Going to Extremes

In the world of outdoor toys, bubbles are still blowing, water toys are still splashing and kites are still flying. But for kids on the cutting edge, life in the great outdoors is going from mild to wild, no matter the season.

While staples such as sand pails and little red wagons remain in style, kids keeping up with the times are turning to super skateboards, stylin' scooters and 'boss' bicycles. Citing the popularity of the X-Games and other venues promoting the excitement of extreme sports, retailers are seeing demand for things fast and funky.

"X-Games has definitely gotten more people interested in the world of extreme sports," said Jeff Carroll, a buyer for Paragon Sporting Goods in New York City. "The kids all want to do the cool things they see on TV. It's certainly helped sales and brought these sports into the mainstream."

Anything on wheels is definitely on a roll according to retailers, from specialty toy and hobby shops to mass merchants and sporting goods stores.

Razor scooters are credited with jump-starting the trend; the high-quality, sleek ride-ons were a must-have for cool kids and even many smitten grownups. Once exclusively stocked by high-end specialty stores such as The Sharper Image, these scooters sported price tags of $100 and up. With their popularity generating a slew of lower-priced (and often lower quality) imitators, the scooter market is now virtually saturated.

"Razor Scooters were certainly a viable product," said Carroll. "They were high quality, a good value and fun to use. They definitely had legs."

But now Carroll believes "the bottom has dropped out" of the scooter market. "Everyone who was ever going to buy one has one now," he tells PLAYTHINGS. "And because they are of such high quality and they last, there's no need to go out and buy another one."

While the brand-name scooter sales may have softened, the craze did spawn a variety of scooters for younger kids looking to get in on the 'action.' Manufacturers have answered their call with a wide variety of scooters for them. Fisher-Price's Switchboard is a big hit at many retail outlets, with a Barbie version bringing little girls along for the ride. Others include Rand International's Mini Micro Scooters and its Mini Micro Preschool Scooter.

Customers trying out scooters and other wheeled products inside the store help bring them mainstream, retailers say, adding the 'try-and-buy' approach is a good way to promote sales. "Although we do promote the 'try-and-buy' approach, we try our best to keep the kids from whizzing up and down the aisles," said one exasperated mass-market toy store manager. "It's a losing battle sometimes, but we've got to keep things calm for safety's sake. The hardest part is when I have to remind the adults to keep it under control, which happens more often than you may think," he quipped.

Meanwhile, skateboarding is reaching new heights as kids emulate heroes such as the champ Tony Hawk. The red-hot superstar is turning up everywhere—from video games to t-shirts to Tyco's RC version of the man himself performing his signature stunts. While high-end boards can sell for hundreds of dollars, companies such as Variflex and Radica are making lower priced, licensed versions with hot graphics and favorite characters that give them major kid-appeal.

There is also an ongoing skate revival, this latest generation being 'fashion statements,' with models for big and little kids that stress individuality, style and dedication to the sport. In the '90s, in-line skates revitalized the sport, making skating rinks again the popular spot they once were in the 'roller boogeying' '70s. These days, 'innocent' looking sneakers have pop-out wheels carefully concealed in the soles. Street Flyers started the new fad and The Skechers footwear company went one step further with 4Wheelers, roller skates that feature wheels mounted on a pair of the company's popular sneakers.

Evergreen products such as bicycles have even caught 'extreme fever.' Instead of the classic two-wheeler, kids both big and small are clamoring for mountain bikes, BMX bikes and trick bicycles made especially for jumps and other high-flying stunts.

"Mountain bikes saved the bicycle industry," claims Dale Jennings of Bicycle Toy & Hobby in High Point, N.C. "It was the only thing new to offer customers." Jennings claims kids all want the new bikes because they "combine function and fashion."

"They also love the trick bikes like the ones they see on the X-Games," he said.

Retailers are also selling a smattering of ready-made ramps from Ramptech, Hedstrom and others that encourage bicycle and skateboarding tricks. When questioned on the obvious safety concerns for a child, one ramp-buying parent expressed an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude. "My kids are making ramps anyway with garbage cans and old pieces of plywood they find in the garage," she tells PLAYTHINGS . "If they're going to jump and do tricks, at least they can do it on a sturdy ramp with plenty of pads and a helmet."

Huffy's new Micro Monkey Bike, a miniature bicycle with six-inch wheels, is also generating a stir in the marketplace, which may eventually bode well for retailers. The bikes come in three models: Hear No Evil, See No Evil and Speak No Evil. While some store owners find Monkey Bikes a tough sell because of their novelty and limited appeal, others like Mackinaw Kite Company owner Steve Negen see the bikes getting attention in his Grand Haven, Mich. store because they are "something different—cute and funny." Along the same lines, Negen carries a small selection of unicycles, which attract customers because of their uniqueness.

Negen is a firm believer in the power of in-store demonstrations. "If you don't work it, you don't sell it," he claims. He applies this theory to everything from juggling sticks to D&L's Stomp Rockets ("When we demo them, they blow out of the door.")

And talk about the power of demonstration! A new outdoor store in a popular West Nyack, N.Y., mall features a rock-climbing wall that kids can try for $3. According to Sun & Ski Sports, rock climbing is the next big craze. To bring the excitement home, the Texas-based sporting goods chain offers fake rock ledges (from Franklin Climbing Equipment) that can be installed to transform the side of a house into a faux rock face. Offering knowledgeable salespeople and unique service, customers can also try out skis on the store's snow deck (a board covered with a moving bed of white carpet), while in-line skaters and skateboarders can take a spin in a skating demo area. Specializing in skiing, snowboarding, water skiing, biking, skating and camping, the store is faithful to its motto, "Do a few things, but do them better than anyone else."

As X-Games grows in popularity, it is highly probable that more new and unusual sports will come into the forefront. Paragon's Carroll sees mountain boards as the next trend, while Mackinaw Kite Company's Negen looks to kite surfing as the new "number one hot extreme water sport." Others are keeping an eye on ATBs (all-terrain boards), made especially to handle rugged terrain. With Extreme Sports on the rise, parents who saw that funky board on TV and said "Who would be crazy enough to let their kid ride on that?!" might be shocked when it ends up on a shelf in their own garage.

Of course, there are always extremely popular outdoor toys—albeit for the less daring—that remain popular favorites and best sellers.

An old standby for Mackinaw Kite Company are William Mark's X-Zylo Flying Rings, flying gyroscopes that have been selling like crazy thanks to a manufacturer-provided video that Negen plays in the store.

Claire Hungerford, owner of Beachside Toy in Indian Harbor, Fla., also has found the X-Zylo video to be a great sales booster. In addition, the 3-foot wide BeamO flying hoop from Stuff Design is a huge hit with customers at her store, due in part to the retailer's location near the ocean. Hungerford has had good luck with bubbles, while Stomp Rockets are soaring. "I can't keep them in stock for very long," she says. "Not only do they appeal to all ages, but they are also at a perfect price point for birthday gifts." Also selling well are D&L's Rocket Balloons, which come as a complete kit with balloons and a special pump.

Another retailer high on Stomp Rockets and Balloon Rockets is Linda Laramy, owner of Crackerjacks, Inc. in Easton, Md. Giving a nod to basic playthings, Laramy sells lots of simple Styrofoam gliders that launch with a rubber band. Also bouncing out of her store are colorful play balls from Saturnian 1 Sport, especially the soccer ball. Although Laramy cites Klutz's Sling Shoot as a possibility for spring and summer sales, she admits she is "still on the lookout" for unique and innovative products.

In general, retailers forecast a rise in sales for outdoor toys in a post Sept. 11 environment that has many families putting a hold on travel plans. "Instead of going to Disney World, many families have opted to just stay home this year," observed Mackinaw Kite Company's Negen. "By canceling a $5000 trip, they now have money to spend on toys that will help create fun for the family."

In anticipation, retailers are busily stocking their shelves with new products they hope will create excitement for the upcoming season. A list of hot prospects includes Larami's tried and true Super Soakers, the Fun Ride Classic Zip Line from Spring Swings & More and bubble products by Little Kids. Also causing a stir is Spin Master Toys' Catch-a-Bubble, a new bubble blowing toy that has created a major craze in Australia and Singapore. After blowing the bubbles into the air, a special formula makes them harden after only a few seconds. From that point on you can catch them, stack them and just have fun with them.

An oldie but goodie, a new breed of pogo sticks are looking to jump onto the best-seller list. Many are pinning their hopes on Razor's new version, while Huffy's Micro Pogo Sticks are grabbing their share of attention. Offerings by SBI, Gravity Games, Sport Fun and Out 2 Play are also among the selection.

Whatever their personal bent, retailers are going to extremes to provide a wide variety of outdoor merchandise for a category that is not only broadening, but may becoming 'seasonless' as well.