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ISSUE 1618May 2 , 2016
The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Active Lifestyle Market
2 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 2, 2016
MAY 2, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 3
Editorial DirectorDavid Clucas
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ISSUE 1618May 2, 2016
MARKET REPORT
5By The Numbers
7Camping Gains Ground with Millennial and Minority Groups
8Movers & Shakers
19Industry Calendar
ONE-ON-ONE
9Andrew Bydlon, PhotographerCaveman Collective
RETAILER PROFILE
11Ski Bum Business 101 Brendan Madigan, Specialty Retailer, Alpenglow Sports
FEATURES
14Poles ApartTrekking and ski pole technology is at the ends
16Capturing The MomentAction photography with cams, drones and other electronics, proves there's a market for versatile camera bags
EDITOR'S PICKS
18The latest pole products and camera (or drone) bags
4 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 2, 2016
MAY 2, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 5
MARKET REPORT
BY THE NUMBERS
3 DaysNew reduced trade show schedule for Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2017, from previous four days. Organizers also shifted the dates to January 10-12, pulling the show off the weekend.
54,752 FinishersIn last year’s AJC Peachtree10K Road Race in Atlanta, GA, retaining its top spot of largest running race in the United States; No. 2, the TCS New York City Marathon (49,365) and No. 3, the Bolder Boulder 10K (45,336) in Boulder, CO.
70 Million Plastic BagsEstimated to be eliminated annually by Adidas Group after it announced it would cease using them as shop-ping bags at its 14,000 global retail stores.
$127.1 MillionEleven-year deal between Nike and the University of Michigan’s athletic department for the brand to be the official provider of apparel, footwear, travel bags, recovery wear, “smart products” like trackers and mon-itors, training equipment and protective eyewear for all sports teams at the University. The deal goes into effect August 1 and replaces Adidas.
$191 MillionBid by tech company Nokia to buy French company Withings S.A. in order to expand into digital health tracking markets.
$1.7 BillionU.S. economic impact of America’s game bird farms and hunting preserves according to the North American Gamebird Association (NAGA).
80,000 Square FeetSize of Gander Mountain’s latest new store in Monroeville, PA, which opened April 28. Gander now has 163 stores in 27 states.
1.6 Million Square FeetSize of Academy Sports + Outdoors newest distribu-tion center in Cookeville, TN. It’s the company’s third such facility, which is expected to bring approximately 700 new jobs to the area over a five-year period.
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MAY 2, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 7
CAMPING GAINS GROUND WITH MILLENNIAL AND MINORITY GROUPS
Whatever the outdoor industry is doing to attract new participants, it’s working. Within the past year alone, camping has attracted more than 1 million new households, thanks in part to growing par-ticipation by minority and millen-nial groups, according to the 2016 North American Camping Report, an annual independent study supported by Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA).
Of these new campers, 18 percent are African-American, 11 percent are Hispanic and 44 percent are millennials. And of these millen-nials, 54 percent are nonwhite. The KOA survey was conducted in January 2016 by Cairn Con-sulting Group, an independent market research firm with expe-rience in the hospitality and ser-vices industries.
Although past research indi-cated many nonwhite groups, par-ticularly African-Americans, do not feel welcome at public camp-grounds, it appears these groups are responding to efforts to get them outdoors and feeling great about it. The intent to visit public campgrounds has become robust, with African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American campers ex-pressing desire to visit these lo-cations in larger numbers — and many packing up for the weekend to do so.
“We’re seeing how we define experiences in the outdoors evolve in a modern and meaningful way,” said KOA COO Toby O’Rourke. “The uptick among millennial and multicultural campers could rep-resent a shift in how camping is perceived.”
That’s right, camping isn’t just for the Griswolds anymore, and that’s good for the industry. Ac-cording to KOA, African-Ameri-can and Hispanic campers are not
only camping more, but are en-thusiastic about the benefits of the activity, stating it allows them to spend more time with friends and family, reduce stress and be more physically active.
Relaxation and stress relief were the top overall reasons people at-tested to camping, the report stat-ed. And one-in-five campers said camping allows them to spend more time vacationing.
Even our abundant access to technology is working in favor of pitching tents, promoting greater mobility and knowledge of dif-ferent campgrounds, especially for new campers. The KOA study noted that African Americans are most likely to bring along a variety of electronics while camping in-cluding smart phones (80 percent), and they are most likely to request Wi-Fi availability at a campground, which they use to look up informa-tion about the local area, trails and campgrounds.
At the same time, around 41 percent of all North American participants use email while camp-ing – which is actually down from years prior, and campers who do check-in online (76 percent) while camping spend on average three additional days relaxing outdoors. So it evens out nicely.
And although the number of people who went camping in the United States has remained pret-ty consistent from 2008 through 2015, fluctuating between 41 and 45 million according to Statista, it’s become even more vital to know just who our campers are.
The takeaway is that camping hasn’t lost its mojo. Its availabil-ity and benefits are reaching more people who in turn will need new Stanley mugs, Kelty tents, Out-door Research jackets and BioLite chargers.
8 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 2, 2016
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Boston Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino was appointed by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to act as Chairman of the Jimmy Fund.
CEP Compression added Teton Gravity Research ski athletes, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and Hadley Hammer to the brand’s elite athlete team.
Cliff Keen Athletic hired Emily Martin as its Sales Manager, to oversee and foster its growing sales in the Wrestling and Officials Wear categories.
Deckers Brands appointed Andrea O'Donnell as President of its Fashion Lifestyle segment, which includes the UGG and Koolaburra brands.
Hollman, Inc., manufacturer of wood lockers and racquetball/squash courts for fitness centers, named Travis Hollman as its President. He will take over from his father, Joe Hollman, who started the company 39 years ago.
LaserMax, specializing in firearm sighting solutions for military, law enforcement and commercial markets worldwide, appointed William “Duke” Stofer as its new in-house Graphic Designer.
Levi Strauss & Co. elected former CEO of L.L.Bean Inc., Christopher McCormick, to its board of directors.
Nike, Inc. made a number of organizational chang-es, including the promotion of Michael Spillane, VP and GM of Footwear, to President of Product and Merchandising, succeeding Jeanne Jackson. Jackson will move to a new role working directly with Mark Parker, President and CEO, Nike Inc., advising on future strategy.
Outdoor Industry Association appointed Matt Kaplan as VP of Membership and Sales. Kaplan recently served as VP of Sales at Ibex Outdoor Clothing.
Reebok formed a partnership with 261 Fearless, the nonprofit founded by running legend Kathrine Switzer.
The Finish Line, Inc. said John Hall would join the company in mid-May as Executive Vice President, Division President and Chief Merchandising Offi-cer. A longtime Nordstrom executive, Hall most re-cently served as VP, Corporate Merchandiser of Rack Menswear.
The International Association of Skateboard Companies said Amy Jo Martin, author of the bestseller, "Renegades Write the Rules," will be the keynote speaker at the 2016 IASC Skateboarding Summit.
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ONE-ON-ONE
Andrew Bydlon, Photographer Caveman Collective
Helping define a brand beyond smart phone photos and stock imagery.
By David Clucas
In today’s digital era, images are king.Anyone who posts to social media can
tell you that a strong image is what makes people stop, pay attention and click through.
And yet, in an age when everyone with a smart phone thinks they’re a pro photogra-pher, images can be undervalued, or worse, stolen off the web. And more than any other profession, it seems photographers are con-stantly asked for pro-bono work — “I’ll give you credit and a good reference.”
But as brands in active lifestyle realize the importance of quality images and videos — and increasingly are producing their own con-tent — great photographers are in demand. One of them is Andrew Bydlon of Boulder, CO-based Caveman Collective, a team dedi-cated to capturing the best of the industry while taking on the outdoor elements.
He tells SGB about his path into adventure photography, what clients are looking for in their images, and the value of hiring a profes-sional photographer.
Tell us how you got into photography and the outdoor space? I stumbled into both. I was finishing up art school in Minneapolis and had the idea to ask for a DSLR camera for my graduation and gift. I mainly used it for street photography, skateboarding pictures and snapshots of friends. Like any career cre-ative, I thought I knew it all but was oblivious of what it actually took to be a photographer. I didn’t declare my occupation as a photogra-pher until six years later.
The outdoor space in Minnesota is very different than the outdoor space that I’ve grown to know in Colorado. My childhood was summed up by the term “going up north”, which means we would pack our bags and head up to a friend’s family cabin. The magi-cal words meant sleeping at log cabins, swim-ming in lakes and fishing. Fishing season turned into hunting season and the idea of an outdoorsman was a camouflaged-toting beer drinker. During college the transition be-tween a hook-and-bullet outdoorsman slowly started transitioning into a leave-no-trace
outdoorsman. Cabins we’re traded for camps and 24 packs we’re traded for whiskey bottles. The first opportunity I had to test my back-packing skills was a trip we planned for a good friend who needed to get over a bad break up. Our trip had zero planning. We needed to boil lake water out of a tin can, basically drank straight chemicals to “clean our water” and had no idea about how cold it might get. But the whiskey, stars, incredible laughter and
the unknowns of the trail are still so vivid. Ten years later I still remember these moments as pivotal experiences that I could never have imagined would turn into an adventure pho-tography career.
Do today’s photographers have to be vid-eographers as well? How often do clients want both for the same assignment? Society has hit the pinnacle of anybody with a camera
10 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 2, 2016
is a photographer and now moving into the early stages of everybody with a camera is a videographer. Having a career in photography requires a lot of work. Most people are just not ready for the idea of working 70 hours a week regularly, the pressure of getting the shot and being critically critiqued about how your photos turned out. By entering the world of videography you need to know you have to hit the reset button, know you will need to be a beginner again. Your photography skills will translate in some capacity but no amount of photography will prepare you for audio, scripting or editing.
I hit this reset button a few years ago and just like my early days of photography it was frus-trating. It takes time, it took an investment into the craft. These days at Caveman Collective we land a lot of jobs because our team can accomplish photography and videography in one production. Sometime clients don’t know they want one or another until you explain the benefits of having a cohesive package. I would say not every photography job requires video, but almost every video job we do requires photography.
What are outdoor/active lifestyle brands looking for in their photography/video ma-terials today as far as subjects, locations and emotions? Brands are looking for a different perspective from their competitors. Unfor-tunately sometimes they set you up with the same locations, similar subjects and compa-rable objectives. So how do you give them something different?
For example, as a client reviewed some im-ages we shot, we were met with comments such as “that image would be good for brand ‘X.’ Then a more intense image popped up and the same person said “now that image looks like a good image for brand ‘Y’”. The scene didn’t change, the models were the same and the clothes, too, but the slight adjustment in intensity made the same person think about a different brand.
Before you get to dip in the shoot, think to yourself, what makes this completely original to your client and your client only? List those identifying factors out and talk them over with the client. Sometimes its easier to capture what your client asks for than give them what they really need.
In an age where quality images and video are so crucial, why do you think some outlets
think they can get it for free or break copy-rights? Everyone is looking for a deal, and too many photographers are willing to succumb to bad deals. I think people tend to be even more ignorant when it comes to photography because they assume all you did was push a button. But what is not seen are the thousands of hours put in before taking an image. All the previous mistakes you’ve grown from and the thousands of dollars in equipment that allow you to just actually create the image itself. Just like in every field you get what you pay for, so if the decision maker cannot see the differ-ence between “a person with a camera” and a “trained photographer” the adjustment in cost will never be worth the ROI. The brands that value their photographers are the ones most photographers will go out of there way to get the shot. Exposure doesn’t pay the rent and stock photography will never create a unique brand.
Beyond the camera and lenses themselves, what’s the most important piece of new equipment or advances that have greatly aided your outdoor/active lifestyle photog-raphy? No piece of equipment will get you a rad shot if you’re not out there. I’m guilty more than anyone regarding spending on equipment. I love buying new gear and don’t mind spending a small fortune. However, if I’m not out climbing a mountain, I’ll never get a shot with any amount of expensive equip-ment of someone climbing a mountain.
I had a job in the outdoor industry for about four years that was incremental at me getting where I am today. However this job was still a desk job, and with this desk job I sat more than I should have, played outside less than ever and let my health get the best of me. I knew that I needed to make a change so I traded a consistent paycheck for the unknown freelance lifestyle and more adventures.
I would say Instagram has been one of the most important pieces of “equipment or ad-vances that has helped aid my career. De-pending how you tailor who you follow it’s a one-stop shop for inspiration, research, story, networking, marketing and conversation. A good friend of mine Kalen Thorian explained it best “Instagram is the Tinder for outdoor people”. I met Kalen through Instagram, and we created a rad friendship and have had some fun adventures so far. If you don’t have enough new content to post on Instagram, you should be planning your next adventure.
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SHARPEN YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Ski Bum Business 101Brendan Madigan took over the legacy of specialty retailer Alpenglow Sports, proving a life
in the field of run and Nordic can be better than any degree or resume job list.
By Jahla Seppanen
RETAILER PROFILE
Photos courtesy Court Leve, courtleve.com
Since 1979, Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City, CA, has grown to become the oldest, and arguably most knowledgeable backcountry shop in the
Tahoe area (and probably beyond). Donald Fyfe blended two shops into one during his time at the helm,
forming an alpinist wonderland in the winter and trail running Shangri-La in the spring and summer. The end result: a legacy mountain retail shop for the charts.
As it came time to retire, you might suspect Fyfe would have passed the ownership reins to a retail pro with a savvy history operating and manag-ing the tasks that can often overwhelm specialty owners. Nope. He chose a full-time ski bum.
The current El Capitan of Alpenglow is Brendan Madigan, 38, who worked at the shop part-time under Fyfe’s tutelage. This will be Madigan’s fifth year running the gambit, and not only does the shop continue to thrive, but it’s killing the retail game by evolving and expanding the busi-ness with mountain festivals, demo days and community trail runs. And as a proud ski bum, Madigan came into the position already understanding that quality product is at the center of it all, carefully surrounded by a sales pitch that has nothing to do with selling itself.
What’s your golden selling strategy? It all comes back to our heritage. None of us are in the business to “sell”, ironically, and while we have to make sure the numbers are healthy, our heritage of being educators is well founded. People know they can come here and get good advice. We’re not interested in selling for selling’s sake. That’s dishonest and boring.
Give us one tip on being a better retail educator? Take into account your surroundings and the landmarks around you.
What challenges did you see this past winter, and how do you anticipate for next? This winter has been fantastic for us. But the four winters before it were very meager. The challenge is when you stack low-performing sea-sons; it presents a real challenge for a small retailer, cash flow and inven-tory wise. We’re always going to be at the mercy of the weather. It could be smoky, too much snow, but ultimately if you’re running a smart business and have great people, you can be proactive, lean and fierce.
How can others run a “smart business?” Surround yourself with good peo-ple, which we’ve always had at Alpenglow. Retail isn’t for everyone. These
12 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 2, 2016
people have to see the value in help-ing and being collective. Without your people, you’re nothing.
You’re a Nordic shop at heart, but transition to trail running in the summer. Is this a survival tactic? It’s challenging being two different stores in one under one roof, but it also keeps us on our toes – whether it’s inventory hur-dles, too big or too small of win-ters, fires in the summer, etc. But I wouldn’t want to be a running store 12 months a year, or a back-country ski store for 12 months. It keeps us doing new and exciting things. When you look closely, we’re a full service Nordic shop from racing, AT and telemark to trail running, backpacking, rock climbing and hiking.
Which brands have been giving you the most love? In winter, DPS is a very good partner. They understand the need to support us from a backend discount-ing perspective, but also protect brand integrity by not going off-price. If you make a good enough product you should never have to go off-price. Dynafit is also a strong partner. They help us sponsor our mountain festivals. Salomon is a key sponsor year-round, with a little more summer presence. And we have longstand-ing relationships with Patagonia, Arc’teryx and Kuhl.
What are the biggest changes brands can make to help retailers? It always comes down to product. Your product can’t stink. If you’re a marginal brand and your product is amazing, we want to see it. That’s what is going to sell. Secondarily, retailers align with companies that support and help, so brands should be very aware of that. Our partners believe in us as a trendsetter in the outdoor industry.
You’re a retailer, but you also host a pretty famous mountain festival? We just had our 10th year of the bi-annual festival, and we
tours or trail runs, and demo days. Our last demo day was the biggest consumer backcountry day in the country.
Was it intimidating taking on ev-erything Alpenglow came with? I’m very transparent about being 38 and still running into challenges with owning a business. But none of us are in the industry to get rich. Alpenglow has been my one-and-only job since I moved to Califor-nia after attending college in Vir-ginia. I trained under Donald and two key staffers that are still here today. As an owner and athlete, I participate in the mountain events, guide ski tours and fun runs. But I always say my acquired sport is running a business.
had more than 400 participants. The festivals have films, pre-sentations, guided backcountry
MAY 2, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 13
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Poles ApartSet aside the carbon and aluminum debate, most pole innovation is at the ends.
By M.T. Elliott
MAY 2, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 15
It might not come as a surprise that trekking and ski poles evolve slowly, but it's also a cat-
egory where a change by one manufacturer can spawn changes by its competitors.
For the most part, new pole tech is centered on ease of use and multifunction. New grips can help unsecure bindings and rings can act as mini-handles or glove attachments. Overall pole trends are hard to detect, so the focus on few new items may be the best market indicator.
Backcountry State Of MindSki gear is still reacting to the surge in alpine touring. Designers are challenged to create poles stiff and flexible enough during the literal ups and downs of a backcountry ride. Since the thickness and flex of pole materials is not eas-ily detected on the sales floor — other than the price points — brands often rely on the bells and whistles to help set themselves apart. These small touches include different basket shapes, touring rings on the shafts and anything to make straps less like traps.
The Komperdell Fatso 430 grips are not just fatter, as the name implies, but longer. This pro-vides a similar grip at different heights for as-cents and descents. The powder strap is longer, too, and comes with an adjustable lock. These features are on the brand's carbon Vario line.
On the safety side, brands continue to offer removable straps and user-triggered releases. Black Diamond introduces new breakaway straps in its Razor Carbon Pro carbon-alumi-num poles. This SwitchRelease technology re-leases the top end of the strap when pulled from above, a smart breakaway feature for when off-piste skiing gets rough and tumble.
Next year, Mountainsmith will build upon the success of its Trekker FX monopod with the FXpedition, a collapsible pole that comes in around 14 inches in length when broken down. "This allows the photographer to store the FXpedition completely in their bag (instead of strapped to the outside) when not using it as a monopod," said Mountainsmith Marketing Man-ager Jeremy Dodge. "We find that skiers and other backcountry users especially appreciate this."
Carbon continues to help premium poles get lighter, stiffer and tougher. The weight-sensitive backcountry and touring niches have new op-tions this year, but the lightest among them is Black Diamond's Helio fixed-length ski poles are part of its ski mountaineering series. A pair of Helio poles weighs about nine ounces thanks to single-piece, inflation-mold construction. Yes, even the grip is carbon. Backcountry features
include a touring ring for steep-terrain grip and stiffened basket.
Good VibrationsLeki has developed an anti-shock system that works closer to the point of impact than ever before and debuts it in a foldable trek pole. The Dynamic Suspension System (DSS) Antishock is in the tip of the pole, dissipating the shock of contact before it reaches the grip.
Leki claims this system reduces the peak im-pact force up to 40 percent. "The challenge is that putting it at the tip is also where the impact occurs and where the most abuse takes place so we had to find a way to make sure we had a way
to not adversely affect swing weight and to make sure the durability factor was there," said Marty Callahan, Leki sales manager.
Leki debuts this suspension technology in a line of folding poles. Four Leki Micro Series models: men's and women's versions of the all carbon or aluminum folding. Callahan said the DSS technology will continue to trickle down to other Leki models, including fixed length poles, and become the brands new anti-shock standard. "There was a time when the majority of the poles we sold were anti-shock so this market has ebbed and flowed a bit but with DSS we now have what we feel is a great new anti-shock system that offers great performance and feel."
16 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 2, 2016
Capturing The Moment Outdoor photography is taking new forms with action cams, drones and other electronics,
proving there’s still a market for versatile camera bags.
By M.T. Elliott
The days of lugging heavy and large DSLR cameras and lenses are dwindling among
amateur photographers (among the pros, we see more gear than ever), and camera bag manufac-turers are evolving with the trend.
The next wave of electronic equipment carry solutions follows the arrival of action cameras, drones and tablets. The new camera options have helped us see old icons like El Capitan and Utah's red canyon walls from fresh angles.
We talked to brands to see what’s trending in the space.
New Arrows Need New QuiversPicture a close-up shot of a mountain bike's fork suspension compressing as it crunches over a large rock, cut to a sweeping pan of bikers snak-ing along a riverside trail. One was shot with an action camera, the latter with a drone. Both of-fer unique perspectives and have become must-have options in the outdoor photographer's bag of tricks.
The small size of action cameras and versatile mount options give brands confidence to design with those in mind. In fact, the durability of most action cameras means they can safely at-tach to the outside of a photo bag and take foot-age instead of hiding away. It's often photogra-phers needing today’s camera bags for a many different mounts and batteries that require spe-cific storage options.
Thule designed its Legend GoPro Backpack with the photographer as part of the action. Multiple camera mounts allow for filming from different angles, sternum and hip straps secure the pack on a ride or hike, and behind the crush-proof pad is a hydration system compartment.
"We typically partner with brands that are lead-ing in their respective industries, like Apple and GoPro," said Chris Ritchie, Thule's communica-tions manager. "That being said, we are always looking to create products that help people carry the things that keep them active and outdoors."
Just as action cameras enable new shots from tight spaces, drones give photographers a way to capture views of more remote locations, which Photo courtesy Thule
MAY 2, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 17
is why there's a demand for a bag that can with-stand those environments.
Unlike the early dominance of the GoPro model among action cameras, drones are still settling on sizes, and accessories like propellers and batteries are still in flux. Drones are obvi-ously bulkier than action cameras, and while sturdy enough to survive crashes, can be brittle when pressed at other angles.
Enter Lowepro's DroneGuard BP 450 AW, a sturdy outdoor backpack built for any destina-tion, which accommodates the most popular quadcopter shapes. Designed with expected changes in mind, the DroneGuard forgoes a form-fitting insert and uses guards that fit the DJI Phantom in one configuration, and rotates to fit the 3DR Solo.
Luis Quehl, senior design manager at Day-Men, Lowepro's parent, noted that because of a drones' fragility, the drone bags incorporate plastic molded walls for more rigidity and pro-tection than traditional photography backpacks.
"I see people traveling with these drones. And I'm not just looking into the future, this is some-thing I see currently happening, people wanting to get those vacation photos with a drone," said Quehl. "They want to have those great memories and get them from a different perspective."
Because drones are used outdoors, drone buyers are — or quickly becoming — attuned to the need for protection from the elements. That
could send the drone bag buyer to the nearest outfitter for a shell or other gear. Several bag de-signers said they already use drones and noted the established connection between the outdoor space and photography. Beyond photography, drones are being used to show off real estate, check on livestock and slowly becoming a toy for racing with other hobbyists. It's likely they'll want their investments protected from drops and bad weather, too.
The Crossover Shake-upLast year, Peak Design's Everyday Messenger bag raised millions on Kickstarter from more than17,000 backers and won acclaim from gear reviewers. The bag's success online and in retail is based on access and expansion; compartments that expand when you need them to, and col-lapse when you don't. Hikers and city slickers prefer not to haul around an empty foam form.
Peak Designs won loyalty from its camera clips and its bag created waves.
"We've carved out a niche for ourselves as an innovation company," said Art Viger, an indus-trial designer with Peak Design. "We design all of our hardware and webbings for the applica-tion."
Where retailers should take note is Peak's crowd funding audience, which stays in touch with the bag makers. A recent poll for new col-ors drew 800 responses overnight. "I think that
every product we've done that's been out for more than a year has had at least a dozen tweaks on it, generally way more than that, because we're constantly harvesting feedback, and we keep our production runs frequent and rather small," Viger said.
The coming second run of the Everyday Mes-senger Bag will incorporate roughly 25 changes — most of which you'd never notice. Despite the online success, Peak Designs still aims for retail space in outdoor and travel outfitters, not just camera shops. Viger said Peak has found a correlation in those audiences. "With adventure comes camera gear."
Look for brands to expand upon the typical camera bag with adaptability and modern styles. Outdoor retailers may want to consider these crossover bags, especially for urban outdoor au-diences, since the aesthetics don't broadcast the expensive goodies inside.
Beyond day bags there is certainly room for more serious outdoor photography bags for activities like backcountry skiing. Attachment systems to hold anything from a water bottle to a shell pouch are options outdoor enthusiasts immediately recognize. Mountainsmith is going full Cordura, extending the name-brand tough-ness through its entire line of bags.
Adventure photographers will hit the camera store for the hardware, but trust an outdoor store to orders bags with their type of travel in mind.
Photo courtesy Lowe
18 SGBWeekly.com | MAY 2, 2016
EDITOR'S PICKS
Outfit your customers with support for their bodies and cameras (or drones) on their next trip
outdoors with these latest products. By M.T. Elliot
Black Diamond Helio Fixed-Length Ski Poles | $300The lightest of the light, these rep-resent the bare essence of a ski pole. The inflation-molded carbon fiber poles combine flex and strength, yet weigh less than some single trek poles. Part of Black Diamond’s Fall 2016 Ski Mountaineering Series, the Helio poles sneak in features like a hooking point for binders and buck-les, and include options for a trek basket and rubber tip.
Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag | $250This bag keeps cameras within reach, and can expand or collapse accordingly, thanks to its FlexFold divid-ers. The main body holds a full DSLR, three lenses and small accessories. Travelers and commuter will like the dedicated tablet/laptop pocket and front easy-access panels to hold all those everyday-life items even pho-tographers carry.
Thule Legend GoPro Backpack | $200Designed specifically for GoPro cameras, the molded protector at the heart of the bag fits three GoPro cameras, a LCD Touch BacPac and extra batteries. On the outside are a few shallow pockets for small items photographers want to grab without digging; like a bat-tery, clamp or phone. Two integrated mounts turn the bag into a Steadicam, aided by straps around the waist, torso and neckline.
LowePro DroneGuard Backpack 450 AW | $250This quadcopter backpack uses FormShell for rigid outer protection and an innovative divider that rotates to accommodate Phantom or 3DR Solo drones. Batter-ies, props and RC/transmitters fit in pouches attached to the sides and bottom so they don't bang into their mothership. There's also a tablet pocket in the body and an armored top pocket for sunglasses or phones. Lowepro's SlipLoc loops allow for add-on pouches and easy-access items.
Leki Micro Vario Carbon DSS Poles | $220Antishock comes to folding trek poles thanks to Leki's new Dynamic Suspension System (DSS). At the top of the category are the all-carbon folders — the Vario Carbon, and the more com-pact, Vario Carbon Lady model — weighing under 17 ounces. The poles adjust from 110-130cm via the SpeedLock 2 locking sys-tem, and collapse down to 15-inches so they can ride inside your pack instead of attached to it.
MAY 2, 2016 | SGBWeekly.com 19
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS BUYING GROUPS
Athletic Dealers of America1395 Highland AvenueMelbourne, FL 32935t 321.254.0091athleticdealersofamerica.com
National Shooting Sports Founda-tionFlintlock Ridge Office Center11 Mile Hill RoadNewtown, CT 06470t 203.426.1320 nssf.org
National Sporting Goods Association1601 Feehanville Drive I Suite 300Mount Prospect, IL 60056t 847.296.6742nsga.org
Nation’s Best Sports4216 Hahn Blvd.Ft. Worth, TX 76117t 817.788.0034nbs.com
Outdoor Industry Association4909 Pearl East Circle I Suite 300Boulder, CO 80301t 303.444.3353outdoorindustry.org
Sports & Fitness Industry Associa-tion8505 Fenton Street I Suite 211Silver Spring, MD 20910t 301.495.6321sfia.org
Snow Sports Industries America8377-B Greensboro DriveMcLean, VA 22102t 703.556.9020snowsports.org
Snowsports Merchandising Corp.235 Cadwell DriveSpringfield, MA 01104t 413.739.7331Snowsportsmerchandising.com
Sports, Inc.333 2nd Avenue NorthLewistown, MT 59457t 406.538.3496sportsinc.com
Sports Specialists Ltd.590 Fishers Station Drive I Suite 110Victor, NY 14564t 585.742.1010sportsspecialistsltd.com
Tennis Industry Association1 Corpus Christi Place I Suite 117Hilton Head Island, SC 29928t 843.686.3036tennisindustry.org
Worldwide 8211 South 194thKent, WA 98032t 253.872.8746wdi-wdi.com
INDUSTRY CALENDAR
MAY
22-25 NSGA Management Conference and Team Hilton Head Island, SC
JUNE 9-10 The Running and Fitness Event For Women Chicago, IL
13-17 Grassroots Spring Summit & Connect Albuquerque, NM
23-25 Sports Inc. Athletic Show Minneapolis, MN
JULY
13-17 IDEA World Fitness Convention Los Angeles, CA
AUGUST
3-6 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Salt Lake City, UT
11-13 Sports Inc. Outdoor Show Minneapolis, MN
SEPTEMBER
21-23 Interbike Las Vegas, NV
25-28 NBS Fall Market Fort Worth, TX
OCTOBER
20-23 ADA Fall Buying Show Charlotte, NC
28-30 ADA Fall Buying Show Phoenix, AZ
NOVEMBER
7-11 Grassroots Fall Summit & Connect Knoxville, TN
17-19 Athletic Business Conference & Expo Orlando, FL
