SNEWS Your source for outdoor, snow sports, and adventure travel news
The Voice 50: The hottest gear of next season
After all but losing spring 2020 to the pandemic, retailers and consumers alike are looking for gear to get excited about in 2021. So excited, in fact, that we decided to add their votes to our ranking of next season’s top products. Together, we’ve pored over, narrowed down, and ...read more
Outdoor Retailer Online: Success, flop, or somewhere in between?
Love 'em or hate 'em, virtual gatherings have likely been on your mind a lot this season. From experimental, techie affairs like the Thin Air Show to smaller, more intimate efforts at connection during the pandemic, workable replacements for in-person events have cropped up ...read more
Help us make SNEWS and The Voice better
Now that the newest issue of The Voice has dropped, the team at SNEWS is taking a hard look at all we do to serve you better. We strive to bring you the outdoor industry's best, most relevant business news coverage, and sometimes that means tweaking our strategy based on honest ...read more
Get ready: Plastic water bottles are making a comeback
At HydraPak’s product testing lab, the 1-liter plastic bottle was filled to capacity with water, which swooshed like the steady beat of a song each second, for 72 hours. Dubbed the RECON, the bottle clung to the hiking imitation machine, which rapidly jiggled the bottle via 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
Industry Buzz: REI sued, land auction called off, Connect show cancelled, TGR's new streaming service, Eco-Challenge race returns
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web REI sued over hand sanitizer: A lawsuit filed against the retailer claims that REI falsely marketed an alcohol-free product as a "proven alternative to alcohol sanitizers.” [Law360] Land auction cancelled: After sustained ...read more
First Look: ZOLEO Satellite Communicator
In this episode of First Look, our Editor-in-Chief, Kristin Hostetter, sat down with Morris Shawn, president of Zoleo, Inc. to discuss the ZOLEO Satellite Communicator. Some topics we cover: Are you a "frequent fringer?" Why the Zoleo stands out from other satellite messengers ...read more
Straight talk with Rich Hill
In this edition of Straight Talk, Editor-in-Chief Kristin Hostetter sits down for a free-wheeling conversation with Rich Hill, president of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance. Hill, known as one of the straightest shooters in the outdoor industry, gives us insights on which outdoor ...read more
Should brands manufacture in China? We dissected the pros and cons.
This story originally ran in the Summer 2020 issue of The Voice. To read the free digital issue, access it here. A few years ago, as the trade war with China heated up, Mark Wolf decided he had had enough. Already frustrated with theft of his company's intellectual property in ...read more
Industry Buzz: Diversity in camping, climbing in China, Crater Lake lawbreakers, outdoor gear shortage, Colorado gear shop closes, climbing chalk vs. coronavirus
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web How to build diversity in camping: Start by taking a hard look at access (or lack thereof) to gear. [Los Angeles Times] Climbing in China: American climber Mike Dobie has been trying to promote his sport in China for years. ...read more
Acting National Park Service Director announces abrupt retirement
On Friday, Acting National Park Service Director David Vela announced abruptly that he would depart his role as de facto head of the NPS and retire. He will be replaced by principal deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Margaret Everson. Vela was the third acting ...read more
The shady world of pro deals
This story originally ran in the Summer 2020 issue of The Voice. To read the free digital issue, access it here. Who, exactly, should qualify for a pro deal in the outdoor industry? A ski patroller? Full-time mountain guide? Retail employee? Most everyone can agree that these ...read more
Weekend Watch: Thin Air Show booth tour
The Thin Air Outdoor Media Show, a first-of-its-kind virtual reality trade show developed by Gearmunk, is scheduled to debut this fall on September 15 and 16. The event will offer brands, media, and retailers the chance to congregate in a digital world—an experience the creators ...read more
Industry Buzz: Mark Satkiewicz Memorial Fund, new outdoor holiday, VF awards $7.3M, Mountain Gazette returns, Saddleback reopens
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Mark Satkiewicz Memorial Fund: After the passing of our colleague Mark Satkiewicz last weekend, a fund has been created in his name to provide gear and resources to Steamboat Springs youth. Celebrate the newest outdoor ...read more
Pocket Outdoor Media signs Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, welcomes new board member
Pocket Outdoor Media, the Boulder-based group that acquired SNEWS and several other active lifestyle publications this year, has become the latest company to sign the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, joining Marmot, Burton, Eddie Bauer, Moosejaw, and dozens of others committed to ...read more
Our most popular stories from July 2020
From this point forward, SNEWS will be publishing regular roundups of the articles that drew the most interest to our site each month. July was filled with big news, from changes in the retail space to landmark legislation passed at the federal level. Here are the headlines that ...read more
First Look: Merrell Moab Speed and Moab Flight shoes
In this episode of First Look, our Editor-in-Chief, Kristin Hostetter, sat down with Erika Derylo, brand marketing manager of Merrell to discuss the evolution of the Moab franchise: the new Moab Speed and Moab Flight shoes. Some highlights we cover: The legacy of the iconic ...read more