Outdoor: Did you hear?… Moving Comfort, Duofold, SIA, Salomon, Contourwear, Cloudveil and more…

For the week of Dec. 6-12

>> To support grassroots running and walking programs inspiring women to get fit,
Moving Comfort will again sponsor a Women’s Beginner Fitness Grant Program with grants ranging from $300 to $1,000. The applicants must be non-profit groups such as running/walking club — ideally, beginner fitness programs that need assistance in moving their programs to the next level. Applicants will be judged on creativity of proposal, including promotional plans; ability and strategy to work in partnership with local Moving Comfort retailers; organizational experience of club officers or program leaders; number of participants targeted; likelihood of lasting effect on participants; and exposure for Moving Comfort in the local community. Applications must be received no later than March 10, 2006. Grantees will be notified by April 14, 2006. For further information, contact Jeff Darman at jdarman@kennett.net or 610-925-1976.

>> Duofold Hike 50 Challenge’s Ted “Cave Dog” Keizer hoofed his way into the record books, setting a world record by hiking 50 km in all 50 states in just 76 days. The record was just set on Nov. 29 when Cave Dog completed the final leg in the Adirondack Mountains. Bob Marshall, founder of the Wilderness Society, was the first person to attempt this feat but was unable to complete all of the hikes before his death at 38 years old. Members of Marshall’s family were on hand in New York to celebrate with Cave Dog. SNEWS® has been told that the Cave Dog will be at Winter Market to celebrate the accomplishment with Duofold.

>> The Access Fund’s sixth annual Adopt-a-Crag had a banner year, logging more than 20,000 volunteer hours from 3,800 participants — an estimated value of $300,000. Climbers in 35 states, Canada and Puerto Rico gathered at their favorite crags and boulders for trail construction, litter clean-ups and visual impact mitigation. Event sponsors — REI, title sponsor; Gore-Tex, presenting sponsor; and Clif Bar, contributing sponsor — provided the financial backing, allowing the Access Fund to provide each Adopt-a-Crag event with volunteer gifts and clean-up materials, and to present awards for exemplary events. REI presented the Adopt-a-Crag of the Year Award to Greg Sievers, the American Alpine Club Central Rockies Section, and all the Lumpy Trail Day volunteers for their dedication to the event. This is the fifth consecutive year the AAC hosted the Lumpy Trail Days at Lumpy Ridge in Rocky Mountain National Park. Gore-Tex gave the Adopt-a-Crag Stewardship Award to the Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition for its efforts in two successful Adopt-a-Crag initiatives this fall. And, Clif Bar presented the Adopt-a-Crag Conservation Award to Lincoln Else, Ken Yager, Yosemite Climbing Association, Yosemite National Park, and the 600 Yosemite Facelift volunteers for displaying tremendous levels of activism and stewardship.

>> Know a snowsports retailer who deserves special recognition? Nominate him or her for SIA’s SnowSports Retailer of the Year Award, sponsored by SIA and the Snow Press Show Daily. The award recognizes retailers who have consistently made a significant impact in the snowsports industry. For award criteria and to place a nomination, check out www.thesnowtrade.org. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 30, 2005. Starting January 2-20, 2006, SIA will distribute the top three shops nominated in each region for final voting. Direct questions to Sara Hobbs at 703-506-4204 or shobbs@thesnowtrade.org.

>> Montrail has appointed Jay Peery as national sales manager and Brian Block as its Great Lakes sales rep. Peery has served as a store manager for Adventure 16, web manager for Mountain Gear and, most recently, as a sales rep for Montrail. He’ll start Jan. 3 and coordinate sales initiatives for Montrail’s trail running, hiking, climbing and après-sport footwear. Block is taking over the Great Lakes territory from Peter Grimes who has moved on to manage 45 Degrees, an outdoor retailer in Minnesota. Block also represents Marmot and Granger’s.

>> Two retailers are adding incentives for customers to support Big City Mountaineers (BCM) this holiday shopping season. Any Mountain, a Northern California-based retailer, is collecting donations at its registers from customers during the holiday sales season. All
Any Mountain stores are displaying a POP promotion that asks customers to add a donation for BCM to their purchase, with Any Mountain matching 50 percent of all customer donations. In Boulder, Colo., Outdoor Divas has established an in-store “Giving Tree.” The Giving Tree will list products ranging from $10.95 to $200. Customers can pick any ornament they choose off the tree and Outdoor Divas staff will be on hand to help customers find the product and ring them up. Products range from technical socks, hats and base layers, to soft shells and down jackets. Customers will leave the product as well as the ornament with Outdoor Divas staff who will transport all the donations to BCM after Dec. 25. The product will then be used by teens during Colorado-based BCM trips in the coming summer.

>> Amer Sports’ new Salomon division is reorganizing its management structure to more efficiently integrate the business operations of the two entities. Salomon’s management group includes: Jean-Luc Diard, president; Jari Melgin, finance and administration; Philippe Dubé, Salomon winter sports equipment; Jean-Marc Pambet, Salomon outdoor and winter sports softgoods; Bernard Millaud, Mavic; Tyler Jordan, Arc’Teryx; and Jacques Dorcier, human resources. Amer added that a vice president of sales and marketing will be appointed later, as well as a successor to Melgin’s current duties of Amer Sports’ treasury and IR.

>> Sandwiched between the Swiss Army watch and iPod Nano, ContourWear’s Adventure Travel Pack came in at No. 2 on National Geographic Adventure magazine’s “Best of 2006 Gift Guide.” The ContourWear Adventure Travel Pack includes: zip-off pants, convertible skirt, zip-up SPF blouse, zip-up vest, wrap tank and a T-shirt. The pieces mix and match into 35 different outfits and fit easily into a carry-on bag.

>> Cloudveil has hired three new sales rep agencies to cover the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and West Coast territories. The Stoner Andrews group will handle the Northeast. Led by principles Scott Andrews and Rick Stoner, Stoner Andrews represents Cascade Designs, Princeton-Tec Sport Lights, Karhu USA, Sorel Boots and Workwear, Thule Car Rack Systems and Timbuk2. Covering New England, Stoner Andrews is supported by a full-time sales staff including Ty Wivell, Scott Byrne and Scott Finlayson. In the Mid-Atlantic, Bill Dawson will take on the outdoor line to complement his work with the Cloudveil Angling line. In addition to the entire Cloudveil line, Dawson works with Smith Action Optics, Sage Rods, Redington and Rio. On the West Coast, Blue Action Sports in Truckee will target the snowsports market in California, Arizona and Nevada. Headed up by Dave Bluestein, Blue Action Sports also works with Couloir and Metropolis, Bolle and Serengeti Performance Optics and Hestra Gloves.
 
>> Maine-based Light Speed Sales Agency, headed by Brian Hamann, has come on board as the sales, service, and marketing organization for Lowa boots in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Hamann also represents Shock Doctor, GSI Outdoors and Mad Rock Climbing. He’s available at 207-775-6930 or brian_hamann@yahoo.com.

>> The Industrial Fabrics Foundation announced that it has elected its 2006 board of directors. Peter McKernan of Herculite Products was elected to serve as chairman, and Tom Fridley of Glawe Awning and Tent Company will serve as vice chairman. The current directors of the IFF board are Katie Bradford, owner of Custom Marine Canvas; Curt Crawford, consultant in Belleville, Kan.; J.C. Egnew, president of Outdoor Venture Corp.; and Bud Weisbart, vice president of AR Tech.

>> Andy Anderson has joined Sanitas Sales Group, handling outdoor, fitness, ski and hunting and fishing retailers in southern Colorado and New Mexico. Anderson came to the agency following stints at Mountainsmith, Dana Design and Timbuk2. He has served in sales management, operations, customer service and retail management positions for the past 10 years.Â