Outdoor: Did You Hear?…

>> Indigo Equipment has hired the company’s first official employee — not counting owner/operators of course. Kristen Simpson has joined the team as the company’s product manager and the sales/marketing assistant. Based out of Indigo’s Jackson Hole office, Simpson is a former Life-Link and Croakies sales rep and can be reached at 307-734-1445, or Kristen@indigoequipment.com.

>> Action Optics (www.actionoptics.com), a manufacturer of performance polarized eyewear for professional fly-fishing guides and casual enthusiasts, has hired Pale Morning Media to conduct a national public relations campaign for the company.

>> Harrison Walls & Assoc. is now representing Arborwear in Calififornia, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii.

>> PrAna, a designer and manufacturer of adventure climbing apparel, has retained Kristin Carpenter Public Relations (KCPR) as the company’s public relations agency.

>> Scot Lee is departing Mountain Sports in Boulder, Colo., following the decision to eliminate the position of general manager in the store and to distribute the incumbent responsibilities of that position to other positions. Lee tells SNEWS that, “The difficult decision was made as a result of the impact of the continuing adverse economic effects that our store has faced local, state and national economy. Primarily, my role will be filled by Gilles Lapierre, the president of our company, with the aid of several others.” Lapierre can be reached at gilles@Mospo.com. Lee can still be reached via email at scotdlee@msn.com.

>> American Whitewater has a new events coordinator and volunteer editor for its publication, American Whitewater. Mardee Allcorn is the events coordinator, joining Michael Phelan, AW events director, in the Asheville, N.C., office. Tim Nickles of Boulder, Colo., will begin editorial leadership for the American Whitewater beginning with the May 2003 issue.

>> BackcountryStore.com — www.backcountrystore.com — has launched a new paddle sports category. In addition, the company is holding to its customer promise of free shipping, so all paddlesports gear will come with free shipping, including shipping large boats. A quick visit online by the SNEWS team revealed the new paddlesports category offers boats from Perception, Prijon and Dagger, paddles from Prijon and Werner, and accessories such as spray skirts, PFDs and safety gear from Lotus and Kokatat. The category also has a full line of Yakima racks available, incorporating Yakima’s Fit Kit to help you research the right clips and bar length for your car or truck. SNEWS View: As long as they keep selling boats at full retail, the no charge for shipping will likely become a small, yet somewhat disconcerting blip on the radar of other paddlesports stores around the country. If Backcountry starts playing the discount game, though, expect an uproar to begin.

>> Mark your calendars for what looks to be a very interesting seminar on Recreation & Adventure Law & Liability being held in Vail, Colo., April 10 and 11, 2003. The program will be co-chaired by recreation liability expert, Catherine Hansen-Stamp. In addition to Stamp, insurance representatives, and well-known industry representatives from around the country, including folks from the National Outdoor Leadership School and Outward Bound, will be participating and speaking. Legal and risk management issues will be addressed including staffing, internal policies, crisis management and defense of claims, the doctrine of inherent risks and its interplay with the law of negligence, screening and disclosure, release and indemnity, equipment use and liability issues, asset protection, insurance and more. For more information, or to register, click on: www.cle.com/upcoming/e3vairec03.shtml.