OGE Outdoor Blog

For Immediate Release
Jason Smith
Access Fund
303-545-6772 x113
smith@accessfund.org
www.accessfund.org

Boulder, CO, May 21, 2009 - Access Fund announced it will host a stop on the Telluride Mountainfilm Zero Emissions Tour on June 10, 2009 at the Boulder Theater in downtown Boulder, Colorado.

Since 2000, Mountainfilm in Telluride has traveled the globe educating and inspiring audiences about issues that matter, cultures worth exploring, environments worth preserving and conversations worth sustaining. This celebration of the indomitable spirit is sure to incite change in local and global communities. In June of 2009, Telluride Mountainfilm is embarking on a new project: the Zero Emissions Tour, which is a 2,300 mile unsupported bike tour throughout Colorado, Wyoming & Utah.

Read full article…

For Immediate Release
Bethany Nielson
REI Public Affairs
253-395-8252
beniels@rei.com

Seattle, WA, May 11, 2009 - With summer fast approaching, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) invites children and their families to explore the outdoors together with Passport to Adventure. Launching today, the free program is designed for children 5 to 12 and encourages them to participate in at least one outdoor activity this year.

Families and caregivers can stop by any REI store to pick up a complimentary adventure journal, plus hike and bike trails in their local area that are recommended by expert REI employees.

After participating in at least one outdoor activity, parents can send in a postcard from the journal or visit http://www.rei.com/passport to receive a certificate of completion and a special prize for their kids. In 2008, REI engaged nearly 24,000 children in outdoor activities through Passport to Adventure.

Read complete article… or browse all exclusive web deals from REI.

For Immediate Release
Jaime Eschette
Public Relations
Phone: 800-433-2537 x 178
Email: jeschette@deckers.com

Goleta, CA, May 4, 2009 - Teva (a division of Deckers Outdoor Corporation) and The Outdoor Foundation announced a new partnership aimed at broadening the outdoor community by engaging new audiences and industries in nature-based activities.

As part of this partnership, Teva will provide charitable support to The Outdoor Foundation whose core mission is to spur a massive increase in outdoor recreation and inspire future generations. The two organizations will work together to identify opportunities that redefine the outdoors as accessible to all individuals.

“We are so grateful to Teva for its generous support and ongoing leadership in helping to expand the outdoor community to include Americans of all backgrounds,” said Christine Fanning, Executive Director of The Outdoor Foundation. “Only by reaching out to new audiences and industries will we protect the health of the outdoor community.”

Read full article…

For Immediate Release
Alyica Cavadi
alycia@momentummediapr.com
617-875-5553

Clearfield, UT, May 4, 2009 - Petzl, a leading manufacturer of technical climbing gear, announced a partnership with Access Pan America through a Petzl Foundation grant. Access Pan America is a new organization dedicated to protecting climbing access across the Americas. It will be the first and only organization of its kind, bringing together activists, access leaders and influencers, and land managers from several countries to unify efforts toward climbing conservation for the Western Hemisphere.

“Conservation and climbing access are two issues central to the mission of the Petzl Foundation,” said Paul Petzl, founder of Petzl. “Access Pan America is an effort that matches our goals of preserving climbing areas for all who appreciate nature and our natural environments”.

About the Petzl Foundation
The Petzl Foundation supports the efforts of nonprofit organizations working for the benefit of our climbing, recreation, and conservation community. To learn more, visit: http://www.fondation-petzl.org/en

Read full article…

For Immediate Release
Dave Simpson
Base Camp Communications
(307) 734-7575
dsimpson@basecampcomm.com

BOULDER, CO, April 22, 2009 - SCARPA North America this week hired Paul Nanawa as its Sales Service Coordinator. He joins SCARPA after four years at Sierra Designs, brings 8 years of outdoor industry sales and retail experience to his post, ands a degree in electrical engineering (hey, versatility is good).

At Sierra Designs, Nanawa worked in several roles, including Dealer Services Representative and Sales Coordinator. Prior to that, he spent nearly five years in outdoor specialty retail at Bent Gate Mountaineering in Golden, CO, and at Western Mountaineering in Santa Clara, CA.

Read full article at OutdoorIndustry.com…

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Kristin Carpenter-Ogden
kco@verdepr.com
970-259-3555

Cortez, CO, April 13, 2009 - For the second year now, Osprey Packs has been named to Outside magazine’s “Best Places to Work” list. Osprey ranked 15 out of 30 selected companies. The full list and related story will be published in the May issue of Outside magazine, available on newsstands April 14th.

“The folks at Osprey have always understood the importance of maintaining a healthy, happy and creative working environment,” said Tom Barney CEO of Osprey Packs. “We are always looking for ways to encourage our employees to get out and explore the outdoors and pursue their passions. We work hard and play hard…”

Outside’s “Best Places to Work” list was compiled with the help of the Outdoor Industry Association (outdoorindustry.org) and Best Companies Group (bestcompaniesgroup.com). The year-long selection process began with an outreach effort that identified a wide range of organizations with at least 15 employees working in the US.

Read more…

For Immediate Release
Ashley Devery
adevery@comcast.net
303)807-4688

Boulder, CO, April 2, 2009 - GoLite, the world’s premier producer of lightweight outdoor gear and apparel for active outdoor adventures, announced a 93% sales increase in sales from Q1 2008 to Q1 2009.

The results stem from strong increases in each of the company’s three key regions: the Americas, Europe and Asia, in both sales per existing door, as well as new accounts.

“Outstanding product is certainly the key driver of our success. Over the last two years we’ve made a significant investment in product which is now coming to market. Dealers that have not carried GoLite gear before are now jumping on-board. And those who have cherry picked key products from our line historically are now purchasing more broadly across multiple categories,” says Demetri Coupounas, co-founder and president.

Read entire article…

For Immediate Release
For editorial information contact:
Bob Sipchen at (415) 977-5542 or
Email: bob.sipchen@sierraclub.org

San Francisco, CA, March 18, 2009 - SIERRA, the national magazine of the Sierra Club, has been nominated again this year as a finalist in three categories by the Western Publications Association’s Maggie Awards. This year SIERRA is nominated in the following categories:

• Politics & Social Issues/Consumer: September/October 2008 (whole issue)
• Best Single Editorial Illustration/Consumer: Sex and the City Bird, Illustration by Jack Unruh March/April 2008
• Vice Presidential Matchmaking, Illustration by Victor Juhasz July/August 2008

Recognition of SIERRA’s excellence continues, building on more than 20 Maggies awarded and many more nominations received over the years. Bob Sipchen, Editor-in-chief feels particularly gratified by the nomination of the entire September/October issue, SIERRA’s Annual Green College Guide. “Faculty and students at our colleges and universities are focusing their efforts on solving the global climate crisis and SIERRA will be reporting on and giving recognition to the leaders in this critical movement.”

Since the early 50s, the WPA has honored publishers located west of the Mississippi for outstanding achievement and editorial and design excellence with the prestigious Maggie Awards. The Western Publishing Association will hold it’s 58thAnnual Maggie Awards Banquet Friday evening, April 24th, in the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Hotel at Los Angeles Airport.

Read entire article..

February 10th, 2009 – Bozeman, Montana – EpicSki.com, the largest, most active skiing community online, has partnered with San Francisco company Huddler.com in a complete re-launch of the Internet’s home for dedicated skiers.

After nearly a decade and more than one MILLION posts from their skiing community, EpicSki has taken an important step in securing its place in the future of ski-media online.

One component of the new site launch is the “I’d Rather be EpicSkiing” contest. EpicSki is providing three pairs of lift tickets to Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine Resorts, Deer Valley, and Squaw Valley as well as two $100 gift certificates to partner Backcountry.com to winners who contribute the best quality review content on site.

So what exactly has changed in the re-launched site?

• A new look and feel: From a revamped logo to complete layout redesign of the site, EpicSki now has a fresh appearance to usher their community into the future and attract a broader audience, while providing a consistent experience and new features designed for the current loyal user base.
• Upgraded Discussion Forums: The new forums feature a modern interface and easy access to other relevant content from across the site to improve accessibility for users on site for the first time.
• Fully integrated wiki infrastructure: Deep, skiing-related content that previously spanned hundreds of conversational posts can be consolidated into informational articles that existing and new users collaborate on to ensure each piece stays up-to-date.
• Robust Product Review Functionality: EpicSki already boasts one of the largest communities of knowledgeable skiers online. Now the members have a structured means to share what they think of the gear they use and the resorts where they ski.

Visit the new EpicSki.com…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mark McKnight
mark@rockcreek.com

Chattanooga, TN, February 5th 2009 - Rock/Creek owners (Marvin Webb & Dawson Wheeler) returned from this year’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, UT with a presigious honor: Online Retailer of the Year, a new award from Backpacker Magazine and SNEWS. Out of 100 customer generated nominations, ten finalists were selected, six of which won an award in a select category. Judges cited Rock/Creek’s clean design, helpful customer service and live chat representatives as contributing to their selection of the company for Best Online Retailer.

Rock/Creek is a locally-owned, independent outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in Chattanooga. Webb and Wheeler, both Signal Mountain residents, have spent 21 years growing the outdoor sports they love. They have been in business online for over ten of those 21 years.

Dawson Wheeler explains the significance of their award: “We are thrilled to be recognized for our efforts on the web. We’ve always challenged ourselves to give customers the same high-quality experience they expect from the gear experts in our walk-in stores. I think this award validates those efforts, and reminds us all of the viability of outdoor specialty on the Internet.”

Rock/Creek was also named to the Outdoor Business Magazine “Top 25 Retailers” list for 2008 and 2009.

Click Here for event photos. Congrats Rock/Creek!

For Immediate Release
Cynthia Amon
443-553-0333
camon@wlgore.com
www.gore.com

Elkton, Maryland, January 27, 2009 - W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., maker of GORE-TEX fabric, announced it has earned a position on FORTUNE magazine’s annual list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the 12th consecutive year. Gore is ranked No. 15. The full list and related stories appear in the February 2 issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands on Monday, January 26, and now at FORTUNE.com/bestcompanies.

“Gore is honored to once again earn recognition as one of the best workplaces in America,” says company president and CEO Terri Kelly. “Thanks to the pioneering corporate culture established by our founders more than 50 years ago, Gore is a place where innovation thrives. I strongly believe that our culture is our biggest competitive advantage. It directly contributes to our business success and drives associate satisfaction.”

Read full article at OutdoorIndustry.com…

For Immediate Release
Kristin Carpenter-Ogden
Ashley Gonnella
(970) 403-1212
kco@verdepr.com
ashley@verdepr.com

Crested Butte, CO, November 17, 2008 — The new Adventure Guides Program is an introductory program into exploring Crested Butte ski terrain and learning backcountry skills. The Osprey Switch 26 pack was chosen because of its durability and performance for in-bounds, out-of-bounds, and side-country skiing.

“I couldn’t be more excited to partner with such a fantastic company for the commonalities Osprey shares with Crested Butte,” says Todd Walton, Communications Director for Crested Butte Mountain Resort. “Not to mention, the Switch 26 is ideal for this program that helps guests wanting to explore a little more than a usual day here in Crested Butte really have a great experience.”

Read entire article at OutdoorIndustry.org…

For Immediate Release
Patrick Purcell
ppurcell@3point5.com
801.456.6907

Salt Lake City, UT, November 3rd, 2008 – Tecnica Ski Boots and Blizzard Skis recently contracted for online training with retail training leader 3point5.com, enabling shop employees to instantly improve salesfloor conversations while earning discounts on products that they sell.

3point5.com is an online campus that provides interactive and engaging training services to manufacturers in Snowsports, Action Sports, Outdoor, Hunt/Fish and Cycling industries. Retail employees train online for free 24/7, while shop managers let 3point5.com handle employee purchases online.

In addition to the new training sites – Tecnica and Blizzard also placed all their pro sales online with 3point5.com. The result: An efficient, cutting-edge, customizable order entry and pro purchase system that enables paperless processing and reporting.

Read full article at OutdoorIndustry.org…

We’re psyched to bring you the latest (v3.0) version of OutdoorGearEngine.com (OGE)! Pretty nifty new layout, and functionality, is now available at our outdoor gear comparison site & search engine. You can still just as easily (maybe easier, even!) compare prices on the products you need, as well as search a robust and proprietary database of nearly 500,000 products from 70 of the web’s top rated outdoor stores.

OGE  has always been a unique and powerful resource, in that it’s exclusively dedicated to gear and apparel. But now it’s even more powerful. Search from any page on the site, find gear deals, review products or stores, and even subscribe to an array of RSS feeds dedicated to promotional offers, or new merchant notifications. Note that we’re continually adding more stores to the database.

The outdoor blog you’re on now is next on the update list. Keep an eye out for a flashy new Wordpress theme here, as well as some killer new plugins and tools to help you save some bucks when you’re shopping online for your outdoor equipment needs.

Check out the new site, or start your search below (for example type in North Face Denali and click “Search Gear”, then sort by “Product Price” by clicking the column header on the results…and you’ll see the best prices on the world’s most popular popular fleece jacket). Don’t pull the trigger until you’ve looked through all your options in terms of pricing and selection. Enjoy!

For Immediate Release
Megan Behrbaum
REI Public Affairs
253-437-7736, office;
206-540-5738, pgr
mbehrba@rei.com

Seattle, WA, September 26, 2008 — Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), a national retail cooperative providing quality outdoor gear and clothing, opens its second prototype store that will test green building features, including next generation technology and environmentally friendly materials. New retail design concepts are also being tested and evaluated.

Located in Round Rock, Texas, the store is built from the ground up and projected to consume 48 percent less energy than other stores that meet industry standards. As part of ths initiative, findings from the working laboratory will help REI determine how it approaches green building design, and construction.

“The green building practices incorporated into our Round Rock store help us to dramatically reduce our energy consumption, save natural resources and provide a better experience for employees, co-op members and customers,” said Sally Jewell, REI president and CEO. “This store will not only have reduced operating costs, but we’ve significantly reduced our dependency on fossil fuels.”

The new store’s appearance will differ significantly from traditional designs because of the incorporation of recycled and sustainable materials. Sunflower seed husks, recycled tennis shoes, carpeting manufactured through a climate-neutral process, and reclaimed wood from fallen trees are incorporated throughout the store. Summary details of REI Round Rock’s green building features are available at: http://www.rei.com/greenbuilding/roundrock

Read entire article…

For Immediate Release
Cynthia Amon
W.L. Gore & Associates
camon@wlgore.com
443-553-0333

Elkton, MD, September 22, 2008 — W.L. Gore & Associates, inventor of GORE-TEX® and WINDSTOPPER®, announced today it is teaming up with REI and many of their premiere outdoor brands to deliver a informative “Dressing for the Outdoors Workshop Series” at twenty REI stores across the country this Fall. The workshops participants will be among the first to hear the latest in comfort science, and learn how to dress for adventure in any weather, including expert instructions on technical fabrics and layering techniques. The workshop will be hosted by top female outdoor athletes and showcase products from Arcteryx, Marmot, Merrell, Patagonia, Outdoor Research and many more.

“Gore is committed to growing the women’s outdoor clothing market with the great partner brands we work with. We all understand the importance of this dynamic business to the outdoor gear industry and how crucial the right clothing and footwear makes on the overall outdoor experience,” said Diane Davidson of Gore strategic market development.

For more information about the Dressing for the Outdoors Women’s Workshops and a complete workshop schedule visit http://www.rei.com/goretexwomensworkshop.

Read entire article…