ASR Blog

JanSport Founder Speaks on Inspiration, Experimentation

From the Collegiate Times:

This year marks JanSport's 40th anniversary, and last night, Skip Yowell, co-founder of JanSport promoted his memoir "The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder and Other Mountains."

Yowell is not your typical business man wearing a black suite and tie. Yowell was dressed in a silky short sleeve purple button down and faded jeans. His dark tan and relaxed persona paralleled his passion for outdoor adventure.

"Life is a gift, just follow your dreams," said Yowell, during his presentation.

In 1967, Yowell and his two co-founders, Murray and Jan Pletz were determined to revolutionize outdoor sports with a product inspired by their own expeditions.

Their company began when Murray said to Jan, "If you marry me, I'll name my company after you."

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U.N. Chief Calls for Climate Change Action, Purchases CO2 Energy Offsets

From the LA Times:

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned world leaders at a climate change summit on Monday that "the time for doubt has passed," and urged them to act quickly to save future generations from the devastating effects of global warming.

"I am convinced that climate change, and what we do about it, will define us, our era, and ultimately the global legacy we leave for future generations," Ban told more than 80 national leaders in the domed General Assembly chamber.
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The U.N. estimated that the event caused emissions of 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide, and it bought credits from a small-scale hydroelectric project in Honduras to compensate.

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1st Annual Desert Dogs Bouldering Competition to Be Held in CO

"There are only three sports – mountain climbing, bull fighting, and motor racing – all others being games."
- Ernest Hemingway

Those that agree with Mr. Hemingway may be interested to know that the 1st Annual Desert Dogs Bouldering Competition will be taking place on October 20th in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The competition will feature gear prizes from top climbing manufactureres including Chaco, REI, Patagonia, Osprey, and many more.

Click here for official Desert Dogs site and registration info...

New Trimble Outdoors GPS Caters to Hikers and Bikers

From an interview with Trimble's Rich Rudow in GPS Business News:

We also have relationships with professional organizations such as Backpacker magazine and Bicycling magazine where editors use the Trimble Outdoors infrastructure to post hikes or bike rides online. As a result, you can download to your phone tens of thousands trips from them and the large community of Trimble Outdoor users.

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Check out Backpacker magazine's GPS trips page here.

OIA's Summer OR 2007 Wrap-up

Check out OIA's in-depth overview of the Summer OR show, including details on progressive conservation programs, attracting tangential markets, and of course the open-air demo.

From OIA:

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market returned to Salt Lake City, August 9-12, with a record 1,051 exhibitors across 421,000 square feet of exhibit space.  The most expansive Summer Market to date welcomed more than 21,000 total attendees*, including over 150 new exhibitors such as Saucony and Otter Creek Paddle Works as well as 25-year veterans such as The North Face and Coleman. More than 6,500 buyers* flooded the halls to scout the latest in outdoor gear, gadgets, accessories and apparel.

 

"The overwhelmingly positive buzz at this year's Summer Market paid tribute to the strength of today's outdoor industry," said Kenji Haroutunian, show director for Outdoor Retailer. "In addition to hundreds of new product innovations, it was inspiring to see the vast array of progressive exhibitor initiatives focused on sustainability, social responsibility, advocacy and youth awareness; these are the programs that will help the industry attract new consumers in the years to come."

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Amazonian Paddling Expedition Sponsored By Equipment Makers

From Paddling Instructor:

In September of 2007 the Expedition Amazonas team will trek and paddle, totally unsupported, for over 7 months and 7000km, the entire length of the mighty Amazon River.  This is a complete traverse of the South American continent from the Pacific Coast in Peru to the mouth of the Amazon River where it meets the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil.  The experienced expedition team includes members from Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.  Expedition Amazonas has partnered with environmental and indigenous rights action group Amazon Watch, and high-profile equipment sponsors including Kokatat, Teva and First Ascent.

The beginning of the expedition will see the team in Peru, trekking and climbing to the summit of 5650m Mt. Mismi and the ultimate source of the Amazon River.  Following this arduous journey, the team will follow the water course, trekking until it is possible to put in with their 14 foot ARK inflatable raft.  This is the beginning of the expedition proper; Class V whitewater for weeks on end, followed by thousands of kilometers of the Amazon River as most know it - flat, wide, green and impenetrable jungle.

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Speed Climbing at the Go Fast Games

From Climbing.com:

On September 14–16, 2007 at the Royal Gorge Bridge near Canon City, Colorado speed demons Brian Gallant and Aaron Simmons climbed the Clean Dan Memorial (5.11b) five times over three days in the Go Fast Games. The event also features BASE Jumping off the bridge.

Hank Caylor bolted the eight-pitch, 1,000-foot route in 2004 for the Go Fast Games Big Wall Speed Climbing Competition, which Gallant and Mike Johnson took first place in that year with a time of 1hr and 12min. No competition has been held on it since 2004.

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prAna to Open First Retail Stores in Boulder, SoCal

Beaver Theodosakis' prAna brand is opening its first-ever retail stores in Boulder, CO, and Santa Clara, CA.

According to the press release, the company has partnered with SF-based environmental design company Gensler to "develop a store concept prototype that will share the brand story, engage consumers and demonstrate the company's commitment to innovation and sustainability."

From Boulder's Daily Camera:

PrAna co-founder Beaver Theodosakis wanted his company's first — and flagship — brick-and-mortar store to be in a place where the socially conscious company's brand could "echo."

So what better place to base the store than in the Rockies, the yoga and climbing apparel firm's No. 1 territory in the world, and in a city like Boulder whose "active, fit and mindful" residents represent prAna customers, he asked.

A day after prAna signed a lease to house its flagship store at 1147 Pearl St., Theodosakis talked with the Camera about the 14-year-old company's jump into the world of retail operation, the effects of having its majority owner put the brand on the selling block and how the city by the Flatirons will play into it all.

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Columbia Sportswear's CEO Speaks Out

From the Motley Fool:

Recently, outerwear-apparel and footwear firm Columbia Sportswear presented at the 14th annual Goldman Sachs retailing conference. CEO Tim Boyle, the company's featured speaker, updated investors on the current state of affairs, his long-term outlook for Columbia, and the reasons to keep an eye on the stock.

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In terms of brands, the namesake Columbia brand is "by far the biggest of our revenues," according to Boyle, and it's supplemented by Montrail, Mountain Hardware, Titanium, Sorel winter footwear, and the recently acquired Pacific Trail, which Boyle also sees as having significant potential in the outerwear category. Today, Columbia sells its products to more than 13,000 retailers throughout the world, with 40% of sales now taking place overseas.

So what makes Columbia tick? Many investors consider the company a mini-Nike, and the similarities are indeed all over: It calls Oregon home, maintains an asset-light business model by outsourcing product manufacturing to third parties, and has a subsequent focus on in-house marketing, inventory management, product development, and distribution.

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