Nibz Bandanas: A Look Inside A Small Snowboard Brand

Portrait above by Andrew strain

The life of a small business owner is not an easy one. What starts as something you love quickly develops into a desire to share it with as many people as you can, all too often just as quickly to get struck down by any number of roadblocks life can put up in your way. What seems like a great idea one minute can just as easily be seen as not worth the effort the next, and no one would blame you for quitting. Who needs it, right? But it's those that don't, the ones that try their damn hardest to see it through till the end that I look up to the most. Sara Niblock, owner of Nibz Bandanas, is one such person and has been working on her small brand for several years now. She's already been through some ups and downs yet seems firmly committed to her project as a creative way to share some of her ideas with others and looks like she's set herself up nicely to keep her brand going strong into the future.

I remember when I was a kid, the idea of going skiing without a neckwarmer would have been unheard of. But somewhere along the line I guess I became a teenager, and how dare you tell me what to do! For whatever reason, I stopped wearing neck warmers and never really took them up again until recently, when I realized I was a dumbass. While on the surface it might seem like any old rag will do, not only is the thing in direct contact with your face the entire day, if you're lucky enough to be shredding pow it could just as easily end up caked in wet snow as it could keeping you warm. Most of Nibz' line, on the other hand, is made out of a great material that does a bang-up job of shedding the incoming snow while keeping the wind off your face. They're breathable, light-weight and well designed. Whether you prefer a balaclava, the triangle-shaped design, neck tubes or even headbands Nibz has you covered. And with enough colors and patterns to make sure you and all your friends aren't all wearing the same one. I've been rocking a Nibz neck tube and balaclava for the past month and have to say they are my favourite neck-warmers I've ever had. The material is soft against the face and they're light enough to not feel like you're being choked – a perfect combo. They're perfect on the hill and I've been rocking the balaclava while sledding. I've even been using the neck tube as a sort of hat with a open top while touring since I tend to overheat!

Sara is a cool cat. Originally from Kitchener, Ontario she moved out west 7 years ago after completing a degree in Kinesiology and then moved up to Whistler 3 years ago. A love of fashion, design and sewing eventually combined to force her to take it upon herself to fill a gap in the outerwear world she saw and now Nibz Bandanas is a fast-growing business.

The girl can also rip. Fucking hard. 
 

Where did the idea for Nibz come from?

I was frustrated with ugly, non-breathable bulky neck tubes, so I started creating my own. I was making them exclusively for friends, and then one summer I broke my back and was unable to work. I’ve always liked to sew and once I was strong enough to sit up, I would sew for a few minutes and lie down for 10 minutes, it helped to pass the long days of recovery. At the time, a friend’s mom was visiting. She happened to worked for a shop in Ontario and thought, why not sell them there. I started selling them to local shops. The next season I couldn’t keep up with the demand, I’d work all day and sew all night. The following season I sourced out a sportswear manufacturing company in Vancouver to help with the process, so I could focus on sales and designing for the following season.
 

Has clothing and design always been something you were interested in?

I’ve always loved to sew and be creative. You should see some of my Halloween costumes in the past. I love searching for and buying fabrics. Whenever I travel I always keep my eyes open. My favorite place to shop for fabric is Argentina. In Buenos Aires there is a whole district of textiles, a street about 1km long lined with fabric shops on both sides – I was in heaven.
 
How has it been running a small accessories company? What are some of the challenges you've run into?

It is a one woman show, I am doing all the buying of materials, the design, the R&D (along with friends), sales, website, social media, order processing, accounting, etc. The biggest challenge was realizing I can’t do it all, and to ask for/hire help. Luckily I have some amazing friends with diverse talents.  Angelisa at Feelin’ It graphics has been amazing, the last few years she has designed my catalogues and created all my die cut stickers. Erin Hogue, Andrew Strain and Eric Poulin have helped out with photography along the way. Gideon Baldridge helped me get my website up and running… the list goes on! Big thanks to everyone who has helped out.

My biggest challenge was collecting payments! Being a small company, I was often the last account to be paid from the board shops. It is a tough time in the snowboard industry, and (going back to be a one woman show) it was super frustrating and exhausting chasing money from shops. So this year I’ve made the decision to exclusively sell online. This gives me a lot more operational freedom, and I find it less stressful and more fun. Although overall numbers will be lower this year, it’s like taking one step back to take two steps forward. 
 
What are your goals with Nibz?

To have a selection of products that everyone on the mountain can enjoy. The original Nibz Bandana provides a fair bit of warmth, and not everyone likes that.  This year I expanded into neck tubes, balaclavas and head bands. I have been told I am missing stuff for the little groms, so I am working on that for next season.
 
I want to keep the business local from sourcing to manufacturing to marketing. I want to fuel our economy and draw from resources in our own community.

 
What advice would you offer a young entrepreneur looking to launch a niche brand?

Figure out what aspects of the business you love, enjoy and are good at and then seek help in the other areas. You can’t possibly do everything yourself and if you are it can’t be all done well. You need to let go and let others be a part.
 
When shit is hitting the fan and you feel like just giving up, what keeps you going?

I take a look outside at all the snow, I dream of the day when I will snowboard every single POW day and put my day job on hold for a few months over the winter.