Final day to enter 2017 American Made Outdoor Gear Awards

Arcata, CA, October 31, 2016 – Today is the final day for companies committed to domestic manufacturing to submit their “made in America” story for the 2017 American Made Outdoor Gear Awards (AMOGA). The award program recognizes companies with the most compelling domestic manufacturing stories.

Applications for the 2017 American Made Outdoor Gear Awards must be completed online by midnight tonight at http://bit.ly/AMOGA2017.

The American Made Outdoor Gear Awards was founded in 2013 by Kokatat, the paddlesports apparel and gear company known for its longstanding commitment to American manufacturing.

The company with the best “made in America” story receives one-year ownership of the ‘Sassy’ traveling trophy — a hand carved, redwood Sasquatch from Humboldt County, CA. Category winners receive miniature versions of the award and finalists and all entrants receive a certificate of participation.

Past keepers of ‘Sassy’ include Liberty Bottleworks (www.libertybottles.com) of Yakima, WA, Benchmade Knives (www.benchmade.com) of Portland, OR, Sterling Rope (www.sterlingrope.com) of Biddeford, ME, and current warden of the trophy Hyperlite Mountain Gear (www.hyperlitemountaingear.com) also of Biddeford, ME.

Award finalists will be announced on Friday, November 25, 2016, and winners will be announced during an official “Sassy” presentation on January 11, 2017, day two of the 2017 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, UT. 

About the American Made Outdoor Gear Awards:
Founded by Kokatat and shared with the Outdoor Industry, the American Made Outdoor Gear Awards are a celebration of American manufacturing. First awarded in 2013, the American Made Outdoor Gear Award recognizes companies with compelling domestic manufacturing stories. Finalists are announced annually on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and winners are announced on the second evening of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. The company with the best “made in America” story receives one-year ownership of the ‘Sassy’ travelling trophy — a hand carved, 3-foot-tall, redwood Sasquatch from Humboldt County, Calif. Along with highlighting company stories, the program tracks domestic manufacturing trends and insights in the outdoor industry. Follow us on Twitter at @AMOGAward.

About Kokatat Inc.:
Kokatat has been manufacturing paddling gear in Arcata, California for 45 years. At a time when many technical apparel brands were moving manufacturing offshore, Kokatat continued to invest in infrastructure in the United States. Kokatat founder Steve O’Meara was committed to the development of the finest and driest paddling apparel in the world and recognized the need to control and continually evolve the development of our dry wear. In the early days, Kokatat worked closely with W.L. Gore & Associates, makers of GORE-TEX®, to refine the sewing and sealing techniques required for full immersion suits and tops. Today, our hands-on approach to manufacturing continues to set the standard in paddling apparel. Into the water with Kokatat! Learn more at www.kokatat.com.

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