Outdoor recreation accounts for 2.2 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), according to the final report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on the outputs from outdoor recreation. The final report also found that outdoor recreation contributes over $734 billion to total U.S. gross output, which is the total value of domestic goods and service produced by an industry.
Category: Outdoor
BRAIN Appoints New Editor In Chief
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News (BRAIN) promoted Steve Frothingham to editor in chief of the magazine and website.
Ski Magazine Debuts Resorts Of The Year Issue
Ski Magazine awarded highest honors to Aspen Snowmass, CO, and Smugglers’ Notch, VT, with the debut of the company’s Resorts of the Year issue.
MSR Renews Partnership With American Alpine Club
Mountain Safety Research (MSR) extended the company’s partnership with the American Club and the club’s Craggin’ Classic Series, the national grassroots climbing festival, for the third year in a row.
Farm to Feet Releases Second American Made Video
Farm to Feet released the company’s second film in its American Made video series which brings the personalities profiled on Farm to Feet’s packaging to life.

SGB Executive Q&A: Mountainsmith President Jay Getzel
Jay Getzel, president of Golden, CO-based gear maker Mountainsmith, spoke with SGB recently about what’s truly important in light of the company’s 40th anniversary, a shift in the way it sells on Amazon and what’s on the horizon for this proudly independent brand.

Response to Walmart: Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Pens Open Letter
In an open letter to the outdoor industry, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance president, Rich Hill, addressed the organization’s concerns about the launch of Walmart’s premium outdoor platform. Hill called on the industry to “communicate openly, work together and resist the easy temptations of short-term thinking.”
OIA Reacts To Tariff News
Rich Harper of the Outdoor Industry Association issued a statement regarding President Trump’s decision to impose $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports.
REI Co-Op To Open Store In Vernon Hills, IL
Outdoor co-op REI will be officially open for business in Vernon Hills, IL, on September 28 in the Mellody Farm shopping center at 901 North Milwaukee Avenue.

VF Corp. Selects Denver’s Lower Downtown District For New Global Headquarters
VF Corp. on Tuesday announced that the company has selected 1551 Wewatta Street in Denver’s Lower Downtown (LoDo) district for the company’s new global headquarters.

The North Face Launches “New Explorers” Campaign
The North Face launched a global campaign “to inspire the spirit of curiosity and enable a generation of new explorers through an expanded definition of exploration as a state of mind.” The campaign includes rapper/producer Pi’erre Bourne, snowboarder Jess Kimura, filmmaker Jimmy Chin and activist Mikhail Martin.
Governor Brown Vetoes Key Outdoor Recreation Legislation
Governor Jerry Brown on Monday vetoed a bill to create the Office of Sustainable Outdoor Recreation in California, a bill which passed through the California legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Big Rock Sports Issues Hurricane Florence Update
Big Rock Sports, headquartered in Graham, NC, sent out an e-mail to its partners indicating that the company’s headquarters escaped damage from Hurricane Florence, its office in Morehead City experienced minor damage, and Hamlet Distribution Center (RC) opened with a small crew on Monday and expects to “be back to full speed within the next couple of days.”

Industry Voices Grow Louder In Opposition To Trade War
President Trump’s claim that increased tariffs on foreign goods have resulted in an improved business climate for U.S. companies has been widely rejected by representatives of the outdoor, sporting goods and active lifestyle industries, who are growing louder in their opposition to the administration’s escalating trade war.

Columbia Sportswear Appoints Dean Rurak SVP Of North America Sales
Columbia Sportswear Co. on Monday announced the following management changes within the company’s North America Sales team. Dean Rurak, Columbia’s vice president of U.S. apparel sales, has been appointed senior vice president of North America sales for the Columbia brand, replacing Joe Craig.