Salt Lake Tribune
January 21, 2010

OUTDOOR RETAILER DEBUTS WITH A FLURRY

Snow brings smiles to Mountain Demo Day that kicks off event.

By Mike Gorrell

Snowbasin — Whether they were pushing gear or testing it, the people at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market's kickoff event were smiling Wednesday.

It was snowing, after all — lightly, but snowing still.

What better way to set a tone for the annual trade show's All Mountain Demo day than to have a wintry feel for what before this has been disappointing winter weather?

"It's great to see," said Mark Lengel of Wasatch Ski Distribution, a Salt Lake County company that represents the Italian backcountry ski manufacturer Ski Trab and avalanche safety equipment maker Arva.

He was busy Wednesday morning adjusting bindings for a steady procession of skiers eager to test Ski Trab models as light snowflakes fell at Snowbasin Resort above Ogden.

Pat Lambrose, an avid backcountry skier testing equipment for Salt Lake City's Wasatch Touring, stopped by to sample some Stelvio touring skis. "Everyone who has these loves them," she said. "I've been dying to try them."

Ski Trab was just one of many ski brands drawing testers. Salomon and Atomic, two brands of Ogden-based Amer Sports, had booths next to Park City-based Rossignol. Another Ogden company, Goode Ski Technologies, was passing out its lightweight carbon fiber skis and introducing testers to its new line of carbon fiber poles.

"Almost all of our skis are out, so it's been a good day," owner Dave Goode said shortly before noon.

Perhaps the biggest crowds surrounded the Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. tent. A couple of years after launching a quiver of freeride "power" skis, Black Diamond is introducing a group of "efficient" skis and boots.

Fat but light for flotation, these skis are designed to be "easy for breaking trail" but firm enough to handle downhill speeds, said company spokesman Penn Newhard.

Demo Day was not confined to ski shows.

Venture Snowboards from Silverton, Colo. made its debut at Outdoor Retailer, showing off its three models of big mountain freeride snowboards, including splitboards. Those are snowboards that can be unclipped in the middle to form two skis that, with skins, can be used for uphill climbs. Then the halfs can be reattached for downhill rides.

"It's a line that is definitely growing," said Lisa Branner, who runs the company with her husband, Klemens. "Our sales numbers are increasing dramatically, and I see that trend continuing."

Another Colorado company, Loki of Grand Junction, was showing off coats that have gloves and a face shield built into the shell. Jetboil came all the way from Manchester, N.H., to show off its lightweight, energy-efficient stoves.

FTL Solar out of Austin, Texas, was displaying 10-watt, foldable solar panels that campers and backcountry skiers can use to recharge cell phones, digital cameras or GPS units when they are far from conventional power sources.

All of these companies will be hoping to strike deals with retailers between today and Sunday, when the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market moves to the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. Outdoor Retailer

The annual trade show's Winter Market runs through Sunday at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

The show is not open to the public, but is expected to attract more than 16,000 attendees this year.

170 new exhibitors are participating.

About FTL Solar:

FTL Solar's unique patent-pending products are the first and only pre-fabricated, mass produced photovoltaic (PV) tensile structures in the world. FTL Solar's structures are innovative and in this new "Green" age, are an expression of practical function and form. FTL Solar structures integrate thin film PV with super strength fabric to create architecturally refined solar canopies, arrays and enclosures that turn sunlight into electricity. Additional information for FTL Solar can be found at www.ftlsolar.com.

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