SNEWS best outdoor reads from around the web

What did the SNEWS team read this week that other industry insiders might find interesting? Read on to find out!

• Let’s face it: The standard scene isn’t always how you want to socialize. Sometimes you’d rather forgo happy hour so you could wake up early the next morning for a hike or trail run. That’s why Steve Marker and Joe Palumbo founded OUTdoor Adventures Group in the summer of 2010. Check out this Washington Blade story about the group that seeks to provide a place for GLBT individuals to socialize while enjoying outdoor activities. 

• The Boy Scouts of America probably won’t support OUTdoor Adventures Group given its anti-gay policies. Perhaps the organization should rethink that as it provides valuable skills to youngsters, but it’s losing out on valuable funding because of its closed-minded policies. The New York Daily News recently wrote about UPS pulling its financial support due to the organization’s policies.

• It’s hard to believe after months of reporting on the coolest stuff y’all will be seeing at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market that some folk don’t head out for camping trips in the winter. But we guess some don’t, and if some of those people are your customers, perhaps you can share with them this information on how to prep camping gear for winter storage, and for winter use if they are up for it. Or, you could just sell them new gear altogether. Your move.

• Turns out the website Care2 thinks some of you outdoor adventurers are crazier than skydivers and bungee jumpers. They might be right. Check out this story about the top seven “Insane Outdoor Sports” as deemed by Care2, which includes mountain biking on the Road of Death in Bolivia and swimming at the top of Victoria Falls.

• We were delighted to receive some vests to test with the new Polartec Alpha synthetic insulation, which was launched recently. This Transworld Business post describes the insulation as being ultra lightweight, quick-drying, durable and breathable, among other things. It was initially developed to meet the need of the U.S. Special Operations Forces. We’ve taken it on a few cold winter morning runs and so far we’ve found it to be pretty good stuff. Look for it in one jacket from one company at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2013. Want to find out which company it is? Stay tuned to SNEWS for our Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Planning Guide that will be posted on our site in January 2013.

• SNEWS recently published two letters sent to President Barack Obama urging him to make the area surrounding Canyonlands National Park near Moab, a national monument. Supporters of the request include Mountain Hardwear, The North Face, Patagonia and Aron Ralston, who penned the book “127 Hours” about his ordeal being stuck in a canyon in the area. Check out this Beaumont Enterprise story about the topic.

• Judging from the awesome women here at the Active Interest Media Boulder office, we know women can be rugged, awesome and beautiful all at the same time! So do the people who started the organization Arizona Outdoor Women, which seeks to show those who want how to unleash their inner outdoor badass and learn to kayak, repel down a mountain and pitch a tent among other things. Check out this East Valley Tribune article about how your customers can get involved.

• If your customers don’t know what Title IX is, you best educate them. Especially your younger female customers who might not remember when girls’ sports didn’t get equal billing in school districts as boys’ sports did. Apparel company Title IX pays homage to that change and the story behind the company is pretty awesome and so is Susan Hodge, the founder. Check out this Post Bulletin story about Hodge and her daughter and how they show the fruits of women’s liberation movement. 

• The snow has come and we suspect there is still more on the way! So we all need to start getting ready for our snowshoeing, snowboarding and skiing adventures. Luckily this Province story has all the moves and exercises you need to practice to get your strength up for your time on the mountain.

• Woo hoo! New trails in Ohio! Check out this Zanesville Times Recorder story about the 3.2-mile, multiuse trail for beginners that the Appalachian Outdoor Adventures group recently built and opened last Saturday. The technicality of the trail is between road biking and mountain biking for people to get used to trail before moving onto harder, rockier trails.

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 whoever sent it to us. Send a link to the story with the subject line “SNEWS Reads” to be considered.

–Compiled by Ana Trujillo