Valmont Bike Park Is Ole-Fashioned, Grinnin' Fun

I have just two things to say about the newly opened Valmont Bike Park because you should really experience it yourself.

1. It's got something for everyone.
2. I was grinning the entire time I was there. 

Ride it yourself! http://bouldermountainbike.org/valmontbikepark

I almost bit it on this stupid little thing. Man, am I rusty!

It's On! The GoLite Warehouse (and Sample) Sale for 2 More Days

 

WARNING! This sale is in a different location. There's more parking and it's easier than the Gunbarrel location. 

Another difference from the usual GoLite warehouse sale, at least from what I've noticed at past sales, is that GoLite is selling both new product and samples. Samples are just that, sample products that sales reps take from store to store so product buyers can see the goods. Sample sales are usually deeply discounted (in this case GoLite was selling them for around 80% off) and are generally sold as is.

And here, my discount-hunting friends, is the fall 2010 GoLite Warehouse Sale price list.

Suspicious Warehouse Sales Are Afoot!

I just drove down Pearl Parkway and saw a bunch of tents near the Scarpa warehouse at:

Scarpa North America

3550E Frontier Ave

Boulder, CO 80301

Get Directions

(303) 998-2895

scarpa.com‎

I saw tents for Scarpa, Backcountry Access, Teko, and one or two others. I didn't have time to stop by and I don't see any announcements on any of their websites. Anyone know the inside scoop?

I also saw a (tiny!) sign for the Wallaroo Hat Company Sale here:

WALLAROO HAT COMPANY
1880 SOUTH FLATIRON COURT, SUITE E
BOULDER, COLORADO 80301

Phone:		(303) 494-5949
Toll Free:		(888) WAL-AROO (888) 925-2766
E-mail:		info@wallaroohats.com
Fax:		(303) 245-8720

But again, I see no announcements online. My toddler likes his Wallaroo sun hat, i.e. he actually leaves it on.

REI Runs Its First TV Ads

 
REI, which enjoyed a 6.9% increase in sales from 2007 to 2008 because of increased interest in the low-cost, outdoor vacations, is running its first two TV spots during the holiday buying season this year.

The first ad features a group of hikers huddled under a rock during a rainstorm. "For instant friends, just add water." The second ad features a mother and daughter on a summit sharing a slice of bread with peanut butter at dusk. "They discover a 4-star restaurant has nothing on 4 million stars."

See the ads on REI's "Find Out" campaign on YouTube. REI's press release announcing the two-ad campaign is here on its website.

GoLite Semi-Annual Warehouse Clearance Sale December 4-6

Neptune Mountaineering Hosts Multi-Brand Rep Sale - Aug 14

Neptune Mountaineering hosted a summer clearance and "rep" sale from August 14-23. A rep sale is when sales reps pool their inventory to sell off the sample products they've used throughout the season to try to sell product into retail stores. It's like a warehouse sale, except with a smaller selection and, for apparel, mostly size medium.

Did you make it to this sale? How was it? Let us know in the comments.

National Park Fee-Free Weekends

Our Colorado-grown Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, announced in June that the National Park Service would offer free park admission on three weekends this summer!

1 out of 3 National Park Service parks will offer free admission on June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16. Here's the list of parks that are participating.

A Pro Deal for All Americans

In the outdoor and fitness industries, a "pro deal" is a discount given to employees of outdoor and fitness industry companies. This discount is usually at least 20% off retail, and the best discount I know about is 30% off the wholesale price. The only consumer equivalent would be a warehouse sale, but pro deals are usually in effect all year long. There are even websites set up exclusively to sell discounted merch to industry pros.

The rationale behind the pro deal system has several points. The first reason is promotional, and this is where the pro deal system got its start. Manufacturers want influential people to wear their brands. Who is more influential than those whose job it is to introduce consumers to a new activity? For example, a ski instructor might teach lessons to hundreds of skiers each year. If his eager pupils are impressed with him and his sexy $500 Spyder jacket, they might very well pony up full retail for apparel from Spyder in the future, though the instructor paid far less. This pro deal offers the manufacturer a powerful branding opportunity.

The second reason is charitable. In some industries, the average employee doesn't earn enough to be a customer of that industry. The cycling industry is a great example. Since the average bike shop's profit margin might be as low as 35%, the typical shop rat can't possibly be paid enough to afford a $5,000 bike. Bike shops usually offer an employee purchase program, but many manufacturers of high margin items graciously extend pro deals to their own kind.

The third reasoning is simple gear lust and stinginess. Most people who participate in a gear-intensive activity love them some sexy gear. Most people like paying less than full price. So employees in an industry will offer reciprocal pro deals to other companies just so they don't have to pay full price. In this way, the outdoor and fitness industries are a complicated network of pro deals.

Pro deals have rules. You can only order for yourself. No purchasing for friends or family. Some pro deals have an annual dollar maximum. Most pro deals will only ship to your work address. The most stringent deals require proof of your employment in the industry, like a pay stub, business card, and current catalog. Some pro deals are on a limited selection of products. Most pro deals expire at the end of each calendar year, which causes a flurry of pro deal paperwork early each spring. Industry tradeshows like Interbike and Outdoor Retailer are a flurry of pro deal trading; some companies actually send reps to each booth with the next year's pro deal form or unique login.

There is a certain sense of backalley shame in the pro deal system; people tend to lower their voices when discussing the pro deals available to them. "Pro forms", the special order forms that employees use to fax in or email pro deals, are secured in the back of filing cabinets and passed around surreptitiously. No one wants to risk losing their special pro deal by sharing it with someone who might blow it for them by abusing the deal or ordering too much. If you have a sweet pro deal, you only offer access to those you trust.

But what if everyone had a pro deal?

The Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2009 promises just that. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association offers a breakdown of what the "PHIT Bill" might mean. Basically, the PHIT Act would extend the Flexible Spending Account tax break to include some purchases of equipment used in physical activity.

Depending on your tax bracket, that could mean 20-40% off your next TREK bicycle, gym membership, Gregory backpack, gym class or ski lesson, or Garmin GPS-enabled fitness watch. That, my friends, is a pro deal every American should support (though I certainly wouldn't want to have the job of approving or denying purchases or, for that matter, making up the tax revenue shortfall).

The bill's sponsors offer these justifications:

• 20% of Americans aged 2-19 are overweight or obese.
• 8 of the 9 most expensive illnesses are more common in overweight people.
• Between 1981 and 2001, per capita healthcare costs rose 27% because of the increase in the number of overweight Americans.
• The WHO estimates that, in the U.S., a $1 investment in physical activity would reduce medical expenses by $3.20.

So score yourself a pro deal: ask your representative in the House to sponsor the PHIT bill.

How to Buy and Apply Sunblock

The New York Times comments on this summer's impending SPF "arms" race:

"No SPF, not even 100+, offers 100 percent protection. What’s more, both UVA and UVB radiation can lead to skin cancer, which is why dermatologists now advise using sunscreens with an SPF of at least 15 and UVA-fighting ingredients like an avobenzone that doesn’t degrade in light or Mexoryl SX.

The difference in UVB protection between an SPF 100 and SPF 50 is marginal. Far from offering double the blockage, SPF 100 blocks 99 percent of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98 percent. (SPF 30, that old-timer, holds its own, deflecting 96.7 percent).

A sunscreen’s SPF number is calculated by comparing the time needed for a person to burn unprotected with how long it takes for that person to burn wearing sunscreen. So a person who turns red after 20 minutes of unprotected sun exposure is theoretically protected 15 times longer if they adequately apply SPF 15. Because a lot of sunscreens rub off or don’t stay put, dermatologists advise reapplication every two hours or after swimming or sweating."

"It has long been assumed that applying half the recommended ounce meant half the SPF protection. But a small 2007 study...found that 'If you apply half the amount, you get the protection of only the square root of the SPF.'...So applying a half-ounce of SPF 70 will not give you the protection of SPF 35, but 8.4."

Read the full article here.

Outdoor Retailer Will Not Use the Energy Solutions Arena Again in 2009

Kenji Haroutunian, the Show Director for the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow, commented on a prior and incorrect version of this blog post. Kenji says that OR will not use the Energy Solutions Arena for the 2009 Outdoor Retailer show or any future show. I misread an email from an OR account rep.

2009 exhibitors should be pleased that Kenji and the OR staff have been responsive to feedback about Outdoor Retailer. Placing all exhibitors in the same building is an improvement over last year's show, both for exhibitors and retailers, and shows that OR runs its show in good faith and with respect for all attendees.

Outdoor Retailer 2008: "eet's okay, you vill have ze music"

Today is our fifth day in the ESA, where show organizers are attempting to liven up the scene with non-stop music. Unfortunately, the ESA playlist is quite short, and we've been listening to U2, The Who, and Goo-Goo Dolls all day, every day.

An OR booth staffer at our hotel was saying goodbye to two of her coworkers who were catching a flight back to Germany. She said, "I'm going to be lonely in the booth without you!". A coworker replied, "Eet's okay -- you vill have ze music."

In other news, we have our first tradeshow-related injury: Jen has a blister.

Outdoor Retailer 2008: Sunday night schwag tally

Four days. It takes four days for me to become thoroughly tired of eating restaurant food.

Today's schwag haul is likely to be the most valuable booty-load of OR:

• Osprey Talon 5.5 backpack - $20
• 16 oz. stainless steel bottle with carabiner
• National Parks Conservatio Association "fanny" pack
• sweet EK USA lanyard
• carton of Sharkies
• sample pack of Sportwash

I've also amassed a 10 inch stack of magazines, including some outdoor industry mags I've never heard of before.

I'm now getting concerned about luggage space.

Outdoor Retailer 2008: Saturday night schwag tally

Jen: Falcon Pocket Guide to OR, DeFeet "police" cycling socks, eVent keychain, USA Triathlon cycling socks, Camerons Smoker Bag for oven/grill/campfire

Dave: Falcon Pocket Guide to OR, DeFeet "police" cycling socks, eVent keychain, USA Triathlon cycling socks, Camerons Smoker Bag for oven/grill/campfire, Spira t-shirt, Primus foldable fork and spoon

Outdoor Retailer vs. Interbike

OR # attendees (2008): 6,300 buyers + 12,560 exhibitors + "other" = 22,000
Ibike # attendees: 11,368 buyers + 11,606 exhibitors = 22,974

OR # exhibiting companies: 1,020
Ibike # exhibiting companies: 735

Subjectively, there's a noticeable difference in the personality of the shows. Interbike has always had a slightly sinister undercurrent to me, as if most attendees are trying to take advantage of you or get away with something. Perhaps this is due to the show's location in Sin City?

Outdoor Retailer is all smiles and tans and people dressed like normal people. The conversations with attendees are longer, more relaxed.

Interbike is more contrived, with tattoos, cycling "fashion", hair dye and chains. Conversations are shorter, more confrontational, more competitive. Perhaps this is due to male dominance of the show?

At Outdoor Retailer, all the beer is free and free-flowing. Then again, it's all nearly alcohol-free! At Interbike, your goal is to scam free booze.

At Outdoor Retailer, the industry party was open invitation and featured a badminton tournament, a drum circle, and a set from Rusted Root.

Interbike's unofficial industry party, the Sinclair party, is invite only and you nearly have to beg to get an invite. Last year's Sinclair party featured impossibly loud club music and six scantily-clad pole dancers.

Outdoor Retailer 2008: result of yesterday's Energy Solutions Arena uprising

We ESA exhibitors passed around a petition yesterday asking Nielsen Business Media to post more signage leading buyers from the back exit of the main show floor...

...across this street and around these, umm, buyer barriers...

...into the ESA, through the concourse, and down the stairs to the arena floor. The signage today is much improved. Except for the print job on this one below. What's wrong with this picture?

Outdoor Retailer 2008: booth review (priciest, best attended, most inviting)

I do believe that Life is Good wins the award for spending the most on promotion at OR. Check out this exhibit:


Life is Good also sponsored the industry party and produced a "goodminton" tournament.

The booth with the highest body per square foot ratio, though, was Smith Optics:


I found this booth to be the most inviting, and yet the worst-branded. I think it was Merrell (a Columbia brand), but I'm not sure...

Outdoor Retailer 2008: Friday night schwag tally

Dave: tasmanian merino wool hiking socks, smartwool arm warmers, collapsible cup
Jen: tasmanian merino wool hiking socks, smartwool arm warmers, collapsible cup

Outdoor Retailer 2008: Industry Party (plus a goodminton tournament!)

We exhibitors in the ESA closed our first OR show day disappointed and, in some cases, with some anger. A petition circulated urging Nielsen Business Media to add more signage to encourage floor traffic from the main show. The squeaky exhibitor gets the worm, and we were told that Nielsen would make hourly P.A. announcements on the show floor to spur buyers to the ESA, add signage from the main show to the ESA including sandwich boards every 30 feet from exit to entrance.

The evening ended on a high and hopeful note, though. The OR Industry Party was just outside the ESA, which should show buyers how to get to our show floor tomorrow. Free beer from Wasatch Brewery flowed like wine:


And there were a heckuva lot of people:


The Life is Good t-shirt company sponsored a "Goodminton" tournament, with 64 teams competing!

Outdoor Retailer 2008: schwag tally (friday noon)

Current schwag tally:

Jen: 2 pairs smartwool socks, 2 notebooks, notepad, 1 Flair Hair (blonde)
Dave: 1 pair smartwool socks, 1 notebook, 1 notepad, 1 headache, 1 Flair Hair (brunette)

Outdoor Retailer 2008: the Energy Solutions Arena is bad for exhibitors

Nielsen Business Media produces the Outdoor Retailer show. OR has been in Salt Lake City for 12+ years, and the only convention center of any size here is the Salt Palace, which is no longer big enough to contain the outdoor industry's many exhibitors. Nielsen's policy is to place exhibitors based on seniority - the longer you've been exhibiting with OR, the better your placement. Since the show is now too big for its britches, Nielsen's remedy has been to expand across a city street to the Energy Solutions Arena, home of the Utah Jazz basketball team, and place the newest exhibitors there. This is a bad idea, executed poorly.

Here's the main hall:

1. The floorplan provided to exhibitors before the show and now posted in the main hall makes it appear as if the ESA is an offshoot room of the main hall, when it's a 1-4 block walk, depending on where you leave the main hall.
2. The signage is infrequent and poor. There's no signage in the main hall directing you how to best exit the hall to get to the ESA. There's no signage on sidewalks. The ESA is not visible from 75% of the main hall exit doors. The ESA has a bunch of gates and construction barriers that are confusing.
   
3. If you make it to the ESA building, there's only one set of doors to get in. When you enter the ESA, you are one floor above the show floor. There are only two (poorly signed) access points to the show floor from the entrance and you have to walk by some exhibitors. Some might not realize there's a show floor off the concourse.
   

Worst yet, we've paid the same amount for booth space as exhibitors in the main hall. We definitely feel like second-class exhibitors.

Visitors can take stairs or an elevator from the concourse to the show floor. Should you take the stairs, you'd have this view on the way done:

Here's the extremely inviting and well-signed hallway from the elevator.


There is good news, though. As its a pro sports arena, the lighting is bright!

Since all the exhibitors in the ESA are new, we've got kind of a hodge podge of neighbors. Like these fine folks immediately to our left:

And this endurance sports fridge-freezer maker: