OR director Kenji Haroutunian (left) walks the show floor with DOI Sec. Ken Salazar

After 20 years in the industry I can’t recall a cabinet level executive ever attending the Outdoor Retailer Show. Those with long standing memories may prove me wrong and I’ll stand corrected. But I believe that the address of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to the biannual Outdoor Industry Association breakfast meeting was a truly unique occurrence.

His position in the Obama Administration not withstanding, Salazar’s visit to OR is important for other reasons. As a person of Hispanic ancestry and the direct representative of the first African-America president of the United States for the first time in our history, federal policy for the protection of our public land, air, water and natural resources is being guided predominately by people of color. Salazar brought with him a message from the White House that stands not only as a sign of a strong relationship between our industry and the U.S. Government, but it may also serve as a rare opportunity to finally bridge the divide between outdoor recreation and ethnic minorities in our country who fail access it.

As one of the very few African-American professionals in an industry populated almost exclusively by whites I am surprised to have only just now realizing the significance of Salazar’s visit to OR. When the show director Kenji Haroutunian asked me to write this guest blog the Secretary’s heritage, nor that of the other two guest speakers that morning never occurred to me. I am encouraged to believe that is a byproduct of our so-called era of post-racial America. But it also demonstrates that when it comes to outdoor recreation race doesn’t matter. At least it shouldn’t.

Appearing with Salazar before an audience of more than 800 at the Marriot Hotel in Salt City was also Nancy Sutley, head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. A gay woman of Argentinean descent, she is the primary advisor on natural resource policy to the president.  The two rearranged their schedules with the expressed purpose of connecting with those of us in the business of outdoor recreation. Their visit also coincided with a public listening session held later that same day to discuss issues surrounding America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, an Obama Administration program that aims to get more people in the U.S. engaged in the natural world as part of their active lifestyle. That’s a goal the outdoor industry certainly shares.

Also on the dais that morning was Juan Martinez, a young Latino man who is the national coordinator of the Natural Leaders Network. Part of the Children & Nature Network headed by “Last Child in the Woods” author Richard Louv, Martinez’s organization works to motivate young people from all socio-economic backgrounds to become involved in outdoor recreation as well as environmental conservation both in their personal lives and potentially as a profession. I find no small measure of pride in the knowledge that Juan works to develop this program in the very same African-American/Hispanic neighborhood in Los Angeles where I grew up 40 years ago.

Juan Martinez

As he welcomed Martinez to the microphone Steve Rendle, president of outdoor gear maker The North Face, declared his company’s commitment to a create a more diverse and inclusive outdoor community, a commitment shared by many in the room.

“Our challenge is simple, to get more people outside, having fun and exploring the world in ways that are meaningful to them,” he said. “When we are successful our work will inspire and activate a passion for outdoor activities amongst our youth and therefore a desire to protect the places that we live to explore.”

In a population whose primary growth stems from an emerging generation of young people, many of whom are African-American, Hispanic or Asian, it becomes more important than ever to reach out to an audience of consumers who have previously been overlooked by the outdoor industry. With no malicious intent our marketing and outreach to date have failed to attract and retain a customer base that reflects the full cultural landscape of America. But now Martinez said we have an opportunity to set things right through a movement to encourage even more Americans to get outside.

“This movement is integrated in our core values, “ he said. “This has gone beyond an environmental issue. This has gone beyond a civil rights issue. This is really a human issue, to connect back with nature.”

In the current social and political environment it stands to reason that the outdoor industry can use this opportunity to embrace a broader, more diverse community of enthusiasts.

Nancy Sutley

“Eighty percent of Americans live in cities and suburbs and kids today spend less time outdoors than ever,” Chairwoman Sutley said in her address. “Unless we change this a whole generation of Americans will grow up without that strong connection to the outdoor heritage that makes us all Americans.”

But the federal government and policymakers in Washington realize that this not a task to be taken lightly or alone.

“You in this room are some of the foremost leaders in promoting conservation and connecting Americans to the outdoors,” Sutley said. “And that’s why we need your help.”

When Outdoor Industry Association president Frank Hugelmeyer introduced Secretary Salazar to speak, he declared categorically that few in Washington have done more to benefit OIA members.

“It’s been a very long time that we’ve had any president place so much focus on either conservation or connecting more Americans and youth to the outdoors,” Hugelmeyer said. “We have Secretary Salazar, Chair Sutley and others to thank for this.”

The current administration has set in motion a series policies that duly recognize the outdoor industry’s value to our success as a nation.

“We’re facing some tough times in America today, but it’s the right time to move forward with a conservation agenda for the 21^st century,” Salazar said. “It’s because it makes our country stronger. It’s because it refuels our spirit to make sure that we recognize that anything is possible for us here in America.”

But it’s also Salazar said about jobs and creating an economic environment where outdoor recreation can thrive.

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar

“Here in the Outdoor Industry Association we know that in our own analysis $730 billion are contributed to the economy through outdoor recreation,” he said. “We know that 6.5 million jobs are created because of your efforts…So it’s an economic generator and that’s a message that needs to be heard loud and clear.”

And if this economic growth is to be maintained and environmental conservation is expected to continue we must make sure that the broadest possible constituency of consumers is included and welcome to participate at all level of outdoor recreation. Through the ongoing efforts to support organizations to get kids outside, particularly youth in our urban centers, the outdoor industry has a tremendous opportunity to not only grow its business but actively protect the natural and recreational resources that make that business possible. With the help of the Obama Administration, Secretary Salazar, Chairwoman Sutley. Juan Martinez and many others, the industry can inspire a new generation of conservationists that will secure our future for decades to come.

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The Joy Trip Project blog is brought to you thanks to the support of The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.

In an industry driven for so long by innovation it’s ironic to discover that as technology changes a great many things remain the same. Equipment meant to get people outdoors aims simply to provide comfort and security while hauling supplies, creating shelter, preparing food or bedding down for the night. Of course new products introduced at the 2010 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market offered many of the technical advances one typically expects from the world’s leading gear manufacturers. But a recurring theme throughout most presentations included an apparent desire to return to the core values behind the creation backpacks, tents, cooking supplies and sleeping bags. The latest outdoor gear is getting back to the basics.

The Jansport Versteeg

The enduring tradition of torsional stability in backpacks is revealed in a series of three new products from Jansport. A maker of packs since 1967 the company is bringing back an aluminum frame reminiscent of previous designs with the Arch Rival perimeter frame stay. In the Eichorn TUK1, the Versteeg TUK2 and the Forsyth TUK3 capacities range from 3051 to 3966 cubic inches. These packs with a light-weight frame visible from the outside are destined for extended overnights and long thru hikes worthy of the Jansport’s long history.

With its first backpacks since the 1970’s Sierra Designs introduces the Pinnacle series. Seven new packs for men and women feature the Fulcrum Suspension System, an amalgam of a single DAC aluminum stay, a shoulder-high partial frame sheet and an autonomously articulated waist belt meant to complement the human skeleton. Engineered to offer greater freedom of movement the high volume men’s Rivival 65 and women’s Jubilee 65 also provide dedicated conduits for better ventilation and are available in three sizes for an easy fit.

Sierra Designs Revival

Golite co-founder Demetri Coupounas said he wanted to build a pack that carries as well as the classic Dana Designs Astroplane but weighs only 4 pounds. At 4 pounds 7 ounces the new Terrono comes pretty close and with 5490 cubic inches of carrying capacity it’s a monster load hauler. The LiteRail™ perimeter frame system provides heavy lifting support. And as most of its components are made of 50 percent recycled nylon the pack is not only light weight but also offers a nod to sustainability.

The GoLite Terrono

Camelbak Octane

No conversation about packs would be complete without talking about hydration. Camelbak offers a redesign of its ubiquitous accessory water reservoir now called the Antidote. With a full collection of its own packs the company has made improvements to its bladders that will be integrated as well into many brands with backpacks built to accommodate them. A new fill port, a slimmer more stable profile, a quick release system for the hose and a new bite valve with the slip resistant Ergo Hydralock™ feature provides an even better drinking system. Camelbak also has introduced an Antidote reservoir that will fit exclusively into a new design called the Octane LR that puts your water at the low back as a lumbar pack. It’s incredibly lightweight and fits snuggly for trail running, adventure racing or cycling.

Mountainsmith Morrison 2

Speaking of lumbar bags Moutainsmith announced that its classic Tour Pack will have available units made only in the U.S.A. Domestic production is of growing importance among consumers worried about trade deficits and local jobs. The company aims to offer value as well with basic equipment that’s well built and gets people outside. New this year Mountainsmith is bringing out a modest line of tents and sleeping bags. The Morrison 2 is a cozy two-person shelter that will retail for $159. Wide double doors on each side of the long axis and a small vestibule for both make for a nice crash site for backpacking or car camping.

Best suited as an expedition base camp the Saitaris from Hilleberg offers many of the same rugged features found in its tents dating back more than 30 years. This newest model sleeps four, but is designed to be set up by one person wearing heavy gloves in a howling wind. Its double wall construction common to most modern tents is unique in that the poles attach to the canopy on the outside with continuous sleeves. An inner-tent is linked to the outer-tent so both can be set up quickly at the same time. But each can be set up separately. And a huge extended vestibule for extra gear storage has two entrances so one door can be position out of the wind in harsh conditions.

The Hilleberg Saitaris

Base camp tents in temperate climates create a staging area for day-use adventures out of the car or off the trail for an extended stay. The Kelty Hula House sleeps 4 or 6 respectively in two priced-right tents. For loading up on occupants or comfort with room for gear this mostly mesh structure features a cool hoop design at its crown to make the walls a bit more vertical and provide a good amount of usable space.

The Kelty Hula House

Basic shelters for more moderate circumstances keep getting lighter. The Fast Stash from MSR weighs in at an incredibly light 2 pounds 14 ounces. That doesn’t include poles, which can be left behind and substituted for your favorite walking sticks. A single-wall construct this tent provides an extended vestibule overhang and adjustable side wings for protection from a light rain, a nice option for minimalist backpacking.

MSR Fast Stash

Simplicity is a recurring theme throughout the 2011 new gear cycle. Several providers of cooking equipment offer elegantly easy solutions to the challenge of achieving comfort through food. Jetboil made a few modifications to its personal cooking system to introduce the Sol, a pot/stove combo that features Thermo-Regulate Burner™ technology. Available in either aluminum or titanium this new stove is a self-contained unit with push-button ignition that heats consistently to boil down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Jetboil Sol

The Express Lander from Primus puts a liquid fuel stove in the palm of your hand. At 6.2 ounces this tiny white gas burner folds out into a stable cooking system that’s both lightweight and compact. Hose-attached to a refillable fuel bottle it’s easy to know exactly how much gas remains. And though small the stove can boil water in 4.5 to 5 minutes to accommodate a single user or a party of four.

For just about any group size GSI Outdoors offers a number of highly organized cook sets. The Dualist in the Glaciers Stainless series provides a place setting for two packed into a 1.8-liter pot. Color coded for each user the set includes an insulted mug with lid, a bowl, a cup and a combined fork/spoon utensil called a foon. The entire kit collapses down in a tight package that includes room for a mid-sized fuel canister and a stove.

The Kelly Kettle

With so many different modern  options for boiling water in the backcountry, it’s kind of refreshing to see a gear maker go completely old school. The Kelly Kettle burns wood or other combustibles, pine cones, bark, etc., in a closed fire base. Available in both stainless steel and aluminum in three sizes the kettle is designed as a smoke stack whose hollow walls contain water while it’s being heated and purified at a super fast rate. The top of the chimney can be used as a secondary burner for cooking or keeping hot food warm. Clearly more complicated than contemporary cooking solutions but a nice throwback to simpler times.

Way back when, camping and backpacking were just about getting outside. So it’s cool to see leading gear manufactures like Mountain Hardwear rekindle that original concept. The  Mega Lamina is one of two double-wide synthetic sleeping bags built for couples. The equivalent of a double bed this bag is designed to accommodate two adults or perhaps a parent and child without the hassle of zipping together a pair of bags with that annoying inevitable cold strip at the joint. Thermic Miroc™ insulation and welded Lamina™ construction offers enhanced loft and minimal heat loss through the seams.

Therm-a-Rest offers a nice alternative to the traditional mummy-style sleeping bag with the Alpine Down Blanket. As the name implies this technical 700-fill down comforter is a simple duvet that Velcro attaches to a camp-mattress, like the many self-inflating ground mats the company has offered since day-one. Therm-a-Rest also provides a fitted sheet accessory with corresponding Velcro tabs. A draft collar and foot box keep help to retain heat and prevent intrusion of cold air while sleeping.

Sea To Summit Traverse (Xt)

Therm-A-Rest Alpine Blanket

Variations on the down sleeping bag persist throughout new products in 2011. Sea To Summit, a brand known for accessories, is entering the market this year with a series of tricked-out bags that feature its 3D NanoShell™ technology. In addition to offset and side baffles with a draft tube, the new Alpine bag includes a durable water repellent outer nylon shell with an intricate moisture management system. Above 850-fill power down is a thin silicone encapsulated condensation layer. And below is a light 20 denier polyester lining fabric. All combined they slow outward dampness while providing ventilation for water vapor transfer.

Every season gear manufacturers will aggressive push the envelope to introduce the latest technology. And 2011 is no exception. But beyond the bells and whistles what truly matters is performance. While seeing to the basic equipment needs of the consumer the industry has made available to retailers a broad selection of new products that will ensure the comfort of their customers while providing a great deal of value. And in our recovering economy that’s all the incentive anyone needs to make an investment in new gear and get outside.

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The Joy Trip Project blog is brought to you thanks to the support of The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.

In 1939 Dudley Wolfe was on one of the earliest expeditions to reach the summit of K2. An adventurer and one of the wealthiest men in the world he was left for dead with a rescue team of Sherpa after a devastating avalanche. Some say he was the victim of his own foolishness, others say he was abandoned by the members of his climbing party as they fled the mountain to save their own lives. And even though his body has been found there remains a great deal of controversy around Wolfe’s death that continues to this day. In her book “The Last Man on the Mountain” Jennifer Jordan gives us a close look into life of an American adventurer and the first to die on K2.

Jennifer Jordan

This interview with the Jennifer Jordan was recorded on location at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado. The book Last Man on the Mountain is now out in hardcover. You can find more information online, visit jenniferjordan.net.

Music this week by the Dave Mathews Band.

This podcast is brought to you thank to generous support of our sponsor Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com.

Share your stories. share your passion for outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving, and practices of sustainable living. You just might inspire our next Joy Trip together. But most of all don’t forget to tell your friends. Until next time take care.

“This was my childhood. I was an inner city child born and raised in a really rough neighborhood in Harrisburg Pennsylvania,” she said watching the children play. “My mother was on welfare, raising four kids, my father had left. But we went to the Boys & Girls Club to play some basketball and get off the street. It really brings back memories.”

Training programs meant to improve the bottom line are common to many businesses. Exercises in team building are typically designed to shake up employees and get them to think about their work in a different context. Under the direction of a group called the Leaders Institute, which specializes in philanthropically based corporate training, CUNA Mutual employees performed a series of cooperative tasks designed to hone their communication and management skills. The final assignment of the day was the construction of bicycles that were given away to the delight of 7 boys and 7 girls who likely could never afford bikes of their own.

CUNA staffers like Fry were personally moved by the opportunity to make a real contribution to the community and demonstrated how with a little bit of cooperation they can make a difference in the lives of those they serve.

“This organization and organizations like this will keep kids focused and striving for something,” Fry said. “Just because they live in poverty or in poor areas now, it doesn’t mean that’s their life. Things can get better for them. But it’s important that we give back.”

In service to credit union organizations throughout the United States, CUNA Mutual is familiar with providing opportunities to improve the lives of others. Business manager Teresa Brewer-Peach said the day-long seminar offered her sales professionals the chance to realize the practical results of their efforts.

“Part of the whole credit union philosophy is people helping people,” Brewer-Peach said. “Helping our peers, our customers and their families is something we take very seriously.

And it’s only fitting that we build these bikes and give them to kids who really need them.”

Because CUNA’s salespeople are based in many different areas around the country they don’t often have the opportunity to work face-to-face and function as a team. Used to connecting virtually via electronic communications, email, text messages video-conferencing, etc., seminars like this give them the chance to reaffirm their corporate culture and shared ideals.

“That’s really important to us from a values standpoint,” said David Swietzer, vice president of sales. “We as an organization are about giving back to others. As a credit union we’re about giving back to the community. Doing something that helps us in a team building capacity that then helps someone in the community is what we’re all about.”

The CUNA Mutual Foundation has a long-standing relationship with the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club. Recent contributions include $150,000 toward the renovation of the club’s facility in the Allied Drive neighborhood. CUNA also provided initial funding for the creation of a job-training program for teenagers as well as an in-house credit union to help young people learn financial planning.

When CUNA’s training seminar concluded foundation executive director Steve Goldberg said giving the new bikes to the Boys & Girls Club is consistent with the company’s day-to-day work energy that’s dedicated to the benefit of others.

“For us this a triple win,” Goldberg said. “This is a great win for the company because we’re going to be getting some value from the exercise in terms of the productivity and the effectiveness of these sales people. And it’s a win for the sales people because it’s teaching them important skills and teamwork. And it’s a win for the community because the Boys & Girls Club can benefit.”

This story originally appeared in the July issue of the Capital Region Business Journal philanthropy feature Good Works

At Trackways National Monument, experts have excavated the best examples of Paleozoic era plants and animals on the planet.

“These different types of fossils are the best preserved and the most significant of their kind in the world,” said Jerry MacDonald of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History.

MacDonald has made his life’s work searching for and excavating prehistoric fossils in the Robledo Mountains just outside Las Cruces, New Mexico. His discoveries, starting in the early 1980s helped to establish the area as the 5,200-acre Trackways National Monument in 2009.

“It’s a concentrated fossil deposit that not only has track-ways but it has petrified wood, fossil leaves, marine fossils, he said And all of these things represent a window to the past.”

This public land in the American Southwest desert is one of the few places on Earth where evidence of the Permian period is exposed. The creatures who left these tracks in the mud almost 300 million years ago occupy a much different version of New Mexico.

Assignment Earth features compelling video reports from the front lines of major environmental news stories across the globe. These reports are brought to you by the Environment News Trust.

I know. It’s been a long time since the last audio edition of The Joy Trip Project. But if you’ve been following the blog and the Facebook page you’ll know that I’ve been traveling on an extend Joy Trip. I just got back. Over the past several weeks of summer I’ve been conducting interviews and collecting stories about people and institutions hard at work making the world a better place.

I know that sounds like hyperbole or so vague that it sounds almost meaningless. But there’s really no other way for me to describe the athletes, artist and activists who find their way on this show. Yeah I know we talk a lot about climbing mountains or making movies about people who climb mountains or base jumping or kayaking or whatever, the point is these people work at protecting the planet and improving the lives of others by being actively engaged in the world in which they live. Through their stories about their adventures they stand as an example of how each of us can make a difference in the course our own lives and perhaps do some good.

A few weeks ago I was at the Mountain Film Festival in Telluride. And if you’ve ever been you’ll know this annual celebration of adventure culture through cinema is about a lot more than high altitude thrill rides and adrenaline induced mayhem. The collected speakers, authors, and filmmakers give us a look from their perspective into the many complex questions of life. One of the presenters and judge in the film competition was the actress Anna Deavere Smith. And while she’s not a climber or a skier or any type of outdoor professional through the power of storytelling she has the ability show us a glimpse into the lives others who ponder these same questions.

As part of her research to develop characters for Let Me Down Easy Ms. Smith interviewed a 340 people at the Yale School of Medicine facing their own mortality as they navigate their way through the American healthcare system. This isn’t the kind of story I usually do on the Project. But I felt this presentation is important because those of us who lead healthy, down right vigorous active lives probably never think about how people in our community, probably people you know deal with chronic illness. And I’m sure few enough of us realize how much courage it takes to stare death in the face when retreat is not an option.

Carolyn Jensen Chadwick

This edition of the Joy Trip Project is dedicated to the memory of Public Radio Producer Carolyn Jensen Chadwick who passed away as this piece was in production. She and her husband Alex Chadwick, the producers of National Geographic Radio Expeditions on NPR, inspired the creation of this program. And for that we will always be grateful.

Music this week by Chad Farran and Chris Isaak.

The Joy Trip Project is brought to thanks to the generous support of our sponsor Patagonia makers fine outdoor clothing. I’m thrilled to report that they’ve signed on for another year. So again Thank you! Find them online at Patagonia.com.

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This podcast is brought to you thank to generous support of our sponsor Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them.

Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com.

Share your stories. share your passion for outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving, and practices of sustainable living. You just might inspire our next Joy Trip together. But most of all don’t forget to tell your friends. Until next time take care.

Swirling high water on the New River in Fayetteville, West Virginia got me pumped for the summer paddling season. Though heavy concentrations of silt churned the rapids a shade of brown like chocolate milk, a daytrip on a dozen miles of fast whitewater was all it took and I was hooked. I just wanted to paddle! My own enthusiasm for the sport was mirrored by an up-tick in sales of paddling equipment and accessories at the local shop in town Ace Adventure Gear.
“We’re up remarkably from last year,” said assistant manager Brad Scott. “Some of it might be the economic downturn coming around. People might just want to recreate at something that doesn’t cost so much. It might even be because of the oil spill and people don’t want to go to the coast. Mainly I think it’s people who want to come in to learn a new sport.”
Much of the energy around paddle sports retailers say is in the recreation category. Flat-water boats, sit-on-top kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and multiple-use boats, flat water/whitewater crossovers, seem to be leading the charge. Consumers are gravitating toward products that offer as many options as possible to spend more time on the water so they can paddle. And for 2011 specialty shop buyers will likely keep an eye out for more of the same at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.
Jackson Kayak is introducing a re-vamped “more esthetically pleasing” version of last season’s All-Water now called the Rogue. A whitewater/touring hybrid the 9 and 10-foot kayak blends both the rolling and maneuverability characteristics of a river boat with the stability and tracking ability of a lake boat. A retractable skeg and waterproof gear storage make the Rogue a good choice for paddlers in transition. MSRP: $899.

Jackson Kayak's "Rogue"

The Traverse from Emotion Kayaks is a stand up paddle board with a lot of options for multiple-use. Shorter than most at 9’10” at a low price point (MSRP: $399), it offers a few unusual options for paddling flat water as well as surfing small waves. An upturned nose rocker and a deep recess for feet with high sidewalls give this board more of a boat profile. A large cam hatch makes a bit of room to store gear as well as a water bottle. The removable fin allows for easy storage or for paddling without.

Emotion Kayak's "Traverse"

But not everyone is riding the popularity wave of paddle sports. Bubba Sloan, owner of High Country Outfitters in Atlanta says low cost options in all boat categories come with equally thin margins.
“It’s tough to make a living on products where people are looking for the least expensive thing they can find,” Sloan said. “The cheapest ones sell first and maybe they’ll come back for something more specialized.”
Fortunately many specialty products give customers more choices in how they use them. Boats and boards in particular that crossover for multiple uses will likely offer a bit more value to consumers only just beginning to loosen their purse strings.

Necky Kayak's "Vecotr 13"

Bringing together the best of open deck and touring kayaks Necky introduces the Vector 13. A sit-on-top, this boat (MSRP $899) offers attributes of a surf ski with the added benefit of a stable, highly maneuverable design. A waterline longer than most kayaks of its type allows for a smooth glide and good tracking. But a handy rudder system offers added control in rough conditions. Both dry and mesh storage options make the Vector 13 suitable for single day use and overnight touring.

C4 Waterman's "12-6 iSup"

Stand-up paddleboards from C-4 Waterman are making their way onto mountain streams. The new inflatable 12-6 iSUP (MSRP $1500) is designed as a race/touring model, suited for both fast whitewater and paddling long distances on flat water. Now with gear rings this longer board will transport dry bags or a cargo box. Like a blow-up river raft, boards in the iSUP family bounce of rocks with ease. Made of incredibly durable materials they’ll maintain air pressure and rigidity with fail.

Keen's "Gorge Boot"

Growing in demand SUP will continue to be a popular choice among consumers. Easy to transport and simple to use, stand-up paddleboards are a good introductory product to get new customers into paddle sports or to entice existing enthusiasts into their next purchase. With universal appeal SUP boards can be sold wherever people want to paddle from mountain regions with fast running streams, to the Great Lakes with vast tracts of open flat water, to the coastal areas of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. As sales in this category continue paddle sports remain front of mind. And this trend that has yet to peak will allow the market as a whole to finally stabilize from the ill effects of the recent recession.
“We’re back to where we’re supposed to be,” said Darren Bush owner of Rutabaga in Madison, Wisconsin. “Right now we’re close to where we were in 2007. We won’t see the huge growth we had back in the 90’s. That was pretty unsustainable. But now things are pretty stable.”
Business as usual means providing customers with products they can use to facilitate their time on the water. New introductions for 2011 will likely be limited to those items that meet current demand. In paddle sports as well as in other outdoor categories new products will be getting back to the basics rather than revealing innovative advances in technology. Even clothing and accessories will keep a relatively low profile while providing consumers with features and benefits that satisfy clearly defined needs.
New paddling footwear from KEEN offers protection and comfort with the advent of the Gorge Boot (MRSP $70). With solid construction the neoprene upper features an Aegis microbe shield treated lining to prevent the infection of mold and mildew. A multi-point adjustable strap system secures the boot snugly with a wide toe box and an EVA molded footbed for a cozy fit. A wrap-around outsole sporting multi-directional lugs provides great traction on slippery surfaces.

Kokata's Trinity dry top

Kokatat offers a cool new functional fashion option in the Trinity Shorty Dry Top. With a broad comfort range this limited edition short-sleeve waterproof-breathable paddling pullover features an Evolution 3.21 nylon 3-layer Gore-Tex body. Superstretch neoprene combines with latex neck and bicep gaskets for self-draining cuffs and collar. And a dual adjustable neoprene outer waistband seals up nicely with the spray skirt to keep water from getting inside the boat.(MSRP TBA)

Typically a maker of insulation systems for skiing Klymit breaks into paddle sports this season with the Kinetic Amphibian vest (MSRP $199). Worn under a paddle jacket and PDF this lightweight garment adds warmth and wind resistance with baffles charged with compressed argon gas. Waterproof and less bulky than other insulating fabrics Klymit NobleTek inflates in seconds and retains its loft for weeks at a time.

Klymit's "Kynetic Amphibean Vest"

On the whole the paddle sports business continues to regain strength. As the economy slowly recovers retailers find that they are impacted less by market forces and more by changes in the weather and varying heights of water levels around the country. “We’re up from last year, but up and down through the season so far,” said Jon Kahn of Confluence Kayaks in Denver. “We had a great April. But in May there was cold weather on the weekends. Boats were flat, but we we’re solid in accessories. People seem to want to spend money.”

Adding value to each purchase will likely prompt more spending. Those products that can be used for both whitewater and flat, recreational day use and overnight touring could make the difference in the minds of many consumers. Innovative breakthroughs in technology may not be the answer in 2011. Instead look for those products that simple make customers want to paddle.

This story originally appeared in the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market new product preview issue of Sporting Goods Business Magazine

The inspiration behind the transcontinental bike ride across America, the Dom and Ernie Project, has died. Ernie Greenwald of Lompoc, California passed way after a valiant fight against Lymphocytic Leukemia. He was 74.

Having fallen ill with pneumonia following a round of chemotherapy Ernie was forced in July to abandon plans to travel by tandem bicycle from Los Angeles to New York with friend and adventure filmmaker Dominic Gill. The trip now underway was quickly reorganized to invite participants from around the country to take Ernie’s place. But only individuals with a physical disability were allowed to apply and so far four riders have joined Dominic on the journey. They were making their way through Cody Wyoming when they received news of Ernie’s passing. Dominic posted the following message to Facebook.

“Last week Ernie Greenwald, the same Ernie I met about 4 years ago outside an ice cream parlor near Santa Barbara and the same Ernie that dreamed of riding across America, passed away.

Ernie ensured that he stayed alive just long enough to see us embark and get established on this project. Rather than take the front seat …of the bicycle for himself, he gave the opportunity to others. “Well, that’s not quite true” Ernie would say if he was by my side. He would love to have made this journey with us. He was not a religious man in the slightest, but in some way, in some form I hope he is still with us, experiencing the highs and lows every step of the way.

More people loved Ernie than he knew, and I am grateful to all of you for encouraging him to hold on to life.”

I was really looking forward to meeting Ernie. Of the hundreds of people he met while riding from Alaska to Argentina in the production his feature film “Take A Seat,” Dom said Ernie was the most memorable. In the months since our interview at the Banff Mountain Film Festival Dom’s told me a lot about this shy old man who was newly inspired to seize the moment and take on a grand journey. To have been so ill and still aspire to venture out in search of adventure at the twilight of his time on Earth Ernie is a hero to be admired. No doubt he’ll continue to travel in spirit with Dominic and his crew to the end of their ride. But Ernie will continue his journey through the hearts and minds of those us who were inspired by his great courage.

Among the rolling mountains of Southern New Mexico lies Fort Stanton Snowy River National Conservation Area. Once home to Billy the Kid, occupied by both Union and Confederate Armies, the Buffalo Soldiers and the Apache Mescalero tribe, its history and culture are rich. Today it remains largely as it existed 150 years ago, offering new opportunities above and below ground.

Directly beneath this postcard New Mexico Landscape is fort Stanton Cave, an obscure recreational caving site since the 1960s. But in 2001 spelunkers investigating signs of additional caves revealed Snowy River Passage, an endless series of tunnels whose floors are lined with white calcite deposits, the longest formation of its kind in the world.

The Red Rock Bakery

I have all the gear I’ll need for a long time. Making breakfast this morning while camped along the Colorado river near Moab I had my choice of three different stoves, two Teflon coated cook kits and four variations on the spork to prepare a bowl of oatmeal. All the excellent gear I have I’ve received from manufacturers for my consideration in a prospective story or product review. That’s a common practice in my line of work. But as I begin to expand my career to include stories that will likely be sponsored in part by the very companies I report on I wonder if my integrity as a journalist might be called into question.

A few days ago I ran into the very talented young photographer Becca Skinner at the MSR booth during the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City. There with her friend and my first mentor Ann Krcik Becca hoped to begin the process of building the critical industry relationships she’ll need to get a stove of her own. The folks at Mountain Safety Research have been very generous to me over the years and with Anne’s guidance I’m sure Becca will have no problems getting her first pro-deal.

“It was like walking around with the Queen of England,” she said, “Anne knows everybody.”

She just might. Ann Krcik runs a speakers bureau called Extreme Connection that arranges presentations by leading outdoor professionals like David Breashears, Wade Davis, Diane Van Deren and Ed Viesturs. She also consults with the young explorers program at National Geographic. When I met her twenty years ago Ann managed the sponsored athlete program at The North Face. At the time I was fresh out of college and working my first job as the lead rental department technician at the REI store in Berkeley. Ann generously offered up a lot of valuable advice to help move my career forward when I was just getting started. It really warmed my heart to see her take another young person under her wing.

Becca’s uncle Todd Skinner was a good friend of mine who died tragically in a climbing accident in 2006. Ann was Todd’s speaking tour manager and also a close personal friend. As Becca begins her own career continuing the family tradition of adventure Ann welcomes the next generation to the outdoor industry as she did for me so long ago. To watch them work the show floor together, making connections, I can’t help but marvel at the wonderful sense of family and kinship we all share that I believe is unique to any other business.

The professional photographer Chris Noble, another of Anne’s clients, is taking Becca along as a photo assistant on his next shoot. They’re going to the Green River where they’ll take shots for the women apparel brand Isis. That experience will be immensely valuable in Becca’s development as an artist and raise her profile when she goes out on her own looking for work. So when Becca gets that new stove or a rope or a headlamp or a pack or whatever it’s not just gear she receives. She’s getting a token of support to further the progress of her career by helping to save some money on an important purchase. She’ll likely become more familiar with the brands who provide this consideration and hopefully share her enthusiasm for these products that might influence the buying decision of someone who will pay full retail. It’s all part of the business we’re in.

As for me, I do what I can convey that same degree of integrity in my writing, whether it’s a gear review or a feature story on some philanthropic initiative. I’ve been at this long enough to differentiate between press release hype and practical product knowledge. I’m nobody’s shill.

When I write up my impressions of new gear coming out from the OR Show for summer 2011 I hope that consumers and industry professionals alike understand that the products I choose to profile are selected exclusively for their innovative merits and relevance to emerging market trends. Though I am intimately familiar with several of the brands I write about –some I’ve worked for and most are staffed by long-time friends- the opinions I provide are simply my own point of view biased only by two decades of experience and the unassailable integrity of an honorable business I not only believe in but love. And as Becca makes her way through the outdoor industry to become a professional, I’m sure that she too will approach her work with same institutional integrity that is her legacy.

Check Becca’s blog at: www.thoughtsaboutrocks.blogspot.com/

The Joy Trip Project blog and photo array are brought you this week thanks to the support of The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.