SNEWS best outdoor reads from around the web

What did the SNEWS team read this week that other outdoor industry insiders might find interesting? Well, read on to find out.

• It was a rough week for action and outdoor sports this week in terms of losing pioneers and athletes we’ve admired for years. This Guardian story pays tribute to Walter Bonatti of Italy, famed mountaineer and journalist, and this ESPN story brings us news that snowboard pioneer Tom Sims died of a heart attack recently. SNEWS sends our thoughts of healing to their families.

• You may not sell rakes or supplies for the local county fair (well maybe you might), but you do sell stuff for hiking and maybe even stuff for flying kites. This Yahoo Sports story gives families some suggestions on what outdoor activities families can enjoy during the fall and hiking and flying kites are both on the list.

• There’s hope to converting road runners in to trail runners yet. This ESPN story proves that road runners get bored with their regular routes. We know we do, and when that boredom hits, sure we reverse our routes and do a few of the other things this story suggests, but for the most part, we head out into the Colorado mountains to run our never boring trails.

• We love Outdoor Afro and we especially love reading their member spotlights. Check out this member spotlight on Kweli Kitwana and her mission to spread her lifelong passion of hiking and the outdoors to youth and families.

• Listen up Ohio retailers, here’s something you should share with your customers: According to this Associated Press story, Ohio recorded 67 cases of West Nile Virus in humans recently. Two of those people have died from the mosquito-borne illness.

• Uh-oh outdoor retailers in the UK, looks like you’ve got some competition on the horizon and it’s not coming from big-box sporting goods stores, rather it’s coming from the grocery store down the street. According to this Talking Retail story, consumers are increasingly purchasing items like torches, pop-up tents and folding tables from supermarkets.

• Technology in the wilderness. Some of us can’t live without it but this article in South Source discusses how technology should never replace common sense and basic outdoor survival skills. The article also highlights some new innovations in various technologies from water filtration to backpacking stoves. 

• This DailyFinance post claims the “CEO Gaffe of the Week” belongs to Deckers Outdoor CEO Angel Martinez. Just what decision did Martinez make that Author Sean Williams thought was questionable? Find out here.

• We all know that Utah has some of the most beautiful scenery and outdoor recreation spots around (close to our gorgeous home state of Colorado of course), but it seems to be new news to the folks in San Diego. Check out this San Diego Union-Tribune story about the glories of Utah’s outdoors. 

• We are constantly amazed by the good work people are doing and all of the wonderful nonprofits that have been established to expose people to the great outdoors, and we enjoyed reading about yet another one in this Herald Journal Story. The feature is on Common Ground Outdoor Adventures, which offers chances to ski, canoe and camp, among other things, to children with disabilities. Find out more and how you could help.

Have you read anything interesting you’d like to share with us? Maybe we’ll include it next week’s column with a little shout out to you. Send a link to the story with the subject line “SNEWS Reads” to be considered.

–Compiled by Ana Trujillo