Industry headlines: Intriguing reads from around the web Climbing chalk is safe: A new study suggests powdered climbing chalk is unlikely to transmit the coronavirus. [Climbing] Patagonia’s new film: Don’t miss “Public Trust,” premiering September 25, about the ongoing battle for ...read more
Despite disappearing winters, ski areas in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont aren’t going anywhere. The region is warming quicker than anywhere else, which makes New England ski areas the most vulnerable to climate change. But there's hope. “Snow cover is projected to decrease ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected] Instagram post of the week: Pattie Gonia and Alex Honnold paired up for an absolutely perfect dance. Honnold's girlfriend, Sonni McCandless is a co-founder of ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected] The North Face today opened a new store in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, after unveiling an updated global retail strategy. The brand is ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected]. Camber Outdoors recently announced the 2019 Pitchfest finalists: Sarah Lockwood of College Outside, Nailah Blades of Color Outside, CJ Riggins of RSport, ...read more
Despite former California Governor Jerry Brown's kibosh of a bill to create an outdoor recreation office, an advocacy group is stepping up to see the legislation through under the new administration. Next Monday, California Outdoor Recreation Partnership (CORP) will lead an ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected]. In fall 2019, REI is opening its first experience center in North Conway, New Hampshire. The 25,000-square-foot store will offer expansive gear rentals, high-end ...read more
If the outdoor industry had a constitution, the Confluence Accords would be it. After seven months of collective effort, representatives from the eight states with formal offices of outdoor recreation gathered on the roof of a downtown Denver hotel yesterday to sign the accords, ...read more
Last week in Asheville, North Carolina, a roomful of delegates from around the country (and a few call-in attendees) took the next step in the Confluence process—a multi-state initiative to develop a national platform for the outdoor recreation industry. It was a ceremonial ...read more
For many of us, camping during our childhoods fueled our pursuits of careers in the outdoors. But for many others, those precious times spent huddled in tents with our families were less frequent, if trips to the campgrounds happened at all. To give first time campers a positive ...read more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? We've created a new form where you can submit tips and story ideas. National parks in Utah are seeing an uptick in rescues—68 percent from 2014—and men in their 20s are the ones most likely to need ...read more
Vail Resorts just got even bigger with the acquisition of four ski resorts. The Colorado-based owner of ski areas announced Monday morning that it has entered into a purchase agreement with Triple Peaks, the parent company of Okemo in Vermont, Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire, and ...read more
Don't go a day without reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? We've created a new form where you can submit tips and story ideas. Kids are urging Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to extend the Every Kid in a Park program, which allows every ...read more
At the end of last year, the community of Montpelier, Vermont, was crushed when Onion River Sports turned off the lights after 44 years in business. But behind the walls, something was cooking. Former manager Kip Roberts and his wife, Jen, were in talks about owning a bike shop ...read more
If you read anything today, make it Industry Buzz. Here are today's must-read headlines: Have a news tip? We've created a new form where you can submit tips and story ideas. We'll be checking it often to ensure we don't miss anything. In an opinion column in the Albuquerque ...read more
Vermont is doing the best at loving Mother Earth and West Virginia is doing the worst, according to a new survey by WalletHub that ranked all 50 states based on the current health of the environment and residents’ environmental-friendliness. "Without a doubt, the bar for being ...read more
You might remember the SNEWS column called "Movin' & Shakin." Well, we're bringing it back and calling it "Industry Buzz." It will still feature people, products, and companies making changes, but you also can read about events, what's trending on social media, and anything else ...read more
After a tumultuous year filled with many question marks, there finally seems to be a path forward for Vermont-based Ibex. Flour Fund, a New York-based group of investors, announced today that it has acquired the intellectual property and remaining assets of Ibex. Flour Fund is ...read more
After a planned sale fell through earlier this year, Ibex is now being auctioned off, according to Burlington Free Press. The Vermont-based company will reportedly cease operations sometime in late-January or mid-February. Bids are due by Thursday for the intellectual property of ...read more
The SNEWS team was so impressed this year by the number of outdoor retailers thinking outside the box, showing devotion to their community, and simply put, giving customers a cool shop to gear up for the great outdoors. Here are a few of our favorites: Hometown Sports in McCall, ...read more
Today, Ibex confirmed its dissolution and liquidation in a letter posted on Ibex’s website. On November 6, SNEWS reported that Ibex had begun to lay off some of its Vermont staff. We are sad to learn that management has not been able to drive the results needed to sustain this ...read more
Andrew Brewer likes to say that working at—and owning—Onion River Sports has been the only job he’s ever known. Now 51, Brewer joined the team prior to going away to college and returned to manage and then (in 2000) buy the shop. But nearly 18 years into his ownership, Brewer’s ...read more
Outdoor Gear Exchange (OGE) in Burlington, Vermont, is on fire. It was recently accepted into Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, the elite group of specialty outdoor retailers. It’s only a few likes away from scoring 13,000 followers on Facebook. And it just wrapped up its very own ...read more
Updated (6:45pm ET Tuesday): New details continue to emerge on Ibex’s fate since our initial report yesterday. Within the last hour, a current company executive confirmed that layoffs have happened, but denied that the company is in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, or other bankruptcy ...read more
