Outdoor Retailer - August 2021 - 4

FIRST WORDS
It's Showtime!
FRANK BLACK PLAYED AT MY FIRST OR SHOW.
It was a big shock to me. Before my life at OR,
I had studied fi ction and poetry in a Master of
Fine Arts program, advocated for the creation
of national monuments in a political environment
dead set against them in Idaho, attended
wilderness ranger rendezvous in Montana
while working for the Forest Service, and
served drinks in a blues bar. I considered myself
a punk, someone who bucks the norm. I admit,
I thought a trade show in Utah was going to be a
boring showcase of consumerism. And, sure, it
kind of was, but it was so much more.
Yes, fi rst and foremost Outdoor Retailer is
about selling. That's a good thing. There is no
better place to launch a brand, make new connections,
move into new markets, strengthen
relationships, and expand your reach. We are
all in business (a fact I realized as I transitioned
from self-stylized punker to dude with family
and bills), and the show is the most expansive
market of the gear we all love, the gear that
keeps us working in an industry that's, for the
most part, sustainable and forward-thinking.
But it's a business based on community and
shared values. Just ask anyone who comes into
CONTRIBUTORS
the outdoor industry from another space-they
will tell you how different it feels.
Outdoor Retailer is bigger than business. It's
about what climber Timmy O'Neil calls " hugs
on the rugs. " This is the chance for all of us who
have dedicated our lives to the outdoors to
share that love. At the Show, we plan to make
a difference fi ghting for public lands, conservaiton,
climate change action, inclusivity, and
fair working conditions. We exchange ideas
and fi lms and dreams. We bring new people
and new brands into the fold and watch them
thrive. We learn.
I know I am not alone when I say the Show
feels different this year. It's necessary. After more
than a year of isolation, we will be hugging. We
will be connecting and preparing to fi ght. There's
a lot to fi x and heal in this world, and I think the
punks among us who have matured a bit are
ready to get together and make a difference.
EDITORIAL AND DESIGN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ART DIRECTOR
PHOTO EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
SENIOR EDITOR
COPY EDITOR
BUSINESS
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
PUBLISHER
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR
PR & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
MARKETING DIRECTOR
SALES DIRECTOR
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
PRODUCTION/TRAFFIC MANAGER
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
ADDRESS
31910 Del Obispo, Ste. 200, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
WEB
outdoorretailer.com
Produced in collaboration with Hed Hi Media.
Marisa Nicholson
Ryan Johnson
Tim McManus
Jennifer Pelkey
Lisa Ramsperger
Sarah Hass
Krista Moore
Paul Dillman
Adam Kingston, Dave Nielson,
Robert O'Quinn
Laurie Stiglitz
Lori Silva
Doug Schnitzspahn
John McCauley
Andrew Kornylak
Bevin Wallace
Cameron Martindell
Melissa Howsam
DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN
Editorial Director
Outdoor Retailer is a trademark owned exclusively by Emerald
Holding Inc.
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Holding Inc. All rights reserved.
DANI REYES-ACOSTA
A brand and inclusivity strategic
advisor, educator, and athlete, ReyesAcosta
( " Grow the Future, " page 10)
thinks we can all have a say in how
we build community. Find her on
Instagram as @notlostjustdiscovering
and at danireyesacosta.com.
4 OUTDOOR RETAILER /August2021
JORDAN MARTINDELL
After working a career in high-end
retail management, Martindell
( " Share the Love, " page 12) now
blends her love of aesthetics and
the outdoors. She has written
for Dorado, Elevation Outdoors,
SNEWS, and offyonder.com.
JAMES EDWARD MILLS
Mills ( " Spanning the Gap, " page 24)
is a freelance journalist, the author
of The Adventure Gap: Changing the
Face of the Outdoors, and an adjunct
faculty member of the University
of Wisconsin-Madison Nelson
Institute For Environmental Studies.
BERNE BROUDY
A Vermont-based writer, photographer,
and adventurer, Broudy ( " Is the
Bike Boom Over, " page 7) is passionate
about conservation, education,
and recreation, and she has spent her
adult life working to make the outdoors
a place where all feel welcome.
From left: Courtesy Dani Reyes-Acosta, courtesy Jordan Martindell, courtesy James Edward Mills, Ross Bell / rossbellphoto.com

http://www.outdoorretailer.com http://www.rossbellphoto.com http://www.danireyesacosta.com http://www.offyonder.com

Outdoor Retailer - August 2021

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