Sports Service

What Sports Service does

Sports Service (legal entity: SPORTS SERVICE SARL) is a family-owned French waterski and wakeboard operator founded in 1978 and headquartered at Domaine de Pitrot, a 30-hectare private estate in Lacanau, Gironde. The company runs what it describes as a unique-in-Europe facility comprising two man-made lakes (900m x 100m and 750m x 80m), two homologated slalom tracks, a jump ramp, three Malibu boats, a club house, restaurant, swimming pool, and 12 furnished villas. Its core offering is multi-day waterski and wakeboard instruction delivered by champion-level instructors (Géraldine and Roland Jamin, multiple world and European champions) to beginners, intermediates, and competitive skiers, including members of French national teams.

The company monetizes through four distinct streams: (1) staged ski/wakeboard instruction priced at €240–€690 per multi-day package or €60 per individual session, (2) nightly/weekly villa rentals at Domaine de Pitrot from April to November, (3) retail sales of new and second-hand waterski and wakeboard equipment via an on-site pro shop and dedicated e-commerce site (sports-service-proshop.com), and (4) boat sales as exclusive French importer of Malibu, Axis Nautique, and Chaparral brands, including spare parts. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, primarily driven by organic search, word-of-mouth within the watersports community, and walk-in visits to the physical domain, with an English-language website supporting international visitor capture.

The underlying technology footprint is minimal — there is no proprietary software platform, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/automation; the only digital tooling is an online stage scheduling system and Google Analytics for site monitoring. The business is family-operated under Géraldine and Roland Jamin, structured as a SARL (French private limited company), and operates without external investment, parent company, or subsidiaries. Revenue is highly seasonal given the April–November villa rental window and weather-dependent instruction capacity, with no public revenue figures disclosed.

Name

Sports Service

Legal name

SPORTS SERVICE SARL

Website

https://sports-service.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sports Service is a family-owned French SARL founded in 1978 that operates a waterski and wakeboard school, villa rentals, equipment retail, and boat sales from a 30-hectare private estate in Lacanau, serving beginners through competitive skiers and French national team members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watersports Instruction & Equipment

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Sports Equipment Retail (Wake, Ski, Tow, Tubes) (CRAMAIAC), Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI), Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Waterski instruction
• Wakeboard school
• Boat sales
• Watersports equipment
• Vacation villa rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Lacanau

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Waterski and Wakeboard Instruction: Teaching services through structured multi-day clinics and individual lessons for all skill levels from beginners to competitors. Revenue generated from course fees charged per duration (weekend, 3-day, 4-day, 5-day packages).
2. Villa/Accommodation Rental: Rental of 12 furnished villas at Domaine de Pitrot, available per night or per week from April to November. Revenue from vacation rental fees.
3. Equipment Sales (Pro Shop): Sale of new and second-hand waterski, wakeboard equipment, accessories, life vests, wetsuits, and related gear through on-site shop and online store.
4. Boat Sales: Sale of waterski, wakeboard and pleasure boats including new Malibu, Axis Nautique, and Chaparral boats (as exclusive French importer) plus second-hand boats. Also includes engine and boat parts sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sports Service operates a waterski and wakeboard school on a 30-hectare private domain at Lacanau, France, offering multi-day instruction clinics and individual lessons for all skill levels on two dedicated man-made lakes. The company also runs the Domaine de Pitrot villa rental business (12 furnished villas available nightly or weekly from April to November), operates the Sports Service Pro Shop for waterski and wakeboard equipment sales (new and second-hand), and sells new and used waterski, wakeboard, and pleasure boats as the exclusive French importer of Malibu, Axis Nautique, and Chaparral.

Product overview

Sports Service (Lacanau Ski Club) operates as a multi-service nautism business offering waterski and wakeboard instruction as its core product, complemented by vacation villa rentals at Domaine de Pitrot, a pro shop for equipment sales, and boat sales (new and used) with exclusive import rights for Malibu, Axis Nautique, and Chaparral brands. The company was founded in 1978 and runs its operations on a 30-hectare private estate with two man-made lakes featuring homologated slalom courses. The product portfolio centers on watersports education and equipment sales, with supporting hospitality services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Domaine de Pitrot: Villa rental domain with 12 houses available for nightly or weekly rental from April to November
• Sports Service Pro Shop
• Sports Service Bateaux

Products and services

• Ski Nautique et Wakeboard Lessons (Stages) Multi-day waterski and wakeboard instruction clinics (weekend, 3-day, 4-day, 5-day packages) plus individual sessions, taught by world- and European-champion instructors on two dedicated man-made lakes at Domaine de Pitrot, Lacanau. Targets beginners through elite competitors.
• Domaine de Pitrot Villa Rentals Rental of 12 fully furnished villas on the 30-hectare Domaine de Pitrot estate in Lacanau, available per night or per week from April to November, with on-site pool, Club House, restaurant, and bar facilities.
• Sports Service Pro Shop (Equipment Sales) Sale of new and second-hand waterski and wakeboard equipment including skis, life vests, wetsuits, accessories, and wakeboards, available on-site at Domaine de Pitrot and through the dedicated sports-service-proshop.com e-commerce site.
• Boat Sales (Malibu, Axis Nautique, Chaparral) Sale of new and second-hand waterski, wakeboard, and pleasure boats as the exclusive French importer of Malibu, Axis Nautique, and Chaparral brands, plus engine and boat parts, through the dedicated sports-service-bateaux.com site and on-site sales at Domaine de Pitrot.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Malibu BoatscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSports Service is the exclusive French importer of Malibu boats, a premier waterski and wakeboard boat manufacturer. They offer new Malibu boats for sale and have 3 Malibu boats available for instruction at the domain.
• Axis Nautique (Axis)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSports Service is the exclusive French importer of Axis Nautique boats, offering these waterski and wakeboard boats for sale in France.
• ChaparralcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSports Service is the exclusive French importer of Chaparral boats, including pleasure boats and recreational vessels alongside their waterski/wakeboard focus.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MasterCraft Boat Company: MasterCraft is a leading US-based manufacturer of premium wakeboard and waterski boats, directly competing with Malibu Boats and Chaparral/AXIS (the brands Sports Service imports). Comparable product category, customer base, and premium positioning.
• Correct Craft (Nautique): Correct Craft's Nautique brand is a major manufacturer of premium towboats for waterski and wakeboard, competing head-to-head with Malibu and MasterCraft. It serves the same watersports enthusiast customer base and competes in the same inboard boat category.
• Liquid Force: Liquid Force is a leading manufacturer of wakeboards, waterskis, and related equipment sold through watersport retailers like Sports Service's Pro Shop. Directly comparable in product category and target customer (wakeboard/waterski enthusiasts).
• Axopar Boats: Axopar is a European-based premium boat builder offering pleasure boats in a similar market segment to Chaparral (also imported by Sports Service). Comparable premium boat retail and distribution model with a focus on European markets.
• Malibu Boats: Malibu Boats is the manufacturer of the premium wakeboat brand that Sports Service exclusively imports into France. As the upstream OEM partner, it is the most direct comparable in terms of product category and target customer (waterski/wakeboard enthusiasts), even though their business model is manufacturing rather than instruction.
• Hyperlite: Hyperlite is a major wakeboard and waterski equipment brand stocked by specialty retailers like Sports Service's Pro Shop. Comparable product offering and customer base in the wakeboard/waterski segment.
• Chaparral Boats: Chaparral is one of the three premium boat brands that Sports Service exclusively imports into France. As a comparable, it operates in the same pleasure boat category that Sports Service retails, with similar customer demographics and price points.
• HO Sports: HO Sports is a long-established manufacturer of waterskis, wakeboards, and towable tubes, comparable to the equipment inventory carried by Sports Service's Pro Shop. Directly competes in the same product categories.

Regional players

• Club Nautique de Biscarrosse: Another established waterski/wakeboard school in southwestern France, similar in business model (instruction, equipment, boat access) but without equivalent on-site accommodation or boat import rights. Directly comparable watersport instruction service in France.

Emerging players

• Sesitec (Wakeboard Cable Parks): Sesitec manufactures cable wakeboard systems and supports a growing network of cable parks, an adjacent activity to the boat-driven waterski/wake experience Sports Service offers. They represent a partial substitute for traditional boat-tow schools and compete for the same recreational watersport customer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sports-service

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sports Service