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2016 Winter Issue

Volume 49 I Issue 1

Publisher | Editor In Chief James Hartford jhartford@sportsonesource.com 303.578.7004

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Senior Business Editor

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SGB, Copyright 2016 is a trademark of SportsOneSource, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by the authors and contributors to SGB are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. SGB is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles appearing in SGB may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher.

SGB, Volume 49, Issue 1, (USPS 457-390; ISSN 1548-7407) is published six times a year by SportsOneSource, LLC. 1075 E. South Boulder Road, Suite 300, Louisville, CO 80027; 303.997.7302. Subscription rates: one year $79 (U.S. funds) in the U.S. and its possessions; Canada and Mexico $119 (U.S. funds); all other foreign delivery $199 (U.S. funds). Printed in the U.S.A. Periodical postage paid at Louisville, CO and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to SGB, 1075 E. South Boulder Road, Third Floor, Louisville, CO 80027; 303.997.7302.

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2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

SGB EXCLUSIVE 10 The Legacy of Sports Specialists Ltd With Stephen Rogers and Scott Ford GIVING BACK 12 Protect Our Winters Shifting Climate and Changing Paradigms Drive Winter Advocates to Washington MADE IN THE USA 14 Duckworth's U.S. Journey Two Former Duofold Execs and a Montana Sheep Rancher Keep American-Made Wool Stateside RETAIL BEST PRACTICES 18 Sales Reps, At Your Service: What It Takes To Be A 21st Century Rep SSI RESEARCH 24 Retailers Retreat!

Savvy Independent Retailers Are Shifting Their Online Strategies To Support Their Brick-and-Mortar Stores SSI DATA 28 Warm Weather Be Damned Winter Boot Sales Thrive on Current Fashion Trends

64 The Age of The Baselayer - Critical Baselayers Do The Heavy Lifting OUTDOOR HARDGOODS 66 Winter Hardgoods - No Matter The Category, Hardgoods Continue To Set the Tone of the $4.5 Billion Snowsports Industry 76 Nordic Skiing - Better Equipment, Improved Groomed Trails and Colder Spring Temps Keep Nordic Skiing Alive 78 Avy Safety Gear For 2017 Has Become More Than A Guiding Principal For Mountain Travelers 84 An Unobstructed View Goggle Brands Look To Cleaner, Simpler Designs That Still Up Performance SPORTSMANS 88 Hunting Trends 2016 Rise of the Performance Brand

VENDOR FOCUS 30 Teton Gravity Research Ski Filmmaker Celebrates 20th Anniversary Pioneering Digital Media In The Action Sports Lifestyle Industry

SPORTS & FITNESS 94 Concussion Conscious Media Attention On Head Injuries' Lasting Effects Continues to Raise Safety Awareness in Wintersport Helmets

34 New Exhibitor Corner - Don't Miss These OR Freshmen In Salt Lake City

ACCESSORIES 96 Hats Go Classic Cool, Ditching Overzealous Flash

FOOTWEAR 40 Bye Bye Bulky Boots Lighter, Faster and More Versatile Options Continue to Define Winter Boots FABRIC TECHNOLOGY 50 Ingredient Brands Bring Tech To Life - Check Out Key New Technologies From the Ingredient Brands Behind The Glitz and Glamour APPAREL 52 Technical Outerwear Remains The Show Stopper - Industry Peers Weigh In On The Latest and Greatest In Outerwear, And Why It Matters 4 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

62 Women's Trends - The Industry Looks to Designers to Outfit The "Less Is More" Trend with Female Focused Apparel That Withstands the Test of Time and Tear

98 Leather and Grip: Sexiest Gloves in Years 104 What's In Your Pack? The Rest of the Winter Tradeshow Must-Haves 106 INDUSTRY CALENDAR I AM‌SGB 108 Tom Fritz, VP of Marketing, Marmot ON THE COVER: Men's BIOM Terrain Boot Photo Courtesy Ecco

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CONTRIBUTORS

Thomas J. Ryan

David Clucas

Jahla Seppanen

Tom is the Senior Business Editor for SGB Magazine with more than 25-years experience as a retail trade reporter. Starting his career in 1990 for Fairchild Publications, Tom has authored more than 200 front-page articles for WWD and written extensively for The Daily New Record, Home Furnishings Network, Footwear News, Sportsstyle, Apparel Magazine, Crain’s NY, New York Post, AdFax, etailwire.com and Multex.com.

Clucas is the Managing Editor | News Director for SGB Media, the leading industry trade news source. David started his journalism career by printing his first in-house family newspaper at six years old. His love for the outdoors also began early with childhood summers hiking in the Italian Alps while visiting his mother's family. Since 2003, he has called Colorado home, and like many locals, is hooked on the region’s plentiful sunshine and active lifestyle along with his wife Amy and daughter Rory. Clucas spent five years as an editor for SNEWS and the O.R. Daily covering the outdoor industry before joining SportsOneSource.

Jahla is an Associate Editor for SGB Magazine. She earned her BA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College in New York and began her career in active lifestyle media by copy editing and writing for Backpacker Magazine. Seppanen’s fiction has been published in Fourteen Hills Review, Niche, Litro U.K. and other literary journals. Jahla is an avid runner, SUP paddler and Vinyasa yoga enthusiast.

Ryan Sullivan

Charlie Lunan

Aaron H. Bible

Ryan is Hardgoods Analyst for SportsOneSource.

He has been in the sporting goods industry for more than eight years including time spent at Spalding and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Ryan hails from Wilbraham, MA with a degree in Kinesiology from U Mass-Amerherst. Sullivan resides in Colorado and is an avid competitive cyclist.

Lunan is a business news junkie based in Charlotte, NC who enjoys breaking hard news and writing about sustainability, digital marketing and public policy. He has worked for newspapers in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and North Carolina, headed up client communication for a technology company and sold bikes, kayaks and roof racks for REI.

Aaron is SGB Managing Editor and Director of Digital Content for SGB Media. He’s a lifelong Telemark skier and a former competitive cyclist, as well as a mountain runner, angler, climber, and whitewater paddler. In his 26th year exploring Colorado’s high country, he currently lives in the mountains outside Boulder, CO, with wife Jasmine and dogs Peanut and Zoe. His professional background includes time at Paddler, Kickstand, Summit Daily News, Blue Ridge Outdoors and Elevation Outdoors magazines.

6 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Actionable Weekly Sales Trend Reporting for the Active Lifestyle Market

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CONTRIBUTORS

Aubrey Volger

Courtney Holden

Greg Thomas

Aubrey said you should do something that scares you everyday. The thrill comes from a childhood of adventures in Southwest, CO. Her career in the outdoor industry began with PR smooching skills and has more recently shifted to gear reviews.

Aubrey loves playing in the dirt and believes a healthy body equals a healthy mind. She's the proud mama of a happy girl.

Courtney is pretty sure she has the best job ever. Thanks in large part to a Master's Degree from the University of Colorado Journalism School and an internship with Backpacker Magazine, she somehow weaseled her way into the outdoor industry's cohort of journalists. Courtney now fulfills her dream of hiking, biking, running and skiing – and writing about it.

Thomas is the editor of Fly Rod & Reel magazine. His freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Field & Stream, Big Sky Journal, and elsewhere.

He lives in Missoula, MT, at the edge of the Rattlesnake Wilderness with his two daughters.

Eugene Buchanan

Craig Dostie

Austin Parker

Eugene has written about the outdoors for more than 25 years, from the Beijing Olympics for NBC to ESPN.com. A former business reporter and publisher/editor-in-chief of Paddler magazine, his freelance career spans The New York Times, Men's Journal, Sports Afield, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Forbes Life, Skiing and other publications. A member of New York's Explorer's Club, his passion for traveling, writing and paddling has taken him to more than 30 countries on six of the seven continents.

Dostie was bit by the backcountry bug more than 30 years ago. After learning the secrets of earning turns with locked and free heels he turned rabid and started publishing Couloir, the first magazine devoted exclusively to backcountry skiing in all its forms. Telemark has infected his preference for hunting powder. He's a Senior Editor with Backcountry Magazine and publishes EarnYourTurns.com.

Austin is a U.S. Army veteran, part time gear junky and full time ski bum. If you can’t find him on the skin track up Little Cottonwood Canyon, he is probably spending time with his wife and three dogs playing somewhere on the trail. His work has appeared in Gear Patrol, The Manual, MOTUS, SGB, and Active Junky.

8 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

S H A R P E N YO U R P E R S P E C T I V E START SEEING CLEARLY SSI VantagePoint is the only weekly retail point-of-sale reporting platform exclusively for the active outdoor lifestyle industry that swiftly delivers critical trends and detailed business data to brands and retailers.

SSIVantagePoint.com I ssidata@sportsonesource.com I 303.997.7302 Powered by SPORTSONESOURCE.COM

9

SGB EXCLUSIVE

The Legacy of Sports Specialists Ltd. WITH

Stephen Rogers and Scott Ford SSL’s Legendary President And CEO Passes The Torch To A New Leader As The Buying Group Makes Plans For A New Era Of Specialty Retail

By Jahla Seppanen

J

anuary 2016 marks the 45th anniversary of Sports Specialists Ltd. (SSL) - a buying group of about 140 of the highest quality specialty snowsports and outdoor retailers in the country.

Ushering in the new year, the collective will be led by President, Scott Ford, who only months ago took the place of specialty retail expert and 30-year SSL President and CEO, Stephen Rogers.

As Rogers swapped a 60-hour work week for a 60-hour work month, remaining as SSL consultant during a transitioning period, Ford jumped into the position after 21 years with Cole Sport in Park City, where he acted as Equipment Hardgoods Buyer for more than half of that time - working closely with Rogers and SSL in the process.

The hiring of SSL’s new leader was not to be taken lightly. The process took more than two years.

Rogers recalled, “it became apparent to me a few years ago that my tenure was coming to a close… the hardest part was finding the right individual who could maintain the soul of the organization and still bring it into the future of specialty retail.”

The right fit made itself apparent once Ford made his interest known.

“When I heard that Steve was looking to retire, my personal feeling was the future success off SSL depended on his replacement,” said Ford. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t think of myself in that role right away. But then it sat with me inside and I knew my next step was to take the reins and continue to drive SSL into the future.”

On a call with Rogers and Ford, their comradery was undeniable. Not to mention their shared satisfaction with the authentic reputation SSL has built over its near-half a century of supporting “the industry’s heart and soul,”- specialty retail. The two

10 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

were also confidently optimistic about the next phase of the group’s evolution - a launch into areas of business support for specialty retailers.

Their interview also gave a harmonious glimpse into the past and future of SSL; its creation, transition, plans and potential power, all of which could only come about from the passionate leadership of Rogers and Ford.

Slaying the Dragon SSL has been around since 1971, beginning as an offshoot of the Ski Specialist Guild. This network of specialty snowsport retailers were fighting an uphill

battle, as sporting goods stores caught wind of the popularity of skiing, and began marketing special makeup skis. “It was the dragon every specialty retailer had to find a way to slay,” said Rogers.

“Specialty retail couldn’t compete and be price competitive.” The primary initiative of SSL became finding a way to work together and use collective purchasing power to buy and competitively price skis. After all, these were snowsport-specific shops.

Ski was their bread and butter.

Jump forward 45 years and SSL continues to bat off the ever-changing obstacles facing specialty retailers.

The “dragon” is still present, only in a different form.

Stephen Rogers, 30-year SSL President and CEO

SSL’s 2016 Game Plan Leading into 2016, SSL will super-charge its service-end components, addressing the many aspects of business profitability, awareness and presence within the new age.

“There has been an evolution from, say, special makeup skis into what are the real tools that make a store successful,” said Rogers. “Now the challenge is staying collectively competitive with technology.”

Ford filled us in on the components of “staying collectively competitive,” which SSL will introduce this year. “There are many aspects of being a business and to business profitability,” said Ford. “So we’ll offer more than just the program deal.”

New business services will include: building social media; online ads and participation to drive consumers to specialty retailers and their online platforms; methods to create community; online ordering; B2B cataloguing; and more.

Overall, SSL found that in 2016 the representation of the specialty retailer will take a predominate role in its overall selling success. And some of these smaller retailers are either behind on the changes in retail or lack the funding to pursue elaborate strategies, such as social media strategies and online campaigns that big-box chains devote millions to each season.

However, it is important to remember that many of the new business services to be offered by SSL are things all manufacturers have trouble putting into place. “The services include various backend efficiencies for suppliers, as well as retailers,” said Ford. “We can tap into these efficiencies and apply them to up and coming specialty products.”

After all, it’s in the mission statement of SSL: “Purchasing program and business services.” And SSL plans to be “second to none in providing these services,” said Ford.

Make or Break Rogers concluded that technology would be the thing that really makes or breaks any organization in the future. “What I found as I was getting a little older was how hard it is keeping up with the rapid changing technology of how goods and services are delivered. There is going to be new delivery methods, and specialty retail has to respond to that,” he said. “SSL can help.”

Rogers noticed that purchasing and delivery trends have shifted to consumers making buys closer to when they will use the product. Therefore, increasing at the resort level will become an adaptive adjustment when accepting new members into the buying group.

Many in the outdoor industry might consider Rogers the seer of snowsports, who has used projective insights to carry SSL through 45 strong years. In fact, the reason SSL is celebrating its 45th anniversary this January is because the group has evolved to respond to the needs of specialty retailers.

“I believe there will always be a reason and purpose for the specialty retailer,” said Rogers. “Customers dictate how they want goods and services and it take specialty retailer with a heart and passion to really respond to those needs and changes.” However, specialty owners may not always be the savviest businessmen and women.

In the retail business, dominated by numbers, one might believe the lack of business savvy could mean business failure. SSL doesn’t buy into the hype.

What truly makes a difference is an owner that has a devotion to the outdoor activity they sell for.

Scott Ford, SSL, President elect

SSL’s dedication to the passionate specialty owner was the pull that brought Ford on board in the first place. “I always appreciated the uniqueness of SSL. It’s very professional, business minded, but always kept that respect and integrity for creating sincere partnerships with passionate members,” said Ford. “I will never go into any meeting where SSL hangs its hat on the numbers. It’s about the quality of our members.”

People know SSL – its top-grade suppliers ranging from Salomon, to Smartwool and Under Armour, and its business resources. “It would be very easy for us to drive numbers,” said Ford. But in keeping with the heritage ethos laid out by Rogers, Ford does not plan to uproot SSL from an intimate collective to a numbers-based buying mob.

“Steve has done an incredible job in what I firmly believe is the best buying group out there for all specialty retail,” said Ford, who agrees the retail landscape is changing, via the Internet and social media. “It’s an evolution of communication,” Ford continued. “There are new ways business is done, and this can be a great equalizer for the little guys.”

And as we know, it’s never the big army that slays the dragon, but the singular, unsung hero.

Rogers will remain closely connected to SSL in his consultant role. “To not include someone with that knowledge and history would be absolutely asinine,” said Ford. And with the two working together, 2016 is guaranteed to be another one for the record books.

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GIVING BACK

PROTECT OUR WINTERS Shifting Climate and Changing Paradigms Drive Winter Advocates to Washington

By Austin Parker

After a half dozen lean snow seasons across the West and the uncertainty of Godzilla El Niño calling for record precip and droughts alike, it’s easy to get discouraged about what climate change has in store for the ski industry.

However, with the recent announcement of the landmark Clean Power Plan and a successful Paris Climate Agreement this year, for the first time we have a comprehensive national strategy to not only understand and explain the ramifications of a shifting climate,

12 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

but to educate the next generation on finding lasting solutions.

The team at lobbying collective Protect Our Winters (POW) has been influential in not only bringing this plan and its potential impact to the attention of lawmakers in Washington, but also in building a grassroots awareness campaign in mountain towns across the country.

After all, the fifth grader who sits in a school assembly watching Caroline Gleich ski steep lines in Chamonix, and Brody Leven tackle frigid pow in Svalbard – while gaining education

on weather and climate – may just be the future inventor of new energy technology or become an influential leader a decade from now.

We sat down with Chris Steinkamp, POW’s executive director, just before their latest trip to Washington DC with members of the Riders’ Alliance to discuss some of the programs POW is investing in on both local and national levels.

Their efforts with the Clean Power Plan fold into the larger Climate Action Plan, enumerated by the Obama administration in 2013.

This plan details everything from changing emissions standards on coal and other fossil fuels to involving the international community in research on climate change impacts.

Steinkamp’s rallying call through all of POW’s programs follows a “think global, act local” mentality. There has to be a balance between large campaigns that affect national policy, and local activities like working with states and counties to invest in better transportation infrastructure, energy efficient construction and renewable energy.

Chris Steinkamp, Executive Director, POW

Programs Foremost among POW’s local outreach programs are the Hot Planet Cool Athletes school assemblies.

Launched in 2012, these assemblies allow kids in schools across the country to meet professional snowsport athletes and learn about how they can make a difference in their communities. Caroline Gleich, one of the Riders’ Alliance pro members, detailed their efforts: Since 2011, POW has reached more than 45,000 kids. They have not only raised awareness but put together a Powder Grant system for schools to take action on local energy initiatives such as building composting bins

Caroline Gleich, Professional Mountaineer

at a high school in Madison, WI, and human powered bicycle charging stations at the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy in Colorado.

On the political front, POW’s advocacy program is growing every year. Rather than going with the typical Washington Beltway route and hiring professional lobbyists, POW brings athletes and industry advocates out to interface directly with Congressional committees, environmental officials and think tank working groups. Some of their latest visits even involved an online townhall with Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. While these

Pro Skier Julian Carr Photo courtesy Julian Carr

meetings with political leaders have led to big results in the Clean Power Plan, athlete Julian Carr stressed that getting the public caught up in the climate fight is just as important.

His eloquence when speaking about shifting our entire paradigm on energy production and public transportation is electrifying. Of primary importance to him is not just cleaning current emissions but finding the next generation of innovators and inventers.

The stress on the planet may not have reached the point of no return, and even small, local actions make a difference on a scale measurable globally. Whether you’re a mountain

town ski bum who chooses to drive a hybrid, an investor bringing funds to energy developers, or an educator getting students excited about climate science, you are doing work that affects us all. That is POW’s most important message: be the local difference.

POW believes in rebuilding the way we think about how we power our society. If we can get even one high school student excited to study in a climate-related STEM field, or encourage a few more skiers to carpool or take the bus, then we are back on track to seeing more powder days again. That’s a goal we can all get behind.

MADE IN THE USA

John Helle, Duckworth Rancher and Co-founder Photo courtesy Dan Armstrong

DUCKWORTH’S U.S. JOURNEY Two Former Duofold Execs and a Montana Sheep Rancher Keep American-Made Wool Stateside

By David Clucas

Photos Courtesy Duckworth

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“We’re not just about being U.S. made, we’re about making the best product in the world [from start to finish].”

– Robert Bernthal

boasts the last remaining wool lab in the country at the University of Montana, where Bernthal and Helle set out to study the U.S. wool.

They found it could be as soft and fine as New Zealand and Australian wool, but also had unique properties such as more crimp that gave it greater loft and stretch thanks to the state’s plentiful sun and both hot and cold temperatures. That varies from year-to-year, Bernthal said, “so it’s like a fine wine.”

Duckworth set up shop in Bozeman and now employs eight people, plus 10 at the ranch.

Photos Courtesy Duckworth

Going back to his days at baselayer brands Duofold and I/O Bio, Robert Bernthal always thought the wool supply chain was “clumsy and volatile.” The natural fiber from sheep was sourced from around the world, washed and processed in one country, spun and knit in another, before being made into a final product, almost always, in China. From start to finish, the wool likely racked up 20,000 frequentflyer miles, he said.

Montana Born Flash forward to 2013 and Bernthal (who goes by “Bernie”) was living in Bozeman, MT. There he met local rancher John Helle, who had a herd of 10,000 Rambouillet sheep and was equally disillusioned with the industry. Most of his wool was going to brokers and being sold around the world, ending up who knows where.

The two men went skiing, “and three chairlift rides later, we formed Duckworth,” Bernthal said.

The idea was to use Helle’s sheep for a new Made in the USA wool performance apparel brand — one where the company would know where every fiber came from and could track it throughout the entire process. They added the expertise of Graham

Stewart, who Bernthal had worked with at Duofold, to build out their vision.

Montana is the perfect home. While the state has seen its ranched sheep population decline from 6 million to 200,000 over the past century, it still

U.S. Production The next step was finding and setting up a production process that could keep the wool within the United States, which wasn’t easy, Bernthal said, but now the wool travels a couple thousand miles instead of tens of thousands. After being sheered at Helle’s ranch in Montana, Duckworth’s wool is sent to the Carolinas where its degreased, combed and blended (if there’s another fiber being added). It then stays in the Southeast or travels to the Northeast, where it is spun and knit, before returning to North Carolina to be dried, finished, cut and sewn.

Duckworth employees sorting wool fleece Photo courtesy Dan Armstrong

SPORTSONESOURCE.COM

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“It’s a much more compact process, but still relies on a lot of different contractors,” Bernthal said. “We prefer to use all the specialists.”

In the middle of that process, Duckworth notably came up with a chemical-free process to descale and clean the wool, which is part of what makes fine wool less itchy. Typically, chlorine is used, which isn’t very environmental friendly as it releases toxins and produces a lot of wastewater.

“We do it mechanically,” Bernthal said, “so there are no chemicals.”

The Products Duckworth offers specialty retailers and consumers an array of wool baselayers, midlayers, accessories and lifestyle apparel, but knew it had to distinguish itself in an increasingly crowded performance wool category.

“We’re not just about being U.S. made, we’re about making the best product in the world,” Bernthal said.

Some of the more unique highlights include Polaris a waffle-knit Duckworth wool layer, suchHoody as in its Polaris Hoody, $120; and its blending of the wool with another natural U.S.-sourced material, tree pulp, or cellulose, to create a “cooler wool” that better wicks moisture, such as in its Vapor Hoody, $95.

This year, it also debuts its WoolCloud insulation - secondary wool fibers (that are too harsh for nextto-skin applications) - that can be encapsulated like down for an effective insulation fill and found in its WoolCloud Full-Zip Hoody Jacket, $275.

Duckworth currently sells its product to about 80 specialty retailers, mostly in the United States, but also in Europe and Japan, and does direct-toconsumer online.

Made in the USA Hurdles Manufacturing in the United States hasn’t come without its challenges, and there’s much that needs to change for more outdoor brands to join the trend, Bernthal said.

“Where the U.S. labor force really needs to catch up is with its skills in technical sewing,” he said. There are skilled workers here, Bernthal noted, just not enough of them and it’s next to impossible to compete against the cheap labor in Asia. The knowledge base in the U.S. Southeast is aging, he added.

To grow Made in the USA, the industry will need to invest in educating and promoting younger generations to pick up end-stage processing skills.

“Come on guys, let’s back it up,” Bernthal said. “In the U.S. it tends to be every man for himself, except for the American Wool Council. Even at Outdoor Retailer, you have to pay $1,500 to be in the Made in the USA Showcase. We need to support it, not be charged for it.”

Despite the challenges, Bernthal said the product is selling well, especially in outdoor-urban areas where consumers are placing greater importance on where their apparel comes from. “It’s the most satisfying project I’ve worked on in 30 years in the industry,” he said.

Duckworth Team from left to right: Duckworth Rancher John Helle, Duckworth President Robert "Bernie" Bernthal, Duckworth Fabric Specialist Graham Stewart, Duckworth Designer Outi Pulkkinen, and Evan Helle (son of John). Photo courtesy Dan Armstrong

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Active Insulation Should Be More than Just Hot Air. The U.S. Special Operations Command came to Polartec® to invent a real and needed advantage. To create a superior insulation system for the start-stop conditions of combat and the extreme temperature variations of mountainous terrain. SOCOM required a new approach to regulating warmth in ever-changing environments.

Together, we developed not only a superior insulation system, but an entire new category of fabric technology— active insulation.

Early Alpha® prototypes were developed in conjunction with the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass. Combining durable lofted-knit fibers with a solid mesh core created a new insulating fabric with warmth, breathability and dry times never before recorded with down feathers and synthetic fills. While traditional insulation warms by trapping heat (and causes instant overheating), Alpha® was completing its mission by continuously keeping excess heat and moisture vapor moving away from the body. This creates a more consistent temperature range both during times of great exertion and times of little movement. The result is greater comfort without having to change or adjust your clothes.

the versatility of polartec alpha combines function and fashion like nothing else. ®

-combat parka, BY wings + horns Others make claims to their own active insulation technologies. But there’s only one solution spec’d and deployed by U.S. Special Operations Command.

There’s only one Polartec ® Alpha ®.

BREATHE BETTER. DRY FASTER. REGULATE COMFORT. POLARTEC ® ALPHa ® LEADS THE WAY. POLARTEC.COM

®

© 2016 Polartec, LLC. Polartec®, Polartec® Alpha® are registered trademarks of Polartec, LLC.

Polartec® Alpha® solves the drawbacks of traditional insulations on multiple fronts. The invention of Polartec® synthetic fleece made possible what is now the most prominent form of temperature regulation: layering.

This mixing - and - matching of fabrics as conditions change is still the best way to balance comfort. But this is not always an option. Soldiers in combat can’t pause to add, shed or adjust layers during a firefight.

A more versatile, stand-alone fabric was needed.

A faster drying fabric that regulates both warmth and moisture vapor in real time.

From these proving grounds, Alpha ® has quickly become the preferred insulation for highly active pursuits like backcountry mountaineering, cycling and cold weather training. But Alpha’s versatility also extends its reach. Whereas traditional insulation fills require more rigid (and less breathable) fabrics to prevent fiber migration, Alpha® stays put. This means Alpha® can be paired with an infinite number of fabrics to create an infinite number of looks and styles. With this new creative freedom more brands are including this new approach to insulation into their lifestyle, sportswear and crossover designs.

Researched, Developed + Deployed with u.s. special operations command

RETAIL BEST PRACTICES

Photo courtesy Dicks Sporting Goods

Photo courtesy Dicks Sporting Goods

Sales Reps, At Your Service:

What it takes to be a 21st Century Rep Relationships Still Drive Business Despite Tech Savvy Alternatives Challenging The Status Quo

By Thomas J. Ryan

18 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

F

or decades, the worth of the sales rep was said to be only as good as the relationships they formed in the marketplace. Now, those relationships are more important than ever with the job evolving to focus more on relationship management.

Technology has made the sales rep’s job easier in many ways and more complicated in others.

The ease of checking prices and inventory on the Internet as well as online ordering has roiled the rep role in recent years; however, continued consolidation that’s been going on for decades is also reshaping the role. Many reps have joined vendors to become full-time sales associates.

“Most large brands now have in-house reps,” said Chuck Overman, president of Overman & Associates. “When I started traveling in 1982, I estimate 80 percent of the sales reps were independent. I would not be surprised if that number is less than 30 percent now.”

A New Job Description On the selling side, fewer stores and team dealers in each market also impacts a rep’s coverage potential. “If there are less stores out there, there’s less income to spread among reps in the area,” noted Stan Ross, a co-principal at Far West Associates.

Ken Schappert, president of Dynamic Sports Marketing, remarked that as recent as the nineties, he might have serviced 10 to 15 accounts in an area such as Fort Lauderdale. Now, he makes only a few stops with accounts closing or merging. A vendor may also decide to dedicate his orders to one door in an area to gain larger space. “You’re seeing a lot less reps on the road than what you saw at one time,” Schappert said.

While a wide majority of a vendor’s business now tends to go to larger retail accounts, the rep still has to strongly service the smaller accounts since they’re often critical in supporting the image of a brand.

“Our vendors demand that we pay attention to specialty even though the revenue stream is not as strong as it once was,” said Scott Andrews, president, Stoner-Andrews. “To a point, for many reps, the specialty obligation is subsidized by larger account sales.”

Finally, some reps feel even the traditional job of bringing new items to retailers’ attention has changed. Said Mike Matranga, a co-principal of Far West, “With the amount of media that’s out there of all sorts, retailers are most interested in

having digital imagery available to inform and present opportunities to many customers at the push of a button.

“With the addition of visual real-time inventory, digital assets and e-mail blasts, the job of a sales rep has become more office-intense than ever before,” said Shaw. “It has also demanded more store visits, product clinics, promotions and trade shows.”

Chuck Overman, President, Overman & Associates

how the brand intends to support the new product in addition to the product features/benefits and points of differentiation. The rep is positioning both the product and support elements to maximize the opportunity for both the retailer and brand.”

The Wild Card: Independent Reps Many large to mid-sized vendors still count on independent reps for their expertise and knowledge in the local marketplace. Smaller and upstart brands can’t afford in-house reps and lean on reps’ local relationships to get in front of key buyers. While an in-house rep is solely dedicated to the brand, an independent rep is more of a variable cost if business turns south. Some also feel commission-driven reps pack greater incentives to drive sales than an in-house one.

But the reps’ capabilities have also greatly expanded over the years with an enhanced focus on administration, analysis and overall account management.

Larry Hartford, president of The Hartford Sales Group, said that while product knowledge and service are still paramount, the way reps deliver those elements has evolved over the years.

“In addition to working harder than ever to keep our remaining independents’ business healthy, we have instituted store visit and clinic programs to service national chain stores,” said Hartford. “We spend a lot more time studying sales reports, doing forecasts for our vendors, completing product info, templates, etc. We use a custom CRM program to stay on top of every deadline and detail.”

Andrew Shaw, owner and partner, Shaw & Heald Sales Agency, said that with the onset of technology, more products can be managed by

IT Skills Take Lead With the increased cost of travel over the years and fewer retailers to sell to, the rep world has consolidated itself to some degree. Many reps have partnered with each other or formed agencies for not only back-office support but to sell multiple lines. Selling a few lines is efficient for the smaller retailer with a buyer overseeing multiple categories. Collaborating also helps rep groups meet the increasingly technological demands of the administrative parts of the job, especially with the larger accounts.

Andrews said his agency has multiple reps handling different aspects of the sales process with one account, whether sales presentations, order management, clinics, sales analysis or problem solving. A full-time operations manager with highlevel IT capabilities helps figure out and manage the multiple software platforms used by different manufacturers and retailers.

“This has taken a ton of time and overhead to accomplish,” added Andrews. “It’s difficult to imagine being successful in large businesses without this level of concentration and competency on the software systems being used by the various parties. It puts us in a position to really help the buyers and merchants we deal with at these big accounts.”

Ken Schappert, President, Dynamic Sports Marketing

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19

Photo courtesy MC Sports

Hartford stressed that reps have to understand how online sales operate and the toolbox associated with e-commerce, such as MAP policies and electronic assets. They also need to be ready to work with brick-and-mortar stores to help them manage these newer competitive pressures.

“It’s more competitive than ever for brick-andmortar stores,” remarked Hartford. “They must be on their ‘A game’ every day, and rely on sales reps

Scott Andrews, President, Stoner-Andrews

20 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

who take the time to understand their business and market so they can deliver the product and service their stores need to compete and deliver an amazing shopping experience.”

The arrival of e-mail, texting, as well as sophisticated software, has greatly expanded reps capabilities. Daily access to real-time sell-through from accounts has bolstered the analysis reps can act on and provide.

But it’s also created a greater urgency around expectations. Said Mike Doyle, managing partner at DoyleGroup, “The timeline when it’s acceptable to get back to customers seems to shorten and shorten.”

The Threat of Losing Touch Far West’s Matranga believes increasingly digital communications creates efficiencies and inefficiencies. With the amount of information being passed via e-mail, it is important for the rep to be able to efficiently manage and address the requests that are “actionable” versus “informational.” He said this communication could also lead to a loss of personal interaction if the rep

is not diligent in maintaining the critical personal interaction.

Don Leonard, president, Crown Sport Sales, which focuses on the team channel, noted that coaches used to order just a set of uniforms in school colors every year. Now, they want to see multiple color graphics for uniforms and then make sure that the graphics match after the order arrives. Schools are also checking the Internet for

Larry Hartford, President, The Hartford Sales Group

pricing yet still want the service levels a local team dealer provides, he noted.

With access to real-time inventory, stores and dealers also have less patience for out-of-stocks.

Said Doyle, “Customers basically expect ondemand inventory.”

Schappert marvels at how it’s “not as easy to get business done even though you feel it should be” with the technological advances. For example, reps can now create customized catalogs tailored to different retail accounts to expedite the decision process for store buyers.

On the other hand, accounts can quickly research the Internet to see where a brand is selling and its price levels, consequently adding hesitation to closing an order. Said Schappert, “there are times you may not get an order because someone doesn't feel comfortable if they bring it in that a manufacturer isn’t holding price on the MAP on the web.”

More MAP Violations Pricing is one issue where reps often get stuck between the vendors they work for and the retailers they service. With the ease of an Internet search, whether MAP policies on a brand are being violated has become a more frequent and sour conversation between reps and retailers.

Far West’s Ross noted while MAP violations are more legal in nature, stores often count on the rep they see regularly to gain some clarity on MAP policies. Said Ross, “The MAPs tend to be a little confusing.”

“The other part of that is that the MAP policy can define that competitive balance of all classes of trade,” added Ross. “So it is our role to make sure that our brick-and-mortar and our independents continue to have a competitive playing field so they can succeed, along with the online players. We work with the manufacturers to manage that balance.”

Quickly Cooling Inventory The other issue challenging the rep’s middleman role is ownership of inventory. A newer phenomenon is fewer pre-bookings in the sale process in recent years especially with smaller accounts. Schappert said that traditionally, a rep would meet a retailer or dealer at a trade show and offer some discount to pre-book and, "you'd pretty much be done with them for six months." Now, reps have to return several times a season to refill orders.

"They'll take one or maybe two deliveries and then they chase," said Schappert. "And that's a big

Photo courtesy Laura Fisher Collection

SPORTSONESOURCE.COM 21

change and a lot of it is because items don't stay as hot as long as they once did."

Overman said less pre-books could create item shortages since inventory levels are tied to preseason orders. He added, "It's more work for everyone."

On the plus side for retailers and dealers, inventory risks are reduced in case unseasonal weather, fashion shifts and other factors arrive.

Retailers can also take advantage of opportunistic buys.

"I think dealers are adjusting," said Andrews.

"There is actually more full-price opportunity if you play your cards right with inventory. It's also worth noting that specialty retailers can often be in a better position than mass merchants who dump inventory based on a historical model."

In the team channel, BSN, Lids and Eastbay are all aggressively expanding across the country and putting pressure on local dealers. Leonard also said many manufacturers are going directly to colleges and signing them up with product and money.

Overall, he stated that the “culture right now in the team business is changing” as he’s finding schools increasingly looking for an extra incentive to close a deal.

“My take on that is: ‘What used to be bribery is now marketing,’” said Leonard. “Schools are spending public money and individuals are benefiting personally. Sometimes we are not able to sell on the merits of the products but on what amount of extra ‘free’ goods are we going to provide.”

The Next Big Wave Andrews sees vendor-owned, managed inventory as the next big wave. The prospect would likely

Andrew Shaw, Owner and Partner, Shaw & Heald Sales Agency

22 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Michael Doyle, Managing Partner, Doyle Group

break new ground in margin structure and transaction efficiencies but also seems more favorable for the online consumer less another blow to brick-end-mortar.

“Retailers will always have the opportunity to craft new and improved stories in either environment, but the cost/risk profile of brickand-mortar is pretty scary at the moment,” said Andrews. “Sales reps must be well educated on the entire process and be ready to navigate the changing landscape. We can still add enormous value, but we have to work with an acute sense of the dynamics at hand.”

As for the future, Shaw said that while the rep role has undergone significant changes over the last few decades, much more could be coming with the retail landscape quickly transforming with Amazon driving e-commerce and the push towards same-day delivery.

“I do believe it will continue to evolve into a business-management role servicing the retailers in many different ways, from systems management and instruction, marketing support, product knowledge, sales and promotional events,” said Shaw.

Balancing the Personal with the Technical Andrews believes getting started in the business is becoming much more difficult with increasing demands, including not only sales, education, consumer events and forecasting, but understanding brick-and-mortar versus online, MAP policies and advanced software. He believes the lone rep selling one or two product lines would likely face only more pressures down the road.

“It’s certainly not an easy way to make a living,”

said Andrews. “The 30-day non-binding contract that is used throughout the industry provides so little protection for any hard work you put forth.

As companies grow, management changes are inevitable on the vendor side. There is very little loyalty or regard for history.”

Doyle wonders if the rep business will naturally become less relationship-oriented with younger generations used to communicating through e-mail and other digital forms. Still, Doyle finds he has better luck securing appointments by making a phone call and he believes many dealers strongly value the face-to-face presentations.

“They need to be aware of what programs and new items are there, but they feel a time crunch too,” said Doyle. “So if you can present your programs and detail your products and companies in an efficient, informed and disciplined way, they’re very appreciative.”

Leonard believes that adaptability will be critical with the fast-paced changes. He also believes that while some dealers may prefer ordering online, many count on the local rep’s commitment to service.

“Many of my dealers still want to be called on,” said Leonard. “They want us to go with them on sales calls, handle problems, visit with them and their coaches. Maybe it's just me, but I still think there is value in the sales agent and the things we bring to the table.”

“We must become more tech savvy as well, while continuing to do the basic blocking and tackling - product knowledge and service - that got us here,” added Hartford. “I see a lot more sales reports, forecasting and planning on the horizon.

The sporting goods industry is growing up. Not a bad thing, right?”

Don Leonard, Crown Sports Sales

SSI RESEARCH

Retailers Retreat!

As E-Commerce Margins Plunge, Some Savvy Independent Retailers Are Shifting Their Online Strategies Toward Supporting Their Brick-And-Mortar Stores

By Charlie Lunan

I

ndependent outdoor specialty retailers who led the charge into cyberspace two decades ago are now leading a retreat.

Faced with rapid deterioration in online margins, independent specialty retailers are shifting resources back toward supporting their brick-and-mortar stores where they can build lasting customer relationships more conducive to a full-price business model.

Consider Rock/Creek, the Chattanooga, TN, retailer among the first independent outdoor specialty retailers to sell online in the late ‘90s.

24 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Two years ago, the retailer stopped selling on Amazon after determining its store there was not making enough profit. Since then, margins at its remaining online channels have also deteriorated, according to Coowner Dawson Wheeler.

“In the last 36 months and particularly the last 18 months, we’ve seen a promotional cadence from some manufacturers and vendors online that has gone past encroaching on our business to really taking our business away,” Wheeler told SGB. “To compete at that promotional level is not possible for Rock/Creek and,

honestly, I don't think it's possible for anyone. In any case, we don't want to be in the transactional business. We want to be in the building customer relationship business and have a fullservice, omni-channel model.”

In early December, Dawson expected online sales to account for about 20 percent of Rock/Creek’s 2015 sales, down from about 45 percent two years ago. The company slashed its online marketing budget by about 75 percent last year. It invested some of those savings optimizing its online store for smartphones, which now drives about 40 percent of traffic

on its shopping search engine.

Going forward it will shift online marketing dollars from paid search to RootsRated, a hyper-local content marketing platform co-founded by Rock/Creek’s long-time marketing director and e-commerce guru.

“We will continue to spend money to drive traffic to the web, but the majority of the focus will be on supporting markets within 100 to 200 miles of our stores,” said Dawson. ”From a storefront point of view, we will manage RockCreek.com like any other storefront, which is to say it has to pay for itself and be sustainable.”

Rock/Creek plans to open an 8,000-square-foot store in Nashville next year that will mark its seventh brick-and-mortar location and its first store outside the Chattanooga market. It opened is sixth store last summer in Cleveland, TN, 34 miles northeast of Chattanooga.

At Tahoe Mountain Sports in Truckee, CA, David Polivy has seen much the same. As of the first week of December, fourth quarter sales at the retailer’s Amazon store were off approximately 70 percent. Polivy attributed the sharp decline to growing competition from retailers and manufacturers using Fulfillmentby-Amazon, or FBA, which essentially enables online merchants to outsource warehousing, customer service and fulfillment to Amazon.

Polivy says outdoor brands, including some technical backcountry skiing brands, have become more accepting of stand-alone FBA-retailers in the last 18 months.

Data from ChannelAdvisor, which helps nearly 3,000 retailers, brands and other merchants manage merchandise sales across hundreds of online channels, show adoption of FBA accelerating. The company reports that FBA’s share of all Amazon sales managed on its platform grew between 17.5 and nearly 40 percent a month during the first 10 months of 2015. While figures were not available for November in time for this article, FBA’s share surged to a record 53.4 percent in November 2014.

“It has gotten out of control and there is going to have to be an awakening in the industry,” said Polivy, who has stopped ordering dozens of SKUs he sees on constant sale online.

Holiday sales at the company’s brick-and-mortar store, meanwhile, were running at twice 2014 levels as of early December thanks to early snow and easy comps left by last year’s drought.

“This is obviously the silver lining and what is helping balance

everything out,” Polivy said of his business, which sold exclusively online for three years before opening its physical location in 2007. "Early snow and cold weather have really helped as people haven't spent on winter goods in a few years now, so as long as the weather pattern holds, we are feeling optimistic.”

Black Friday Turns Gray The need to re-examine strategy seems urgent in the wake of the shift in shopping patterns witnessed over the holidays. Consumer surveys and in-store counting devices indicate sales at U.S. malls declined about 10 percent on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, while e-commerce sales growth over the five-day holiday period ending Cyber Monday accelerated from the high-single digits of recent years to the high teens, according to estimates.

The drop in traffic and rising apparel inventories prompted Wall Street analysts to downgrade several stocks and appeared to set the stage for sluggish sales and deep discounts in the final weeks of the year.

The disparity in growth also poses a dilemma for brand managers, who overwhelmingly want independent outdoor specialty retailers to thrive, but who also have been ratcheting up direct sales in recent years. It’s now common for outdoor brands to enter the U.S. market by selling direct to consumers. Fjällräven, a Swedish brand that only established its U.S. subsidiary in 2012, announced plans to open seven new stores in the United States and Canada in the fourth quarter, which would take its store count in the region to 16. Stio, founded by Cloudveil Co-founder Steve Sullivan, sells exclusively through its own stores. Prana opened its seventh U.S. retail location in Manhattan Beach, CA, last fall.

“Vendors have enough margin to out-compete any retailer with higher bids on Google, they already own the

Rock Creek, Chattanooga, TN

Dawson Wheeler, Co-Owner, Rock Creek, Chattanooga, TN

Tahoe Mountain Sports David Polivy, Tahoe Mountain Sports, Truckee, CA

SEO results, and they're becoming more aggressive in their promotional tactics,” noted one retailer, who requested anonymity. “One by one we've seen retailers just bow out and stop competing.”

Point-of-sale data from SSI Data*, which tracks sales across

Steve Sullivan, Co-Founder, Stio

Photo courtesy Salewa

Photo courtesy Aku

nine channels of distribution, indicate independent outdoor specialty retailers’ share of outdoor product sales has declined from approximately 10 percent to less than 8 percent since 2012. That decline was more than 2.5 times bigger than the decline seen at department stores.

The biggest gainers during that period were national online retailers, followed by mid-tier retailers and full-line sporting goods stores.

Manufacturers’ direct sales are not included in the figures.

An Opening For European Brands In this environment, independent retailers are much more likely to replace a marginal brand that sells direct with a new brand that does not.

At the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Summit in October one of the most talked about footwear brands was Salewa, an Italian brand that opened an office in Boulder, CO, in 2007 after decades neglecting the U.S. market.

The brand now sells to about 40 members of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, which provides buying, networking and other services to a select group of independent outdoor specialty dealers.

Kurt Smith, who represents the brand in the Great Lakes and Southeast regions, attributes the growth to design elements such as climbing shoe lacing systems and the brand’s “blister-free guarantee.”

Salewa gained dealers in 2013, when it announced it had secured exclusive rights to debut Gore-Tex Surround Technology in its spring 2014 line.

When asked why they like the brand, however, merchants are quick to praise Salewa for not selling direct to consumers.

Thanks to the strong dollar, independents retailers have more options to choose from, including European made leather boot products that were out of reach a year ago.

The Italian made boot brand Aku, for instance, cut prices and added incentives on its 2015 lines in a bid to win over U.S. dealers, according to Sam McCoubrey, general manager of Aku North America.

This spring, Aku dealers will begin selling a European made, full-grain leather hiker with Vibram outsole for $190 retail at 50 percent margin

before pre-season discounts and other dealer incentives.

“For an ‘upstart’ brand like Aku, we can adjust wholesale/retail positions, dealer margins by model, and booking incentives due to the 20-percent-plus swing in currency,” said McCoubrey. “Everyone benefits and the local specialty stores not only have better margins at compelling price-points - they also differentiate themselves by brand against the chains they compete within their trading area.”

Many buyers will get a first look at the next crop of up-and-coming brands at the New Exhibitor Pavilion at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in January. Emerald Expositions, the City of Salt Lake and the State of Utah have spent millions of dollars in recent years to erect three air-conditioned tents next door to the Salt Palace to house about 200 exhibitors they can’t accommodate in the main hall. Though retail buyers said discovering new brands is the main reason they attend the show, many never make it across the street to the tents.

At Rock/Creek, Wheeler is hopeful outdoor brands that have adopted a more promotional online model will see the error of their ways and move back toward a full price model but he’s not willing to bet his business on it.

“There are full price direct-toconsumer vendors out there like The North Face, Patagonia and Marmot,” said Dawson. “That’s not going to go away. What I’m talking about are vendors that have developed a promotional model. We think those vendors are going to look up in two years and begin questioning that model because the people winning the game are Amazon, Google and the contractors the vendors are hiring to run their platforms. Their acquisition costs are huge and their conversion rates are way under one percent and they are undermining their full-price dealers.”

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SSI DATA

WARM WEATHER BE DAMNED Winter Boot Sales Thrive On Current Fashion Trends

By David Clucas and Ryan Sullivan

Warmer-than-normal weather put a dent in outdoor sales for fall and early winter 2015 at retail - largely due to a drop in outerwear sales - but a curious bright spot came in footwear, specifically fashion and casual winter boots.

For the trailing 52 weeks through November 2015, the fashion/casual winter boot category was up 24.3 percent in units and 13.2 percent in dollars across the outdoor, sporting goods, chain and Internet channels, according to SSI Data, helping boost the overall footwear category up 5.85 percent in units and up 5 percent in dollars.

The uptick even continued through what was a very warm November, with monthly sales of fashion/casual winter boots up 7.5 percent in units and 3.2 percent in dollars across all channels, compared to November 2014. At specialty outdoor, in particular, the category was a big winner during the month, with fashion/casual winter boots up a whopping 43 percent in units and 47 percent in dollars.

Backing up those figures, many retailers SGB talked to at the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance show in early November and interviews conducted following the Black Friday weekend in late November, pointed to winter boots as top sellers.

28 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Meanwhile, overall apparel sales fell 1.74 percent in units (-0.87 in dollars) for the trailing 52 weeks through November 2015, including a 5.3 percent drop in units (-5.5 in dollars) during that warm November. Outdoor equipment sales for the same 52 weeks fell 2.8 percent in units (gaining less than a percent in dollars), including a 7.7 percent decline in units (up 2 percent in dollars) for the month of November.

So what’s been so special about fashion/casual winter boot category preforming so well without the cold whether, unlike its apparel and equipment brethren?

Retailers and analysts say the answer is two-fold, and starts earlier in 2015 on the tail end of last winter, which was unseasonably cold. That drove up demand for winter boots, including the casual/ fashion category, and depleted inventories. By the end of the season, consumers had a tough time finding what they wanted.

As with many fashion trends, low supply and high demand can fuel the fire. By this early fall and winter, consumers weren’t waiting for the cold weather, they were buying winter boots.

Secondly, as the outdoor industry delves deeper into the fashion world, it’s finding stylish

seasonal product slightly less dependent on the outdoor thermometer, as consumers want to dress in a winter style, even if the cold and snowy weather isn’t quite there. Indeed, while fashion/ casual winter boots rose 7.5 percent in units (3.2 percent in dollars) through that warm November, technical winter pac boot sales, which follow the actual weather more closely, fell 11 percent in units (6.1 percent in dollars), across all channels, according to SSI Data. The story at specialty outdoor, however, is a little more encouraging, with perhaps a more core shopper opting to hit those fashion notes with technical winter boots - sales of which rose 36 percent in units and 27 percent in dollars for November 2015.

What brands are benefiting from the surge? At specialty outdoor, SSI Data* shows Sorel, Ugg, Bogs and Timberland taking the most market share in the fashion/casual winter boot category with The North Face, Merrell and Keen winning on the technical side. Across all channels, Timberland, Sorel, Ugg and Bearpaw are the market share winners in the fashion/casual winter boots.

There is a flip-side to this coin, however. Fashion is fickle. And while winter boots are hot and in style now, the trends from Madison Avenue can shift a lot faster than what retailers are used to when dealing with core outdoor product.

Finally, if the winter weather stays warm throughout the entire 2015-16 season, it may push the needle to win over any fashion trend.

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VENDOR FOCUS

30 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Photo courtesy Mark Fisher Fisher Creative

Teton Gravity Research Comes of Age Often Perceived As Simply The Best Ski Filmmakers In The Business, Teton Gravity Research Is More Deserving Of Recognition As Pioneers In Digital Media And Sheer Business Savvy

By Aaron H. Bible

A

ny company can celebrate a 20th anniversary, as two decades of doing anything well is nothing to sneeze at. But only one company in the action sports lifestyle industry is choosing to celebrate its legal drinking age instead, which Teton Gravity Research (TGR) begins in January 2016.

However, if shot gunning PBRs and high fives all around is what first comes to mind when picturing legendary ski filmmakers TGR, it’s time to think again. In their wake lies more than 21 years of sophisticated snowsport, digital media and film making history.

Case in point: last month TGR filmmakers and athletes swept the annual Powder Awards in Salt Lake City, UT, taking home Best Line (Angel Collinson, Paradise Waits), Best Female Performance (Angel Collinson, Paradise Waits), Best Male Performance (Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Paradise Waits), Best Documentary (For Lack of Better), and Movie of the Year (For Lack of Better).

More than 100 people may be working for TGR on any given day in the winter season, engulfed in projects ranging from filming for its upcoming surfing documentary on the legendary Andy Irons in Hawaii, scouting lines from a helicopter in Alaska, or scripting television programming for Unreal TV, with up to 55 people buzzing around its headquarters in Wilson, WY. (The company moved to Wilson from its enviable offices at the base of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort tram about three years ago, where it officed for 10 years.)

TGR employs about 41 people year round, including some of the most talented names in business management and media development, not to mention content and film making as well as retail, admin, production and the film tour department.

At its core, however, there are two people credited with the vision and determination to bring this media house to age, and that’s brothers

Steve and Todd Jones, who are still involved in every aspect of the business from management and finances, strategic growth, planning, filming, editing and directing.

“In the beginning we were ski bums with a vision to make films to showcase skiing and snowboarding from our eyes, the way we wanted it to be. Right out of the gate we had pretty big ideas, for all things action sports, a vision and a brand, and we wanted to be recognized,” TGR Co-founder Todd Jones, 43, told SGB from his Wyoming office. “We went to the school of hard knocks and now we’re 20 years in.

We learned it the hard way, and sometimes the easy way, through success and failure.”

It’s actually hard to find someone in the ski world who has not been influenced by TGR and the Jones brothers.

“When I think of what they have done with TGR it's like a proud mom. I waited on tables with Steve and Todd in Jackson Hole when it was just a dream,” said Kelly Blake, another 20-year vet of the outdoor industry and partner at Verde Communications.

“They made skiing young and fun and cool. And they made it a lifestyle.”

Founded in 1995, right out of the gate TGR’s first film, The Continuum, in 1996 won the International Ski and Snowboard Film Festival - and was ultimately inducted into the Ski Hall of Fame for transcending the genre with the first true multimedia distribution platform and appearances on Oprah and ABC. They are widely credited as one of the first film companies, and one of the first companies in the ski industry really, to have a functioning and interactive website.

Most agree that what TGR did in the late 1990s laid the groundwork for what we today call social media. “TGR notably was the first online forum for ski bums, and one of the early online forums for any consumer group, launching the famed TGR forums in 1996. They were the ones that planted the seed,”

explained Eric Henderson, former Jackson Hole and Alaska ski guide whom, like many of his ilk, grew up with and took inspiration from the Jones brothers. Today, Henderson is an account executive at Backbone Media, assisting TGR with its global public relations.

“The year we launched TGR we launched the website and put the forum up, so we effectively had an early version of a social network,” said Todd Jones. “We were deeply passionate about the idea that everyone in the world would be connected and have the ability to reach the global population with no barriers.”

Jones said one of the brand’s most enduring qualities is to embrace change. “We always loved how free the digital and online atmosphere was making our world and the opportunities for independence it presented. That’s been with us since day one. We were also one of the early adopters of short form content,” he continued, which has led to a monumental content and distribution effort, including social media, branded content, editorial, television, relationships with mainstream entities like USA Today and Disney, as well as real world interactions with fans through the film tour.

Shortly after the launch of the first film tour, which evolved into one of the largest action sport film tours in the world, TGR quickly launched its branded merchandise, playing off the growing forum base, and the following year was enlisted to consult on the first X-Games.

“We’ve always been insanely focused on and believed in action sports as a lifestyle and the personalities behind these things. When we consulted on the first X Games, believe it or not they had shovel racing as a sport. The early days had this particular portrayal of action sports, but what we were seeing was this brilliance in the athleticism, that goes beyond the act of sport,” Steve Jones said. “Even in our first year we wanted to

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create this brand that’s representative of a lifestyle - it goes beyond the sport. We worked really hard to transcend just a core product and communicate that lifestyle, and make it consumable to a much broader audience. That’s always been a driving force…there’s an opportunity to be a real brand in a real sport, more than what someone might see as a guy hucking off a 60-foot cliff just to get a rush.”

By 2000, TGR had expanded into surf film making with Gondwana, filmed on 16mm film with pro surfer Pancho Sullivan, and in 2001 produced Adrenaline X as a reality TV series for NBC, bringing extreme sport lifestyle to the mainstream.

Before this time, one of the only ways to see these films was to attend the premiers, or buy the VHS in a shop and pass it around your buddies’ raspy ski town apartments. The TGR website became one of the first places you could watch video clips, comment, and get engaged.

In 2002, they were named one of the “20 most influential companies” in the outdoor industry

by Outside. TGR’s first kayak film, Nurpu, hit the market in 2003, followed by the Fox Sports television series “Untracked” in 2004, running 39 episodes.

Keeping The Dream Alive “They created aspirational dreams,” remembered Henderson. “It was something that for me personally, moving to Jackson Hole and knowing there was Todd Jones and Micah Black and Rick Armstrong and these guys making these movies, it created dreams and it drove me to become a ski professional.”

“It has so many legs that it’s going to continue to grow over time, it’s not gonna end,” continued Henderson. “They’ve created such a successful platform and business model that they’ve created a trust that will be passed on to their children’s children, in a multi-faceted business plan that is really 360 degrees.”

The word trust, however, might just be a fourletter word to the Jones brothers, as they were not handed anything during this process. The business was essentially funded from the two’s work in the fishing industry in Alaska, working each summer to catch as many fish as possible to come back to Jackson Hole and put that money into TGR. Importantly, those Alaska summers are also where they gained their passion for, and logistical knowledge of, the Alaskan ranges that would be the focus of so many TGR films over the years.

Part of that focus includes pioneering the cameras themselves, working with Vio to help

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launch the first consumer digital Point of View (POV); partnering with GoPro, with Sony Action Cam; and also helping develop the most cutting edge 4K aerial camera systems.

But again, it’s their business acumen that continues to rise to the top, as even Steve Jobs called out TGR in a 2008 keynote address at Apple.

A year later they produced a commercial spot for the iPhone.

“We’re part of the changing media landscape and we’ve managed to stay on the cutting edge of that.

We’ve always wanted to be in the future and not in the past, and we’re passionate about where the media landscape is going,” Todd Jones said.

They’ve studied not the competition, but businesses in worlds other than their own. “We’ve learned a way to allow us to succeed, taking what we see and applying it to what we’re doing in our landscape,” said Todd, who has been influenced

by Disney (one of the largest media companies in the world), Patagonia and Vice. “I spend a lot of time trying to understand and follow where the media space is going and bring that back into our company. If you look back eight or nine years ago, we started to trend from a company that makes surf, kayak and ski movies, and realized we needed to apply a lot of that to our company and our business model to stay relevant and future-proof the company.”

However, Todd said, “we figured out a long long time ago that the name of the game is distribution and reach.” In contemporary media, truer words have never been spoken. “We’ve gone about building a vast distribution network, our database, relationships with networks like Fuel TV and Outside Television, the New York Times and Vice, with tetongravityresearch.com reaching a million uniques per month on average.”

Distribution allows them to make what they do quantifiable and tangible.

“More and more brands are coming to us and saying we want to reach your audience, tell us what we need. So now we’re doing a lot of creative services for those brands - original, custom content creation for brands out of our Creative Services branch of TGR. I hope that they believe in our position and where we’re trying to go, while also maintaining authenticity to an audience that has a desire to experience this lifestyle that is this action sports space,” Todd explained.

It’s one thing to produce a piece of content, but it’s another thing to distribute a piece of content, Todd attests, but the other major component of

what TGR does is story telling. “The story is the true art form,” he explained emphatically. “A lot of what our teams focus on is high-end story telling.”

The Legacy Continues “Work hard, play hard,” is the mantra both brothers offer up unprompted as the defining characteristic of their upbringing. “There’s no limits to what you can do if you apply yourself to it. It takes a lot of failure and willingness to fail to make it happen.

You can’t be afraid,” Todd told me. “Some of this aggressive business side was a little less on the surface in the early days. We wanted to travel the world and do cool stuff with our friends and for people to consume. We’re just doing it now in a larger world with a lot more business acumen. You can’t continue to invite people into the world to do this unless you’re successful.”

“Things have changed since the older days, both of us have families now,” said Steve, 46. “We’ve been lucky to have good balance and be incredibly impassioned by the business. Throughout our lives we’ve always been taught work hard, play hard, and that’s a part of our DNA.” Todd and Steve were both sponsored skiers in the early 1990s when they made the full-time move to Jackson Hole, discontent with the current product at the time action sports were coming into vogue. “We thought things could be more reflective of a youth culture at that time,” said Steve, so they began skiing in, shooting, editing, bringing in sponsorship dollars, and producing their own ski films. To this day the brothers are very hands on with all content coming out of TGR, and they each still make at least one trip to Alaska each year.

Looking back, Steve seems slightly astounded that they were able to be out front of companies that should have been much more sophisticated than two ski bums from Cape Cod. “Some people took us seriously and were immediately intrigued, undeniably because of how much we believed in it,” he said.

From the very first TGR films, Steve and Todd delivered results to sponsors and walked the talk of becoming a media company – while delivering to this day on its promise of telling the stories behind the athletes that make a lifestyle reality. “We had a vision of creating a brand, and knew eventually we’d figure out different ways to monetize it.”

The acronym itself has come to symbolize the lifestyle Steve, Todd and their many peers and cohorts pioneered, a twenty-first century tribal brand, and a logo that has endured all 21 years.

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VENDOR FOCUS

New Exhibitor Corner Don’t Miss These OR Freshmen In Salt Lake City

By Courtney Holden

34 2016WINTERSHOWISSUE

Dish and Duer promise their jeans will not only move with the body but they’ll retain that classic denim look.

“When you get off your bicycle, we want you to walk into the boardroom or a nice dinner with your wife and not feel like you have to change your pants.”

- Gary Lenett, Founder, Dish and Duer

Armed With Stretch And Style, Dish And Duer Caters To The Urban Commuter Dish and Duer believes jeans serve a dual purpose: They should look good, but they should also perform. “Our mission is to help people live fluidly,” said Founder Gary Lenett. “People don't need to worry about things that aren’t important like changing their clothes all the time. When you get off your bicycle, we want you to walk into the boardroom or a nice dinner with your wife and not feel like you have to change your pants.”

Three years ago however, Lenett had had it with the denim industry.

Although he’d worked alongside such jean-industry giants as Levi’s, Wrangler and Guess for decades, the cyclic nature of fashion had become stale. That was when a longtime friend and supplier stepped in, asking what it would take for him to hop back in the saddle one more time. “I said first of all, I’m not interested in strictly fashion. I also need the performance,” Lenett said.

“Essentially this whole thing was about me getting some pants I could wear to work when I ride my bike.” At that, Dish and Duer - a brand that caters to a market of bike commuters, lunch-break climbers and mid-day yoga class attendees - was born.

While other lifestyle brands similarly offer pants that stretch, literally, to meet the wearer’s needs, Dish and Duer promise their jeans will not only move with the body but they’ll retain that classic denim look. The trick isn’t necessarily a specific material; it’s putting materials into the right balance. “Too much poly into our denim and it won’t look like a jean, but too little in it, and it won’t hold its shape,” Lenett said. “There’s no secret to the actual fibers. It’s about getting just the right combination of fibers and just the right blend.”

Their newest blend, deemed Nature2X (short for Nature to Extreme), has a board-room-ready exterior that hides the comfort of a favorite sweat pant.

A mix of Tencel, polyester, cotton and spandex fibers, the pant absorbs sweat, kills bacteria, dries quickly and remains soft and comfortable regardless of the activity. Bonus features like reflective branding, larger pockets and a built-in seat gusset cater to the urban bike commuter.

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Avatech’s tools are changing the game when it comes to understanding the snow and knowing what is and isn’t safe to shred.

Photos courtesy Avatech

Avatech Puts New Spin On Safe Backcountry Travel Avatech attacks backcountry safety in a manner different from the rest. Where others help unlucky skiers and riders survive once they’re in an avalanche, Avatech focuses on keeping people out of avalanches in the first place. “Over the past decade there have been incredible innovations in what is mostly the morbid side of our winter sports, technology that potentially makes you feel safer, but what might in actuality increase risk behavior. Avatech focuses solely on proactive solutions that will help mountain communities stay safer and hopefully be more inviting to enjoy,” said brand President Thomas Laakso.

While Laasko is clear that Avatech’s devices can’t prevent or predict avalanches, the tools are changing the game when it comes to understanding the snow and knowing what is and isn’t safe to shred. Much of that understanding comes through revolutionary data-collection devices that gather thousands of data points in a single probe strike. That information can then be shared with the rest of the mountain community via the Avanet platform. In the past, both tools were reserved for guides and forecasters, but this year the brand brings innovative consumer-facing models to market. “These are solutions that help assist your own risk management decisions, as well as enabling the power of interconnectivity and helping others at the same time,” he said.

Notably, the products are not for novice backcountry travelers. “We definitely are targeting the advanced consumer,” Laasko said. “You need to know what you’re looking at. You need to have an Avy 1 class and understand what [the snow] is doing and not doing.

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Voormi sets up small sewing factories (typically around 10 people per factory) in mountain towns as a way to diversify the job offerings and invest in the community.

Photos courtesy Voormi

Voormi Lives The Rugged Lifestyle It Aims To Outfit Headquartered more than 7,000 feet above sea level in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, Voormi understands the apparel needs of rugged-living men and women. “If you’re a mountain professional, you need stuff that lasts a very long time and performs to the highest technical level possible,” said Timm Smith, chief marketing officer.

Their material of choice: U.S.-raised wool. The brand uses its trademarked Rocky Mountain Highcountry Merino as the starting point for each of its baselayers, tech tees, hoodies and jackets. Then, depending on the garment, a series of treatments (nylon may be woven in, a DWR-coating may be added) are applied to further augment performance. “We want to be known as delivering professional-grade apparel built from a foundation of natural fibers,” Smith said.

Voormi believes that top-tier apparel should be sourced and sewn on U.S. soil. Bringing a “microbrew approach” to apparel, the company sets up small sewing factories (typically around 10 people per factory) in mountain towns as a way to diversify the job offerings and invest in the community. “It gives people something to do in mountain communities besides work at the restaurant. It gives people a sense of community and a reason to stay,” Smith said.

Of course the tactic is beneficial to the brand as well. Small-batch, local production makes Voormi nimble enough to quickly supply demand, add a new style or tweak a fabric. “We can turn and crank so much faster than anybody who’s producing in Asia because we’re not on long, seasonal development cycles,” Smith said. “We don't order by the container-load.”

Look for Voormi with their small-batch brethren in Outdoor Retailer’s Venture Out section.

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“The emphasis we have as a brand is very much about the growth of the sport - and that’s freeride and freeride touring.”

- Founder Matt Sterbenz

4FRNT Skis Reshapes The Freeride Skiing Category 4FRNT Skis understands what freeride skiers want in their planks - and not just because they occasionally check in with their sponsored athletes. At 4FRNT, the Founder, Marketing Manager, Team Manager and Production lead are themselves either current or former pro athletes. Also, under the rider-owned model, big-name freeriders are offered a piece of ownership in the company in exchange for their help designing a new shape of skis. “We want to always be recognized for utilizing our athletes in the truest form, and by doing so, be at the forefront of the emerging trends in skiing,” said Founder Matt Sterbenz.

The brand got its start in 2002 as the antithesis to the European ski racing brands then dominating the scene. No spandex jumpsuits or flat skis here.

4FRNT’s philosophy on ski making revolves around shape. “Every mountain has a bounty of enjoyment waiting for you, and what’s limiting your satisfaction and creativity in your environment is the shape of the ski you’re on,” Sterbenz said. “We want to approach the sport with a mindset of ‘shaping’ skiing.”

4FRNT’s on-site manufacturing facility allows them to develop the ski shape in-house, test it out in their local Wasatch Mountains, and then, depending on consumer demand, produce locally or send it overseas for replication. Of late, 4FRNT has focused on the backcountry market, working to develop skis that work just as hard on the uphill as they do on the down. “Our focus has been slowly but surely evolving to be less about the mechanical side of skiing and more into the purity of the human-powered side. As our athletes have gotten older, we’ve begun developing new product lines that are more weight-

38 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

conscious and versatile in terms of ski touring, while also offering what skiers have loved about our products’ downhill experience.”

So why come to Outdoor Retail and not the mega ski/ride Snowsports Industries America Show? 4FRNT is going after new customers, retailers who are open to carrying a smaller, independent ski manufacturer, not just the Rossignols and Heads of the world. “OR represents a broader scope of the retail opportunity and the emphasis we have as a brand is very much about the growth of the sport - and that’s freeride and freeride touring,” Sterbenz said.

Head Ski builder, Thayne Rich Photos courtesy 4FRNT

FOOTWEAR

Bye Bye Bulky Boot Lighter, Faster And More Versatile Options Continue To Define Winter Boots

By Thomas J. Ryan

W

hile still looking for the waterproof protection, durability and grip that comes from a quality winter boot, consumers continue to seek out a lighter package and more style.

The fashion push comes from the continuing influence of sneakers on overall outdoor footwear, but also from a greater acceptance of brighter accents and other fashion embellishments to complement the traditional brown or black boot.

And while the hard-core customer still wants all the performance bells and whistles to handle a grueling hike, many are looking for more versatile options including boots they can wear year-round and ones that adapt from outside on the trail to inside the coffee shop or at work.

“When it comes to boots, we notice a shift in customer expectations,” said Nol Gerritse, Keen's outdoor marketing director. “They’ve evolved from traditional hikers, constructed of leather uppers and hearty rubber outsoles to lighter, more athletic silhouettes. As more people get outside, these enthusiasts are turning to more adaptable options.

They’re scouting boots that are technical enough for a day on the trail but can effortlessly transition to a night out.”

“Consumers are looking to brands who can break free of the traditional clunky boot,” said Sue Harvey Brown, Merrell’s marketing manager. “They want to feel good not just physically in the product but mentally, they want to feel confident too.”

The push for versatile options also appears healthy for an industry that continues to grapple with erratic weather patterns. Warm weather this early fall led to a poor start to sales of coldweather merchandise, according to SSI Data*, but

40 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

boots remain in demand, and more multi-purpose options stand a better chance of supporting yearround sales.

Brian Moore, vice president of footwear at The North Face, believes weather has more of an impact on the timing of sales for the industry and also sees the category as healthy with consumers looking for performance options across a wide price range.

“Paying for performance for some might mean spending more than $100 when they normally spend $40 for a pair of canvas sneakers,” Moore said.

“For others it can be $200 for a 400g insulation boot that can withstand temps of 40 below. As long as you are smart with your merchandising, understand the brands where consumers are looking to play and build accordingly, pricing is not an issue.”

He also said that while some brighter colors and fashion twists are working their way into the winter boot category, classically styled products still drive the category and the trust from the consumer. Said Moore, “Winter boots don’t need to have glow-inthe-dark laces or air bags.”

Peter Sachs, general manager of Lowa Boots in the U.S., believes the annual trend in outdoor boots has been performance and sees no signs of that changing. “If it is waterproof, offers good support and stability and is well made, then it is selling,” Sachs said. “Color is also important, especially for women’s boots. In casual shoes we are offering some lightweight, thin profile product that is lightly insulated, waterproof and made for everyday late fall, early winter use but not heavy-duty winter boots. These styles are coming with some wool or tweed textures to make them interesting and have received a nice reception from our early previews.”

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LOWA Lowa’s popular speed hiker will be offered in an “ice” version with the Innox GTX Ice Mid, $230.

The style combines a lightweight synthetic upper with Lowa’s injected PU sole technology and Vibram’s proprietary slip-resistant G3 gripping pods embedded throughout the sole’s rubber for tenacious traction on snow and ice. Gore-Tex’s Panda synthetic fleece provides comfort and warmth while their lining assures waterproofness and breathability.

For women only, the Maggia GTX Mid, $230, is a mid-cut zippered cold-weather boot with a suede and fabric upper. Decorative fleece trim at the cuff provides a little extra warmth and some flair. The Maggia GTX Mid combines the lightweight upper with Lowa’s supportive, shock-absorbing injected PU sole technology. Vibram’s proprietary slip-resistant G3 gripping pods are embedded throughout the sole’s rubber for traction on snow and ice.

features a Climashield protective upper, an injected EVA midsole, and die-cut EVA sock liner.

“Winter boot sales are up, and we’ve had a great initial reception for our Fall/Winter 2016 styles,” said Kristina Owen, commercial associate, Salomon Footwear. “Weather is always a factor for the insulated styles. Prices are rising slightly across the category, driven by increased manufacturing costs. We think the Chalten TS CSWP will do well because it’s a fantastic winter boot with premium features at a very attractive $130 price point.”

ADIDAS Adidas Outdoor is bringing some of its Boost cushioning technology to key winter boots for the first time to make them more comfortable and easier to wear all day.

“Boost is unique in its ability to provide consumers with cushioning and energy return even at very cold temperatures,” said Greg Thomsen, managing director Adidas Outdoor U.S. “Additionally, our proprietary Stealth and Continental rubber outsoles on our winter boots have added exceptional grip in snow and wet conditions. The blend of high performance design and urban outdoor styling continues to be the trend that drives this growing market.”

Highlights include the Terrex Tracefinder, $220, which includes a Boost-enhanced midsole, Climaheat insulation in the collar to keep snow and cold out, a Climaproof membrane for waterproof protection, Primaloft 200g insulation material for warmth, and a Continental rubber outsole for grip.

The CW Winterpitch Mid CP Leather, $160, features a lightweight EVA midsole for long-term cushioning and Stealth rubber outsole for grip. The upper features a modern material mix with nubuck leather, protective synthetic and durable ripstop material as well as a Climaproof membrane for waterproof protection.

VASQUE Vasque will show the Lost 40 for women, $180.

Named after the wild, rugged area in Minnesota, the modern-day mukluk built for extreme cold weather features a removable 7mm felted wool liner, 200g of Thinsulate and an internal midsole of Aerogel to keep feet warm. A two-part zonal lacing system guarantees a snug fit while a Vibram Overland outsole with IceTrek compound gives traction on frozen surfaces.

“Functional versatility is taking precedent over pure lifestyle winter boots,” said Brian Hall, Vasque’s director of product development. “Trim silhouettes with real insulation value is important.”

SALOMON From Salomon, the Chalten TS CS WP features an aggressive Ice Grip rubber outsole and Thinsulate 200g insulation for play in the cold snow. It also

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ASOLO From Asolo, the Alta Via, $425, prevents heel lift which also prevents the foot raising against the tongue. Said Henry Barber, Asolo USA’s sales director, “When the metatarsals on the top of the foot press into the tongue thus cutting off of circulation, the cold sets in.” The boot also utilizes a Gore-Tex membrane and insulation package.

CHACO Rachel Vormittag, Chaco’s product line manager, sees gladiator inspired silhouettes, patina-finished hardware, and tonal colors transitioned by textural shifts reinterpreting traditional outdoor silhouettes for a more modern take on functional style.

“The trend has transitioned into a celebration of versatile simplicity,” Vormittag said. ”The outdoor consumer is looking for simple and well designed product, functional style and authentic minimalism.”

Highlights from Chaco include the Yonder for men and Fields for women, both $190. Both feature a full-grain leather upper with rolled collar and moc toe details, waxed cotton laces with the Fields playing up brass D-ring hardware clasps.

The two styles are supported by a removable, knit-lined Luvseat PU footbed, an EVA midsole,

injection-molded nylon shank and a non-marking ChacoGrip full-rubber block outsole.

KEEN Meshing technology and functionality, Keen is introducing the Aphlex in a Mid, $160, and Low, $150. The waterproof hiker uses proprietary S3 technology designed to enhance structure, stability, and suspension for all-around trail comfort, a contoured TPU armor for weightless lockdown and protection, and a Keen.Dry membrane that lets vapor escape without letting water in.

Ryan Riggs, Keen's senior product manager, outdoor, said the “Keen’s Durand Mid WP has been a success do to the fact that there is no break in period. “We also know that most boot buyers are making the purchase with an end use or goal in mind,” said Riggs. “There is a lot of athletic material and color influence in the market today, but boots have still got to functional and be durable. With that said, weekend hikers to load carrying backpack boots do not to be items that sit in the garage waiting for the next adventure. Today the category is well represented by offerings that meet everyday function and comfort.”

Keen will also be expanding its American Built collection with the launch of the Durand Polar Shell WP and the Durand Polar Mid WP that features Keen.Dry membranes and dual compound snow and ice grip rubber outsoles.

THE NORTH FACE The North Face’s Fall/Winter 2016 collection aims for a balance between functionality and style.“Consumers want to wear their outdoor boots more often, with more outfits,” Moore said. “No longer are they shopping for the pair you stick by the door to shovel the driveway or just take on a ski trip.

They want them to be built for the coldest, wettest days, but look timeless.”

The lightweight ThermoBall Versa, $130, features a waterproof, BLC-compliant, full-grain leather upper with waterproof construction and PrimaLoft ThermoBall synthetic insulation in the collar coupled with 100g PrimaLoft Silver Insulation Eco throughout the vamp. IcePick temperature-sensitive rubber lugs harden when cold for increased grip.

The North Face’s Ultra GTX Surround, $190, focuses on better breathability for winter weather, featuring Gore-Tex’s Surround technology, which couples a full waterproof-breathable inner booty for protection with an underfoot layer that pumps out moisture through side vents.

Lowa Innox GTX Ice Mid

Salomon Chalten TS CS WP

Lowa Maggia GTX

Adidas Outdoor CW Winterpitch Mid CP Leather

Adidas Outdoor Terrex Tracefinder

Vasque Lost 40

Chaco Women's Fields

Chaco Men's Yonder

Asolo Alta Via Keen Aphlex Low

The North Face Thermo Ball Versa

Keen Aphlex Mid The North Face Ultra GTX Surround

TIMBERLAND Playing off the classic wheat nubuck leather the brand is known for Timberland, the North Face’s sister brand, is bringing out the Westbank 6” Waterproof Boot, $190. The boot combines a sturdy Goodyear welt with authentic genuine leather along with an eco-conscious waterproof membrane and recycled mesh lining.

MERRELL From Merrell, Fall 2016 highlights include the Moab FST Ice+ Thermo, $150, a lightweight take on the best-selling multisport shoe. The style is built with 100g of M Select Warm lightweight, lowbulk insulation and an M Select Dry waterproof membrane to keep feet dry and comfortable inside and out. Vibram Arctic Grip provides strong traction on wet icy surfaces. For women, the Sugarbush Tall Waterproof, $300, is a 200g insulated tall boot with signature Merrell blue laces and an inside zip for easy entry.

Kelly Santos, vice president of Bogs, said the leading style for 2016 is the ankle boot that’s as comfortable as it is stylish. Technical materials, like waterproof leather, are also becoming more prominent with consumers essentially looking for the “performance features of a technical boot without the look of a technical boot.”

BOGS Bogs Charlie for women, $130, features its Rebound technology for comfort while 3mm Neo-Tech insulation and a BioGrip outsole provide protection and stability. With signature Bogs pull-on handles, the Cami Lace Tall Wool for women, $180, features Max-Wick and DuraFresh bio-technology that keeps feet fresh while BioGrip provide traction. For men, the Cooper Chukka, $165, features the MaxWick, DuraFresh and Rebound technologies.

ECCO From Ecco, the Biom Terrain Akka Boa GTX, $240, with adjustable Boa Closure System makes it easy to slip in and out of the boot, the direct-injected midsole ensures a snug fit when laced. Yak leather and Gore-Tex waterproof construction keeps feet snug and dry.

OBOZ Oboz is launching an insulated collection for Fall 2016. All five styles feature 200g 3M Thinsulate, winter-specific rubber outsoles, BDry waterproofing and Oboz new Bfit Thermal insole.

Men's BIOM Terrain Boot Photo Courtesy Ecco

“Our launch into the winter boot category came about because our retailers wanted our fit in an insulated product,” said Christian Mason, Oboz sales manager.

Oboz is offering a Bridger 8” Insulated BDry style, $185, for the active enthusiast who hikes or snowshoes through the winter but the rest of the collection is more casual and are well-suited for everyday use.

Highlights include the women’s Madison Insulated Bdry, $165, sporting a BFit Thermal insole amped up for the cold with both wool and mylar, and a zipper opening for easy-on, easy-off For men, the Big Sky Insulated Bdry, $165, plays up a full-grain leather for a rugged look. Two pullon loops and the kick-em-off heel ledge make quick work of getting boots on and off.

MUCK BOOTS Muck Boots is introducing the stylish and casual winter boot, Arctic Aprés Lace, $200.

Fully waterproof with a warm-fleece lining, slipresistant sole, and a sleek leather look, the boot is designed for shoveling the driveway or relaxing in the ski lodge.

“We see a trend in using tones from the mountain,” said Sean O'Brien, Muck’s vice president and general manager. “The consumer is looking for easy-on, easy-off, convenient winter casual. Muck Boots continues to make a push in more fashion-forward styling for the female consumer.”

LA SPORTIVA From La Sportiva, the Trango TRK Leather GTX, $290, is a versatile hiking boot featuring 1.6mm Idro-Perwanger leather uppers with abrasion resistant microfiber reinforcements and anti-slip treatment, paired with a Gore-Tex performance comfort lining and 3d Flex ankle system.

“For many years, the hiking boot selections have been boring brown leather boots but that is changing with REI and other retailers willing to take on some color,” said Jonathan Lantz, president of La Sportiva North America.

In addition to adding three new colors for the Guide Tennie, $140, and one new color for the Guide Tennie Mid, $160, Five Ten is also expanding its Winter Mountain Bike line with the new Freerider EPS with Primaloft Gold insulation.

“People are riding in the worst conditions mud, rain, snow and ice,” reports Five Ten North American sales manager, Rick Reed.

Timberland Westbank 6 Waterproof Boot Bogs Cami Lace Tall Wool

Merrell Moab FST Ice + Thermo

Oboz Women's Madison Insulated Bdry

Ecco Biom Terrain Akka Boa GTX

La Sportiva Trango TRK Leather GTX

Muck Boots Arctic Aprés Lace

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Hi-Tec Trail Ox Winter 200

Sorel Slimpack Lace

Columbia Loveland Omni-Heat

Rockport Berkshire Bevin Boot

Ahnu Women's Tahoe Ridge

Blundstone Twin-Gored Lace-Up

Wolverine Legend Work Boot

Kamik Yukon6

Under Armour UA Infil Hike GTX

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HI-TEX Hi-Tec is partnering with Michelin for Fall 2016 with the Trail Ox Winter 200, $120, featuring a multi-surface rubber outsole. The boot also boasts several of Hi-Tec’s marquis features, including I-Shield protection to repel water and dirt, an OrthoLite Impressions sock liner for cushioning plus the ultra impact-absorbing, high-rebound XLR8 compression-molded EVA midsole. ThermoDri technology and 200g Thinsulate insulation provides warmth and keeps feet dry.

Ian Little, Hi-Tec’s marketing director, describes the overall push for more versatility as a shift from “’outdoor’ to ‘outside’” with consumers needing shoes for a variety of settings. “Consumers might sit in an office, take a walk or short hike for lunch and go out to dinner with friends, all in the same day,” he said.

COLUMBIA Columbia Sportswear also sees a shift in consumer demand for winter boots. “We’ve found that women’s boot sales are not largely weather dependent, especially when products are designed with versatility in mind,” said Brad Bischel, global senior manager of footwear merchandising. “While a hard shell boot may have been appropriate for three months out of the year, our lightweight, waterproof boots for fall 2016 can be worn from the first signs of fall to early spring.”

Highlights for women include the Loveland Omni-Heat, $140, featuring Omni-Tech waterproof breathable seam-sealed membrane bootie construction, an Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective lining, 200g Omni-Heat insulation and a Techlite lightweight midsole for comfort, cushioning and high-energy return. The Heavenly Omni-Heat Print, $140, plays up metal rivets and aglets as well as a faux-fur collar and tongue lining.

SOREL Sorel, a sister brand of Columbia, introduces its largest collection to date, nearly double the size of the 2015 Fall/Winter collection. Inspired by 1970’s boho-chic with its high-heel take, the Addington Lace, $250, features premium waterproof leathers that offer protection without sacrificing style. The Slimpack Lace, $145, offers a sleek silhouette with a classic pac-boot platform. A waterproof full-grain leather upper and industrial-inspired hardware gives the boot a tough yet premium look.

AHNU In a partnership with Polartec, Ahnu introduces

a Comfortable Climate boot collection. The line addresses the challenges of finding the right shoes to wear with the bigger swings in temperatures and weather patterns being seen lately across the country.

“The fabrics allow your body's temperature and movement to regulate its performance, while offering a supremely lightweight waterproof membrane to tackle anything Mother Nature might throw at you,” said Jacqueline Van Dine, cofounder and vice president of Ahnu.

A highlight includes the women’s Cool Climate Twin Peaks, $260, which sports Polartec NeoShell fabric to stop water and wind without restricting the release of excess body heat and moisture vapor.

Super-breathable Alpha insulation regulates core body temperatures during both dynamic and static activities. Another option for women is the Tahoe Ridge, $220, which boasts a premium waterproof full-grain leather, waterproof membrane construction and 200g Thinsulate insulation. A custom Vibram IceTrek outsole provides maximum grip on cold, iced or snowy surfaces that’s ideal for winter hiking.

ROCKPORT From Rockport, the Boat Builders D-Ring Plain Toe Boot for men, $160, features wool accents, rounded toe and lace-up front to provide casual styling while stitch-to-sole construction keeps these boots flexible and durable. Other features include rubber outsole pads to provide a durable grip on a variety of surfaces, a midsole dual density IMEVA for lightweight shock absorption to help reduce foot and leg fatigue, and footbed sponge EVA that conforms to the shape of the foot for a personalize fit.

For women, the Berkshire Bevin Boot, $130, features a textile-warm lining for warm-foot comfort, rubber outsole pads, a footbed sponge EVA, and a 4MM Memory foam layer for a cushioned feel. Both of Rockport’s styles also feature DEWIX anti-microbial lining and truTECH and truTECH+ comfort technology systems for shock absorption.

BLUNDSTONE From Blundstone, the women’s Twin-Gored LaceUp, $200, follows a trend of combining more dresstype outsoles with low-profile lug patterns and a rugged upper.

“It plays into an outdoor inspired style being seen in urban settings,” said Tim Engel, Blundstone’s national sales manager.

UNDER ARMOR Building on the splash created in the outdoor space with the launch of the Fat Tire GTX trail shoe in a collaboration with Michelin Tires, Under Armour is bringing out a rugged all-season hiker, the UA Infil Hike GTX, $219. The load-bearing boot features AnaFoam molded structural support, tuned medial and lateral support wings with a negative heel cavity, a TPU-tuned fork shank, Gore-Tex all-weather protection and a Vibram outsole.

“This is just the beginning for us,” said Chris Lindgren, Under Armour’s vice president of outdoor and training footwear. “We are expanding our resources internally, investing in a broader offering of hiking product for spring as well as fall to serve the needs our athletes across the spectrum of load-bearing boots, speed hike and light hike.”

WOLVERINE Yahn Lebo, product line manger for Wolverine’s work and outdoor footwear, sees the macro trends of athletics and athleisure continuing to influence boot design. A highlight from brand includes the Legend Work Boot, $180, which introduces all-new DuraShocks technology. DuraShocks incorporates Wolverine H-Plate suspension that stabilizes while creating four independently responsive quadrants to harness the energy of each step, along with shock-absorbing sidewalls that compress to absorb shock and return energy.

Said Lebo, “The system provides comparable performance to high-end athletic shoes, but is engineered for heavy and mid-industrial use.” The boot’s chiseled-edge rubber lugs deliver superior grip in varied conditions, shedding mud and debris, and is matched with a waterproof full-grain leather upper and moisture-wicking lining.

Part of the Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection, the Marcelle for women, $320, infuses an archival boot pattern with a feminine last and toe shape.

The Marcelle’s upper is handcrafted from rich leather with delicate detailing and complementary canvas or Harris Tweed. Comfort comes from the traditional Goodyear Welt and a leather outsole with a Vibram heel lift.

KAMIK From Kamik, the Sienna and Yukon6, both $120, are part of the Canadian brand’s new Heritage 1898 Collection that focuses on delivering durable and stylish winter boots for the modern consumer.

Both are U.S.-made.

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Photo courtesy Kamik

The Sienna for women features combo leather and flannel upper as well as a decorative side buckle.

Comfort comes from fixed 200g 3M Thinsulate insulation, a removable Kamik comfort-molded EVA insole, a waterproof and lightweight synthetic rubber shell, and Dove rubber outsole. The Yukon6 features much of the same with waterproof leather upper, a moisture-wicking lining and speed-lacing system with two-hiker hooks. The boot is also supported by a removable antibacterial comfort foam insole, a synthetic rubber shell and goose synthetic rubber outsole.

GARMONT After a strong re-entry into North America in 2015, Garmont will debut its Fall 2016 collection of alpine boots and shoes featuring the brand’s Anatomically Directed Design (a.d.d.). Elements of a.d.d. include more room for the first metatarsal enhancing balance; an asymmetrical lace closure system allowing the foot to flex naturally; a lateral tongue post that places more padding on the outside to

keep the heel in the pocket; plus asymmetrical heel cuffs and ankle pockets for a more custom fit.

A highlight for Garmont in the Trail Sport category is the Pro Mid Gore-Tex, $190, designed for faster, subalpine hikes. The style also features a mesh upper for breathability. Gore-Tex lining and the Garmont Hypergrip outsole keeps adventurers secure in difficult terrain.

SPERRY From Sperry, the Sojourn Duck Chukka, $110, features rubber duck toe construction and a nubuck upper with a neoprene bootie for a secure fit. A contoured, compression molded EVA midsole provides lightweight cushioning and shock absorption while a skeletal molded rubber outsole with molded Wave-Siping provides flexibility and wet/dry traction.

THOMAS BATES Thomas Bates introduces the 100-percent American Bison Leather Collection. Highlight product is the

Montana Hiker, $235, designed with a distressedburnished tan Bison leather upper and a Goodyear welt rubber hiking sole. A suede padded collar and tongue and a moisture-wicking removable Dri-Lex footbed enhances the comfort level for this lace-up boot for men. The Colorado Chukka for men, $210, also features a100-percent American Bison leather upper, a crepe rubber outsole and a full-leather lining. A padded collar and a leather instep with arch add to the comfort and support of the shoe.

“The Fall 2016 trend is for rugged looking boots for comfortable casualwear,” said Thomas Bates, owner and president of the brand. “Bison is the perfect leather for this application. The high oil content naturally creates softness and durability, as well as water repellency. There’s no breaking in, but still has the strength for outdoor use.” *SSI Data, powered by SportsOneSource, provides actionable weekly sales trend reporting for the active lifestyle market. To schedule a demo or to learn more call 303.997.7302

Sperry Sojourn Duck Chukka

Garmont Pro Mid GTX

48 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Thomas Bates Montana Hiker

It’s What’s Inside...

ortholite.com

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FABRIC TECHNOLOGY

Ingredient Brands Bring Tech to Life While The Consumer-Facing Brands Tend To Steal The Spotlight At The Trade Shows, It’s Worth Checking In On Key New Technologies From The Ingredient Brands Behind The Glitz And Glamour

By SGB Staff

W.L. GORE W.L. Gore & Associates launches a bevy of new products and a rebranding of sorts that will take the company away from exclusively 100-percent waterproof/ breathable ingredient products.

First up is a makeover of its Gore-Tex Active three-layer, waterproof/ breathable technology, now featuring a “permanent beading surface.” The tech puts the membrane on the outside, eliminating the need for a face fabric, significantly lightening the product and preventing wet outs of the exterior surface. Gore sees the product doing well for street, trail, and mountain running; and road cycling. It is rolling out first in just three brands: Castelli, Arc’teryx and The North Face; as well as in Gore Bike and Gore Running Wear.

No face fabric also means no DWR. An expansion for Gore into new, “water-resistant” categories is intended to address gaps between hard and soft shell protection, plus add insulation, company officials said. The new technology is part of a broader strategy of future innovations under an updated “Gore Branded Products” nomenclature and branding to represent its non-Gore-Tex products. The “Gore-Tex” ingredient mark stays the same and will continue to represent guaranteed waterproof/ breathable protection, including the Gore-Tex Active, Gore-Tex, and Gore-Tex Pro designations, as well as the new Gore-Tex C-Knit construction available this fall in jackets from more than a dozen brands.

New products include a first-ever two-layer membrane designed to be used with insulation (ie. puffy jackets), introduced as Gore Thermium. This new spin on an ePTFE shell construction promises to be windproof, water-resistant and breathable – but not waterproof. The laminate will need to be seam sealed and coupled with a partner brand’s insulation of choice sandwiched with an inner lining.

A new Gore Windstopper fabric is being described in two primary categories - products with Light Rain Resistance and products with Insulation Protection - while conglomerating technologies previously called Active Shell, Soft Shell and Technical Fleece.

50 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Lastly is the new Light Rain Resistance technology, meant to protect from drizzle and extend the usability of a soft shell. The new Insulation Protection will be used in jackets designed for high-intensity output in cold climates, keeping wind at bay while letting sweat out.

TEFLON ECOELITE Environmental concerns have most of the outdoor industry moving away from previous DWR chemistries, being replaced by a new crop of non-fluorinated fabric treatments.

Teflon brings its new EcoElite finish, which is manufactured with 63 percent plant-based raw materials. Teflon claims the treatment is three-times more durable than existing non-fluorinated repellants and maintains breathability.

It’s compatible with common finishing auxiliaries, including resins and crosslinking agents and it’s not made with genetically modified organisms and not made with alkyl phenol ethoxylates.

PRIMALOFT INC. GOLD INSULATION ACTIVE PrimaLoft, Inc., one of the biggest players in high-performance insulations and fabrics, will expand its active-insulation platform with the launch of PrimaLoft Gold Insulation Active - providing breathable four-way stretch performance

Photo courtesy W.L. Gore

and warmth designed for high-output adventures. Its construction enables excess heat and moisture to escape. A proprietary finish and manufacturing process locks tiny PrimaLoft fibers in place, preventing them from migrating through fabrics, allowing for use with more breathable, open weave, and stretch materials. It’s designed to be worn all year, potentially eliminating the need for putting on and taking off layers during high-output outdoor activities.

Additionally, product designers may now use a wider variety of stretch shell, breathable outer, and liner fabrics, resulting in more year-round versatile choices for manufacturers to bring to market. It is Bluesign approved.

TERNUA NEOKDUN RECYCLED, HYDROPHOBIC DOWN Spain-based outdoor technical apparel brand Ternua is looking to distinguish itself in North America with its recycled down insulation - salvaged from older down products - and now also available in a water-repellant version.

“Ternua has always had a strong sustainable philosophy, so consumers can feel good about purchasing a high performance down products that not only have the latest technology, but also makes very little impact on the environment,” said Bruce Barrows, vice president of sales and marketing in North America for Ternua.

Ternua’s recycled down, which it calls Neokdun, comes from down products that have reached the end of their own product life cycle. The down is collected, sanitized and then treated with Nikwax’s PFC-free DWR finish to add water repellent protection.

Ternua will be offering recycled hydrophobic down a variety of downinsulated outerwear for 2016, including the Ladakh 300, Ladakh 160 and the Quantum.

The brand Nau is also introducing a line of recycled down products.

PERTEX CS10 The ingredient brand best known for providing an extremely lightweight exterior for down jackets is beefing up its recipe for the fabric with the debut of what it's calling CS10 technology.

The new tech, to be featured in Fall/Winter 2016/17 pieces by Berghaus, Montane, Mammut, Peak Performance and Salewa, utilizes yarns with

diamond-shaped filaments, which lock together better than traditional circular-filament yarns to provide a highly stable construction.

"These tightly interlocking filaments give the fabrics superb abrasion resistance along with improved water-beading properties," company officials said. "And while highly durable, these fabrics are exceptionally soft to the touch, extremely downproof, and lend a beautiful sheen."

DOWNLITE Downlite, a responsibly-sourced down and feather processor (RDS and 100-percent TDS certified) partners with Patagonia, The North Face, Lululemon, Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Montbell, Ralph Lauren among others. Downlite will present its Evolution of Down theme and share more information about its product offering to include Active-Dri Down, fluorocarbon-free Nikwax Hydrophobic Down and PUR Down.

NOBLE BIOMATERIALS | X -STATIC Noble Biomaterials, maker of X-STATIC odor-eliminating, silver fiber technology featured in Lululemon, Giro, Bell, Fox River and SunIce, among other products, will highlight its XT2 and CircuiteX innovations. XT2 offers all-day, odor-free technology for the life of a garment and can also be dyed for design flexibility. CircuiteX enables electronics integration and protection in wearable technology garments.

PITTARDS LEATHER Since 1826, Pittards has provided the leather for gloves for yacht racers, Spitfire pilots and football players, but continues being pulled toward wintersport products. Featured in 2016 gloves like the Pow Alpha GTX and Outdoor Research Product Gloves, Pittards uses Cabretta or “hairsheep” skins that pack finer hair follicles and high tensile strength – perfect for quality glove making.

Today, the company has more than a dozen performance leathers, each with unique polymer properties and treatments depending on desire for more waterrepellency, warmth, stain resistance, grip and even fire retardancy. Although Pittards retails its own bags, gloves and apparel, its leather is stitched into offerings from Berghaus, Jaguar, Hi-Tec, Franklin and Skora, to name a few.

PrimaLoft Marmot Paragon Jacket PrimaLoft L.L.Bean Moutain Jacket

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APPAREL

Technical Outerwear Remains The Show Stopper Industry Peers Weigh In On The Latest And Greatest In Outerwear, And Why It Matters

By Aaron H. Bible

E

very year we study color trends, fabrics, zippers, our crystal ball, and any other tools to understand the best way to design and sell technical apparel for outdoor sports. Consumer demand, availability from mills, factories and ingredient partners, and insights from last season all weigh in on crucial design factors. Here we look at a broad sampling of manufacturers showing at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and distill the trends for you to follow that are popping up across the show floor. It won’t be hard to spot these four key trends as you navigate the show floor with this issue in hand.

52 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Key Trends To Watch: 1. Urbanization 2. Versatility 3. Stretch Insulation 4. The never-ending quest for a superior waterproof-breathable BLACK DIAMOND From the minds of the design team and hardcore product users at Black Diamond (BD) come a number of exciting introductions in Fall 2016 apparel. BD introduces the Helio Collection, which the company describes as incorporating

both apparel and equipment, designed for ski mountaineers “who demand performance and security at the lightest possible weight.” Engineered to withstand abuse in alpine terrain and built from BD’s advanced materials, each piece is optimized for fast-and-light missions.

The Helio Shell for men is a key component of the Helio Collection, created as a ski-mountaineer and ultralight alpinist’s dream. The Helio Shell is BD’s lightest Gore-Tex jacket with C-Knit backer, featuring less crunchiness and ultimate packability (370 grams). From BD’s insulation category, First Light Hoody for men and women

Black Diamond Helio Men's Shell

covers everything from first tracks to first ascents, making it the quintessential piece for up and down movement. With lightweight stretch Schoeller and PrimaLoft Silver Insulation Active, it’s BD’s most breathable insulation piece. Migrationresistant PrimaLoft Silver Insulation Active retains 91 percent warmth when wet.

Also for Fall 2016, BD will deliver the Project Collection: a climbing apparel collection that taps into our universal desire to improve - an ideal that is consistent between gym and outdoor climbing, said the brand, in the same way climbers are transitioning more seamlessly from indoor to

Outdoor Research Centrifuge Hoody

outdoor routes. The collection includes essential pieces that make up a climber’s kit: Boulder Hoody, Notion Pants, Warrior Tank, Stone Duffle, Mojo Chalk Bag, Solution Harness, GridLock Magnetron and ATC Belay Device.

OUTDOOR RESEARCH According to Jordan Wand, VP of product and marketing at Outdoor Research (OR), “prior to advancements and innovation in garment design and insulation technology, it wasn't possible to have pieces of apparel that kept you warm while also allowing you to work hard and not overheat.

As athletes' interests continue to trend toward relatively shorter efforts where they are making light and fast moves, active insulation becomes more and more relevant.” OR began designing active insulation in Fall 2014 and continues to advance the category with 13 styles for men and women including nine updated styles.

“We continue to see interest growing in ski product that works as well going uphill as it does going down,” Wand continued. “One of the best innovations to help skiers stay protected from the weather while also having superior breathability and comfort is our AscentShell technology.

Launched in Spring 2016, we are introducing the next generation of this technology for skiing in Fall 2016, utilizing a proprietary electrospun membrane for just the right amount of air permeability to aid in comfort."

“Outdoor consumers continue to look for that perfect combination of performance and style,” continued Wand. “No longer are these characteristics mutually exclusive. For Fall 2016, we are introducing several styles that allow the athlete to have innovative warmth with aesthetics that are broadly appealing.” And, no matter what the industry is calling it today - trail to town, urban exploration, etc. - “the trend of product that looks as good as it works continues to rule the day,” said Wand. “The perfect combination of technical fabrics that don't look overly techy paired with a stylish silhouette and massive attention to detail continues to resonate with outdoor consumers.”

OR’s unisex Razoredge Hooded jacket, $235, adds exterior weather protection to an insulated jacket that vents moisture and heat in aerobic situations, thanks to a pairing of fabrics and insulation technology, and adding versatility. The exterior is stretch waterproof/breathable Ventia softshell fabric. Primaloft Silver Active insulation traps heat but the air-permeable Pertex Microlight lining allows moisture to vent out. The Microlight lining also glides easily over inner layers for enhanced movement. “Dynamic Reach Underarm Panels” mean the jacket stays in place on the lower body when reaching overhead.

The unisex Centrifuge Hoody, $180, is built for high-intensity winter activities and changing weather by pairing two different types of wicking Polartec PowerGrid fabrics with light, stretchy waterproof/ breathable fabric overlay in the front, shoulders, top of arms and hood for freedom of movement.

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Bergans of Norway Kongsberg Insulated Jacket Bergans of Norway Flora Hybrid Women’s Jacket

OR’s unisex Skyward Jacket, $350, uses the brand’s AscentShell fabric to pair air permeability with a fully waterproof construction and mechanical stretch…all in one layer. With the feel of a softshell and the performance of a hardshell, Skyward offers ski specific features such as a standup collar paired with helmet-compatible hood, internal Shove-It pockets and ThumbDrive cuff closures that integrate with undercuff gloves.

BERGANS OF NORWAY Bergans is launching technical ski, outdoor and lifestyle jackets. Layering is still important to this renowned European brand, but Bergans is riding the growing trend toward insulated pieces, and the continued use of synthetic and down blend mix insulations, and softer-shell outer fabrics. Bergans has also been using more hybrid insulations, such as wool and Primaloft Gold. This year they are again using Primaloft Gold and will add a synthetic down called Air Flake to the ranks.

From Bergans’ Slingsby ski touring and mountaineering line, the Strandåtind Jacket (phonetic pronunciation: strawn-doh-tin), $299, is a classic lightweight, down-style jacket, but is insulated with AirFlake, the synthetic fiber insulation with the same shape and consistency of down, but with “superior recovery after compression and breathability compared to down;” plus it’s quick drying and hypoallergenic. The Strandåtind is made of two-way stretch windproof and water-repellent fabric with a high collar, articulated elbows, and extended back.

The Kongsberg Insulated Jacket (phonetic

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pronunciation: congs-berg), $239, is a four-way stretch softshell insulated with PrimaLoft Gold Active. Designed to provide warmth and freedom of movement for alpine skiing, it features articulated elbows, tailored sleeve closures, extended back, fixed hood customized for helmets, underarm vents, and arm, and chest and sleeve pockets.

It’s got a low-key lifestyle look for the lodge or around town. All fabrics and insulation used in the Kongsberg are Bluesign approved.

The Florian Hybrid Men’s Jacket (phonetic pronunciation: flew-ri-an), $259, is from Bergans' lifestyle and travel line, which consists of smart, everyday garments beefed up with protective properties of technical clothing. It’s a hybrid jacket made with Pontetorto Tecnowool, a soft wool/ poly mix on the shoulders, and wind and waterrepellant softshell fabric on the torso, sleeves and hood. Together, the two fabrics provide excellent insulation, natural temperature regulation and wicking and protection from the wind and rain.

The Flora Hybrid Women’s Jacket (phonetic pronunciation: flew-rah), $259, is also from Bergans' lifestyle and travel line. Flora has a fixed hood, two front pockets, zippered front with snap button storm flap and elastic cuffs.

HELLY HANSEN “When it comes to consumers and products, we see a wider variety within the ski consumer, especially with women. This is being driven by the everevolving fashion industry. Women are more used to expressing themselves through apparel and you can see this on the slopes in terms of more

Helly Hanson Powderqueen Women's Jacket

variety of silhouettes,” said Philip Tavell, category managing director for Helly Hansen (HH). “More products and decisions are driven by consumer insight instead of top down and this is very obvious in our garments where we integrate direct feedback from the professionals we work with.”

Starting in 2015 and continuing through 2016, the ULLR freeride collection is developed with HH’s free-skiing ambassadors and pays homage to North mythology - borrowing its name from the Norse god of snow.

The Elevation Shell Jacket, $650, is built around a HH Tech Professional 3L fabric with Flow membrane enabling breathability and protection in combination with the innovative H2Flow venting system. It has a longer length with a relaxed tailored fit and pockets and ventilation zips designed to work with a backpack. Features include hi-viz details and brim, large adjustable cuffs, flex inserts for extra movement while using a back protector, jacket-pant compatible powder skirt, ski pass pocket, goggle shammy and Recco advanced rescue integration. The Elevation Shell Pant, $400, has a tailored relaxed freeride cut built with similar features.

The Sogn Jacket, $350, will deliver protection with soft HH Tech Performance 2L fabric in combination with PrimaLoft insulation and the innovative H2Flow venting system. A relaxed fit and backpack friendly pockets ensure access and hi-viz details keep you easy to spot in the lift line. The Sogn Cargo Pant, $160, offers weather protection in relaxed fitting PrimaLoft insulated freeride pants.

The breathable, waterproof, PrimaLoft insulated women’s Powderqueen Jacket, $375, is built for freeride days on big mountains with a relaxed, longer fit. Features include HH Tech Performance 2L fabric, H2Flow, jacket-pant compatible powder skirt, goggle shammy and Recco.

HH will also introduce the women’s Odin Flow Jacket, $250, the Dry Performance Crew, $40, Wasatch Shell Pant, $475, women’s Warm Freeze Half-Zip, $100, women’s Welsey Trench Insulated, $240, and Royan Insulated Jacket, $200.

MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR “Everyone is warm and dry now, so design aesthetic and style is more important than ever to stay relevant and continue to grab the consumer’s attention” said Steve Adams, outerwear PLM for Mountain Hardwear (MH). “For Fall 2016 we continue to be inspired by building technical outerwear and pushing innovation through materials and construction, but more than ever we are focused on comfort and style.”

Stretch Down is the big story for MH, featuring stretch material plus welded seams that expand unlike traditional stitched seams, creating “a more durable, form fitting, comfortable jacket.”

The StretchDown RS Jacket for and women, $280,

features weather-resistant 15D Ghost Lite face fabric combined with welded channel construction and stretch knit lining for both warmth and mobility. A non-ripstop version of the StretchDown comes at $250.

The Sharkstooth Jacket, $250, is a breathable alpine shell with three-layer Dry.Q Elite fabrication.

Soft to the touch but tough in wet and cold, this outerlayer is for alpine endeavors and backcountry missions. It features a suite of hand, chest and interior pockets for gear management, pit zips and helmet compatible, adjustable hood with wire brim.

MH is also introducing a full line of technically inspired lifestyle apparel including the Winter Bridger Long-Sleeve Tunic, $75, the Sarafin LongSleeve Bomber Sweater, $130, and Yuba Pass Fleece Lined Shacket, $120. “As weather patterns, where people live, and the economy change, an outdoor brand like MH needs to adapt immediately. What that means for our sportswear line is we have to be considerate of all of these subjects at all times.

Fabrics need to be able to be more transitional, stylish, and colors need to be relevant for longer periods of time,” said Jennifer Zollars, Sportswear product line manager at MH. “The women’s Sarafin Bomber Sweater for example is a reclaimed wool/ poly sweater that is performance fabric in a stylish,

modern and relevant silhouette that will attract our current consumer and grab the attention of a more youthful consumer.”

MONTANE A key offering from Montane is the Featherlite Down Pro Pull-On, $329, packing serious warmth into a lightweight design with versatile features for climbing, mountaineering and high alpine adventures. Montane’s “active mountain fit” combines with a micro baffle construction to “balance warmth with unimpeded dynamic movement.” Insulation is 150g of 90/10 Allied Feather & Down Titanium water resistant HyperDRY ECO goose down at 800+ fill power.

The Pertex Quantum CS-10 face fabric uses unique diamond shaped nylon yarns and optimum thread count for a fabric resistant to snagging and abrasion. The pull-on design features a deep front zip used for venting and access to internal layers and pockets. The insulated, helmet compatible hood adds warmth and weather protection, and a kangaroo pocket provides accessible warmth for hands and extra storage. Its zippered front pocket is positioned clear of backpack or climbing harness and doubles as a storage pouch. Features include internal side mesh pocket, adjustable

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ARC’TERYX Arc’teryx is trending with an upgrade to its Alpha SV, with waterproof zippers and seam technology.

They’re also riding the air permeable insulation bandwagon with pieces such as the Proton and Satoro. First appearing in 1998 and most recently redesigned in 2012, the Fall 2016 Alpha SV Jacket, $749, once again takes center stage with a complete redesign and textile upgrade, featuring N100p-X face fabric laminated to waterproof/breathable 3L Gore-Tex Pro and the RS Zipper Slider - an exclusive Arc’teryx self-sealing zipper technology that eliminates the need for bulky zipper covers.

“The N100p-X face fabric achieves the best results of any face fabric we’ve ever tested from W.L. Gore and Associates,” said Greg Grenzke, Arc’teryx apparel designer. “It provides nearly twice the abrasion resistance of the already bombproof N80p-X face fabric that we previously used in the Alpha SV.” It is also lighter overall having been optimized with an updated design, materials and construction.

“The weight reduction was achieved by minimizing the seam allowances and using smaller 8mm seam tape, plus the application of the RS Zipper Sliders, which further eliminates weight and streamlines the overall aesthetic,” Grenzke said. “The legendary Alpha SV Jacket becomes simultaneously lighter weight and more durable, all while staying a timeless classic that remains true to its origins.”

As with all of the company’s alpine products, the Alpha SV Jacket will be manufactured in the stateof-the-art Arc’teryx factory in Canada.

The brand is also introducing an assort of air permeable insulated garments using curated, robust material combinations that offer thermal regulation due to a balance of air permeability and insulation. “These precise material combinations enable excess heat and humidity to pass through the entire layer for improved thermal regulation when worn as an outer layer,” said Jon Rockefeller, senior product line manager. “This active air flow encourages faster drying times and promotes breathability when worn under a waterproof/ breathable hardshell, allowing active users to stay more comfortable during strenuous physical activity in the harshest alpine environments.”

The air permeable Proton Collection consists of three jacket styles for men and women (Proton AR Hoody, Proton LT Jacket and Proton LT Hoody),

each tuned for alpine, ice/expedition, and rock climbing with technical features and systems intended to maximize personal performance. Each Proton garment features multiple levels of Coreloft continuous insulation for warmth, Fortius Air 40 on the exterior for wind and water resistance, and a lining constructed of Permeair 20 for breathability.

The Protons also feature the No Slip Zip, which works like a series of speed bumps keeping the main zipper from self-opening. The Axino/Axina Knicker is a low profile, air permeable, insulated knicker that delivers additional core insulation when used in conjunction with hardshell pants or bibs.

Designed for the challenges of high-output mountain running, the groundbreaking Norvan SL Hoody utilizes the est and lightest fabric from W.L. Gore. Gore-Tex with Permanent Beading Surface is a revolutionary ultralight fabric technology that continuously repels water. The outer surface of the jacket is the weather barrier, preventing absorption of water and eliminating the need for an exterior fabric that can wet out. By removing the face fabric it not only reduces the overall weight of the garment but also increases breathability, creating a greater level of comfort for a runner during aerobic activities. The result, said Arc’teryx, is the lightest, waterproof, windproof, breathable Gore-Tex jacket available.

NUDOWN NuDown, the outerwear brand utilizing compressed air as insulation, will introduce an expanded Fall 2016 line featuring jackets, vests and now, midlayers. NuTech, its proprietary technology, enables personalized warmth on-demand with a stowable, pocket-sized hand pump. Redesigned air chambers feature a pattern resulting in greater flexibility during movement when bending and sitting. The construction increased insulation capacity in the upper torso and has an athletic fit. Fall 2016 styles have a revamped pump that is smaller and ergonomic for increasing and decreasing warmth levels.

“NuDown has proven the warmth and range of a down parka, minus the down. It’s the air, not the feathers, that insulates. Active outdoor enthusiasts are demanding cleaner, more ethical technology to perform or simply enjoy the great outdoors,” said Bob Hall, NuDown CEO. “Being able to adjust warmth levels on-the-go eliminates the need to stop in the middle of a great powder day to stow a layer. If the wind picks up and the temperatures

Mountain Hardwear StretchDown Men's RS Jacket

Arc’teryx Alpha SV Jacket

NuDown Women's Echo Lake Mid-layer Vest

56 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Patagonia Men's Stretch Nano Storm Jacket

Columbia OutDry Ex Diamond Heatzone Jacket

drop, it’s easy to adjust with a quick pump of air. It is a perfect piece for traveling, as it’s easy to compress, and with a 30 to 40-degree temperature variation, can be used in a variety of climates.”

The mid-layer Approach collection includes the Lake Tahoe Mid-layer Jacket, $300, and Echo Lake Mid-layer Vest for men and women, $250, featuring NuTech air chambers on the front torso with breathable, four-way stretch Polartec Hardface fleece on the backside. NuDown midlayers are three-season pieces designed to be worn during a variety of activities. Building on its Alpine collection of jackets and vests, NuDown will debut its Diamond Peak Jacket for men and women, $750, completely revamped from its 2015 style.

NuDown’s Alpine collection includes the Squaw Peak Jacket and Mount Whitney Vest for men and women. Both styles now feature a 20-denier fabric.

Additional features include PrimaLoft insulation in hoods and sleeves, Polartec fabrics, breathable, ultra-wicking liners, YKK waterproof zippers and Recco reflectors. Entrepreneur Jeff Pickett founded NuDown when he purchased the apparel side of Klymit, a Utah-based maker of outdoor equipment and apparel, in a friendly spinout in 2013.

PATAGONIA From Patagonia in Fall 2016 comes a deeper dive into recycled and up-cycled materials, from its pinnacle performance pieces to tried and true sportswear.

“For years we’ve been searching for a synthetic insulation that meets our performance standards for technical pieces and also does better by the environment,” the brand said. “But it’s been remarkably difficult to reduce impact without sacrificing performance. Patience and persistence paid off. We challenged our partners at Primaloft to come up with a solution, and this year they have.

The challenge resulted in Primaloft Gold Insulation Eco, a synthetic insulation with 55-percent recycled content and 100-percent performance. We were so impressed with it that we converted our entire Nano Puff collection for Fall 2016. This challenge is a bold shift that could change the future of synthetic insulation for good.”

Also in Fall 2016 Patagonia is emphasizing its Recycled Down - a mix of 600 fill-power goose and duck down reclaimed from used items that offer identical performance to virgin down. In 2014 they introduced Traceable Down from birds that were never live-plucked or forcefed. Products include Bivy Down Jackets, Hooded and Reversible Bivy

Down Vests, men’s Down Snap-T Pullover and the mens and women’s Down Shirt.

In the Alpine category, the Stretch Nano Storm is the perfect combo of the same FullRange insulation in the Nano Air, with a waterproof/ breathable H2No Shell. “The best of both worlds in terms of waterproof breathable insulation for alpinists,” the brand said. “We’re coming out with a Refugitive Pant (after all the success we have seen with the Refugitive Jacket this year), these will have the same lightweight Gore C-Knit backer as the jacket does.”

And with Yulex Wetsuits, Patagonia launches the world’s first “Neoprene Free” wetsuit line. A world and surf industry first, Patagonia will convert its entire full-suit wetsuit line (21 suits) to Neoprenefree, plant based materials.

COLUMBIA The big Fall 2016 story from Columbia is that the timeless brand is incorporating its OutDry Extreme membrane into several ski and insulated outerwear pieces.

“No one in the industry offers the range of insulation options or the waterproof-breathable technologies that we are providing to the market,” said Woody Blackford, VP of design and innovation at Columbia. “We’ve taken our award winning OutDry Extreme technology and reimagined down jackets by making them totally waterproof, windproof and the most breathable, versatile jackets on the mountain. We made this collection for people who work hard when they are outdoors and demand tough, versatile products that meet the needs of their varied outdoor pursuits. Versatility is a key attribute for Columbia apparel and this carries over to our Fall 2016 lifestyle collection. We’ve found that many people, especially Millennials, seek lifestyle and technical apparel that has a cotton hand feel while still retaining the performance qualities needed to stay warm and dry in the outdoors.”

The OutDry Ex Diamond Heatzone Jacket, $750, provides waterproof protection and warmth with OutDry Extreme technology, 1000 TurboDown fill and Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective lining. The jackets represent the best of the brand for Fall 2016.

The OutDry Ex Diamond Down Insulated Jacket, $500 men’s and women’s, was designed with fit and feature sets tested and approved by professional skiers. Constructed with a waterproof/ breathable, fully seam sealed membrane and an 800-fill power down insulation, the jacket includes

Columbia Bugaboo 1986 Interchange Jacket

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Adidas Terrex Radical CrewNeck Jacket

underarm venting, an adjustable snap back powder skirt and drop tail. The complimentary OutDry Ex Gold Down Hooded Jacket, $250, boasts 650-fill power down insulation.

A waterproof ski pant with Omni-Heat insulation and Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective lining for breathable warmth, the Titanium Insulated Pant, $250, is constructed with a stretch fabric for increased mobility and thoughtful design features such as leg venting and bottom zips for quick access to boots and bindings.

Part of its Pacific Northwest Original series, Columbia is re-issuing the famed 1986 Bugaboo Jacket, $200, that helped put them on the map as an outerwear and skiwear company. The Bugaboo 1986 Interchange Jacket is an 80s throwback featuring bright colors and a retro silhouette in a fully functional 3-in-1 ski jacket.

ADIDAS OUTDOORS “The single biggest trend I see for Fall 2016 is the urbanization of performance outdoor apparel,” said Greg Thomsen, Adidas Outdoor U.S. managing director. “We see continued growth in our bestselling Wandertag jacket category, including rain shells, insulated jackets and zip-in, zip-out 3-in-1 insulated styles. All of these styles have fully taped seams, are waterproof-breathable, and have a more urban travel appearance but with the foundation and performance features of a mountaineering parka.”

“I think the three biggest drivers of design trends are style, innovation and value,” continued the multidecade outdoor apparel veteran. “For Fall 2016, value will take a leading role, with performance innovation combined with urban styling.”

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Marmot Le Meije Jacket

The Terrex Radical Hoodie, men’s $225, features an athletic fit and Polartec Alpha insulation. The Terrex Radical Crew Neck Jacket, men’s $149, also features Polartec Alpha with a 100-percent Polyester Ripstop shell. Also is the Terrex Solo Wool Hoodie, men’s $249, featuring Polartec Power Wool, combining the advantages of natural and synthetic fibers in a bi-component fabric. Pertex Equilibrium transports moisture away from the skin to the outside of the fabric. The Terrex Climaheat Techrock Hooded Fleece, men’s $225, features an athletic fit and is made from Polartec Climaheat high loft fleece for optimal warmth and comfort. Hybrid construction combines the advantages of different performance fabrics in respective body zones. The Terrex Skyclimb Top, men’s $225, features Polartec Alpha, Polartec power grid and Pertex Equilibrium in hybrid construction.

The Terrex Agravic PrimaLoft Jacket, women’s $299, features an athletic fit and Primaloft Gold synthetic insulation. Pertex Quantum GL offers the best strength to weight ratio. Reflective yarn creates high visibility in the dark. The Terrex Solo Wool Hoody, women’s $225, features Polartec power wool and Pertex Equilibrium. The Terrex Climaheat Techrock Hooded Fleece, women’s $199, is made with Climaheat fleece for optimal warmth and comfort and Polartec high loft fleeces. The Terrex Skyclimb Top, women’s $195, features Formotion, providing the ultimate performance and comfort in motion. Pertex Equilibrium provides moisture transport.

MARMOT Brian LaPlante, Marmot’s category merchandise manager for outerwear, is one of the great industry

High Sierra Mens Molo Mercury

proponents for active insulation, and that is reflected in the company’s Fall 2016 innovations.

“Active insulation, like soft shells were for us 10 years ago, is kind of a paradigm shift,” LaPlante said. “It’s not just a single garment, it’s more a continuum of garments…different pieces for different types of end use, as no one garment does everything perfectly. And not tied to one activity.”

With the Marmot name tied so closely to shells and insulation over the years, LaPlante’s team was actually one of the first to use the term “active insulation,” about four years ago.

A standout in Marmot’s insulated category, the $375 Terrawatt Jacket’s composite baffle construction redefines the idea of hybrid construction. With 800fill goose down insulation it provides outstanding “three-dimensional thermal migration” across lateral and vertical layers (575.5g).

The cutting-edge look and performance of the Gore-Tex Le Meije Jacket, $550, is a must for serious big-mountain freeride skiers. With a tailored fit and fine detailing the Alchemist Jacket, $600, is the pinnacle of Marmot’s Vail ski collection, blending technology and refinement. Made of Dermizax 4-way stretch fabric for mobility and comfort, it's insulated by 700-fill do with welded baffle construction. The Alchemist is fully featured with a removable hood, powder skirt, and a Recco Avalanche Rescue Reflector.

Playing to the versatility story, the Gore-Tex women’s Cheeky Pant, $450, three-layer ski pant is a unique and stylish snowsport pant. Born out of true problem solving, the insulated short makes the coldest days more comfortable and is removable for warmer days. “We are adding value by increasing versatility,” said La Plante.

The Astrum Jacket, $250, is the est addition to the Marmot outdoor active insulation collection, featuring Thermal R Active stretch insulation.

Astrum is made for movement with a durable lightweight 40-denier stretch shell and a stretch AirExchange lining. “Put it on in the morning, leave it on all day,” said the brand.

HIGH SIERRA Well known for its backpacks and ski travel luggage, High Sierra is now a player in the winter apparel market, first launching at Summer Outdoor Retailer. Their mantra is “quality at a value.” The Men’s and Women’s Molo Hybrid, $89, are hybrid insulation pieces that offer mid-weight warmth without sacrificing comfort or movement.

The quilted water- resistant body and fleece side panels wick moisture, and it’s said to be perfect for everyday use or staying warm and hunkering down from the elements. For Fall 2016 High Sierra will be expanding its apparel collection to include additional heavy-duty winter apparel for women, as well as kids winter apparel that utilizes the same prints and colors that are well-known in the company’s bags.

SIERRA DESIGNS Sierra Designs is freshening its image and expanding on its collection of outerwear to offer versatile grab-and-go pieces that perform in the three basic conditions faced in the outdoors – Go, Stop, and Rain.

Go Down styles prevent overheating while on the “Go.” Fabrics are more breathable and provide more venting options to allow heat to escape; and featuring a lower level of DriDown insulation and

Sierra Designs Duck DriDown Bomber Jacket

a strategic use of synthetic insulation in side panels and sleeves to reduce heat buildup. When you stop hiking/skiing/moving and you want to prevent “flash off ” or cooling the body too quickly, you put on a warmer insulated piece – those they call “Stop Down.” These pieces block the wind, provide more insulation and focus on keeping body warmth from escaping.

Designed in a classic bomber silhouette, the 800 Fill Power Duck DriDown Bomber Jacket for women, $189, offers technical performance camouflaged as a soft-handed, street-savvy jacket. A thin PU coating in the shell prevents down leaks and provides water and wind protection. The fabric is an ultra-soft, lightweight stretch woven in a relaxed fit allowing room for baselayers.

The go-anywhere men’s Long Sleeve 800-Fill DriDown Shirt, $175, is built as the prefect addition to a layering system or to wear on its own. Synthetic insulation in the sleeves and sides creates a slimmer profile and assists in thermal regulation. The fabric is soft, lightweight stretch woven and fits with light baselayers.

Warmer than a fleece, lighter than a down hoody, the DriDown Pullover, $199, provides complete core coverage and maximum warmth. The women’s version includes invisible side seam pocket and a hidden zipper to allow for easy on and easy off while creating a flattering shape. The men’s version provides an insulated kangaroo pocket to keep hands warm.

UNITED BY BLUE Managing two different booths - their normal space in the ballroom, and a second booth dedicated

United By Blue Men's Ultimate American Jacket

exclusively to the bison collection at Venture Out - United By Blue has been pioneering the use of Bison Wool for the last two years. For Fall 2016 the company is introducing two bison-insulated jackets, a quilted blanket and more socks.

For United By Blue, getting into bison wool was a journey to find better and more creative solutions for sustainable outerwear. Bison were used by Native Americans and frontiersmen for food, apparel and more. Today, commercial ranching focuses almost exclusively on the animal’s healthy meat. United By Blue is pioneering relationships with these ranchers to shear the animal’s wooly coat, whereas they were largely being discarded after the slaughtering process. The wool is said to be highly adapted natural insulations in the world, with laboratory testing giving it a CLO rating of 4.51, on par with “heavy polar equipment.”

The Ultimate American Jacket, $598, is a fully waterproof winter coat built with a recycled nylon shell, taped seams, proprietary "B100 Fill" (Bison Wool + synthetic blend), and a removable wool lining/vest and removable hood. The Bison Snap Jacket, $248, is a quilted snap jacket insulated with half the thickness of the B100 fill.

LA SPORTIVA La Sportiva continues to refine its winter apparel collection, doubling down on insulating layers to stay on trend. The Asteroid Primaloft Jacket has body mapped Primaloft Silver active insulation for optimal thermal regulation. It features a clean design and quick access pockets to make it extremely versatile for every day use. La Sportiva is capitalizing in the winter months on the long-term popularity of skimo racing in Europe and the U.S.

LaSportiva Asteroid Primaloft Jacket

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and more people are skinning and skiing either as training for ski-mo races or as exercise and fitness, exactly where this brand is known and excels.

Dynafit Yotei Women's GTX Jacket

Under Armour Coldgear Reactor Hooded Jacket

Obermeyer Sequence System Jacket

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DYNAFIT Dynafit is legitimately built around the idea of being light and fast, but the company is growing its product line to appeal to a broader demographic in the ski category. Its growth in soft goods reflects this with the addition of a more downhill oriented jacket and the Women’s Yotei kit. The waterproof, windproof and insulated men’s Meteorite Jacket, $549, builds on the success of the Yotei Jacket.

The Meteorite grows Dynafit’s ly established Free Touring line, designed specifically for the North American market. With Primaloft Gold fill and Gore Windstopper-Thermium outerlayer the Meteorite is designed to be extra warm on cold days or when spending more time descending. The women’s Yotei GTX Jacket, $599, and Pants, $549, are Dynafit’s most advanced and fully featured Gore-Tex C-Knit Free Touring and Big Mountain jacket for steep and deep conditions, now available for both sexes.

UNDER ARMOUR The backcountry offering from Under Armour (UA) will be something completely unique to the company, coming under the direction of industry veteran (TNF, Mountain Hardwear) Matt Page.

“Under Armour launched technical backcountry apparel in Fall/Winter 2015 with the creation of styles like the Nimbus jackets and bibs. As our athletes want to spend more time hiking big peaks and building booters, we felt it was time to formalize and expand the collection for Fall 2016,” said Page, Under Armour Senior Director of Apparel - Outdoor Performance. “Additionally, we feel it's important to offer exclusive product in the core Outdoor and Snowsports specialty channels. These retailers are the most authentic places to purchase this type of gear, and we want to be partners with them when it comes to outfitting backcountry/big mountain athletes.” The collection includes premium fabrics from Gore-Tex, Polartec and Pertex, along with Traceable Down from Allied.

“There are a ton of great technical features across the line, but the Chugach bib pant design is inspired and influenced by John Jackson’s fly fishing pants. This lightweight Gore-Tex bib has an innovative drop seat system build for backcountry accessibility and a cross back low profile hypalon adjustability that allows for fit customization. The

bibs also feature a two-way center front zip that is user-friendly for tree pitstop breaks and works really well to help release heat during a hike – just unzip your jacket and the front of the bib to get cold air on your core. There’s also vents at the inner thigh for quick cool downs. On-the-fly adjustment options are key, whether you want to adjust the hem opening to accommodate larger boots, or the cinch adjustments at the top of the bib to lock in heat and keep out the cold. The Chugach bib also features lots of pockets (two chest pockets and a thigh pocket) for max storage. Our women’s version has a super lady-friendly drop seat/zipper combo so girls don’t have to remove their jacket or bib straps to use the restroom,” Page explained. “We continue to lean on John Jackson and Bjorn Leines for detailed product feedback. Specific to team, Bjorn is doing a great job of bringing Tyler Nicholson up and out of the park to Baldface and beyond. The expectation moving forward is that all our team riders are pow-first slashers that help influence design and performance in the backcountry.”

The latest outerwear innovation is UA’s l active insulation. The UA Coldgear Reactor Hooded Jacket, $224, adapts for non-stop comfort. The UA Chugach GTX Jacket, $449, uses Storm 3 waterproof and windproof technology for protection in the harshest conditions. Informed by snowboarder John Jackson, the Chugach Bib, $399, features Gore-Tex, taped seams, Recco, secure chest and thigh pockets and cinch adjustability, built to UA’s Storm 3 standards for the ultimate waterproof and windproof protection.

OBERMEYER Obermeyer’s newest collection as a company, men’s Resort, represents redefined versatility, blending functional on-mountain performance with townfriendly wearability.

The Supernova Shell, $449, is crafted for performance with strategically placed 3-D foam mesh along the center back, creating a chimneylike effect for breathability. The shell also includes an interior stretch lining for added mobility and seamless layering. The men’s Sequence System Jacket, $529, is a 3-in-1 jacket featuring two wearable pieces – a 700-fill lightweight goose down full-zip underneath a three-layer soft-shell.

The pinnacle style of Obermeyer's Women’s Resort Collection, the Payton Down Jacket, $399, is defined by its blend of unique textural performance fabrics, fitted silhouettes and fashion-forward styling. A down-filled jacket, the Payton is built

for the serious skier who wants to look amazing on nights out. Its highest-end Alpine jacket offered in women’s, the Zermatt Jacket, $399, couples a technical soft-yet-powerful stretch, 30,000mm waterproof Hydroblock Elite fabric, with Thinsulate Platinum 100gm insulation and a women’s-specific interior, coupled with unparalleled attention to fit.

FJÄLLRÄVEN Developed and tested in cooperation with guides and dog mushers at Fjällräven Polar, the Polar Guide Parka, $600, is a waterproof winter parka filled with durable synthetic padding allowing for performance in moist conditions. The fixed hood is adjustable and has synthetic fur edging to help protect against winds. Additional features include several easy access pockets to store personal items and G-1000 Original reinforcements for durability in hardwearing areas. The Polar Guide Parka is offered for men and women in multiple colors.

NAU The Dual Down Trench, $425, is a modern silhouette that uses two strategically placed fabrics to block out elements – melton wool on upper body, arms and hood for increased weather protection; and durable recycled polyester on the bottom half.

Inside, 650-fill recycled down offers incredible warmth. The trench can be cinched at the waist with adjustable drawcord and has an attached hood. The Prato Wool Down Trench, $545, is a tailored trench constructed from recycled woven wool and fused with a waterproof-breathable laminate to create a completely seam-sealed, two-layer winter coat.

Recycled down holds in heat while a taffeta lining glides easily over layers. The Dual Down Jacket, $435, features lightweight melton wool chest paired with durable recycled polyester sleeves and hood in a warm, waterproof jacket. Insulated with

Fjällräven Polar Guide Parka

650-fill recycled down and a weather-resistant DWR finish, it includes an attached hood, inner knit cuffs and mini storm skirt. The Prato Wool Synfill Jacket, $425, features lightweight recycled wool and sturdy canvas strategically placed to create a durable waterproof-breathable barrier from the elements. Its seam-sealed, quilted synthetic insulation lining holds in the heat.

THE NORTH FACE The North Face (TNF) is pioneering a seamless, woven baffling where the face and lining fabrics are woven together to create seamless baffles reducing the need for glue or stitching and promoting lightweight and packability without sacrificing warmth. The Premonition Jacket features a relaxed ergo fit, stitchless, no-bonding baffles, two internal dump pockets, hand pockets that double as core vents, a chest pocket that doubles as a stowpocket, and fitted hood. The 800-fill down Morph Jacket,

The North Face Men's FuseForm Brigandine 3L Jacket

$249, delivers warmth, weather resistance and durability with woven-baffle construction.

TNF also updated to its Brigandine kit. The men’s FuseForm Brigandine 3L Jacket features color-infused fabric, reduced weight and a third texture to target performance zones; “we’ve finetuned the Brigandine Jacket to further meet the demands of our athletes,” the brand said. The women’s FuseForm Brigandine 3L Jacket was developed with athlete Angel Collinson. This DryVen jacket has fewer seams, an equipmentdriven design and seamlessly engineered abrasion zones that reinforce high-wear areas to integrate seamlessly with backpacks.

Finally, the FuseForm Montro Jacket, $199, is a brand jacket in the Fuse offerings, featuring a taffeta-lined, waterproof, breathable shell engineered with FuseForm construction to provide integrated durability and fewer seams for improved performance.

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APPAREL

Women’s Trends The Industry Looks To Designers To Outfit The “Less Is More” Trend With Female-Focused Apparel That Withstands The Test Of Time And Tear

By Aubrey Volger

L

ong known as a male-dominated arena, the outdoor industry has shifted the game the last decade to meet women’s needs and expand high-end product offerings for this crucial consumer group. Companies latched onto this growing demographic in the early 2000s and saw a 60 percent increase in women’s specific sales over a two-year span, according to research from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA).

Companies like FiveTen, who introduced the first women’s-specific climbing shoe, are not only creating female-specific products, but are also selling better to women.

Brands and retailers are joining forces for a focus on the female consumer. With 65 percent of women saying they look to store displays for apparel inspiration and 36 percent believing specifically designed gear can

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enhance performance, again noted by OIA findings, designers look directly to the buyer for ideas, while retailers drive sales through interaction.

Kelty now supports the push, teaming with REI to promote and sell a women’s-specific sleeping bag. Kelty’s Tru.Comfort Sleeping Bag is new for 2016, featuring the combination of warmth and compressibility with ThermaPro fiber blend engineered to retain warmth and provide packability. Meanwhile, a built-in twolayer blanket system helps regulate temperature. The Tru.Comfort will launch exclusively at REI for women in January 2016, and be released for wider distribution in Spring 2016, with unisex and kids options available Fall 2016. Kelty’s Tru.Comfort Zip is the first in the ‘Built for Women’ line of products designed with fit, function and fashion in mind.

More recently, the women’s market has highlighted a less is more mentality. Inspired by the athleisure movement and driven by the industry’s environmentally friendly attitude, the concept that one versatile piece can cater to multiple needs is reaching across brands from core to casual.

The challenge lies in designers’ hands to meet high-tech quality standards and consumers’ savvy demands.

Jenna Johnson, Patagonia global business unit director for technical outdoor said, “as athletes, we need gear that is versatile and functions for multiple uses.” Patagonia’s philosophy to make high quality, durable gear to last, means it won’t need to be replaced and end up in a landfill. “We are proud our gear is so versatile, and we want our customers to be proud they purchase great looking, comfortable, core

essentials that serve many activities and last for many years,” Johnson said.

Patagonia’s Nano-Air Hoody continues to stand high in the rankings of most versatile jacket in the women’s market for Fall/Winter 2016. The award-winning design is an innovative combination of warmth, stretch and breathability. Powered by 60g FullRange insulation and four-way mechanical stretch that requires minimal stitching for stabilization. The Hoody offers warmth that stretches and breathes with the body during any high-output, start-stop alpine mission.

James Fisher, VP of product for Ibex Outdoor Clothing, expanded on the multi-function revolution. “Ibex customers demand the highest quality and designs that can be worn for years to come,” he said. Ibex designers refer to heritage pieces as investments

Electric Sunglasses Knoxville S Glasses

to help maintain focus on an entire experience. The challenge remains on designers to meet demands. Fisher expanded, “‘He’ is as simple as he has been in a decade. ‘He’ is easy to cater

with a new Spacer Fabric that has a neoprene-like firm, thick characteristic. The Spacer is a soft fabric that offers extra breathability when working hard and traps body heat for insulation in cold temps. Coming to consumers in Winter 2016 is Stonewear’s Stellar Jacket made with Spacer Fabric. This sporty-chic jacket has an oversized hood, thumbholes and zippered front pockets.

A question arises as to whether the less is more trend is actually being pushed more by women in the industry, or if men are helping alter tastes.

Jessica Magruder, SmartWool lifestyle product line manager said, “guys have always done well with simple needs and, with the general public becoming aware of their footprint, a man’s simple mind

Stonewear Stellar Jacket

tastes. As people start to narrow their needs, we’ll see the element of function with fewer choices, but fashion will remain an importance.”

Introducing the Basin Daisy Leg-

less, we get the benefit of having a longer relationship with them, and everyone benefits from less waste.”

Trew’s Backcountry Button Up meets women's demands – being a durable companion for city-tomountain adventures. However, this fashionable piece holds ultra-high performance. Both hollow core and wicking polyester yarns are combined with wool to create a base fabric, that is then overlaid with a waterresistant nylon taslan fabric on the shoulder-yoke.

The million-dollar question remains if the trend will stick, or if the sense of variety in fashion will outweigh simplicity. Ibex’s Fisher summed it up; “This one is here to stick around for a long run. Think about how much more efficient it

“‘HE’ IS EASY TO CATER TO… STAYING AHEAD OF ‘HER’ IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.” - JAMES FISHER, VP OF PRODUCT, IBEX OUTDOOR CLOTHING

to for now, staying ahead of ‘her’ is much more difficult”.

Ibex rises to the challenge by offering the Women's Taos Plaid Shirt.

Made of high-tech wool flannel with snap front closure, the plaid shirt offers style and comfort, with highperformance capabilities.

Electric Sunglasses follows suit by introducing their S-Line Sunglasses.

The performance collection includes fashionable styles with silicone ear and nosepieces, and a double-action hinge system that allows you to both rock the shades during sweaty activities or around town. The Knoxville S Glasses, while technically a unisex style, are made for smaller faces (so the company might see more women purchasing than men) and designed with the six base mold injected Grilamid frame for ultra-light durability.

Stonewear joins in the movement

is helping drive women to adjust opinions.” She continued, “women consumers are starting a shift to need less, but continue to hold image high so designers have to match their

Ibex Taos Plaid Shirt

ging, SmartWool continues to focus on making versatile pieces for Winter 2016. Made of SmartWool’s Run Capri Fabric that concentrates Merino wool against skin and nylon/elastane against the elements, the legging has a waistband that moves with the body during activity, and functional pockets to meet casual attire needs.

Across the industry, designers agree the trend is beneficial. Chris Pew, director of product at Trew, noted, “it’s good for companies to use more performance textiles in casual garments, and a more versatile and casual style in performance garments.

Our goal at Trew has always been to create timeless pieces by using the best materials available, and to make sure our styles reflect the current and future trends of our customer.

By creating garments that last, the customer gets the benefit of buying

makes us, and that’s more important now than ever. ‘She’ is more simple than she’s ever been. Less truly is more when it comes to wardrobe quiver.”

Trew Backcountry Button Up

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APPAREL

The Age of The Baselayer Sure, Winter Jackets Bear The Grunt Of Winter Forces, But It’s The Critical Baselayer That Does The Heavy Hitting

By Aaron H. Bible and Jahla Seppanen

SMARTWOOL Step outside for a workout, a stroll, whatever, and the chill won’t penetrate Smartwool’s NTS MID 250 Sport Hoody, $150. Unmatched temp regulation from its 100-percent interlock knit merino body and DWR treated upper.

Engineered to work together as system with lifestyle apparel, this flat seamed baselayer is form fit with UPF 50+.

A stand-alone piece, the 2016 Propulsion 60 Hybrid Half Zip, $180, takes lightweight, wind-resistant to a never-before seen split: Smartloft insulation in the top half and active fit merino in lower half. Call it a hybrid, call it perfect for jamout runs with media cord routing, but most of all call it a baselayer for the ages.

ARC’TERYX A good baselayer dries quick, wicks, doesn’t stink, is comfortable on the skin and lasts. The Satoro second-skin merino line Satoro AR Zip Neck, $139, Satoro AR Crew, $119, Satoro AR Bottom, $109, and Satoro AR Boxer, $59, is a new assortment developed with Nucliex STR 180, a revolutionary merino that is core-spun using a high strength nylon core filament with super-fine micron wool fibers around the core. Merino packs the perks of being comfortable and stink-free, while the nylon core boost fabric burst strength by 20 percent and resistant to abrasions by 50 percent, Arc’Teryx said.

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BERGANS Four is the lucky number for cold weather wanderers, as Bergans brings a fourth baselayer line, Snøull (pronounced snew-ul), its 290gram mediumthick wool range. Merino goes 100 percent in this line, with a Jacquard pattern adding seasonal appeal. What’s unique is the long cut, so the layer won't come un-tucked.

Green Alert: Each Snøull baselayer comes in an environmentally friendly package, which won the "Award for Design Excellence" from the Norwegian Design Council, and can be used as a stuff sack.

The Snøull Base Layer Top, $125, is a medium-thick long sleeve top, made in a slightly fuller cut to be worn as another layer if gets super chilly. This layer has flatlock seams, no tags and is machine washable. The Snøull Base Layer Half Zip Top, $129, is cousin to the Layer Top, only with a half zip, still with all Snøull’s useful design and wash abilities. For the bottom, Snøull Base Layer Tights, $109, can either round out the Jacquard outfit, or act as a standalone.

COLUMBIA Constructed using Polartec Power Wool, which combines natural and synthetic fibers by isolating a merino wool interior and a synthetic fiber exterior, the

Arctic Trek Long Sleeve Top, $99, boasts the distinct advantages of both. No need for bells and whistles, this Power Wool speaks for itself. Plus it’s easy to care for.

MARMOT Fresh colors, blocking and prints inspire Marmot’s 2016 baselayer collection.

The jewel stand as the nice-price women’s Lana Capri, $40, made from a 87-percent polyester and 13-percent elastane single jersey. Tag-free and stitched with a gusseted crotch for mobility.

Other star pieces are the woman’s Meghan LS V Neck, $50, also made from a polyester/elastane combo, and mens and women’s Powertherm Half Zip, $170. This zip dominates the next-to-skin class, as its Polartec Power Wool fabric puts the 18.5 micron wool against the skin while keeping polyester on the outer face for durability.

The hoody has gained popularity for 2016, and one is included in this collection. The women’s Sirona Hoody, $130, stretch fleece zip-up combines a heathered stretch fleece with a plain stretch fleece. Fabric mixing takes a win in this baselayer design, creating a distinctive look within a common category.

OBERMEYER Searching for max comfort in frigid conditions, 2016 men’s and women’s baselayers by mountain-inspired Obermeyer suit up for the challenge, boasting heathered ultrastretch fleece as its heavyweight champ - an industry go-to. The Obermeyer Men’s Marathon Elite 150WT Zip Top, $85, Men’s Endurance Elite 150WT Tight, $75, Women’s Splendid Elite 150WT Zip Top, $75, and Women’s Sublime Elite 150WT Tight, $65, are all equipped with this flexible power fleece.

TASC A new Tasc fabric MOSOpure made of the brand’s claim-to-fame bamboo viscose, along with organic cotton, nylon and lycra, will define its Seamless Natural “first layer” collection. After 18 months experimenting with natural fiber blends for a seamless knit, Tasc was able to maintain an astounding amount of natural fibers while still meeting high-comfort and performance.

The second base fabric to premiere in 2016 is MOSOember, a versatile midweight fabric geared toward freedom of movement. MOSOember is made of the same blended materials as MOSOpure, only with a different percentage makeup.

Varieties of Tasc’s bamboo and organic cotton amalgam will make a cameo in their outer-layer transit fleece collation.

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OUTDOOR HARDGOODS

Winter Hardgoods No Matter The Category - Racing, All-Mountain Or Backcountry - Hardgoods Continue To Set The Tone Of The $4.5 Billion Snowsports Industry

By Eugene Buchanan and Aaron H. Bible

W

hile equipment sales might have dropped seven percent last season, according to SnowSports Industries America’s Market Intelligence Report, innovation remains at an all-time high. To help clue you in as to what you can expect to see both on the shelves and slopes this season, SGB takes a

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10,000-foot view of a sampling of gear retailers will see on the shelves at the upcoming winter tradeshow line-ups, from Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City to the SnowSports Industries America show in Denver. Here’s what you’ll be spending your hard earned money on next year, and why.

DYNAFIT For Dynafit, it’s still all about weight-savings on the up and performance on the down. “In boots, we’re focusing on such performance features as our new onebuckle Ultralock 3.0 Closure System and removing our traditional toe piece in favor of our new Speed Nose and Master Step Insert system, making it 50-percent easier to step into tech bindings,” said Marketing Manager Jamie Starr. “In our skis, we’re focusing on better edge control as well as new women-specific offerings.”

The Meteorite, $699, anchors its Free Touring category with only 2mm of camber and a “double ellipse rocker” to increase edge contact. Its women’sspecific Sphinx, $699, harbors the same features, with less material and weight.

It too comes with an ash-poplar core and Carbonspeed stringer. For boots, Dynafit’s new TLT7 (available in Carbonio, Performance and Expedition) employs the new lighter and easier, one-buckle, Ultralock 3.0 Closure System (one dual-function buckle that opens the cuff to transition back and forth from ski to walk mode); as well as Dynafit’s new Speed Nose Toe, featuring a shorter toebox and binding rotation point set farther back for more efficient walking, and new TUV-certified Master Step Insert system for easier binding entry.

Its Carbonio collection, “the lightest complete hardgoods package on the market” (Carbonio 88 ski, Carbonio TLT 7, Carbonio TLT Superlite 12 speed touring binding, and Carbonio Pole), comes in at just over 2,000 grams for the package.

ROSSIGNOL Rossignol continues to refine its award-winning offerings, especially with the introduction of a new ultra-lightweight, “carbon alloy matrix” in its new 7 series and Experience. “As we’ve refined our rocker/camber profiles, sidecuts and waist widths over the past five years, we’ve found a strong balance for every on-hill application and style,” said Brand Manager Nick Castagnoli. “New materials and constructions are also taking center stage. Today’s skiers want it all: lightweight yet stable, powerful yet playful, strong edge grip, yet loose and schmeary. The demand for that type of product is at an all-time high.”

Rossignol answers that demand with what it calls “a new generation of super fiber,” its Carbon Alloy Matrix, which integrates carbon fiber and basalt into an open diagonal weave, creating more elastic movement for mobility and strength. Its linear glass stringers also absorb vibrations and add a balanced flex from tip to tail. “The result,” said Castagnoli, “is a finely tuned fusion of damp, planted-to-the-snow edge grip and loose, playful maneuverability.”

DYNASTAR Dynastar unveils its new Powerdrive technology in the new Speed Zone ontrail collection. The construction “unlocks the skis’ natural flex, delivering smooth, dynamic power with enhanced control and edge grip.” Anchoring the new construction is a new multi-layer sidewall (ABS/Visco/Metal) or “active torsion box,” that Brand Manager Nick Castagnoli said “creates a vertical sheering effect, allowing the skis’ core and sidewalls to flex harmoniously from tip to tail for shock absorption and ski control.”

For the touring category, its new Mythic 87 employs new C-Ply and Divinycell technologies, which, when combined with a paulownia wood core, delivers a light free-touring ski. Originally developed for aerospace applications, C-Ply is a new carbon fiber weave built for lightweight rigidity and elasticity, while Divinycell is a closed-cell, high-density foam with great compression strength and durability, reducing weight even further without compromising strength and stability, the brand said.

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LANGE Longtime alpine boot manufacturer Lange invests in freeride touring with the XT Freetour, what it calls “a high-performance touring boot skiers have been waiting for.” It expands on features debuted in the original XT, incorporating solid sole construction with Dynafit inserts, mono-injected Grilamid shell, Lange’s Natural Stance and a Control Fit liner. “The backcountry touring segment, with its ski/hike modes and lightweight construction continues to evolve,” said Brand Manager Nick Castagnoli. “Again, skiers want it all. Finding that balance between uphill mobility, real-deal downhill performance and fit continues to be the goal.”

K2 K2’s Pinnacle 88 bridges the gap between its All-Mountain and Freeride categories with the same Nanolite Konic Technology as last year’s Pinnacle models. “K2’s engineers have been hard at work blending the control and versatility of their all-mountain skis with the playfulness of their freeride line to create the perfect combination for on and off-piste,” said spokesman Alex Hunt. “The low density/ high strength Nanolite through the core allows for reduced swing weight, while the metal-reinforced aspen perimeter adds power and stability.”

K2 also unveils the Marksman by factory team member Pep Fujas. At 106mm underfoot, it features a Double Barrel Core with an asymmetrical tip and tail. Also new is the Poacher, a durable 96mm-underfoot park and street ski, with the same core and Carbon Boost Braid for pop off jumps; and an updated version of its 85mm-underfoot iKonic 85Ti, which adds carbon grid

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reinforcement across the fore and tail for quicker turn initiation and torsional strength. “When paired with our Konic Technology, it places denser core material and metal laminates along the perimeter and less dense wood through the center,” said Hunt.

For women, K2 rolls out the AlLuvit 88, the latest addition to its reintroduced Luv series, which, like the Pinnacle, bridges its All-Mountain and Freeride categories. It’s built with K2’s aerospace-grade Nanolite, but adds a women's-specific, metal-laminated Bioflex wood blend of aspen and paulownia along the perimeter for weight savings and smooth flex. In boots, look for the new men's Pinnacle Pro, a lighter, Pebax version of its Pinnacle freeride touring boot; and a new BFC (Built For Comfort) series aimed at recreational and intermediate skiers with wider lasts and walk mode.

LINE Line flushes out its athlete-inspired line with the new Eric Pollard-driven 180-cm Pescado ski, a soft, surfy 125mm-underfoot directional pow ski with 158mm shovel. It also unveils the Tom Wallisch Pro, a new 90mm-underfoot pro-model. Stiff, stable and resilient, it’s constructed of maple and aspen with a carbon ollieband and was built to handle air, rails and other freeskiing features.

"Adding to over a decade of development with Eric Pollard, we’re excited about what we’ve developed with Tom Wallisch,” said global Brand Director Josh Malczyk. “Having athlete involvement is the reason we’re able to stay one step ahead of the future.” Don’t forget the new Tom Wallischtick pole, a lightweight, durable aluminum pole with Philips-head screwdriver tip for quick gear

Head USA AdvantEdge Technica Zero G Race

adjustments; and the Pollard carbon, adjustable poles featuring a carbon upper, aluminum lower, Pollard graphics and Philips head tip.

HEAD USA Head USA redesigns its all-mountain Supershape line for 2016/17, employing World Cup sandwich construction with Graphene underfoot, thinning it beneath the binding while keeping a consistent taper from tip to tail for balanced flex. It’s also extended the sidecut and wood core further into the tip and tail and added a color-coded rocker profile in the top sheet. For boots, it unveils the AdvantEdge line to replace its AdaptEdge. It uses a form fit customization process, “Hi Top” shell design for a reduced upper cuff and in-boot leg movement, and levels the foot with a 5-degree ramp angle and 14-degree forward lean. In bindings, to meet today’s multi-sole configurations, Head rolls out its new Attack 14AT, a new fixed-heel alpine binding that’s compatible with WTR, AT, and Alpine soles. The AFD is adjustable to each different sole, while maintaining a lightweight chassis and low stand height.

“It’s all about enabling more versatility and compatibility,” said Alpine product manager Andrew Couperthwait.

LOOK For Look, in today’s binding market, if it’s not about touring functionality it’s about compatibility. “The increased availability of new boot sole norms has created the need for bindings that accommodate multiple soles at all price points and performance levels,” said Brand Manager Nick Castagnoli. Look improves its line-up with the new Pivot 12 Dual WTR, featuring a new Full Action toepiece and Dual Standard Concept, enabling skiers to use both Alpine (ISO 5355) and WTR (Walk to Ride) rocker soles without compromise. It will be available throughout 90 percent of its line in 2016/17. “It makes its way into every price point and performance level we have for 2016/17,” said Castagnoli.

TECNICA Tecnica’s backcountry Zero G line employs a four-buckle overlap design for competitive weight and range of motion. Power Light Design includes lightweight Triax 3.0 plastic that’s 2.5 times stiffer and 30 percent thinner than conventional boot material, resulting in a 20 percent weight reduction. It comes with a rockered ISO-compatible sole with Dynafit-certified inserts. Also

Technica Cochise 105

new is a self-adjusting Mobility Cuff, allowing for 44 degrees of leg movement in the Guide, Guide Pro and a women’s version.

The company also improved its four-buckle Cochise line, improving fit, performance and weight for its lightest four- buckle, polyether boot yet. A new polyether shell and frame makes it 2.5 times stiffer, with “better flex, rebound and durability.” Like the Zero G, it employs L-shaped Power Light Design, a Mobility Cuff and new lightweight Alu buckles. It’s also integrated ISO-compatible tech inserts into the four-model line (90, 100, 120 and 130; $480-$840), as well as into its women’s collection 85W, 95W and 105 W; $480 to $720).

It focuses on comfort in its TEN.2 collection with new lasts including the 106mm in its HVL models for high-volume, hard-to-fit feet. The four-buckle collection is designed to provide comfort without sacrificing performance and control. For women, the boot features the Women’s Cuff Adapter System, letting users flick a switch to adjust the cuff.

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Volkl Flair 81

Blizzard Quattro

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Volkl Confession

Volkl 90Eight

MARKER To date, Marker’s Brand Manager Geoff Curtis said walkable soles have been restricted to touring boots. Not anymore. “It’s a chicken and egg thing,” said Curtis. “You can’t talk about bindings without talking about boots. Most things happening in boots are impacting bindings, and vice versa.”

Marker’s new Grip Walk is part of an integrated system – “essentially a binding built to accept a particular, easy-walking boot sole,” he added. “It’s available to any boot partner wanting to take advantage of easier walkability in conjunction with a binding that needs no further adjustments than release setting and forward pressure. The advantage is clear: It makes it easier to walk in your ski boots.”

The soles employ a slip-resistant, co-polymer system with rocker profile designed for easy ergonomic walking. Sister company Dalbello, Curtis adds, will soon have Grip Walk available in 90 percent of its line. “We’re open to working with any boot partners who want to participate,” he said.

Marker has also beefed-up its Tour F10 binding, making it more durable while decreasing the amount of carbon to keep it at the same price point of $399. “It’s at an entry-level price point in touring for the lower end of that market,” said Curtis. Furthering Alpine/AT compatibility, Marker also debuts its new Sole ID system in several high-end bindings, allowing users to ski the bindings in either Alpine or AT boots. “It eliminates all compatibility issues for the retailer,” said Curtis. “It has a special AFD on the toe allowing any boot to go into it.”

BLIZZARD Built for groomers, Blizzard’s new 10-model (six for women) Quattro series blends stability, precision, agility and control via wood core “Sandwich Sidewall

IQ technology,” as well as a variety of different sidecuts, waists, sizes and rocker.

“We challenged our engineers to address the front side skier experience with a product that provides the ultimate high performance ride,” said marketing director Jed Duke.

Also new is its women’s Freeride collection, featuring women’s-specific construction, shape and rocker profile for each model; and the addition of Carbon Flipcore to its Brahma model in the men’s Freeride Collection, stabilizing the rocker profile and reduces swing weight. “The trend in women’s skis has been to reduce the weight without losing stability and performance,” said Blizzard’s Duke, adding that its Women’s Specific Design (WSD) offers uni-directional carbon fiber integrated into its Flipcore construction. In its Zero G line it unveils the Zero G Race for ski-mo racing. It comes with Carbon Drive Technology from edge-to-edge and a full woodcore (Paulownia Ultralight+Isocore).

VOLKL Volkl unveils its new Flair series, including the Flair 81, a top-end frontside ski with a 128-81-109 shape, 3D.Ridge construction, and the iPT WideRide XL binding system. It’s designed for the expert female skier who wants grip, stability, liveliness, and agility. Additional features include locally sourced recycled steel edges, recycled sidewalls and UVO technology. The new 90Eight W, also with 3D.RIDGE construction, is a lightweight, versatile freeride ski with an early-taper sidecut and open radius for easy steering. Its new 117mmunderfoot Confession is a powder ski with new Titanal band construction for stability without weight. An early taper tip helps control at speed in deep snow. Its new twin-tip Revolt ski was created with athlete Ahmet Dadali to realize the right flex, width, rocker profile and skiability in a jibbing platform.

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G3 Findr 102

G3 Scala

G3 According to G3's Product Line Manager Sigi Rumpfhuber, the weight game is approaching the physical limits of modern ski construction. “Making skis even lighter for the sole purpose of making them lighter will most likely result in products that ski worse. So we see the start of a new era that will focus on smarter and more educated implementation of lightweight technology into ski design,” Rumpfhuber said. “This is a really exciting challenge and G3 is putting its focus on the perfect balance between light weight for the efficient climb, excellent skiability for the fun descent and real-world durability. The combination of our experienced team, our advanced ski lab in Vancouver and research cooperations with universities all focus on these three pillars.”

G3’s new Findr ski line, $759 to 799, incorporates the latest in carbon ski technology and adds innovative PU sidewalls. The goal was to achieve minimal weight through extensive use of carbon and advanced 3D shaping, and at the same time outbalance some of the disadvantages of carbon (brittleness, lack of dampness) by using elastic, dampening polyurethane sidewalls, said Rumpfhuber. The Findr line will consist of three models (102, 94 and 86 underfoot) and cater to classic alpine touring. “These product fit in the top tier of the lightest AT skis on the market, but offer a significantly more stable and damp ski experience,” he explained.

Offering innovation in climbing-skin performance and design, the new G3 Scala, $209 to $219, fuses two materials to offer improved trail-breaking efficiency and glide from the tip, “while maintaining the time-tested Alpinist grip underfoot.” The Scala works by combining an extended TPU tip connector – roughly the first 20 percent of the ski’s length – with G3’s proven Alpinist plush material for grip in all types of snow, said the brand. The TPU section offers better glide and helps the ski tip rise to the surface for increased efficiency. The scales are patterned in a U-shape for superior grip through a range of conditions, particularly traversing a side hill. The plush can simply be wrapped around the TPU tip, resulting in a flat and compact package yet deploys effortlessly from reduced adhesive contact.

SCARPA “Clearly the freeride and backcountry segments continue to be bright spots in the ski business,” said Kim Miller, CEO of Scarpa North America. “People are looking for products that allow them versatility to use at a ski area and then also access backcountry via the resort gate, and they are also looking for products that pair ski touring-focused features like light weight and cuff

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range with true power.” Scarpa addressed the Freeride segment in the last few years with its Freedom series and for Fall 2016, the focus is on the other end of the spectrum - a lightweight ski-touring boot that offers real-world power to drive today's wider skis, the F1.

Built with focus on optimized features for serious ski touring, the Scarpa F1 Ski Boot, mens and women’s, $699, is at the intersection of lightweight, mobility and power. The F1 starts with Scarpa’s Carbon Core Construction, “a carbon-fiber frame that runs the length of the boot under the foot and provides stiffness for ultimate power transfer to the ski while retaining the progressive flex skiers seek in the upper boot.” Closure and adjustment of the boot is achieved with a combination of a Boa on the lower boot and a buckle and power strap on the upper boot. A heat-moldable Intuition liner features a flex zone for mobility. It has downhill performance similar to a Scarpa Maestrale yet touring function more akin to a ScarpaAlien (2lbs, 11oz per boot).

SALOMON Salomon's backcountry focused gear launching at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market includes the MTN Explore W, $725; 1275g per boot, 63 degree range of motion in tour mode, and women’s specific liner. Carbon spine and a 100flex make for optimal power transmission downhill. Oversized pivot with tech binding compatibility translate to ease of movement uphill.

The S-Lab Minim, $850, is the ski that Kilian Jornet built. “Moving fast and light in the mountains requires gear that won’t hold you back. The S-Lab Minim ski is strong with a full-length layer of carbon and flax. It is reliable, with reinforced binding zones featuring titanium and monocoque inserts with four layers of protection. A full karuba wood core keep the Minim light and playful weighing in at 720g per ski,” the brand said.

ATOMIC With even more new product at SIA, for Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Atomic is launching the Backland FR range of freeride powder chargers, successors to the popular Automatic series created with freeride pros Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and Dana Flahr. The range includes a 102, 109 and 117 option. The 109 and 117 feature HRZN Tech in the tip for more surface area and better floatation. “With their great performance-to-weight ratio, these skis are phenomenal hybrids: perfect for powder skiing and Freeride Touring depending on what bindings you mount - and still stable on harder snow,”

Scarpa F1

Atomic said. “With a Carbon Backbone and a Light Woodcore we’ve also cut their weight by 10 percent to increase agility even more.”

Key Technologies in the Backland FR family include HRZN Tech (an ABS sidewall construction with a revolutionary across-the-ski horizontal rocker), Carbon Backbone, Light Woodcore, and Powder Rocker. There’s also a Backland FR women’s series. The new Backland UL skis are ultra light to give you a competitive edge on the way up, and super stable downhill.

“They are this year’s new series for the growing world of Endurance Touring and the successor to Atomic Ultimates,” brand reps said. “We’ve optimized the overall construction making the tip slimmer so it’s easier to manoeuver in chop and crud. And with an extra ski you can now choose between the new broader 85, the classic endurance tourer 78, or the 65 that athletes like Damiano Lenzi use in the Ski Mountaineering World Cup. Look for a new entry touring boot as well.

DPS Salt Lake City local DPS is debuting expanded models in the Tour1 line: The Wailer 106 and Zelda 106. “The Wailer 106 fills a gap between DPS’ most popular models, the Wailer 112RP2 and Wailer 99,” said the brand’s Erme

Salomon MTN Explore

Catino. “Featuring a similar rocker profile to the Wailer 99, it provides a wider platform for true all-mountain versatility in any conditions. The Wailer 106 will also be available in our Pure3 and Foundation constructions.”

Taking cues from the current DPS quiver - effective edge geometry from the Wailer 105, paddle and rocker from the Wailer 112RP2, boot-to-overall length balance of the original Lotus 120, Spoon Technology, and a new sidecut/taper angle combined with a radical new flex pattern - the Lotus 124 results in a balanced ski that walks the tightrope between a deeply rockered/paddle design and a directional flat-tailed driven design. “We are aiming for the best of both worlds in a powder stick that will be able to perform double duty in mixed snow,” Catino said.

There’s also a brand new construction called Foundation: “The perfect fusion of the finest materials, leading design, and impeccable craftsmanship.”

It takes DPS design heritage mixed with the new Chassis DNA - a ski design that starts directly underfoot and moves outward to the tip and tail; the result is “an optimized relationship between the flex pattern and sidecut that is perfected through testing, and then mathematically translated across every shape in the lineup,” DPS said. Foundation provides a price point of $799 for all models.

DPS Wailer 106

DPS Lotus 124

DPS Zelda 106

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FISCHER As well as riding momentum from existing Fischer-branded touring and alpine bindings OEMed from Dynafit and Tyrolia, Fischer continues to make strides in boots and skis. In touring boots, all of which come with Dynafit-certified inserts, the new 1,000-gram Travers Carbon, $999, with exterior Boa closure system and 80 degrees of cuff rotation is the new new. Its ski line is spearheaded by the Pro Mountain and Ranger series, both of which are sandwich, woodcore skis with the addition of new AeroShape technology, a visible curve of the core and top sheet toward the edges, and AirTec TI, a hollowing of the wood core, to save weight. “The trend is producing lighter skis that actually ski well,” said spokesman Sam Petri. Designed primarily for frontside and powder freeriding, the Ranger series adds a carbon tip and tail with underfoot widths of 90, 98, 108 and 122mm. The Pro Mountain series is a more carvable line with underfoot widths of 80, 86 and 95mm. Also new is the Curv, designed for exracers and others who simply want to rail the front side. Designed by Fischer team World Cup racers, it comes with a Curv Booster WC plate of two sheets of 0.8mmTitanal for rigidity and control.

LA SPORTIVA La Sportiva has one new ski for Fall 2016: the 117mm underfoot Vapor Float, $1299 using the same ultralight carbon nanotube construction as the awardwinning Vapor Nano and Vapor Svelte, ensuring low mass and torsional rigidity while dual rockered profile and progressive sidecut makes them “playful and predictable.” Available in 166, 178, and 189 lengths; 1400 grams.

In Ski boots La Sportiva has the new Spectre 2.0 boot for men and Sparkle 2.0 for women. Refined for 2016, the Spectre 2.0 is now 5 percent stiffer than the original Spectre while retaining “the largest range of cuff rotation in its class.” The patented design allows for a full 60 degrees of ankle movement while the vertebra construction provides support on downhill descents, said the brand. The Spectre 2.0, $679, now works with all tech and step-in bindings as well as the SkiTrab TR2 binding. The exclusive, low- profile Pegasus buckles allow for macro and micro adjustments for a precise fit.

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BLACK DIAMOND Several key products stand out for Black Diamond (BD) hard goods new for Fall 2016. In the Helio Collection, “a collection incorporating both apparel and equipment designed for ski mountaineers who demand performance and security at the lightest possible weight,” comes the Helio Series Skis, combining the lightest-weight constructions with high performance materials to tackle big lines “deep in the mountains.” The series will include four new skis: Helio 116, Helio 105, Helio 95, and Helio 88. The 105 is designed for dedicated backcountry skiers who demand both technical precision and soft-snow performance with early rise tip and tail, and features a pre-preg carbon fiber lay-up that makes it extremely light with a balanced flex and edge control.

The Fritschi Diamir Vipec 12 (Black) AT Binding (BD Equipment distributes Fritschi Diamir in North America) will be updated for Fall 2016 with several minor upgrades. The updated version of the Vipec 12 (black) just received TUV certification.

While there’s nothing new in boot category for F16 from Black Diamond Equipment, the redesigned Glidelite Mix Skins offer drastically less weight and improved packability. Black Diamond's GlideLite STS skins feature a mohair/nylon mix, a replaceable Dynex and aluminum tip loop and versatile STS tail attachment. The Razor Carbon Pro Backcountry Ski Pole with aluminum-carbon construction and pro-level feature set features FlickLock Pro adjustability and an innovative SwitchRelease breakaway wrist strap with a lockable release function for added safety. Also check out the Helio Fixed Length Carbon Poles, $299,“built with 100 percent inflation-molded carbon fiber, the Helio is the lightest ski pole on the market, designed for ski mountaineering races and technical mountain missions where every gram counts,” BD said.

ARC’TERYX New for the 2016 winter season, Arc’teryx expands in footwear with a new category including the Procline Boot, the company’s first ski alpinism boot that

Fischer Ranger 98

Black Diamond Helio 105

Fischer Pro Mountain

Fischer Travers Carbon

Black Diamond Helio Fixed Length Carbon Pole

Black Diamond Razor Carbon Pro Backcountry Ski Pole

the company said features “multiple game-changing, patented performance features,” in the only hybrid ski boot of its kind. The Procline Boot combines all of the features of a classic alpine climbing boot with those of a lightweight ski mountaineering boot for mixed ice/rock ascents with unmatched support and power for technical ski descents.

“Designed and built for technical ascents and big mountain descents, the new Procline Boot is the only boot offering the best features of the entire ski boot spectrum - capable of taking you on long, technical ascents, enabling you to climb the hardest mixed/ice routes, and providing an unmatched level of performance and support for the descent,” said Federico Sbrissa, Arc’teryx Footwear Product Line Manager.

Featuring a patented two-piece carbon fiber upper cuff system that is able to rotate both vertically (75º) and laterally (23º/12º), the Procline “closes the performance gap between a traditional alpine climbing boot and a plastic ski touring boot.”

“This groundbreaking cuff design allows for greater freedom of movement in the ankle for climbing the most technical mixed/ice routes, for easier and safer skin control on steep traverses, and the stiffness and support for skiing the steepest snowfields and couloirs with confidence,” said Sbrissa. With a lower shell constructed of injected Grilamid and a water and snowproof

gaiter system, the Procline boot provides both protection and insulation. The integrated CNC-machined two-buckle system offer “the best qualities of a classic mechanical buckle with the customized fit of a cable system for a smooth and secure closure of the lower shell.” The lower buckle is fully integrated and protected on the lower shell for added durability even while climbing or skinning on technical terrain. The patented ascent/ski cuff system offers improved control for skinning on steep, off-camber traverses with support and rigidity for downhill skiing performance when locked. The power strap with booster capabilities is designed to operate without Velcro for a powerful, fast and effortless closure for more fluid transitions without snagging on pant cuffs.

The Procline boot comes equipped with Dynafit certified pin inserts, a double compound Vibram outsole and 3D molded rubber toe caps to aid in climbing performance and protection.

The collection is comprised of a premium unisex version, the Procline Carbon, with a carbon fiber cuff for improved downhill performance and lateral edge control; as well as the men’s Procline and women’s Procline models, boasting an innovative carbon fiber infused Grilamid cuff for a more progressive and forgiving flex. Each model is offered with two different liner options: a 180 gram “lite liner” focused on walkability and reduced weight, and a 250 gram “support liner” with a reinforced tongue and collar.

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OUTDOOR HARDGOODS

NORDIC SKIING STILL ON THE RISE When It Comes To Making My Heart Flutter, Nothing Beats A Day Of Nordic Skiing.

Better Equipment, Improved Grooming At Ski Areas Around The U.S., And Colder Spring Temps Are Keeping The Nordic Stoke Alive.

By Aaron H. Bible

M

uch like the sport’s participants, Nordic skiing brands are making big strides in opening up the sport to first-timers and ensuring a steady flow of competitive athletes. And while these improvements come after a year of diminishing sales - last year Nordic equipment sales dropped five percent in dollars to $72 million according to SIA data - brands are spicing up retail shelves with the most innovative equipment the category has seen.

Trends this year include: weight savings across the board in skis, boots and poles; new binding interfaces; and integrated skins.

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A big news item from Salomon and Atomic (owned by Amer Sports) is the introduction of the company’s ProLink Binding System. This will supplement the famed Salomon Nordic binding (SNS), not replace it, allowing more Salomon and Atomic skis and boots to be compatible with “the other primary system on the market.” The brand said they guarantee compatibility and performance across competitor’s products and that the new binding was developed in-house with existing public-domain technology. Salomon said its SNS system would still stand for control and would

remain strong in skate skiing and in regions where it is the dominant system in use.

“One area of emphasis is utilizing more traditional skin technology in the grip area of classic skis,” said Madshus Marketing Coordinator Carmi Schulman, whose company last year integrated its IntelliGrip skin system into its Terrasonic Classic ski. This year it’s rolling out more models utilizing IntelliGrip to provide a lower barrier of entry for newcomers, as well as a model geared towards racers. “It’s so people don’t have to worry about waxing their skis,” Schulman said.

Sales of system skis and bindings are also rising, spurring new binding interfaces. “Compatibility and weight savings are huge,” said Salomon’s Nordic Commercial Manager Isaac Wilson, heralding the company’s new Nordic Propulse bindings and boot soles. “Propulse is the lightest, lowest, most compatible interface in the market. It allows anyone regardless of system preference access to Salomon fit and weight advantages.”

Rossignol beefs up its binding presence by distributing the new Rottefella Performance Skate ($85), a lightweight high-performance NIS binding designed for rec skating. For use with NIS compatible skis only, its manual open/ close mechanism has a large, user-friendly grip for increased ease-of-use, even with gloves, and a wider heel piece provides increased stability.

Other brands are targeting Nordic newbies.

“Expect equipment that is friendlier for the enthusiast skier,” said Fischer Nordic marketing director Andrew Gardner. “Easier kicking and longer gliding skate and classic skis diminish the learning curve typically required.” Out-of-track efforts, he adds, are also a big focus, bridging the gap between light backcountry and alpine touring.

Fischer’s new three-model Efficiency Forward system offers weight reductions of up to 200 grams, a new flex allowing for easier kicking without diminishing glide, and an increase in kick power.

Additionally, Classic boots are now benefitting from skate boot technology. Fischer is borrowing technology from last year's Speedmax skate boot to reconstruct its Speedmax Classic Boot. With a carbon sole, it’s 30 percent lighter, making it the lightest production classic boot on the market.

Madshus joins the fray with its new Super Nano Classic, built off its Super Nano Skate boot. “We integrated some of the skate design into a classic boot,” said Madshus’ Schulman. “By using carbon fiber, we’ve designed a classic-style race boot with the forefoot flex for classic skiing and more ski control from its torsional rigidity.”

Alpina Sports debuts its ECL 2.0 Boot, utilizing the company’s proprietary Active Edge Carbon technology to make it lightweight with better stiffness and rebound, while still harboring soft flex zones for fit. “All serious boot manufacturers have attempted to create lighter boots using various carbon technologies,” said Alpina’s William McSherry. “Our Active Edge technology is significantly different.”

In skis, this year’s emphasis is on weight, glide and stability in skate skis, plus grip and price

Salomon and Atomic Prolink Binding System

point in classic models. “We’re constantly trying to deliver more efficiency, power and speed to the competitive racer,” said Rossignol brand manager Nick Castagnoli. The new 3-Edge Energy Sensor on its X-ium Premium Skate S2 ski employs a triple-density, ABS sidewall that regulates camber, increases energy transmission for better edging and push-off, and reduces shovel pressure for better glide and steering. Its new NIS-compatible Delta Skate ($520) is a price-point skate ski with a fiberglass laminate for a softer flex and Nomex Honeycomb core for weight reduction. Its lower, shorter tip lightens swing weight and improves maneuverability while a Double Groove Guide enhances stability and tracking.

According to SIA data, last year female participation in Nordic skiing increased 13 percent as males’ numbers dropped 12 percent. Catering to this crowd is Rossignol’s new X10 Skate FW ($290), a high-performance womens-specific skate boot with a new fit, an integrated heel lift, flared cuff and reduced ankle volume. Offering increased power, precision and comfort, it has a lower-profile Xcelerator sole to increase leverage and performance, and a pre-molded 3D cuff with ratchet-and-buckle powerstrap for stability and power. It’s also available in a new men’s version.

Madshus Super Nano Classic

Fischer Speedmax Classic Boot

Alpina Sports ECL 2.0 Boot

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OUTDOOR HARDGOODS

Avy Safety Gear for 2017

By Craig Dostie

A

valanche safety has become more than a guiding principle for mountain travelers, it has become a business where, for a price, technology and education merge to save lives. Three examples illustrate this: Avalanche safety classes which have become a veritable rite of passage for backcountry skiers, avalanche transceivers, and airbag packs. Transceivers are considered an essential form of rescue insurance. Knowledge of the factors that cause avalanches are important to buffer reliance on luck for avoiding them, and airbag packs are the best way to survive them if caught. Each one has become a reliable source of revenue for those who offer them, and a budgetary requirement for those in need.

While retailers are not generally in the business of providing avalanche education, it has become a form of soft marketing and a way to build rapport with customers to offer introductory, one-night avalanche awareness seminars. I'll suggest there is one more step retailers should consider if they don't already, and that is to make sure that their sales staff take an AIARE Level I Course. This could be considered a benefit to working at a shop,

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and will improve credibility when talking about the technology that drives avalanche beacon and airbag pack performance.

With that in mind, here's a list of new avalanche safety related products for the 2016/17 ski season.

BEACONS Avalanche transceivers have always been a form of last resort insurance, allowing the wearer to be found if they should be caught in an avalanche and buried. Whether or not they are found alive depends on many factors, including how easy they are to use. Until Backcountry Access developed the Tracker DTS with dual-antennas to provide distance and direction info, the key to a successful rescue was dependent on users knowing, via practice, how to search and dig. With multiple antenna technology the need to practice searching was reduced, but not eliminated. For the next ten years beacon manufacturers leap-frogged each other with improvements in that technology, adding the ability to find more than one victim quickly.

In the end, the Peter Principle took effect, because the improvements in multiple victim search technology were still dependent on practice and education, the original hallmarks of successful avalanche rescues. Thus, dramatic advances in beacon technology have effectively ceased.

That doesn't mean there are no changes, but the shift in focus is now for the beacon to be part of an overall mix of products to deal with the consequences of being caught.

To that end Arva will unveil a new beacon with new functionality but at press time were unwilling to provide any details.

BCA is refining their Tracker 3 for next season with new firmware (version 3.3) that changes the audio cues to mimick the tried and true sounds of the Tracker 2. In addition the “big picture” mode is improved and v3.3 allows the comprehensive self-check to be exported so fleets can keep records of a beacons functional history.

Pieps will introduce the Micro for next season, a smaller, three-antenna avalanche transceiver. Being smaller it won't have record-breaking range, but it will carry on with Pieps intuitive visual clues courtesy of a large display and big fonts. It's light too, only five ounces (150 g). New light and motion sensor technology switches it to receive automatically when removed from its harness.

AIRBAG PACKS While beacon technology was limiting out, the decades old concept of airbags had an undeniable track record of saves by keeping victims on or near the surface.

When it was realized that ABS's proprietary use of Nitrogen wasn't required to get the same results the race began to develop alternate airbag packs.

ARC'TERYX Voltair, Arc'teryx' long anticipated Airbag Pack, will be available to a closely

Pieps Micro

controlled group of beta testers this season, and the anxious consumer come Fall 2016. Like Black Diamond's battery powered, fan fed airbag, Arc'teryx relies on electricity to power, not a fan, but a centrifugal blower to inflate an airbag that wraps on three sides of the users head. This system allows a user to practice inflating and the subsequent repacking several times for a fraction of the cost of systems using compressed gases. The benefit to users is their ability to build familiarity with a system that has the potential to save their life.

Gordon Rose, Senior Design Engineer at Arc'teryx said, “In a high consequence situation, you don't rise to the occasion, you fall back on your training.”

While the Voltair doesn't use cartridges of compressed gas that are restricted for air travel by the common man, the 22.2-volt lithium ion battery powering the blower, lithium ion batteries have a bad reputation with the TSA. To

Backcountry Access developed the Tracker DTS

prevent their ire, the Voltair has a quick disconnect harness so the battery can be accessible, on-board and thus extinguishable in the unlikely yet possible event that it bursts into flame.

BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS Perhaps the biggest news regarding product updates from Backcountry Access is the addition of K2's avalanche safety-related products under the Backcountry Access umbrella and the cessation of K2 branded Airbag Packs. That makes more cents than projecting out how many of the same product will sell with different logos.

Next season K2's Backside products, like the Shaxe and Rescue Shovels will now be marketed under the Backcountry Access brand. The only obvious change to the Rescue shovels are new colors, and the Extendable Rescue shovel includes four bolts with wing nuts that fit inside the shaft for building a rescue sled from a pair of skis and the shovel parts. New for this year is a Shaxe that pairs with a straight, or curved ice axe shaft.

The Float packs undergo an obligatory revision to steadily refine their functionality. Backcountry Access Revised Float 42 with a molded foam back panel reinforced with a central aluminum stay in the plastic frame sheet allowing for better load carrying. Besides improving the frame, the waist belt can now be moved up or down to provide a better fit for small, medium and large sized torsos.

BLACK DIAMOND Black Diamond was the first to introduce this fan-based airbag technology to consumers last year. They've already had their first recall to force upgrading the software that controls the process from trigger to inflation. Satisfied that potential problems have been solved they have no plans for any further revisions

Voltair Airbag Pack

to the pack or its components for next season. As a new concept in the airbag arena seeing verifiable results before changing anything more sounds prudent.

The prime advantage of Black Diamond's fan powered JetForce system is the ability to deploy the bag multiple times with a single charge, plus the ability to easily recharge it.

MAMMUT Overall Mammut’s airbag pack line, from a pack layout perspective will remain largely unchanged. However, the heart of the airbag system will undergo its first significant revision since being acquired from SnowPulse. Everything but the actual cartridge is refined to improve functionality and reduce weight.

The same refillable cartridge of compressed air will work with the original and

AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education)

80 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE offers AIARE 1 3 day | 24-hour introduction courses in avalanche hazard management.

updated P.A.S. and R.A.S. Bags, but other parts are not interchangeable. The most dramatic change is a synthesis of the venturi valve and cable triggers into a single molded unit to reduce potential errors when connecting the cartridge, increase strength, and save weight.

The trigger will be easier to pull, due to more adjustability in the trigger position, and a more defined trigger point. The ability to do a dry-run trigger pull so users can mentally calibrate the pull strength required will remain.

The airbag itself will be lighter, yet stronger making it more resistant to tears or punctures, and lower volume when packed. Colorwise the bag will be a brighter orange for better visibility in low light conditions with some slight 3D sculpting changes to the shape; which will make the shoulder straps of the PAS version less bulky and more comfortable to wear.

ORTOVOX The details are still unfolding at press time but Ortovox will be delivering airbag packs next season with new plumbing that uses a single airbag behind the head instead of ABS's classic two-bag system running extending on either side of the pack. This will make configuring the pack easier for carrying skis or a snowboard without interfering with the bag's functionality. It also means a simpler, lighter design for overall pack construction and organization.

SCOTT Scott entered the fray two years ago by adapting the technology used to inflate life vests in water to inflate an airbag on a pack. As with other systems, it uses compressed gases with a venturi valve to inflate the airbag. Called the Alp Air System, it uses two small cartridges of compressed gases – one inert Argon the other carbon dioxide. The beauty of this system is that the cartridges are small, cheaper than the competition, and approved for air travel by IATA. The inference is that the TSA will let them on an airplane too, but we all know how fickle they can be. Nothing new from Scott on the airbag fronts other than a few revisions to pack layouts.

Shaxe Rescue Shovel pairs with a straight or curved ice axe shaft

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REFLECTION Now comes the irony of airbag packs. Statistically we know that users of airbag packs are more likely than not to survive if caught in an avalanche. This of course presumes the user triggers the airbag quickly and the airbag inflates correctly. Survival is still not guaranteed because the operating principle is not the ability to float on top of the avalanche flow but rather the probability in a turbulent flow of material for larger bodies to rise to the top while smaller ones sift their way to the bottom. The airbag increases the size of the snow rider so that they tend to end up, if not on top, at least close to it making a subsequent rescue more likely.

So while the use of airbag packs for backcountry skiers improves their chances of survival, does this knowledge cause users to tempt fate more often?

If you're likely to win a gamble, does that mean you're more likely to gamble?

With your life?

From personal experience, I can assure you the temptation to rely on an airbag’s increased survival chances will most definitely cause you to take chances you might otherwise have not. No other avalanche rescue technology ever tickled that sense of invincibility because the probability of being buried was unchanged by an avalanche transceiver or AvaLung pack. Those tools simply increased the likelihood you could be rescued after the fact. My response to the temptation of airbag packs might not be a universal result, but it is certainly bound to affect those who are naturally inclined to take greater risks and the proliferation of videos showing snow riders surviving avalanches reinforce that view.

Dale Atkins, avalanche pro and former president of the American Avalanche Association reflected on the shift in attitude that has resulted from airbag packs. “We carried technology as a backup in case we messed up. Today's riders

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Backcountry Access Revised Float 42

are using technology to justify going into dangerous places, 'cuz that's the fun stuff, and they're doing it during periods of high instability. They're thinking technology will save them.�

Dave Furman, Hardgoods Manager for Mammut USA thinks this is a temporary phenomenon and that over time backcountry snow travelers will realize getting caught still exposes them to death by trauma and survival chances are only increased when there are no trees or cliffs in the path of the avalanche. Over time he expects the increased survival odds of Airbag Packs to be replaced by the time- honored practice of avoidance.

Let's hope he's right. Otherwise, the chances of surviving an avalanche could be cancelled out by taking more chances.

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OUTDOOR HARDGOODS

An Unobstructed View Goggle Brands Look To Cleaner, Simpler Designs That Still Up Performance

By David Clucas

W

intersport goggle brands are beginning to pull back from some of the category’s recent big trends - such as oversized lenses and integrated electronics - as consumers lean toward simpler models that bring performance they don’t have to think about on the slopes.

And competition will be tight as warmer winter weather is already putting a squeeze on retailers’ open-to-buy dollars with larger inventories building up and pricepoints dropping.

Oversized spherical lenses, while still popular, are reaching their peak, said Jon Raymer, category manager for goggles at Smith Optics. “The question is: ‘How big is too big?’” he said. “This is really becoming more of a fashion trend, because at a certain point

84 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

the larger size doesn’t increase your field of view anymore, and in some cases, makes it impossible to wear a helmet properly.” Consumers are complaining that oversized goggles are too big for their faces, and brands are re-introducing smaller models and new tech that better adapts to face shapes.

Electronics in goggles - everything from liveview GPS stats to integrated video cameras - were all the rage a few years ago, but that trend, too, is fading, brand officials said. Consumers are wary of spending big bucks on technology that quickly can become outdated.

Plus, more often than not, they’re getting the same tech from their smartphones. “You’re able to do more with your phone and a 99-cent app than

you can with a $500 goggle,” Raymer said. “There’s a renewed focus on what goggles are for.”

With those obstructions out of the way, goggle brands are focusing on technology advances in light management. There’s still demand for the ability to quickly and easily change out lenses based on light conditions, but also growing demand for photo-chromatic or transition lenses that alter the tint based on how bright or dim it is out there.

With both systems, brands are also focusing on the clarity and color filtration of lenses to deliver the most natural, clear vision.

Other trends to look out for on the winter trade show floors: a focus on better ventilation - especially as more skiers are huffing and puffing it uphill on

Revo Echo

Smith Optics I/O

Smith Optics Riot

Dragon Alliance X2S

AT skis -and the use of more magnet technology for quick and secure lens interchangeability.

REVO “There’s a huge emphasis on all the bells and whistles, but people just want something that works and they can wear all day,” said Cliff Robinson, co-president of Revo. The brand introduces its first goggle line with six styles, four front shapes and three lens types, each $229, including the Wordsmith and Echo. All lenses are photo-chromatic and notably only semipolarized. The latter still cuts down on glare but doesn’t distort terrain or hinder the user’s ability to read an electronic screen, Robinson said. The three lens options, blue water, green water and solar

orange, allow users some further dialing in beyond the photo-chromatic tech for bright-light days, lowlight days and universal lighting, respectively.

SMITH OPTICS Smith’s iconic, spherical-lens I/O Goggle - a pioneer in lens interchangeability eight years ago - gets a makeover for winter 2016/17 with a wider field-ofview and a new frame that better flexes to fit a variety of faces. “By reducing material and creating flexible lattice architecture, the re-designed I/O frame acts like a suspension system that micro adjusts to unique facial structures,” officials said. Each goggle, $180, includes a bright-light and low-light lens, and for $30 more comes with the brand’s ChromaPop technology

that better filters light and color for more accurate vision. Smith also brings the Riot Goggle, $80 or $100 with ChromaPop, a women’s-specific, noninterchangeable cylindrical option that features much of the same tech above at a more affordable price.

DRAGON ALLIANCE Frameless designs, which allow for easier lens change outs, continue to pick up steam after some initial hesitancy on the style front. Dragon Alliance brings its new X2S Goggle, $220, which is a smaller model from previous versions and features the brand’s new Apex color-tuning technology to optimize clarity. It’s an interchangeable lens with a sunny and low-light lens options.

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K2 Skis Scene Z

Uvex Jakk TO

Bliz Active Flow

K2 SKIS The new Scene and Scene Z goggles from K2 Skis feature smaller lenses designed to fit smaller faces.

The narrower frame features a clean topline profile and removable outriggers that allow the goggles to integrate nicely with a helmet, or not. The Scene Z comes with “Lens by Zeiss” lenses and both models have K2’s EZ swap system employing a limited number of contact points between the frame and the spherical lens to maximize users’ field of view and make it easier to swap out the lenses.

UVEX For rapid lens switches, Uvex debuts its Jakk TO (Take-Off) Goggle, $169, which have two different layers of lenses. Four miniature magnets fix an external dark, bright-light lens on top, which the user can quickly remove with just a tug to reveal a low-light lens below. Snap the dark lens back on when the sun returns -all without taking off gloves.

Uvex also debuts the Big 40, a frameless, spherical design with transition (what the brand calls variomatic) technology, automatically switching tint within 25 seconds of entering new lighting conditions.

NATIVE EYEWEAR Native boasts a new anti-fog coating on its lenses that it says will “delay condensation building up on the lens for eight minutes versus the industry standard of 30 seconds.” Find it on Native’s entire line, including the large-fit, wide-field-of-view, cylindrical-lens Treeline Goggle, $179.

BLIZ ACTIVE The new Bliz Flow, $125, was developed in conjunction with the Swedish Alpine Team and sports a Thin-Strip frame for a wide view on a cylindrical lens.

Salomon XT One

SALOMON The XT One Goggle, $160, from Salomon focuses on improving fit and widening the field of view with a soft frame that adjusts to face sizes. It also allows for lens changes.

BOLLE Also focusing on fit, Bolle debuts the Tsar Goggle, which utilizes its B-Flex technology, a memoryshape material for precise fitting and cutting out air gaps the company is calling “the first universal fit technology for goggles.”

Bolle Tsar

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Jimmy Chin Photo courtesy Revo

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SPORTSMANS

Photo courtesy Sitka 88 2016 WINTER SHOW ISSUE

Hunting Trends 2016 Rise Of The Performance Brand

By Greg Thomas

S

ome of my best and worst childhood memories formed in a soggy western Washington duck blind, sitting on a wet wood plank, cold feet stuck in the mud, waiting for mallard ducks to arrive on what my dad might call, “the 9 o’clock flight.”

He’d name these flights to best serve his purposes - if I was shivering and wet and pleading to leave the blind at 10 a.m. he’d say, “We’re waiting for the 10:15 flight.” Making matters worse, I could see McDonalds’ golden arches from the blind and that only focused my attention on hot chocolate and the slim possibility that I might survive.

In those days my attire consisted of cheap, army-green, un-insulated calfhigh rubber boots, white cotton socks, baffled long underwear that reminded me of the Eggo waffles I’d eaten for breakfast, Toughskins jeans, and a plastic hooded poncho that barely reached the knees. This wasn’t quite Naked and Afraid, but it wasn’t a poolside seat at the Ritz either. I don’t know how I came out of those years retaining the will to hunt, but here I am, many years later, wishing that the performance hunting apparel movement we are seeing today would have been part of my youthful outdoors experience.

Several newish companies - and some long established brands - are creating tech-driven apparel and accessory options at premium price points, quality items that could keep you alive on the top of McKinley. And this gear, especially, appeals to the go-getter, meaning hunters who need lightweight, storm-worthy gear they can rely on when traveling farther into the bush, for increasingly longer durations, to find the kinds of animals that fill a freezer and end up on the living room wall.

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Sitka Sitka Gear’s lineup of technical apparel is a great example. Sitka entered the market in 2005 with a systems-based approach building on high-quality, moisture-wicking base layers topped with equally efficient mid-weight and heavyweight insulation. These three systems, labeled Light and Fast, Extended Exposure, and Extreme and Extended, cover the bases whether you’re chasing early season archery elk in the Rockies, midseason whitetails in the eastern hardwoods, or late season mule deer or mountain goat in the high crags.

Be prepared - you’re not coming out of the Sitka buying experience with a fat wallet. George Cook, a Sitka rep in the Pacific Northwest, said Sitka “turns clothing into gear” and their approach “matches hunters with the right system for their given task or environment, be it static (tree-stand whitetails), extended mountain hunts (such as sheep), or light and fast (for alpine elk and mule deer).”

Cook said Sitka’s Mountain Pant, $189, can’t be beat for early-season hunting and its Timberline Pant, $229, serves best during late-season hunts.

Three jackets Cook would take on every hunt are the Kelvin Light Hoody, $249, the Jetstream Jacket, $349, and the 90% Jacket, $289, which is touted as being perfect for 90 percent of the mountain conditions hunters encounter.

Mountain Pant

Timberline Pant

Kelvin Light Hoody

Jetstream Jacket

Photo courtesy Sitka

Sitka’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed. The long standing 10X brand is moving into the high performance arena with their Silent Storm Rainshell and Pant, which they tout as the most waterproof, breathable and quiet camouflage raingear on the market. In fall 2016 10X releases its Lockdown line and a full layering system that uses merino wool, Primaloft and a two-tiered scent control called Scentrex. They’re also releasing a women’s line of hunting apparel.

“The Silent Storm rainshell and Lockdown soft-shell point to the quality and performance customers will see from 10X in the future,” said Matt Aboussie, an account manager at Backbone Media who handles the brand. “There are lots of players in camou clothing, but the performance market is a growing trend and we’re reaching active hunters who are looking for more than an afternoon in a tree stand, although we sell a lot of gear to those people as well.

“And we do see women as a growing segment of the market,” he added. “Our women’s line is full-feature gear, not compromised from the men’s line at all.

It just has a specific women’s tailored cut and some pieces may have slightly different colors, say a pink logo or zipper that’s different from the men’s.”

Sitka 10x

Silent Storm Rainshell

Silent Storm Pant

Lockdown Jacket

Photo courtesy Sitka 10x

Photo courtesy Kuiu

Kuiu is another brand penetrating the performance market . . . and why wouldn’t it? Jason Hairston, founder, sold the Sitka brand and started Kuiu to offer consumers the best- performing ultra-light clothes for mountain hunting, at an equitable price.

To do so Hairston sells direct at huntkuiu.com where consumers find Kuiu’s version of the systems approach, offering base layers, insulation layers, outer layers, rain gear, headwear, gloves, boots, backpacks and dry bags, and even sleeping bags and single or two-person lightweight tents, all packed with performance materials.

For instance, Kuiu’s Yukon Rain Jacket, $349, uses Toray’s Primeflex to keep weight and water absorption in check; and it uses Toray’s Dermizax membrane and Kudos XR DWR to repel water and for breathability.

While these performance apparel lines have a firm grip on the hunting community, there’s something to be said about brand recognition and consumer confidence. The long established Seattle-based brand Filson continues to make its mark in hunting, drawing off a reputation for having outfitted Alaska and Yukon-bound prospectors during the Klondike gold rush.

Ralph Stuart, editor of Shooting Sportsman magazine, which caters to upland bird and waterfowl hunters, said tradition and reliability serve the classic brands well and resonate with his readers. “Alaska’s hard-core hunters used Filson and people associate the brand with something that will stand up to time and hard use,” Stuart said. “It’s also a brand that these people’s fathers and grandfathers wore and the items have been passed down through the generations. That shows how good the materials and craftsmanship are.

Kuiu Yukon Rain Jacket

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Eddie Bauer

Women's Micro Therm Storm Down Field Jacket

Mens Micro Therm Storm Down Field Jacket

Yakima Breaks Upland Pants

“Another recognized brand that I’m very impressed with is Eddie Bauer,” Stuart said. “They have come back on the hunting scene with a line of ‘Guide Tested’ Upland Bird Hunting Gear. Before launching the line, they brought in professionals for advice and testing and then sent the products out for vetting and made improvements based on what they saw and heard from the field. I can tell that these pieces were designed by someone who wanted versatile birdhunting garments and they are what I’m wearing a lot these days.”

Another mainstream brand that’s made inroads in hunting is Patagonia, whether they’ve wanted to or not. It’s a poorly kept secret that some of their apparel, such as the iconic Snap-T and its capilene base layering system, perform as well in the forest and field as on a trout stream or bike trail. In 2015 Patagonia released its “Field” lineup, which includes a Lightweight

Field Shirt, $85, Field Pants, $99, a Long-Sleeved R1 Field Shirt, $169, and an All Season Field Shirt, $89. These are highly technical items made of 100 percent polyester ripstop with built in UPF 30-sun protection. Patagonia’s Corey Simpson said, “This is a very versatile, high-quality outerwear line that climbers love, but it works well on a ranch, in field biology work, and in hunting, too. We’ve found that something doesn’t have to be built for hunting for it to be good in the field.”

And with this current surge in performance-driven hunting apparel, you and I - don’t need to suffer through a day in a duck blind or anywhere else for that matter. With all the options on the market and with more to come this year, you can be nearly as comfortable hunting deer on a snowy peak as you can be in the deserts and uplands hunting antelope and birds.

Photo courtesy Eddie Bauer

SPORTS & FITNESS

Concussion Conscious Media Attention On Head Injuries’ Lasting Effects Continues To Raise Safety Awareness In Wintersport Helmets

By David Clucas

C

urrently in wintersport helmets, everyone is talking NFL football … even our European friends. No, don’t expect to see Smith, K2 and POC Sports outfitting the Pittsburgh Steelers or Arizona Cardinals next year. Rather it’s the increased media attention on concussions that have brought the topic of head safety - no matter the sport - to top-of-mind for consumers. With increased scrutiny, studies are beginning to link these head injuries to longer-lasting mental and physical problems for aging athletes.

“Scientists, consumers and even governments are starting to pay a lot of attention, not only to single, high impacts, but also to repeated, low impacts [to the head] and their affect over time,” said Drew Chilson, head of product creation at Smith Optics.

“Protecting from those injuries is coming much more to the spotlight.”

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Wintersport helmet brands are responding. And while they can’t legally market a helmet as “safer” than another, the goal is to make safer helmets, while maintaining a balance with performance “We could design the ‘safest’ helmet in the world, but you would look like Spaceballs,” said Willie Ford, managing director of Poc Sports North America, referring to the 1980s Star Wars spoof where the villains wear oversized helmets. “We spend most of our time talking about how we can combine performance and protection.”

The conversation between brands, retailers and consumers is going to become a lot more sophisticated, Ford said, especially over the repeated “little bumps” that people don’t normally think about.

Chilson agreed, adding that helmets will get more sport-specific on the basis of what injuries are more prone in the activity including risks at high-speed, low-speed, multi-impacts and rotational impacts.

“You actually wouldn’t want a helmet that addresses all four of these pillars equally because you would compromise the product,” he said.

Outside of protection, brands continue to work on making helmets lighter, more breathable and improving fit with accompanying goggles. Comfort and style are still priorities, even if they will likely take a backseat to safety next year.

Salomon MTN Charge

POC SPORTS Studies are beginning to show that repeated, smaller impacts to the head can be as long-term damaging as a single hard hit. That’s where Poc’s Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) protective layer can play a better role than standard EPS foam, Ford said. The technology debuted in 2007, but is being broadened into more new product this year. It has elastic properties that allows it to come back after dings and dents, versus EPS that can lose its protective loft with every little hit that gets past hard shell, Ford said.

K2 Virtue

SALOMON Recognizing the growing touring and uphill market, Salomon has focused on lighter weight helmets with superior breathability for the sweat-inducing workouts. With the new MTN Charge, $180, the brand targets free-ride skiers and snowboarders by beefing things up from last year’s MTN Lab Helmet.

Maintaining the light 300-gram weight, the Charge is still comfortable and breathable enough to wear while touring, but now also burly enough to wear when shredding downhill.

Uvex Jakk+ Helmet

K2 A new hybrid shell construction and improved goggle integration highlight K2 Skis’ new men’s Diversion and women’s Virtue helmets for 2016/17. The hybrid and inmold materials inside and outside of the shell “give skiers added protection where they need it, while cutting weight in places they don’t,” officials said. Strategically placed ventilation on the front corners of the helmet help eliminate foggy goggleS and side strap catches keep the goggles in place whether down or up. Plus, a new chinstrap comeS with a lock buckle to keep it from sliding off the user’s chin.

K2 Diversion

UVEX Uvex shows off its Octo+ fitting technology in its Jakk+ Helmet, $220, which attaches itself firmly to the head of users and adapts the size automatically, like the arms of an octopus, for a comfortable and safe fit. Uvex also debuts its new P.8000 Tour Ski Mountaineering Helmet weighing in at 400 grams, including the Recco avalanche rescue system, a Boa fit system, a headlamp attachment.

SWEET PROTECTION Today’s helmets have to adapt to a multitude of hits. Enter Sweet Protection’s Trooper, which utilizes the brand’s thermoplastic-laminated-carbon-fiber construction to make the shell hard enough to withstand severe stress, yet flexible enough for energy to be absorbed. The EPS padding is also constructed with “shields” of various densities to distribute the pressure and absorb energy efficiently. For the pros, check out The Rooster, which now features a mono shell exterior, those multi-density EPS shields and the ability to absorb impacts to less than 250 grams.

Sweet Protection Trooper

Sweet Protection The Rooster

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Hats Go Classic Cool, Ditching Overzealous Flash

As much fun as the glitz and tech of winter gear can be, let’s face it, hats don’t buy into the sparkle. These unsung heroes of winter take a noble step away from futuristic flash and go back to the basics. Fall/Winter 2016/2017 options opt for relaxed styles and active/chill versatility, using a hybrid of traditional materials with smart weaves or cutting to do the job they were made to do… and do it damn well. The effect: classic cool that doesn’t demand recognition.

By Jahla Seppanen

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SKIDA SUMMIT KNIT New to Skida’s USA Knits collection, The Summit Knit, $30, is woven with a ribbed 100-percent acrylic fiber, in a style that mixes street with slope. Providing a snug fit, the Summit rocks a fold over band with one of three brand-inspired motifs: "YAY", "Skida” with pictured gondola or "Skida” with pictured trees. Plus, you can sport the knit knowing it was made right here in New Jersey. Available in black, red, saffron and royal blue, the Summit is a staple in the snowboarder uniform.

Skida Summit Knit

HEADSWEATS ULTRA BAND A new customizable UltraBand from Headsweats, $22, combines the headwear power of an all-in-one toque, neck warmer and headband. Made from Headsweats’ proprietary Eventure fabric (lightweight and quick drying), the UltraBand was designed for all-season wear, as its transformer style can be worn differently for sun or snow. The initial prototype was tested in October 2015, when Headsweats and Skratchlabs made 10 samples. Once prototype images went live of Ironman Ivan Gorman using the band at Kona Iron Man Championship, the public demanded them. One Instagram user @chapla15I even remarked, “I’d trade my right nut for that lid.”

THE NORTH FACE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CLASSIC WOOL BEANIE Known for industry leading designs, The North Face has perhaps gone the most backto-basics with its 2016 Classic Wool Beanie, $50. A necessity in its Fall 2016 line, The North Face designed a Men’s specific cut and a Women’s specific cut. Both are a melding of 65-percent baby wool, 25-percent yak and 10-percent cashmere yarn, offered only in black and gray. The main difference is the woman’s slouched fit, but again we see the resurgence of the simple, classic, must-have beanie.

Headsweats Ultra Band

Dale of Norway Lillehammer Hat

DALE OF NORWAY LILLEHAMMER HAT Dale of Norway has been creating sweaters with matching accessories for Olympic Games and World Championships since 1956. The company created the 2016 Lillehammer sweater as the official sweater for the Youth Olympic Games, after looking back to its original Dale Olympic Lillehammer sweater from 1994. Now paired as a hat, $70, the upscale beanie is made from 100-percent skin soft, extra-fine Merino wool and is cut longer for a slightly slouched look that makes it wearable for both men and women. In classic Dale fashion, the Lillehammer Hat features a traditional Norwegian design pattern that screams winter.

SUNDAY AFTERNOONS SHASTA TRAPPER Fully updated while maintaining its retro legacy, Sunday Afternoons’ Shasta Trapper, $48, uses herringbone fabric and plush, ultra-warm fleece to insulate and resist against water.

Boasting a UPF 50+ sun rating, the Trapper’s unisex heritage style means no loud neons or overly-futuristic patterns. It’s classic, warm and wearable season after season. Outside: wear the earflaps down, Elmer Fudd style. Inside or around the fire: flaps up.

Sunday Afternoons Shasta Trapper

OUTDOOR RESEARCH MIKALA BEANIE With more than 100 styles in their hat collections, SGB chose the Mikala Beanie, $26, because it’s sophisticated enough to accessorize with boots and base enough to add to a snowsuit. At a time of year when you really don’t want to end up outside without a cover for your dome, a versatile piece like the Mikala is light and simple, but always does the job.

Skinny stripes add a feminine flair while the wear is slouched and relaxed.

Outdoor Research Mikala Beanie

CRAGHOPPERS BROMPTON WAFFLE KNIT HAT Yes, another beanie concept, but don’t be so quick to judge. This Craghoppers Knit Hat, $20, uses a deceptively advanced lightweight waffle weave that retains heat like no other on the market. The Brompton gets a small punch of heritage feel with its leather tag.

Craghoppers Brompton Waffle Knit Hat

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ACCESSORIES

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Leather and Grip: Sexiest Gloves in Years Winter warriors turn to gloves made from the most dependable materials. Why? Because gloves can make or break your season, or at least your day.

Fall/Winter 2016 offerings get down and dirty using different animal leathers, alpine and functional style cues, spidey-grip technologies and uber insulations.

By Jahla Seppanen

OUTDOOR RESEARCH PROJECT GLOVES Outdoor Research will introduce new 3DFit technology, available in two new glove models: the ice climbing-focused Project Glove and the Shuksan Mitt.

3DFit will also revamp best sellers Lodestar Sensor Glove and Alti Glove, but the real buzz is around the new Project Gloves, $135. Designed for technical winter adventures, the Project Glove is constructed with three-dimensional pattering (versus traditional two-dimensional). Three-dimensions means the glove is modeled on how a hand is actually shaped, resulting in better fit and dexterity. Plus, its waterproof Gore-Tex Grip liner removes excess bulk.

England’s own Pittards Oil Tac leather (originally created for football receiver gloves) dominates the grip game and gives Project Gloves great hold power.

No-slip PrimaLoft Grip insulation rounds out the features of this Boreas. Also keep an eye out for Outdoor Research’s Capstone Heated Gloves - twice the heat of Lucent Heated Gloves and four times that of many competitors.

HELLY HANSEN TAP HT TRIGGER A true hybrid classic, Helly Hansen’s Tap HT Trigger, $120, rocks a leather palm for durability and nylon backhand for enhanced function and breathability. Warming power comes from its PrimaLoft 113g insulation. But the real innovation comes in the nitty gritty…a premium water repellent goat skin leather coats the shell and palm, while Helly Tech Performance - a 2.5 ply sandwich system made up of an outer fabric, waterproof breathable barrier and abrasion resistant print that is either ceramic or carbon particle based – acts as the insert. The Tap HT Trigger is lined with anti-piling polyester micro fleece, and has a useful buff thumb nose/goggle wipe. Its fitted cuff is also made of leather and has an ergo leather pulltab.

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Outdoor Research Project Gloves

Helly Hansen Vor Glove

HELLY HANSEN VOR GLOVE New for Fall/Winter 2016/17 is the Helly Hansen Vor Glove, $95. The company made a conscious decision to go for the goat - leather that is - which gives their new offerings a unique edge. The Vor (and Tap HT Trigger) uses Grade A goat skin leather in a western rodeo styling that harkens to the classic work glove.

This leather is water repellent and notoriously softer and more flexible than cowhide. Goatskin also tends to age well, compared to others, which means the gloves look better the more wear and tear they get. The lining is anti-piling polyester micro fleece and the glove closes off with a sock cuff and cinch strap.

Leki Griffin Pro S Speed System Glove

LEKI GRIFFIN PRO S SPEED SYSTEM GLOVE Leki, famous for ski and hiking poles, brought all-day, every day gloves, The Griffin Pro S Gloves, $179, to the 2015/16 season, and updated it with new styling and fabric treatment for next year. Griffin Pro S Gloves were also revamped to be compatible with Leki’s next-season Trigger S Verticle grip system - an alpine-approved touring innovation for 2016/17. Centered around the Flexband, an elastic band enabling different grips without the need to click in, the Trigger S Verticle grip improves power transmission at the top of the ski pole for controlled touring and skinning.

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Army Leather Abisko

Sustaining tradition.

The all new Army Leather Abisko is made with the same materials as Hestra’s first glove designed for lumberjacks in 1936: leather and wool. A goatskin leather palm, outseam construction, and a wool lining offer warmth, breathability, and durability. We don’t mess with the classics.

HESTRAGLOVES.COM

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The updated Griffin Pro S gloves are still a first for the company, as the only non-race pair to feature the company’s Speed System Trigger connection. If you already know what that means, try to contain yourself. The system allows highly customizable grip and flexibility at the connection point. After all, it was made for pro skiers. A natural, close fit is courtesy of the full-leather Pro-Fit design, with EVA knuckle and finger pads for protection. Pre-curved fingers and nash silicone digital palm are huge advancements in the glove category, and yield exceptional dexterity when gripping poles. Hyperloft insulation with a waterproof breathable liner makes you forget about being below zero. Men’s and Women’s styles and sizing are available.

Seirus SolarSphere “Brink” Glove

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SEIRUS SOLARSPHERE “BRINK” GLOVE Seirus delved into new insulation for Winter 2016/17 landing an eco-friendly approach they call SolarSphere. Powered by the sun, this insulation absorbs sunlight into the glove or mitt amplifying the temperature up to 10 degrees.

SolarSphere insulation converts the rays into warmth, which then transfers to the hand. The new-age insulation is also an animal-friendly alternative to down, being made with lightweight, compressible (yet surprisingly durable) hollow filament balls that are stellar at retaining form. Serius’ new “Brink” Glove, $50, is the kingpin of its SolarSphere offerings, with 5g of this solarheated insulation and 160g of HeatLock, which has become a claim-to-fame

Pow Alpha GTX Glove

Pow HD Glove

for the tactical glove makers. HeatLock is for cloudy, white-out days, giving the wearer six hours of hot heat by touching the activation button (but remember to recharge the gloves before your next snow day). “Brink” will also come in a mitt style.

GTX, Oil Tac adds a stylish James Bond flair, as this leather was classically used in dress gloves. Backed by the Gore-Tex “Guaranteed to keep you dry promise” the Alpha GTX also has a waterproof Fly Vent zipper venting system, to use if the Merino wool lining works too well.

POW ALPHA GTX GLOVE A glove for Pow’s Cascade Series, the Alpha GTX, $160, is one of the brand’s many new offerings featuring outdoor herculean waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex. The aim of these gloves is to combine the most modernized material technology into one suave contender. The look is smooth yet intricate, with a shell made from Grade A goatskin leather (locally sourced for durability and break-in) and a palm of Pittards Oil Tac Dragon etched leather. Pittards Leather Company has been around since 1826, with its Oil Tac leather becoming a sought after component in the toughest outdoor gloves. Why? Oil Tac’s hairsheep hide is soft, supple and strong. Featured in the palm of the Alpha

POW HD GLOVE The Pow Utility Outdoor Series for 2016/17 brings function-specific shells and high-tech liners to the men and women whose livelihood is the outdoors.

Working outside in the snow isn’t easy, but you don’t have to play it cool while your hands freeze. The HD Glove, $60, is the work glove 2.0, made with premium water repellent Grade A leather for both the shell and palm.

Natural colors were inspired by snowboarder Manuel Diaz, who rides for Puro Snowboarding, Nike, Slash Snowboards and Monster, to name a few. While Diaz had a hand in influencing the natural colors (tan and black), the HD’s classic work glove look, wrist sinch and sock cuff are old school details that didn’t need changing.

GORDINI DT LEATHER GLOVE & MITT The DT Leather Glove and Mitt, $140, both have a full sheepskin leather outer shell. Sheepskin is currently the warmest yet lightest-weight leather in outdoor apparel today because the hide is tanned with its wool fleece still intact. Adding water repellency via a DownTek shield and DownTek 700 fill for insulation, Gordini has pulled from the best. In this design, sheepskin is strategically placed for protection and reinforcement, and DownTek (a repellent treatment) allows the fill to retail insulation and loft when wet. By creating surface tension on each cluster of down, moisture has no choice but to bead up and roll away from the fill. A durable woven nylon fills in the spaces on these heat-trapping champs.

Gordini DT Leather Glove

Gordini DT Leather Mitt

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ACCESSORIES

Photo courtesy LEKI

What’s In Your Pack?

The Rest Of The Winter Tradeshow Must-Haves

By SGB Staff

HYDROFLASK The redesigned Hydro Flask 32 oz and 64 oz Growlers are a great way to transport your favorite beverages from tap to trailhead to yurt.

The side handle orientation offers better pouring control thanks to its close proximity to the growler opening. The loop handle accommodates all sizes of hands, fingers and carabiners, and Hydro Flask’s TempShield Insulation keeps your beverage as cold and refreshing as when it was poured.

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DRYGUY Simple Dry, $40, a simpler version of the Force Dry DX by DryGuy is a budget-friendly option for those who understand the bliss of warm boots before stepping outside on a cold day. Using a convection based drying system that heats to approximately 105 degrees, the Simple Dry is silent and will not damage fragile boot or glove liners. The Simple Dry uses a 120 volt AC outlet, dries two garments in six to eight hours, weighs less than five pounds and helps reduce odors caused by bacteria, fungus and mildew.

PEARL IZUMI The Pearl Izumi Escape Thermal Glove, $30, is ideal for cycling or running with a new wool-like synthetic palm material. This smooth, supple yet exceptionally durable fabric boosts the glove's function and modern appeal. Select Thermal fabric on the back of the hand allows for movement while providing warmth; conductive synthetic leather index finger and thumb pads offer touchscreen compatibility; and black reflective accents add style and safety.

LEKI Leki introduces the Aergon 2 Pole, $139, an innovative Trigger S Vertical grip system on a new line of alpine touring poles next season. The new technology centers around the Flexband, an elastic band which enables variable gripping without having to click out of the grip and allows the pole to remain firmly connected to the hand with optimal power transmission on top of the pole for palming.

VAPUR BOTTLES The 1L Mossy Oak Microfilter Bottle Set, $50, with Anti-Bottle and MicroFilter weigh just 2.7 ounces, and the filter is capable of purifying hundreds of liters of water from lakes, rivers, streams and tap water over its lifespan. Equipped with Vapur’s SuperCap, the 1.5L Vapur, $16, bottle can be carried around town with the same ease as the rest of the Vapur family, but with more volume. The new Vapur DrinkLink Hydration Tube, $15, converts your Vapur Anti-Bottle into a hydration bladder with the change of a cap. Take any SuperCap bottle and easily screw in the new Hydration Tube system, equipped with a 135-degree angle bite valve.

SMARTWOOL SmartWool teamed up with renowned alpinist Conrad Anker to develop the new PhD Outdoor Mountaineer Sock, $35. Beyond comfort, features include new Industractawool technology, a bulk free instep, two integrated mesh zones for aggressive venting, and a 20-30 mmHg compression heal cup.

With Conrad’s attention to detail and Smartwool’s 20 years of sock innovation, this may be the most technical mountaineering sock ever.

Hydro Flask 64oz Growler

DryGuy Simple Dry

Leki Aergon 2 Pole

Pearl Izumi Escape Thermal Glove

Vapur 1L Mossy Oak Microfilter Bottle Set

MOUNTAINSMITH For a special Fall 2016 launch, Mountainsmith tapped into its 37-year heritage by resurrecting some of its most cherished designs from the mid90s as trail-inspired commuter bags. The Roots Collection will feature six styles inspired by the brand’s rich history, retro-fitted to accommodate modern travel demands. Honoring their trademark durability, the line will be produced using Cordura fabric.

PATAGONIA The new Black Hole Cubes from Patagonia are simple and lasting packing solutions for gear and accessories, available in three sizes at $29, $39, and $49. Each features mesh dividers and heavy duty daisy chains.

Mountainsmith Roots Collection

SmartWool PhD Mountaineer Sock

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JANUARY 2016

MARCH

4-6

ASI Orlando

8-9

SFIA National Health

Orlando, FL

Through Fitness Day

5-7

Archery Trade Association Show

Washington, D.C.

Louisville, KY

17-19

Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS)

6

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market

Atlantic City, NJ

Demo Day, Salt Lake City, UT

6-9

CES Show

Las Vegas, NV

7-10

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market

1-2

SFIA Litigation & Risk

Salt Lake City, UT

Management Summit

11-13

MRA January Novi Market

New Orleans, LA

Novi, MI

19-21

Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS)

12-15

NBS Winter Show

Nashville, TN

Ft. Worth, TX

14-16

Surf Expo

Orlando, FL

17-20

NRF Retail Big Show

22-25

NSGA Management

New York, NY

Conference and Team

19-22

SHOT Show

Hilton Head Island, SC

Las Vegas, NV

22-24

Imprinted Sportswear

Long Beach, CA

24-26

Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show

Las Vegas, NV

27-29

PGA Merchandise Show

Orlando, FL

28-31

The SIA Snow Show

Denver, CO

FEBRUARY 1-2

SIA On-Snow Demo

Denver, CO

1-2

SIA Nordic Demo

Denver, CO

2-4

FFANY

New York, NY

2-4

Worldwide Spring Show

Reno, NV

8-10

EORA SE February Show

Greenville, SC

16-17

MWSRA New Model Demo

Afton Alps-Hastings, MN

17-20

Sports Inc. Outdoor Show

Phoenix, AZ

18-22

NBS Semi-Annual Market

Fort Worth, TX

APRIL

MAY

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS | BUYING GROUPS

INDUSTRY CALENDAR

Athletic Dealers of America 1395 Highland Avenue Melbourne, FL 32935 t 321.254.0091 f 321.242.7419 athleticdealersofamerica.com National Shooting Sports Foundation Flintlock Ridge Office Center 11 Mile Hill Road Newtown, CT 06470 t 203.426.1320 f 203.426.1087 nssf.org National Sporting Goods Association 1601 Feehanville Drive I Suite 300 Mount Prospect, IL 60056 t 847.296.6742 f 847.391.9827 nsga.org Nation’s Best Sports 4216 Hahn Blvd.

Ft. Worth, TX 76117 t 817.788.0034 f 817.788.8542 nbs.com Outdoor Industry Association 4909 Pearl East Circle I Suite 300 Boulder, CO 80301 t 303.444.3353 f 303.444.3284 outdoorindustry.org Sports & Fitness Industry Association 8505 Fenton Street I Suite 211 Silver Spring, MD 20910 t 301.495.6321 f 301.495.6322 sfia.org Snow Sports Industries America 8377-B Greensboro Drive McLean, VA 22102 t 703.556.9020 f 703.821.8276 snowsports.org Snowsports Merchandising Corp.

235 Cadwell Drive Springfield, MA 01104 t 413.739.7331 Snowsportsmerchandising.com Sports, Inc. 333 2nd Avenue North Lewistown, MT 59457 t 406.538.3496 f 406.538.2801 sportsinc.com Sports Specialists Ltd. 590 Fishers Station Drive I Suite 110 Victor, NY 14564 t 585.742.1010 f 585.742.2645 sportsspecialistsltd.com Tennis Industry Association 1 Corpus Christi Place I Suite 117 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 t 843.686.3036 f 843.686.3078 tennisindustry.org

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Worldwide 8211 South 194th Kent, WA 98032 t 253.872.8746 f 253.872.7603 wdi-wdi.com

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I AM...SGB

TOM FRITZ, VP OF MARKETING, MARMOT

T

om Fritz has worked for Dow Chemical, selling farm chemicals to retail farm dealers; Clorox, managing such brands as Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing and other new product initiatives; Spreckels Sugar Company as Director of Marketing; Nestle Beverage as Business Director, Nestea; Yes! Entertainment as EVP Marketing & Product Development (toys); and Marmot Mountain LLC as VP of Marketing since 1998, when annual revenues were $35 million. During his tenure, Marmot opened five U.S. flagship stores, three partnership stores, and provided support for international retail partner stores in Chile, Russia, Germany and Asia. He’s been married to wife Joan for 33 years.

They have three boys, two of whom are firefighters with economics degrees from UC Davis and one is a sophomore at University of Oregon. Fritz has coached youth baseball, basketball and soccer for 18 years - more than 65 teams. He’s a lifelong outdoorsman with a passion for mountain biking, road cycling, backpacking, kayaking, SUP, skiing and climbing.

What has it been like to be with a brand for so long during such a period of growth? While I’ve been with Marmot for 17 years the world, the company and the industry have changed massively in that time. Marmot was acquired in 2004 by K2 Inc., and then by Jarden in 2007. We went from being a small company that was employee and investor owned to a small part of a huge publicly held multinational corporation. Everything changed as the Internet came along, then social media. Widely

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varying weather patterns over the last decade have made it a complex task to estimate consumer demand for outdoor clothing and equipment.

Through all of this Marmot and I have evolved to be stronger, more dynamic and nimble.

What’s your advice to young people forging their own way in the outdoor industry?

1. Work harder than everyone else. Hard work is noticed and appreciated.

2. Work smarter every day. Learn from your mistakes and adapt.

3. You have a lot to offer but a lot more to learn.

You need to earn respect every day.

4. Shut up and listen. Remember the saying, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

5. Let people help you. It makes us feel good to bring people up through the ranks successfully What has your experience as a coach brought to your professional life? Coaching youth baseball, basketball and soccer was invaluable in shaping me as a person, manager and leader. While I coached 65 teams comprised 5-to-16-year-old boys (and occasional girls), my wife filmed every team’s season, and I edited a video that made every team look like the best team ever and gave a copy to every player and parent. Understanding your audience and their motivation will help you help them achieve their goals. If you can achieve your goals by helping those who work for you to achieve theirs, that’s what success looks like. A

strong leader can forge success from the weakest member of the team.

How important are the Marmot flagship stores and what is the future of Direct-to-Consumer?

Marmot flagship stores and Marmot.com are both important components of Marmot’s DTC strategy.

While we expect to continue to invest in providing the consumer with the full brand experience in our digital and physical stores, first and foremost our primary business remains wholesale. Our goal is to continue to provide the most innovative products to our wholesale customers, as well as the highest levels of service and support. We will continue to invest in our wholesale customer’s online and offline Marmot brand sell-through initiatives as well as our own global brand awareness building initiatives.

How do you find the inspiration to innovate? Constant re-invention leads to continued inspiration. I continue to add new things to my repertoire as I age.

Whether it’s learning new aspects of business or taking up slack lining or fending off road traffic in Santa Rosa while cycling to work, I enjoy changing things up to stay fresh. As far as Marmot goes, inspiration is rooted in the desire to engineer and build the highest performing products possible for all people to wear and use both outside and indoors, every day of the week. Marmot product innovations are all about improving the consumer experience, no matter what the conditions. We innovate by making things simpler, easier to use, higher performing, more ecofriendly, and affordable.

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