Outdoor: Did you hear?…

>> Bauer Industries, the parent company of the Sports Rack retail chain, (www.sportsrack.com) re-acquired its manufacturing division, BVG, from bankrupt Steel Horse. In 1999, BVG was acquired by Steel Horse Automotive, one of the largest names in the aftermarket auto accessory world, from Bauer Industries. Less than three years later, Steel Horse Automotive and its affiliates filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The sale of BVG back to Bauer was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles and finalized in late December 2002. BVG has told SNEWS the company will be re-launching its existing and new product lines at both the Interbike bike show and the SEMA aftermarket automotive show in Las Vegas in the next couple of months. BVG manufactures bike racks and rooftop baskets for Land Rover, BMW and sells to key accounts including Cabella’s, Bass Pro, Sports Rack, Valley, Draw-tite, Seattle bike supply, J&B Importers, Keystone, Relco, MacNeil and more. Bauer Industries owners Greg and Glen Bauer and original founders of BVG were enthusiastic about the asset purchase agreement. SNEWS View: For those who have forgotten about BVG — and who hasn’t — consider that the company was the first to come out with a swing-away, hitch-mounted bike rack, since duplicated in concept by both Thule and Yakima. Back under the control and direction of Bauer, expect innovation and some much-needed competition for both Thule and Yakima. For more information, contact Greg Bauer at 916-648-9200, ext. 107.

>> The second annual Avalanche Jam was held with great success last Friday at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colo. Last year, the benefit raised nearly $10,000 for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Organized by Backcountry Access, purveyors of fine ski-related equipment, and the CAIC, this year’s party featured over 400 pounds of fresh Alaskan salmon, 16 kegs of beer donated and poured by the great folks at New Belgium Brewing, and the rockin’ sounds of Boulder-based band The Motet. With enticements like that, you can bet SNEWS was on the job! In addition to the ticket fee ($30 per person), a silent auction for donated products from many companies in the outdoor industry generated funds to keep the CAIC running through what will hopefully be an uneventful, but snowy, season. Despite threatening skies, the rain held off and the blocked off street became both a showcase for products and dance floor. Organizers are still tallying the attendance and money raised but it appears the event was even more successful than before. One of the few parties for the backcountry skiing community appears to be headed to a long future. Congrats everyone, job well done!

>> Considering a store on a main downtown street in Germany? Then consider this: According to a recent survey of all the shopping areas in that country’s largest towns, the Schildergasse in Cologne gets the most pedestrian traffic (14,850 per hour). Next up is the Kaufingerstrasse in Munich (13,470), with Frankfurt’s Zeil next with 13,065. Next on the list, in order, were: Westenhellweg in Dortmund (12,122), Kurpfalzstrasse in Mannheim (11,832), Obernstrasse in Bremen (11,685), Koenigsstrasse in Stuttgart (11,490), Schadowstraße in Duesseldorf, Spitaler Strasse in Hamburg and Petersstrass in Leipzig (all with about 9,540).

>> REI has announced plans to open a store in Hillsboro, Ore., in November 2004. REI will lease the 26,000-square-foot store in a new construction lifestyle center called The Streets of Tanasbourne on NW Cornell near Route 26 west of Portland. It will be REI’s third store in the Portland area, and will follow the relocation of the Jantzen Beach store, opened in 1976, to the Pearl District in February 2004. REI opened a store in Tigard, near Tualatin, in 1990. The Pearl District store, located at the corner of NW 14th Avenue and Kearney Street, will feature a freestanding climbing pinnacle behind a two-story glass facade. The Hillsboro store will employ more than 60 full- and part-time staff and provide REI’s full line of outdoor gear and clothing for hiking, camping, climbing, cycling, paddling and winter sports.

>> Climbing Magazine is a sponsor of the second annual HERA Ovarian Cancer Climb for Life, Sept. 11-14, in Salt Lake City, Utah. HERA is a unique foundation created by ovarian cancer survivor and climber, Sean Patrick. It has no salaries or overhead, thus enabling the foundation to give at least 90 percent of money raised directly to ovarian cancer research and to aide women and their families battling this disease. Climb for Life is a climbing community and industry supported fund-raising event that brings women and men of all climbing abilities and walks of life together to support the efforts of the HERA Foundation. For more information on Climb for Life, go to www.ovariancancer.jhmi.edu/climb.

>> GoLite and Eastern Mountain Sports have joined forces in the sport of adventure racing, and introduced Team GoLite/EMS at the start of the 2003 Subaru Primal Quest adventure race Sept. 5 in Lake Tahoe, Calif. Comprised of some of the world’s most experienced professional adventure racers, the team is one of 100 co-ed teams currently competing in a 400-plus mile adventure race taking place over 10 days, from September 5-14. Primal Quest will be 2003’s largest televised expedition race, with primetime coverage on CBS to air in 2004, immediately following the network’s NFL playoff coverage. SNEWS View: Coverage is sure to be epic as already, the paddle section was absolute carnage with numerous teams dropping from the race and boats sinking right and left. The climbing saw teams jugging up 900 feet of static line — yeehah!

>> Black Dot is launching a new print ad campaign that takes a ride with Black Dot Team Riders Rocket Reaves and Lane Knaack and offers a view into their lives both at work and play. According to Roger Bird, vice president of sales, the ads capture the snowboarders’ spirit of adventure and fun, while boosting Black Dot’s reputation in the industry. Created by Portland, Ore.-based, Sasquatch Advertising, the campaign uses the yin-yang dichotomy of light and dark as represented in the Black Dot logo with full-page ads relying on a rough and edgy texture and feature photography by Mark Gallup. Large images of the riders performing on the mountain, contrast with a narrow strip of sepia-toned snapshots showing their more personal side.

>> Osprey Packs, Inc. based in Cortez, Colo., has reached agreements with both Southern Approach in Christchurch, New Zealand, and Wild Rampage in Shanghai, China, as exclusive distributors in those countries. Both companies will launch the Osprey product line in January 2004. For more information, contact: Osprey New Zealand, Southern Approach, Emma Stead, 435 Tuam St, Christchurch, NZ, emma@southernapproach.co.nz; and Osprey China, Wild Rampage, Joe Eberling, 1440 Yan An Zhong Lu #322, Shangai 200040, China, joe@wildrampage.com.