Atlas 12 Series Snowshoe Receives Outside’s Gear of the Year Award

Seattle, Wash. (October 2, 2007) – Atlas Snow-Shoe Company, the technology leader in snowshoes, announces that its pinnacle 12 Series men’s snowshoe has won Outside Magazine’s prestigious Gear of the Year award.

Outside’s Gear of the Year awards are featured in the first-ever Winter edition of the Outside Buyer’s Guide – available on newsstands October 2 – which presents critical reviews of the year’s best winter adventure gear. Selecting only 8 products for Gear of the Year from a thoroughly-tested field of over 300 jackets, packs, skis, snowboards, snowshoes, gadgets, tools, and more, Outside’s accolades confirm the Atlas 12 Series snowshoe’s place amongst the very best adventure gear available this winter.

“We’re thrilled to see the 12 Series snowshoe chosen by the premier winter buyer’s guide for outdoor enthusiasts,” says Charles Lozner, brand director for Atlas. “Atlas as a company is dedicated to providing the most technically-advanced, high-performance snowshoes on the market, and the recognition by Outside confirms our success in that arena, with snowshoes that offer superior comfort, ease of use, and ultimate performance.”

Testing the Atlas 12 Series in the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Selkirks of British Columbia, Outside proclaimed, “It’s built to last. The Duratek decking (read: lightweight and bulletproof plastic) was unfazed by rocky stretches of the trail… Components and deck rigging are indestructible.”
The award is a ringing confirmation of Atlas’ design goal – engineered product designed to handle anything from the trailhead to the summit. The 12 Series’ new Wrappâ„¢ Pro binding features new FlowTapeâ„¢ Silicone straps that glide through low-friction buckles and a new one-pull on/off buckle release that kept the Outside test corps happy: “The binding’s auto-locking straps tighten or release with one finger: In Canada’s Selkirks, we were able to adjust the tension without taking our gloves off.”

The 12 Series is built around Atlas’ trademark Spring-Loadedâ„¢ Suspension (SLS), which allows deeper crampon penetration and articulation of the foot on snow. SLS enhances maneuverability and ensures a natural position of your foot for a comfortable, stable platform, even on sidehill terrain. The unique variable forming of the ReactiVâ„¢ 7075 aluminum frame boosts strength where the frame bears the most load and provides a stiffer, more responsive flex. The Holey-1 Crampon and Advanced Aft Traction provide sure footing on any terrain, and a climbing bar for steep terrain reduces strain on calf muscles. Its women’s counterpart, the Elektra 12 snowshoe, brings gender-specific design to all-terrain performance, with a women’s-fit binding and a unique frame shape specially engineered for a woman’s natural stride.

In addition to the 12 Series’ Gear of the Year award, the Outside Winter Buyer’s Guide also features appearances by the new Atlas Elektra 10+ women’s snowshoe and the ultralight Race fitness snowshoe for their technical performance and outstanding value.
For more information on the Atlas 12 Series, Elektra 10+, and Race snowshoes, please visit www.atlassnowshoe.com.

ABOUT ATLAS SNOW-SHOE COMPANY
Dedication to the winter journey motivates Atlas to deliver the most technically advanced, high performance snowshoes available today. Atlas brought snowshoeing into the modern age by developing Spring-Loadedâ„¢ Suspension, the first snowshoe innovation in more than 40 years. With 18 patents and counting, Atlas continues its quest to design superior snowshoe products for the outdoor hiking and fitness enthusiasts and deliver the best overall snowshoeing experience possible.

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For more information about Atlas Snow-Shoe Company’s products and programs, visit www.atlassnowshoe.com or call 206-805-4800, x 1408.