Outdoor Retailer's Backcountry Base Camp will move to Snowbasin in Huntsville, UT. Located 33 miles from Salt Lake City, Snowbasin enables Outdoor Retailer Winter Market to host additional activities and to provide attendee services, creating a stronger overall experience. Registration and the BBC Bash party will take place at the Old Day Lodge, with close access to nearby lifts.
In addition, attendees will have easy access to Nordic trails, snowshoe testing and a beacon testing area. To support the growing interest in the winter backcountry experience, Winter Market will feature the Backcountry Village on the show floor, a central space that welcomes the community of athletes and businesses whose passion is the winter backcountry.
“Backcountry Base Camp is a must-attend event for wintersports equipment buyers and media,” said Kenji Haroutunian, show director of Outdoor Retailer. “With Snowbasins amazing facility, fantastic terrain, space to grow, and proximity to the historic mountain town of Odgen, a friendly atmosphere will welcome retailers and provide a terrific environment for testing the latest equipment. At the main event in Salt Lake City, the new Backcountry Village will continue to honor the core backcountry wintersport scene on the show floor.”
The 2008 BBC will offer free lift tickets for retailers and media, hands-on exhibitor displays and selected backcountry product demos. Certain prototype and limited-run randonnee, telemark and other alpine touring equipment will be reserved for wintersports hardgoods buyers only; however, other gear such as footwear, accessories, backpacks, Nordic skis, sleds, and snowshoes will be available for testing to the broader attendee base. After BBC, lift tickets will be available at a 50 percent off rate to OR attendees with an OR badge and ID. Shuttles to BBC will run from the Salt Palace on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, every hour from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Presenting sponsors of the 2008 BBC are Easton Technical Products, Magellan, Mountain Hardwear, Salomon U.S.A. and Yaktrax.
“We are honored to host Outdoor Retailers Backcountry Base Camp,” said Denzel Rowland, general manager of Snowbasin Resort. “Snowbasin is the perfect location to host an event like BBC because of the resorts flexibility, easy accessibility and facilities.”
The Backcountry Village at OR, located at the center of an expanded hardgoods area on the show floor, celebrates the innovation and product development taking place in Alpine Touring, Nordic, Ski Mountaineering, Telemark, and all things backcountry with continuous film clips, acoustic music, comfortable seating, coffee, beverages, and a “hang center” analogous to the Climbers' Ranch or the Paddle Tank at the OR Summer Market. “This concept of a focused community area has been popular in other key market categories at ORWM and is now being applied to the ski mountaineering world,” continued Haroutunian. Supporting the Backcountry Village with space, film, music and advocacy are the Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Avalaunch Festival, and 1% For The Planet.
