SNEWS Your source for outdoor, snow sports, and adventure travel news
A more sustainable way for outdoor companies to ship product
The guilt of e-commerce is real. On Cyber Monday this year, U.S. shoppers spent a record $10.8 billion in less than 24 hours, generating an incredible amount of packaging waste in the process. For outdoor industry consumers—people who care about the environment and ...read more
2020 SNEWS Retailer Survey results, part 2: Best manufacturers
This is part two of a multi-part series. The next installments will be published in the coming weeks. You can read part one, about annual sales volume, here. Parts two and three of our 2020 SNEWS Retailer Survey are all about manufacturers—the best and the worst of the bunch. ...read more
The Backcountry trademark fiasco, one year later
Additional reporting and writing by SNEWS contributing editor Kiran Herbert On October 31, 2019, The Colorado Sun broke a huge story that became one of the year’s biggest scandals in the outdoor industry. According to the Sun, the large online retailer Backcountry.com had engaged ...read more
Why representation matters in adventure travel and how brands can do better
Monet Hambrick of The Traveling Child journeys around the world for a living with her children. In 2019, she authored The Traveling Child Goes to Rio de Janeiro, a children's book that teaches culture through the eyes of two traveling sisters. And earlier this year, she became a ...read more
Recent Press Releases
Since 1984, SNEWS has been the outdoor industry’s most trusted source for trade news, company and retailer profiles, outdoor politics and issues, gear trends, and important interviews with power players.
Catch up on all the stories that are making news in the outdoor industry
OIA's new continuing education program can help industry professionals level up their skills
The power of the outdoor economy is no joke, and universities around the country are starting to pay attention. In the last five years, the industry has seen a spike in educational offerings geared towards jump-starting careers in the outdoor space. For those who’ve already ...read more
Biden taps John Kerry for new cabinet position: presidential climate envoy
As president-elect Joe Biden begins naming officials to fill his cabinet, leaders in the outdoor industry are keeping a close eye on individuals who will influence climate policy over the next four years. Most notable thus far: John Kerry, whom Biden has tapped to fill the newly ...read more
Industry Buzz: REI's new location, air changes on Everest, holiday sales predictions, support the outdoor places you love, oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web REI’s newest location: The retailer plans to open its first store in central Pennsylvania next year. [Penn Live] Oxygen levels on Everest: How global warming is altering air composition on the world’s highest peak. ...read more
Poll: Who makes the best ski and/or snowboard helmets?
We're helmet fans here at SNEWS. Skiing or snowboarding without something to protect your noggin is a risk no one should take, especially when the industry puts out so many awesome models to choose from. There are a lot of different helmet types and features out there—in-mold, ...read more
Straight Talk: Video interview with Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert
Cant see the video above? Click here In this edition of Straight Talk, Editorial Director Kristin Hostetter sits down for a candid Zoom conversation with Ryan Gellert, the new CEO of Patagonia. It's his first U.S. interview since taking the helm. Key takeaways include: ...read more
Industry Buzz: Big changes coming to ski resorts, skiing's return to its roots, Outdoor Research's new president, hunting groups support conservation, 100 years of outdoor catalogs
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Plan for a different kind of ski season: What will the winter season look like for skiers and snowboarders? Here are some of the changes to expect. [The New York Times] Skiing returns to its roots: In another take on the ...read more
Industry Buzz: Fresh leadership at Patagonia, Selena Gomez to play mountaineer in upcoming film, new GOA members, plastic use during the pandemic, small business giveaway
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web New leadership at Patagonia: The company has hired Beth Thoren as its new environmental action and initiatives director. A mountaineering icon on film: Selena Gomez has signed on to play the mountaineering legend Silvia ...read more
Poll: How are you planning to shop this holiday season?
It's going to be a chaotic year for holiday shopping, that's for sure. Local stores are doing their best to keep customers safe, as they have been for months, but it looks like Amazon will be poised to capitalize (once again) on a difficult situation. Read more: The outdoor ...read more
Pocket Outdoor Media hires five editors from Bike magazine
Pocket Outdoor Media, the Colorado-based active lifestyle publisher (and SNEWS’ parent company), announced an expansion of its team this week. Five new editors, formerly of Bike magazine, will join the company immediately and begin work on a new mountain biking print publication ...read more
Industry Buzz: Kind Bars acquired, hiker returns from the brink of death, the case for a new CCC, Sea to Summit expands leadership, analyzing outdoor rec spending
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web KIND acquired: Mars, the maker of Snickers, has announced plans to buy Kind North America, the company responsible for Kind Bars. [The New York Times] Back from the brink of death: A hiker rescued from Mount Rainier this ...read more
Betsy Bertram reflects on the bittersweet closing of her family’s beloved shop
My parents founded Townsend Bertram & Company in 1988 with the dream of creating a vibrant community of adventures. After 32 years in business, my mom will be closing the doors for the last time this Thanksgiving. Over the last few weeks, we’ve held a “retirement sale” and have ...read more
The Trump administration neuters the Great American Outdoors Act
Well, that didn't take long. Public lands advocates cheered this summer when the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which guarantees permanent financial support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), was passed. Now, just a few months later, a top official in the ...read more