Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including a number of former Cabela’s employees, led by Matt Highby, officially launching Highby Outdoors, an e-commerce site focusing on outdoor gear.
Category: Outdoor
Minnesota Unveils ‘Find Your True North’ Marketing Campaign
At the state’s annual tourism conference in St. Paul, Explore Minnesota announced a new “Find Your True North” tourism marketing campaign.
Dow Renews Partnership With USA Luge Team
Dow and USA Luge have announced the renewal of Dow as the Official Technical Partner of the USA Luge team through 2022.

Transformation Efforts Pay Dividends For Amer Sports In 2018
Amer Sports, which is close to completing its mega-merger with China’s Anta Sports, reported a “solid” fourth quarter with slightly lower earnings but improving sales momentum. The gains were led by its Arc’teryx and Peak Performance apparel brands, strong DTC growth, and accelerated growth in China and the U.S.

Vista Outdoor Cuts Guidance Amid Continued Headwinds
Shares of Vista Outdoor fell $1.58, or 15 percent, to $8.99 on Thursday after the company earlier in the day cut guidance on its third-quarter report of a 20 percent revenue decrease and a $514.6 million loss on a goodwill write-down. The company reported sales of $468 million, shy of Wall Street’s consensus target of $505 million.
The Evans Group Launches Outdoor Sporting Goods Online Resource
The Evans Group – an award-winning sales force team of top outdoor sporting, shooting and hunting goods – announced the launch of theevansgroup.net that will serve as an innovative resource to better connect the top manufacturers and quality dealers in the hunting, outdoor, shooting and law enforcement industries throughout North America. “For more than 28 years, The Evans […]

Columbia Sportswear Beats Estimates On Record Q4, Full Year 2018
Columbia Sportswear Co. on Thursday announced net sales of $917.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, an increase of 18 percent (19 percent constant-currency), compared with net sales of $776 million for fourth quarter 2017 and ahead of Wall Street estimates by $69.6 million.

Callaway Golf Teeing Up Jack Wolfskin Strategy
Solid performance across Callaway Golf Co.’s core golf business led to impressive revenue growth in 2018, and now the company is banking on a new division—Jack Wolfskin, which Callaway just acquired—to become an integral asset. For the full year of 2018, Callaway’s net sales increased $194 million, or 19 percent, to $1.2 billion, reflecting increases in each of the company’s operating segments and in each reporting region.
Ikon Pass Renews Partnership With Protect Our Winters
Ikon Pass is renewing its partnership with Protect Our Winters (POW) through a Summit Level donation. The 25,000 donation aims to support industry-led programs that unite and mobilize the global snow sports community against climate change and enhance education, advocacy and community-based activism.

Amer Sports Delivers 5 Percent Organic Growth In Q4
Amer Sports reported a slight decline in earnings in the fourth quarter. Sales grew 10 percent overall on a currency-neutral basis and 5 percent on an organic basis. Growth was strongest in Apparel, up 41 percent and D2C, ahead 23 percent. Regionally, revenues increased 16 percent in China and 10 percent in the U.S.

Vista Outdoor Reduces Sales Guidance After Quarterly Miss
Vista Outdoor lowered its revenue guidance for its fiscal year ended March 31 after reporting sales dropped 20 percent in the third quarter. The company posted a loss of $514.6 million, or $8.94 a share, on a massive goodwill write-down but said earnings before charges exceeded Wall Street’s consensus estimates.

January M&A Roundup: Media Companies Make News As Landscape Shifts
Consumer and trade publications are accustomed to reporting news, but in January companies in the active lifestyle and action sports media made news through a host of acquisitions that could drastically affect industry coverage moving forward.
The North Face Partners With American Alpine Club
The American Alpine Club, the country’s oldest and largest climbing advocacy organization, in partnership with The North Face will give away $50,000 in grant money to climbers as part of the 2019 Live Your Dream Grants.
Rip Curl Extends Contract With Mick Fanning
Rip Curl, celebrating its 50th anniversary, announced a lifetime contract 3x World Champion Mick Fanning.

GoPro Posts First Profit In Five Quarters
GoPro Inc. reported a profit against a loss in the fourth quarter as sales climbed 13 percent. Results benefited from expense controls and strong demand for the HERO 7 action camera.