66 ;e Costco Connection APRIL 2014
GET UP, STAND UP
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of that effort. In 2014 the brand will offer six
boards, all bundled with adjustable-length
paddles, padded board bags and leashes
(used for safety). Features include retractable handles and a reliance on U.S.-made
materials. New additions this year include a
board designed for kids and a 12-foot-6-
inch touring board for distance paddles,
plus new colors and graphics.
Shipping and stocking 10- to 12-foot-
long paddle boards is not easy, and in fact is
one of the hurdles the company had to clear
on its path to success. Matzorkis has started
17 different businesses as an entrepreneur,
including several online database search
firms. His Internet commerce expertise, combined with partnering with Costco.com,
made the logistics of moving big goods less
painful for both the manufacturer and retailers. Offering a lower-priced product with easy
delivery options gave SUP ATX a leg up over
other stand-up paddleboard companies that
came out of the surfing culture and were selling lower volume (at a higher price) in small
retail surf shops.
“Initially we were almost a laughingstock,”
Matzorkis remembers. “Surf shops thought no
one would buy these things on the Internet.”
The exclusive Costco bundles are
designed to get both new and experienced
paddlers out on the water, with a minimum of
fuss. “We do not want to burden the [Costco]
members with accessories that they do not
need,” says Mike Bill, company president.
“Costco is a destination for families, and
we see SUP as a family sport. It is a way for
everybody to be outside and spend time
together,” adds Frank Finn Jr., national sales
manager for SUP ATX. “Costco has been collaborative with us in reaching out to its active
and health-conscious member base.” C
Margaret Littman (
www.littmanwrites.com)
is a writer and avid stand-up paddler who is
working on paddling in all 50 states.
ONE OF THE great things about being a
parent is watching your child’s imagination in action. Personally, I feel that a play
center, such as the one shown here, is
one of the best investments in fostering
fun, creative and adventurous play. We
bought a similar cedar play set about 10
years ago. Our kids and their friends love
it. So many kids can play on it at the same
time: swinging, playing in the fort and
climbing the wall. It is also great for imaginary battles as a fort and hiding spot!
Even the older kids love playing on it.
I’m very happy to announce that this
year Costco is offering the Cedar Summit
Mount Forest Lodge by Solowave Design
to our members in the warehouses and
on Costco.com, with a variety of enhancements and improvements geared to make
playtime more fun for kids, and assembly
easier for parents.
Solowave Design is an innovative
leader in the design and manufacture of
ready-to-assemble outdoor-living products. These products are sold at Costco
warehouses worldwide under the Cedar
Summit and Yardistry brands.
Craftsmanship and devotion to detail
are the hallmarks of the company.
Solowave Design’s outdoor play systems
are designed, engineered and manufactured to the highest standards for quality, safety, value and fun.
This year’s play center at Costco has
14 exciting play features, including an
upper clubhouse with two crow’s nests, a
telescope and steering wheel, a lower
pavilion with play clock, spinning chalkboard sign, three-in-one activity table–
picnic bench, two belt swings, an acrobatic
swing and a double-wall wave slide.
The new three-in-one activity table
features a sand and water table, a write-
on/wipe-off chalk surface and a picnic
bench. The clubhouse has more square
footage than before, and quality features
such as premium windows and shutters
have been added.
Manufactured from premium cedar,
the Mount Forest Lodge features a wider
timber swing beam than the industry
standard—which provides increased
spacing between swings—plus heavy
cast-iron swing hangers and adjustable
A-frame construction that provides additional swing stability in uneven yards.
The double-wall wave slide utilizes two
layers of plastic, compared with one layer
on conventional slides.
One of the best enhancements for
parents has been the introduction of pre-assembled panels. Cedar Summit swing
sets sold at Costco are constructed with
fully assembled wall and roof panels to
make the assembly experience the easiest it can be. This use of fully assembled
panels has been enthusiastically received by Costco members: You can read
the positive reviews on Costco.com.
Another aspect for parents to enjoy:
the value! At our price point, we show a
great savings to comparable play centers
in the market.
Outdoor play is a fun, healthy activ-
ity, and the adventure of the Cedar
Summit Mount Forest Lodge creates a
backyard haven where your children can
enjoy endless play. Item 798076. C
Mark Fenick
Sporting
goods buyer
Buyer’s
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The Costco Connection
Costco members will also find stand-up
paddleboards and accessories from Jimmy
Styks and Wavestorm at most Costcos.