Bergans of Norway to Host Polar Explorer John Huston at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

Bergans of Norway to Host Polar Explorer John Huston at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

Company holding book signing party on Day 2, August 1 at 5:00 p.m., Booth 15017

LONGMONT, Colo. – July 19, 2013 – On August 1 at 5:00 p.m. at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Bergans of Norway is holding a book signing party to welcome back Polar Explorer John Huston from his recent New Land 2013 expedition of Canada’s fabled Ellesmere Island. A great storyteller with a dry sense of humor, John will be showing videos and photos from the expedition. Bergans will have complimentary beer on hand and attendees will have a chance to win some of the company’s product, but only after they’ve answered some questions about Bergan’s history. Bergans booth number is 15017.

Huston with co-leader Norwegian Tobias Thorleifsson returned last month from a 65-day expedition to Ellesmere. Together with Hugh Dale-Harris (Canada) and Kyle O’Donoghue (South Africa), the 4-man team skijored with 4 sled dogs and traveled 610 miles through one of the last great wildernesses on the planet. Their route took them up the island’s west coast to more than 82 degrees north and followed in the footsteps of Norwegian explorer Otto Sverdrup who originally discovered and mapped much of the area between 1898 and 1902.

“The Ellesmere Island region is truly wild,” said Huston. “Everyday we were blown away by the stunning landscapes and wildlife encounters. At one point an Arctic wolf stole my lunch bag. We’re making a documentary about the region for Norwegian TV, so capturing the experience was a big priority, we came back with a ton much good material…and the trip was so fun on several different levels”

This event will also feature Huston’s historic unsupported expedition to the North Pole and subsequent award-winning book “Forward,” and will be available for signing. In 2009, Huston and his expedition partner Tyler Fish became the first Americans to reach the North Pole unsupported, a 55-day, 478-mile, 100 percent human-powered journey with no resupplies.

Bergans is the official high performance equipment and outerwear sponsor of the New Land 2013 and North Pole expedition and supported the teams with clothing, tents, backpacks and sleeping bags for the expedition and training.

For more information about Bergans of Norway and its products, go to www.bergans.com.

About New Land 2013

In March 2013 John Huston (USA), Tobias Thorleifsson (Norway), Hugh Dale-Harris (Canada), and Kyle O’Donoghue (South Africa) expedition videographer, traversed 610 miles on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic. By skijoring with 4 sled dogs, the expedition traveled through one of the last untouched wildernesses on the planet. During the 65-day journey the team documented, filmed, and shared their experiences. The history of exploration on Ellesmere Island combines the celebrated polar traditions of Norway, the United States, and Canada. Ellesmere Island also represents a great responsibility moving forward (www.forwardendeavors.com).

About Bergans of Norway

Bergans was established in 1908, when Ole Ferdinand Bergan invented the first anatomical backpack. Today backpacks, functional outdoor clothing and tents are part of the portfolio of Bergans of Norway, as well as the ALLY brand of packable canoes. Adventurers such as South Pole conqueror Roald Amundsen, Mount Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary, and heroes of our time such as Polar explorers Rune Gjeldnes or Cecilie Skog trust Bergans equipment on their expeditions.

The headquarter of Bergans Fritid AS is situated in Hokksund, Norway, 60 km southwest of Oslo, where 90-plus employees work in development, research, design and sales. Bergans is a market leader in Norway and steadily growing in several export markets in Europe and North America (www.bergans.com).

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Bergans USA, LLC

Chip Smith, o: 801.656.0472 x1, c: 801.597.7515, csmith@soarcomm.com

Beth Cochran, c: 406.579.7909, cochran@whatsuppr.com

Bergans of Norway

Christoph Centmayer, o: +47-40 62 40 99, christoph.centmayer@bergans.no