Ground Zero is Coping with the Dry Winter. Are You?

In the nearly 15 years Brendan Mohr has co-owned , he's seen some epic snow seasons. 2012 has not been one of those seasons, which poses a unique challenge to his business.

"We came off of an epic snow season last year, which probably went really too long and I think that fueled a lot of interest for this season," Mohr said. "We did get some early snow, but we didn't have much of it in November and basically none in December up till maybe Jan. 19. That's definitely impacted people's interest in going up there [the Sierra mountains]."

As a result, local snow enthusiasts are making fewer seasonal purchases, forcing local business owners who depend on the winter-related sales to look for alternative forms of business, Mohr explained. When business is hindered by a lackluster winter season, Mohr must account for it and that means promoting his .

The sunshine and warm weather have promoted skateboard sales and skateboarding in general, Mohr said.

"We sell a lot of other items in general, whether it's clothing or skateboards," Mohr said. "The great thing about a dry stretch is that people are skateboarding more, so sales in that go up."

Though the alternative seasonal business has been helpful, Mohr predicts it won't be enough to balance out the equation.

The impact goes beyond just the local customers and retailers, too. Currently Mohr and his winter product distributors are already looking ahead at 2013 lines.

"It was kind of a somber mood. I think a lot of the reps tried to look at things positively and I think as a retailer you have to look at things positively as well," Mohr said. "Both on the retail side and the manufacturing side, it hurts them."

Brad Oates is the Northern California sales rep for NHS, Inc., a Santa Cruz-based manufacturer and distributor of snow, skate and surfboard-related products. Oates grew up in Fair Oaks going to boardshops including Ground Zero. Now he sells his company's products to Mohr's business. When a season doesn't pan out, the business impact can be far-reaching.

"When snow is the product,” Oates said via e-mail, “and we are only at 25 percent of average for snow fall, you see a decrease in business from the resorts on down to the local shops in Sacramento."

Indeed, according to the most recent snow surveys conducted by the California Department of Water Resources, water content in California's mountain snowpack is far below normal for this time of year.

According to the Feb. 1 survey, manual and electronic readings record California snowpack's statewide water content at only 37 percent of normal for the date. That is just 23 percent of the average April 1 reading, when the snowpack normally is at its peak before the spring melt.

So long as that trend persists, Mohr will continue exploring methods for balancing the books. Ground Zero has always offered package deals on snowboarding purchases. Right now customers can buy any snowboard and boots combination and get 50 percent off any pair of snowboard bindings. The board shop just started a new promotion when a customer purchases any snow item at regular price, they can get any other snow item at 25 percent off.

"I think it just comes down to being careful how much stuff you buy, the promotions you can do to move the product even in the bad times," Mohr said.

Before Mohr can get out and enjoy those same activities Ground Zero can provide his customers, he has a business to run. Even though Mohr has had to make certain adjustments in his seasonal agenda, speeding up some promotions, he doesn't think he'll have to make any drastic alterations.

"If it ends up getting worse and people aren't coming in then probably after our end-of-season sale we may put a larger discount on our items, but we'll probably continue doing it the way we have in previous seasons," Mohr said. "You can't put this season's items even online at a discounted price up to a certain date. Even then you can only discount it by a certain percentage."

As a business owner, Mohr can't help but be worried by the dry spell. As a snowboarder, even during great seasons his season wouldn't have really begun yet. Mohr usually begins his season in early February. He does this for a number of reasons. All of November he's busy preparing for the holidays; every weekend there's a different snowboard swap, Mohr said. During the week he's just running the business in general, but then there's all sorts of added promotions. Then December he's just handling the holidays. January means trade season and Mohr is divvying up his time in trade shows, writing orders and taking care of business in general.

"I understand why people want a longer season, but you're not always going to get that November through April season every year," Mohr said. "And if you back over the past 10 years, we haven't had that type of season, maybe even more than half the time."

Forecasting weather is an imperfect science even for the professionals and Mohr is no meteorologist. However, he is optimistic more snow will come despite the persisting high-pressure systems that have split apart and weakened most incoming storms throughout the season. So long as those high-pressure systems persist though, Mohr's concerns as a businessman will too.

"As a snowboarder it doesn't scare me at all. I know when some of the best riding is going to be and unless we have a really dry stretch, February is going to be good. March is going to be good. And April is going to be good."

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Update:

After this report was finished, Oates told Fair Oaks Patch, he, Mohr and fellow Ground Zero co-owner Seth Sternin would be at Alpine Meadows demoing the 2013 Santa Cruz snowboard lines Monday, Feb. 6.

Check out www.wreckreation.net for the full 2012-2013 line-up of Santa Cruz snowboards.