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The Big Gear Show is still on—with some changes
Just a few days after Outdoor Retailer announced that this year's Summer Market was off, organizers of the next major event on the industry's calendar, The Big Gear Show, have gone a different route. Event director Kenji Haroutunian told SNEWS late Monday that the first three ...read more
How to save your local gear shop
As the coronavirus crisis spreads, independent retailers are hurting badly. (Even before this pandemic, many were losing business to Amazon and other direct-to-consumer competition.) Shops are now empty, workers have been sent home, and cash flow is drying up. At the same time, ...read more
Live updates: Everything you need to know about coronavirus and the outdoor industry
This is SNEWS' live blog covering all the latest news regarding the coronavirus and the outdoor industry. We will be updating this page as news breaks. We also urge you to contact us if you have any new information concerning the coronavirus that hasn't appeared on this page. ...read more
An editor's note in the spirit of transparency
Dear friends and colleagues, First, I hope this note finds you healthy and safe and in good spirits during this surreal time in our lives. The ripple effects of the coronavirus on our industry—on all industries, really—is equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking. But we will get ...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: OIA resources, national park closure, Vail pay cuts, ski goggle donations, Protect Our Winters speaker series
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Join the discussion: Outdoor Industry Association has started a private LinkedIn forum for “OIA members to connect and collaborate directly with each other and OIA leadership, receive answers to business questions directly ...read more
Outdoor Retailer is cancelled
Outdoor Retailer, the largest outdoor trade show in the country and a cardinal event on the industry's annual calendar, cancelled its annual Summer Market Thursday as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus. Outdoor Retailer released the following statement: ...read more
Podcast: A very special gear shop
Aside form world-class mountain biking trails and spectacular scenery, Moab, Utah, has another gem: GearHeads Outdoor Store. Founded 22 years ago by Doug and Greg Kennedy, and now run by younger brother Steve, this quirky shop has become a Moab institution thanks to its vast ...read more
Industry Buzz: CEO pay cut, national park infections, ski goggles as PPE, Jeremy Jones, a tragic coronavirus death
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web A CEO sacrifice: Columbia’s CEO, Tim Boyle, has slashed his annual pay to $10K to keep paychecks flowing to retail employees. [The Oregonian] Close the parks: The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks has sent a ...read more
Surviving the pandemic: Digital workshops for outdoor startups
The coronavirus crisis has ravaged small businesses across the globe, and those in the outdoor industry are no exception. If you own an outdoor startup, Catapult Innovation Labs, a startup accelerator owned by SNEWS' parent company, Active Interest Media, has devised a means of ...read more
A member of the outdoor industry lost her life to coronavirus
We're heartbroken to report that the outdoor community lost one of its own in recent days. Aliaa Abaza, the Adventure Travel Trade Association's community lead for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, passed away last weekend from complications of COVID-19. Aliaa is the first ...read more
Mystery Ranch leads community mask-sewing effort
It started by word of mouth. An employee at Mystery Ranch, the Montana-based backpack brand, heard from a friend that a local quilting guild had started sewing masks for hospitals, and soon many of Mystery Ranch's own employees were clamoring to do the same. "Lots of people ...read more
2-minute survey: How has the coronavirus impacted your job and company?
The news about how companies are responding and reacting to the coronavirus pandemic have been flooding in so fast over the last few weeks that we, here at SNEWS, have been scrambling to keep up. The impacts on our community have been wide, deep, and vast, and the implications ...read more
Industry Buzz: GOA cancelled, Outdoor Research makes masks, a new SIA campaign, American Alpine Club goes virtual
Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web PPE from the co-founder of Granite Gear: Jeff Knight has designed a new tool to help prolong the life of N95 masks. #CurbYourTurns: SIA has launched a new campaign to promote the idea that flattening the curve “has to take ...read more
Outdoor Research pledges 200,000 masks a day
Outdoor Research has pledged to start producing masks for medical workers at a substantial clip—200,000 a day by June, according to an announcement the company made Monday. To do so, the gear and apparel brand will convert its Seattle factory to comply with FDA Class II ...read more
Grassroots cancels Connect Show
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance’s Connect Show will not go on as planned this spring, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show was scheduled to go down June 12-15 in Knoxville, Tennessee, one week ahead of Outdoor Retailer, which has not yet announced a cancellation. Should Outdoor ...read more
Active Interest Media releases free online courses
During this period of quarantining, self-isolating, and social distancing, there's only so much binge watching a person can do. It's nice to veg out for while, but after a couple of weeks (or days), the urge to get moving sets in. Active Interest Media has temporarily made a ...read more