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Ripstar
From surf camps in France and Spain to winter sports holidays in Switzerland: Ripstar organises active holidays for board sports enthusiasts. The company began in 1990 as a snowboard travel agency and expanded into surf holidays in 2005. This has since grown to become Ripstar’s largest division.
There are 195 OSSO tents spread across 14 camps in the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Spain. We spoke to Noa Kraan, Surf Manager, about the partnership with OSSO. Why has Ripstar chosen OSSO right from the start, and what role do the quality and flexibility of the tents play?
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25 office staff
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14 campsites
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195 OSSO tents
A partnership that has lasted for years
Ripstar has been working with OSSO from the very beginning. Even before OSSO was founded, they were already working with Henk, one of the current owners. When Henk and Marcel set up OSSO, Ripstar continued its partnership with them. OSSO tents are now used at all Ripstar surf camps.
Noa knows that many other surf camp providers also use OSSO tents. “We’ve looked into whether another supplier might be better, but we always end up coming back to OSSO. I think they’re simply the best supplier now. At one camp, we built wooden huts instead of tents, but after two years we could already see that they were no longer usable. Meanwhile, the tents last 5 to 8 years and are much easier to pitch and take down. The safari tents, in particular, are very sturdy. We’ve already weathered plenty of storms.”
Versatile tents
Ripstar uses a range of OSSO tents. These include safari tents in various sizes, such as the Stratus, and the smaller Unique tents for crew members. In addition, there are bell tents at several locations. Over the years, Ripstar has developed a system to move tents to other locations. New tents, for example, are first used at family locations. After a few years, they are moved to a kids camp.
Noa explains: “It’s handy to have the same tents. If a frame breaks or a tent fabric gets damaged, we can combine parts to put together a complete tent again. That way, we can continue to make good use of the tents.”
Continuous development
As well as the practical benefits, Ripstar also appreciates that OSSO continues to develop, says Noa: “The tents improve every year. Previously, for instance, mould would sometimes develop on the fabric. With the new fabric, this happens less often and it’s easy to clean. We need to create increasingly attractive camps to attract more bookings. That’s why it’s so great to see that OSSO’s tents are evolving alongside our camps. They keep up with trends and developments. What’s more, they’re very helpful in coming up with ideas when we want a tent that’s different from the standard model. That’s great.”
A long-term partner
Of course, a partnership isn’t always without its challenges. For example, the delivery of new tents can sometimes be a bit stressful. Ripstar starts setting up the camps on 1 April, so it’s important that the tents arrive on time. Noa: “Sometimes, not all the tents have arrived yet. That’s partly our fault, as we’re tend to be quite late with our orders. That’s why this year we want to order most of the tents in September.”
What ultimately carries the most weight for Ripstar is how OSSO deals with challenges. In the event of damage or problems, they can react quickly and spare parts are often available. This became clear, for example, after a severe storm, during which many tents were damaged. OSSO helped out wherever possible with spare parts, says Noa. “If things break and they still have something in stock, they always respond quickly. That what makes it such a great partnership.”
