PrimaLoft® Sponsors the Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival

ALBANY, New York (Mar. 1, 2011) — PrimaLoft®, the world leader in performance insulation and yarn, is proud to sponsor the 9th annual Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival in Keene Valley, NY March 5th-6th.

Presented by The Mountaineer, Keene Valley’s premiere specialty outdoor retailer, the Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival celebrates backcountry skiing and the ultimate winter mountaineering experience the sport embodies. “Backcountry” signifies skiing on natural snow and terrain, versus “in-bounds” at a maintained resort and is accessible on mountain ranges worldwide. Backcountry skiing combines the elements of touring, climbing and downhill skiing and is the epitome of winter adventure.

PrimaLoft® insulation keeps outdoor enthusiasts warm and dry, even in the most unpredictable and extreme conditions often encountered in the backcountry. PrimaLoft® is featured worldwide in leading ski, mountaineering and outdoor brands such as, Black Diamond, Patagonia, Arc’teryx, Rab, and Outdoor Research as the performance insulation and yarn of choice for outerwear, gloves, socks, footwear, sleeping bags, and accessories.

This is the 9th annual festival presented by The Mountaineer, a specialty retailer that has been locally owned and operated since 1975. Proceeds of the event will support the New York State Ski Education Foundation’s Nordic racing programs and the Adirondack Ski Touring Council. Visit the Mountaineer’s website for a complete schedule of events, attendee registration and for a checklist of necessary equipment and other helpful tips.

“We’re proud to sponsor the festival again this year and to show our support of The Mountaineer,” said Eileen Berner, sales and marketing director for PrimaLoft®. “It’s through our strong relationships with specialty retailers like the Mountaineer that have helped make us the world’s leading supplier of technical performance insulation.”

Special guest and pro-athlete Heather Paul, along with Keene Valley’s Cloudsplitter Mountain Guides, will lead guided tours for skiers of all ability levels on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, free gear demos and mini clinics will be held at Otis Mountain in Elizabethtown on Saturday. Paul will also speak at the Keene Valley Fire Hall on Saturday evening.

“Our Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival is a small, high quality, charity event that has gained in notoriety and popularity over its 9 years of existence,” added Mountaineer owner, Vinny McClelland. “We accept full responsibility for introducing and luring many downhill and cross country skiers into the wonderful, exciting world of touring back country telemark and alpine touring skiing with this instructional adventure packed event.”

Attendees are also invited to visit the PrimaLoft® display onsite to take the PrimaLoft Challenge and to enter to win PrimaLoft® gear. For more information about PrimaLoft®, visit www.primaloft.com. Follow the PrimaLoft® conversation online at Facebook and Twitter.

About PrimaLoft®:

PrimaLoft® is a registered trademark of Albany International Corp. PrimaLoft® insulation was originally developed for the US Army as a water-resistant synthetic alternative to down. Today, PrimaLoft® is regarded as a research and development leader in high performance insulations and yarns, which provide warmth and comfort from head to toe. Its family of products are manufactured in the US, Europe and Asia. The PrimaLoft® brand is recognized globally and is used in leading outdoor and fashion brands, home furnishings, work wear and military applications. For more information, please visit www.primaloft.com.