November 07, 2018 (Magog, Que.) – One of the most legendary Italian cross-country ski apparel brands, Sportful, is now available coast to coast thanks to MV Canada based in Magog, Que. not far from the home base of Canadian xc ski star, Alex Harvey, who hails from St-Férréol-les-Neiges.

Thanks to Sportful’s custom clothing program, young amateurs and veterans across Canada can experience and enjoy the exact same tights and tops that Team Italia wears on the FIS World Cup… but in their own team or club colours.

“The Italians love to go fast (does Ferrari ring a bell) and we figured if it works for the Italian National Cross Country Ski Team, why not bring the same expertise to local clubs here,” said Pierre Perron, general manager of MV Canada, the Canadian branch of Manifattura Valcismon, Sportful’s parent company in Italy. “Of course, people can choose pieces that are more insulated. Those make you feel very fast indeed, but won’t keep you hot during long runs, unlike the Podio or Squadra lines,”

Opened three years ago, MV Canada has grown each year and recently relocated into new larger offices, located on the main street of Magog, a small Eastern Townships city in Québec. “The six of us [they were three at the beginning] were getting a little tight in our old location, also in Magog,” added Perron. The company also distributes Castelli and Karpos products.

Sportful cross-country skiing clothing is built using various cutting edge fabrics such as Schoeller textiles, for their Team Italia products. Deemed “smart” by this Swiss company, from a sports performance point of view, it gives the athlete maximum breathability and freedom of movement. When SkiTrax visited MV’s offices, we were surprised by how few seams the tops and tights have. The level of muscle compression was also remarkable. It seemed that we would have to choose one or two sizes larger than normal just to fit in.

Proper sizing is an important consideration with custom clothing programs, commented Philip Cortes, sales manager for MV Canada. “Athletes have a tendency to always pick the same size. If they’re used to small, they order small, without even trying on the clothes. We believe that can lead to concerns later.” To ensure the best fit, MV provides full Sportful kits for fitting sessions upon request that are held wherever and whenever the teams prefer, even for 2-3 weeks if needed. “We usually like when people visit their local stores for fittings. In doing so, they benefit from the vendor’s expertise as well,” explained Cortes.

MV Canada also offers complete graphic design services to help team managers and clubs to get the most out of the customization process. François Colameo, responsible for customer service on this front was candid about his role. “Things often get sentimental: teams want to proudly bear their colours during the whole season. There can be a lot of back and forth at this stage. It’s part of the game and I make sure they know that,” he admitted. “These days it’s interesting to note that the trend these days is less for all-over print – clean designs with a discrete logo is now the way to go.”

Sportful operates on a four-to-eight-week delivery schedule for its custom clothing program after things are finalized on the personalized management site for custom orders. MV also offers direct to member shipping. “That option doesn’t cost that much and can simplify things a lot. In fact, members of a medium-sized team can have a whole kit for a bit less than $200,” Colameo concluded.

Viva Italia. The minimum custom order is five units for suits and 10 units per style for tops and bottoms.

Sportful website here.
For more information contact Mvcanada_custom@mvc46.eu.