SNEWS

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Updating Everest’s height: A team of researchers has summited the mountain to remeasure the peak’s height. A longstanding number could soon change. [Outside Online] The Boston Marathon is canceled: For first time in ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Update on Malcolm Daly: Our colleague is still doing well and making progress. Thanks to the generosity of his therapists, he will receive another 30 days of care before being discharged. Also, today is his birthday! Show ...read more

Thanks to the coronavirus crisis, sales of dehydrated meal have shot through the roof in recent months. A sizable number of non-backpackers have probably been introduced to them for the first time, but for those of us who hike, dehydrated food is a familiar culinary option on the ...read more

An olive branch to Outdoor Retailer: An editorial from the Salt Lake City Tribune makes a case for the return of the industry’s largest trade show to Utah. [The Salt Lake City Tribune] A Colorado ski resort to reopen: Arapahoe Basin will resume limited operations for spring ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Stay safe this weekend: If you’re headed outside for Memorial Day weekend, follow this advice released by Outdoor Industry Association, REI, and other industry leaders as part of a new campaign, Recreate Responsibly. Who’s ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Saw that coming: Yellowstone reopened on Monday and visitors poured in by the thousands. Virus precaution was, shall we say, a little lacking. [The Guardian] Malcolm Daly is recovering smoothly: Our esteemed colleague is in ...read more

Outdoor industry webinars have cropped up swiftly and relentlessly in the last few months. Since the pandemic began, it seems like every week there's a new online event (or five) covering all manner of coronavirus-related concerns, from applying for small business loans to ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web The long-term fight against climate change: With so much the attention being paid to the immediate effects of the pandemic, these outdoor athletes want us to remember that climate is still a looming threat. [Forbes] ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Ski resorts hold out hope: Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge resorts refuse to give up on the idea that late-spring skiing might be possible. [The Denver Post] A massive coalition of climate advocates: The Outdoor ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Patagonia exercises caution: The brand was one of the first to close its stores. After losing half its North American sales, leadership is considering an extremely cautious approach to reopening. [The New York Times] REI ...read more

As retailers start to reopen in select states, everyone seems to be grappling with the same question: How much caution is necessary to keep people safe? The issue of whether to require masks has already generated debate, but that's not where safety measures end. Many store ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Outdoor companies speak up: Patagonia, L.L. Bean, The North Face, and others publicly joined OIA in calling for the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. [The Hill] Support the effort yourself: Sign this letter from ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Ski resorts open: Some Oregon ski areas are gearing up to reopen. [Oregon Public Broadcasting] Shoe launch during the pandemic: Why did On Running launch a new product during the coronavirus crisis? [Fast Company] Q&A with ...read more

Five years ago, this question may have sounded crazy. But with the fast pace of cannabis legalization across the country, and with retailers adding coffee and microbrews to their shops, the idea of an in-store dispensary may not be so far-fetched. This question popped into our ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Patagonia and Columbia take on Trump: The two brands have teamed up to support a lawsuit challenging the White House’s assault on environmental protection. [Outside Online] Dakine makes hard choices: The brand is closing ...read more

With summer backpacking season fast approaching, a classic hikers' debate has stirred once again: What do you do about toilet paper on the trail? This year, the question is a little more topical than usual; TP has never enjoyed a moment in the spotlight quite like this. Still, ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Malcolm Daly scores a private plane to rehab: Our colleague made his way to rehab in Omaha via private plane thanks to the love and support of friends. Inside Cotopaxi’s founding: The popular NPR podcast “How I Built This” ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Quantifying the pandemic: A new survey from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable paints a bleak portrait in hard numbers for the outdoor industry. [Footwear News] A disturbing update on plastic: A new study has found that ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Layoffs and furloughs at Orvis: The Vermont-based company is the latest to join a string of outdoor businesses that have been forced to reduce staff and weekly worker pay. [Bennington Banner] American Alpine Club furloughs: ...read more

As states across the country look toward easing restrictions on social distancing, retailers are grappling with how to keep their customers safe when doors reopen. Some, like GearHeads Outdoor Store in Moab, have purchased large hand-washing stations. Others are considering ...read more

National parks reopening: The acting director of the National Park Service is currently working on a “framework for a gradual resumption of operations." [National Parks Traveler] A cautionary tale: Even that happens, however, we should heed the warnings from places like Utah’s ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web The White House says national parks will reopen: However, no dates or details have been offered. [CNN] Summiting K2 this year after all? Restrictions may ease by the time the spring climbing season starts in Pakistan. ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web The Outdoor State: To celebrate Earth Day, Protect Our Winters is gathering support for a new climate change initiative. [Forbes] How coronavirus has affected Colorado's outdoor rec: A new survey by the Colorado Outdoor ...read more

Patagonia back in action: After shutting down most of its operations for more than a month, the brand has outlined a plan for getting up and running again. [Gear Junkie] The first virtual trade show: Gearmunk has developed the outdoor industry's first true digital trade show—an ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Plastic waste on the rise: The pandemic has helped the environment in some ways and hurt it in others. Join the Plastic Impact Alliance to help combat the problem. [Wired] How park closures affect different communities: ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Tour de France postponed: The race will now take place in August and September, more than two months after the original dates. The course will remain the same. [ESPN] AMC lays down the law: If you want to summit a ...read more

If you’re a brick-and-mortar retailer, you probably miss your customers right now. But be honest, do do you really miss all of them? Every retailer has dealt with difficult patrons. And everyone's strategy for doing so is unique.  Is it true that the customer always right, even ...read more

How to start making PPE: Register for a webinar on Tuesday, April 14 by OIA and SIA about pivoting your business to produce tools for healthcare workers in need. Outdoor State of Mind: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, Protect Our Winters is launching a ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Furloughs at Columbia: Another big outdoor company has resorted to cutting pay as the coronavirus crisis worsens, cutting 3,500 workers’ wages by 75 percent. [The Oregonian] Your mask might not be working: That polyester ...read more

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Alterra Mountain Co. makes tough choices: The company that owns 15 North American ski resorts, including Steamboat and Deer Valley, is furloughing many year-round employees after huge layoffs of seasonal workers last month. ...read more

Close the parks! Astoundingly, the National Park Service still has not committed to nationwide closures. What will it take? [Fast Company] The North Face steps up to help: The company is committing $1m through the Explore Fund to "support the outdoor communities all over the ...read more

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Letters to Trump and 50 governors: The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable sent letters to the president and all 50 governors asking for tariff relief, stimulus aid, and “essential business” classification. Modell’s buys some ...read more

The best of SNEWS: Top stories we've published recently Should Outdoor Retailer be cancelled?: We asked you if the OR Summer Market should go on as planned, be postponed, or be cancelled all together. Sixty percent agreed on one definitive answer. What do you think? Eddie Bauer ...read more

The best of SNEWS: Top stories we've published recently Incredible community support: In just four days, customers of Alpenglow Sports in Lake Tahoe purchased $75k in gift cards from the retailer to help keep cash flowing. (To help spread similar efforts, share our new campaign, ...read more

The best of SNEWS: Top stories we've published recently Save your local gear shop: We've launched a new campaign to keep independent retailers going through these uncertain times. Read a letter from SNEWS' editor-in-chief, Kristin Hostetter, about the initiative. In this ...read more

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

Coronavirus news Your local gear shop needs your help: Here at SNEWS we've started a new campaign, #SaveYourLocalGearShop, to help specialty independent retailers through difficult times. The outdoor industry speaks up: OIA and 23 other trade associations sent a letter to ...read more

SAN FRANCISCO - March 16, 2020 - The unfortunate postponement or cancellation of major industry trade shows creates a significant loss for the industry, and other events may follow. Brands rely on these annual events to launch and showcase their latest products and innovations, ...read more