Here at , we believe in supporting and partnering with nonprofit organizations who work to protect the planet and grow outdoor participation among youth and underrepresented communities. We believe that together with our audience of 80 million people per month, we can make a difference. Will you help us get more kids out on the slopes or the bike for the first time? Fund the fight for climate action? Bring yoga to those who need healingā€”and seeds to community gardens?

Join us to support seven nonprofit partners from our Find Your Good that are doing this work every day.

Give to one (or more!) of your favorites by Dec. 6ā€”your tax-deductible donation goes directly to the nonprofit(s) you choose.

and help protect the places you love from climate change.

Ģż and kick down barriers to winter sports.

and help empower a new generation of environmental activists rooted in equity and inclusion.Ģż

and train youth to be effective leaders at the intersection of the environment and climate justice movements.

and help bring trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness practices to incarcerated people.Ģż

and help teach young people to lead, create, and grow a healthy, sustainable future through community gardening.Ģż

and help increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in cycling.Ģż

The post Find Your Good This Giving Season appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones thinks about climate change 100 times a dayā€”thatā€™s no exaggeration.ĢżAs founder of , a nonprofit that focuses on legislative climate action, and , maker of boards, gear, and apparel, itā€™s his job. Jones also happens to be my cousin, and weā€™ve talked about environmentalism and sustainability our entire adult lives. But how does he translate those thoughts into actual, tangible, everyday deeds? I recently spoke to Jones about how he takesĢżaction for climate 365 days a year.

Constant Communication

Everyday actions and practices matter, but conversations, especially with people who might be in a different political camp as you, are key. A lot of people feel like they donā€™t belong to the climate movement because they recognize they contribute to the problemā€“maybe they fly a lot, raise cattle, or just love burgers, work for an oil or plastics company, or still buy bottled water by the case. This feeling of being on the outsideĢżis a huge problem. I donā€™t care what you do, we need you to join the climate movement. We need people from all sectors, political parties, regions, and backgrounds working together on this one unifying thing: the planet we all live on. Because climate change impacts all of us.

When I talk to people about climate change, I try to find common ground. Your political leanings don’t matter: if you love skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, hunting, or fishing, this affects you. If you love to go mountain biking, RVing, waterskiing, or camping with your kids, it affects you, too. Everyone needs to be welcome in this movement. Whether you drive a monster truck or a Tesla, we want you to be part of the conversation and the solution.

A Greener Business

We launched Jones Snowboards in 2010, and from the start we identified a three point North star: performance, durability, and sustainability. Being part of 1% For The Planet is key because we need more people that wake up every day working on climate action and our donation helps with that.

Three years ago we took a big step by moving away from toxic traditional epoxy resins (to hold the board components together). We finally found a bio-based resin (made from tree sap) that works every bit as good as the old stuff. It took a lot of trial and error.

Next winter weā€™ll take another big step, with a project thatā€™s been six years in the making: turning old snowboards into new products, and keeping them out of the landfill. We developed a machine that pops the metal edges and inserts off old boards (for recycling). Then we stack boards on top of each other, press them together, and cut them into strips to create these really strong structural pieces weā€™ll use (instead of carbon fiber) to support power spots in new boards.

Plant-Based Diet

I hate dietary titles, but Iā€™ve been embracing a vegan diet for over 10 years. I used to love a good burger, but Iā€™ve lost the taste for it and this is the best lifestyle lever I can pull for the climate. The cattle industry accounts for 14.5 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions [according to the UN]. As a country, we eat way too much red meat. My plant-based diet has also made me a better athlete. I feel better at 48 than I did at 28. Years ago, I thought my snowboard career was waning, but when I switched to a plant-based diet, I felt way more spry and way less achy. I noticed less inflammation in my muscles and joints.

Voting With Dollars

Change takes longer than you think it will, but once it starts, it happens faster than you thought it could. Hereā€™s an example, going back to the food idea: I was coming back from a snowboarding trip recently. It was late and we were driving through Bakersfield, California, (north of L.A) and we were starving. We found a random burger shack that was open and as we pulled in, I thought, ā€˜what am I gonna eat here.ā€™ Turns out that place had awesome plant-based burgers and shakes. Even Burger King and MacDonaldā€™s have plant-based options on the menus now. You would never have seen that a few years back. But people demanded it, and are voting for plant-based food with their dollars. And itā€™s changing. The same applies to the outdoor industry. Consumers are rewarding companies for making cleaner products and using their power to get us on a better path.

Reducing Emissions

We only have so much CO2 to burn and I think about my carbon emissions every day. I switched to an EV a couple years ago. I carpool to the mountain and the trailhead and ride my bike around town rather than drive. I recycle and avoid plastic. Iā€™ve updated my house with solar panels, a heat pump, better insulation, more efficient appliances, all of which gave me huge energy savings. And I only get on a plane when I really have to. I take fewer, longer, slower trips now. The majority of my adventuring takes place here in the Sierra, my back yard, and Iā€™ve cut my air travel by about 90 percent over the last 15 years.. It stung a bit at first losing my frequent flier benefits, but Iā€™m over it and now Iā€™m happy sitting in the back of the plane and traveling less. Pro tip for others who have recently lost airline status: Board last and ask if they can bump you up to a better seat or an empty row (poor manā€™s first class).

Doing right by the planet can make you happier, healthier, andā€”yesā€”wealthier. ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶųā€™s Head of Sustainability, Kristin Hostetter, explores small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big impact. Write to her at climateneutral-ish@outsideinc.com.

The post Hereā€™s How Jeremy Jones Takes Climate Action Every Single Day appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Jeremy Jones, big-line snowboarder, splitboarding sage, and fearless-seeming founder of (±Ź°æ°Ā)ā€” ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶųā€™s Find Your Good fundraising platformā€”says he was scared to write a book. ā€œI was kind of nervous, but nervousness and excitement go together in my head,ā€ he says. ā€œWhenever I say, ā€˜Iā€™ve never done something like that before,ā€™ and the thought of that thing freaks me out,ĢżI feel like I have to go toward it.ā€

Fear, risk, and knowing when to commit to something scary are all big themes in his new book, (October 2022, Mountaineers Books). Itā€™s part philosophy, part backcountry protocol, part memoir about how heā€™s carved out his unique path as a climate activist, founder of Jones Snowboards, and pioneering athlete. Drawn from decades of journal entries and years of experience, the book is full of stories and tangible tips about how to live and travel well in the backcountry, which we could all use as we think about our personal futures on snow. We asked Jones a few of our burning questions after reading it.

OUTSIDE: What do you hope people get from this book, especially now as backcountry is the fastest growing segment of snow sports?
Thereā€™s something terrifying about writing a book about walking into the mountains, which is this incredibly dangerous thing. In the book we tried to dumb it down to basic fundamentals and principles, and broad arching themes. Which is a hard thing to do because snow is so complex.

I see this is a complement to avalanche courses. I donā€™t consider myself an expert at all, but I have a lot of time in the mountains, and Iā€™ve learned a lot of lessons. I spill those in the book so hopefully people can learn from my mistakes. I think experience is something you get right after you need it.

Speaking of experience, a lot of the book is about your mindset when youā€™re in serious situations.Ģż
The mental game is equally as critical as the tactical game. The tactical things are the ones you learn in an avalanche course and theyā€™re totally part of my toolkit. But once you kind of have that toolkit the focus becomes ā€œhow do I get in the right mindset and figure out what tools to use?ā€ I think thatā€™s a constant challenge. The best of the world deal with it, and I think thatā€™s why so many of the best of the world have close calls or die. Itā€™s not because they donā€™t know how to dig a snow pit.

Which tools in your box do you use the most?
I have some basic protocols I can do that immediately eliminate some really serious risk. You never eliminate it all, but I love having those personal protocols that I can lean on. For instance, with Teton Gravity Research (the film company his brothers founded), we always talk about clean terrain. We ride big lines, but they have a runout, and you know whatā€™s below you and around you, which helps keep you safe. You can break protocol, but you have to talk about it with your partners, and once you do, you know the stakes are way up. You know youā€™re crossing a line.

You mentioned language. Communication sounds like an important tool, too.
Iā€™ve been thinking a lot about framing. Like, at the trailhead if you say, ā€œWeā€™re going to start up toward Widowmaker,ā€ instead of ā€œWeā€™re going to go ride the Widowmaker,ā€ now everyone in the crew is like, ā€œthis is a maybe.ā€ It changes expectations.Ģż

How did you learn all this stuff?
Iā€™m such a product of the people Iā€™ve been in the mountains with. Iā€™ve done a lot of formal education, but a lot of it was informal mentorship, seeing someone farther down the road than me and watching and asking questions. At the root of it is this curiosity, which is crucial for all things in the mountains. As for [finding] mentors, the key is to not overreach. Find a person you admire who is a few steps higher on the rung of knowledge and then draft. You can move up the ladder, passing people along the way and finding people higher up to learn from, but if you start reaching for the top too soon, it can be overwhelming and youā€™re bound to fall.

Youā€™ve been a real mentor to a lot of people in the world of climate change, which feels like itā€™s the biggest challenge for the future of snow sports. Any advice for how we can be good advocates and stewards?
I think you just have to start. Early on, I lost a lot of sleep over getting POW started. It took me a while to be vocal about the climate stuff because unfortunately climate is politicized, and anything political you start talking about bringsĢżconflict into your life. But we canā€™t avoid conflict if weā€™re going to avoid the most pressing issue of our generation. Adapt or Die is my new mantra.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

The post The Gospel, According to Jeremy Jones appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Earlier this month, The Conservation Alliance announced that it would end its association with Bank of America over concerns about the institution’s commitment to environmental protection, abruptly severing a partnership that has lasted for years.

“Today, we are announcing our decision to divest all assets from our longtime bank and financial partner, Bank of America, in order to align our investments with our values,” the organization wrote in a public statement on October 10.

The Conservation Alliance announced that it would transfer its business to Bank of the West immediately.

“No bank is perfect, but we are impressed with [Bank of the West’s] move away from fossil fuels and support of groups like The Conservation Alliance, 1 percent for the Planet, and Protect Our Winters. We will regularly assess the financial institutions we work with to ensure our investments support our vision of a planet where wild places, wildlife, and people thrive together,” the organization wrote.

This week, OBJ spoke with The Conservation Alliance’s executive director, Brady Robinson, about the reasoning behind the decision.

Why has The Conservation Alliance decided to sever ties with Bank of America?

Our initial concerns had to do with protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We’ve been funding the Alaskan Wilderness League on this work for nearly 20 years, and we’ve been with Bank of America for nearly as long. A number of other banks over the years have taken public stands not to fund oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but there was one that didn’t, and it was the one we happened to bank with.

It just didn’t look or feel good. We respectfully but forcefully engaged with Bank of America, and they listened to us. I think the fact that we represent a coalition of over 200 businesses got their attention. We had discussions with them, and some of our member companies had discussions with them as well, but ultimately they elected not to change their public stance. That’s whenĢżwe decided it was time for us to leave.

Can any company truly call itself sustainable without taking a close look at its banking?

Maybe not. It’s time we all examined the issue more closely. A lot of companies have been taking a hard look at their supply chains from a sustainability andĢżhuman rightsĢżperspective, and I think financial institutions have, for the most part, been conveniently excluded from that scrutiny. We’re interested in drawing attention to the financial sector in this way. Who you bank with should be included in your supply chain analysis, because banking with a certain institution is a tacitĢżendorsement of their business activities and who they’re investing with.

It’s also a good way to call attention to issues you care about. For us specifically, the decision helped us draw attention to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, apply some pressure on Bank of America, educate our membership a little bit, and generally elevate the issue.

How hard is it to change banks?

We’re relatively small, so for us it’s easier than for larger groups. But to be clear, even for us it was still a pain in the ass. Banks are sticky. You get used to your checking account and you have all your automatic withdrawals set up. You have all your credit cards tied to various expenses. Banks use that to their advantage.

Obviously, it’s a lot harder for bigger companies. If you’re a big international corporation, the number of banks that can meet your business needs is probably small. We literally could have gone to a credit union in Bend, Oregon, after leaving Bank of America. The big players in the outdoor industry can’t do that. I think it’s important to note that we’re not trying to pass judgment on our bigger member companies. We’re just encouraging them to ask themselves this question. We are not telling them what the answer is because they have to balance their business needs with their sustainability goals. We’re just calling attention to the issue. And we’re hopeful that our member companies and the industry at large will give this consideration.

Why did you choose Bank of the West as your new financial partner?

We shopped around a little, but ultimately we decided on Bank of the West because we already had a relationship with themā€”they’re a Pinnacle Member of The Conservation Alliance.ĢżThey’re really sincere in their support of us and groups like 1 percent for the Planet and Protect Our Winters.

A group like Bank of the West proves that good conservation practices can also be good business practices. They’re making a big stand in this area. They’ve walked away from some lucrative business as a function of their principles. If we can support that by moving our business to them,Ģżthat’s great for us.

To be clear, we’re not saying everybody should use Bank of the West. But for us, because we already had a relationship and their commitments align with ours, it was a pretty easy choice.

The post The Conservation Alliance Says Goodbye to Bank of America appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

In this edition of Straight Talk, editorial directorĢżKristin Hostetter sits down for a free-wheeling Zoom conversation with Jeremy Jones, pro snowboarder and founder of Protect Our Winters and Jones Snowboards.

The two, who are first cousins, talk about how Jonesā€™ new documentary, Purple Mountains, is so different from all his other movies, how the outdoor industry can turn the tide of the upcoming election season, how the coronavirus crisis will impact backcountry safety this winter, and they reminisce about learning to ski the trees together as kids in Stowe, Vermont.

The post A Live Conversation with Jeremy Jones appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

People are 18 percent more likely to vote if they’ve formulated a plan to do so before election day. And this year, polls show that 70 percent of Americans would rather vote by mail than in person.

That’s the basic calculus that led to the creation of Protect Our Winter’s newest political effort, a digital tool calledĢżMake a Plan to Vote that does just thatā€”helps people understand how they can vote safely this year, and makes it easy to do so.

“What differentiates this tool from many others is that it’s a one-stop shop,” said POW executive director Mario Molina. Rather than requesting a mail-in ballot from a government website (which, all too often, can be a clunky and arcane process), POW’s tool acts as an intermediary with a clean interface and easy-to-follow instructions.

“If you use our platform to request a mail-in ballot, POW will send you a pre-filled form and a stamped envelope so that all you have to do is sign it, seal it, and stick it in the mail” Molina said.

The tool also allows users to set reminders for important election deadlines, research information about nearby polling stations, and more. All of this functionality is delivered via POW’s characteristically clean and intuitive web design.

The project was funded by several anonymous individual donors and a group of charitable foundations across the country. Together, these supporters have provided funds for 40,000 prepaid envelopes for mail-in ballot applications, a sum of roughly $60,000.

Brands in POW’s coalition are also getting involved in the effort.

“The North Face, Burton, Jones Snowboards, New Belgium Brewing Company, Skullcandy, and others will be helping us promote the tool on their social media channels and through their networks,” Molina said. “Some of them will also include widgets on their websites that allow customers receive more information about the tool.”

Though it’s only been live for a couple of days, Molina says the tool has already attracted hundreds of users. A short promotional video will be released in the coming weeks. As for community engagement, Molina says the most important thing people can doā€”aside from using the toolā€”is to get the word out.

“Follow us on Instagram, sign up for our email list, but most of all, share the tool with your network and hold them accountable,” he said. “That’s the only way we’ll make an impactā€”if we mobilize everybody.”

The post POW Throws Its Political Weight Behind a New Get-Out-The-Vote Tool appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Life and business have changed dramatically for everyone in the last few months. Like reps, retailers, and others on the for-profit side of the outdoor industry, those working in the nonprofit sector have faced new challenges almost daily since the pandemic began. This week, ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Business Journal spoke with three outdoor nonprofit leadersā€”Emily Newman, executive director of Camber Outdoors; Chris Winter, executive director of Access Fund; and Sam Kilgore, communications manager for Protect Our Wintersā€”to discuss the state of the industry from their perspective.

First of all, how is morale at your organization right now? Is everyone holding up?

ā€œOur team is in really good spirits right now. This whole experience has really sharpened our focus on just how important it is to spend time outside and how much we miss climbing. The whole team feels so passionate about our mission. When we canā€™t do the thing we love, it makes our work feel really important.ā€ ā€”Chris Winter

ā€œMy team is feeling really responsive to the emphasis everyone is placing on helping each other right now. The whole world is focused on trying to help where possible, and that has created a lot of hope, at least for us. That feeling of wanting to be supportive, to do your part, has helped us get through this.ā€ ā€”Emily Newman

ā€œIn mid-March, when the reality of the pandemic really started to set in, we had about a week where everyone was down and nervous. That was overwhelming, but one of the things POW excels at is pivoting when we need to make changes. We were able to turn uncertainty into focus, and that has definitely been inspiring. Weā€™re in a really good place because our community has told us they want to continue to be active, and our staff has responded to that with focus and determination.ā€ ā€”Sam Kilgore

Money is tight for everyone right now. Have you had to make any difficult staff decisionsā€”layoffs or furloughsā€”to get through this?

ā€œWe lucked out in that we haven’t had to lay anyone off or furlough our staff. We had an increased budget for this year anyway because of the election, so luckily we were operating at a higher level before this all started. We did have to scale back some of our plans to fit the budget, but weā€™ve also saved money on things like hotels for our staff at some of our in-person events that were cancelled. I wouldnā€™t say weā€™re in great shape, budget-wiseā€”we obviously took a hitā€”but we made sure to hold onto staff. Our big goal is to show everyone that even during the pandemic, we can still crush our goals. We just have to be more creative about we do it.ā€ ā€”Sam Kilgore

ā€œThankfully, our industry partners and the climbing community have stuck with us through this. We havenā€™t had to lay anybody off. Even our trail teams have been able to keep working in isolation in the field. We have three conservation teams that live on the road 10 months out of the year, doing trail work all over the country. When the pandemic hit, all three teams were able to continue working in very remote locations where they have no contact with volunteers or the public.ā€ ā€”Chris Winter

ā€œWe are definitely making choices around budget priorities and being extremely thoughtful about how we prioritize given our immediate and long-term needs. What IĢżcan say is that we’re being very cautious about how we use funds to best deliver on our mission.ā€ ā€”Emily Newman

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an organization since the pandemic began?

ā€œOn the programming side, one of the biggest challenges has been to help the outdoor community understand what it means to recreate outside safely during the pandemic. Climbing, specifically, is unique because thereā€™s a lot of shared contact. Everyone is touching the same pieces of rock. Thereā€™s been a lot of speculation about how long the virus lives on rock, but very few medical experts have spoken directly to climbers. Weā€™re working to change that. Last week we ran an infographic about how to climb responsibly that got a lot of traction. We just announced a free webinar next Thursday that will feature the director of the Infectious and Tropical Disease Clinic at the University of Washington, Paul Pottinger, who also happens to be a climber whoā€™s summited Everest.ā€ ā€”Chris Winter

ā€œItā€™s a big year for us because weā€™re working on the election. We had planned to do 150 in-person events across six battleground states leading up to November. That obviously fell apart. That was a central part of our strategy and so we needed to rethink it quickly, but the change allowed us to innovate. We started a webinar series called Outdoor State of Mind featuring athletes like Jeremy Jones and Tommy Caldwell that has gotten people really excited. To gain access to these events, you have to make a pledge to vote. Since the series launched on Earth Day, weā€™ve already pledged more than 4,200 people.ā€ ā€”Sam Kilgore

ā€œFor us, the biggest thing has been to make sure our mission work is still front and center. We have had to sharpen our focus on the immediate resources we can offer that still further our mission. After this all began, we quickly put out learning tools focused on HR leadership and systems equity. These are important because there’s so much uncertainty in workplaces. We’re trying to ask: What are the ways to reimagine workplaces so that they uphold DEI principles and also function in this new world?ā€ ā€”Emily Newman

How will the coronavirus affect the financial picture for nonprofits in the near future?

ā€œOne thing nonprofits need to remember is that the next 12 to 24 months will bring a lot of uncertainty and delayed effects. Brick-and-mortar stores have seen revenue drop off right away. Because we as nonprofits rely on charitable giving, there will be delays in the monetary interruptions. To deal with this, weā€™re running a lot of projections on what the future could look like financially. Weā€™re touching base with our corporate partners and trying to keep pace with the changes, but itā€™s a complex picture. One thing we know at Access Fund is that weā€™re established enough to make it through this. 2021 will be our 30th anniversary. Weā€™ve been around long enough that people know the value we add. Theyā€™re focused on supporting us.ā€ ā€”Chris Winter

ā€œIt varies from one nonprofit to another. Some have very large foundation funders and multi-year grants, others receive dollars from individuals and smaller sources. But no matter where a nonprofitā€™s money comes from, I think itā€™s important for people to understand that there are going to be so many needs that arise in the next 12 months that we just canā€™t anticipate. Weā€™re seeing a lot of large funders being flexible and generous with their giving, but because of the uncertainty, the more support anyone can give, the better. This is the time to support nonprofits if you have the ability to do so.ā€ ā€”Emily Newman

Have you seen any unique opportunities come out of all this?

ā€œIt’s important to remember that, even though the pandemic is obviously a huge deal, climate change is still looming and we still have a very short timeline to address it. We canā€™t put that on hold just because of this health crisis. One thing thatā€™s been really interesting to see is how quickly the world can change. In a matter of weeks, we totally altered the way the world works to suit our health and wellbeing. People often say we canā€™t change the way we use fossil fuels because our systems are so ingrained, but the pandemic has proven that wrong. Itā€™s possible to make massive shifts quickly. A crash of the economy, while unfortunate, presents an opportunity to rebuild in a way thatā€™s beneficial to what weā€™re doing.ā€ ā€”Sam Kilgore

ā€œIn the context of a global pandemic and massive economic shifts, the issue of human relationships is suddenly front and center, which is encouraging to see. Everyone is thinking about how we connect with and relate to others. Iā€™m hopeful that, because of that, weā€™ll see even more collaborations that come out of this focused on DEI. At Camber, we just hosted a webinar focused on return-to-work strategies that support DEI. As we go forward, I think a lot of industry leaders will be forced to reimagine what their workplaces look like. Thereā€™s great potential to come out of this with a deeper focus on relationships and value-driven leadership.ā€ ā€”Emily Newman

The post How Nonprofits Are Handling the Pandemic appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

Outdoor Retailer brings together some of my favorite people in the world, people I am so grateful to call friends and colleagues. I thoroughly enjoy getting together with these fine people of the outdoor and snowsports industry. But the reality is that the thrice-annual OR shows create an enormous carbon footprint and is woefully behind in bringing an industry clamoring for change into the future. It is wasteful of our money, time, and resources, and if there is not a complete overhaul in the format, it will eventually die, and could stunt the growth of struggling brands in the process.

My experience with OR began nine years ago, when I was a marketing department of one. The heritage French outdoor and ski apparel brands I worked for, Millet and Eider, were known and respected within the industry, but failed to break through at the consumer level, largely due to the fact that 70 percent of my marketing budget and time was allocated to attending three national trade shows, leaving insufficient resources to support sell-through. It was incredibly frustrating.

Last week, as news spread of the massive layoffs at Tenā€”leaving many of our media friends without jobs and some beloved titles, like Powder, Transworld Snow, and ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Sports Network in dire straitsā€”that frustration with the hyper-inflated cost of OR evolved into anger. Weā€™re spending thousands of dollars to rent a piece of cheap carpet for our booths, but donā€™t have enough budget to support our struggling endemic publicationsā€”who, it should be noted, still have loyal readers (a.k.a. our customers) but no longer have our advertising dollars.

We are giving millions of dollars to an exhibit corporation that has in mind the best interests of its profits, not the outdoors, while our grassroots organizations, like POW and Conservation Alliance, work tirelessly to preserve our environment and only receive a tiny piece of our budgets. And as my pal, Andrew Gardner of Press Forward PR, pointed out, brands, organizations like the ones mentioned above, and our industry leaders are telling grandiose stories of our sustainability efforts and achievements, while shipping massive, heavy crates and printing large-scale graphics that are trashed three days later. By continuing in this manner, we are being grossly hypocritical.

There was a time where orders were written at OR and the Snow Show. That is rarely the case these days. Regional shows, buying groups, and Grassroots Outdoor Alliance have proven to be more efficient forums for the sell-in. Sure, press coverage received from OR generates welcome buzz and awareness for brands, but any PR professional will tell you that that can easily be achieved through email, press trips, and just about any setting other than the 20-minute meetings we rush through with dazed journalists at our booths. A place to showcase our marketing stories for next season? Marketers can (and ahemā€¦do) create more impactful activations at a lower cost outside the confines of the convention center walls.

That leaves the argument that we ā€œneed a national show to gather and stay connected,ā€ and I whole-heartedly agree. The bond the people of the outdoor and snowsports industry share is special. That bond is a love and passion for outdoor sports and good times. So why are we traveling long distances and spending a ton of time and money and carbon to crowd inside a convention center? Why donā€™t we converge and showcase our new products in the venue theyā€™re intended forā€”outside. Why donā€™t we utilize indoor spaces for meeting rooms, seminars, or small-scale displays and then hit the ski resorts, Nordic centers, town parks, bike paths, hiking trails, waterways, and mountains for our bonding rituals and to check out the latest gear?

This, however, will require boldness. To be true to our values and to see progress, we have to move past an antiquated model that doesnā€™t serve our needs or a way forward.

Many in the industry have felt hostage to Emerald Expositions events, but with attitudes shifting, itā€™s time for OIA and SIA to make some drastic changes and to mine for a more relevant, affordable, and sustainable format. The alternative looks a lot like Interbike.

The views expressed here are solely the author’s, and not a reflection of ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Business Journal or Campfire-Collective clients or affiliates.Ģż

Maro LaBlance, of Campfire-Collective, is a marketing and PR professional in the outdoor and snowsports industries. She values accountability and good times, in that order, and seeing blatant waste gives her a category-five panic attack.

The post Op-Ed: Letā€™s Redirect Some of Our Trade Show Dollars to Supporting What Really Matters appeared first on ŗŚĮĻ³Ō¹ĻĶų Online.

On Election Day, Patagonia wants voters in Nevada and Montana to choose two specific U.S. Senate candidates who have vowed to protect public lands and waters.

This is the first time in the brand’s 45 years that it has publicly supported candidates and Patagonia insists the endorsements are “not born from a desire to get into partisan politics.”

Nevada is home to Patagonia’s global distribution center, more than 650 employees, and the famous Worn Wear repair center. It’s also home to the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area; Gold Butte National Monument; Basin and Range National Monument; and millions of acres of wilderness in Clark, Lincoln, White Pine, Humboldt, and Lyon counties.

Patagonia supports Democrat Jacky Rosen to represent the Silver State for her track record of fighting for the state’s outdoor recreation economy, calling for permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and urging interior secretary Ryan Zinke to reconsider shrinking efforts at Gold Butte and Basin and Range.

ā€œShe will fight to protect Nevadaā€™s public lands and the vibrant outdoor industry that depends on them,” Patagonia CEO and president Rose Marcario said in a statement, mentioning Rosen’s strong record of defending public lands in Congress and protecting access to clean air and clean waters. “We need her leadership to protect Nevadaā€™s economy and the basic health of its people, so the business community can thrive and so Nevadans can prosper,” Marcario said.

In Montana, Patagonia has an important outlet store and it’s where the brand created the 1% for the Planet program. The brand has given $5 million in grants to the Montana Wilderness Association, supported the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Projectā€”an effort championed by Democratic senator Jon Tester that proposes to expand a wilderness area by close to 80,000 acres. According to Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, “he gives a damn about protecting public lands.”

“He goes to work every day for the 95 percent of Montanans who believe recreation on public lands is a priority, unlike Republicans in Congress who only serve the fossil fuel industry,” Chouinard said in a statement. “He also knows something about living off the landā€”the only organic farmer in the Senate, and the only one bringing the beef he butchers through airport security when he has to travel to DC. Jon is a real advocate for hunters, hikers, and Montanaā€™s thriving outdoor economy at a time when threats to clean air, clean water and public land are worse than weā€™ve ever seen.ā€

For more information about candidates in your state, view Outdoor Industry Association’s scorecard and Protect Our Winters’ voter guide.

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Jeremy Jones is the triple threat of the snowsports world. He’s a Truckee, California-based professional big-mountain snowboarder, sponsored by the likes of O’Neill and Clif Bar. He’s also the owner of the Jones Snowboards line of boards, skins, packs, and apparel. And, since 2007, Jones has been the force behind the nonprofit Protect Our Winters (POW), which aims to organize the outdoor community to fight climate change. (Full disclosure: he’s also the cousin of °æµž“³ā€™s editor in chief and The Daily editorial director Kristin Hostetter.) Here, he talks about his new short film, incorporating surfboard designs into his snowboards, and how to be a climate activist in the age of Trump.

Tell us about your new short film, Life of Glide.

The last film I did was Higher, which ended with me in the Himalaya. For this one, I wanted to show this other side of the snowboarding Iā€™ve always done. Itā€™s really simple riding, and has a very relatable feel. Itā€™s shot within basically ten miles from my house, in my backyard, and my home resort [of Squaw Valley]. Some shots are literally pretty much under the lift. Yet, it has some of the best cinematic work Iā€™ve been a part of, taking everyday snowboarding and turning it into something much more. The end result is a very happy, beautiful snowboard film. It let me take a break from all this climate stuff and tell a love story.

Whatā€™s new at Jones Snowboards?

I am always tinkering and tweaking everything. Adding a little flex here or there, little refinements over time that make a difference. And this year weā€™re reissuing our mountain surfer. This has taken us years to figure out how to manufacture because it has full bottom contours that Chris Christenson, a surf shaper, pulled from surfboard designs. Itā€™s like nothing that weā€™ve done before.

Also, weā€™ve been putting a lot of energy into customers. Customer service, deliveries, and helping the customer understand how to pick the right board. The one thing we donā€™t sit around and talk about is how we are going to grow. We want to have an empty warehouse by December 1. And we donā€™t want to see our boards go on sale. From a sales perspective, thatā€™s all that I watch. We donā€™t overbuild, and weā€™re totally based off of preorders.

How has social media changed things for all three hats you wearā€”pro athlete, business owner, and activist?

As a pro athlete, you have to consistently be on social media. The good news is you can still be relevant without needing to drop feature-length films all the time. I love diving deep into longer-form content, but in the meantime I can keep everyone happy by consistently doing a decent job on social media. The downside is, back in the day, we basically would be left alone all winter, and in fall weā€™d show our seasonā€™s work. The fact that social media is a daily deal isnā€™t my favorite thing. I look at it as part of my job.

From our company perspective, social media is a big marketing platform. Fifteen years ago, whoever had the most two-page ads in the magazine won. Thatā€™s a super-expensive game. Out of necessity, weā€™ve embraced social media as one of our main marketing platforms.

And as an activist, itā€™s this incredible tool. For my generation and for these kids coming up, social media really is the new newspaper, where people are getting their information.

Whatā€™s it like being a climate activist in the age of Trump?

When Trump was elected, it hit me really hard. I was devastated and demoralized because I knew that he would do everything in his power to erase years of work on climate change, and that doing so would have dire consequences for future generations. I have had to learn to be OK with the [climate] haters and stay focused on the task at hand.

At POW, weā€™ve been really focused on the states that we consider purple, where we can make a difference. There are ten congressional and gubernatorial races we are tooled up for, and our focus right now is moving the needle in these ten areas. Having hope is a key deal. When Trump got elected, we lost hope. But as we started digging into these races, we got fired up and motivated. We canā€™t make a difference at the White House now, but we can regionally, and in 2020 weā€™ll be ready to fight Trump.

Is the outdoor industry doing enough to fight climate change?

We definitely need to be more vocal on the climate front. Nothing will change unless we all stand up. The outdoor industry is bigger than pharma, bigger than the extraction industry, but man, we could learn a lot from the extraction industry because they rule Washington. I really hope that this outdoor industry comes together and just says, enoughā€™s enough. This industry is really good at marketing outdoors and the wilderness, and weā€™re really sub-par at protecting it.

We work with less than 1 percent of the companies at OR. Itā€™s not a huge bar to be a part of POW. Throw a party and charge $5 a cup and send the proceeds to POW. The money is important, but just being a part of it is even more important. For us to be able to say we represent X number of companies and Y amount of people is the biggest lever we have in Washington.

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