Mountain Hardwear Announces Winners of the Diva and Conquer Contest

Mountain Hardwear, an industry leader in outdoor equipment and clothing, is pleased to announce the Winners of the 2007 Diva and Conquer Contest. Recognizing outdoor women who balance their lives while enjoying a passionate outdoor lifestyle, the Diva and Conquer Contest had 60 participants. The stories of women from all over the U.S. and Canada were posted, most often by friends or family, to the Mountain Hardwear Blog, http://blog.mountainhardwear.com/divas. Mountain Hardwear is proud to congratulate five exceptional women who exemplify what is means to be a Mountain Hardwear Outdoor Diva.

Grand Prize Winner
Lauren Ledford is a passionate outdoors-woman devoted to getting youth into the outdoors. Lauren is a co-founder of a non-profit wilderness adventure camp in North Carolina who “…unselfishly gives youth the opportunity to discover their own passion for the outdoors…by instilling in them the gift of appreciating the amazing world that we live in,” says Sophie Allen, one of her former campers. Lauren shares her passion with campers leading mountain climbs, backpacking and caving trips, and teaching youth how to kayak and rock climb.

First Prize Winners
Nadine Budbill, nominated by her mother, is the founder and director of Dirt Divas, a mountain bike camp for girls in Northern Vermont.
Lisa Brougham, nominated by her husband, is a Vancouver, BC “Super Woman”—Mother of two, Volunteer for the Lions Bay Search and Rescue and master of all imaginable outdoor activities.
Henrietta Parsons, nominated by her husband, is an alpinist-backpacker-school teacher who lives and breathes her motto, “Change your clothes, not your plans.”
Jane McKinnis, nominated by her daughter, has her life in balance. Living simply, we all have something to learn from this Diva. “I got my (ski) pass and I got my firewood. I know when I am going to work and I know when I am going to ski. That is all I know.”

Prizes Awarded to Winning Divas
• Grand Prize: $1,000 Mountain Hardwear shopping spree, training day with Mountain Hardwear athlete Lindsay Yaw, and mention in our ad in Outside Magazine’s Spring 2008 Buyer’s Guide.
• 4 First-place Prizes: $500 Mountain Hardwear shopping spree and mention in our ad in Outside Magazine’s Spring 2008 Buyer’s Guide.

About Mountain Hardwear:
Mountain Hardwear makes cutting-edge mountaineering and outdoor equipment, apparel and accessories for the most extreme conditions. Mountain Hardwear was established in 1993 by a group of outdoor industry veterans and is based in Richmond, Calif. The company distributes its products through specialty outdoor and sporting goods retailers in the United States and over 40 countries worldwide. Mountain Hardwear has won numerous product and customer service awards since its inception, reflecting the company’s commitment and passion toward innovation. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company. For more information about Mountain Hardwear, visit the company’s Internet home page at www.mountainhardwear.com.