Selling snow to Eskimos would cause most people to work up a pretty good sweat.
Not Richard Bayer. For this entrepreneur, it’s all in a day’s work.
A resident of the Scotts Valley community of Montevalle for almost two years and a Santa Cruz County denizen for 40 years, Bayer owns and operates a worldwide faux snow business, known as SnoWonder Inc. (snowonder.com).
“Most people love snow because it’s fun,” says Bayer of the 15-year-old business.
“But even so, SnoWonder has become much bigger than I ever imagined.”
In 2001, Bayer perked up when a visiting salesman came into Natural Treasures, his former Pacific Avenue gift store, and mentioned fake snow.
At that time, the powder was being used solely in Japanese snowboard parks, where the patent was held.
“We immediately saw the potential for this amazing snow, that looks and feels exactly like real snow — except it doesn’t melt,” says Bayer, who quickly became the exclusive U.S. agent for Japanese snow.
“We thought this could be the first ‘new’ artificial snow in the U.S. market since shredded Styrofoam.”
Quickly, the word spread. From a snow-filled sand box in the sweltering Texas summertime to Alaskan retailers selling souvenir packets of local “snow,” the business began to grow.
Consumers now include professional photographers, filmmakers, gift stores, florists, designers, event planners, hotels, amusement parks, and ski resorts.
SnoWonder has even become a family tradition for a member of the Saudi Royal family, who yearly fill a huge fountain with 10 inches of snow to celebrate their son’s birthday party.
Keep in mind that outside the thermometer can reach in the neighborhood of 115 degrees.
“I thought this would just be a novelty,” says Richard, adding that Orange is the New Black used SnoWonder five months ago during the summer to film a winter scene that will appear in episode three of season five. “I originally expected people to get excited about it and then move on.”
He’s right, they got excited, but winter enthusiasts during any season want the white stuff.
