like Rossignol, Salomon, and Dynastar, which design and distribute skis, boots, and accessories internationally, even though some of their production is now localized. France also excels in mountain technology with groups like MND specializing in snow cannons and resort infrastructure, although it faces competition from Italian leaders like TechnoAlpin.
Chinese Ski Champions Not Yet Convinced
Qianmao Xuelong mainly sells budget ski boots and bindings. However, the company is moving towards the high end and supplied skis to the Chinese acrobatic jumping team for the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
But Chinese athlete Xu Mengtao, who won gold in the women’s event, chose Swiss brand Oxess during the competition. Similarly, Chinese superstars Su Yiming and Eileen Gu won their Olympic titles with an American Burton snowboard and Faction skis, respectively. These examples highlight the gap between Chinese manufacturers and their foreign competitors.
Nevertheless, some Chinese brands are finding niches in exports. Lidakis sells to Kazakhstan, South Korea, and Iran. Carving exports to Russia. For now, they remain focused on the domestic market. And the director of Carving believes in her brand.
“In many resorts, you will see many European snow cannons. But gradually, they are starting to try Chinese snowmakers,” says Tang.
“In the future, they won’t even consider buying imported models. They will directly choose Chinese brands,” she believes.
