In the past, all ski suits Field Outerwear produced were sold in Europe and America. However, researches have led the astute manager to describe China's market as "absolutely" profitable, and the company has decided to explore it immediately.

"We can see that people in China today are living a more secured and better-off life, so skiing is no longer a dream beyond their reach," said Weijman.

According to incomplete figures, China now boasts more than 150 public skiing grounds.

"One million people in China went skiing the winter of 2001, while the number was less than 1,000 before 1996," said Tian Younian, secretary-general of the Skiing Association of China.

In the country's northern-most Heilongjiang Province, the roads to Yabuli Ski Resort have become crowded during holidays, and a growing number of skiers wear the suits of their own instead of those provided by the skiing ground, said Tian Yuan, board chairman of Yabuli Ski Resort, China's largest and most comprehensive winter training and recreation center.

Having discovered this huge potential market, a local clothing company named Yabuli Tianlu of eastern Heilongjiang Province, began to produce "Yabuli" brand ski suits in 2001, and soon afterwards became the largest and most popular ski suit maker in northeast China.

"There were only luxurious and expensive imported ski suits sold on the local market two or three years ago, but now we are confronted with drastic domestic competition," said Wang Hongmei, manager of the marketing department of Yabuli Tianlu Clothing Co.

(eastday.com February 6, 2003)