Sport

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Due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19 (coronavirus), Outdoor Retailer has made the difficult decision to cancel Summer Market, originally scheduled for June 23-25, 2020 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Outdoor Retailer is actively designing digital platforms to provide the outdoor industry with support and solutions through the summer buying season and moving forward.

This is an unprecedented situation. In a world with so much uncertainty right now, we can take steps to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and support our industry through these challenging times, said Marisa Nicholson, Outdoor Retailer senior vice president and show director. It was a difficult decision to make as Summer Market is integral to the business of many and it’s the outdoor industry’s chance to gather as a community, but protecting the health and safety of everyone remains our top priority.

Nicholson continued: “We have engaged brands, retailers, reps and partners to better understand the fast-evolving reality of the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses. With that information, we are designing digital solutions to serve our industry’s needs in ways that best suit these unprecedented times. It’s vital for the outdoor community to unite and stay connected, and we are committed to providing ways to reinforce buyer/seller networks; discover new brands, products and retailers; and access media and marketing tools. It’s our goal to help outdoor businesses navigate the path forward and preserve the passion that drives our industry.”

Outdoor Retailer is working with the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and Snowsports Industries America (SIA) to identify the digital tools and programming that will best support members and the outdoor and snowsports industries.

As the largest network of outdoor business, Outdoor Retailer will bring the industry together again in January 2021. The winter show returns to Denver and the Colorado Convention Center from January 27-29, 2021, providing the opportunity for the outdoor community to gather in-person and do business, learn, and build relationships. Interested exhibitors can contact their Account Executive today, and attendee registration will open later this year.

Exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees with existing plans for Summer Market 2020 can find more details and contact information at outdoorretailer.com.

#Denver #OutdoorRetailer #TradeShow

Hailing from the rugged mountain town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, VestPac produces an interchangeable range of lightweight, breathable hydration packs and waterproof products. The company originally designed their low profile packs for use underneath jackets in the cool mountain climate where carrying bulky or heavy gear generates unnecessary sweat. Coincidentally, the same attributes that make a hydration pack good for use in the mountains also lend themselves well to SUP.

VestPac’s WilsonPac

The WilsonPac by VestPac is constructed with the outdoor company’s patented 3D Airmesh material intended to wick moisture away from your body during use. The WilsonPac has an integrated front panel with a variety of pockets and attachment options to hold an assortment of items from keys or a whistle to a cell phone and snacks. A list of features includes the following:

1. Two pockets with security flaps

2. Zipper pocket

3. Key ring clip

4. Four adjustable elastic straps

5. 3D Airmesh construction

6. 1 L BPA free hydration bladder with a 360 degree bite valve

7. Alligator clamp style clip for adjusting the placement of the drinking tube

8. Weight, 16.9 oz

SUP Examiner’s Take

The WilsonPac by VestPac delivers a high degree of performance and comfort that meets the needs of stand up paddling. SUP Examiner tested the WilsonPac in a range of paddling scenarios from recreational paddling, sprint training, countless buoy turns and racing. We even jumped in the water with it to test how well the VestPac 3D Airmesh material drains when wet.

The four adjustable elastic straps enable you to size the WilsonPac to fit any body shape, man or woman, and most importantly, they hold the hydration bladder firmly in place on your back. You will not experience any sloshing around to distract you from your primary task of paddling. The pack just sits comfortably in the background and allows you to enjoy your time on the water. Additionally, the 3D Airmesh material and elastic straps are soft enough to wear against your bare skin – an important consideration for female paddlers.

The height of the WilsonPac’s front panel can be adjusted to suit your personal preferences. The pockets are easy to use and a nice size to securely hold a few necessary small items such as a phone, snacks and lip balm. The design and dimensions of the pockets are well thought out and you don’t have to worry about fishing around for an item while balancing on your board.

The 1 L BPA free hydration bladder included with a 360 degree bite valve works well and is a sufficient size for the majority of paddlers. The drinking tube can be disconnected from the bladder itself for cleaning, but be sure it is attached when filling the bladder to prevent liquid from draining from the drinking tube’s attachment point. The hydration bladder’s design could be improved by employing a one-way valve to allow one to remove the drink tube for cleaning and filling the hydration bladder without the contents draining out. Being able to detach the drinking tube would come in handy when filling the hydration bladder and alleviate the drinking tube from getting in the way and flopping around in the sink during filling.

Components of the 1 L VestPac hydration bladder.

Another potential design improvement for the hydration bladder would be to do away with the screw cap opening for filling the bladder and use a top loading style opening similar to the one designed by MOCKE and used in the MOCKE Rapid Hydration Bladder. The advantage to a top loading style opening is it allows users to easily access to clean and dry your hydration bladder after use. It would also enable users to hold the hydration bladder in a more natural upright position during filling.

The included alligator clamp style clip for positioning the drinking tube to the shoulder strap is a bit finicky and may come detached during use. VestPac has designed a hose clip which attaches to the shoulder straps and can be rotated to attain your preferred placement. The hose clip is available for an additional charge and resolves the issues encountered with the alligator clamp. Even so, we feel VestPac would be well served if they included the hose clip with the WilsonPac as we found it to be an essential, yet missing feature on the current design as it applies to the stand up paddling community.

Although we’ve recommended a couple of improvements to the hydration bladder, the VestPac itself met or exceeded our expectations in terms of the pack’s comfort and performance while stand up paddling. SUP Examiner has used this pack regularly for a number of years without encountering any wear or tear to the pack’s construction. It is a great design that should meet the needs of a wide range of users in the stand up paddling community from recreational paddlers looking for a functional hydration pack for their on the water excursions to top SUP athletes seeking a lightweight, high performing pack to assist them in attaining their goals.

#hydrationpacks #VestPac #WilsonPac

Photo by Justin Wang on Unsplash

Outdoor Retailer announced this summer’s trade show will move from June to August 10-12, 2021 and remain at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The date change for Outdoor Retailer Summer was made to facilitate a safe and successful in-person event. Outdoor Retailer is working in conjunction with Visit Denver, the Colorado Convention Center, and show partners to implement the highest safety protocols and measures recommended by health officials and government agencies. “The health, safety, and well-being of our community remains our primary focus as we plan for the Outdoor Retailer Summer show,” said Marisa Nicholson, Outdoor Retailer senior vice president and show director. “This industry is eager to reunite and get back to the productive, in-person business they find at the show. Shifting two months later allows more time for exhibitors and attendees to plan participation, while offering reassurance and a greater peace-of-mind in the opportunity to gather again. “We are already working with Visit Denver and the Colorado Convention Center to ensure the latest recommended safety standards are in place for the August show, and we will take extra precautions beyond those mandated,” Nicholson continued. “In addition to the in-person experience, we will also provide ways to learn and discover new products throughout the summer, allowing everyone to stay connected. We are looking forward to safely reconvening as a community and together welcoming the booming participation growth we’ve witnessed throughout our industry.” The date change, required due to current capacity limitations, affords Outdoor Retailer additional time to work with local officials and show partners on venue protocols and to integrate enhanced health and safety programs into the Outdoor Retailer Summer experience this August. Initial guidelines are available here and, given the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, plans will continue to be updated in accordance with the most current recommendations and communicated to all involved with the show. For exhibitors and attendees unable to attend in-person, digital opportunities to discover new brands and products via Elastic Suite will be announced in the coming weeks. Outdoor Retailer and Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), the official education provider of the trade show, will also work together to offer the high-caliber education show attendees have come to expect. Details on sessions hosted throughout the summer and available remotely will be available soon. Brands interested in exhibiting, sponsorships, or learning more about Outdoor Retailer Summer can contact an Outdoor Retailer Account Executive today. Attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors with existing plans for the original June 2021 dates can visit www.outdoorretailer.com or get in touch with the Outdoor Retailer team for assistance.

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About Outdoor Retailer Outdoor Retailer, the largest U.S. trade show and premier business event for the outdoor industry, brings together retailers, manufacturers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of outdoor recreation through trade shows, Outdoor Retailer Magazine, product demo events, media events and web-based business solutions. The Outdoor Retailer trade shows are the premier outdoor industry events for North America, providing platforms for critical face-to-face business initiatives, line previews, innovations, launches, networking and retailer education. Visit www.outdoorretailer.com for more information.

The Hex Solo mess kit from Ani Ani is a compact 6-in-1 mess kit designed for individual outdoor adventurers. The uniquely designed kit comes complete with everything you’ll need for a low impact – high adventure trip in the outdoors, including:

• a nonstick frying pan (20cm diameter)

• an expandable spork (fork & spoon)

• a wooden spatula

• a 900ml nesting bowl

• a collapsible cup

• a prep box

Our Take

Simple and straightforward, the Ani Ani Hex Solo mess kit is a compact bit of kit that contains everything you’ll need to prepare and cook an individual meal in the outdoors except for the stove itself! The Hex Solo is lightweight and each of the six components easily nests inside one another. I really like that Ani Ani uses two very wide elastic straps to securely hold the nested Hex Solo kit in place. You could drop this kit on the ground and all six of the nested components will almost certainly stay together. The mess kit packs down to a relatively flat profile which will easily fit inside a small dry bag for over the water trips.

The EZ Fold SUP Portable Stands from Suspenz are designed to be a simple and easy to use out of the box solution for keeping your SUP off the ground. The lightweight stands come fully assembled and are designed to hold your SUP in two positions: 1) on its side or 2) horizontally. The on its side configuration will accommodate SUPs up to 6” thick.

The stands fold flat, making them a great solution for taking to events or excursions where you need to protect your board. The Suspenz stands are constructed out of powder-coated aluminum and incorporated with generous foam paddling in all the right places to securely elevate our board.

Specifications

• Board Opening: 6″

• Footprint: 18″ x 18″

• Folds Flat: 18″ x 18″

• Weight: 4 lbs (pair)

Our Take

We’ve tried various SUP stands over the years from off the shelf products to homemade creations. The Suspenz EZ Fold SUP Portable Stands are fantastic option that we highly recommend for SUP paddlers everywhere. Affordably priced at just under $70 we really like the fact the Suspenz stands do not require any assembly and can be used straight out of the box.

We use ours with a 14’ Infinity Downtown SUP and while the volume in the nose exceeds 6” in width, we found the nose still easily tucked into the horizontal slot while the tail of the board comfortably rested fully inside its accompanying stand. That being said, we found using the stands in the horizontal configuration seemed to be a bit more practical as it creates a nice work platform to rest your SUP and insert/remove the fin or rinse it off after a paddle.

Our Infinity Downtown SUP comfortably at rest on a pair of Suspenz EZ Fold SUP Portable Stands.

While PaddleXaminer has not traveled with our stands yet, the ability to fold the 4 lbs stands completely flat will absolutely make them easy to travel with as they take up virtually no space in your vehicle.

All in all, this is a great product from a reputable company that should serve you well for years to come.

As hundreds of paddlers from around the world coalesced at Doheny State Beach last weekend for the third annual Pacific Paddle Games, one of the topics foremost on everyone’s mind was the forecasted swell. Ground Zero for surf racing, competitors have historically been met with chest high surf or greater when visiting SUP racing’s hallowed ground each fall. This year was unmistakably different. The small waves rarely broke above the 1-2 ft range, making the famous surfing beach appear at times more like Florida than Southern California.

Even so, Doheny demonstrated it can still deliver. New for the 2017 Pacific Paddle Games was an expanded roster of kid’s races. The small waves created a picturesque playground for the junior paddlers who contributed many of the weekend’s standout performances.

Erika Benitez executed a clean sweep with her third straight victory in Sunday’s distance course. Known to favor distance racing, the 2017 Pacific Paddle Games were her final big event before the 17 year old Benitez follows in the footsteps of former The Paddle Academy teammate Shae Foudy and ascends to the ranks of Open Division competition.

Shuri Araki. Photo: Lorenzo Menendez / SUP the Mag

Young Shuri Araki delivered what was likely the most inspirational performance of the Games. At the very least, his exuberant delight upon crossing the finish line will go down as one of the most memorable images from the 2017 Pacific Paddle Games thanks to the timely work of SUP the Mag photographer Lorenzo Menendez.

I spoke to a number of open competitors after Saturday’s Technical Race and everyone was all smiles and stoked with the new course. The decision to allow the top finishers from the Open Technical Race to battle it out along the Pro’s Technical Course in an exhibition race later that day also seemed to be well received.

As a suggestion to spice things up even further, I wonder what it might be like if the top open competitors selected to race through the Pro’s Technical Course on Saturday evening could compete for a Wild Card spot in Sunday’s Pro race? Perhaps by beating the slowest Pro time from Saturday’s competition.

Speaking of the Pro races, Annabel Anderson and Connor Baxter’s wins in both the Pro Technical and Distance courses firmly secured their already solid positions as two of SUP racing’s greatest all-around competitors. Anderson’s board was decked out in an appropriately themed lightning motif and the competitive Kiwi left no doubt that she has what it takes to continue to dominate women’s SUP racing for the foreseeable future. The same holds true among the men as Baxter, still just in his early 20s, reminded us why he is a heavy favorite in any race he enters.

Last, but certainly not least, the 2017 Pacific Paddle Games saw an all-star performance by Race Director Anthony Vela, Andrea Mae Curl and scores of other race officials. These folks represent the A-Team of race organization and kept the competition flowing from sunrise to sunset.

Once again, Doheny delivered.

Complete results from the 2017 Pacific Paddle Games

#DanaPoint #DohenyStateBeach #Events #PacificPaddleGames

Wave Tribe was founded by Derek Dodds and a tribe of fellow surfers to create top of the line products with the planet in mind. They make Hemp Day bags and travel boardbags, cork deckpads and traction, and recycled leashes. As the business grew, they began adding other surf-related hemp products to their inventory but in 2016 decided it was time to return their focus to the original trifecta.

In addition to rad eco surf and SUP gear, Wave Tribe provides their customers with free resources, travel guides, board shaping manuals, and surf travel resources. Bi-weekly, Dodds puts together free travel articles and he sends out an eNews blast featuring an international surf location each month.

Wave Tribe has a list of core values that make up the backbone of their company: surf first, travel to unknown places, be kind to the planet, respect others, express gratitude, embrace freedom, honor diversity, protect the ocean, listen to others, and always be learning.

The Leashes

Wave Tribe’s leashes are made from recycled plastics and come in 6’-9’ options for surf as well as a 10’ straight or coil options for SUP. These “strong like bull” leashes come with a one-year unbreakable warranty, are remarkably strong, and include a double swivel technology to prevent them from tangling.

I spent a couple of months testing out the SUP leashes in both the surf and on flat water. As claimed, the leashes didn’t get tangled and were plenty strong. They also include a key pocket which will come in handy during summer bikini sessions.

Wave Tribe is a good company that makes good products. They care about the planet and all of their gear is sustainably made. Also, if you visit them at their headquarters in Ojai they will buy you a beer from a local brewery. What are you waiting for?

#Environment #EnvironmentallyFriendly #leashes #Sustainable

Located in scenic Morro Bay, California, All Good was founded in 2006 with a collection of all-natural skincare products made from simple plant-based ingredients. The brand offers a diverse range of chemical-free zinc sunscreens and muscle recovery sprays, lip balms, lotions and coconut oils. Each of All Good’s products is designed to complement an active, healthy lifestyle with their organically grown formulas.

All Good made a strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility from the beginning. The brand is a B Corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet. They also endorse campaigns for safe cosmetics by testing their products on people rather than animals.

In 2017, All Good released a range of reef friendly water resistant sunscreens free of oxybenzone, a chemical known to cause coral reef bleaching. Each formula is made with zinc oxide plus organic botanical ingredients and received a top rating from the Environmental Working Group.

We’ve had an extraordinary Indian Summer here in Southern California giving me ample opportunity to try out a few different reef friendly sunscreen styles from All Good. My favorite was the Sunscreen Butter SPF 50+. The Zinc-based sunscreen comes in a stick application for easy use. No need to worry about getting your hands slippery and fumbling your paddle after applying the sunscreen. The packaging is also super easy to carry in a backpack. Small enough to be manageable, yet providing an ample amount of product for multiple sessions outdoors. I found the Sunscreen Butter was non-greasy, moisturizing and did not leave an annoying residue on my skin.

Another standout was the All Good SPF 15 Lip Balm. The zinc oxide-based product goes on clear and comes in four flavors: original, tangerine, spearmint and chai. There is also a Sport and Kid’s Sunscreen, each SPF 30.   

All Good is an authentic California lifestyle brand with a clear vision designed to inspire others to live in a true balance with nature. Learn more about the great brand and their full range of products at AllGoodProducts.com

#AllGood #Sunscreen

The EZ Fold SUP Portable Stands from Suspenz are designed to be a simple and easy to use out of the box solution for keeping your SUP off the ground. The lightweight stands come fully assembled and are designed to hold your SUP in two positions: 1) on its side or 2) horizontally. The on its side configuration will accommodate SUPs up to 6” thick.

The stands fold flat, making them a great solution for taking to events or excursions where you need to protect your board. The Suspenz stands are constructed out of powder-coated aluminum and incorporated with generous foam paddling in all the right places to securely elevate our board.

Specifications

• Board Opening: 6″

• Footprint: 18″ x 18″

• Folds Flat: 18″ x 18″

• Weight: 4 lbs (pair)

Our Take

We’ve tried various SUP stands over the years from off the shelf products to homemade creations. The Suspenz EZ Fold SUP Portable Stands are fantastic option that we highly recommend for SUP paddlers everywhere. Affordably priced at just under $70 we really like the fact the Suspenz stands do not require any assembly and can be used straight out of the box.

We use ours with a 14’ Infinity Downtown SUP and while the volume in the nose exceeds 6” in width, we found the nose still easily tucked into the horizontal slot while the tail of the board comfortably rested fully inside its accompanying stand. That being said, we found using the stands in the horizontal configuration seemed to be a bit more practical as it creates a nice work platform to rest your SUP and insert/remove the fin or rinse it off after a paddle.

Our Infinity Downtown SUP comfortably at rest on a pair of Suspenz EZ Fold SUP Portable Stands.

While PaddleXaminer has not traveled with our stands yet, the ability to fold the 4 lbs stands completely flat will absolutely make them easy to travel with as they take up virtually no space in your vehicle.

All in all, this is a great product from a reputable company that should serve you well for years to come.