Balance Bar, Octagon Launch Corporate Race Series
Posted on Friday, May 2 2003
Think you and your co-workers are cutthroat enough to excel out of the cubicle? If so, then check out the Balance Bar Adventure Race Series Corporate Program, developed by Balance Bar and Octagon to instill team building, trust, compassion, communication and success among companies. The series includes sprint and 24-hour races and is open to companies of any size, fielding male, female and mixed teams. The races are also great excuses to get out of the office to train and generate positive company vibes. “Teamwork, compassion and commitment are natural to adventure racing,” says race director Nick Moore. “When learned and applied to the corporate environment, these values help build more effective teams.”
The registration fee per team is $275 for a sprint and $825 for the 24-hour adventure. The races include running, mountain biking, kayaking and other special tests such as navigation. The races started in New York in May. The series now heads Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 7-8; Atlanta, Ga., on June 21-22; Portland, Ore., on Aug. 2-3; Sacramento, Calif., on Aug. 16-17; Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 6-7; and Richmond, Va., on Oct. 4-5. The series final will be held in Los Angeles on Oct. 18-19. i[Info: (203) 352-5216, www.BalanceBarAdventure.com.]i
PPA and RVers Deal Vegas Convention
Posted on Thursday, May 1 2003
In an attempt to bring more faces to the paddlesports industry, the Professional Paddlesports Association (PPA) and the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) are finalizing details for a joint conference and trade show in 2003. The event, tentatively billed as InSites--Parks and Paddles, will be held Nov. 12-15 at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. “We are extremely pleased to be working with ARVC,” says PPA President Ed Councill. “ARVC has built InSites into the best professional development and industry expo for the outdoor hospitality industry. By working with ARVC, we will increase the buying pool for our vendors to more than 400 companies. A huge number of RV parks are located on water, and these companies are looking for new revenue streams from paddlesports.”
In addition to an expanded trade show, InSites will have more than 50 educational seminars, cracker barrels and social events that bring the two organizations together. According to PPA Executive Director Matt Menashes, RVers are a natural market for paddlesports vendors. “RVers and coachers spend money on accessories for their vehicles like you and I spend money on groceries,” Menashes says. “The opportunity for retail sales to RVers is immense. We will work with campground owners to introduce RVers to paddlesports as an important step in building this market.”
Columbia Acquires Mountain Hardware
Posted on Thursday, May 1 2003
In a deal that closed at the end of March, Columbia Sportswear bought Mountain Hardwear for approximately $36 million. Consequently, Mountain Hardwear, founded in the Bay Area in the early 1990s to provide high-end, technical outdoor apparel, becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia. Immediate plans for Mountain Hardwear include the use of Columbia’s resources to expand international distribution and continue relationships with high-end specialty retailers. According to Tim Boyle, Columbia’s CEO, Mountain Hardwear’s line will likely be expanded to include packs and footwear. Mountain Hardwear is expected to contribute $100 million in annual revenue to the company’s balance sheet within five years. In 2002, Mountain Hardwear recorded an unaudited $21.4 million in revenue.
ACA Releases “Critical Judgment” Safety Report
Posted on Thursday, May 1 2003
Between 1996 and 2000, 75 percent of all paddling-related fatalities involved canoeing and 83 percent of those victims were not wearing a lifejacket at the time of the accident, according to the American Canoe Association’s (ACA) recently released report on paddling fatalities.
Titled “Critical Judgment: Understanding and Preventing Canoe and Kayak Fatalities,” the report aims to provide information to paddlers looking to better understand the risks of boating and the nature of paddling accidents. The report states that the primary reason for all kayak-related fatalities—45 percent--was hazardous water/weather. In the canoeing category, 20 percent of all fatalities were caused by operator inexperience or error. The ACA states, however, that it is convinced that occupant movement and weight shift played a major role in half of all canoeing accidents.
“Critical Judgment” also outlines the ACA’s strategy to reduce canoe and kayak fatalities, and recommends safety policy changes such as increased training of state and federal marine patrol officers in paddling technique and safety and expanded education efforts to encourage all paddlers to wear lifejackets. Safety measures also include better signage at low-head dams and better accident reports, stricter laws regarding alcohol and boating and that a greater portion of Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund dollars be allocated to boating safety programs. i[Info: www.acenet.org, (800) 929-5162.]i
Dagger Targets Dealers with Paddle with the Pros
Posted on Thursday, May 1 2003
In an effort to reach out to retailers and the public, Dagger has launched a series of clinics in which members of Team D will be the on-water instructors. Known as Paddle with the Pros, the clinics are free and will be roving the country this season. Co-sponsored by Paddler]i and Kayak]i magazines, the program features such world-class paddlers as Tao Berman, Andrew Holcombe, Anna Levesque, Brad Ludden and Andre Spino-Smith, all of whom will be analyzing paddlers form and offering suggestions. “It’s the culmination of two years' worth of research and input from retailers and Team D athletes,” says Dagger Marketing Manager Mike Steck. “It’s our way of sharing our passion and commitment to whitewater kayaking with our loyal paddlers and retailers.”
During day one of the two-day clinic, Team D paddlers meet with retail staff and take them paddling. On day two, retailers invite the public to a designated location to participate in complimentary clinics, where the athletes tailor their instruction to match consumers' skills, from novice to advanced. The second clinic of the season was held April 11-12 at Sierra South, a paddling shop in Kernville, Calif. It drew 20 people, who were taught by Team D’s Jayson Bowerman and Scott Feindel. “It increased excitement for the sport and we saw sales increase for that weekend,” says shop co-owner Marianne DeChant.
Each retailer is invited to initiate its own promotional program to draw interest to the clinics. “This grassroots effort will support our retailers and increase our brand awareness,” says Steck. “With Team D as our ambassadors, we are giving back to the paddling community that has supported this brand throughout the years. In addition, we can provide a friendly atmosphere for consumers to try our newest and coolest products.” i[Info: (864) 859-7518, www.dagger.com.]i
Spring Shows Draw the Masses
Posted on Thursday, May 1 2003
Three trade shows this spring showed that paddlesports continue to be on the up and up nationwide. Canoecopia, the Jersey Paddlesports Show and the Colorado Kayak Supply Paddlefest saw substantial crowds and interest. Rutabaga’s Canoecopia, the world’s largest paddlesports show, drew 22,000 people. “We were expecting it to be flat but everything was crowded,” says Rutabaga co-owner Darren Bush. “We’re seeing preseason orders coming in way ahead. We’ve had to push all of our orders up because we’re so busy.”
Canoecopia had 40 speakers, but not all of them were paddlers, which Bush says was a nice addition. Jamling Tenzing Norgay spoke about climbing Mt. Everest 40 years after his father became one of the first to climb it. “He’s not a paddler, but it doesn’t matter because everybody has a father, and it speaks to the heart of all paddlers,” Bush says. “Paddlers are also people who want to be outside.” Bush says one reason why so many people attended Canoecopia could have been attributed to the war in Iraq. “People feel the best thing to do is to go paddle.”
Paddlesport, put on by The Jersey Paddler over three days in late March, improved upon last year’s attendance by drawing 4,300 people. Held at the Garden State Exhibition Center, the event attracted people from surrounding states, says Marty Stanley of The Jersey Paddler. In attendance were over 100 manufactures and a demonstration pool provided by H2 Outfitters. Although all paddlesports were represented at the show, Stanley says the strongest interest was in touring kayaks. Highlights from the show included lectures and films from expedition sea kayakers Derek Hutchinson and Nigel Foster.
Out west in Silverthorne, Colo., Paddlefest drew roughly 1,500 people and 15 manufacturers. The three-day show, put on by Colorado Kayak Supply, was held at the Silverthorne Pavilion in early April. About 1,500 people attended the show and 15 paddlesport manufactures were present. The show offered discounts on whitewater and touring kayaks, clothing and accessories, and featured movie premiers from two new whitewater kayking flicks, “No Big Names” and “Amped.” In addition, David Crane spoke about First Descents, a whitewater camp for children with cancer. Colorado Kayak Supply’s Earl Richmond says next year the show will double in size and sell used gear.
-- Kenny Brown