The Dutch brand Mystic was founded in 2002 with the goal to be soon THE water and lifestyle brand for windsurfers, kitesurfers and wake boarders. Mystic has been very active in windsurfing and is supporting 8 world class windsurfers. After seeing a few brands coming and going within the windsurfing world, we wanted to know more about the team and idea behind the brand.
Read the interview with the marketing director Max jr. Blom below.
Max jr. Blom
C7: Why and when the brand Mystic got founded? Please tell us a bit about the Mystic history.
Max jr. Blom: Mystic was founded in 2002 by a group of young guys with a passion for kite and windsurfing. The Mystic current designer Hans Schaap and myself are the guys, who are there from the start. At that time we strongly had a feeling that there was a lack of good accessory brands.
With a very own identity we started to develop products for riders who want to push their boundaries on the water. We were not interested in blue waters and white beaches. Strong wind and cold waters are the elements, which challenge the rider. Therefore we start to build strong harnesses and warm and flexible wetsuits.
After a few years my father (Max Blom sr) stepped into the company. He worked 12 years for O’Neill (1988-2000). With his financial support, knowledge and experience we managed to grow the brand and become more professional. He is still owning the company and therefore we have a good mixture of young and experienced people.
C7: What was the first Mystic product?
Max jr. Blom: That was the Darkrider. A 3D moulded waist harness.
C7: Since when you have been working at Mystic?
Max jr. Blom: I have been there from the start. My role in the company always has been the marketing and communication. I created an image around Mystic, which was very dark, black and white with a Celtic touch. With the international team we went to Ireland Brandon Bay. With that content we created the basics for the brand.
C7: Are you windsurfer, kitesurfer, wakeboarder, surfer?
Max jr. Blom: I am a kitesurfer, but I also like to surf and wake board when the wind is gone. Windsurfing is also on my list, but too many sports requires too much gear, which makes travelling impossible. I still think windsurfing in very strong winds is the most beautiful sport. But for now I am committed to riding waves with a kite.
Max and Boujmaa Guilloul
C7: How would you describe the brand Mystic with three words?
Max jr. Blom: Innovative, Style and Reliable
C7: What´s your most popular product nowadays?
Max jr. Blom: The warrior harness. It has always been our baby and because of that product we are at this stage. It’s a super strong and solid harness with a lot of comfort. Upcoming season we will launch the windsurf warrior as well, you definitely want to get your hands on that one!
C7: Why should a windsurfer buy a Mystic product?
Max jr. Blom: We have a very good and nice team of windsurfers behind the brand, they all put a lot of knowledge and effort in the products. Therefore the products are high quality and look pretty flashy. If it comes down to hardcore slalom, easy free riding or dedicated wave riding. Mystic got you covered from head to toe.
Photoshooting Backstage
C7: Mystic is very active in windsurfing, you are investing a lot in this sport. 8 worldclass teamriders are not cheap, I guess. In the past we saw other companies coming and going. You seem to push hard to stay. Do you see a growth in the sport of windsurfing or what´s the reason for the effort?
Max jr. Blom: Dedication is very important in life. We have a mission and one of those missions is to create the best products for windsurfers. When a market is facing hard times it´s easy to pull out, that’s not who we are and how we work. We are committed. I am extremely proud at the team riders, Boujmaa, Björn, Ben, Robby, Taty, Sarah, Dorian, John, Cyril and little Rick are all great personalities and doing a great job promoting Mystic around the globe .
C7: Olympic Gold medalist Dorian van Risselberghe is one of the Mystic windsurfing team riders. Are you disappointed that windsurfing is probably out of the Olympics?
Max jr. Blom: Yes, I am very disappointed about that. Dorian has proven that Olympic windsurfing is one of the most exiting disciplines on the water during the Olympics. He is young, fresh and represents the next generation sports people. I rather see a sailing class kicked out and keep windsurfing in.
Max & Dorian
C7: What is your favourite windsurfing discipline? And which discipline fits the Mystic style best?
Max jr. Blom: That’s definitely wave. It does fit the Mystic style the best. If I see guys like Boujmaa, Jason Polakow or Philip Köster ripping the waves I think this is the image what windsurfing needs. These days we are facing a lot of cool extreme sports, snowboarding, motocross, BMX etc. To compete against these sport you need to highlight the most extreme part of the sport and for me that’s wave riding.
C7: How much percentage takes windsurfing compared to kiteboarding and wake boarding in terms of sale?
Max jr. Blom: It takes about 30 % from the Mystic brand against 60% in kiteboarding and 10% wakeboarding.
C7: A lot of companies in windsurfing complain of a shrinking windsurfing market and lower selling numbers. Is windsurfing really going down? Do you feel the same?
Max jr. Blom: I think windsurfing has suffered the last years. But it has such a strong group of committed individuals that it will never die. The youth has a lot to choose these days and that makes it hard for windsurfing. But I strongly believe it will pick up again! Another fact why brands are complaining is that the number of brands has increased a lot. That doesn’t mean the sport is shrinking.
Max and Björn Dunkerbeck
Max and Robby Naish
C7: Is it hard to market a brand, which wants to be present and sell in three different sports? We often witness a lot of rivalry between kitesurfers and windsurfers.
Max jr. Blom: Sometimes it is hard to speak three different languages. A kiteboarder is not a windsurfer and vice versa. But I think the most important thing in life is to be on the water as much as possible. It doesn’t matter, if you are on a kite, windsurfboard or wakeboard or even SUP. We are all using the ocean and the wind and enjoying ourselves. That is what matters in the end.
C7: Do you plan to be in surfing or SUP as well?
Max jr. Blom: Yes we are. For 2013 we created a nice SUP collection and we will show some support in this sport.
C7: How do you see the brand Mystic in 2020?
Max jr. Blom: Still very committed to the sports we love. Much closer to our mission and hopefully we are THE water and lifestyle brand for windsurfers, kitesurfers and wakeboarders.
C7: Thanks for the interview and good luck for the future!
©continnetseven.com, Max jr. Blom 2012
Good man. Keep up the work Max!