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The acquisition of Rock/Creek Outfitters for a second time in two years will bring the outdoor specialty shop closer to its community roots, President Chad Wykle said Friday. Gearhead Outfitters, a privately-held retailer in Arkansas, announced on Thursday the acquisition of ...read more

Under a government that relies on checks and balances, the U.S. Forest Service has proposed cutting the public out of the decision-making process when it comes to our National Forests and public lands. The proposal would amend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)—a law ...read more

I'm riding a Stromer e-bike that goes up to 30 mph, yet Eric "Hende" Henderson biking with a trailer full of packrafts and gear is still hard to keep up with. We're pedal pushing along a 10-mile stretch from his office to the Boulder Reservoir for a mellow morning of paddling ...read more

Spandex—the now ubiquitous elastic apparel fiber—has exploded in popularity since its inception in the '50s, starting out as a replacement for rubber in garments—like women’s girdles—and becoming a staple in the athletic community. In fact, walk into any outdoor shop today and ...read more

Projects on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and other crowdfunding sites will come to life next month in a new startup showcase in Boulder's Neptune Mountaineering. The NeptuneLAB is the latest experiential concept for the iconic gear shop. Owners Shelley and Andrew Dunbar collaborated ...read more

Fifty-two million acres protected. Three thousand, four hundred river miles preserved. Fourteen climbing areas saved. Five marine reserves preserved. Thirty-four dams halted or removed. The numbers John Sterling leaves behind him—after more than 20 years of protecting North ...read more

Many knew John Bresee as one of Backcountry’s founders, but many more knew him as a man who loved living on the edge. A strong intellect and wit drove him to constantly be seeking the extraordinary, and ultimately led him to his exceptionally successful life. He spent June 28, ...read more

After rumblings of an uncertain future, Denali announced last Tuesday that its closing all seven locations. A "going out of business" sale at the Old Saybrook location signals the store's end. More than 25 years ago, the first store opened as Trailblazer in New Haven and grew to ...read more

The first time Dan Epstein visited his wife's family's outdoor store, Champaign Surplus, he left daydreaming about leaving his corporate finance job and one day wearing his favorite gear to work. The store was originally an appliance and surplus shop, opened in 1947 by Shira ...read more

On the heels of Milliken & Company's acquisition of Polartec, Steve Layton was named president of the brand. To start off, Layton will lead the integration of Polartec's outdoor and military apparel fabric technologies into Milliken, a 154-year-old leader in textile ...read more

Any mountain biker can tell you that the clipless-versus-flat-pedals debate is the oldest and most heated in the community, and one that often turns casual conversation into childish warfare. An avid mountain biker and founder of Hustle Bike Labs, Craig Payne is no stranger to ...read more

In early May, a sign on Ascent Outdoors' main door suddenly marked the end of an era. "We will miss you," the sign read. For more than 20 years, the shop in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood was a meeting spot for the outdoor scene, and its shuttering was devastating and shocking to ...read more

Uncommon Path is REI's new print magazine, publishing for the first time this fall. Stories will range from gear reviews to full feature stories, curated by the same editorial team that produces the Co-op Journal and created with HearstMedia. “Uncommon Path tells the stories of ...read more

Jonathan Ballesteros, founder and CEO of Geyser Systems, created his product when he was faced with a blind date after spending five days in the Australian outback with no shower. As he frantically scrubbed away at the layer of grime covering his body with only a washcloth, he ...read more

East Coast waves are notoriously fickle and the surf is often plagued with flat spells, but for surf and skate brand Jetty it was just an excuse to follow their own line. This soon became Jetty's "calling card"—thriving from the challenges of bipolar seasons and changeable ...read more

Scott W. Crook, outdoorsman, limerick enthusiast, and co-founder of Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, passed away on June 10, 2019. He was surrounded by those he loved as slipped from one adventure to the next. The byproducts of his kindness, honesty, and ...read more

President Rich Hill kicked off the evening by explaining the Grassroots History Project, which was started a few years back to trace the arc of the group’s growth as a powerful collaboration of retailers and brands. Through hundreds of hours of interviews with members—both from ...read more

Justine Barone started Gearo after a failed attempt to find a place for her and her husband to rent paddleboards for a day-trip. Having faced this problem several times, she dug a little deeper and discovered that while many specialty shops offer rental programs, they struggle ...read more

Last we heard from Maine-based startup Flowfold, the team—armed with new backpack prototypes—was headed up for a quick summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Now more than a year later we caught up with COO and President of Sales James Morin to talk about their new Gorham, Maine, ...read more

The outdoor industry is a progressive one. It is filled with idealists, people in search of no less than a better world. We publicly take stands for environmental conservation, for clean water, and social justice. We risk our reputations, we speak out, and we moved our biggest ...read more

Greg Thomsen has had almost every job imaginable in the outdoor industry: a climbing guide, a sales rep, a specialty outdoor retailer, a product designer, owner of Mountainsmith, co-founder of Wilderness Experience. For the last decade, Thomsen has served as the chief outdoor ...read more

Located on the shores of its namesake lake, Whitefish, Montana, is known for its dramatic outdoor vistas. But in the charming resort town, The Toggery has become its own kind of destination. Originally opened as Frank’s Shirt Shop in 1947 by Frank and Jessie Stephens, the store ...read more

The Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office didn't have to look far to replace Luis Benitez, after he announced in March that he was leaving for VF Corporation. Nathan Fey has had his nose underneath the office's tent since its early days. He was a consultant, had a seat on ...read more

One of the outdoor industry's bright stars, Sam Coffey, died unexpectedly on Monday after suffering a series of strokes last week. He was 29. The Aspen Times reported—and confirmed through Olympic ski racer and Coffey's longtime friend Wiley Maple—that the skier suffered a ...read more