Local

By Jim Buzinski
Outsports.com

A maker of snowboards has apologized for a homophobic trade show banner that mocked its competitor, and has suspended the employees who created it. Some gay snowboarders are urging a boycott of the company’s products.

“The worst thing about riding a Burton is telling your friend you're gay,” read the banner posted by Ride snowboards. Reports say the banner and stickers bearing the same message were seen at snow industry trade shows in Montreal in February and also in Las Vegas. Ride and Burton are major competitors in the snowboard market.

After news of the banner appeared in the New York Post and was spread through the Internet, Ride (owned by K2) received e-mails of complaint at its website. By late Tuesday, the company had posted an apology in a small link on its home page. While not describing the incident in detail, it is clear that the apology is directed at the anti-gay banner.

“It has recently come to the attention of management at Ride Snowboards that a very inappropriate and insensitive statement was posted at our recent industry trade show booth,” wrote Robert Marcovitch, president of Ride Snowboards. “At the outset, we must be clear that our company and its employees in no way condone or otherwise support this type of activity or message. We are very disturbed by its occurrence.

“Since we became aware of this activity, Ride Snowboards has responded to each individual who has contacted us to apologize to all those offended by this incident. We fully appreciate the extent of disappointment and dismay. In response to specific concerns expressed to us, we would like to clarify that this statement was in no way authorized, and we were as surprised and offended by its existence as the individuals we have recently heard from.

“Throughout Ride's 11-year history, we have always attempted to hire, educate, and maintain a non-judgmental and socially open-minded workforce and we continue to act in accordance with that goal. Accordingly, the employees responsible for this incident have been suspended without pay for a period during which they have agreed to participate in a program that will heighten their sensitivity and social tolerance. Upon returning to their jobs, the individuals will remain on probationary status for an additional period of time.

“Furthermore, although this incident was limited to the actions of a few, Ride Snowboards will begin to immediately re-educate all of its employees on its existing company policy of zero tolerance for any workplace harassment which includes negative conduct to an individual because of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

“We have also taken steps to communicate our sentiment directly to NSIA [the National Snow Industries Association, which sponsored an event in Canada where the banner was shown] as well as to all individuals and organizations that have contacted us regarding this incident. To those most directly offended by the statements made, our customers and the public generally, we thank you for your understanding in this matter - and again offer our sincerest apologies and commitment to zero tolerance in matters like this.”

The apology was seen as ineffective by some in the snowboarding community, who urged further action. "$$ talks, and this ‘gay’ dollar will not be spent on Ride/K2 products,” wrote one poster from Skiout, a gay and lesbian ski club based in Vancouver, on the blog Cowboys’n’Poodles, which had the first reports of the banner. Wrote another poster: “I am so pissed I just bought a Ride snowboard--guess I'll have to sell it on eBay. No more of K2's products for me." Another poster wanted the offending employees fired, writing, "Why are those ...individuals who acted on their own (which is complete BS), still employed by Ride ... and K2!!!"

“I cannot believe that they have done this and hope that action is taken against them, as they have offended both the gay and lesbian and snowboarding communities,” snowboarder Ricki Power wrote to Outsports. “I understand that they have started to send out a really lame apology letter and I hope that this doesn't stop people from moving forward on taking action against Ride and K2.”

Julianne Shepherd, creator of the Cowboys’n’Poodles blog, put a larger sociopolitical spin on the banner: It “reiterates the detestable conservativism rampant in my generation--conservativism manifested in flippancy and masked as hip and funny, when in actuality, it is not. Apparently, adversity or struggle is a foreign concept to these moldy bozos.”

March 9, 2004